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.