SoccerBlogs

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson hailed matchwinner Cristiano Ronaldo and immediately declared there was more to come from the Portuguese after last night's victory at Sporting Lisbon. After a quiet start, Ronaldo suddenly sprung to life after the hour, arriving with perfect timing to head in Wes Brown's looping cross. It was Ronaldo's first goal of [.

If you haven't already seen it, check out the 3rd goal. It's a 50 yard pass by Dani Alaves that goes exactly where it needs to go for Kanoute to put it away for Sevilla's third goal. It is an absolutely stunning display of accuracy on part of both players.

Chelsea have appointed Ian Howell as new coach of their U14 teams. Howell has left his coaching role with Swindon Town's School of Excellence to take up the position at Chelsea.

Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho has left the club by mutual consent just six games into the Premier League season, the club said on Thursday. "Chelsea Football Club and Jose Mourinho have agreed to part company today by mutual consent," a statement posted on the club's Web site (www.chelseafc.com) said. The confirmation followed media reports which had said [.

I've been toying with a few posts in my head while driving the soccer taxi over hill and down dale, but kept thinking there was a common thread I was missing. Then Josh (via du Nord) linked to a recent article by Andrew Dixon at US Soccer Players about the state of the US game [...]

Now that the hot seat is vacated, i wonder who will be the one to take over. Eclipsing the 'Special One's' accomplishments will be no mean feat. However, a few interesting characters could possible make it. But there can be only one, at it will be Elmo.
You either love him or hate him. I think Chelsea will love him. Firstly, he's a puppet.

Sep 18, 2007
PA Sport

Kawasaki Frontale coach Takashi Sekizuka has declared his team's intention to avoid defeat in Iran when they take on Sepahan in the first leg of the AFC Champions League quarter-finals on Wednesday.

Kawasaki created history in May when they became the first Japanese club to reach the knock-out stage of the competition, which began in 2003.

9/19/2007
Associated Press

Jose Mourinho couldn't win the big one for Chelsea in three seasons as manager, and he won't get a chance to do it this year, either.

Mourinho, who led the Blues to twice as many English league titles than any other manager in the club's history, has left the team he helped turn into a European powerhouse.

Admit it. You thought Arsene Wenger was tilting at windmills. His notion of maintaining a team with a few veterans and a core of youngsters was the folly of someone who was mailing it in--already certain he was following Thierry Henry to greener pastures. Wenger has spent the past few years racked with criticism over personnel and transfer decisions.

Carlos Hernandez is not Fred. Quite the obvious statement really. But such was the impression Fred made on the A-League last season that commentators are looking at the Melbourne Victory's struggle to get its first win of the season and pointing the fingers at Hernandez: "He's not Fred!" How insightful. The Central Coast's Tony Vidmar pointed at the absence [.

River were not able to get over the "away-from-home-phobia" tonight vs. Botafogo. Unfortunately, the result ended 1-0 in favor of the Brazilian side, though River deserved to atleast tie it in the second half.

The first half was all Botafogo. The offensive 4-3-3 formation by Passarella proved to be useless, with River not having a single clear chance in the first 45 minutes.

The BBC is reporting that Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has left the club by mutual consent. Mourinho was hired in the summer of 2004 and led Chelsea to Premiership titles in his first two seasons in charge at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea also won two League Cups, the FA Cup, and a Community Shield during the Mourinho era.

Jose Mourinho lifted the Premiership trophy twice at Chelsea

The only missing piece of silverware was the Champions League title.

Did Nastase take the money?
Dinamo Bucharest's Valentin Nastase has been accused by a Romanian daily, Fanatic, of having been paid by Lazio Rome to cause a penalty in favour of the Italians in their recent Champions' League preliminary tie.
The penalty early in the second half enabled Lazio to draw level and start a turnaround on the way to a 3-1 away win.

You might not like him but you had to respect him, after three fun filled years at the Bridge, Jose Mourinho and Chelski have decided to part ways. As a united fan, he always rubbed me the wrong way, but in the end you knew that he could really manage a team. The special won with great talent and so-so talent and for that you have to say that he is one of the best in the world.

It was a mixed bag of results for English and Scottish clubs in the first group stage matches of the Champions League. Manchester United and Arsenal won their opening matches, but Liverpool and Chelsea were held to draws. Rangers recorded a come from behind win over Stuttgart, but Celtic lost away to Shahktar Donetsk in Ukraine.

As you know, Mourinho has left Chelsea. The question is, as Who Ate All the Pies points out, did he leave on his own accord or did Abramovich give him the boot? I wouldn't be surprised if Mourinho finally said enough is enough. It's been clear that a couple transfer windows that Chelsea hasn't been buying the type of players that Mourinho needs for his vision of the team.

Thierry Henry scoring his first goal for Barcelona and more Messi mayhem were the highlights of Barcelona's 3 - 0 champion's league victory over Lyon.Goals below.

So Jose Mourinho has left Chelsea by mutual consent. Wow, what a bombshell! I'm genuinely stunned that the man who took Chelsea to two consecutive league titles in his first two seasons is suddenly jobless. The BBC reports that Mourinho texted senior players with the news, but it's unclear if he resigned or was pushed by Roman Abramovich. Certainly Chelsea's disappointing 1-1 draw at home against Rosenborg didn't help Jose's situation, but I'm still shocked that he's gone.

Tonight, Jose Mourinho has shocked the footballing world by quitting Chelsea. Certainly, given disappointing early results, rumors of a bust-up with owner Roman Abramovich, and the Special One's increasing frustration with the club, the question of whether this was a resignation or a sacking will be a sure topic for debate. While one might resent the way Mourinho alternated between

The clash of wills between Jose Mourinho and Roman Abramovich has ended with a parting of ways.Shevchenko apparently played the role of the straw that finally broke the camel's back.Reports on Mourinho's resignation can be read here... and here..

There's crazy, and then there's the absolute lunacy of Chealsea boss Jose Mourinho quitting the Blues less than two months into the season, and in the midst of a Champions League campaign.
Leave it to Mourinho, the sports most insatiable attention whore, to steal the headlines on a day his team isn't even playing. According to early reports, Mourinho added a touch of class to his abandoning the team by informing Chelsea skipper John Terry via text message.

The Carolina RailHawks announced on Wednesday night the formation of a USL W-League womens soccer team for the 2008 season. The Carolina RailHawks Women (TBD) will play seven home games in the Atlantic Division of the USL W-League at SAS Soccer Park in Cary. The team will be coached by Jay Howell, Director of Coaching for the Capital Area Soccer League and will be comprised by some of the best talent the Triangle has to offer.

Soccernet has 2 contrasting headlines on their mainpage this morning. But nevertheless, its major news, but one which i think was coming for a long time. I was actually planning to pen something about how i think this season would be Mourinho's last, not because he was lacking as a manager, but because the club was not allowing him to BE a manager.
Moaninho sacked or leaves on own accord?

Chelsea has issued a statement on Jose Mourinho saying:Chelsea Football Club and José Mourinho have agreed to part company today (Thursday) by mutual consent.Absolutely stunning news tonight out of West London. Chelsea fans, what is your reaction to this?

Word out of London is that The Special One has quit Chelsea. Say it ain't so! Yes, rumor has it, Jose Mourinho has quit as manager of the Blues. While nothing has been officially confirmed, the BBC broke the story. Because I trust the BBC more than other news outlets, I'm going to operate under the assumption [...]

Jose has left Chelsea after 3 games without a win! Maybe Martin Jol is being lined up as a replacement!!!
Rumours he left after finding out Chelsea are not a big club have yet to be conformed...
If this is Russion style management then sorry but I don't want that Russkie taking over my club. I didn't anyway but you know what I mean.

I'll leave the debate on why Jose Mourinho has left Chelsea (the departure has been confirmed by Chelsea FC, and the official word is that he left by mutual consenst) - my opinion on this won't change facts and at the end of they day we'll find out soon once Jose Mourinho decides to [...]

Over-priced football club is looking for yes man to manage team. Do you have what it takes to do whatever the owner wants? Can you say, "Yes, I'll play Andriy Shevchenko even though he looks slower than Mama Cass running...

Jose Mourinho steps down as Chelsea manager! Yes. Really. Maybe Alexi Lalas has tempted him to take over the LA Galaxy. I mean, who wouldn't want to coach under Alexi?
~and~
Steven Goff of the Washington Post is reporting that former MLS player and current DC United TV commentator (not to forget that he is one of the sharpest wits in all of American soccer) Gareth Lagerway is going to be named General Manager for Real Salt Lake.

Photo credit: jakub_bak on Flickr, via the Pitch Invasion photo pool.

Stunning. Jose Mourinho has left Chelsea. At this point I don't even know what to say. All I can imagine is that the English press is going to be chock full of great stuff in the next couple of days. Love him, hate him, the self-appointed 'Special One' always made life interesting. You can't knock his credentials, with a Champions League trophy and a pair of Premier League crowns.

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Just got back from my weekly football match and had an email from a co-worker (thanks Cassie), it appears that in a stunning move, Jose Mourinho has left Chelsea. Reports have the manager texting his players to let them know...

It's all got very confusing, what with typhoons and stuff playing havoc with the television schedule. Selfish. Anyway. Australia v Canada on BBCi, Norway v Ghana on Eurosport at 1000BST, then both channels have Brazil v Denmark at 1300BST.

