Mexico 2-0 Suriname:
June 18 – The Mexican national team is perhaps the only country in world football that plays home matches in two countries. The Azteca Stadium in Mexico City is, of course, their spiritual home; however, in Los Angeles – where they roared to victory over the Dominican Republic – and tonight in the heart of Texas at AT&T Stadium in Arlington versus Suriname, the team is welcomed by partisan support and rapturous anticipation.
By Andrew Warshaw
July 19 – The French Government has questioned the wages being paid to Zlatan Ibrahimović following the Swedish striker’s high-profile move from AC Milan to big-spending Paris Saint Germain (PSG) for a reported €20 million (£16 million/$25 million).
By Andrew Warshaw
July 19 – Former Asian football supremo Mohamed Bin Hammam had his lifetime ban by FIFA sensationally annulled today when the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), sport’s highest legal channel, upheld his appeal by ruling there was insufficient evidence against him.
By Andrew Warshaw
July 19 – Leyton Orient chairman Barry Hearn has renewed his call for sharing the Olympic Stadium with West Ham United once London 2012 is over.
By Andrew Warshaw
July 19 – Kosovan football authorities have reacted with cautious optimism to FIFA’s decision to postpone a decision on whether the Balkan province can play international friendlies.
By David Gold
July 18 – The Qatar Football Association (QFA) has lost an appeal against the decision to strip them of a point won in an Olympic men’s football qualifier against Oman.
By David Gold
July 18 – Australian forward Harry Kewell has been named the country’s greatest ever footballer at an event in Sydney.
By Tom Degun at Team GB House in London
July 18 – Scotland’s Ifeoma Dieke admits she is enjoying life with Team GB, despite being just one of two non-English players named in coach Hope Powell women’s football squad for the London 2012 Olympic Games.
By Andrew Warshaw
July 18 – Kosovo will have to wait at least until the end of September before it finds out whether it can, after all, play international friendlies.
By David Gold in Westminster in London
July 17 – English Football Association (FA) chairman David Bernstein will not support a bid by Sepp Blatter to stand for election again in 2015, he said here today.
By Andrew Warshaw
July 17 – Despite constant assurances that the tournament would be packed out and a huge success, London 2012 organisers were forced to retreat today when they announced that half a million Olympic football tickets for men and women combined are to be removed from sale.
By Andrew Warshaw
July 17 – FIFA President Sepp Blatter today defiantly shrugged off calls for his resignation in the wake of the ISL bribery affair as world football’s governing body appointed two new independent supremos in the war against corruption – notably among its own officials.
By David Gold
July 17 – FIFA and Brazil’s largest public television network, Globo, has confirmed that there will be free access to small public gatherings showing matches during the World Cup in 2014.
Last Sunday the merits of video technology in sport were there for all to see as Roger Federer swept his way to equalling Pete Sampras’ Wimbledon record of seven titles at the expense of Andy Murray. Two players, both with three challenges during each set of a tennis game, with an extra one in the event of a tie-break.
To football fans watching, it must have begged the question, “Why can we not do this in football?”
By Andrew Warshaw at the Main Press Centre on the Olympic Park in London
July 17 – Ryan Giggs, captain of the first all-British team to take part in the Olympic football tournament in the modern era, hopes London 2012 can act as a springboard for future participation in the Games.
By Andrew Warshaw
July 17 – Former Asian football supremo Mohamed Bin Hammam’s hopes of restoring his power base have been effectively dashed after he was sanctioned by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) when an audit of AFC accounts revealed allegations of financial wrongdoing.