Soccer

David Beckham and LA Galaxy at New York Red Bulls Thursday at 7 p.m. ET

August 21, 2007 -- Last Saturday’s regular-season Major League Soccer match which featured David Beckham and the Los Angeles Galaxy at the New York Red Bulls, led by the resurgent attacking duo of Jose Altidore and Juan Pablo Angel, will be featured as an “Instant Classic” Thursday at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN Classic. The thrilling 5-4 New York victory will be ESPN’s first ever “Instant Classic” presentation of a Major League Soccer match. Highlights:    » read more »

08 August 2007 -- Fans in Washington are hoping to see the Major League Soccer debut of English star David Beckham as his Los Angeles Galaxy takes on host DC United Thursday night (7pm ET kickoff) at Washington's RFK Stadium.

Other than what could be described as a token appearance of 16 minutes on July 21 in a friendly match at the Galaxy's home field against English club Chelsea, David Beckham, 32, has been kept on the sidelines since joining his new team in the United States.    » read more »

17 July 2007 -- England football star David Beckham has a lingering ankle injury and it limited what he could do in his first practice for his new team - Major League Soccer's Los Angeles Galaxy.

Beckham only did some stretching and kicking drills Monday because of his swollen left ankle. Galaxy coach Frank Yallop said the superstar midfielder's progress will be monitored daily. Beckham is scheduled to make his playing debut on Saturday in a friendly match against visiting English club Chelsea.    » read more »

June 28, 2007 -- PORTLAND – Maine Governor John E. Baldacci greeted about 5,000 soccer players from up and down the East Coast Thursday afternoon in Portland as they prepared for the opening ceremonies of the US Youth Soccer Region 1 Championships. This is the first of two consecutive years the event, for players between the ages of 10 and 19, will be held in Maine.    » read more »

18 June 2007 -- The head of the world soccer federation, FIFA, has arrived in South Africa to inspect work on 10 stadiums being built or refurbished for the 2010 soccer World Cup. Sepp Blatter immediately sought to dispel persistent reports that alternate countries are being considered. Correspondent Scott Bobb reports from Johannesburg.

The head of soccer's world governing body, Sepp Blatter, Monday inspected construction on Johannesburg's Soccer City stadium and said in general construction is on track.    » read more »

06 June 2007 -- David Beckham has returned to international competition and led England to a 3-0 win over Estonia in European Championship qualifying. World Cup finalists Italy and France also won on Wednesday.

Beckham returned to England's national team after 10 months away. He set up two goals at Estonia. England is currently fourth in the Group E standings, with just the top two teams from each seven-team group advancing to next year's Euro 2008 tournament in Austria and Switzerland.    » read more »

29 May 2007 -- Football's world governing body FIFA has officially opened its new headquarters in Zurich. It is called "Home of FIFA."

FIFA president Sepp Blatter said the vast complex with a glass front will, as he put it, "allow light to shine through the building and create the transparency we all stand for."    » read more »

15 May 2007 -- South Africa says it is beginning regular briefings on the country's readiness to host the 2010 World Cup in Soccer. It says it wants to counter persistent rumors that it will likely lose the event because it is behind schedule in preparations. VOA's Delia Robertson reports from Johannesburg that, at the first briefing, Deputy Finance Minister Jabu Moleketi said South Africa is ahead of schedule to deliver a well-organized and safe World Cup.    » read more »