Event

Zuma says South Africa Ready 50 Days Before World Cup Kick-Off - we should hope so!  #loweredexpectations (by the way, follow me on Twitter)

South Africa Should Expect Fewer World Cup Visitors - around 110,000 less, they say.

World Cup tickets too pricey for many locals - file under "thing they never cared about."

Bring your ear plugs to the World Cup - says some guy with letters after his name.

Preparation

US to train at Princeton ahead of World Cup - Bob Bradley's old stomping grounds (where did that expression come from)?

World Cup enemies-to-be form unlikely bond - Davies and Ashley Cole rehabbing together.

Business

ESPN bets on World Cup spurring US soccer boom - More information on what we all knew, but it's significant that ESPN is not hedging its bets.

Nike, Adidas And The World Cup - the real battle is off the pitch.  Or not.

Adidas Raises Forecast for Annual Profit Ahead of World Cup - somebody's getting cocky.  Perhaps rightfully so.

Culture

Shakira and Freshly Ground Song Chosen as World Cup Anthem - Colombian pop star and local band get soccer's highest musical recognition.  Not sure that was their career goal, but still cool.  Besides, now World Soccer Digest will come up whenever somebody searches for Shakira ... Milano Alba Beal Kournikova ... Seth Rogan.

BBC signs Colin Murray to host MOTD2 and front World Cup highlights - Barney Ronay and at least one person I know are happy it wasn't Tim Lovejoy.

Technology

World Cup breakthrough for 3D pioneers - More on people who are looking to the World Cup to bring 3D technology to the forefront of our viewing experience.

While the hosts may be one of the weaker sides in the upcoming World Cup, they have enough quality which, combined with the advantage of home country familiarity, could scare their Group A opponents.  But the Bafana Bafana is not a team that can afford to have any of it few elite stars hobbled, and with captain Aaron Mokoena continuing to struggle with a groin injury, RFA has reason for concern.

Mokoena is being sparsely used by Portsmouth as the club hopes rest and care will help the midfielder recover for their May 15 appearance in the FA Cup final.  That approach does not suit Mokoena, who claims playing through his injury is the best course of action.

Regardless, like fellow Premier Leaguers Didier Drogba and Aaron Lennon, Mokoena it battling a wonky groin ahead of the World Cup.

No host nation has failed to make it out of group play.  South Africa's chance of doing the same is the most tenuous.  They are going to need Everton's Steven Pienaar to carry-over his club form, but if key players like Mokoena are hobbled ahead of the finals, South Africa will be unlikely to continue the host nation's string of group stage advancements.

Más:

•  BusinessDay - Parreira is still hoping Bafana can find an identity 
•  Pompey told they can't play in Europe - Times LIVE
•  World Cup 2010: 'It's do or die – we can't be the first ever hosts to fall at the group stage' - International, Football - The Independent

One of the remarkable parts of Tottenam's run toward Champions League has been Spurs' ability to do it without Aaron Lennon.  The 23-year-old right winger has game breaking ability, and at the top of his groin injury, suffered earlier this season, he was the only Tottenham player with significant place coming from the midfield.  With the emergence of Gareth Bale, Harry Redknapp has another threat, and with the Welsh prospect able of manning Lennon's opposite wing, it is tantalizing to think of what Spurs can do what Lennon returns.

That return could be this weekend, as Lennon could be back on Harry's bench, if not outright feature.  His return would be a huge upgrade of David Bentley, currently manning the right flank for Spurs, and if Lennon can avoid breaking down, he will be a vital cog in Fabio Capello's set-up.

The right wing for England was once thought a position of depth, with Lennon competing for spots against Theo Walcott, David Beckham, James Milner and Shaun Wright-Phillips.  But then Lennon had a groin injury, Walcott missed significant time for Arsenal, Beckham's ankle broke, and Milner started playing more centrally for Aston Villa.  Though the Villan is almost assuredly going to South Africa, the right side still seemed thin as long as Wright-Phillips, a part-timer for Manchester City, remained in the picture.

