Match Against 2002 World Cup Runners Up to Be Held at World Cup Stadium;
Broadcast Live on ESPN at 2 p.m. ET

CHICAGO (December 14, 2005) — The U.S. Men’s National Team continues preparing for the 2006 FIFA World Cup when they meet Germany on March 22, 2006, in Dortmund, Germany, one off 12 cities hosting matches in the tournament next summer.  Kickoff at the Westfalenstadion is set for 8 p.m. in Germany (2 p.m. ET), and the match will be broadcast live on ESPN. Fans can follow the match live on ussoccer.com’s MatchTracker.

The match against the 2002 FIFA World Cup runners up comes less than three months before the quadrennial tournament begins June 9 in Munich.

“As we experienced in the preparation for the 2002 World Cup, the chance to play in the host country before the tournament will be an invaluable experience for our team,” said U.S. Manager Bruce Arena, who has a 2-2-0 lifetime record against Germany, including his first-ever victory as coach of the MNT, a 3-0 win on Feb. 6, 1999 in Jacksonville, Fla.  “In this case, the fact that Germany is the host country will serve us even better.  We expect to benefit from the opportunity.”

The U.S. has played Germany seven times dating back to 1993, with the Germans holding a 5-2-0 lifetime advantage.  Most recently, Germany ended the USA’s historic run through the 2002 FIFA World Cup with a 1-0 quarterfinal victory on June 21, 2002 in Ulsan, Korea.  The teams met once before on German soil, a 4-2 loss for the U.S. on March 27, 2002, in Rostock in the USA’s penultimate match prior to selecting their World Cup roster.

Currently ranked eighth in the FIFA World Rankings, the U.S. concluded 2005 with a 13-3-4 record, an all-time high for wins and the best-ever winning percentage (.750) in a season where the team has played more than 10 games, breaking the record of .733 set just last year when the U.S. went 8-1-6 in 15 games.  The USA became the first team to qualify from CONCACAF for the FIFA World Cup when they defeated Mexico 2-0 on Sept. 3, 2005 in Columbus, Ohio, on MatchDay 7 of the final round hexagonal.  The victory ensured that the USA would finish in the top spot in CONCACAF for the first time since 1934.

Three-time FIFA World Cup champions, the Germans have qualified successfully for every World Cup finals they have entered.  With 16 overall appearances, they are second only to Brazil (18). The first team to advance to the championship game in three consecutive World Cups (in 1982, ’86 and 1990, all as West Germany), Germany are now led by manager Jurgen Klinsmann.  The former international striker scored the insurance goal in their 2-0 victory against the U.S. on June 15, 1998, in the second group game of France ’98.

The USA will kickoff their 2006 FIFA World Cup preparations when they host Canada at Torero Stadium on January 22, 2006, in San Diego, Calif.  Kickoff is set for 5 p.m. PT. Television coverage will be announced at a later date, and the match will also be available online via ussoccer.com’s MatchTracker.

Tickets starting at $25 are now on sale at ussoccer.com, at the University of San Diego’s Jenny Craig Pavilion Box Office (Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.), and by phone at 619-260-7550 (Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.).  Groups of 15 or more can purchase tickets through the University of San Diego by calling 619-260-7550.

The USA was drawn into Group E for the 2006 FIFA World Cup along with the Czech Republic, Ghana, and Italy.  The U.S. plays their opening match against the Czechs on June 12 in Gelsenkirchen at 12 p.m. ET.  Five days later, the USA faces Italy in Kaiserslautern, then finishes off group play against Ghana on June 22 in Nuremberg.  The U.S. has chosen the northern port city of Hamburg as their base of operations throughout the tournament.

• Nickname: The Peacocks.
  
• Manager: Terry Venables.
  
• Ground: Elland Road.
  
• Key Players: Mark Viduka, Harry Kewell, Lee Bowyer, Jonathan Woodgate
  
• Interesting: More recently in the news for all the wrong reasons.

   

Q. What's the difference between a Leeds fan and a coconut?
A. One's thick and hairy, and the other's a tropical fruit.

Q: What's the difference between a Pyromaniac and Leeds football club?
A: A Pyromaniac wouldn't throw away all his matches!

