2006 World Cup Preview: Where in the World? (Sports Illustrated)
In early 1999, during the bleak days following its last-place finish in World Cup ‘98, U.S. Soccer began a grand experiment. Wanting to close the gap with the rest of the world, the federation invited the nation’s top 20 players under 17 to move to Bradenton, Fla., where they would train and take high school classes in a full-time residency program at the IMG sports academy founded by tennis guru

‘F-word’ banned in World Cup-free hotel (SABC News)
A British hotel is offering football-free breaks for “soccer widows” desperate to escape wall-to-wall coverage of the World Cup. Any guest who overhears a member of staff mentioning the f-word, “football”, will be given a free glass of champagne.

2006 FIFA World Cup Review [PSP] (GameSpot)
There’s more than enough improvements to the formula to make 2006 FIFA World Cup a soccer game worth owning for your PSP.

La Volpe considers attacking quartet
With time running out before Mexico’s opening FIFA World Cup game with Iran, coach Ricardo La Volpe has been toying with a four-man attack ahead of Thursday’s pre-tournament friendly against the Netherlands…