Here’s a nifty video showing the vehicles driven by the best (and best-paid) footballers out there.

Not to give away the ending, but here’s a breakdown of who drives what:

Peter Crouch - Aston Martin D89
Didier Drogba - Mercedes SL 65
Andriy Schevchenko - Ferrari F360
Zlatan Ibrahimovich - Ferrari F430 Spyder
Ryan Giggs - Bentley Continental GT
Xabi Alonso - Range Rover Sport 4.4
Wayne Rooney - Lamboghini Gallardo
Thierry Henry - Astin Martin Vanquish
Cristiano Ronaldo - Audi R8
Sol Campbell - BMW X5
Alessandro Del Pierro - Fiat 500
David Beckham - Aston Martin D87
Fernando Torres - Audi Q7
Steven Gerrard - Range Rover Vogue
Ruud van Nistelrooij - Mercedes M-Class
Michael Essien - Lamborghini Murcielago LP640

Tags: soccer lifestyle

Here’s where this weekend’s games stand for profit-minded punters:

Tags: EPL, soccer betting

The British press seems to like him, and suggests that he’s offering quite the valueable boost to Everton.

Tags: Everton, Landon Donovan, soccer media

I don’t really get this video (any French translators out there?) but I think it’s a statement about Thiery Henry’s scoring Cup-altering goals with improper body parts:

Tags: soccer humour, Thierry Henry

The US finalized its list of bid cities a couple weeks ago. Dallas, Philly, and Houston all made the cut. Hard to think how Dallas couldn’t with the new, ever-soccer-friendly Cowboys Stadium. Surprise omissions include Chicago and San Francisco.

Here’s the map of what spots will comprise the USA bid for World Cup 2018/22:

More info at GoUSAbid.com.

Tags: Cowboys Stadium, USA, USA bid, World Cup 2018, World Cup 2022

As we get ramped up for South Africa 2010, Soccerati plans, at least in part, to tweet our way to the World Cup.

Be sure to follow:

@Soccerati

Also some of our venerable contributors, including @alcanthang and @JoeSpeaker.

Tags: 2010 World Cup, South Africa 2010, twitter

Also from The Offside Rules, The Javier Florez story shows how a Colombian player for Juniors handles a heckling fan — he shoots him dead, and gets off with little more than a $75k slap on the wrist.

It’s gotta be hard to cheer for a guy who killed a fellow fan, no matter how many goals he scores:

Tags: Colombia, Javier Florez, soccer violence

The American is marking a strong presence right from the git-go. Proof in the EPL that the US produces more than just good goalies:

[via The Offside Rules]

Tags: Everton, great goals, Landon Donovan

The US striker had a major car accident in October, but he’s up and about these days, and says he should be ready to suit up for the South Africa squad.

He was seen recently playing $5/$10 no-limit hold’em at Bellagio in Las Vegas. No report on how well he wielded his stack.

[via BluffMagazine.com]

Tags: bellagio, Charlie Davies, Las Vegas, poker, USA Men's National Team

They may have been in prime position to be the sentimental favorites at the African Cup of Nations, but three dead after Angolan rebels peppered their team bus with machine gun fire, Togo is pulling out of the competition … and encouraging other teams to do the same.

Tags: African Cup of Nations, soccer violence, Togo

The lowest-ranked team left in the FA Cup — from League 2 — is currently battling Fulham at home. If they could win, they’d undoubtedly become the Cinderella story of the FA.

But who are they? That’s exactly why they are so ready to be a fan favorite:

UPDATE: Fulham scores. Boooo!

Tags: Accrington Stanley, FA Cup, Fulham, Ian Rush

Don’t ask me why, but I was doing some research on French soccer uniforms and came across this picture, which I felt was awesome:

Tags: kits

In-game betting can be dangerous … as one college student learned during an African Cup of Nations match between Angola and Mali.

Angola was up 4-0 when the student bet his entire £4,400 education loan on Angola holding on for the win. Had they been successful, he woulda won £44 via Betfair. Alas, the Mali-ans pulled off a miracle at the last second to draw.