Q: What has 70,000 arms and an IQ of 170
A: Elland road every other Saturday.

Q: Why do people take an instant dislike to anyone from Leeds?
A: It saves time

Q: What do you call a Leeds fan in a 2 bedroomed Semi?
A: A burglar

Q: How can you tell when Leeds are losing? A: It's five past three.

Q: What do you call a Leeds fan with many girlfriends? A: A Shepherd

Q: What did Lee Bowyer say when he took a girl out for the night?
A: Fancy an Indian?

Q: What do you call 20 Leeds fans sky-diving? A: Diarrhoea

Q: What have General Pinochet and Leeds United have in common?
A: They both round people up into football stadiums and torture them.

Elland Road Boss Peter Risdale has sacked David Leary and employed a new Chinese manager.
His name: Win One Soon

Q: What do you say to a Leeds United fan with a job?
A: Can I have a Big Mac please!

• Nickname: The Magpies. Toon Army.
  
• Manager: Sir Bobby Robson. - the knight of the relegation table.
  
• Ground: St James Park. - Loony Toon park.
  
• Key Players: Alan Shearer, David Bellamy, Gary Speed, Shay Given.
  
• Interesting: Can anyone recall the last trophy they won? Kevin Keegan once blew the largest lead possible in the league.

   

Apparently, when Peter Beardsley was born he was such an ugly baby that his parents didn't know whether to put him in a carry cot or a cage!

Q: Why do so many housewives love newcastle?
A: Cos they stay on top for ages and then come second.

Q: What is black and white, black and white and black and white ?
A: A Newcastle fan rolling down a hill

I hear Bellamy has a depressed cheekbone. Still, that never stopped Beardsley - he's got two of them!

They say that hooliganism and racism are bad, but personally I think that Peter Beardsley is the totally unacceptable face of British football.
 

Fire brigade phones Bobby Robson in the early hours of Sunday morning...
"Sir Bobby, St James Park is on fire!"
"The cups man! Save the cups!" replies Sir Bobby.
"Well...the fire hasn't spread to the canteen yet, sir."

Q: Why do they call Bobby Robson hitler?
A: Because he cant win in europe either.

Q. What's the difference between the Toon keeper and a taxi driver?
A. A taxi driver will only let in four at a time.

Newcastle have moved quickly to halt rumours of a rift between Bobby Robson and Alan Shearer.
A club spokesman said, "It's ridiculous to suggest that there is a personality clash between the two - everybody at the club knows that Shearer hasn't got one."

Why do Geordie Supporters have Moustaches?
A: So they can look like their Mothers.

Q: What do Toon fans and laxatives have in common?
A: Both irritate the absolute crap out of you.

Q: What's the ideal weight for a Newcastle supporter?
A: 3 pounds...that's including the Urn.

• Nickname: The Dons
  
• Manager: Jimmy 'shaky legs, permatan' Calderwood.
  
• Ground: Pittodrie.
  
• Key Players: Kevin McNaughton, Darren Mackie.
  
• Interesting: Former world club champions. Dominant Scottish club in the 80's. Won Euro cup winners cup. Sir Alex Ferguson was former manager in 80's

   

Q: How many Aberdeen fans can you get in a police car?
A: One in the front, one in the back, and one on top going "nee naw neee naww neee naw"

Q: What do you call a sheep tied to a lamp-post in Aberdeen?
A: A leisure centre.

Q: Why did the Dons fan climb the glass window?
A. To see what was on the other side.

One day 2 dons fans were doing a crossword.
Jock turns to Angus and says "Old McDonald had one of these?"
"Hey, I know" says Angus, "It's got tae be a farm".
"How do you spell that?" asks Jock.
"E-I-E-I-O" says Angus.

Q: What's the difference between an aberdeen fan and a Chimp?
A: Ones hairy, stupid and smells, and the other is a chimpanzee.

