FIFA president Sepp Blatter has acknowledged that referee mistakes were made and that FIFA will “take on board again the discussion about technology.” But he’s not going far enough.

Like most American soccer fans, I’m not exactly passionate about the game. I really enjoy watching World Cup, even after the United States has been eliminated, but I haven’t seen an MLS game since the very first year when the Kansas City Wizards (never “The Wiz”) took the cup or whatever it is that one takes in America. Soccer is a great game to watch, but it’s hard to let myself become too enraptured by sport where a fear of improving the game is presented as a fear of technology.

Blatter is saying that goal-line technology may be considered for future World Cups and I suppose that’s a start. But miscalled goals aren’t the only issue that technology could fix. Cameras and increased communication between the officials could help fix offsides calls without disrupting the precious flow of the game.

Nobody’s saying FIFA needs tedious timeouts while refs hide under a blanket to watch an instant replay. But it’s the most popular sport in the world. Would it kill them to point a few more eyeballs on the field? Put a radio in the refs’ ears? It won’t ruin the spirit of the game—it’ll sanctify it.

PUMA has also created seven country-specific Tekkies sneakers that provide a unique way to cheer on some of the best soccer teams in the world. This series of World Cup 2010-inspired summer shoes, feature a totally collapsible, lightweight canvas upper with frayed edges, plus a four-line stitched version of our iconic PUMA formstripe and a woven PUMA logo label on the heel. Each style is colored up to correspond to a specific country — Ghana, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Germany, Brazil, Italy, and South Africa — featuring graphics with a “painted-on” feel. Available on the ground in the US exclusively at PUMA City, they retail for $45 and are available in men’s sizes 5.5 to 13.

Very Toms-esque…

Apple Bumper

Price: $29

iFrogz Luxe Original

Though the name might lead you to believe otherwise, the iFrogz Luxe Original case is actually a rather sleek, two-piece design. A velvet backing protects the glass, and the phone’s sides are protected by bumpers, made from a polycarbonate material that feels like soft rubber. The two-toned style also has a really nice “fading” option, whereby one subtly colored piece bleeds into another.

Price: $29.99

Speck GeoMetric

In a world of bland iPhone cases, Speck’s GeoMetric definitely catches the eye. The asymmetrical, triangular relief is emphasized by variedly matte and shiny patches of color. Practically speaking, the rubbery texture gives the device better handling and gripability, and it’s hard to argue with a color called DeathRock Black.

Price: $29.95

Grove Bamboo

Our early favorite in the iPhone case race is Grove’s Bamboo, which is milled from solid, FSC-certified bamboo, and boasts a slide-off bottom for easy docking. Color variations are limited to either amber or natural bamboo, and the bezel can be ordered in either stainless steel or black aluminum. The case adds only .07 inches of thickness to the device, and 20 more bucks gets you either an artist-designed case, or lets you design your own (by submitting to Grove’s website). You can expect shipping to take four to six weeks at this point, but, if you can find something workable in the meantime, it’s definitely worth the wait.

Price: $49; $69 (customized)

Griffin Reveal

For those looking for something with a harder shell, Griffin’s Reveal is an impressively slim option, adding just 1.5 millimeters of thickness to the sides and back of the phone. The one-piece design includes a thin, rubber interior lining, and the clear plastic lets you show the outside world that, yes, that is indeed an iPhone 4 inside.

Price: $24.95

United SGP Leather Pouch Vintage Edition for iPhone 4

While flip-style iPhone cases are definitely an acquired taste, United SGP’s Leather Pouch Vintage Edition is essentially a smaller version of its iPad counterpart. The distressed brown suede exterior and dark red fabric interior is a little bit cowboy and a little bit vampire. The inside is lined with microfiber, it’s handmade in Korea (designed in California), and the case comes with a 30-day, money-back guarantee and a lifetime warranty.

Price: $46

Belkin Armbands

Of all the major manufacturers, Belkin offered the most diverse lineup of cases at the iPhone 4′s launch. In particular, the company’s got the market virtually cornered in exercise-friendly armbands, with the DualFit, FastFit, OneFit and ProFit models, each of which has a different strap mechanism and construction. The Pro is the most laden with features, including a water-resistant, moisture-wicking material and a reflective safety stripe intended to protect your new device (and you, we guess) from oncoming drivers.

Price: $24.99 to $39.99

Case-Mate Artist Series

For those looking for something a bit more graphical, Case-Mate’s Artist Series includes an impressive roster of contemporary artists and designers, including Chuck Anderson, Shadow Chen, Deanne Cheuk and Nigel Dennis. The case itself is made of a hard plastic called Lexan, and comes as one piece that fits over the back of the phone. Each artist created a group of designs for the series. If you’d sooner submit your own, you can do so for an extra five bucks via the company’s website.

