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Roque Santa Cruz became big-spending Manchester City's second signing of the summer transfer window as he completed a reported $30 million move from Premier League rivals Blackburn.
Brazil need just three more points to clinch qualification for the 2010 World Cup after beating former South American Group leaders Paraguay on Wednesday, but Argentina's hopes suffered a big blow.
A second woman stepped forward Monday to say that Paraguayan President Fernando Lugo fathered a child out of wedlock when he was a Roman Catholic bishop.
Paraguayan President Fernando Lugo acknowledged Monday that he is the father of a 2-year-old child who was conceived when he was a Roman Catholic bishop.
Is Argentine soccer a one-team show? As we near the conclusion of the group stage of the 2009 Copa Libertadores, all but one of the five Argentine participants are in danger of missing out on a place in the knockout phase. Predictably, the only survivor is likely to be Argentina's most dominant club, Boca Juniors.
Diego Maradona's Argentina side have suffered their worst-ever World Cup defeat -- and heaviest loss in over 60 years -- going down 6-1 to Bolivia at La Paz's high-altitude Hernando Siles' stadium.
Let's assume that Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil are going to qualify for the 2010 World Cup. It seems a fair assumption -- it could well be that from the seven remaining rounds, just two victories will be good enough to get Paraguay over the line, and three plus a draw may well prove sufficient for the continent's traditional two powers.
All over South America, international squads are being called up as the continent's World Cup qualification campaign resumes after a 5½-month break. The 11th and 12th games for each nation are coming up in late March, followed by two more in June, two in September and the final two in October.
Two anti-riot police died and five were injured in the collapse of part of Paraguay's principal stadium in the capital, Asuncion, medical officials said.
In what Paraguayans are calling "el tractorazo," protesters parked thousands of tractors and other heavy machinery alongside roads throughout the nation Monday to demand greater security.
Roque Santa Cruz became big-spending Manchester City's second signing of the summer transfer window as he completed a reported $30 million move from Premier League rivals Blackburn.
Brazil need just three more points to clinch qualification for the 2010 World Cup after beating former South American Group leaders Paraguay on Wednesday, but Argentina's hopes suffered a big blow.
A second woman stepped forward Monday to say that Paraguayan President Fernando Lugo fathered a child out of wedlock when he was a Roman Catholic bishop.
Paraguayan President Fernando Lugo acknowledged Monday that he is the father of a 2-year-old child who was conceived when he was a Roman Catholic bishop.
Is Argentine soccer a one-team show? As we near the conclusion of the group stage of the 2009 Copa Libertadores, all but one of the five Argentine participants are in danger of missing out on a place in the knockout phase. Predictably, the only survivor is likely to be Argentina's most dominant club, Boca Juniors.
Diego Maradona's Argentina side have suffered their worst-ever World Cup defeat -- and heaviest loss in over 60 years -- going down 6-1 to Bolivia at La Paz's high-altitude Hernando Siles' stadium.
Let's assume that Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil are going to qualify for the 2010 World Cup. It seems a fair assumption -- it could well be that from the seven remaining rounds, just two victories will be good enough to get Paraguay over the line, and three plus a draw may well prove sufficient for the continent's traditional two powers.
All over South America, international squads are being called up as the continent's World Cup qualification campaign resumes after a 5½-month break. The 11th and 12th games for each nation are coming up in late March, followed by two more in June, two in September and the final two in October.
Two anti-riot police died and five were injured in the collapse of part of Paraguay's principal stadium in the capital, Asuncion, medical officials said.
In what Paraguayans are calling "el tractorazo," protesters parked thousands of tractors and other heavy machinery alongside roads throughout the nation Monday to demand greater security.
Mexico and Paraguay are the top two marijuana-producing countries in the world, a U.N. report says.
Player of the week -- Wayne Rooney What a week it's been for England's number 10.
Paraguay remained four points clear at the top of the South American World Cup qualifying group at the halfway stage after defeating Colombia 1-0 on Saturday.
Manchester United's Carlos Teves was sent off as Paraguay held Argentina to a 1-1 draw in Buenos Aires on Saturday to top South American qualifying for the 2010 World Cup.
South American nations have always played a major part in the world of football, and when it comes to the World Cup they are considered among the main contenders every time. But this time around there may be a new threat from the continent making its mark internationally.
We're nearly halfway through the marathon campaign of South American qualifying for the 2010 World Cup, and the past week of action has been one of the more wild and unpredictable so far. Here are five things we've learned after seeing all 10 countries in action:
Now that the adrenaline rush of the transfer window has passed, attention turns to international soccer and the road to South Africa 2010. South America's marathon World Cup qualification campaign is well underway -- this coming weekend marks the seventh of the 18 rounds played -- and there's plenty at stake in all five of the matches on the calendar.