Q: What do you call an Aberdeen fan with lots of girlfriends?
A: A Shepherd

Two Dons supporting farmers are flying with their herd of sheep to a new farm.
Suddenly, the plane engine fails and it rapidly descends towards the ground.
Dons Fan 1: Quick! Grab a parachute and jump!
Dons Fan 2: What about the sheep ???
Dons Fan 1: Fuck the sheep!!!
Dons Fan 2: ...(pause)... Do you think we have time?

Q: What do you call an Aberdeen fan with Five sheep?
A: A pimp.

An anxious woman goes to her doctor. "Doctor," she asks nervously, "I'm a bit worried - can you get pregnant from anal intercourse?"

"Of course," replies the doctor, "Where do you think Aberdeen fans come from?"

Q: Why is the pitch at Pittodrie so Green?
A: Because they keep putting lots of shit on it.

Q: How do you kill a Dons fan when he's been drinking?
A: Slam the toilet seat on his head.

Monday, November 7
Bolton Wanderers   1  Tottenham Hotspur     0 

Sunday, November 6
Everton            1  Middlesbrough         0 
Manchester United  1  Chelsea               0 

Saturday, November 5
Arsenal            3  Sunderland            1 
Aston Villa        0  Liverpool             2 
Blackburn Rovers   4  Charlton Athletic     1 
Fulham             2  Manchester City       1 
Newcastle United   1  Birmingham City       0 
Portsmouth         0  Wigan Athletic        2 
West Ham United    1  West Bromwich Albion  0 

  Standings              P   W  D  L   F   A  Pts
1   Chelsea               12  10  1  1  28   7   31
2   Wigan Athletic        11   8  1  2  13   5   25
3   Bolton Wanderers      12   7  2  3  14  11   23
4   Manchester United     11   6  3  2  16  11   21
5   Arsenal               11   6  2  3  16   8   20
6   Tottenham Hotspur     12   5  5  2  13   8   20
7   Manchester City       12   6  2  4  15  11   20
8   Charlton Athletic     11   6  1  4  16  14   19
9   West Ham United       11   5  3  3  15  10   18
10  Newcastle United      12   5  3  4  12  10   18
11  Blackburn Rovers      12   5  2  5  15  15   17
12  Liverpool             10   4  4  2   9   8   16
13  Middlesbrough         12   4  3  5  15  16   15
14  Fulham                12   3  3  6  12  16   12
15  Portsmouth            12   2  4  6  11  15   10
16  Everton               11   3  1  7   4  12   10
17  Aston Villa           12   2  3  7  10  21    9
18  West Bromwich Albion  12   2  2  8   9  22    8
19  Birmingham City       12   1  3  8   7  17    6
20  Sunderland            12   1  2  9  11  24    5

Some 65 years ago Bernardo Gandulla left Boca Juniors in his native Argentina and headed for Brazil.

He arrived at the Vasco da Gama club with considerable prestige - which he failed to live up to.

He left an impression, but not for reasons he would have wanted. The only thing of note he did was to throw the ball back when it went out of play.

Even today, 'gandula' is the term used in Brazil for ballboy. Brazilians delighted in the failure of Gandulla then, and many will delight now if history is repeated.

Another Boca Juniors player is coming to Brazil. 'The new Maradona' - Carlos Tevez - is joining Corinthians for nearly $20m in a strong candidate for the strangest move of the year.

Corinthians - or the London-based company who have just entered into partnership with them - appear to have paid well above the odds for Tevez.

It is particularly strange as - until last week - Tevez was not even an especially big name in Brazil, where the Argentine Championship is not shown.

Tevez has the gift of being able to surprise - to feint right and go left - but his choice of destination is the biggest surprise of all

Presumably there is some financial logic behind the move. What is harder to work out is why Tevez should be interested in heading north, rather than across the Atlantic.

Argentina's brightest new star hit top form in August as he spearheaded the charge towards the Olympic gold medal.

But the subsequent months have not been easy for Tevez.

Boca re-signed Martin Palermo, forcing Tevez to vacate his favoured centre forward role.

And off the pitch he gave the press plenty to report - Atletico Madrid gave up on him after declaring his private life to be 'disorganized.'

Hounded by the press, Tevez grew tired of his life in Buenos Aires.

