The billionaire businessman and soccer saviourFrank Lowy is widely seen as the man who fixed the mess that was Australian soccer. Yet his power could be on the wane, particularly if increasing calls to oust him come to fruition, explains Tom Cowie in his profile of Lowy.
Soccer
Melbourne Victory vs. Glasgow Celtics: kilts, the cold and quality football
Intrepid Crikey intern Michael McGowan along with just over twenty thousand other football fans braved typically abominable Melbourne weather to watch a pre-season friendly between the Melbourne Victory and the touring Glasgow Celtic.
Why losing the World Cup bid is an economic win
There is very little economic gain to be had by hosting giant sporting events, writes economist Dennis Coates. So why do countries — and Australia is as guilty as the rest of them — continue to overbid for them?
Screw you FIFA. And screw you Qatar. And sucked in England
Money talks. But when it comes to FIFA and bidding for a World Cup, money not only talks, it sings sweet corrupting love songs that, like a siren from a Greek legend, lures crusty old white men from FIFA to host the World’s biggest sporting event in Qatar, writes an angry Leigh Josey.
Conroy confirms: soccer punished with a return to anti-siphoning
While speculation has centred on what will be removed from the anti-siphoning list, we now know soccer will be punished by being put back on.
Does a corrupt Fifa need to delay 2018 World Cup bids?
Allegations of corruption and vote-buying by two key members of the Fifa executive committee have senior officials calling for the bidding processes for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to be suspended.
The fake national soccer team
It’s an odd tale: a “fake” team from the tiny African nation of Togo pretended to be the national soccer team and competed overseas. But it’s the underlying issues of political instability and violence that reveal the most about soccer in Africa, says Brian Phillips.
Coach Maradona no longer
Diego Maradona has been ousted as coach of the Argentinian national football team. With all the drama that follows the former star, the only surprise is that he lasted as long as he did, says Daniel Schweimler.
PHOTO GALLERY: Watching the World Cup around the globe
Australia’s Socceroos may be embarrassing themselves at the World Cup, but at least we can enjoy football fever with this photo gallery of the efforts fans go to to support their team.
What is that damn noisy horn the South Africans are blowing?
Meet the Vuvuzela: a noise-making horn that South African fans are obsessed with blowing loudly at football games. But will it become the must have item for fans or the bane of the World Cup?
South Africa: not just racism and slums
Australia is out of the hosting race for the 2018 World Cup, but dreams aren’t yet over for South Africa, where the Cup kicks off tonight. Can the influx of foreign fans change people’s perceptions of poverty-stricken Africa?
World Cup: 
How to explain football to AFL fans
A very clever concept, a guide to understanding World Cup teams by comparing them to similar AFL teams. So Brazil is the Geelong Cats of the Cup and North Korea is more of a Richmond Tigers.
World Cup: 
Football, a game played by Grannies
While the world waits for the FIFA Worlds Cup to start, meet the Vakhegula Vakhegula (Grannies Grannies), a South African women’s side, ranging in age from 49 to 84, that plays for love of the game.
PHOTO GALLERY: Artists kick goals
Seventeen artists, predominantly South Africans, give their take on the FIFA World Cup, from a latex elephant grabbing a ball by the trunk to embroidered biblical scenes.
PHOTO GALLERY: Mildly offensive World Cup mascots
The Olympics isn’t the only sporting event with dodgy mascots, with the FIFA World Cup emerging trumps in creating mascots of national stereotype. Like Mexico in 1986, who had a sombrero wearing jalapeño.
Video of the Day: Feeling the FIFA fever
The world’s biggest sport event, the FIFA World Cup, is just weeks away and here’s a little reminder for those who’ve forgotten how important football is to the rest of the world. Yes, it is a Nike ad, but it’s a beauty.
World Cup: Why Australia can’t win its World Cup bid
Australia is banking on its proximity to Asia to win the right to host football’s World Cup. But that could in fact be held against it, writes Matthew Hall from the United States.
Putting the boot into Aussie soccer
Just a few years ago the Socceroos were the darlings of the Australian sporting world, now Australia’s bid for the 2022 World Cup is at risk, Frank Lowy’s FFA is in trouble and the likelihood of success in South Africa is slim.
Gangs of footballers
One Premier League soccer player is being forced to pay £15,000 every three months to a London gang in protection money. Is this what happens when footballers from poor suburbs suddenly hit the big time?
Messi puts the boot into Maradona
Argentinean soccer player Lionel Messi is getting a rep as the best footballer in the world, yet gets barely any love in his home country. So how will Maradona — now coach of the Argentinean team — deal with his title-pincher?
Goal! The secret of the penalty shoot out
The best thing for a goal keeper to do during a penalty shoot out? Stand still in the middle and don’t dive. But everyone’s too scared to do it. Serkan Ozturk explores the psychology behind the penalty shoot out.
SBS v Crikey: SBS pursues legal action over “the world game”
The battle between SBS and your very own Crikey has progressed, but sadly is about to be aborted by Crikey agreeing to change the tag for that section of its site that has been (until today) aggregating coverage of soccer under the tag “the world game”.
No luck for the Irish as French cheats prosper
Ireland’s football team was cruelly denied a place at next year’s World Cup in South Africa due to a blatant piece of cheating from the French this morning, declares Neil Walker.
A 2020 vision of Australian sport
As the century’s first decade comes to an end, a look at how various Australian sporting codes are faring, and where they might be in another ten year’s time.
Where are they now? Tracking Australia’s soccer talent
Australia’s soccer success has meant foreign clubs raiding A-League squads to sign the best young local players. Neil Walker tracks what’s happened to six likely lads since they jetted off.
