Boca Juniors of Buenos Aires beat AC Milan in a penalty shoot-out on Sunday in Yokohama (3-1 in penalty kicks, after a 1-1 draw) to win the Intercontinental Cup, soccer’s unofficial world club title, pitting the reigning champions of Europe and South America.

Zinédine Zidane, midfield number 10 for Real Madrid and France, was named the FIFA World Player of the Year this week, edging countryman Thierry Henry of Arsenal to win the trophy for the third time. German striker Birgit Prinz won the women’s title and has reportedly been offered a contract by Italian Serie A squad Perugia.

Indiana scored twice in four minutes to beat St. John’s 2-1 Sunday and win the NCAA Men’s Championship amid a steady snowfall in Columbus, Ohio. It was the final game for Hoosier coach Jerry Yeagley, who won his sixth NCAA title since starting Indiana’s varsity soccer program in 1973.

The rumor mill has been running about reorganization plans for WUSA, the U.S. women’s pro soccer league. Associated Press reported this week that WUSA Commissioner Tony DiCicco is “pretty optimistic” about staging a “handful of festivals” around the country next spring and summer, as a lead-in to the Athens Olympics in Athens, Greece, “Followed by the revival of the league the following year, provided there is enough sponsorship backing.”

FIFA released their final world rankings for the year. The U.S. national team finished the year at No. 11; Brazil, France, and Spain remained 1-2-3, while Holland climbed two spots to fourth.

Qualifying for the 2006 World Cup is under way already, believe it or not. Already eliminated from contention are Mongolia, Laos, Pakistan, Macao, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan, along with 21 African nations, including Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, and Sao Tome e Principe. The U.S. won’t swing into action until next June.

European Champions League and UEFA Cup pairings are set for when play resumes in February. Real Madrid vs. Bayern Munich seems to be the heavyweight matchup. See details on Soccer Watch Online.

This article appears in December 19 • 2003.

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