The Olympic soccer tournament hardly seems viable in its current format. It's not hard to understand the howls of anguish from the European clubs over having to release their players.
Paraguay's President Nicanor Duarte offered Congress his resignation Monday, two months before his term is slated to end.
The world's top two ranked teams Brazil and Argentina shared a goalless draw on Wednesday night which leaves both in the four automatic qualifying spots allocated to South America for the 2010 World Cup finals.
Diego Forlan scored a hat-trick as Uruguay thrashed 10-man Peru 6-0 on Tuesday night to leapfrog struggling Brazil in the South American World Cup qualifying group.
Ten-man Paraguay shocked Brazil 2-0 to remain atop the South American standings in 2010 World Cup qualifying on Sunday.
Paraguay's President-elect Fernando Lugo, who ended 61 years of single-party rule with his victory Sunday, will face a largely conservative Congress that may make carrying out his reforms difficult, according to the vice president-elect and an analyst.
Six decades of single-party rule in Paraguay came to an end on Sunday after Colorado Party candidate Blanca Ovelar conceded a loss to former Catholic bishop Fernando Lugo, who claimed the historic win on his promise to help the poor.
More than 2 million Paraguayans will head to the polls Sunday for the country's presidential election, which could see the end of six decades of power for the ruling Colorado Party.
The South American backwater and ex-dictatorship may make history by electing a woman or a leftist as president. Or it might just revert to form
Argentinians planning to travel to the northern part of the country, Brazil and Paraguay were lining up for vaccinations Tuesday, because of a yellow fever breakout that has killed at least 21 people in the region.
The World Health Organization plans to send 2 million vaccines to Paraguay by Sunday after yellow fever emerged there for the first time in 34 years.
With dizzying talent at its disposal, most in the soccer world figured Argentina would have no trouble waltzing through South America's World Cup qualifying, which got underway just over a month ago. A spot at South Africa 2010 seemed to be a foregone conclusion.
They are feared throughout South America for their fighting spirit, their teamwork and their aerial prowess. So it seems remarkable that, although the Paraguayan national team has made it to the last three World Cups, its players have been so slow to make an impact in the English Premier League.
Once again, Mexico is carrying the CONCACAF flag abroad.
We're still unpacking at our new digs in Baltimore, where the big news is that Kima and Bunk from The Wire live in our building (separately, of course). Oh, and we're also putting the finishing touches on Sports Illustrated's David Beckham story for next week. (Beckham recently gave me an exclusive hour-long interview for the article.) But there's never a bad time for a Mailbag, so let's dig in ...
BARQUISIMETO, Venezuela -- There's a big advertising campaign going around here with the slogan, "Football is taking over Venezuela ... or is it the other way around?"
With a total of nine titles between them, Argentina's Boca Juniors and Brazil's Gr�mio and Santos are no surprises as Copa Libertadores semifinalists. The same can't be said for the other member of South America's last four. No one could possibly have expected C�cuta Deportivo of Colombia to get this far.
MLS clubs, take note.
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The Paraguayan football championship, due to start on Friday, was postponed at 24 hours notice on Thursday because of a row involving rival factions within the national association, a spokesman said.
Paraguay striker Salvador Cabanas scored a hat-trick as America thrashed Sporting Cristal 5-0 in the opening match of the South American Libertadores Cup.
1. Mullets Charley Hoffman's birdie-eagle-birdie finish to win the Hope was pretty sporty, but his mangy hairdo was clearly the star of the show. Somewhere Billy Ray Cyrus is smiling.
Blackburn Rovers defender Lucas Neill, who will captain Australia in their friendly against Paraguay on Saturday, has expressed his regrets at not being given the chance to move to Liverpool in the summer.
Australia have named a near full-strength squad on Tuesday for next month's friendly with Paraguay and the Asian Cup qualifier against Bahrain.
Rioting River Plate fans brought their side's Libertadores Cup tie against Libertad of Paraguay to a halt in the 80th minute, as the Argentine team were knocked out of the tournament in Asuncion on Tuesday.
Paraguay ended World Cup debutants Trinidad & Tobago's slim hopes of reaching the last 16 with a 2-0 victory on Tuesday.
Trinidad & Tobago defender Cyd Gray will miss their final World Cup Group B match against Paraguay on Tuesday.
Sweden midfielder Freddie Ljungberg scored a priceless late goal to grab a 1-0 Group B win that eliminated Paraguay from the World Cup.
England had to endure 83 minutes of frustration against Trinidad & Tobago before Peter Crouch and Steven Gerrard powered them into the second round with a hard-earned 2-0 Group B win on Thursday.