A healthy Lennon solves those problems.  Unlike Walcott, he has shown he can play in the Premiership as more than an impact sub.  Walcott continues to improve (and get fit), but with Lennon, Capello has a more complete player, and while he does no possess Walcott's pace (who does), he adds a much-needed speed element to England's starting XI.

That all assumes Lennon can stay healthy and get into match shape.  This weekend is the start.  If he can resume playing, he will be a welcome addition as Spurs move toward their crucial end-of-season match against Manchester City.  After that, Lennon will have a month to find his fitness.

If he does, he will be one of England's more important players in South Africa.

Didier Drogba had to play the last 45 minutes of Chelsea's match on Saturday after his groin injury flared up, 

Didier Drogba's groin injury flared up before the second half kick-off Saturday at White Hart Lane.  With Carlo Ancelotti announcing his second and third substitutions minutes before, the Blues' were facing the threat of playing the final forty-five minutes of their derby with only ten men.

The strange scenario brought attention to Drogba's injury status, with news coming out this week that the Premiership's second leading scorer need hernia surgery.  However, as The Independent tells us, Drogba won't get surgery.  Chelsea's title race is too important, and after that, the World Cup will be too close.  Instead, he will get by on adrenalin:

 

Chelsea, who hold a one-point lead at the top of the Premier League table ahead of Sunday's home game with Stoke City, desperately need Drogba to lead the cause, following the surprise 2-1 defeat at White Hart Lane. But the Ivorian had admitted that with the club closing in on their first Premier League title for four years and with the FA Cup final against Portsmouth looming, he is unable to play at full power.

"Maybe adrenalin has got me through matches," Drogba said, "but you can't continue for long like that. The season's long and I've had quite a few niggles and I'm starting to feel it a bit. I had a hernia operation six years ago but it's playing up again and causing me discomfort.

"I will see if I need an operation, but something needs to be done because I can't continue like this next season. There's no question of having anything done now though, with the World Cup on the way."

 

Cote d'Ivoire is coming off a disappointing Cup of Nations, just underwent a coaching change, and in a South Africa group the contains two of the world's top five rated teams (by FIFA), their best player will not be at full strength.

I'm trying to find a silver lining.

After two goals this weekend in Major League Soccer against Real Salt Lake, Los Angeles Galaxy striker Edson Buddle has seen the case to get him on the United States' plane to South Africa reach a fever pitch.  The Associated Press does a good job of describing that landscape, one part of which deserves further reflection - a part that ties into the news earlier today affirming that Charlie Davies will be hard pressed to make an impact at this year's World Cup.

Before we go there, some information on Buddle.  Profiles as a number nine and is now in his tenth season in Major League Soccer.  Had a good run to start his career and then spent a few seasons bouncing around, tending to some off-the-pitch problems, before landing in L.A two years ago.  Although he struggled last season, the resumé accumulated with the Galaxy shows a forward scoring once every two matches - pretty impressive.

Buddle's 32 goals in 66 matches since adorning the Galaxy kit parallels the numbers accumulated by Conor Casey since his return from Germany.  It's a better rate than Brian Ching has accumulated at Houston (39 goals in 87 matches) and bests Kenny Cooper's performance at FC Dallas (40 in 90).

The one major difference between Buddle and that trio:  those players have been involved in Bob Bradley's set-up for some time.  Buddle has not been capped since 2003.  Eddie Johnson has also been more involved in the team, as has Robbie Findley.  And Jeff Cunningham lurks.

But part of the reason Buddle's name is being mentioned:  some feel he's an improvement on those options.  A contrarian looks at the forward options and notes:

• Jozy Altidore has struggled with Hull,
• Conor Casey has only two international goals in 19 international matches, both somewhat flukey,
• Brian Ching is currently hurt and still weeks away from a return,
• Kenny Cooper never seems to be a significant part of Bob Bradley's plans,
• Jeff Cunningham is 33, has 14 caps and one goal,
• Eddie Johnson is at a lesser level than Altidore, yet has similar playing time and scoring rate issues,
• Robbie Findley has looked out of his element in his handful of appearances.

