Mattel Unveils Dora the Explorer's Soccer Friend

In time for the upcoming holiday season, Mattel revealed the Dora Links doll. The Dora doll is geared towards consumers ages 5-8.

Dora and her four new best friends embody the brand's themes of empowerment, adventure, friendship and team work while providing its owners with innovative and interactive technology. Girls can follow the continual adventures of Dora and her friends when they hook up the doll to their computers and join in them in the online, fictional world of Puerto Verde.

For those girls who love soccer, Dora's BFF Alana will be a necessary addition to their collection. Alana is described as an athletic, confident soccer player who loves animals and her friends. I am pretty sure Alana's dribbling skills will be put to the test in solving a few mysteries with Dora.

The Dora Links collection is available today at most major online and brick/mortar stores nationwide.

Hit the Virtual Pitch with American Airlines

In an effort to court U.S. soccer fans, American Airlines has teamed up with the AC&M Group to create an interactive soccer game for it's website. The "Penalty Challenge" is an entertainingly creative way for the company to increase membership for their AAdvantage program. By helping the new soccer sensation, Earn Miles, score the maximum number of goals, players can receive discounts and bonus miles. To add a celebrity factor to the game, Penalty Challenge is narrated by famed Spanish-language sportscaster Fernando Fiore. To join in on the fun and win a discount on your next one-way or roundtrip ticket, go to www.aa.com/soccer

First to Apple: Real Madrid Launches iPhone Application

The international soccer club Real Madrid is the first sports club to launch a mobile phone platform application. "My Madrid" is downloadable to the iPhone for about $4.00and allows fans to access news, player profiles, videos, 3D images, match reports and club information. Also, the application doubles as a mobile retail platform, enabling fans to purchase merchandise and tickets anywhere in the world.

Soccer History: Soccer Comic Strip Billy's Boots

Although I didn't have the pleasure of reading lots of comic books growing up, I have plenty of friends who are die hard comic book fans. While flipping through the stacks at Heroes, the ultimate comic bookstore in Charlotte, I wondered if any of these publications featured soccer. After a little research, I located Billy's Boots. Billy's Boots is a British comic strip about Billy Dane and his magical football boots. For all of my football and comic strip fiends, this entry is for you. Enjoy!

Soccer Tutorial: Shooting Accuracy