21 June 2002 - Germany Probably Would Have Won A Penalty Shootout, Anyway

On 21 June 2002, the United States suffered a close--and controversial--loss to Germany in the World Cup quarterfinals.

The two teams met at the Munsu Cup Stadium in Ulsan, South Korea, where a crowd of 37,337 gathered for the event. Despite entering the match as heavy underdogs, the US applied heavy pressure on the three-time World Cup champions from the opening minutes, with forwards Brian McBride and Landon Donovan both forcing early saves from keeper Oliver Kahn. The 20-year old Donovan posed a potent threat throughout the match, peppering the German goal with shots.

The Germans had a couple of early chances of their own before taking the lead with a 39th-minute header from midfielder Michael Ballack. Miroslav Klose almost added another before the break, but was denied by a brilliant save from US keeper Brad Friedel.

Shortly after the restart, the US thought they had a equalizer. A volley from center back Gregg Berhalter beat Kahn and appeared to cross the line, but struck the arm of German defender Torsten Frings and bounced back out. The US players appealed for the referee to award either a goal or a handball penalty, but were unsuccessful. 

Although the Americans outshot the Germans 11 to 6 and dominated possession (58% to 42%), the Germans held on for the 1-0 victory and advanced, eventually finishing as runners-up to Brazil.

27 January 1976 - "Ruined" May Have Been Overstating Things A Bit

On 27 January 1976, South Korean World Cup hero Ahn Jung-Hwan was born in Paju. He was once described as "the man who ruined Italian football."

He started his professional career in 1998 with Pusan Daewoo Royals, but moved to Italy in 2000 to play for Perugia, where he made a total of 33 appearances in two seasons and scored five goals. But it was the summer of 2002 that made him an international name, as he scored the golden goal for South Korea that eliminated Italy in the World Cup Round of 16. The day after the match, Perugia owner Luciano Gaucci cancelled Ahn's contract, reportedly saying "I have no intention of paying a salary to someone who has ruined Italian football."

Gaucci later had a change of heart, but Ahn was so offended by the slight that he refused to consider a return. He moved instead to Shimizu S-Pulse for a season, starting a series of short stays that included spells at Yokohama (2004-05), Metz (2005-06), and Duisburg (2006), before returning to South Korea with Suwon Bluewings in 2006. Most recently, he played for Chinese side Dalian Shide from 2009 to 2011.

In the meantime, he continued to play for the South Korean national team, scoring 17 goals in 77 appearances before retiring in 2010.

15 June 1969 - Khaaaaaaaaaaannn!

On 15 June 1969, Bayern Munich legend and 2002 World Cup Golden Ball winner Oliver "King" Kahn was born in Karlsruhe, West Germany. He is widely considered one of the greatest goalkeepers in history.

Kahn started his professional career in 1987 with his hometown team, Karlsruher SC (after joining their youth academy in 1975). But in 1994, he moved to Bayern Munich for a fee of €2,385,000--a record at the time for a goalkeeper--and remained there for the rest of his career.

In 1996, he won his first piece of team silverware, the UEFA Cup, followed a few months later by winning that year's European Championship as Germany's starting keeper. He then added to his collection with eight Bundesliga titles (1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008), six German Cups (1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008), the 2001 UEFA Champions League trophy, and the 2001 Intercontinental Cup.

In the 2002 World Cup, Kahn captained Germany, keeping five clean sheets and surrendering only a single goal as they advanced to the World Cup Final. Although they lost to Brazil, 2-0, Kahn became the first goalkeeper in history to win the Golden Ball award as the tournament's best player.

He retired from the national team in 2006, then from Bayern Munich in 2008.

23 April 1923 - The Young Turks

On 23 April 1923, the Turkish Football Federation formed, creating a national team that would become a force in Europe and eventually reach third place in the World Cup.

Shortly after formation, Turkey joined FIFA, but did not qualify for a World Cup until 1950. They withdrew from that tournament, however, claiming they could not afford to send their team to Brazil for the competition. They did show up in 1954, but were eliminated in a first-round playoff by eventual champions West Germany.