In shocking news, Jose Mourinho has left Chelsea Football Club "by mutual consent," according to the club's website.
We all know "by mutual consent" is codeword for getting sacked, and while the most of the newspapers are reporting that Mourinho walked out of the club, The Times newspaper believes that it's more likely that Mourinho got the sack after a meeting with Abramovich and his henchmen.

Manager Mourinho leaves Chelsea

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has sensationally left Stamford Bridge by mutual consent, the club has confirmed.
The news comes just 24 hours after the disappointing Champions League draw against Rosenborg.
BBC Radio 5live football correspondent Jonathan Legard understands Mourinho texted senior players, including skipper John Terry, with the news.

We don't yet know the ins-and-outs of Jose Mourinho's departure from Chelsea by "mutual consent", and we probably won't until his memoirs of the period hit the streets in a couple of years. But we do know the Chelsea brass have been increasingly bold in their demands for champagne football to match the money spent [...]

Después de toda la polémica acerca de si se quedaba en el banquillo del Chelsea el estratega lusitano, José Mourinho, la prensa británica informó que no habrá más del portugués con el equipo de Londres. A pesar de las fuertes críticas al entrenador del Chelsea, por el empate en casa contra el Rosenborg de Noruega, [...]

Jose Mourinho is apparently available to take on a Major League Soccer position.
Honestly, it would be more believable if I though he wouldn't be driven crazy by things like the salary cap and other MLS oddities. Jose is not a patient man.
Jose and Beckham? That's a combination to mull over as well.

MASSSSSSSIVE day in football news. The Eleven Devils Editorial Suite was abuzz with the ownership tangle at Arsenal—why must all Premiership takeover dramas involve either shadowy post-Soviet steel magnates or American plutocrats or both? why can't anyone nice ever chuck in a bid?—when the Execution of Jose flashed across the wires.
I'm hardly a Chelsea fan (no, that's my brother.

There are reports in London that Jose Mourinho has walked out on Chelsea. It would appear that last nights poor performance against Rosenborg was the straw that broke the camels back. The deterioration of the relationship between Mourinho and Abramovich has been well documented over recent months. There will be plenty of managers willing to take [..

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The old saying you can never go home, is so true as Christiano Rolando (above) broke the hearts of his former fans at Sporting Lisbon. The Super Seven score the lone goal in Portugal to lead United to opening win.
Here are some head lines from the other match day one games.

• I'm glad that Liverpool is trying to the win the EPL this year and not the Champions League, because their performance against Porto left a lot to be desired.

This is incredibly bad news for Chelsea fans (although, let's face it, as a group of individuals, they're hard to empathize with).
Mourinho was the difference between Chelsea being a band of high-price mercenaries (think Lazio in their heyday) and being a well-oiled team. This man understood the chemistry and psychology of teams, and he succeeded brilliantly, as he had (with far less money) at Porto.

Ah, remember the good old days, the days when you could post soccer videos without it disappearing for copyright claims hours later? Yep, those halcyon days of May 2007 are hard to remember, right. At least with the video of the Champions League spread out through so many services we can still post without impunity. So with that, enjoy Deivid's goal for Fenerbache in their 2-1 win over

Pardon me for the Neanderthal-type title, but it couldn't be more appropriate. On Wednesday for the 2nd day of matchday 1 of the UEFA Champions League, while Roma were cruising at the Stadio Olimpico against a Dynamo Kiev side that did what they could to contain the Giallorossi fury, a bleak Internazionale traveled to the [...]

Sergio Ramos was given a lesson that could come in useful should he take over from Martin Jol. How to graciously accept defeat at the hands of Arsene Wenger's Arsenal. Fabregas Forces First Goal For Gunners The Gunners are currently top of the Premier League and they took their form straight from Saturdays victory over local rivals [...]

This from ESPN:

Jose Mourinho is set to quit as Chelsea manager after his latest bust up with owner Roman Abramovich, according to reports.
Abramovich called crisis talks following Tuesday night's disappointing 1-1 draw with Norweigan minnows Rosenborg in the Champions League were the duo had a falling out.
Mourinho is believed to have informed senior players of his decision to quit following training on Wednesday.

It's been reported fairly widely lately - on this website among many others - that Martín 'El Loco' Palermo is within spitting distance of becoming Boca Juniors' all-time leading goalscorer. He needs twelve or fifteen or twenty more, we are told. Well, on Tuesday this was looked into by El Gráfico, a publication who always [...]

After suffering an embarrassing defeat at the hands of Hearts at the weekend, the last thing that Rangers needed was the visit of the Bundesliga Champions. Things got worse for Walter Smith's side as they went a goal down on fifty-six minutes when Gomez put Khedira's cross past Rangers keeper McGregor. Charlie Adam Puts Gers Back [...]

Someone's telling fibs, and it might be a little while before the end of this particular tale is reached. Pablo Marini, who on Monday announced his resignation from the manager's job at Newell's due in large parts to threats that were made to him in the dressing room after the match by members of the [...]

The full horror of the US and England meeting in the World Cup has hit me, so I'm working on a list of punishments for JP Dellacamera and Julie Foudy if, during the game, they should happen to mention the motion picture "Bend It Like Beckham." It's going kind of slow, though. I got this [...]

Manchester United visited Portugal knowing that their recent away form in the Premier League has not been of the standard of Champions. Sir Alex Ferguson was given a boost to his squad as England striker Wayne Rooney returned to fitness, news that would also be music to the ears of England manager Steve McClaren. Cristiano Ronaldo [...]

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What similarity was there between today and Saturday? One main one, once again Cesc Fabregas scored one and made 2. His goal tonight was also from long range, this time however there was a massive slice of luck involved. The shot was going wide but unfortunately for Julien Escude, his attempted block gave Palop no chance as the ball hit the back of the net.

Here are the chosen 18 for the first leg tomorrow (Thursday): 2 Seitaridis. 3 Antonio López. 4 Pernía. 6 Cléber Santana. 7 Forlán. 8 Raúl García. 9 Luis García. 10 Agüero. 11 Maxi Rodríguez. 12 Fabiano Eller. 13 Abbiati. 14 Zé Castro. 15 Jurado. 18 Maniche. 20 Mista. 21 Perea. 24 Simão. 25 Leo Franco. According to AS, Aguirre is expected to field this starting 11: Abbiati; Perea, Antonio Lopez; Eller; Ze Castro; Jurado, Cleber [.

After days and days of deliberation we decided that we did not want to use behavior as a deciding factor and the Ben Cup is indeed a tie. The Cup itself remains in Utah until DC claims it next year.
RSL Ben's take on it.

It has been a long time coming but finally, after many hard nights of research, STT would like to present our official compilation of the hottest WAGs currently sapping the bank accounts of your favourite European stars. Rather than try to rank them in any particular order, what follows is simply a list because quite frankly, they are all just unbelievably hot.

Today's 3-0 Champions League wins for Barcelona and Arsenal over their top group rivals, Lyon and Sevilla, respectively, demonstrate the collective power of these two teams. In fact, it's not a stretch to say that these two could be the last two standings next May when the championship game is contested in Moscow.
What you might not be expecting me to say is that I think Arsenal has a better chance of winning, and will win, the Champions League, than their Spanish rivals.

As always, go check out the goals at 101 Great Goals...
Group A
Porto 1::1 Liverpool
Marseille 2::0 Besiktas
Thoughts: Jermaine Pennant (right) is killing the Reds.
Group B
Chelsea 1::1 Rosenborg
Schalke 04 0::1 Valencia
Thoughts: What's more disappointing for Chelsea: the draw or the attendance?

Who knew the beautiful game could be so horribly disgraced...?
Vinnie Jones, why?

En el segundo día, de la Jornada 1 de la Champions League, la gran mayoría de los locales sacaron los tres puntos de sus respectivos estadios: Barcelona, Roma, PSV, Fenerbahçe, Arsenal y H. Slavia, el único que no pudo fue el Sporting Lisboa, que perdió contra el Manchester United, por la mínima diferencia. En el Nou [...]

That Zizou. He is such a tease. One day he is so totally retired, the next he's meeting with Alexi Lalas.

Or so Corriere dello Sport (reported on Goal.com) tells us. And not only that, they also say that Portuguese winger Luis Figo is chatting with the Galaxy too.

(Want to see both Martha and me hyperventilate?

AS a kid I loved the Olympics Games - even though it brought a realisation that Great Britain did not rule the world. Suddenly, people from unheard of countries like America were 'faster, higher and stronger' than our chaps, even the pale-faced stick insects from the USSR and East Germany somehow pipped us in a 100-metre dash.

Anyone wondering what your cities odds are at getting a MLS club? Well, it looks like Vegas odds-makers have done just that to help guess where the next two clubs will be located at when the league decides to announce the 15th and 16th clubs at the end of the season. So far Seattle (3-to-2) and [...]

It was FC BARCELONA´s turn along with SEVILLA FC to start their particular quest for European glory In the Champions League competition. FC BARCELONA defeated OLYMPIQUE DE LYON 3-0 to grab its first... Read all the news, results, details & comments in English on Spanish Football & Sports

Just an outstanding, professional win. Adding to Cesc Fabregas' first half score, Robin van Persie and Eduardo helped lift Arsenal to a 3-0 win over visiting Sevilla in tonight's Champions League Group H match.

Sevilla are a pretty good club, mind you, so this is a great start to the campaign. And I hate to jinx it...but this season really couldn't have started off any better.

Another news roundup for all y'all...
Humiliated Kikuchi to Germany
Naoya Kikuchi (right) was kicked to the curb a couple months ago by his team, Jubilo Iwata, after being arrested for having sex with a 15-year-old girl.
He was given a year suspension by the Japanese Football Association, but in now training with Wolfsburg of the Bundesliga.

