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Dear John: When will the US understand that the universal sport of soccer cannot exist in our country? It is a poor man’s sport where no equipment is needed, only a ball and a field in which to kick it. It cannot survive in the US for three reasons: Boring, boring, boring. The most excitement is among the spectators who burn or stampede the stadiums or kill the goalie or referee — which is where the term “fan” was derived: “Fanatic.”

No es como comienza, sino como termina. "It is not how it begins, but how it ends." That's the rallying cry broadcast to their fans and the wider world by FENAFUTH, the Honduran soccer federation, this week via its Twitter account, ahead of a simply enormous World Cup qualifying clash with the United States that figures to have a huge influence on which of the two nations will reach Russia 2018. This is the very definition of a "six-pointer," a match that both sides need to win, but neither can afford to lose. Los Catrachos and their yanqui visitors sit...

The strange and fascinating world of the British spy known as ‘Chris Whatsit’ was unravelling yesterday. Christopher Steele was once MI6’s top spy on Russian affairs and lived in the shadows until being unmasked as the alleged author of the ‘dirty dossier’ on Donald Trump. He was dubbed ‘Chris Whatsit’ by his late wife on their first date because she could not remember his name – but he revelled in being a man of mystery. Now the 52-year-old is hoping to return to anonymity after fleeing his £1.5million home in Surrey, telling his neighbour to look after his three cats....

In late July, the Justice Department refused a request from the Senate Judiciary Committee — a bipartisan, joint request from Chairman Charles Grassley and Ranking Democrat Dianne Feinstein — to make two top FBI officials available for an interview in the committee's investigation of the Trump dossier and other matters related to the Trump-Russia affair. Citing the Mueller special prosecutor investigation, Justice stated "confidentiality" and the "sensitivity of information relating to pending matters" made it impossible for the two officials, Carl Ghattas and James Rybicki, to talk to the Senate committee that oversees the FBI. Grassley and Feinstein are still...

NEPTUNE-- A tweet from players for St. John Vianney's girls' soccer team posted on the eve a game with Neptune was seen by some parents as a veiled derogatory reference to Neptune's student body, a large percentage of which is black and Hispanic, app.com reported.

RUSH: Do you remember way, way back, we still during commercial breaks where people are on hold play the parodies of the group we started back in the early nineties called Keep Our Own Kids Safe, KOOKS, on the dangers of soccer. Well, guess who’s just discovered this and has turned this into a serious fundraising cause? Stephanopoulos’ wife. BREAK TRANSCRIPT RUSH: But just to show you what I mean when I tell you cutting edge societal evolution. Grab audio sound bite number 23. This is George Stephanopoulos’ wife. Ali Wentworth is her name. She was on the Explorer Channel...

They've been begged by star players to stop it, fined repeatedly, and threatened with dramatic sanctions that could hurt their national team’s chances in.... Mexican soccer fans have been loath to give up their favorite game-day chant, a homophobic slur that has been condemned by gay rights groups, government officials and international soccer authorities. .....Each time the goalie for the United States team picked up the ball to punt it, the crowd began chanting, “Eehhh,” stretching out the sound like a long musical note on a crescendo. When the goalie finally kicked the ball, the crowd shouted, “puto!” in unison....

Christian soccer player Jaelene Hinkle has withdrawn herself from the U.S. soccer team after it was announced that the squad would be wearing rainbow colored 'gay pride' jerseys in their upcoming game. She cited "personal reasons" for her refusal to play, according to The Christian Post. The star proudly declares Colossians 3:23 on her Twitter which says: "And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men." "If you live for people's acceptance, you'll die from their rejection," the tagline also notes on her profile.

Thousands of soccer fans loudly booed the United States national anthem when it was played at Mexico City's Estadio Azteca before the two countries faced off in Sunday night's World Cup qualifier game. Thousands of fans jeered and refused to stand as the Star-Spangled Banner played over the sound system, making their dislike of the United States known. While Mexican fans booed during the national anthem, they celebrated their team's one goal of the night by hurling slurs towards American fans, who slung back insults in retaliation, according to the Miami Herald.....

