"Argentina shaking in front of hands of God"

"BBC - World Cup 2006 Blog - BERLIN - The German newspapers have invoked Jurgen Klinsmann's call for passion in today's quarter-final with Argentina. Der Tagesspiegel promises "a German tango", saying stereotypes will be over-turned as the home team's "fire and intensity...

We Soccer Fans Sure Do Have A Lot To Say

"On The Pitch - I stumbled across a fun tool called BlogPulse which is similar to Google Trends, except it tracks trends of phrases in the blogosphere. Lets see how often you find "World Cup", "NBA Finals", and "Stanley Cup" on blogs this...

Nico Goes Home

"Joy and Sorrows - The Blues site has announced that Nico Vaesen, 36, has joined Belgian side Lierse. The player is officially out of contract at midnight tonight and has taken the opportunity to go back home to give something back to his homeland. “I want to still show...

USA v Ghana and Overall World Cup TV Ratings So Far

"On The Pitch - According to Nielsen, the USA v Ghana World Cup match pulled a 2.6 rating and 3.819 million viewers on ESPN, making it the #7 Cable TV program for the week of June 19th. Not too shabby considering it was on between 7AM and 10AM on a weekday across the country....

Gambling and getting lucky?

"Worldview World Cup Blog - It's raining in Edinburgh today, and I've just come back from visiting Rosslyn Chapel - a fascinating place: http://www.rosslynchapel.org.uk/ which is now associated more with "The Da Vinci Code" than the development of Protestant Christianity in...

Skinner and Baddiel judge our 3 Lions karaoke

"BBC - World Cup 2006 Blog - BERLIN - Picture the scene: you’re on a work night out as it’s a rare chance to catch up with colleagues outside of the hectic office environment. After all, this is the brief period of rest before one of the..."

Video compilation of Ronaldo's record-breaking 15 World Cup goals

"Who Ate all the Bratwurst - Sing along now: 'He's fat, he's round, he's the World Cup's leading all-time goalscorer…'"

Just one man's story

"BBC - World Cup 2006 Blog - LONDON - Yesterday I asked 29-year-old Antje to blog about her thoughts on German patriotism, which has seemingly been given unprecedented licence of expression by this World Cup. Today I pass on the thoughts of someone from the older generation,..."

The coolest guy and the cruelest tax collector…

"We promised to keep you updated on absurdities connected to the World Cup, and today we have a couple of great ones. In Beijing, fire broke out in a hutong — a traditional courtyard dwelling — in the middle of the night, just as the France-Spain match was...

Yeah, people DO say I look kind of familiar…

"Regular readers know we just love stories about dimwitted criminals, and this is one of my favorites. This guy has been arrested for trying to fleece a money exchanger, by using an ID card bearing somebody else’s photo. Oh yeah — did I mention that the guy, who...

England training photos

"Pictures of Sven's men as they prepare to face Portugal"

Germany v Argentina photos

"Pictures from the quarter-final match in Berlin"

FIFA prez seeks consistent officiating (AP)

"Whoever wins the World Cup, one definite loser will be soccer's battered image of fair play. A record number of red cards, including four in one game and three in the first 46 minutes of another, suggests there is something fundamentally wrong with the world's most popular...

Argentina, Germany renew old rivalry (AP)

"It would have been a classic World Cup final: Germany vs. Argentina in Berlin's 72,000-seat Olympic Stadium, a showdown between two soccer powers with five titles between them. Instead Friday's match is only a quarterfinal. But still special. "In terms of potential, this...

Referee Poll quits international soccer (AP)

"English referee Graham Poll, who showed a Croatian player three yellow cards before sending him off in a World Cup match, is quitting international officiating. Poll told Britain's Sky Sports television Thursday that he considered retiring from all soccer after his blunder,...