Matchday 1 of the 2007/08 Champions League group games is in the books and already we have been treated to some excellent goals and excellent games. Some favorites cruised and others struggled, which should contribute to the intrigue as the competition progresses. Here are some random takeaways from the Matchday 1 action.

Writing pregame reports is getting depressing. It's gotten to the point that I'd rather gaze at photos of Barry Manilow and think, "Botox? Facelift? Both?"

But I, like you, shall soldier on. (Right? You are soldiering on with me, right?) We are not those fair weather fans. In fact, to prove my undying love I am even considering going in and watching the Houston game on MLSnet.

Incoming typhoon, no problem.
The USWNT defeated Nigeria 1-0 to advance to the quarterfinals against England. Which is good news, because now they don't have to play Germany.
If you remember, I know you do, the U.S. and England played to a 1-1 draw earlier this year in a friendly...
Plus, someone besides Abby Wambach scored!

Though only three of Fenerbahce's attempts were actually on goal, the fact that they outshot Inter 12-3 in the first half is really all you need to know about how the game went for the visitors. They weren't totally dominated possession was about 55-45% for the Turks but there was no connection between the midfield and the forwards, and even mildly threatening moments were pretty much nonexistent.

Some new numbers are out that might give further ammunition to those who would like to limit the number of foreign players playing in domestic leagues in Europe. At the end of last season, more than half the players on English Premier League roster were born outside the UK. The sky is falling, [...]

Quattordici anni fa, il 19 settembre 1993, il grande pubblico iniziava a conoscere Alessandro Del Piero. Ad una settimana esatta dal suo esordio in Serie A – il giorno 13 a Foggia – il non ancora 19enne Alex segnava la sua prima rete nel massimo campionato, ma anche la prima delle sue 218 in bianconero. La partita era un Juventus-Reggiana giocata allo stadio Delle Alpi e siglò il definitivo 4-0.

I guess I don't need to tell you that the scoreline is courtesy of Mr. Goal-a-Game, Cesc Fabregas.

'Bout a half-hour left.

Da haben sich ja zwei gefunden. Oliver Kahn, der all das auf sich vereint, was Bayernhasser an den Bayern hassen, wirbt beim Bundestrainer für Tim Wiese, der all das auf sich vereint, was Fußballfans an Fußballern hassen: Der 39-Jährige äußerte sich in der "SPORT BILD" skeptisch über die Torwart-Politik von Bundestrainer Joachim Löw. Das Festhalten an [.

I've just wiped all the Morrissey and Smith's MP3's off my computer. He's a Chivas supporter and that can't be tolerated.

Proving the only safe way to get to The Valley is to walk... - Greenwich Council has decided to make Greenwich car-free-day this Saturday, rather than a Sunday which it usually is. It'll mean part of the Greenwich one-way system is closed, which is going to screw up the A206 something chronic. You have been warned. Shame, because on a Sunday it's usually a good little event, but clearly the

On the same day that UEFA head honcho Michel Platini laments the influence of money on football we learn which clubs in Europe have the highest commercial value. The advertising company BBDO are the ones who have come up with the list, which is based on evaluating brand popularity and image, as well as [...]

First of all, something of an apology to any of you that might have lumped your money on OM to take a hiding at the hands of Besiktas last night on the strength of how awful I said they were last Saturday. They were really dreadful, I promise. Still, as I've said before, anyone that takes my opinion on anything in the slightest bit seriously should really reconsider their general world view in the most profound of senses.

A tad late with this, but if you fancy a pint in the company of Paul Mortimer and Sasa Ilic, then City Addicks is your place to be - it's free, it's a good laugh, and it's on Thursday evening at the Trump Tavern, just off Cheapside. More details here. And guess what? I won't be there because I'm seeing Prince instead. So you'd better go, because how else am I going to find out what happened?

Every once and awhile I like to step out of the college to pro mold around here, however this topic isn't too far from that formula. Today Doug McIntyre wrote a nice article on Jozy Altidore over at espn.com. I wanted to bring my reader's attention to the article and give people a place to talk about it. So here is the question...Is Altidore the American forward who will score 7 goals in a World Cup.

In order to deal with the flock of seagulls seagull infestations at BMO Field, Toronto FC has unveiled a new weapon (I use that word loosely, as you would about a team that hasn't scored since...I can't even remember. It's Bitchy The Hawk.
Not missing a beat, RBNY has responded with an ornithological mascot of its own.

En esta sección, proponemos parlays de partidos de todo el mundo. Es solo una recomendación para ingresar dinero de manera sencilla y rápida, y lo puedes hacer en cualquier casa de apuestas, ya sea físicamente o en línea. La primer propuesta... Con 10 dolares puedes ganar casi 2900 pesos mexicanos. AS Roma - Dynamo Kiev 3Way - result - [...]

Middle age really hit The Beastmaster hard.
Not only does BMO Field have a problem with a team that hasn't scored a goal in 800+ minutes of play, it also has a serious sea gull infestation. I'm not sure infestation is the right word but sea gull's are basically larger, coastal versions of pigeons who are flying, feathered rats so it does seem to fit.

Enjoy RSLFM's depressingly accurate/hysterical (depending on how prominent the word "Herbalife" appears on things you cheer for) lineup for tonight's game. Note also the crowd, which will probably be at least 85% accurate. DLSIA has no opinion on RSLFM's depiction of the Real supporters clubs, mostly because of DLSIA's overpowering ignorance on the subject.

Like dudes that still insist on wearing trucker hats, Soccernet's Doug McIntyre is late to the party. By now we all know that Jozy "The Black Beckham" Altidore is shining and is the best young American prospect since Hayden Panettiere. But for those off us who are A) Jozy's grandma, B) Jozy's stalker, or C) have been living in the International Space Station you can read it all again here .

Inter go into today's match at Fenerbahçe with a laughably thin defense, though the last-minute recovery of Walter Samuel looks likely to save them from having to play Esteban Cambiasso at centerback. (Shockingly, the Turkish club expects to be able to find space into which to attack. You don't say.) Apart from that potential debacle, the media's attention ahead of the clash has been on the wonderful Zlatan, who hasn't scored in Europe for almost two years but will doubtless correct that situation in no time once the match kicks off.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQbNneMKzsU Ajax's Klass-Jan Huntelaar has scored 86 goals in 143 in the Dutch Eredivisie and I am fairly convinced that all 86 of them have been on bicycle kicks. The 24-year-old goal scoring machine added to his collection last weekend against Heracles Almelo, inspiring the above video and making one think there isn't a bicycle [.

There have already been a lot of stories questioning whether or not South Africa's stadiums will be ready in time for the 2010 World Cup. Ones involving striking construction workers rumbling with police certainly won't help in the public relations battle. Hundreds of South African construction workers downed tools Wednesday at Cape Town's 2010 football [.

There have already been a lot of stories questioning whether or not South Africa's stadiums will be ready in time for the 2010 World Cup. Ones involving striking construction workers rumbling with police certainly won't help in the public relations battle. Hundreds of South African construction workers downed tools Wednesday at Cape Town's 2010 football [.

I've been thinking about it, but I can't remember a game in recent years that meant so little as tonight's Galaxy-Real Salt Lake match. Even Chivas' September and October games in 2005 held some meaning for the other team.
It's still September but tonight's winner stands little chance of doing anything other than adding three points. The playoffs are so far out of reach for both sides, one win won't make a difference for either side.

Periodically I peer into my blog stats to see what searches are leading here. Most bloggers I know do it, and I am no different. I normally don't say anything about them, but this I couldn't pass up. Now, I don't know why that first search has brought 4 interneters (or just one really obsessed interneter) here, [...]

There must be something very wrong in the world because I am still top of the table. In fact, thanks to svenn's picks, I now lead points per pick and total points. Something is very very wrong. A great week...

Because I love all the people that read this blog, I thought I'd transcribe Rafa's interview with the BBC after last night's CL match against Porto. It makes for some interesting, if not necessarily revealing, reading. ******************** We started really badly in the first half, conceding a chance and a penalty. Then we had the man sent off we were down to ten men.

Survey Polls - Take Our Poll I'm sure we all remember Rafa claming that 12 points was the goal for the group stages of the Champions League. Now suddenly, after Marseille's win and our result against Porto, should we be content with just winning the group now? Are ten points more realistic? Assuming that we get 6 points of Besiktas how many points can we get from the remaining three?

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It isn't easy being a celebrity in the spotlight. Trust me, I know. Every day I walk down the street and have to deal with people asking if I am the guy who sits in front of a computer for 12 hours a day writing grammatically incorrect drivel about soccer. What a [...]

For those of you who missed it, I wrote a piece on Tuesday where I named the current Best XI of New Jersey-born soccer players. Ten of the 11 players are professional players at present, with Villanova defender Matt Sleece the only college player on the squad.

As I put that team together I couldn't help but wonder what some of the other All-State pro soccer teams would look like.

So yesterday the MLSnet.com site, of all places, spoiled the result of the US-Nigeria game from - Tuesday morning? Last night? Tomorrow? I am once again vanquished by the International Date Line. Therefore, once Lori's goal went in, I kind of audibly groaned. I was able to disguise that as [...]

Real Madrid,played their 300th match in the Continent's top competition on Tuesday, and won with goals from Raúl González and Ruud van Nistelrooy, who have struck 107 times between them in the tournament.It was also Ruud's golden jubilee goal - his 50th.More very interesting numerical data and statistics here... Example :"Raúl ran 9,042 meters during his 84 minutes on the field against Bremen before he was substituted.

