As you've probably noticed, your loyal Vagabond is slowing down for a bit since my father passed away last Sunday. We'll be up and running again soon but in the meantime, you can find great soccer updates on the Friends Of LFV links on the left side of the page.div class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='http://res1.

In Italian primavera (reserve) action, Vincenzo Bernardo played in the second half of Napoli's 5-0 romp over Ancona, scoring one goal and assisting on another.div class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='http://res1.blogblog.com/tracker/8142369742165370623-4122918150728154115?l=lettersfromvagabondia.

a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_iLpK7guOLak/ScEB15Sc7oI/AAAAAAAAAcY/RZs47550Qk8/s1600-h/RobertoDonadoni.jpg"img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314531060696804994" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_iLpK7guOLak/ScEB15Sc7oI/AAAAAAAAAcY/RZs47550Qk8/s320/RobertoDonadoni.

Michael Bradley has found his scoring touch again and all signs are that he is not letting it go anytime soon. Tonight against 1FC Cologne, he opened up a 1-0 lead for Borussia Moenchengladbach with a left footed tap from a Marko Marin pass in the 25th minute (see Morin's brilliant run in the video below).

BACOLET, Tobago (March 10, 2009) – The U.S. Under-20 Men's National Team secured a place at the 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup with a 2-0 win against El Salvador on Tuesday evening in their final Group A match of the CONCACAF U-20 Championship in Bacolet, Tobago. The 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup will be held from Sept.

BACOLET, Tobago (March 8, 2009) – The U.S. Under-20 Men's National Team played to a scoreless draw against Honduras in Group A action on Sunday night at the CONCACAF Under-20 Championship at Dwight Yorke Stadium in Bacolet, Tobago.
The draw keeps the U.S. atop of the group with four points.

Young American midfielder Danny Szetela played the second half of Brescia's 1-0 loss to Rimini in Serie B action tonight. Brescia is currently in 6th place in Serie B with 46 points - three points out of the promotion zone.
Brescia's enduring problem this year has been its finishing and this week's result is just another example.

You couldn't make this one up...
Courtesy of Ligue 1:
Carlos Bocanegra's flawless displays at left-back for Rennes this season have won him many admirers, but it appears that the Californian's surfer-boy good-looks have also not gone unnoticed.
The 29-year-old American has been voted the Breton club's most sexy player in an Internet poll, and to celebrate his victory, all female spectators at Rennes' match with Auxerre on Sunday - which is also International Women's Day - will be given an eight-page publication with photos and a biography of the USA international.

Bob Wagman has a great piece on Landon Donovan's return to MLS over at Soccer Times. Chcek it out here.

You've got to hand it to LA Galaxy coach Bruce Arena, who is not one to sit quietly and let the Beckham circus distract his new club any further.

The shocker in Coppa Italia tonight is the 3-0 butt-whuppin' Sampdoria just handed the mighty Inter Milan 3-0, with all goals coming in the first half. Samp is on a tear, having just put the wood to AC Milan, and now beating up on the other Milan team. Regardless of who the coach has been the past few years, Inter knows how to win the Scudetto but they always seem to choke in the Coppa.

Imagine the most beloved sports team in your country travelling abroad for a prestigious tournament, only to have their bus attacked with rifles, rockets, and hand grenades as they approached a stadium for a match. No, this one isn't about soccer but its all about sports.
Sri Lankan are crazy about volleyball but their national cricket team is widely followed, having developed itself into a global power, winning the 1996 World Cup and winning the Asian Cup in 1996 and 2004.

The LA Times' Grahame Jones is reporting that the LA Galaxy has reached a deal with AC Milan to extend the loan until July, when Beckham would rejoin his team in LA.
The agreement will give Beckham a chance to stay in England coach Fabio Capello's scheme while compensationg the Galaxy and their sponsors in the process.

Goalkeeper and new author Brad Friedel has told Sky Sports today that Aston Villa face '11 cup finals' in their quest for a Champions League berth.
After only collecting one point this weekend, blowing a 2-0 home lead to Stoke in the final three minutes for a 2-2 draw, Villa remain six points shy of Arsenal and eight from Tim Howard's Everton.

What a difference a year makes!
Almost a year ago, seven goals were scored in the springtime Barcelona -Atletico Madrid match, six by Barca, one by Atletico. Tonight, seven goals were scored in the match except this time, four were by Atletico and three by Barcelona. Atletico's come from behind win against the mighty Barca will go down as one of the top matches in the Primera this year.

Facing a home side bent on revenge for a 3-0 loss earlier this season, Carlos Bocanegra marched into Lyon's Stade Gerland tonight and took a point from the league leaders.
Rennes came out with a good measure of confidence, trading scoring chances with Lyon from the beginning . In the 12th minute, Bocanegra appeared to have given Rennes an early lead when , displaying an NBA-quality vertical jump, he out-jumped the keeper to put away corner for an apparent goal.

American defender Carlos Bocanegra and his Rennes teammates face perhaps their stiffest test of the year as they head into Stade Gerland tonight to take on league leaders Olympique Lyon.
Fresh off nearly toppling the mighty Barcelona on Wednesday night in the Champions League (a match which ended 1-1), Lyon coach Claude Puel is looking to carry the same attacking spirit into tonight's match.