Turkey did not participate in another World Cup until 2002, when they stunned observers by taking third place. Their run in the tournament included wins over China (3-0 in the group stage), co-hosts Japan (0-1 in the Round of 16), and Senegal (0-1 in the quarterfinals) before a second 1-0 loss to Brazil (who had beaten them by the same score in the group stage) sent them to the third-place match. There, they downed the other co-hosts, South Korea, 2-3, in a dominant performance that belies the close margin of victory.

Since 1962, Turkey has been a member of UEFA and has qualified for the European Championship in 1996, 2000, and 2008. In the latter, they advanced to the semifinals with electrifying wins over the Czech Republic and Croatia before losing to Germany.

30 June 2002 - Enough World Cups To Fill A Cabinet

On 30 June 2002, Brazil won their record fifth World Cup trophy, beating Germany 2-0 before a crowd of 69,029 at the International Stadium in Yokohama, Japan.

Brazil reached the Final with a perfect record, having won all three of their group stage matches, then advancing through the knockout rounds with victories over Belgium (2-0), England (2-1), and Turkey (1-0). Forward Ronaldo scored a total of six goals in those earlier rounds, making him the tournament's top scorer. Meanwhile, the only smudge on Germany's campaign was a 1-1 draw with Ireland in the group stage before reaching the Final with wins over Paraguay (1-0), the United States (1-0), and co-hosts South Korea (1-0).

Ronaldo continued his scoring touch in the Final, opening with a 67th-minute goal after German keeper and captain Oliver Kahn spilled the ball at Ronaldo's feet. He beat Kahn again in the 79th minute with a shot from the top of the box to extend Brazil's lead t0 2-0, where it would remain until the final whistle.

Ronaldo won the tournament's Golden Boot award and finished second to Kahn in voting for the Golden Ball award as the tournament's most valuable player.

22 June 2002 - Where No Asian Team Has Gone Before

On 22 June 2002, co-hosts South Korea became the first Asian team to advance to the World Cup semifinals by beating Spain on penalties, 0-0 (3-5). Their win, however, came with a bit of controversy.

Spain dominated the first half, with 20-year old Betis midfielder Joaquín Sánchez providing a spark on the right side. But the South Korean defense proved stout and kept the match scoreless in the first half. Spain thought they cracked the Korean's back line mid-way through the second half when a Spanish free kick bounced into the net off the shoulder of Korean center back Kim Tae Young, but the referee disallowed the goal for an apparent foul.

In the second minute of extra time, Spain again thought they had the match-winner when Joaquín ran along the byline and chipped the ball into forward Fernando Morientes, who headed it into the goal. The referee disallowed that goal after the linesman signaled - incorrectly - that the ball had gone out of bounds before the pass.

In the ensuing shootout, Korea went first and were up 4-3 when Joaquín stepped up to the spot. But his shot was tame and easily saved by Korean keeper Lee Woon Jae. The final shot by Korean captain Hong Myung Bo then clinched the victory. South Korea advanced to the semifinals, where they lost to Germany 1-0.

12 June 2002 - Argentina Evicted

On 12 June 2002, one day after favorites France were eliminated from the 2002 World Cup, fellow title hopefuls Argentina were knocked out by Sweden. It was the first time since 1962 that Argentina failed to advance past the first round.

Argentina entered the match in Group F's third place on three points, one point behind England and Sweden, and needed a win to secure their place in the next round. They dominated possession, with 65% to Sweden's 35%, but squandered several chances to take the lead. In the first half, midfielder Juan Pablo Sorín received a cross right in front of the goal, but headed the ball over the bar. Later in the half, another cross found forward Claudo López on the left edge of the goal, but he put it into the side netting.

Sweden finally broke the deadlock when midfielder Anders Svensson curled a 59th-minute freekick over the wall and into the goal's top left corner, just past the outstretched hand of Argentina's keeper, Pable Cavallero. The Swedes had a chance to extend their lead late in the second half, but Andreas Andersson's shot hit the bar.

Argentina drew level in the 88th minute, as forward Ariel Ortega was tripped in the box. Swedish keeper Magnus Hedman blocked the ensuing penalty kick, but it rebounded to the feet of second-half substitute Hernán Crespo, who slammed it home for the equalizer. The Argentines were unable to find another, however, and the match ended 1-1 to send Argentina home.

