About the Soccer World Cup Blog
The world of professional soccer does not make headlines solely on the field–headlines are made off the field as well. Of course, when players are injured, teams are eliminated, or titles are won, it’s news. In professional soccer, what happens on the field doesn’t stay on the field, especially when it has potential to impact the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa.

Professional soccer is creating more buzz than it ever has away from the field. Key players are moving—to new countries and new teams—with new sponsors chomping at the bit. Big companies are doing everything they can, including buying small companies, to ensure their dominance of the global soccer scene at the World Cup. Everyday, team nicknames are being debated, captains are being named, and rivalries are being ignited. All the while, the anticipation of the next World Cup continues, bringing with it all the drama that unfolds as the world waits to see the 32 competing teams take center stage.

Fans of professional soccer want a look inside. They want to know the ins and outs of the teams and players on the pitch and behind the scenes. There’s no better place to find it all than here on this Soccer Blog. For many of us, it’s the best way to South Africa.

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• Here’s something to bookmark: the brackets and schedule for the knockout stage, here on FIFA’s Web site, now starting to be filled in as the groups conclude. After a fairly predictable last set of games yesterday, are there any surprises in store for us today? While everyone’s talking about the Argentina vs. Holland exhibition […] Comments Off

• Welcome back to the New York Times’s live Web coverage of the World Cup. Click on “more” for live updates on the all the action from Cologne. As soon as it hits our TV screen, it’ll hit your computer screen. POST-GAME THOUGHTS Angola can hold their heads up having kept it close against a Portuguese […] Comments Off

• One day to go! World Cup fever is everywhere — all over the world, they’re going nuts with anticipation. And we say … get on with it already! In Berlin yesterday there was a huge kickoff party that drew about 250,000 people to the Brandenburg Gate. From here it looked like fun, but the Germans took […] Comments Off