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.

France so near yet so far
France went further than virtually everybody anticipated at Germany 2006 but defeat by Italy in the Final left a bittersweet aftertaste for Raymond Domenech and Co…

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.

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.

Germany 2006 in numbers
After 31 days and 64 games the curtain came down on the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany with Italy holding the Trophy aloft amid an outpouring of joy inside Berlin s Olympiastadion. FIFAworldcup.com rounds up the statistics from a memorable tournament…

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.

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.

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…

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. -

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…

Portugal have cause for pride
Portugal returned home as heroes after reaching the semi-finals of the FIFA World Cup for the first time in 40 years. FIFAworldcup.com reflects on their campaign in Germany…

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.

PG NORTH: Sewickley soccer team hoping to go deep into roster (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
Sewickley Academy boys’ soccer coach Uwe Stender went back home to his native Germany early in the summer to soak in the World Cup atmosphere. After closely following the tournament, Stender has a theory why teams such as champion Italy had success while heavy favorite Brazil fizzled.

SA aims for greenest World Cup in 2010 (SABC News)
Learning from previous hosts Germany, South Africa had a wonderful opportunity to ensure that the 2010 soccer world cup conformed to the principles of sustainable development, a top United Nations official said today.

PG NORTH: Sewickley soccer team hoping to go deep into roster (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
Sewickley Academy boys’ soccer coach Uwe Stender went back home to his native Germany early in the summer to soak in the World Cup atmosphere. After closely following the tournament, Stender has a theory why teams such as champion Italy had success while heavy favorite Brazil fizzled.

Soccer Truth & Rumors: Aug. 30, 2006 (Sports Illustrated)
Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo insists he is happy to remain with the Old Trafford club. The Portuguese winger said during the World Cup that he wanted to move to Real Madrid, which may have stemmed in part with his run-in with United teammate Wayne Rooney during the Portugal v. England match. — Goal.com

Brazilian World Cup veteran Edilson leaves Vasco (Slam! Sports)
SAO PAULO, Brazil (AP) - World Cup veteran Edilson is leaving Vasco less than seven months since signing with the four-time Brazilian champion.

SA aims for ‘greenest’ World Cup (IAfrica South African Business News)
Learning from previous hosts Germany, South Africa had a wonderful opportunity to ensure that the 2010 Soccer World Cup conformed to the principles of sustainable development, a top United Nations official said on Monday.

SA aims for greenest World Cup (Sunday Times)
Learning from previous hosts Germany, South Africa had a wonderful opportunity to ensure that the 2010 Soccer World Cup conformed to the principles of sustainable development, a top United Nations official said.

Soccer: World Cup midfielder Ogasawara joins Messina on loan (Kyodo via Yahoo! Asia News)
_ Kashima Antlers’ World Cup midfielder Mitsuo Ogasawara has joined Italian club Messina on a one-year loan deal, officials of the J-League first-division club announced Monday.

SA aims for greenest World Cup in 2010 (SABC News)
Learning from previous hosts Germany, South Africa had a wonderful opportunity to ensure that the 2010 soccer world cup conformed to the principles of sustainable development, a top United Nations official said today.

Italy to parade World Cup trophy around Naples stadium (Sports Illustrated)
Italy will parade the World Cup Trophy around Naples’ San Paolo stadium on Saturday before its first competitive match since winning the title last month.

SA aims for greenest World Cup in 2010 (SABC News)
Learning from previous hosts Germany, South Africa had a wonderful opportunity to ensure that the 2010 soccer world cup conformed to the principles of sustainable development, a top United Nations official said today.