SSN is a digest of the day's soccer/football/futbol articles with a focus on the top European leagues and the United States National Team. Below, you’ll find links to articles and video, as well as additional features and commentary. We locate the top news of the day so you can stay updated with ease.
OK, so the World Cup hasn't exactly been a free-flowing goalfest (Germany's 4-0 shellacking of the Socceroos notwithstanding). And the stars of the show have not been Messi and Rooney and Ronaldo, but a slippery ball whose name sounds like a New Orleans fish stew, and a plastic horn more loathed than BP.
But just because scoring is down and goalkeepers are still making more excuses than acrobatic saves, doesn't mean that compelling storylines aren't emerging. And if you keep following them, redemption will surely follow. Here's what to look for in the next first-round matchups:
We're still waiting for this tournament to properly come alive but we saw quite a few fine individual performances with only four teams still to play their opening fixture.
Here's my 2010 Fifa World Cup finals team of the day from Tuesday 15 June:
Slovakia 1 - 1 New Zealand
In Durban on Sunday evening, the year-round sub-tropical climate on the Indian Ocean coast ensured that Germany’s 4-0 demolition of Australia was staged in balmy temperatures in excess of 20 degrees.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi joined calls by broadcasters and fans to ban the vuvuzela at the World Cup as British supermarkets reported selling one of the plastic horns every two seconds.Some horn players complain of “vuvuzela lip” from the plastic mouthpiece. Bruce Copley, who has been teaching pupils to play the vuvuzela, advised using baby oil to reduce friction.
There may yet be sanctuary for armchair fans. A website — antivuvuzelafilter.com — is said to offer a download for 2.95euros (£2.45) which combats the horn by playing back at the television set noise waves at the same frequency.
And then the American college kids came in.
And then the police.