I meant to post this earlier today but forgot to. Last night as I put together my posts for the morning I stumbled upon a Central American Champions Cup match between Motagua and San Francisco. As some of you may know, Motagua is where former Red Bulls standout Amado Guevara is playing these days. I couldn't resist a chance to watch him play and see whether he still has it or is mailing it in.

Something to cheer about – John Arne Riise will be fit for the match against Birmingham City at the weekend. And boy, do we need something to smile about (it's even raining outside my window as I write this *sob*). The left-back legend has been telling the official website (and probably anyone who will listen): ‘I'm fit again and raring to go now.

Almost a year ago i posted about Kerlon Moura Souza the Brazilian dude with one of the more unusual skill in world the "SEAL" dribble and Man Utd were hot on his heels but appearantly nothing came of it.

Anywayz, this Kerlon fella decided to be smarty pants and do the "SEAL" during the Belo Horizonte derby between Atletico Mineiro & Cruzeiro.

Before Fred was exciting play at RFK, he was part of Australia's Melbourne Victory. But despite assisting in many goals, including four of the five in the final, his former coach Ernie Merrick doesn't understand why fans and players see him as a legend.
"The Victory coach said it was 'ludicrous that he has become a legend' after being reminded that veteran Socceroo defender Tony Vidmar, now of the Central Coast Mariners, had said after Sunday's scoreless draw that without Fred there was no Victory.

Words mean nuthin at all said an Irish crooner sometime in the past. So i hope you all remember this as i point yer attention to ma be care full what you wish for musing last week. I'll highlight the good bit for you....

As Celtic watchers we have watched Mick grow into a competent centre half. We fully understand his quote, as until Kaka skinned him the San Siro last year he, while looking at times he was being stretched to the limit and looking like some tackles would be his last, proved that he could lift his game to a level where he understood how best to use his competent but limited ability.

Because sucking in three countries isn't enough.

The original list of countries where the Galaxy will suck ply their trade this year: US (all over), Canada (Vancouver in October,) and Australia (Sydney in November.) To this we will add New Zealand in December.

The Galaxy have signed on to play Wellington Phoenix in Wellington, NZ on December 2, but it's only a go if Beckham is healthy.

Whoa, were my fellow Liverpool fans watching the same match I was? I just checked out the Fan's Man of the Match over at the official site and it had Dirk Kuyt voted first by the fans followed by Sami Hyypia and Mascherano?! Holy shit on a stick! Are you serious? Do I have unrealistic expectations of our Argentine midfielder or were you all drunk?

On Wednesday 19th September, the Copa Sudamericana gets underway. The Sudamericana is South America's second-tier club competition behind the Copa Libertadores, and is played in the first half of the (European and Argentine) season. Think of it as broadly equivalent to the UEFA Cup, with the proviso that some clubs play in both competitions. River [.

The Galaxy are in Utah tonight with kick off at 6 o'clock on FSN.

Galaxy beat writer Billy Witz has a preview, a note on security at Home Depot Center in the wake of the SuperClassico and another money-spinning David Beckham exhibition.

By the way, Cobi Jones could achieve a notable statistical milestone this evening, according to the Galaxy PR folks:

"Galaxy midfielder Cobi Jones is now just one game away from competing in his 300th regular season game of his MLS career.

It seems that not all the stars cheer for Beckham and the LA Galaxy. Morrissey attended last week's derby between LA and Chivas USA and decided to seat in and cheer for the Goats. He even purchased a jersey to wear during the match.
We'll let you know if Chivas's arsenal stops eating meat and looking really, really sad; lord knows it would be the first time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ya6Xt6f4ZYs By law we are required to post one video demonstrating fair play for every 7,000 examples of foolishness. The poor quality video above comes from Tuesday's Carling Cup match between Leicester City and Nottingham Forest. You might recall that the original tie was suspended at halftime a few weeks back after Leicester's Clive [.

Oliver Kahn, portero del Bayern Munich y anteriormente de la Selección de Alemania, confirmó que va hacer un partido entre el Bayern Munich y la Selección alemana, en agosto del 2008, por motivo de su retiro. La Selección de Alemania, esta poniendo todas las facilidades para que se pueda dar tal encuentro, y más porque [...]

A mediados de la década de los 90, la Selección de Noruega empezó a aparecer en el radar del fútbol mundial, principalmente tras clasificarse por segunda vez en su historia a un Mundial, cuando llegaron a la Copa Mundial FIFA Estados Unidos 1994 dejando fuera a una Inglaterra plagada de estrellas. Tras no poder pasar a [...]

Someone should have been writing a book about the Portland Timbers this season; I want to read it. I want to watch the feel-good Hollywood movie about this improbably brilliant season, the season that should never have happened and should not be happening still, not in the wake of finishing in last place the season before, spirits broken, a coach out of touch with players and fans, and ongoing acrimony between supporters, Timbers front office, and security that culminated in the ousting of eight loyal longtime fans following their doomed pyrotechnic protest*.

A dreadful pun, I know, and I truly am sorry for it. But the point is to put across that there are quite a few Argentines involved in this week's first round of UEFA Champions League action. Among the more prominent ones, Javier Mascherano's Liverpool struggled to a 1-1 draw away to Lucho González's and [...]

Tonights game brings one of the most exciting sides in Europe to the Emirates; a game that i am absolutely delighted we've got at this stage in the season. The last thing we need in the midst of a focussed, technically excellent run in the Premiership is a downbeat Euro Group game against someone like the 5th placed team in Norway.

MLS ain't the only league hoping to ride a wave of expansion fever straight to the bank. The MISL is looking to fatten up it's coffers as well with talk of a new club in Louisville (which I am told is pronounced "Lou-uh-vul"), KY. The club would be a tenant of the new downtown arena along with the Fire of the Arena Football League and U.

I was going to skip class today and go, but thinking about it, I would much rather go to class and learn about one of my least favorite eras of American History, the Progressive Era. Thankfully Beckham won't be there. I wouldn't mind the Beckham hype so much if more of those who by into the hype even understod what it was all about. David Beckham is a great player, what he can do on a set-piece is truly amazing.

With the possibility of a bunch of "new" soccer fans showing up tonight that might just be alittle jaded due to the Beckham hype machine being shutdown after they paid their increased ticket price, the chance for a flop in front of these newbies and its repercussion have got to be on the minds of [..

I never could have guessed that I'd be out of clever titles for the weekly fantasy roundup post but here we are. The table is below. Just one note: Wolfrum is still on the move! # Team Manager Gameweek Total 1 Misley FC ThroughBall Wife 58 263 2 Sugabakes Texas MInor Baker 61 250 3 Special Ones Daniel Charest 63 242 4 The Desert Cats The Silver Fox 61 238 5 strafeRight FC AJ L 69 238 6 Cruzeiro EC William Wolfrum 74 236 7 ThroughBall.

Negatives have been crashing down on Juve lately, particularly since last Saturday. First, they fell apart against Udinese and lost their perfect record. Boo. And, in the process of being beaten, they lost Mauro Camoranesi (not only one of their best players this season, but also one of their chief whiners) for between six and eight weeks thanks to a fairly serious thigh problem.

Friday 21 @ 02.30 pm Bochum x Werder Bremen

Saturday 22 @9.30 am
W.Bremen x Stuttgart
Saturday 22 @ 11.30 am
H.Berlin x B.Dortmund

Sunday 23 @11.00 am
Karlsruhe x Bayern Munich

I keep this mainly for myself, because I like to be able to plan my time to maximize my football watching experience. If there is an interest on the blog for this, I'll keep it up. So if this is...

It seems poor Stephen Ireland only ever opens his mouth when he wants to make space for another foot. This time he's used cyberspace for as his medium for an ill-considered outburst. The Man City midfielder posted a statement on the Bebo social networking site under the name ‘Daddy Dick', which claimed ‘football is shit' and asked ‘why did I get stuck doing it?

Why doesn't the media ever criticise Steven Gerrard? Liverpool Pies Top 10 managers linked with the Tottenham job Spurs Pies Didier Drogba and Michael Essien's music debut should come with a health warning Chelsea Pies The great Champions League beer drought at the Emirates Stadium Arsenal Pies Sporting Lisbon v Man Utd: all the pub trivia you'll ever need Man Utd Pies The US Women's 'soccer' team is the greatest team you've never heard of Kickster

After last night's disappointing results for the British clubs, Arsenal kick off their Champions League campaign tonight against the UEFA Cup holders, Seville.

Wenger puts the Spanish side in the top five teams in Europe at the moment, and it is an assessment I wouldn't disagree with. Retaining the UEFA Cup is no mean feat, even with the standard it has slipped to in recent years, but they have six points out of six in the Spanish league, and more impressively, have scored at least four goals in half their matches this season.

Cheers to Pedro for this one...

As a Bolton fan, my worst fears about Sammy Lee are coming true. Pre-season saw me, as usual, worried about relegation (mixed with wild optimism). It would seem that I'm not alone in my pain as Bolton Wanderers languish at the foot of the Premier League without a decent performance to their name. Read over for the thoughts of the fans. Over at The Wanderer, they opine "In the world of the warrior, seppuku was a deed of bravery that was admirable in a samurai who knew he was defeated, disgraced, or mortally wounded.