11 June 2002 - Adieu, Les Bleus

On 11 June 2002, defending World Cup champions France were eliminated from the 2002 tournament with a 2-0 loss to Denmark in their final group stage match before a crowd of 48,100 at Korea's Incheon Munhak Stadium. Les Bleus finished at the bottom of their group with a single point, having gone scoreless in all three matches.

France started the day still in contention for the group's second place, needing a win against Denmark and a Uruguay win over Senegal. The French attack, however, was impaired by the absence of prolific striker Thierry Henry, who had been sent off in the previous match after a dangerous sliding tackle. And despite the presence of other French stars on the pitch, including Zinedine Zidane, Marcel Desailly, Patrick Vieira, and David Trezeguet, Les Bleus struggled to create pressure on the Danish goal.

The Danes had no such problem, taking a 22nd-minute lead with a strike from PSV winger Dennis Rommedahl (pictured, top). Striker Jon Dahl Tomasson (pictured, bottom), who had scored the match-winner for Feyenoord in that year's UEFA Cup, added a second in the 67th minute to seal the win.

Denmark advanced only to be eliminated by England 0-3 in the first knockout round.

5 June 2002 - Both Teams Were Generous To A Fault

On 5 June 2002, the United States opened their World Cup campaign with a shocking 3-2 win over Portugal at South Korea's Suwon World Cup Stadium. It was the Yanks' only win in the group stage, but was enough to see them through to the knockout rounds, while Portugal failed to advance.

Going into the tournament, Portugal were heavy favorites to win the group, which in addition to the United States also included South Korea and Poland. But the US shook their confidence early when midfielder John O'Brien (pictured) scored in the 4th minute from a corner kick. Portugal then shot themselves in the foot with a 30th-minute own goal from star center back Jorge Costa, who deflected a Landon Donovan shot off of his shoulder and into the net. Six minutes later, striker Brian McBride extended the lead to 3-0 with a header.

The Portuguese, however, fought back. Defender Beto scored a 39th-minute goal, then their constant pressure in the second half resulted in an own goal from US defender Jeff Agoos in the 71st minute. But they could not find the needed equalizer and finished with a 3-2 loss.

Portugal beat Poland 4-0, but lost to South Korea 0-1 to finish third. The US drew with eventual group winners South Korea, then lost to Poland to finish second and advance to the knockout rounds. They proceeded to enjoy their best run in a World Cup since 1930, advancing to the quarterfinals, where they lost 1-0 to Germany.

3 June 2002 - The Not-So-Beautiful Game

On 3 June 2002, Brazilian midfielder Rivaldo helped lead his side to a 2-1 win over Turkey in their opening match of the 2002 World Cup. Rivaldo scored the winning goal with an 87th-minute penalty kick, but he overshadowed that goal by faking an injury in second-half stoppage time that resulted in a red card for Turkey's Hakan Ünsal.

The card came in the 94th minute, with Brazil having just won a corner kick. Rivaldo stood next to the flag while Ünsal kicked the ball over to him. It hit Rivaldo in the thigh, but he immediately fell to the ground clutching his face. Although the linesman was standing right behind him, the officials bought the dive and issued a yellow card to Unsal. It was his second yellow of the match, so he was sent off.

FIFA later reviewed the incident and fined Rivaldo 11,000 Swiss francs, which was less than half a day's wage under his contract with Barcelona, his club at the time. Rivaldo expressed no remorse, however, stating "I don't regret anything. This is something that will never end in football," and claiming that FIFA simply chose to make an example of him.

Brazil went on to win the trophy, beating Germany 2-0 in the Final. Rivaldo finished the tournament tied with Germany's Miroslav Klose as the second-highest scorer with 5 goals and was selected to the All-Star squad.

6 October 2001 - Beckham Bends It

On 6 October 2001, England midfielder and captain David Beckham converted a spectacular free kick in the last minute of stoppage time to equalize with Greece 2-2 in a World Cup qualifier at Old Trafford in Manchester, England.

