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 Andrew Warshaw
November 30 – Crisis-torn English club Portsmouth could be docked points after its parent company, controlled by Russian businessman Vladimir Antonov (pictured), entered administration.
Bill Shankly, the legendary former Liverpool manager, is remembered for many things, not least his famous remark – paraphrased by all and sundry since – that football isn’t life and death, it’s far more important.
If ever that observation, made in good faith at the time by a passionate man who lived and breathed the game, was shown up to be somewhat of an exaggeration, it is right now as the football world continues to take stock of Gary Speed’s untimely death.
By David Gold
November 29 – Ajax Amsterdam’s members have asked club legend Johan Cruyff, and his four fellow Advisory Board members, to step down from their positions to resolve a bitter dispute between them.
By David Gold
November 29 – The head of Poland’s Football Association (PZPN), Grzegorz Lato, has promised he will comply with an investigation, triggered by Sports Minister Joana Mucha, which is looking into allegations he was involved in corruption.
By David Gold
November 29 – UEFA President Michel Platini has said that preparations for the 2016 European Championships, which will take place in France, “are going well.”
By David Gold
November 29 – Turkey has decided to reduce the maximum prison term individuals convicted of involvement in match fixing can serve from 12 years to three, as a match fixing scandal continues to be investigated by the country’s Football Federation.
By Andrew Warshaw
November 29 – Sponsors of the FA Cup, the world’s oldest domestic knockout competition, have taken the trophy to China in an attempt to generate the same kind of passion that Asia has for the English Premier League.
By David Gold
November 29 – Trinidad and Tobago crushed Surinam 9-1 to progress from the second round of the CONCACAF London 2012 Olympic Games qualifiers with Cuba, knocking out the hosts St. Kitts and Nevis.
By Duncan Mackay at Soccerex in Rio de Janeiro
November 28 – Brazil will put on a “great World Cup”, the country’s new Sports Minister Aldo Rebelo promised as the annual Soccerex convention opened here today.
By David Gold
November 29 – Tickets for the London 2012 Olympic Games football tournament are going back on sale tomorrow, with 1.5 million tickets available to the public for as little as £20 from 11am.
By David Gold
November 28 – Frank Lowy, the chairman of the Australian Football Federation (FFA), has indicated that he believes that Qatar could yet lose the right to host the World Cup in 2022.
By David Gold
November 28 – Players competing in the Italian football league are buying more than €100,000 (£86,000/ $134,000) worth of Government bonds as they hope to help alleviate the financial gloom afflicting the debt ridden country.
By David Gold
November 28 – Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore has promised that there will be no ‘Game 39’ – the controversial plan to play an extra league game overseas – during his tenure.
By Andrew Warshaw
November 28 – Former Brazilian international Ronaldo has denied reports that he has been asked to replace controversial FIFA powerbroker Ricardo Teixeira as head of the country’s 2014 World Cup Organising Committee.
By David Gold
November 28 – UEFA general secretary Gianni Infantino (pictured) has reiterated the organisation’s commitment to eradicating match fixing from football, calling it their “top priority”.