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The Greatest Women’s World Cup Finals

By Gary Norris Gray, BASN: Posted on Monday, July 25, 2011 9:39 AM

CALIFORNIA (BP) -- The exciting and competitive Women’s World Cup ended with penalty kicks. The Americans and Japanese ended this great game in a 2-2 deadlock. The Eagles could not defeat the Ladies of the Rising Sun. It was a tough defensive struggle.

Each team tried to control the pitch (field) with ball control, each team protected their net.

The Americans played right into the hands of the Japanese in the 2 and overtime periods. The Japanese are known for their box defense that shield the wings from scoring and the Americans fell into the trap.

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Soccer boom? Not. Big step forward? Maybe.

By Jim Litke, AP Sports Columnist: Posted on Tuesday, July 19, 2011 3:48 PM

NEW YORK -- Let's begin by not overstating the case.

Predictions of a soccer boom in America have done more to hamstring the development of the world's game here than all those well-organized, well-meaning parents who became youth coaches with no more than a vague idea of how it's played. And just so we're clear, there will be no explosion this time, either.

After the U.S. women stunned Brazil and just about everybody else in a quarterfinal match at the Women's World Cup, I wrote that if Americans didn't fall in love with soccer after that, well, maybe they never would.

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FIFA Leader Denies Demanding Bribes

By BP Wire Services: Posted on Wednesday, May 11, 2011 2:55 PM

LONDON -- A top FIFA official denied a claim by a British soccer official that he asked for bribes in exchange for support for Britain's bid to land the 2018 World Cup.

Former Football Association Chairman David Triesman told a parliamentary panel Tuesday members of FIFA's executive committee asked for money, a knighthood and television broadcasting rights to gain their support for Britain's bid, The Financial Times reported.

"There were some things put to me which in my view didn't represent proper and ethical behavior on the part of [the executive committee] members," Triesman told members of the culture, media and sport committee of the House of Commons.

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French Soccer Group Accused Of Race Quotas

By BP Wire Services: Posted on Saturday, April 30, 2011 4:02 AM

PARIS -- The governing body of French soccer has been accused of trying to limit the number of non-white players by setting quotas for teenage training camps.

Mediapart, a French investigative Web site, made the allegation Thursday, the BBC reported. It quoted anonymous sources within the French Football Federation who said blacks and North Africans were supposed to make up no more than 30 percent of the 12- and 13-year-olds admitted to the camps.

The Web site said Laurent Blanc, the national coach, had approved racial quotas, something he called a lie.

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The Greatest Women’s World Cup Finals

Soccer boom? Not. Big step forward? Maybe.

FIFA Leader Denies Demanding Bribes

French Soccer Group Accused Of Race Quotas