England went into the match needing a win or a draw in order to ensure automatic qualification for the 2002 World Cup Finals. The Greek side disrupted those plans with a 36th-minute strike from forward Angelos Charisteas to go up 0-1.

Still down in the 67th minute, England manager Sven Göran Eriksson subbed striker Robbie Fowler out in favor of striker Teddy Sheringham. Sheringham quickly rewarded Eriksson's faith, heading in an equalizer within ten seconds of stepping foot on the pitch--the fastest goal ever by an England substitute. England's euphoria did not last long, however, as in the 69th minute, Greek striker Demis Nikolaidis evaded defender Rio Ferdinand and fired the Greeks back into the lead.

England continued to trail, when, in the 93rd minute, they were awarded a free kick from about 30 yards out in the center of the pitch. Beckham, who had already taken five unsuccessful long-range free kicks in the match, stepped up and delivered a powerful bending right-foot shot into the top left corner of the goal.

The whistle blew shortly afterward, with England claiming the 2-2 draw and automatic qualification for the 2002 World Cup. It was a watershed moment for Beckham, who had previously been hounded by the British press and supporters for his red-card performance in England's loss to Argentina in the knockout stages of the previous World Cup. The goal against Greece, as well as Beckham's overall inspired play and leadership, transformed him from national villain to national hero.

18 June 2002 - Ahn Top Of The World

On 18 June 2002, World Cup co-hosts South Korea upset Italy 2-1 in a Round of 16 match before a crowd of 38,588 at South Korea's Daejeon World Cup Stadium.

With three minutes of regulation time remaining, Italy looked certain to advance, holding a 1-0 lead earned with an 18th minute goal from veteran striker Christian Vieri. In the 88th minute, however, Italian defender Christian Panucci mishandled a pass, opening the door for Korean winger Seol Ki-Hyeon, who scored the equalizer.

The late goal shocked the Azzurri and sent the match to extra time. The situation worsened for Italy in the first period of added time, as midfielder Francesco Totti received a second yellow card for an apparent dive and was sent off in the 105th minute.

As the match entered the final minutes of extra time and appeared to be headed for penalties, Korean midfielder Ahn Jung-Hwan scored a header in the 117th minute to give the Korean side the victory. The goal was redemptive for Ahn, whose penalty kick in the 5th minute was saved by Italian keeper Gianluigi Buffon.

Ahn was also the only member of the Korean side to play his club football in Italy, at the time on loan with AC Perugia. The day after the match, Perugia canceled Ahn's contract, with Perugia owner Luciano Gaucci reportedly saying "I have no intention of paying a salary to someone who has ruined Italian football." The club quickly apologized and offered to purchase Ahn's contract, but he declined and moved to Japanese side Shimizu S-Pulse.

South Korea followed their epic win with an equally-historic victory over Spain on penalties. They then lost to Germany, but finished the tournament in fourth place.

21 September 2010 - Maybe There Was Something To That Conspiracy Theory After All

On 21 September 2010, former World Cup referee Byron Moreno was arrested in New York with ten pounds of heroin in his underwear.

Moreno had already become infamous for his performance at the 2002 World Cup when he refereed the Round of 16 meeting between Italy and co-hosts South Korea. The Koreans won the match in part due to several questionable calls that included Moreno's awarding them a controversial penalty, disallowing an Italian goal that would have won the game, and ejecting Francesco Totti with a second yellow card for diving. Afterward, both Totti and Italy manager Giovanni Trapattoni claimed that FIFA had rigged the match to ensure that South Korea reached the quarterfinals as a reward for co-hosting the tournament.

Although FIFA denied any impropriety and took no action against Moreno at that time, they issued a 20-game suspension later that year after he impacted the result in an Ecuadorian match by improperly extending stoppage time, then falsifying the information in his official report. In May 2003, shortly after his return from suspension, he retired.

Then, in 2010, after arriving at New York's John F. Kennedy Airport from Ecuador, he was arrested when authorities found several bags of heroin stuffed down his pants. He pleaded guilty to smuggling charges and received a prison sentence of two and a half years.

21 June 2002 - Germany Probably Would Have Won A Penalty Shootout, Anyway

On 21 June 2002, the United States suffered a close--and controversial--loss to Germany in the World Cup quarterfinals.