So now he says that he is heading for Corinthians in search of 'tranquillity.'

Anyone acquainted with the city of São Paulo will relish the nonsense of this declaration.

Brazil's biggest city is a sprawling, ugly, restless metropolis. Once it shared with Buenos Aires the same melancholy air of a city of Italian immigrants.

Tevez kisses the gold medal he won with Argentina at the Olympics in Athens

But that world now lies buried under skyscrapers. The most turbulent place in this frenetic city is Sport Club Corinthians.

It is the most passionately supported club in Brazil. Pelé scored reams of goals against them, reasoning that unless he did something special the Corinthians fans were capable of winning the game on their own.

That passion can also be turned against the team - especially nowadays, when the level of urban violence gives a hysterical edge to life in Brazil's big cities.

Corinthians fans have invaded the dressing room or ambushed the team coach to attack the players.

Tevez, then, can kiss tranquillity goodbye. He can also say farewell to the Copa Libertadores, South America's Champions League.

Corinthians have not qualified. Indeed, he will have a long wait for a worthwhile match.

Next year's Brazilian Championship only gets underway at the end of April. Until then he will have to make do with the foolish São Paulo State Championship, an appalling waste of his talent.

There will be matches in small towns on poor pitches with plenty of defenders keen to kick him all the way back to Argentina.

Like so many of the top South American players, Tevez has the gift of being able to surprise - to feint right and go left, to pass when he was expected to dribble, to shoot and catch the goalkeeper unawares.

But his choice of destination is the biggest surprise of all.

Trezeguet's double nudges Juve closer to last 16
First Published: Nov 02, 2005

Juventus' forward David Trezeguet of France (R) controls the ball during their Champions League football match against at Delle Alpi stadium in Turin. Juve won 2-1.

David Trezeguet scored twice as Juventus beat Bayern Munich 2-1 to nudge closer to the knockout stages of the Champions League.

The France international grabbed the winner five minutes from time with an emphatic finish after Sebastian Deisler had cancelled out his 61st minute opener.

The only black mark for Juve was the late dismissal of Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Victory for the Serie A leaders avenged their 2-1 defeat to Bayern a fortnight ago and left them level with the German side on nine points at the top of Group A with two games left to play.

Bruges are in third place on six points after their 3-2 win over Rapid Vienna.

Juventus' defender Fabio Cannavaro (L) fights for the ball with Bayern's forward Roy Makaay of Netherlands during their Champions League football match at Delle Alpi stadium in Turin. Juve won 2-1.

Despite Juve and Bayern's great tradition, the match attracted a paltry crowd of just over 16,000 to the Delle Alpi stadium.

Christian Abbiati replaced Antonio Chimenti in goal for Juventus after recovering from tonsillitis.

First-choice keeper Gianluigi Buffon, who dislocated his shoulder in a pre-season match in August, is a month away from making a return.

Juventus coach Fabio Capello chose a very attacking line-up with captain Alessandro Del Piero playing as a withdrawn striker behind Trezeguet and Ibrahimovic.

German league leaders Bayern were without Paraguayan striker Roque Santa Cruz, who damaged cruciate ligaments in his knee in Saturday's 2-1 victory over FC Cologne.

Juventus' midfielder Patrick Vieira of France eyes the ball during their Champions League football match against Bayern at Delle Alpi stadium in Turin. Juve won 2-1.

Trezeguet nearly scored at the wrong end in the fifth minute when trying to clear Ze Roberto's chipped free-kick.

The Frenchman, not used to defending, succeeded only in heading towards his own goal but Abbiati was alert to the danger and tipped the ball over the bar.

Seconds later Oliver Kahn fisted away Trezeguet's drive seconds before Roy Makaay dragged a shot wide for Bayern in a lively opening.

Juve created an excellent chance in the 15th minute when Gianluca Zambrotta crossed from the right and found Trezeguet unmarked, but the Frenchman failed to hit the ball cleanly and his effort rolled harmlessly wide.

Pavel Nedved came on for Del Piero for the start of the second half to add more industry to Juve's attack and his flick set up Ibrahimovic in the 54th minute but the Swede's goalbound shot was charged down.

