Canada 2-0 El Salvador
June 24 – Fresh from emerging from a Concacaf-imposed timeout, Canadian head coach Jesse Marsch returned to the technical area at Shell Energy Stadium in Houston, knowing any more misbehaviour would send him back to the naughty room. He needn’t have worried as their opponents El Salvador simply imploded in a red mist.
November 6 – Asia’s top Olympic official has stepped into the debate over a winter World Cup in 2022, ruling out the idea of the winter Olympics the same year being shifted from its traditional February time slot.
By Andrew Warshaw
November 6 – The international players’ union FIFPro have re-iterated their warning that players could boycott the 2022 World Cup if it is held in summer even though that is now becoming increasingly unlikely.
By Mark Baber
November 6 – On the same day as AC Milan lifted the Trofeo Luigi Berlusconi after a 2-0 victory against San Lorenzo of Argentina in the San Siro, it emerged that joint CEO, Barbara Berlusconi, is pursuing the concept of a new stadium for the Rossoneri – in the same neighborhood as the Casa Milan – to form a new “quartiere Milan.”
November 6 – The International Centre for Sport Security (ICSS), an international focussed on sport safety, security and integrity, has been named as a sponsor of the World Football Forum being held in Moscow next week.
Argentina will not be bidding for the centenary World Cup in 2030, opening the door to Chile or even inaugural hosts Uruguay.
The 2030 tournament seems almost certain to go back to South America for the first time since this year’s World Cup in Brazil.
November 6 – A Romanian midfielder has been handed an unprecedented 16-match domestic ban for fracturing the eye socket of an opponent.
By Ben Nicholson
November 6 – Following the tragic death of Peter Biaksangzuala, who suffered spinal injuries that proved to be fatal after celebrating a goal by attempting a back somersault, FIFA has moved to rid the game of somersaulting celebrations altogether.
By Andrew Warshaw, chief correspondent
November 5 – The man who led the official FIFA inspection team that evaluated the credentials of 2022 World Cup hosts Qatar says November-December must be ditched as a possible date for a winter tournament, warning it would cause untold chaos for the international calendar.
By Mark Baber
November 5 – FIFA have extended a ban on recently elected Italian football federation (FIGC) president Carlo Tavecchio worldwide for six months a racist comment he made in August.
By Jaroslaw Adamowski
November 5 – Polish construction company PB Dombud has won the PLN 20.5 million (€5 million) contract to modernise Gornik Zabrze’s stadium. The upgraded and expanded stadium will be increased to a capacity of 31,871 spectators.
November 5 – South African football authorities have called on fans to surrender their illegal guns following the recent fatal shooting of national captain Senzo Meyiwa that shocked the entire nation.
November 5 – As racism in football shows no sign of abating in Russia and elsewhere in eastern Europe, the problem continues to tarnish the game in multi-cultural countries where racial tolerance is supposedly part of society – including England.
By Ben Nicholson
November 5 – MLS 2014 season TV viewership figures for ESPN show a slight rise from 2013, following the trend of increased attendance figures. However, excepting 2013, each year since 2006 has recorded more viewers than 2014, proving there is still much to do in terms of popularising the MLS on television.
November 5 – The issue of black players boycotting the 2018 World Cup in Russia because of racism has been raised once again, this time by renowned anti-apartheid campaigner Tokyo Sexwale who is a key FIFA adviser.
November 5 – Israeli football usually makes the news when linked to the Middle East crisis but television pictures flashed around the world of dreadful scenes during the Tel Aviv derby have plunged the domestic game into disgrace.