Price: $34.99

iPhone 4 StealthArmor

As it has already done for the iPhone 3G and iPad, StealthArmor has now released its eponymous case for the iPhone 4. Essentially comprised of plastic strips that cover the surface of your phone, the StealthArmor does one better than its “screen protector” counterparts by providing strips for the edges and back of the phone, essentially covering the entire device. The case is available in a transparent model for $25, and in one of a variety of finishes (including wood grain, carbon fiber and matte black) for $45.

Price: $25; $45 (color models)

Ballistic HC

For those looking to protect their iPhone 4 as they would their firstborn, the Ballistic HC is ready and willing to provide the goods. By combining an interchangeable gel-like outer layer, a front-facing inward holster and a built-in screen protector, this thing will surely protect the gadget from drops and bumps. In addition, connector seals ensure that dust, sand and snot don’t make their way into your precious. It’s by no means the slimmest, subtlest case for your iPhone, but it’s just about as tough as they come.

Price: $49.99

Havn’t made a progressive mix in like a year so I thought it was about time. This one starts out slow and dark and gets brighter as it goes. Enjoy…
Summer Lovin’ Progressive Mix 2010 by Casemo

DOWNLOAD HERE or by clicking the little arrow in the player above.

Arsenal and Russia star Andrey Arshavin and his beautiful wife Yulia take a much needed holiday durring the World Cup.

Cristiano Ronaldo — whose Portugal team is battling Spain as we speak in the World Cup — has his own iPhone app [iTunes link]. To paraphrase Mashable’s Brenna Ehrlich, “of course he does.”

The most expensive football player in history, Ronaldo is known for his famous tricks and amazing footwork. The $1.99 app offers both an arcade mode where you can try to recreate his playing style, as well as other features that act as more of a portal into the world of Ronaldo.

The app plugs into the OpenFeint network so you can share scores with your friends and try to best one another in-game. It also features a collection of videos of Ronaldo and a link to his status updates and newsfeeds featuring the football superstar.

The game is available now. What do you think of athletes having their own iPhone apps?

The Vestal MCW014 Monte Carlo White Leather watch features a super-cool ana-digi dual time display. Half analog, half digital.  Whatever mood strikes you…

SPECIFICATIONS
CASE: Oversized Stainless Steel 45mm Wide
BUCKLE: Stainless Steel
CRYSTAL: Solid Mineral
MOVEMENT: Standard 3 Hand Analog/Digital Time and Date
WATER RESISTANCE: 5 ATM / 50 Meters
WRIST: Thick

Find it over at www.watchismo.com

CAPE TOWN, South Africa(AP) — Spain spent most of the night trying to break through Portugal’s defense. David Villa finally did it.

Villa scored off his own rebound in the 63rd minute, giving the European champs a 1-0 victory Tuesday that put them into the World Cup quarterfinals.

In a game where Spain dominated possesion and outshot the Portuguese, Villa took Xavi Hernandez’ heel pass in the 63rd minute. But his left-footed shot was saved by Portuguese goalkeeper Eduardo.

He then fired the rebound with his right foot off the underside of the crossbar and into the net – his fourth goal of the tournament – sprinted to the near corner and slid on his knees to the flag, letting out a mighty yell.

“It was one of my best goals because it got us through to the next round,” Villa said. “Keep scoring so we can keep going.”

Spain plays Paraguay in the quarterfinals on Saturday.

While Villa is tied for the lead in scoring at the World Cup, it was a disappointing tournament for Cristiano Ronaldo, the world’s most expensive player. His only goal came late in Portugal’s 7-0 rout of North Korea in group play, and he had a quiet night against Spain.

The game came two years to the day that Spain ended 44 years of international futility by winning the European title. The last defending European champ to also capture the World Cup was West Germany in 1974.

Spain was about teamwork, and it showed from the start. Fernando Torres and Villa immediately moved down the left, looking to exploit Portugal’s defensive weakness at right back, where Ricardo Costa struggled. Within the first seven minutes, Eduardo had to make three quality saves to keep Portugal in the game on angled shots from Spain’s two strikers.

Yet Spain moved on to an intricate passing game through the center of the field. Once Portugal’s defense settled in it frustrated the Spanish, reducing them to long-range attempts by Gerard Pique.

Still, Villa knew a goal was coming.

“We never lost our confidence,” Villa said. “We know the potential we have and what we can give.”

This was 33rd time the Iberian neighbors have met in soccer, but the first time in the World Cup. Spain has won 16 of the matches to Portugal’s five.