US Soccer announced yesterday that the boys are coming back to Chicago for a friendly against Poland on October 9. With the huge Polish community in Chicago, as well as Poland needing serious tuneup work before the 2012 Euro Cup, which they're hosting along with Ukraine, the game looks promising. USAMNT have an okay history against Poland (who did not qualify for this summer's World Cup). The 3-1 drubbing at the 2002 World Cup wasn't much fun, but the 3-0 win in 2008 sort of balances that. more ›

Sure, we've been worked up over the World Cup, but what about the High-Five World Cup? Tankboy does not approve. more ›

Amidst the storms and Blago and whatever else is going on about town, you may have noticed the U.S. Men's National Team is making a nice run at the World Cup. It hasn't been easy but after yesterday's dramatic 1-0 victory over Algeria, Team USA own their group for the first time ever (not counting 1930 when they won in a three-team group) and is through to the knock-out round. Waiting for them on Saturday is Ghana, the nation that stymied the Americans in Germany four years ago and prevented the USA from advancing then. The USA had their lapses and missed opportunities throughout the Group Stage, but they've lined themselves up as good a draw as they could hope for, slated to face the winner of South Korea-Uruguay in the quarterfinals should they win Saturday. more ›

When not talking about the U.S. getting hosed by the ref for a phantom foul in yesterday's still remarkable rally to a 2-2 tie against Slovenia (for which the U.S. must also blame itself thanks to a flat, timid first half performance), fans watching the World Cup are talking about one thing: vuvuzelas, the noise-making horns that are all the rage in South Africa for the tournament. One USMNT supporter took to the streets with his horn to see how average, every day folks enjoyed the buzzing horn. more ›

We're almost a week into the World Cup already and judging by the number of USA jerseys and general conversation/webhype overheard around the city, it looks (gasp!) like people are actually paying attention to soccer (except for the haters, but that's why they're called haters, the snobby parochial nitwits). Where is everyone watching? Last weekend, there were some public viewing spots sponsored by the South African consulate in Chicago, and people came out to Montrose and Daley Plaza to watch the first games on jumbotrons - rain and all. It seems like every bar has some kind of deal or special, but two bars, especially, have risen to the top. Longstanding Chicago soccer bar staple Globe Pub and relative newcomer SmallBar are dominating the field of soccer bars. more ›

Did you miss the USA-England World Cup match from this weekend? Don't worry because you can catch a recap in LEGO form right here, including the now famous/infamous (depending on which side you're on) Hand of Clod. more ›

The Stanley Cup is done and won so let's prepare for the World Cup! more ›

Fish Fry Cubs more ›

Ahh yes, those videos bring back some fond memories. Before their talisman El Hadji Diouf turned into a diving, annoying EPL "star," before Senegal's failure even to qualify for World Cup 2006 or 2010, they were darlings. Who can forget that run in 2002 (with by far the coolest jerseys of the tournament)? more ›

A few odds and ends from the world of Chicago sports. more ›

Anytime an event is held every few years instead of annually, it takes on some added importance (we're thinking, for example, presidential elections, the Olympics and the World Cup). In the culinary world, this event is the Coupe De Monde De Boulangerie, a bread-baking contest that takes place every three years in Paris. This year, it's part of the Europain exhibition, held March 29–April 2. more ›

Chicago has been selected as the host city for the 2008 Barclays Churchill Cup finals, the biggest international rugby tournament in North America. The Tournament will kick off in Ottawa, Canada on June 7th with several dates across Canada before converging on Chicago for the final day of matches. Teams from the United States, Canada, England, Scotland and Ireland will compete in the event on June 21 at Toyota Park. Last year, Toyota Park played... more ›

This weekend 8,000 rugby fans enjoyed seeing 2006 Heineken Cup Champion Munster defeat the Rugby World Cup bound-USA Eagles 10-6 at Toyota Park. This match was the final match for the USA Eagles before they travel to France for the 2007 Rugby World Cup. This was the first time Chicagoist had seen rugby played at this level and was immediately intimidated and impressed at the size of the players and the ferocity with which they... more ›

Toyota Park will be home to a professional soccer game and an international friendly rugby match this weekend. On Saturday night the Chicago Fire will look to exact revenge when they host Kansas City, to whom they lost 3-2 in a mid-week clash. The Fire and Kansas City have split their previous two matches with the home side winning each game. Both games have been close, determined by just one goal. The Fire are badly... more ›

Chicagoans are in for another soccer treat this year when the United States National Team hosts Brazil at Soldier Field on September 9. Originally the 'Nats were slated to play Mexico in Mexico in what would have been a rematch of the 2007 Gold Cup final that took place earlier this summer in Chicago. Due to financial problems that game has been called off, though Chicagoist thinks it might have something to do with the... more ›

The U.S. Women's National Team for soccer is in town this weekend for a World Cup tune-up match with New Zealand on Sunday at Soldier Field. The United States comes in to Sunday's match on a 45-game unbeaten streak; this will be their second to last friendly before they travel to China for the 2007 World Cup. Chicagoist sat down with former national team representative and two-time World Cup Champion Brandi Chastain to talk soccer... more ›

