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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• Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo has special reason for wanting to be fit to face England on Saturday. Comments Off

• Quote of the tournament? Portugal’s Luiz Felipe Scolari, explaining his captain’s loss of cool during the match against the Dutch yesterday: Jesus Christ may be able to turn the other cheek, but Luis Figo isn’t Jesus Christ. Comments Off

• Portuguese fans take over Ferry Street, in the Ironbound district of Newark, for an impromptu victory parade. Comments Off

• For live updates by Duncan Irving of this afternoon’s Portugal-Netherlands game from Nuremberg, “more.” You can then hit “refresh” on your browser bar or “F5″ on your keyboard for continuous coverage. Comments Off

• Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari praised his players for beating Holland with only nine men. Comments Off

• 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

• Click on “more” for our live coverage of the match between Portugal and Iran today in Frankfurt, which gets underway at 9am EST, described by Rob Mackey. 65 Now Ronaldo’s tripped up on the very spot Figo passed to Deco from, left of the box. Free kick. SUB: Ferydoon Zandi, who plays for […] 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