The two teams met at the Munsu Cup Stadium in Ulsan, South Korea, where a crowd of 37,337 gathered for the event. Despite entering the match as heavy underdogs, the US applied heavy pressure on the three-time World Cup champions from the opening minutes, with forwards Brian McBride and Landon Donovan both forcing early saves from keeper Oliver Kahn. The 20-year old Donovan posed a potent threat throughout the match, peppering the German goal with shots.

The Germans had a couple of early chances of their own before taking the lead with a 39th-minute header from midfielder Michael Ballack. Miroslav Klose almost added another before the break, but was denied by a brilliant save from US keeper Brad Friedel.

Shortly after the restart, the US thought they had a equalizer. A volley from center back Gregg Berhalter beat Kahn and appeared to cross the line, but struck the arm of German defender Torsten Frings and bounced back out. The US players appealed for the referee to award either a goal or a handball penalty, but were unsuccessful.

Although the Americans outshot the Germans 11 to 6 and dominated possession (58% to 42%), the Germans held on for the 1-0 victory and advanced, eventually finishing as runners-up to Brazil.

27 January 1976 - "Ruined" May Have Been Overstating Things A Bit

On 27 January 1976, South Korean World Cup hero Ahn Jung-Hwan was born in Paju. He was once described as "the man who ruined Italian football."

He started his professional career in 1998 with Pusan Daewoo Royals, but moved to Italy in 2000 to play for Perugia, where he made a total of 33 appearances in two seasons and scored five goals. But it was the summer of 2002 that made him an international name, as he scored the golden goal for South Korea that eliminated Italy in the World Cup Round of 16. The day after the match, Perugia owner Luciano Gaucci cancelled Ahn's contract, reportedly saying "I have no intention of paying a salary to someone who has ruined Italian football."

Gaucci later had a change of heart, but Ahn was so offended by the slight that he refused to consider a return. He moved instead to Shimizu S-Pulse for a season, starting a series of short stays that included spells at Yokohama (2004-05), Metz (2005-06), and Duisburg (2006), before returning to South Korea with Suwon Bluewings in 2006. Most recently, he played for Chinese side Dalian Shide from 2009 to 2011.

In the meantime, he continues to play for the South Korean national team, scoring 17 goals in 77 appearances.

15 June 1969 - Khaaaaaaaaaaannn!

On 15 June 1969, future Bayern Munich legend and 2002 World Cup Golden Ball winner Oliver "King" Kahn was born in Karlsruhe, West Germany. He is widely considered one of the greatest goalkeepers in history.

Kahn started his professional career in 1987 with his hometown team, Karlsruher SC (after joining their youth academy in 1975). But in 1994, he moved to Bayern Munich for a fee of €2,385,000--a record at the time for a goalkeeper--and remained there for the rest of his career.

In 1996, he won his first piece of team silverware, the UEFA Cup, followed a few months later by winning that year's European Championship as Germany's starting keeper. He then added to his collection with eight Bundesliga titles (1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008), six German Cups (1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008), the 2001 UEFA Champions League trophy, and the 2001 Intercontinental Cup.

In the 2002 World Cup, Kahn captained Germany, keeping five clean sheets and surrendering only a single goal as they advanced to the World Cup Final. Although they lost to Brazil, 2-0, Kahn became the first goalkeeper in history to win the Golden Ball award as the tournament's best player.

He retired from the national team in 2006, then from Bayern Munich in 2008.

23 April 1923 - The Young Turks

On 23 April 1923, the Turkish Football Federation formed, creating a national team that would become a force in Europe and eventually reach third place in the World Cup.

Shortly after formation, Turkey joined FIFA, but did not qualify for a World Cup until 1950. They withdrew from that tournament, however, claiming they could not afford to send their team to Brazil for the competition. They did show up in 1954, but were eliminated in a first-round playoff by eventual champions West Germany.

Turkey did not participate in another World Cup until 2002, when they stunned observers by taking third place. Their run in the tournament included wins over China (3-0 in the group stage), co-hosts Japan (0-1 in the Round of 16), and Senegal (0-1 in the quarterfinals) before a second 1-0 loss to Brazil (who had beaten them by the same score in the group stage) sent them to the third-place match. There, they downed the other co-hosts, South Korea, 2-3, in a dominant performance that belies the close margin of victory.