This is the official review of last night's match from the official Porto website. Not an unfair assessment by any stretch: "F.C. Porto and Liverpool have drawn the Champions League starter that took place this Tuesday at the Dragão Stadium. One goal for both sides made the final score of the match, but the portuguese champions did enough to clinch the deserved three points.

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls of all ages - gather around and focus your eyes on the latest edition of the football world rankings provided to us by the good folks at FIFA. You'll note that after a couple of months away from the top spot, the World Cup champions are back in [...]

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls of all ages - gather around and focus your eyes on the latest edition of the football world rankings provided to us by the good folks at FIFA. You'll note that after a couple of months away from the top spot, the World Cup champions are back in [...]

Some stories to read while you sue God.... I wonder if Morrisey will write a depressing song about Chivas USA (The DCenters) There are better ways to vent your frustration (Fish Update) Fernando Torres plays with grenades (Liverpool Pies) A campaign to bring back one of the game's best characters (Fanbanta) Chalk it up to a cultural misunderstanding (Caught Offside) The [.

When Atletico Mineiro took on Cruzeiro (with Cruzeiro winning 4-3) in the Brazilian league (or the Campeonato Brasileiro if you prefer) the finest... and ugliest... part of the match was Kerlon's seal dribble. How do you stop a seal dribble? With a shoulder barge it seems.

Easy on the camera Tomas - that's an expensive piece of kit. Lovely chap, Mr Repka. Via The Offside

Ah. Bless Sir Alex Ferguson. He's ranting about referees again. He really doesn't like 'em does he? Maybe it was a ref' who was chopping at his ankles the other day? Anyway, Sir Alex has expressed displeasure about the appointment of the German referee Herbert Fandel for the return of Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani to Sporting Lisbon tonight. Fandel, a trained pianist, has twisted Fergie's melon on several occasions in the past few seasons and the Manchester United manager put his head in his hands, sighing melodramatically, when he was asked about UEFA's choice of officials.

I wasn't too bad on my predictions from yesterday. I forgot to factor in 'referee error', which is probably why I got the Liverpool-Porto and AC Milan-Benfica results off. I'm not so sure that was a penalty for Porto and if it was, then Liverpool deserved the same later in the match. With their horrid play, the Reds had no business winning the fixture anyhow, but I should have known better than not to consider they were playing in Portugal.

Everyone is wondering which group of investors has the inside track on winning MLS expansion teams for 2009 and beyond, but leave it to a Las Vegas paper to publish odds for their success. Today's Las Vegas Sun does just...

324 goals [in 410 games] for Vasco da Gama (Brazil)
204 goals [in 240 games] for Flamengo (Brazil)
165 goals [in 167 games] for PSV Eindhoven (Holland)
71 goals [in 85 games] for the Selecao (Brazil)
53 goals [in 84 games] for Barcelona FC (Spain)
48 goals [in 77 games] for Fluminense (Brazil)
22 goals [in 29 games] for Miami (USA)
14 goals [in 21 games] for Valencia (Spain)
1 goal [in 4 games] for Adelaide (Australia)
+ Plus several goals with other clubs and competitions, the "Baixinho" (Shorty) has completed scoring 1000 goals.

324 goals [in 410 games] for Vasco da Gama (Brazil)
204 goals [in 240 games] for Flamengo (Brazil)
165 goals [in 167 games] for PSV Eindhoven (Holland)
71 goals [in 85 games] for the Selecao (Brazil)
53 goals [in 84 games] for Barcelona FC (Spain)
48 goals [in 77 games] for Fluminense (Brazil)
22 goals [in 29 games] for Miami (USA)
14 goals [in 21 games] for Valencia (Spain)
1 goal [in 4 games] for Adelaide (Australia)
+ Plus several goals with other clubs and competitions, the "Baixinho" (Shorty) has completed scoring 1000 goals.

So here we are, heading toward the end of September, with the Gunners atop the league table. Commenters are mixed in their anticipation of how long-or if-it will all last of course. But it's admittedly nice for the club, who many picked would be displaced from the top four this season by Spurs (giggle).

The main question heading into this season, was how would this young Arsenal squad would respond to the departure of the talismanic Thierry Henry.

People think I'm a troublemaker at times with questions, but Billy Witz of the Daily News? He popped open the proverbial can of worms by questioning Joe Cannon again about San Jose.
"Would you ever want to go back to San Jose?"
Joe didn't miss a beat, though I couldn't help laughing that Billy even asked.
"No. I mean, I don't think about that.

Joe Cannon thought the rivalry between Houston and LA had died down.
Here's how that topic came up after their game
Scott French: "Does the rivalry thing - the San Jose days - still exist?
Joe: No - we'll see next year. I'm sure it will.
Scott: No, I mean with this team, Houston.
Joe: Not much.

OZARK CONFERENCE

Camdenton Lakers - 5
at Hillcrest Hornets - 0

Rolla Bulldogs - 3
West Plains Zizzers - 2
No goals through the run of play, everything scored from set pieces. In the 9th minute Adam Daily scores on header on corner kick from Andrew Chism to but the Bulldogs ahead.

"To say that soccer is a global sport, and that the world is becoming increasingly interdependent, seems almost tautological these days. Does the case really still need to be made?"

Here are my top goals from yesterday's Champions League matches. Click the link to see the clip. Cheers.
Andrea Pirlo easily takes Man of the Match as he nets on a brilliant free kick and then sets up his poacher extraordinairre, Fillipo Inzaghi, as AC Milan beat Benfica at the San Siro, 2-1.
Christiano Lucarelli puts Shakhtar Donestk up 2-0 over visiting Celtic with this class header.

There was a massive response from Pies' readers when we asked who was the best free-kick taker in the world so we've decided to turn our attention to between the sticks. Rafa named his Spanish shot stopper, Pepe Reina, as the best in the business recently. Chelsea's Petr Cech has kept his protected head above most and Gianluigi Buffon is still resting on his World Cup laurels.

When Blackburn's Morten Gamst Pedersen was asked to choose between a top-four finish and winning the UEFA Cup, he picked the UEFA Cup. This caught my attention, because it's something that I've said in the past and have had a long discussion with Newcastle United fans over at the nufcblog.com forums (although we talked about [...]

Ever since he won the election to become UEFA's new president Michel Platini has been making suggestions for 'improvements' to Europe's premier club competition, the Champions League.
He first mooted the idea of reducing the number of clubs from four to three for Europe's top leagues. This predictably went down like a lead balloon. That was Platini's first bad idea and not surprisingly the leading clubs including the G14 were quick to tell Platini that his idea stunk.

So yesterday at the office someone asked me if I got up to watch the US Women's team play Nigeria in the Women's World Cup. Everyone know I'm hardcore into soccer, yet I told them I didn't watch, instead saving my viewing for the Champions League later that afternoon. Now granted, the Porto/Liverpool game was dull as dishwater aside for about 10 minutes in the first half.

This is an article by Steven Wells printed in today's Guardian, the wonderful newspaper from England which in my opinion also boasts one of the best football websites around.
It's about football being used as a weapon in the war on terror. As the byline says, The battle for hearts and minds has taken on a sporting dimension, but the US army has found soccer is more than just a load of balls.

Staying awake for 48 hours is really crap. It drains your brain to the extreme. That was the case with me, thanks to some truckloads of work that I spent yesterday asleep for over 12 hours. Hence some slacking off in the blog. I do have a real life too, apparently. So there. So Sporting Lisbon [...]

The Group E match featuring Barcelona at home against Lyon has lost some of its luster given both sides have not gotten off to the cracking start in league play most would have expected. Barca in particular have looked toothless in the attack despite the presence of Thierry Henry. With each French title won, Lyon appear less and less interested in that competition and more determined than ever to prove their worth in the Champions League.

In 1977, when Peter Vermes was 11 years old, his father took him to see a World Cup qualifier in his homeland between the Hungarian national team and the USSR. The young boy was in awe of the stadium and the players out on the field. He told his father, "One day I'm going to [...]

From ManUtd.com: Manchester United hero Ole Gunnar Solskjaer took on his first coaching job yesterday as he led the club's reserve-team in a friendly against Sporting Lisbon. The 34-year-old has not yet been given an official job title at Manchester United, but he is to work closely with technical skills development coach Rene Meulensteen, with particular [.

I figure now is as good of a time as ever to throw out every MLS club's remaining schedule. With most clubs around the five to six games left mark, it makes sense to break down what everyone has left. Some naturally have a little more than others (LA), while some only have a few [...]

What is China's interest in Africa?
Is it political? Financial? Social?
Much has been made the past few months about the Chinese government's heavy involvement in Africa. The New York Times has dedicated an entire section to China's deepening economic and political ties with Africa.

There's certainly something there.

But, Brazil is Brazil, I keep hearing.They're so skilled. They're magical on the ball. They're special. I know. That's why we lost... We need more players with the skill set and self-confidence to run at international class defenders, keep them off balance with quick thinking and vision and, in short, make them believe that we can do [...]

Yesterday, when I first read this piece by David Gold, I sprang into the all too familiar bleating, moaning, stereotypical modern day football fan. After all, one £15-all-in Premiership game does not make up for many years of milking fans dry. And moreover, this article - and Gold's idea - may go beyond the borders of [...]

I suppose I should be careful with a headline like that. It could be construed in a negative way against the delightful Mr Usmanov, who has already used his stooges to ensure that any criticism about him is removed from the internet.
However, I suppose Mr Usmanov, when you have a background which is allegedly (I learnt that trick from Ian Hislop) questionable, and you come out of nowhere with the intention of using my club as a financial or political instrument for your own personal gain, with no interest in the traditions and values of something so beloved by so many people, don't be surprised if people raise questions about your past.