Consider that a devil's advocate bullet-point list, one almost any avid United States supporter can rattle-off, but also one that may be a little off-base.

Buddle should not be seen as competing with this entire group for four or five forward spots.  He is competing with the other number nines for two or three spots.  There is only so much of one type of player Bradley's likely to take.

Amongst the number nines, it seems unlikely Buddle will be chosen over Altidore or Casey, and the only reason Ching is not in that group is because of his health.  If Ching is healthy by the time the 23-man squad is named at the end of May, how does Bob leave him out?  Particularly for somebody who is unproven in the national team set-up?

And while Buddle's current form justifies this discussion, there have been points where we've seen Cooper, Johnson, and Cunningham have similar success in Major League Soccer.  Buddle has seven goals in four matches?  Cunningham had five goals in one match, relatively recently.  So there's only so much we can look at Buddle's numbers without acknowledging other players in this discussion can and have put those numbers up, too.

For my money, Buddle should not go to South Africa, which is not to say he would not be good (or I don't want him to go), but when you look at the entire striker pool, it's difficult to foresee a scenario where he should be one of the 2-3 strikers selected.

Maybe I'm wrong.  You tell me, but also vote.  This poll will say open until May 30.

More on this:

Steven Goff's 30-man squad and thoughts on the forward pool (Washington Post)

Nick Green looking at Buddle, Herculez Gomez (Los Angeles Daily News)

FanHouse says Buddle's in the picture

Charlie Davies' spirits have been high ever since injuries suffered in a car accident put his soccer career on hold.  His Twitter feed has been inspirational, and when news of a late season comeback with Sochaux started to emerge, there was a whisper throughout the United States-backing community:  "Could he really be ready?"

Today we find out Davies will not return to Ligue 1 action this season, casting doubts on his availability for the World Cup.

Let's wait a second to redress the implications on Bob Bradley's squad.  Let's focus on Davies for a moment.

I've never spoken to Charlie Davies, but I have been through situations like his.  If he wanted to come back for South Africa - felt he was either ready or he needed it - then I was on-board, and for that reason, today's news is a bit crushing.  At the same time, this does not have to be a negative.

Thankfully, it looks like Davies' best playing days are still ahead of him, and it's not inconceivable that he will be the team's most important player in Brazil.  That requires him returning to health in a way that he can not only play but also continue his meteoric rise onto the international stage.

If this "setback" forces him to focus on getting completely right for the 2010-11 season, alleviates the burden that the shorter, World Cup timetable created, then this could be a long-term plus.

However, we are not there, yet.  Davies still has a couple of months to get ready.  The call-ups to the national team camp are weeks away.  After that, there's another month to get ready, should Bradley feel Davies can be ready come mid-June.  If Davies is intent on going, I want to see it happen.

But if it doesn't happen, there's reason to think missing South Africa could be a long-term benefit.

For the United States, Davies is irreplaceable, as Bob Bradley has found out over the last six months.  It's an ironic status since Davies had only been in the first team for roughly six months before that.  While the United States seemed fine in the era pre-Davies, now it's difficult to imagine them competing without the for Boston College Eagle.

Bob Bradley had been comfortable pairing Jozy Altidore and Brian Ching before Davies' emergence.  Seeing how the team worked with a number ten, Bradley has tried Robbie Findley as Davies' replacement - to not avail.

Bradley could do back to a pairing consisting of Altidore and either Ching or Conor Casey, so he could move Landon Donovan or Clint Dempsey into the number ten's role.  Both are certain capable or performing to Davies' level.  The question would then be who takes over on the vacated wing.

Stu Holden's a possibility.  Alejandro Bedoya gives a distinct dimension (that I feel should be in the team, one way or another).  DeMarcus Beasley's experience could make him a favorite.

