Doug Band behind United States' Push to Host World Cup in 2018 or 2022 By Sean Garrison With the 2010 FIFA World Cup approaching in less than two months, Americans once again have soccer on their minds. Their attention can be attributed to the popular belief that this year will be Team USA's best chance to bring home their very first World Cup. While many Americans might only think about soccer during major events like the World Cup, the majority of countries around the world fiendishly follow the sport year-round. U.S. soccer fanatics are glad that their favorite sport is finally gaining some respect domestically, but Doug Band feels that even more popularity can be gained by bringing the World Cup to America. President Clinton's personal advisor, Doug Band , recently obliged a request to join the Board of Directors for the United States Bid Committee . The committee aspires to bring the FIFA World Cup to the U.S. as soon as 2018. With the addition of Doug Band's support, the committee hopes to increase their chances of bringing the most widely followed international tournament to American soil. This is a huge opportunity for the United States to bring together many cultures that all have great interest in the sport. If the United States wins the bid; it would surely be a boost to their international image. Band is a fantastic addition to the U.S. committee, not only because he's an avid fan of the game, but also because he realizes how this sport can unify disparate cultures and people. Because of the extensive work Doug Band has done with the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI), he has garnered valuable experience in foreign relations. Along with former President Clinton, Band founded the CGI in 2005. Since then, CGI has reached out to millions across the globe by providing medical assistance, education opportunities, and environmental protection. The U.S. bid committee is determined to obtain their goal of a U.S. World Cup, and are fastidiously working to make that goal a reality. With Band's arrival, they now have a figure that understands the gravity of such a world event and wants to bring its cultural significance to America. Tags World Cup Pens World Cup football

Fifa's World Rankings were announced today. Brazil leapfrog Spain, who are now are second followed by Portugal, The Netherlands, Italy and Germany. Spain and Brazil are among the bookies' favorites to win the World Cup next summer. England are in 8th place, while Argentina move up to 7th and are looking a serious dark house for South Africa. France are in 10th and in decline. Egypt is the highest African team in 13th. The USA rise two positions again to 14th spot. 1 Brazil 2 Spain 3 Portugal 4 Netherlands 5 Italy 6 Germany 7 Argentina 8 England 9 Croatia 10 France 11 Russia 12 Greece 13 Egypt 14 USA 15 Chile 16 Serbia 17 Mexico 18 Uruguay 19 Cameroon 20 Nigeria 20 Australia Full world rankings Previous month's Fifa World Rankings Bet with Bet 365 Soccer betting tips Soccer Books & DVDs Tags Soccer News soccer football fifa

The next week-and-a-half will go a long way towards determining Manchester City's transfer strategy this summer. The club are just one point off fourth place and if they do secure Champions League soccer next season by finishing in the top four, there will be a wider range of players available to sign. But I don't believe City's Sheikh owners should be under the illusion that every player will be falling over themselves to join the revolution. We just need to look back to January 2009 Read more... The Players Money Can’t Buy originally appeared on About.com World Soccer on Wednesday, April 28th, 2010 at 18:58:49.

Is there a better coach in the world than Mihailo Petrovic? Many would argue that Jose Mourinho stands on the edge of greatness after steering Inter to a UEFA Champions League final against Bayern Munich on May 22. But he's never coached his players to take penalties like this! With Sanfrecce Hiroshima locked at 3-3 against defending Asian champions Pohang Steelers in their AFC Champions League clash at Big Arch Stadium, striker Hisato Sato casually PASSED the ball from the penalty spot to team-mate Tomoaki Makino, who dutifully slammed home! It's not the first time Sanfrecce have dabbled in trick penalties this season, but the first resulted in referee Takuto Okabe earning a two-match suspension for incorrectly allowing Hisato Sato's opener from twelve yards in their 1-1 J. League draw at home to Shimizu S-Pulse. Copyright © Michael Tuckerman & Soccerphile.com J.League News Tags World Cup Pens World Cup football