Sporting Lisbon vs Manchester United, Wed 19 Sept (ko 7.45pm BST) It's a return to his former club for Christiano Ronaldo – who wil be hoping for a better reception than the one that normally greets him when he makes an appearance back home. If Wayne Rooney is as ready to start as he claims then this could be the first time ever that United get to see the goal threatening threesome of Rooney, Ronaldo and Tevez play together.

It seems a bit dramatic to claim that Schalke's chances of advancement are already done after one game, but it's true. This was always going to be a difficult group, and the first requirement was to ensure points at home. Schalke blew that last night by missing early chances and then losing steam.
Valencia came into the game in crisis. Following their 5-0 defeat at the hands of local rival Villareal, Quique Sanchez has come under scrutiny by fans, management and even the players.

Looking at it, my opinion is that Villa did not foul Neuer. I don't feel that Neuer mishandled the ball either. He stretched and Villa's momentum gave his the advantage. Neuer did misread the pass, which left his stretching too far for a ball that he should have gather up rather easily.

We wouldn't normally point you in the direction of our competitors, but we simply can't find video of Ri Un Suk's stunning goal for North Korea in their defeat to Sweden anywhere else, and it's a must-see. It comes just after the two-minute mark in this clip.

El número "11″ de los Pumas de la U.N.A.M, Rubens Sambueza, esta listo para jugar con su nuevo equipo, tras sufrir una lesión muscular que lo dejó fuera desde la fecha 3 del Clausura 2007, cuando los Pumas empataron en su cancha contra las Águilas del América. Rubens, salió de cambio en los primeros minutos [...]

I thought by Wednesday morning I'd be able to discuss Columbus' collapse against Kansas City on the weekend. But I don't think I can just yet. The only thing I do know is, they are the least deserving side in...

Dear Aly,
Had a game with my U13 last Saturday. Played like crap for the final 50 minutes. First 20 were pretty good, though.
We played a very good team and lost 4-0. We gave them two goals -- one own goal and then handed their player the ball 10 yards out. One of their girls swerved a corner kick into the far, upper corner.

Dear Aly,
Had a game with my U13 last Saturday. Played like crap for the final 50 minutes. First 20 were pretty good, though.
We played a very good team and lost 4-0. We gave them two goals -- one own goal and then handed their player the ball 10 yards out. One of their girls swerved a corner kick into the far, upper corner. So we were down 3-0 and had made just one mistake.

The new FIFA rankings were released today with Brazil "tumbling" out of first, landing in third place. Italy took over the #1 spot with Argentina moving up into second place. The USA dropped one spot to #18. Other movers included England moving up to #9 from #12, Scotland moving up to #14 from #23.
Not that these really mean that much to anyone, but I am a little surprised that Brazil fell two spots, but Argentina stayed at #2.

First, the good news: As a result of the draw and win in the recent Euro qualifiers, Italy have climbed two spots to the top of FIFA's world rankings. Woo hoo! (Or, since it's Talk Like a Pirate Day: ARRRRR!)

The new top three are Italy, Argentina and Brazil, who had been top but had enough points expire to drop two spots. The leading trio has a significant point advantage over the rest of the crowd, but Germany and the Netherlands climbed into fourth and fifth respectively as a result of their performances over the past few weeks, while the French fell two spots to sixth thanks to that loss to Scotland.

I'm not a big fan of statistics – maybe it harks back to my early days at school struggling with maths (after all – what use is Pythagoras's Theorem day to day?) but we are racking up one statistic of particular note: the number of penalties we have been conceding. The one we gave one away against Porto last night was the fourth in the last eight matches (including the qualifiers against Toulouse).

There are a few articles on the Official Site featuring player reactions to Tuesday's match. First off, captain Steven Gerrard talks about the game he supposedly took part in: A point away from home in the Champions League is a good result but we're disappointed with the way we played. We didn't start well and never [...]

- BBDO announced that Real Madrid has the top brand value at $1.53 billion dollars. Barcelona finished second with Manchester United third. Surprisingly Chelsea was fourth at $828 million. For a club that has only recently risen to the top of English football, it's marketers are certainly working overtime. Other than the obvious benefactors of success, diversity in the squad and offseason touring seem to be two other major contributions.

Ask yourself: Is the most important part of a club was on the field - the team, the players, the soccer? Why...

Last night was painful wasn't it. Just horrible from 'keeper to striker. I've watched the game again this morning to try and get a little bit more from what I originally saw. And I didn't see much. But as with life it's important to learn from errors... Yada yada what doesn't kill you, yada yada makes you stronger... So who actually contributed last night?

For the second week in a row the MLS offers us up a mid-week game with RSL in it. This week Real will be hosting the Beckham-less Galaxy at Rice-Eccles Stadium. LA Galaxy - at - Real Salt Lake The Galaxy pretty much are out of the running at this point unless a miracle occurs between now [...]

A class finish from the Finn.

Dider who? What class.

Okay so that live-blogging thing didn't really work out. In case you didn't know, the US 1-0 victory over Nigeria combined with Sweden's 2-1 victory over North Korea means that the US wins their group and advances to play England on Saturday (7:55am, ESPN2). Lori Chalupny did the business for the US, running onto an Abby [...]

Tickle

• The North London Derby was grand and featured some fantastic goals, with Adebayor's second the pick of the lot. It's nice to have a pretty open derby match when they generally tend to be such a drag.
• I was ready to pencil Michael Johnson into this week's TvT column about 25 minutes into Manchester City's contest with Aston Villa this weekend.

Class finish from the young Ivory Coast striker.

(Summary is not available.)

Solid header finish by Raul from a Van Nistelrooy assist.
Van Nistelrooy with a clinical finish.

"Prepariamo la partita con lo stesso spirito delle altre. L'obiettivo è portare a casa i 3 punti. La Roma è sicuramente un'ottima squadra con ottimi singoli, ma non vedo questo divario tra noi e loro. Giocano da tanto tempo insieme, ma credo che i campioni della Juve possano fare la differenza. Su tre partite una sconfitta ci puo' stare.

The Ed is quite right not to encourage any finger pointing after last night's game. All the players were pants, as simple as that. What does intrigue me is how honest the media are when players suffer the ignominy of an ‘off day'. It seems like some are fair game to criticise and chastise whereas others, just as guilty of underperforming, are somehow forgotten about and conveniently dismissed.

Villarreal midfielder Robert Pires has blamed Thierry Henry's divorce for affecting his form at Barcelona - but has backed his compatriot to shine at the Camp Nou. The Spanish-speaking former France international needed little time to adapt to La Liga despite suffering serious injury early in his career at Villarreal, and wants the Barca fans to [..

Still stories today lamenting the defeat against Derby on Monday evening. However, we do have 3 games coming up in 6 days starting Sunday so we can certainly get back to our winning ways. Hopefully the Derby result was just a blip and we still think we are going to have a very successful season. We ran a [...]

It seems all is not well behind the closed doors at Old Trafford with assistant manager, Carlos Queiroz, suggesting his Man United days may be numbered. The Portuguese tactician is apparently growing frustrated at the lack of opportunities under Fergie and could decide to leave the club in the next couple of months. It's not the first time Queiroz has upped sticks as he spent an unsuccessful season as manager of Real Madrid before taking shelter back under Fergie's shadow.

Yesterday I stumbled upon the fact that Pete Grathoff, of the KC Star now has his own blog. He's joined the likes of Ives, Goff and numerous other writers who focus on MLS in the blogsphere.
In only his second entry, he adds some fun speculation and dreaming about what the Wizards could do. His focus is on the fact that DC United look like they are closing in on the signing of Juan Veron, which would likely leave current DC United midfielder, Christian Gomez pushed out of the team.

One of the candidates for goal of yesterday.

Andrea Pirlo with a brilliant free kick.
Andrea Pirlo finds Inzaghi across the box and the Italian puts it away with flare.

During the ramadhan break PSM Makassar will be visiting the capital for a few friendlies.
2 Oct - Afrika Select
4 Oct - Persitara
6 Oct - Persita
No game against Persija; they play in the next round of the Copa Indonesia later in the month.

Jakarta is hosting the Group F Qualifying Games for the Under 16's this October.
Games will be held at Lebuk Bulus and Bung Karno and features squads from Japan, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Hong Kong as well as Indonesia.
Games kick off 24th October and end 5th November.

Great team work. Torres won the foul, Finnan took the kick, Hyypia got the header assist, and Kuyt headed it home. It's Kuyt's third CL goal this season and fourth for his career. Cheers.

Persebaya Supporter's Club B-Fazters have opened a shop selling Persebaya Surabaya merchandise.
The shop, located at the 10th November Stadium in Surabaya will sell the usual bits and pieces you expect from such an outlet, all of it carrying the Greenshop logo.
Hundreds of shirts have already been sold.
I have no idea if sales benefit the club in any way but good luck to the guys behind the operation.

Before I begin to criticize other's reactions to the match, let me make it clear that with our horrid performance and the fact that it was away, we really had no right taking a point yesterday. If it weren't for the performances of Carra, Kuyt, and Finnan, we probably wouldn't have. Babel and Torres weren't bad either, but other than those five, those were some of the worst efforts I have ever witnessed from our side.

Today's media coverage of Liverpool is appropriately critical after the woeful sham that was our performance against Porto last night. The Times have condemned it as ‘Liverpool's worst performance in Europe since their previous brush with Portuguese opposition' while the Telegraph cheekily refer to it as a ‘monumental cock-up.' Football 365 have called it ‘just awful' while the Daily Mail preferred the term ‘dreadful.

