Blatter Gives World Cup Play 8/10, Says Maradona May Help FIFA (Bloomberg.com)
Aug. 31 (Bloomberg) — FIFA President Sepp Blatter gave this year’s World Cup in Germany eight out of 10 for the standard of soccer and nine out of 10 for organization.

Kiwis harbour World Cup hopes (TeamTalk via Yahoo! UK & Ireland Sport)
New Zealand Soccer chief executive officer Graham Seatter says the country would jump at the chance to co-host the World Cup with Australia.However, Seatter has admitted he does not expect FIFA to move football’s 2010 showpiece away from South Africa.

New Zealand ready if FIFA move 2010 World Cup (RT News)
New Zealand Soccer chief executive officer Graham Seatter would jump at the chance to co-host the World Cup with Australia but has admitted he does not expect FIFA to move football’s 2010 showpiece away from South Africa.

Domenech to remain France coach
Raymond Domenech will stay on as coach after leading France to the 2006 FIFA World Cup final, the French Football Federation said on Tuesday…

World Cup Hampers Brazil Economy in 2Q (AP via Yahoo! Finance)
Brazil’s economy expanded less than anticipated in the second quarter as workers across the nation headed home early to watch the country’s soccer team play in the month-long World Cup, the government said Thursday.

World Cup Hampers Brazil Economy in 2Q (AP via Yahoo! Finance)
Brazil’s economy expanded less than anticipated in the second quarter as workers across the nation headed home early to watch the country’s soccer team play in the month-long World Cup, the government said Thursday.

Germany 2006: The interviews
Over the course of Germany 2006, FIFAworldcup.com tracked down the biggest names in the game, from legends like Michel Platini and Pele to the stars of the finals themselves, and sought out their opinions on the big event. See again what they had to tell us…

German Retail Sales Fell on World Cup, Record Heat (Update1) (Bloomberg.com)
Aug. 31 (Bloomberg) — Retail sales in Germany, Europe’s largest economy, dropped more than expected in July as the soccer World Cup ended and record temperatures kept people out of stores.

Duo take Trophy to stricken Pessotto
Italy captain Fabio Cannavaro and full-back Gianluca Zambrotta have shown off their newly acquired FIFA World Cup Trophy to former teammate Gianluca Pessotto, hospital sources said on Tuesday…

Soccer’s World Cup 2010: could the winner be . . . Sydney? (Sydney Morning Herald)
AUSTRALIA’S plans to host the world’s biggest sporting event, soccer’s World Cup, could be accelerated, with speculation persisting that South Africa’s preparations for the 2010 tournament are hopelessly behind schedule. -

Kiwis harbour World Cup hopes (TeamTalk via Yahoo! UK & Ireland Sport)
New Zealand Soccer chief executive officer Graham Seatter says the country would jump at the chance to co-host the World Cup with Australia.However, Seatter has admitted he does not expect FIFA to move football’s 2010 showpiece away from South Africa.

German Retail Sales Fell on World Cup, Record Heat (Update1) (Bloomberg.com)
Aug. 31 (Bloomberg) — Retail sales in Germany, Europe’s largest economy, dropped more than expected in July as the soccer World Cup ended and record temperatures kept people out of stores.

German Retail Sales Declined in July on World Cup, Record Heat (Bloomberg.com)
Aug. 31 (Bloomberg) — Retail sales in Germany, Europe’s largest economy, dropped in July after the end of the soccer World Cup and as record temperatures kept people out of the shops.

German Retail Sales Declined in July on World Cup, Record Heat (Bloomberg.com)
Aug. 31 (Bloomberg) — Retail sales in Germany, Europe’s largest economy, dropped in July after the end of the soccer World Cup and as record temperatures kept people out of the shops.

Kiwis harbour World Cup hopes (TeamTalk via Yahoo! UK & Ireland Sport)
New Zealand Soccer chief executive officer Graham Seatter says the country would jump at the chance to co-host the World Cup with Australia.However, Seatter has admitted he does not expect FIFA to move football’s 2010 showpiece away from South Africa.

New Zealand ready if FIFA move 2010 World Cup (RT News)
New Zealand Soccer chief executive officer Graham Seatter would jump at the chance to co-host the World Cup with Australia but has admitted he does not expect FIFA to move football’s 2010 showpiece away from South Africa.

Italian triumph rekindles love affair
Italy’s footballers went into the 2006 FIFA World Cup against the difficult backdrop of a match-fixing scandal yet ended up rekindling their nation’s love for the beautiful game…

Blatter Gives World Cup Play 8/10, Says Maradona May Help FIFA (Bloomberg.com)
Aug. 31 (Bloomberg) — FIFA President Sepp Blatter gave this year’s World Cup in Germany eight out of 10 for the standard of soccer and nine out of 10 for organization.

Germany 2006: The interviews
Over the course of Germany 2006, FIFAworldcup.com tracked down the biggest names in the game, from legends like Michel Platini and Pele to the stars of the finals themselves, and sought out their opinions on the big event. See again what they had to tell us…

German retail sales slow after World Cup (RT News)
Retail sales in Germany declined on a monthly basis in July, largely because the previous month’s figures had been boosted by the positive effects of the World Cup soccer championships, new data shows.

Yorke Rejoins Keane at Sunderland, Ends Australia Soccer Stint (Bloomberg.com)
Aug. 31 (Bloomberg) — Dwight Yorke, who led Trinidad and Tobago to its first World Cup this year, quit Sydney FC to join English soccer club Sunderland and reunite with former Manchester United teammate Roy Keane.

German Retail Sales Declined in July on World Cup, Record Heat (Bloomberg.com)
Aug. 31 (Bloomberg) — Retail sales in Germany, Europe’s largest economy, dropped in July after the end of the soccer World Cup and as record temperatures kept people out of the shops.