News When news broke last month that a Seattle Sounders fan was killed by a truck outside Lincoln City, Oregon, while dribbling a soccer ball on the shoulder of Highway 101—on the first and only leg of a journey to the World Cup in Brazil—it inspired double takes and some unfortunate jokes. It also led to a phenomenal piece on Grantland this week. In "Dribbling Man," sports reporter Robert Andrew Powell ...   More

News Portlander Barry Biechner has put his fate in the hands of the 2010 World Cup. The 27-year-old production worker at the Crystal Ballroom vowed last week to live in the country that wins soccer's global championship for at least a year. Biechner says in his blog, “Where Will I Live?” that he will pack his bags by next January 2011 and move to his new home —whichever country ...   More

News The Oregon Sports Authority announced today that two downtown parks will sprout Jumbotrons and host World Cup viewing parties this summer. The other soccer news announced today is that the first World Cup screening will include the Portland Timbers unveiling their new uniform and logo designs for 2011, their first season as a Major League Soccer franchise. The first World Cup screening will ...   More

News I'm Ruth, the new WW music intern. For the last 24-odd years, I've lived in Melbourne, Australia. A little over a week ago, I chucked everything in to move halfway across the world to Portland. I arrived in the country with little more than a backpack, a laptop and an "alien registration number", and have spent the last week trying to navigate my way through a new life in a new city in a new country. It's ...   More

News I suspect I'm not the only person who had never heard of the adductor muscle until last week. So is it a coincidence that the muscle gets prominent mention by Al Gore's accuser in the report that surfaced last week, and then the "adductor" gets a mention from Bill Clinton, of all people? In this George Vescey column last week from the World Cup, Clinton tells the New York Times sports columnist ...   More