[via CalvinAyre]

UPDATE: James in Dundee (aka @jambizzle) tweets in to say this story is not accurate:

This was outed as a joke between the Original poser (bettor) and a friend. No bet was made.

Tags: African Cup of Nations, Angola, Betfair, Mali, soccer betting

Bono has a semi-interesting Top 10 type of list in the New York Times — looking at 10 things that will shape the next decade — and one of them (I can’t tell if it’s #1 or #10) is soccer. Specifically the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

He says:

Peter Arkle

The World Cup Kicks Off the African Decade

It’s getting easier to describe to Americans the impact of the World Cup — especially the impact it will have in Africa, where the tournament is to be held this summer. A few years ago, Ivory Coast was splitting apart and in the midst of civil war when its national team qualified for the 2006 jamboree. The response was so ecstatic that the war was largely put on hold as something more important than deathly combat took place, i.e. a soccer match. The team became a symbol of how the different tribes could — and did — get on after the tournament was over.

This time round, for the 2010 World Cup, naysayers thought South Africa could not build the stadiums in time. Those critics should be red-faced now. South Africa’s impressive preparations underline the changes on the continent, where over the last few years, 5 percent economic growth was the average. Signs point to a further decade of growth to come. Canny investors will put more capital there. This in turn has the potential to shore up fragile young democracies across the continent.

Tags: 2010 World Cup, Bono, South Africa 2010

Discovered something interesting while home in Dallas for the holidays … my brother-in-law has a niece who apparently takes her soccer pretty seriously. And her team: The Reds.

She’s very proud to play on Liverpool. My first guess was this has to be some sort of Tom Hicks gig. Sure enough — Liverpool FC America, “combining the traditions of Liverpool with the pride of Texas”.

Brilliant concept, really … considering how many bajillions of American kids play soccer, it’s a shame that none of us were taught about the greatness of the EPL until after our own play had been relegated to the Sega/Playstation/Xbox leagues. But now, American youth soccer players come with a team to root for right from the pre-pubescent git-go.

Will be interesting to see if this catches on and expands. I’d so want my (theoretical) children to go to Aston Villa Goalie Camp, for example.

UPDATE: Everton has something similar (out of Connecticut, I believe):

http://www.evertonamericact.com/

Tags: Everton, Everton America, Liverpool, Liverpool FC America, Tom Hicks, youth soccer

Not even sure what that means and whether or not you’ll have to wear funny glasses … but the techsters at Sony are using South Africa 2010 as the stage to show off their latest technology.

From the looks of things, however, we will not be able to view the special stuff in the USA.

http://www.brandrepublic.com/Global/News/971846/Sony-show-World-Cup-matches-3D/

Tags: 2010 World Cup, 3D TV, Soccer on TV, sony

21-year-old Saudi striker Nawaf Al Abed scored on Saturday what papers in the UK are claiming to be the fastest goal ever recorded in a professional match:

Funky stuff always going down in the Middle Eastern leagues, no? Or is it just that they’re getting more coverage than before, and the whole internet thing, that we see more soccer from them over all?

Thanks, as often, to the PokerGossip, for keeping me abreast of the other big-money action out there.

Tags: great goals, Nawaf Al Abed, Saudi Arabia

You know, maybe women’s college football really should think about going the hockey route … because while the following behavior is “inexcusable”, I gotta think the ferocity of the hard-fouling chick brutality in and of itself makes me more likely to watch BYU in their conference championship this weekend:

Thanks, Steve, for sending!

Tags: BYU, dirty play, fights, NCAA, women's soccer

They’re down to 20 players left in the main event of WSOP-Europe — a £10,000 no-limit hold’em tournament that drew 334 runners — and retired Man U striker Teddy Sheringham is currently sixth in chips.

He’s already in the money, but should he make the final table, then he’s in some real dough.

Click here to follow the action.

1st prize is more than £800,000 … or US$1.3 million.

Tags: Manchester United, poker, Teddy Sheringham, WSOP

Swiss referee Massimo Bussac was officiating a game in the Qatar Stars league when he felt the need … the need for pee.

Tags: Massimo Bussac, Qatar Stars League, referee decisions