World Cup

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They're long shots to win Gary R. Blockus The Morning Call Asking the U.S. to knock off Germany on German soil in the Women's World Cup is a long shot at best. Germany has won two straight World Cups and is seeking to become the first team not just to win three World Cups, but three consecutively. The hopes of Team USA rest on the scoring ability of Abby Wambach, no longer a phenom at age 31. Before Germany beckons, the U.S. first must get through its most grueling round of group play ever, against legitimate medal contenders Sweden and North Korea in round-robin play.

It was 1991, and Mia Hamm was only 19 years old, the baby of the group. Julie Foudy and Kristine Lilly were only 20. They were the stars of the future. But by the time the final whistle sounded on a cool and overcast day in Guangzhou, China, all those years ago, the three players and their 15 teammates were on top of the world. The final score on that memorable afternoon at Tianhe Stadium was U.S. 2, Norway 1. Soccer's first Women's World Cup saw the Americans prevail, and the party that night at the White Swan Hotel lasted well into the early morning.

Softball Anne Arundel Co.'s Gibson, Salvarola make U.S. teams Lauren Gibson (Chesapeake-Anne Arundel) and Kourtney Salvarola (Broadneck) were recently selected to USA national softball team rosters. Both are former Baltimore Sun Players of the Year. Gibson, a sophomore at Tennessee, will play for the full U.S. national team, while Salvarola, a freshman at South Florida, was named to the USA junior national women's team. "It is unbelievable to have two girls from Maryland on USA teams at this level and both are from Anne Arundel County," Chesapeake-AA coach Don Ellenberger said.

Considering everything he has been through, Charlie Davies looks, acts and sounds in remarkably good shape. The scars are evident, both physical and mental, but the resilience he has shown — not to mention courage when he so easily could have given up — are testimony to the player and the man. Sixteen months have passed since Davies, 24, was involved in a horrific car accident that left the vehicle torn asunder, one female passenger...

For those who think college football plays too many bowl games, check out the world golf schedules for November and December. With 2011 a Presidents Cup and World Cup year, the ripple effect of dropping those two events into the schedule is leaving plenty of international stars with hard choices about where to play. "Geographical nightmare," said U.S. Open champion Graeme McDowell, currently eyeing a three-week stretch going from China (World Cup) to California (Chevron World Challenge)

In summing up the selection process to host a World Cup, the president of soccer's governing body put it in simple terms. "Football is not only about winning, football is also a school of life where you learn to lose," FIFA President Sepp Blatter told a worldwide television audience and those gathered in Zurich, Switzerland, for Thursday's announcement of the 2018 and 2022 sites. The U.S. bid committee learned that lesson minutes later, losing out as host of the 2022 event to tiny Qatar.

There is one thing the University of Maryland Quidditch team can't do: fly. But only a strict Harry Potter constructionist would find fault. Because, truth be told, none of the hundreds of other Quidditch teams across the country -- including those at Johns Hopkins, Salisbury, Harvard and Yale -- have been able to conjure up the wizardry needed to break the bond of gravity. What they can't do in the sky, they do on earth, galloping up and down the pitch on broomsticks, dodging Bludgers and heaving the Quaffle while their seeker chases the elusive Golden Snitch.

This week, officials of FIFA, the world soccer federation, are visiting the U.S. to examine America's bid to host the 2018 or 2022 World Cup, with Baltimore remaining as one of the potential host cities. Baltimore has much to offer the international soccer community between world class medical facilities, a beautiful stadium that has successfully hosted two international soccer matches, and close proximity to several major airports and highways. The U.S. Bid Committee has touted the tournament as a major money-maker for the U.S. economy, predicting a financial benefit of up to $5 billion for the country and up to $600 million for the host cities.