Paraguay goalkeeper Justo Villar is likely to miss the rest of the World Cup after limping off early in the 1-0 defeat by England on Saturday.
England failed to capitalize on a superb start but hung on to beat Paraguay 1-0 in their opening Group B match in the World Cup finals in Frankfurt.
England made a superb start to their opening World Cup finals Group B game when they took a third minute lead against Paraguay in Frankfurt.
Striker Wayne Rooney, whose chances of playing at the World Cup hinge on a scan on Wednesday, joined his England team-mates in a training session in Germany on Tuesday.
World Cup finalists Paraguay notched their first win in five outings by beating Georgia 1-0 in their last warm-up on Wednesday.
England ground out a 3-1 victory over Hungary in a World Cup warm-up on Tuesday, with substitute striker Theo Walcott becoming their youngest player.
Paraguay warmed up for next month's World Cup opener against England with a 2-2 draw against physical Norway in Oslo on Wednesday.
Paraguay striker Roque Santa Cruz will miss the World Cup warm-up with Norway on Wednesday with an inflamed right knee.
Group B | World ranking: 16
Group B | World ranking: 33
Group B | World ranking: 10
Paraguay striker Roque Santa Cruz returned to action in a training match at Bayern Munich on Monday, boosting hopes he will be fit for the World Cup.
Defending champions Brazil will face 1998 semifinalists Croatia in their opening match of the 2006 finals in Germany.
A goal from Dante Lopez gave Paraguay a 1-0 win over Macedonia to secure their victory in the four-nation tournament in Iran.
Ecuador and Paraguay have qualified for the World Cup, leaving Uruguay, Colombia and Chile scrambling for the right to play off against Australia.
Ecuador and Paraguay put themselves on the brink of qualifying for next year's World Cup after winning key matches on Saturday.
Paraguay's Congress rejected on Thursday a proposal to protect an Indian tribe that has avoided contact with outsiders.
Argentina rallied from a goal down to overcome Bolivia 2-1, and Colombia left Venezuela with a fifth draw in South American World Cup qualifying on Saturday.
Paraguay striker Roque Santa Cruz has been ruled out of this month's World Cup qualifiers with a muscular problem, team doctor Osvaldo Pangrazio said Tuesday.
South America's World Cup qualifying race remained wide open after Wednesday's three matches were drawn, leaving all ten teams still in with a chance of reaching Germany in two year's time.
Peru captain Nolberto Solano scored a second-half penalty to salvage a 1-1 draw away to Paraguay in a World Cup qualifier on Wednesday.
Argentina and Brazil scored crushing victories in Saturday's World Cup qualifiers, the former beating Uruguay 4-2 in Buenos Aires and the world champions romping home 5-2 in Venezuela.
Argentina's footballers beat Paraguay 1-0 in a bad-tempered Olympic football final to win their country's first gold medal since 1952.
Iraq's fairytale campaign continued as they followed their shock win over Portugal by securing their place in the Olympic quarterfinals with a 2-0 defeat of Costa Rica.
Iraq beat Costa Rica 2-0 in Volos on Sunday to reach the Olympic Games quarterfinal and give the strife-torn country real hopes of a fairytale medal.
The death toll from a fire that raged Sunday through a supermarket crowded with shoppers in Paraguay's capital has risen to 323 people, Attorney General Oscar Latorre has told CNNenEspanol.
Investigators picked through the remains of a supermarket in Paraguay's capital Monday, a day after an inferno that killed more than 300 shoppers.
A fire that raged through a supermarket crowded with weekend shoppers in Paraguay's capital has killed 275 people, Interior Minister Orlando Fiorotto has confirmed.
A fire that raged through a supermarket crowded with weekend shoppers in Paraguay's capital Asuncion killed more than 300 people, Interior Ministry officials said.
Tuesday, July 6
River Plate and Cruzeiro guaranteed second round places in the Copa Libertadores after winning their groups, while Sao Caetano and Ecuador's Barcelona kept their survival hopes alive.
Venezuela delivered another upset when they hammered Uruguay 3-0 away in a World Cup qualifier while Brazil were held to a dour 0-0 draw in Paraguay.
Paraguay coach Anibal Ruiz has appealed for an end to the fixture chaos hindering South American teams playing in this week's World Cup qualifiers.
Brazilian midfielder Kleberson has been ruled out of next week's World Cup qualifier away to Paraguay because of a knee injury.
Mexican sides America and Santos Laguna pulled off surprise wins in the Copa Libertadores last week against Sao Caetano and Cruzeiro respectively, while Argentine sides River Plate and Boca Juniors continued their winning streaks.
River Plate showed they are back on form in the Copa Libertadores by crushing Libertad of Paraguay 4-1 with Eduardo Coudet scoring twice.
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