Since 1962, Turkey has been a member of UEFA and has qualified for the European Championship in 1996, 2000, and 2008. In the latter, they advanced to the semifinals with electrifying wins over the Czech Republic and Croation before losing to Germany.

30 June 2002 - Enough World Cups To Fill A Cabinet

On 30 June 2002, Brazil won their record fifth World Cup trophy, beating Germany 2-0 before a crowd of 69,029 at the International Stadium in Yokohama, Japan. It is the only time the two World Cup powers have met in the tournament.

Brazil reached the Final with a perfect record, having won all three of their group stage matches, then advancing through the knockout rounds with victories over Belgium (2-0), England (2-1), and Turkey (1-0). Forward Ronaldo scored a total of six goals in those earlier rounds, making him the tournament's top scorer. Meanwhile, the only smudge on Germany's campaign was a 1-1 draw with Ireland in the group stage before reaching the Final with wins over Paraguay (1-0), the United States (1-0), and co-hosts South Korea (1-0).

Ronaldo continued his scoring touch in the Final, opening with a 67th-minute goal after German keeper and captain Oliver Kahn spilled the ball at Ronaldo's feet. He beat Kahn again in the 79th minute with a shot from the top of the box to extend Brazil's lead t0 2-0, where it would remain until the final whistle.

Ronaldo won the tournament's Golden Boot award and finished second to Kahn in voting for the Golden Ball award as the tournament's most valuable player.

22 June 2002 - Where No Asian Team Has Gone Before

On 22 June 2002, co-hosts South Korea became the first Asian team to advance to the World Cup semifinals by beating Spain on penalties, 0-0 (3-5). Their win, however, came with a bit of controversy.

Spain dominated the first half, with 20-year old Betis midfielder Joaquín Sánchez providing a spark on the right side. But the South Korean defense proved stout and kept the match scoreless in the first half. Spain thought they cracked the Korean's back line mid-way through the second half when a Spanish free kick bounced into the net off the shoulder of Korean center back Kim Tae Young, but the referee disallowed the goal for an apparent foul.

In the second minute of extra time, Spain again thought they had the match-winner when Joaquín ran along the byline and chipped the ball into forward Fernando Morientes, who headed it into the goal. The referee disallowed that goal after the linesman signaled - incorrectly - that the ball had gone out of bounds before the pass.

In the ensuing shootout, Korea went first and were up 4-3 when Joaquín stepped up to the spot. But his shot was tame and easily saved by Korean keeper Lee Woon Jae. The final shot by Korean captain Hong Myung Bo then clinched the victory. South Korea advanced to the semifinals, where they lost to Germany 1-0.

12 June 2002 - Argentina Evicted

On 12 June 2002, one day after favorites France were eliminated from the 2002 World Cup, fellow title hopefuls Argentina were knocked out by Sweden. It was the first time since 1962 that Argentina failed to advance past the first round.

Argentina entered the match in Group F's third place on three points, one point behind England and Sweden, and needed a win to secure their place in the next round. They dominated possession, with 65% to Sweden's 35%, but squandered several chances to take the lead. In the first half, midfielder Juan Pablo Sorín received a cross right in front of the goal, but headed the ball over the bar. Later in the half, another cross found forward Claudo López on the left edge of the goal, but he put it into the side netting.

Sweden finally broke the deadlock when midfielder Anders Svensson curled a 59th-minute freekick over the wall and into the goal's top left corner, just past the outstretched hand of Argentina's keeper, Pable Cavallero. The Swedes had a chance to extend their lead late in the second half, but Andreas Andersson's shot hit the bar.

Argentina drew level in the 88th minute, as forward Ariel Ortega was tripped in the box. Swedish keeper Magnus Hedman blocked the ensuing penalty kick, but it rebounded to the feet of second-half substitute Hernán Crespo, who slammed it home for the equalizer. The Argentines were unable to find another, however, and the match ended 1-1 to send Argentina home.