Chicagoist is a big fan of alternative sports. No we are not talking about underwater hockey but sports that are popular around the world that have just-under-the-mainstream-radar following here in Chicago. We're talking Gaelic Football, Rugby, and Australian Football. Chicagoist was excited to see there are some great alternative sporting events heading to town in the coming month. This weekend, Chicago United Australian Football Club is hosting the Nashville Kangaroos in a Mid-America Australian Football... more ›

Toyota Park will host two international sporting events this summer. The first on Sunday, July 22 when the Chicago Fire host Scottish Premier League side Celtic FC. Celtic FC had a remarkable season last year where they went unbeaten in 31 of 34 games, leading them to a repeat as champions in the Scottish Premier League. The club has won five of the last seven championships and has racked up 41 domestic titles in their... more ›

The United States and Mexico advanced out of the semi-finals of the CONCACAF Gold Cup Thursday night. The United States started off the night defeating our neighbors to the north, Canada, 2-1. The United States received goals from Frankie Hejduk in the 39th minute and a penalty kick goal by Landon Donovan in the 45th minute that was awarded when DaMarcus Beasley was taken down inside the Canadian box. In the waning minutes of the... more ›

The United States Women's National Soccer Team has scheduled a series of international friendlies this year to help them prepare for the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup that will be held in China this fall. At noon on August 12, the U.S. Women's team will take on New Zealand at Soldier Field, a game that will also be broadcast live on ESPN2. Soccer fans can start buying tickets as of today. The U.S. squad is... more ›

The folks over at U.S. Soccer House, in the Prairie Avenue Historical District, have announced their intentions to submit a bid for the 2018 World Cup. The United States hosted a successful World Cup in 1994, which included games at Soldier Field. The World Cup took place last summer in Germany and will next be played in South Africa in 2010. The 2014 World Cup is expected to go to a South American country, though... more ›

We'd like to start this week's run-down by wishing a very happy birthday to parent blog Gothamist, which turned four on Friday. If it wasn't for them, the rest of us wouldn't be here. They celebrated their birthday by nabbing an interview with Entourage star Adrian Grenier, who misses NYC public transportation when he's working in LA. They also reported on NYU students protesting a band whose name is also known as a slur,... more ›

The BBC is reporting that Fire GM John Guppy admitted to trying to sign retired Real Madrid star and 2006 World Cup Best Player, Zinedine Zidane out of retirement to play with the Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer. According to Guppy, "We reached out to Zidane ... the feedback we've all gotten is that he's retired." The Fire has also unsuccessfully tried to sign Swedish striker Henrik Larsson but lost out to Manchester United.... more ›

The United States Soccer Federation selected two Chicago watering holes as finalists for the Best Soccer Bar in America as part of the 2006 Best of U.S. Soccer awards. The finalist will be decided by votes cast by soccer fans who visit USSoccer.com. Voting is open until Wednesday. Representing Chicago are Ginger's Ale House and The Globe Pub. Chicago is the only city to have two finalists for Best Soccer Bar. Chicagoist assumes that U.S.... more ›

This weekend, soccer legends like Pelé and Franz Beckenbauer will be in Berlin to see the 2006 FIFA World Cup Final featuring France vs. Italy. On Monday, Pelé and Franz Beckenbauer will be on the big screen for the Chicago premiere of Miramax's documentary, "Once in a Lifetime - The Extraordinary Story of the New York Cosmos." FireWorks for Kids Foundation, the Chicago Fire's charitable arm is hosting the event at 6:30pm at AMC River... more ›

Sometimes you need to clean yourself up, get serious, and move in with daddie for a few months before you head to Latin America for a new gig. The District bid's Jenna Bush adios. D.C.-based television shows have an elderly audience and DCist has some suggestions to fix that. They're also throwing Butterstick the panda bear a birthday bash. Yeah, we may have a few issues with our World Cup broadcasters here, but this guy... more ›

Sampaist is on the scene in São Paulo beginning this week to become the only ist south of the Equator. Editor Leandro M. Pinto leads the paulistanos down there. You can protest someone at his office, sure, but when the whistle blows at the end of the day can you follow him home? D.C. has sports fans, apparently, and elephants aren't really cut out for zoos. There's this trick where you can read information from... more ›

Normally Chicagoist isn't big into reporting on every restaurant/bar/whatnot that has its door shuttered for health code violations. But this one we couldn't let pass by. This morning, a Chicagoist operative was on assignment out in North Center (read: drinking many beers at the Globe watching the World Cup) when he stumbled on over to Lincoln Restaurant only to find the doors locked and a big ol' neon-green sticker on the front, which means... more ›

Since the Polish soccer team has played itself out of the World Cup, Chicagoist was looking for a new group of Poles to get behind. Tomorrow at 8pm, boxing fans can see some of Poland's best boxers at the Polish Boxing Explosion event at Odeum Expo Center in Villa Park. The headline fight is between Heavyweight Mariusz "The Gladiator" Wach (10-0, 3 KO's) and Canadian Aurthur Cook (12-1-1, 3 KOs) for the Polish Heavyweight title.... more ›

LAist is flashing a sad peace out to their editor Carolyn Kellogg with one hand and bumping knuckles with their new head typist L.A. blogger king Tony Pierce with the other. Where do ist editors go when they hang up the 'editorial we'? They take on MySpace, apparently. At least Ben Brown does. Austinist reminds of the just rewards of less savory careers this week and then they witness the Arctic Monkeys and We Are... more ›