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.
Fabregas said: "The best moment for me at the World Cup so far was that nail biting end when the USA scored in the last minute against Algeria. It was an incredible finale and was the most memorable one for me.
"Everybody is talking about it. That was a great moment and they are a great team"
Ghana lost 1-0 to Germany on Wednesday at Soccer City Stadium, but within seconds of the final whistle, the Black Stars were celebrating. A group of players ran to the stands, grabbed a Ghanaian flag from some fans and did a victory lap. The loss mattered little to Ghana. Once the Black Stars received the news that Australia had defeated Serbia 2-1, they knew they were through to the Round of 16 as the first (and likely only) African team to advance.
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | Diff | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Holland | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 9 |
| 2 | Japan | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
| 3 | Denmark | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 6 | -3 | 3 |
| 4 | Cameroon | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 5 | -3 | 0 |
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | Diff | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paraguay | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 5 |
| 2 | Slovakia | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 5 | -1 | 4 |
| 3 | New Zealand | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 4 | Italy | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 5 | -1 | 2 |
ESPN said 1.1 million people watched at least some of the USA's 1-0 win as it was streamed on ESPN3.com Wednesday. The match, which was also watched on ESPN by 6.2 million people, lasted from 10 a.m. to noon ET, during working hours for most of the United States.
The network says it was the biggest online audience for a sporting event, beating the Duke-Butler NCAA championship basketball game on a Monday night from earlier this year.
With heavyweights England and Germany booking their places in the last sixteen, Italy will be hoping to join them on another tense day of final group games in South Africa.
France’s team returned to Paris under heavy police protection on Thursday after their humiliating first-round exit from the World Cup. The plane chartered by the French Federation landed at Le Bourget business airport, 20 km north of Paris, after a 15-hour flight from South Africa. A smattering of supporters were kept at a distance and dozens of photographers, cameramen and journalists were penned behind a wire fence
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | Diff | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | USA | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 5 |
| 2 | England | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
| 3 | Slovenia | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| 4 | Algeria | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | -2 | 1 |
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | Diff | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Germany | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 6 |
| 2 | Ghana | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| 3 | Australia | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 6 | -3 | 4 |
| 4 | Serbia | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | -1 | 3 |
Freddy Adu is heading back to Greece this week, his mind already on Brazil.
While definitely disappointed to be left off the U.S. roster for the World Cup in South Africa, the 21-year-old former phenom is focusing on the 2014 tournament after starting to revive his career this year at the Greek club Aris Thessaloniki.
Mexico 0 - 1 Uruguay| Team | Played | Goal Difference | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
 URU | 3 | 4 | 7 |
 MEX | 3 | 1 | 4 |
 RSA | 3 | -2 | 4 |
 FRA | 3 | -3 | 1 |
| Team | Played | Goal Difference | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
 ARG | 3 | 6 | 9 |
 KOR | 3 | -1 | 4 |
 GRE | 3 | -3 | 3 |
 NGA | 3 | -2 | 1 |
"What's tragicomic is the referee's smile afterwards. When I scored the goal against England, I didn't see the referee laugh. He had so many doubts, he looked at his linesmen, there was no fourth referee at that time, he looked at the crowd to see if they gave him a hand.
"But yesterday, the referee went [back to the centre circle] laughing and that's what shocked us all. So if you saw it why didn't you penalise it?