With a lot of these scenarios, health will be a factor.  And who knows.  These machinations may prove unnecessary.

But as of now, Davies looks like a major doubt for South Africa.

Update:  You have to love Twitter, even if you don't love using it.

Charlie Davies tweeted this a couple of hours before I posted this piece:

Just to let you all know I'm progressing very well & lucky not to have had any setbacks & I'm working extremely hard every day. Believe!!!!!

We all know what a mess France's soccer team has been on the pitch.

Well, most of us know.  Recently, I was on the phone with somebody who was trying to convince me of the virtues of the French team.  

It's an easy argument to make.  All you need is proper nouns:  "Ribèry!  Toulalan!  Henry!  Malouda!  Ankela!  Evra!  Lloris!"

My argument is more intricate but still pretty clear:  The team itself is not very good but world-class, title-winning standards.  Even with their great run in Germany, you could argue Les Blues have not played well consistently for eight years.

Given they have one of the four most talented teams in the world (guess the other three - it's easy), the problems lie off the pitch.  Bringing Raymond Domenech back after a disastrous Euro 2008 was inexplicable giving the depth of French coaching talent in Ligue 1 as well as the rest of international football.

In recent weeks we've heard word of the off-the-pitch problems increasing, increasing in a very unfortunate way.

Today, USA Today gives us a story that has been circulating around France for a while.  Franck Ribèry, Karim Benzema and Sidney Govou are involved in a sex scandal featuring an underage prostitute who ... I'll just paste in part of the article, because this is not the reason why I started writing about soccer:

The AP reports no charges have been filed. Prostitution is legal in France, but clients are liable if the prostitute isn't over 18 years old, the AP says, and offenders face up to three years in prison and a $60,000 fine.

The woman in question, Zahia Dehar, now 18, has told police she had underage sex with all three players, according to the Daily Telegraph. The English newspaper reported her saying she was "shocked" the players faced charges and that she told them she was an adult. She also the players had treated her "with utter respect" and should be left alone.

The Daily Telegraph says Dehar was one of 18 girls questioned by police after a raid last week on the Café Zaman, a nightclub on the Champs Elysee. Police said she has cooperated and doesn't face criminal charges.

After that, let's make some things clear, because this could be a bit more sensationalized than it need be.  As the passage says, prostitution is legal, and although Dehar was not old enough to work as a prostitute, she was of legal age (which is 15, in France).

Which all begs the question:  Why am I bothering relaying the information?

Whether this should be a story or not, it is.  The press in France is covering it, and the players are responding (Ribèry has admitted to having sex with Dehar).  I'm not saying this influenced Ribèry's performance yesterday, but this gossip-circus does play into the atmosphere surrounding the team.

France's biggest problem since Euro 2008 has been disorganization.  They lack cohesion on the pitch, failing to play with any tactical discipline.  They seem to take it for granted that their talent will win out, which is why they had so many problems in the playoff against Giovanni Trapattoni's Ireland.

The team needs to focus, and while these distractions won't necessarily undermine their ability to concentrate on their June tasks, they certainly won't help.

Howdy all!

I wanted to give everybody an update on World Soccer Digest, as you may have noticed the frequency of posts has been decreasing.

We are currently in the process of revving-up our World Cup coverage here at SBNation.com.  In the short term, that means taking a step back, getting refocused, and shifting gears away from the club game.

If you cover the international game to the depth I would like to think I do, you have to watch the club world closely, but SBNation has done a great job of expanding its soccer blog network, with the new outlets covering more-and-more of what used to be covered here (back in the tumbleweed-turning days when it was just me and Steve Davis, otherwise known as November).

I'll keep everybody abreast of the changes we'll be making, but for now, expect more World Cup news, and the coverage of the club game will be a little less in-depth.

It's be a bit of a challenge, over the last few months, driving a World Cup-centric blog when the focus is on the club world, but as we shift gears with national team call-ups in sight, the coverage will be more South Africa 2010-centric.

So just your friendly status update.