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.
By David Gold
December 27 – The tender process for media rights in most European countries for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, being held in Russia and Qatar respectively, has been started by FIFA.
By David Gold
December 26 – Former CONCACAF chief Jack Warner has launched a new attack on Sepp Blatter, in which he accuses the FIFA President of “megalomania, covert racism and discrimination”.
By David Gold
December 26 – Italy’s 2006 World Cup winning captain Fabio Cannavaro says that the 2022 World Cup, being held by Qatar, should be held in the winter because of the intense heat.
By David Gold
December 26 – Ahead of next month’s African Nations Cup, Group A rivals Senegal and Equatorial Guinea, who co-host the tournament with Gabon, are in turmoil due to political disputes over their national coaches.
By David Gold
December 26 – Australia’s football pioneers have been acclaimed at the 100th anniversary of the formation of the country’s national governing body.
By David Gold
December 25 – American star Abby Wambach has become the first footballer to win the Associated Press Athlete of the Year prize after her performances at the 2011 Women’s World Cup in Germany.
By Declan Warrington
December 24 – Chelsea have confirmed that they will not emulate Liverpool’s tribute to the forward Luis Suarez and will decline to wear T-shirts to support their captain, John Terry.
By David Gold
December 23 – Celtic manager Neil Lennon has revealed that Scott Brown, James Forrest and Adam Matthews have been lined up to play for Team GB at the London 2012 Olympic Games and says he will not stand in their way if they are selected and want to go.
Tottenham Hotspur’s decision to de-list from the stock market deserves more than to be buried in the footnotes as one of those curious things football club directors indulge in.
Not only is it a reversal of a policy that Tottenham inaugurated more than 30 years ago, but it also highlights that modern English football clubs have just not worked out what is the right structure for them.
What a contrast to the continent where German,
By David Gold
December 23 – AS Monaco were given a timely boost when Russian billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev acquired a controlling stake in the struggling Principality club.
By Andrew Warshaw
December 23 – Horace Burrell, the most high-profile Caribbean official sanctioned over the cash-for-votes scandal that led to the downfall of Mohamed Bin Hammam and Jack Warner, is to take up a prominent position in a revamped Caribbean Football Union (CFU).
By David Gold
December 22 – Guinness has signed a two-year extension to its sponsorship of Nigerian football and hopes that its support can help restore the fortunes of the national team.
Two prominent Premier League footballers, two cases of alleged racism, two dramatic verdicts. Season of goodwill? Not for all of us.
In the space of just 24 hours, the issue of racism between players on the field has plunged the English game back in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons.
By Andrew Warshaw
December 22 – The Liverpool forward Luis Suarez, as expected, has decided to appeal against his eight-game ban for allegedly racially abusing the Manchester United defender Patrice Evra, according to the his lawyer.
By David Gold
December 22 – It may have been with a phone call rather than a handshake, but Auxerre midfielder Kamel Chafni and French assistant referee Johann Perruaux have done as FIFA President Sepp Blatter advised, and settled a race row between themselves after a league game.