U.S. team arrives in Shanghai, faces tough World Cup start (Sports Illustrated)
With its World Cup opener against North Korea looming, veteran forward Kristine Lilly and other members of the U.S women’s soccer team got down to business this week in Shanghai.

China faces challenges at World Cup beyond Brazil and Denmark (Slam! Sports)
BEIJING (AP) - China was set to host the women’s World Cup four years ago when a deadly outbreak of SARS forced organizers to move it to the United States.

Norway comes to women’s World Cup to prove it’s still a power (Slam! Sports)
BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) - Norway comes to the women’s soccer World Cup eager to prove it’s still a power. The favourites to win Group C, the Norwegians will play Canada, Australia and Ghana when the tournament opens on Sept. 10.

North Korean women open against the United States in World Cup (Slam! Sports)
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - North Korea may not allow its less-than-average national men’s soccer team to participate in every international tournament, but the secretive Stalinist state has no such qualms about its high-performing women.

Germany set to roll through Group A at women’s soccer World Cup (Slam! Sports)
BEIJING (AP) - The fight will be for second place in Group A at next month’s women’s soccer World Cup. Behind the scoring of Birgit Prinz, defending champion Germany is unlikely to be challenged in one of the more lopsided groups in the 16-team competition.

Germany set to roll through Group A at women’s soccer World Cup (Slam! Sports)
BEIJING (AP) - The fight will be for second place in Group A at next month’s women’s soccer World Cup. Behind the scoring of Birgit Prinz, defending champion Germany is unlikely to be challenged in one of the more lopsided groups in the 16-team competition.

Soccer: U.S. eliminated from FIFA U-17 World Cup (Honolulu Advertiser)
CHEONAN, South Korea Richard Sukuta-Pasu scored a pair of second-half goals, and Germany eliminated the United States from the FIFA Under-17 World Cup with a 2-1 victory today.

Olympic style bidding for World Cup? (The Electric New Paper)
FIFA is expected to propose Olympic-style bidding for future World Cup Finals following a landmark review by soccer’s governing body of how its showpiece event is awarded, sources said yesterday.

China faces challenges at World Cup beyond Brazil and Denmark (Slam! Sports)
BEIJING (AP) - China was set to host the women’s World Cup four years ago when a deadly outbreak of SARS forced organizers to move it to the United States.

Linford’s departure Canadian soccer’s latest failing (Canada.com)
Victoria Mayor Alan Lowe and Colin Linford, president of the Canadian Soccer Association unveil the FIFA Under 20 World Cup at the Victoria Curling club in Victoria, B.C. June 13, 2007.

Soccer: U.S. eliminated from FIFA U-17 World Cup (Honolulu Advertiser)
CHEONAN, South Korea Richard Sukuta-Pasu scored a pair of second-half goals, and Germany eliminated the United States from the FIFA Under-17 World Cup with a 2-1 victory today.

Linford’s departure Canadian soccer’s latest failing (Canada.com)
Victoria Mayor Alan Lowe and Colin Linford, president of the Canadian Soccer Association unveil the FIFA Under 20 World Cup at the Victoria Curling club in Victoria, B.C. June 13, 2007.

Women’s soccer: U.S. getting ready for its Cup opener (The Salt Lake Tribune)
SHANGHAI, China - With its World Cup opener against North Korea looming, veteran forward Kristine Lilly and other members of the U.S. women’s soccer team got down to business this week in Shanghai.

Norway comes to women’s World Cup to prove it’s still a power (Slam! Sports)
BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) - Norway comes to the women’s soccer World Cup eager to prove it’s still a power. The favourites to win Group C, the Norwegians will play Canada, Australia and Ghana when the tournament opens on Sept. 10.

Linford’s departure Canadian soccer’s latest failing (Canada.com)
Victoria Mayor Alan Lowe and Colin Linford, president of the Canadian Soccer Association unveil the FIFA Under 20 World Cup at the Victoria Curling club in Victoria, B.C. June 13, 2007.

China faces challenges at World Cup beyond Brazil and Denmark (Slam! Sports)
BEIJING (AP) - China was set to host the women’s World Cup four years ago when a deadly outbreak of SARS forced organizers to move it to the United States.

FIFA plan Olympic-style bidding to host World Cup finals (Reuters via Yahoo! India News)
MONTE CARLO (Reuters) - FIFA is expected to propose Olympic-style bidding for future World Cup finals following a landmark review by soccer’s governing body of how its showpiece event is awarded, sources said on Thursday.

S.Africa fears foreign criminals to target World Cup (Reuters via Yahoo! India News)
CAPE TOWN (Reuters) - South Africa fears tourists could fall prey to armed robbers, many from neighbouring states, at the 2010 soccer World Cup, a government minister said on Thursday.