Saudi Arabia’s national football team have been criticised for failing to observe a minute’s silence held before Thursday’s match against Australia in Adelaide. The [Australian] Socceroos lined up in the centre of the pitch before the World Cup qualifier and held the brief silence as a tribute to the two Australians killed in the terrorist attack in London at the weekend. As they did so, the Saudi Arabia team continued jogging, passing the ball between each other and taking their positions on the field.

An 'Islamist' suspect has been arrested in connection with the pipe bomb attack on Borussia Dortmund's team bus before a Champions League game last night. German police searched two properties belonging to suspected extremists on Wednesday and made one arrest, according to authorities. Lead prosecutor Frauke Koehle said: 'Two suspects from the Islamist spectrum have become the focus of our investigation. Both of their apartments were searched, and one of the two has been detained.'

A group of Swedish football fans have launched a protest against a new ban on wearing masks at stadiums, exploiting an exception to the ban by wearing niqabs to cover their faces. On March 1st, the ban on wearing masks in the stands at Swedish football stadiums entered into force in an effort to combat violent behavior at games. Exceptions to the ban can be made however for people covering their faces in the line of duty like police, or people who cover their face for religious reasons. And it was the latter exception that some supporters of Stockholm club...

Clint Dempsey made a fairytale return to international duty with a hat-trick as the United States reignited their 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign with a 6-0 thrashing of Honduras on Friday. Dempsey, playing his first international since recovering from a heart problem that forced a six-month layoff, scored goals in each half as the Americans romped to a crucial victory at San Jose’s Avaya Stadium.

Gareth Southgate prepared for his first game as permanent England manager by insisting foundations are now in place to narrow the gap on their opponents Germany - but warned the country's "island" mentality must end. England's 3-2 win over the World Cup holders in Berlin last March left then manager Roy Hodgson proclaiming his "finest moment" in charge - only to resign in June after a humiliating last-16 exit to Iceland at Euro 2016. Southgate, who replaced Hodgson's successor Sam Allardyce after an unbeaten four-game run in interim charge, faces a stern test in Dortmund on Wednesday before a World...

Too politically biased to succeed at the job of national security, the FBI has much in common with Christopher Steele in trying to pass off as truth bogus information The FBI is not just part of a USA intelligence apparatus that systematically spies on its own American citizenry, it intends to pay—with taxpayer dollars—for filth completely made up against a president they apparently did not want elected. The Bureau has been caught planning to pay ex-MI6 agent Christopher Steele, who salaciously claimed in a dirty dossier that Donald Trump hired prostitutes to urinate on a bed the Obamas slept on...

ATLANTA (AP) -- Atlanta United said Monday it is "taking measures internally" to address an anti-gay chant used by some fans attending the team's first Major League Soccer match. United spokesman Chris Winkler said the team was aware of the chant during Sunday night's 2-1 loss to the New York Red Bulls. In a statement to The Associated Press, the team said the chants "have no place in our matches" and fans participating in those chants will be removed from games.

Having made its mark in the tournaments held across the Indian sub-continent, the Tibetan Women’s soccer team had heartbreak as the United States (US) embassy denied a visa to the team members to travel to the country where they were to take part in the Dallas Cup. The Tibetan women’s football team was invited by former English football player and manager Gordon Harold Jago to the Dallas Cup, a famous friendly youth tournament having soccer stars like David Beckham and Wayne Rooney in the alumni list. Trained by Cassie Childers, a US woman footballer from New Jersey, under the aegis...

he 36-year-old retired U.S. soccer star, who helped her team win the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup, and the Christian mom blogger are engaged. They had gone public with their relationship late last year. Glennon, 40, announced their engagement Friday evening on Facebook.

The FIFA Council have unanimously approved a 48-team World Cup from 2026 at a vote in Zurich. The plans overseen by president Gianni Infantino mean the tournament will now begin with 16 groups of three teams, with the top two advancing into a 32 team knock-out stage. Infantino has previously suggested FIFA could introduce penalty shoot-outs after group matches that end in a draw in order to stop teams playing for a result that favours them both.

Six people have been pulled out alive from the wreckage of a chartered plane carrying a Brazilian soccer team that crashed in Colombia, killing 75 people, while en route to a championship match, officials said.