I devoted my previous post to saying that Pennant and Reina were not to blame for last nights draw with Porto. Many of todays papers chose to single out Pennant for the 'blame game'. Typical shortsightedness on the part of the media in general (they love a scapegoat) as it wasn't until Pennant was sent off that Liverpool's players started to put some effort in.

I'm really only putting this on the site for people that haven't had a chance to see the match yet. For no other reason. And it'll help if you speak Portuguese. I'd say enjoy. But I refuse to indulge in such phrases at the moment.

Last night saw Chelsea's first Champions League game of the season at Stamford Bridge (capacity: 42,055). Worryingly for Roman Abramovich, Jose Mourinho and all concerned, just 24, 973 fans attended the 1-1 draw with Rosenborg, a frankly pathetic turn-out for a club that claims to be one of the biggest in Europe. Fans of Man Utd, Liverpool and Arsenal must be laughing at Chelsea's inability to fill their ground for their first big European night of the season.

The 53rd edition of Europe's top club competition kicks-off this week with 16 high-profile matches across the continent and 32 sets of fans, players, coaches and directors all harbouring dreams of an assignment in Moscow next May when the showpiece final is staged.
Wenger Hails Fabregas Vision
Manchester United to Unleash Modern Version of "Holy Trinity"
Group E
Barcelona-Lyon Rangers-VfB Stuttgart

Group F
Sporting Lisbon-Manchester United
Roma-Dynamo Kiev

Group G
Fenerbahce-Inter Milan
PSV Eindhoven-CSKA Moscow

Group H
Arsenal-Sevilla
Slavia Prague-Steaua Bucharest

Chelsea 1 - 1 Rosenborg
The lowest Stamford Bridge attendance for four years witnessed the Norwegian champions go away with a deserved 1-1 draw
Porto 1 Liverpool 1
This was Liverpool's worst performance in Europe since their previous brush with Portuguese opposition
Complete Wrap: Milan Open Defense in Style with 2-1 Win Over Benfica
BBC Images

United's assistant manager Carlos Queiroz had dropped a rather large hint that this coming December he's going to consider his future. As you'd expect, the likes of The Sun newspaper has translated this into 'Queiroz: I'll quit United'...
However, Queiroz is doing what everyone seems to do in football these days, that is, he is using the media to announce his apparent willingness to move to another club and with United taking on Sporting Lisbon in Portugal tonight, what better time to make an announcement about your future?

Arsenal vs Sevilla, Wed 19 Sept (ko 7.45pm BST) These two clubs have never met in Europe, but they both play attractive, progressive football, so this could be a cracker for the neutral to watch. Sevilla are still recovering from the shocking death of Antonio Puerta, but they have notched two wins from two in the Primera Liga, so it seems Puerta's death has, if anything, galvanised the club.

Nigeria 0 - 1 USA: Fastest Goal in History?
The United States got the result it needed Tuesday to win Group B in the Women's World Cup and avoid Germany in the quarterfinals. Just as importantly, it showed flashes of the kind of attacking soccer it will need to beat Germany and other contenders down the road.
Typhoon Derails Schedule
Smith Hails England Spirit Ahead of Clash with USA
Nigeria vs.

The sun shines brightly for the Premier League right now. The new season has kicked off without the plague of TV problems that La Liga has encountered. The play on the pitch, so far, has been exciting and much better than the slump we saw last Fall. The only negatives thus far have been the controversial refereeing decisions with teams like Fulham, Liverpool and Chelsea -- to name but a few -- having key decisions going against them.

Clint Dempsey might be doing more for American soccer right now with his goal-scoring in the English Premier League than David Beckham is doing stateside with the L.A. Galaxy, writes Goal.com USA's Pat Walsh.

Andriy Shevchenko came under more pressure today as former Republic of Ireland striker Tony Cascarino proclaimed that the Shevchenko we know and have loved over the years for AC Milan will not regain his form on the pitch for Chelsea.
I didn't get to watch the Chelsea versus Rosenborg match last night in the Champions League, but I did watch the highlights.

Well, maybe not quite, but our discussion of the England World Cup media coverage in the UK is featured at feminist site The F Word. We'll be providing them with a full round-up of the tournament after its conclusion.

Spotter's badge for Pies reader Colm Finn, who has noticed, with his eagle eyes, that Keisha from Sugababes looks quite a lot like England Women's star Eniola Aluka. (Keisha is the one on the left, by the way.)

Rangers made an ideal start to their Champions League group phase campaign with a a quality comeback win over German champions VfB Stuttgart.

Another sorry outing keeps Sheffield Wednesday on a record relegation pace, while at the top of the standings Watford maintain their lead.

Now-former Carolina Dynamo midfielder Ryan Caugherty is back in Europe, having signed with with Hungarian Nemzeti Bajnoksag 1 club Tatabanya FC.

1 Marseille's European home kit (see photo, above) is horrific. On the positive side, Djibril Cisse, who scored in the French side's win over Besiktas, is looking good... until he next snaps one of his rubber legs, that is. Photo Getty Images 2 Andrea Pirlo takes a mean free-kick, as we saw last night, when he scored this pearler against Benfica.

Paolo Bandini: Italy's inexperienced officials had been getting glowing reports, but that changed when a few penalty decisions went against Juventus.

ALMOST by universal acclaim, it was predicted the third version of the A-League would be closest yet, but this close? After four rounds, almost 20% of the regular season gone, we're averaging a poor 1.8 goals per game, with nine of the 16 games ending in draws, four of them goal-less. Only four teams have experienced the winning feeling, only the Jets and Mariners more than once.

Morning all. Today's matches between Australia and Canada, and China and New Zealand have been postponed until tomorrow because of Typhoon Wipha. The officials left it late to decide, but as 1.5m residents have been evacuated, we'll forgive them. The decision means there will be four games tomorrow as the group stage comes to a close.

With uncharacteristic dignity, Betis boss Manuel Ruiz de Lopera has helped changed the image of himself and his city - but his team is still rubbish.

Newcastle Reserves were beaten 2-0 by a strong Middlesbrough second string at St. James Park last night under the watching eyes of manager Sam Allardyce, in which keeper Fraser Forster was the pick of the Newcastle side. In other news, Andrew Carroll our 18 year-old striker on loan at Preston, was sent off (a straight red [...]

Manchester United old boy Paul Parker and conditioning expert Roger Spry argue whether any club can achieve league and European glory.

Best of the West, soccer Erwin ready for Asheville in soccer Watauga slips past McDowell Sam Roberts / Times-News Eagles edge Graham in boys' soccer Staff photo by Grant Halverson Second-half surge gives Jags edge Sports Roundup(Cary News) Names and Notes(Chapel Hill News) High School Soccer Game Day(Charlotte Observer) 9.18.07 | Prep Results(Charlotte Observer) Monday's Soccer

As I write this, on a bleak and frankly depressing morning in the depths of Pies Towers, I must admit that I am more confused than I am annoyed with the performance last night. The harbingers of doom that inevitably surface when a team of Liverpool's stature fail to 'attend the party' will describe last night's game at Porto using any adjective from the following: 'pathetic', 'lacklustre', 'awful', 'dreadful', 'shocking', 'absent', 'lacking' and quite possibly 'inept'.

Is that the sound of wheels coming off at Stamford Bridge? Not exactly, but I really expected Chelsea to win this game with relative ease. Ironically, but somehow predictably, it was misfit Andriy Shevchenko who saved face, with an equaliser early in the second half. If we learned one thing from last night's game, it's that Chelsea are half the team without Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard.

Not a vintage Liverpool display by any means, but a point away at Porto is a perfectly decent start to their CL campaign. After going behind early when Jose Reina gave away a penalty, Rafa's boys did well to come back, via a Dirk Kuyt header from close range. For the hosts, Ricardo Quaresma looked shit hot, and no doubt added a couple of million to his market value.

Gordon Strachan's Celtic side continued their abysmal run of away form in the Champions League. The Scottish side were unable to transfer their domestic form to the Champions League. The match was effectively over as a contest before it was ten minutes old, after five minutes Brandao put the home side ahead, putting a through ball [...]

It's times like these that European football makes me glad. We were reminded yesterday in stark fashion that the Premier League, for all its' self-primping as the 'best league in the world', is hardly as 'great' as us followers of the English media are led to believe. Mind you, I know that one night (or [...]

Chelsea were somewhat surprisingly held 1-1 at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night in their Group B Champions League tie with Rosenborg. Sans Drogba, Chelsea are not the same team, that much is clear, despite Shevchenko scoring a very good goal against the Norwegian's the Ukrainian striker does not pose the same threat as Chelsea's Ivory Coast star.
However, despite the scoreline Chelsea should have won this game by some margin, only the thickness of a post denied Malouda twice who was extremely unlucky on the night in front of goal.

Over the summer we posted two articles about the Dietrological Football Information Provision Service and promised a third which we decided to delay. Until now.
The hitting of the pause button was due to complex changes in Dietrological/ Football Is Fixed infrastructure and I saw little point preparing an incredibly dull business-orientated post only to have to do exactly the same several weeks later.

First of all, Porto played excellently. Smart wide play, quick passing, and great crossing, all of which threw a wrench in Liverpool's attacking flow. Second of all, I think Hyypia was a wise choice, mostly because while he was at fault for the penalty, he more then made up for it with his [...]

