World Cup 2014 -- The Brazilian Federation announced it will be submitting a bid to host the 2014 Cup. This virtually guarantees that Brazil will be chosen as the host. No South American country has hosted the Cup since Argentina in '78. In fact, Brazil is regarded as such a shoo-in, that it's unlikely any other country will bother to submit a bid. Unless the 2010 South Africa plans collapse and FIFA decides to award that Cup to the U.S., we can look forward to spending some time on the beaches in Rio in the summer of 2014.

Yanks Abroad update -- Possibly the third most recognizable player in the MLS (after Adu and Landon Donovan), the New England Revolution's star, Clint Dempsey, is reportedly headed to Fulham in the English Premier League. Dempsey was the only American to score in the World Cup this year. At Fulham, he would join fellow U.S. nationals Brian McBride and Carlos Bocanegra. The New York Times reports that the London-based team will pay a transfer fee of $2.5 million. That tidy sum could go higher, depending on Dempsey's playing time. This would be a great move for Clint, who may be expected to take over Claudio Reyna's role as field general on the national team...unless Freddy Adu is ready for that job in three years. NYTimes note on Dempsey's move.