On Sunday December 4th, the United States finally managed to best Germany on the pitch with a 9-2 victory that will surely be remembered by American soccer historians for centuries to come. I kid, I kid. Actually, on Sunday a group from the US Navy managed to beat a group from the German Navy at that lovely little paradise in Africa known as Djibouti.

By Alan Duffy

Spot the drug cheats

Forget the Russian linesman and whether or not the ball crossed the line and all that malarkey, it has now been revealed that three of West Germany's team in the famous 1966 World Cup final failed drug tests after the game.

Five Things we learned from Barcelona's 3-1 trouncing of Manchester United:

1. It's definitely now time for Sir Alex Ferguson to trust his younger players

Paul Wilson has already argued this in The Guardian, and he couldn't be more right. How is it possible that a club of United's stature and resources can roll up in the Champions' League final against the best passing team in the world some argue the best EVER and stick a 37-year-old ex-winger into the centre of midfield?

One of Illinois' biggest industries has always been the coal industry. While never a big part of Chicago's direct business, coal has been a part of the state's economy since the early 1800's. My fellow Chicago historians should check out the history of coal mining in Braidwood near Joliet, but the main reason for bringing this up is the canaries.