Inside
SOCCER
A 23-year-old's leadership carries U.S. to fifth straight World Cup • Yank ranks at top of Premier League
BASEBALL
How Junior got his groove back • Contenders, beware: These four hot hitters might spoil your stretch drive
NFL
A rookie back gets the call in Miami • St. Louis's Kevin Curtis is primed for breakout year • Dr. Z's first-week forecast
VOLLEYBALL
Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh take season title with win in Chicago • Karch Kiraly and Mike Lambert to split
TENNIS
James Blake, back and better than ever, reaches his first U.S. Open quarterfinals • Feisty Czech phenom Nicole Vaidisova
PHOTO
Photograph by David Bergman
ON TO GERMANY
Goalkeeper Kasey Keller (18) and the U.S. team celebrated in Columbus, Ohio, last Saturday night after they clinched a berth in the 2006 World Cup with a 2--0 thumping of archrival Mexico.