Juventus finally broke the deadlock in the 61st minute.

Juventus' midfielder Emerson of Brazil (R) fights for the ball with Bayern's midfielder Michael Ballack during Champions league football match at Turin's Delle Alpi Stadium. Juve won 2-1.

Nedved was fed by Ibrahimovic and the Czech midfielder was tripped in the box by Lucio but referee Lubos Michel played the advantage as the ball fell to Trezeguet who crashed the ball past Kahn.

But Bayern were back on level terms five minutes later when Deisler delivered a free-kick into the box from 30-yards which everybody missed, including the unsighted Abbiati.

The goal was the first Juve have conceded since the 2-2 draw against Swedish side Djurgardens in the Champions League third qualifying round on August 10, 2004.

With the tie seemingly heading for a draw, Patrick Vieira's chip found Trezeguet who controlled the ball with his chest before slamming a low shot past a helpless Kahn.

Juve's win made up for Saturday's 3-1 league defeat to title rivals AC Milan which ended their nine-match winning streak in Serie A.

All Content is Copyright © 2005 WorldSoccerNews.com and AFP.

Notre Dame, the defending National Champions and No. 1 Division B seed, defeated Georgetown (12-7-1, 4-6-1 BIG EAST) at home 6-0 in quarterfinal action. The Irish have been ranked nationally in the top 10 all season with a record of 17-2-0 (10-1-0 BIG EAST).

The Irish will face off against conference newcomer Marquette (17-2-1) in the semifinals. Earlier this season, the Golden Eagles handed the Irish its only BIG EAST loss of the season, 4-1. Marquette's Christy Zwolski scored the game-winning goal with 1:15 remaining in the match to lift the Golden Eagles over Louisville (11-8-0), 2-1, and secure a spot in the semifinals.

Connecticut advanced to the semifinal round after edging out Rutgers (10-9-2) on penalty kicks, 4-2, during quarterfinal action. The Huskies (14-3-2) will now face off against West Virginia in the first semifinal game on Nov. 4. The Mountaineers (11-4-3) were the lone visiting winner during the quarterfinals, defeating Villanova (10-5-4), 4-2.

Connecticut will look to defend its 2005 BIG EAST Championship title, while the defending National Champions, Notre Dame, will try for its league-leading eighth title. West Virginia will vie for its first BIG EAST crown, while Marquette looks for its first conference championship during the first season in the league for the Golden Eagles.

Marquette will host the 2005 BIG EAST Championship semifinals and final on Nov. 4 & 6. Selection and seeding for the tournament is based on regular season finishes with the top ten teams qualifying.

College Sports Television (CSTV) will broadcast both semifinal games live from Valley Fields. The championship game will be broadcast live on select BIG EAST regional outlets.

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE

Friday, November 4

West Virginia vs. Connecticut, 2:30 p.m., CSTV
Marquette vs. Notre Dame, 5 p.m., CSTV

Sunday, November 6

Championship Match, 11 a.m., BIG EAST TV

DIRECTIONS TO VALLEY FIELDS

Traveling West on I-94 from Airport or Southbound I-43 from Green Bay or points north or Northbound I-43 from Beloit or points south

Take I-94 west to 25th Street
Turn left on 25th
Follow 25th Street a short distance to a “round-about” intersection at Canal Street
Stay on Canal Street heading eastbound and Valley Fields will be on the left.

Traveling East on I-94 from Madison and points west

Exit 26th Street/St. Paul Ave. (exit 309B)
Turn right on to St. Paul Ave and take to 25th Street
Turn right on 25th Street
Follow 25th Street a short distance to a “round-about” intersection at Canal Street
Stay on Canal Street heading eastbound and Valley Fields will be on the left.

Visit mchange.org for the most recent construction schedule surrounding the Marquette Interchange construction process.

TICKET INFORMATION

Tickets can be purchased at the Valley Fields box office and are $7 for adults, $5 for children and $3 for groups of 15 or more. All college students carrying a valid school ID are admitted free. For group ticket information, contact Ben Simon in the Marquette Marketing Office at (414) 288-0340.