This goal wasn't in the script, but Rosenburg's Koppinen unleashed an unstoppable volley to take a surprise lead against Chelsea in their opening Champions League game last night. Shevchenko also broke his duck for the season with a headed equaliser but, despite trying desperately for a winner, the Blues couldn't prevent the game ending in a stalemate.

John O'Shea (Irl.)
This Irish surname should be pronounced as [o-shey].
Keogh (Irl.)
Another Irish surname which should be remembered: [kee-ou].
Kjetil Wæhler (Nor./Swed./Ger.)
In Norwegian and Swedish languages "kj" stands for [ch]. In German language the "h", if not at the beginning of a word, usually is mute.

A glut of promising young English defenders have appeared as Premiership teams tighten up at the back.

Now the dust has settled following a fabulous weekend for us Gooners, and ahead of our CL match tonight, I intend to bring us all down to earth by questioning a few of the decisions made this season by our unquestionably magnificent manager.

1/ Johann Djourou

Surely the decision to loan out Johann – who started 27 games for us last season – has been the most mysterious to date.

Stephen Ireland's confusing fibs to the Irish FA were nothing new, footballers have always been terrible liars.
How do you look your granny in the face when you've told the world she's dead just to get out of a football match? Even worse, how do you look your granny in the face when you've told the world she's dead but you're not that bothered because she wasn't the one that you really liked anyway?

Nicky Butt has talked to the Newcastle Journal about the game on Monday night and to be fair to Nicky – he tells it as it is. Starting out by saying it was a bit of an embarrassment to Newcastle, which of course it was. We'll look at what else Nicky said, but it's all good and [...]

The battle for hearts and minds has taken on a sporting dimension, but the US army has found soccer is more than just a load of balls.

Career of Atletico Mineiro's midfielder ex periences a run of bad luck. First, Coelho missed two penalties in the matches that ended with draws. Then he showed aggression towards Cruzeiro's Kerlon, and now is facing a ban of up to 18 months.

What a difference a year (and two league titles - in football and basketball) makes. All through last summer, after the disputed election result, and even into the AGM in December, Ramón Calderón's authority, and even his legitimacy as president of Real Madrid was constantly called into question.
On Sunday, Real Madrid held their AGM and approved, by an overwhelming majority, the accounts for last year, which showed the club had a healthy balance sheet, although also a significant amount of debt (not necessarily a major issue in an entity of this size).

West Ham has had an incredible start to the season and a big part in it has been the play of Craig Bellamy. Now, the Hammers could be facing a trip to Newcastle United without him as reports have the...

I don't have any clips of anyone talking like pirates, but why not have a look at this instead? It's a collection of footage from Arsenal's record-breaking season last year, and of course Kelly Smith used to play for Seton Hall while she was in America, and their nickname is apparently the Pirates...tenuous? Who said tenuous?

After the diabolical performance on Monday night it's going to be interesting to see what team Big Sam picks for our next game against West Ham United on Sunday. The game kicks off at 1:30pm at St. James' Park. A win on Sunday and we can think of the game against Derby as a blip - but [...]

Mark Bresciano can't wait to join Sven-Goran Eriksson's
world all-stars.
The man from Down Under almost made it to the City of
Manchester Stadium last month but a transfer window deadline deal fell down
because his club Palermo wanted Manchester City to pay the near £6m fee
upfront.He was so close to signing a four-year City contract he was allowed to
train at Carrington and now he's hoping a deal can be rekindled when the January
transfer window opens.

Has the Stephen Ireland issue got the potential to be a little more serious than first envisaged?
Left out of the squad on Sunday for the Villa game, not as a disciplinary measure but more that he was perhaps not 100% focused on the game following the midweek incident that saw him leave the Ireland camp ahead of the Euro qualifier.
Sven-Goran Eriksson (and the club) had appeared to be very supportive of the player but The Times reports that Eriksson was less than happy he had not returned to training and has urged him to see a psychologist to resolve problems, all of which suggests there maybe a far greater issue than first thought for him wanting to leave the squad.

Raul thinks so. Bernd Schuster thinks so. And maybe Luis Aragonés is starting to think so too. Whilst Spain are struggling for both goals and form in their dog's dinner of a Euro 2008 qualifying campaign, Raul has both in abundance.
Is it time to bring the Real Madrid captain in from the cold?
No, no, no, no!
1 - Spain already have enough problems with egos and in-fighting.

I don't know if I even I expected the response I got from everyone on my best derby topic. As of right now we have over 60 comments on it and I have a feeling there are a few out...

What a treat. My first ever television viewing of Rosenborg proved to be a wonderful experience as the Norwegian champions drew a heavily-favored Chelsea side 1-1 in the Champions League group stage opener for each. The Trondheim club took a...

Click here (http://www.leaguemanagers.com/news/news-5912.html) to read part I of Howard Wilkinson's interview

Click here (http://www.leaguemanagers.com/news/news-5914.html) to read Howard Wilkinsin Interview part II

You won't find me ever attacking Thierry Henry's Arsenal legacy on this blog. You won't find me slagging off the man Arsenal fans referred affectionately to as TH14. But his sale this past summer was one of the biggest catalysts...

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Tony Hazell Turns 60. Born September 19, 1947, Defender: Full back and Centerback, Tony Hazell played 350+ League games for QPR from the mid-1960s until he was sold in December 1974 to Millwall. He was of course, one of the 1967 League Cup Final Team. Made his debut in 1964 and was an integral part of the 1966/67 and 1967/68 promotion teams and 1968/1969 relegation team.

Sam Allardyce talked again about the woeful defeat Newcastle suffered on Monday night against Derby County, this time to the Evening Chronicle yesterday afternoon. The defeat has burst the balloon that was the fans' high optimism for a possible great season this year. Newcastle looked mediocre at best and the worst thing with the defeat is that [...

Lots to talk about this morning, as you might expect. I shall try and get through it all with as little fuss as possible. We've got Sevilla tonight in the Champions League and the boss has a decision or two to make. With Senderos back he's likely to play the Swiss alongside Kolo Toure while Gilberto, [...]

Jose Mourinho must be worried with Chelsea's loss of goalscoring form.They only managed a one all draw against underdogs Rosenborg and they almost lost the game while they were at it.Shevchenko saved the day for them .Goals below

Towering Babel unawed by Liverpool's football temple By Simon Kuper Ryan Babel still lives alone in Liverpool - or accompanied only by the...

I'm starting to think Barcelona didn't need to buy Thierry Henry. With Samuel Eto'o, Ronaldinho, Deco, Andrés Iniesta and Leo Messi already giving them plenty going forward (and don't forget Eidjur Gudjohnsen) they've been playing Henry on the left,...
Continue.

In the semi-final of last year's World Cup, the Italians sealed their passage into the final with a breakaway goal of classic simplicity, economy and precision.
Italian teams continue to be the experts in this field. In this morning's Milan v. Benfica game, Pippo Inzaghi's goal was a masterpiece of the genre, a true "goal to frame", as Johan Cruyff liked to say.

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Among those watching the game: Flavio Briatore, Bernie Ecclestone and Trevor Francis
Plymouth Official Site - OLLIE'S PRIDE
THERE was no doubting the pride felt by Ian Holloway as his current club overcame his former one at Loftus Road.
Second-half goals from Petér Halmosi and David Norris gave Argyle a thoroughly-deserved 2-0 win at the ground where Ollie was - still is, in some parts - a hero.

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FourFourTwo-Australia - Ward: My Battle For A Game - Richie Young
"Former A-League star Nick Ward has revealed he faces an uphill battle at Queens Park Rangers and may be forced to leave the club in January.
The highly-talented attacking midfielder joined the club on a two-year deal following the first Hyundai A-League season.
The Perth Glory pin-up Ward lit up the league in that season, subsequently winning the "Rising Star" award which is given to the most outstanding U-20 player.

Inter Milan midfielder Luis Figo is in talks with LA Galaxy. Corriere dello Sport says Figo has met with Galaxy supremo Alexi Lalas about moving to the United States to close his career. Along with Figo, former Juventus and Real Madrid star Zinedine Zidane is also in talks about playing in the MLS.

Barcelona midfielder Deco insists there's no need to panic after slipping four points behind Real Madrid in the early weeks of the season. "If we are scared of Madrid after three weeks, it's best we do not play in the Liga," scoffed Deco. "Madrid are a great rival, but the important thing is that Barcelona analyzes [...]

Arsenal are set to beat Tottenham for Nigeria U17 star Macauley Chrisantus. Tottenham have bid £1.5million for the Nigerian striker and Barcelona yesterday bid £2m. But the Gunners are also keen to sign the 17-year-old free agent, who said: "I have the passion for Arsenal."

"Ronaldinho is no longer the future of Barcelona." When hearing this, one would say, "DUH!" However, I would argue that Ronaldinho has a much larger hand in the future of the Catalan club than most people think. Ronaldinho is still one of the top players in the world, but that isn't the argument. His [...]

Manchester United assistant boss Carlos Queiroz has dropped a bombshell after admitting he's ready to quit. Queiroz, 54, is frustrated with his Old Trafford assistant role and is looking at other options. He is in his second spell as Alex Ferguson's No 2 after an unsuccessful term at Spain's Real Madrid. Queiroz said: "I need to reflect on [...]

Jose Mourinho admits Chelsea could face Manchester United in the biggest game of their season without Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba. Blues boss Mourinho confirmed that neither player is expected to be back for Sunday's clash at Old Trafford as Chelsea remain in the grip of a goalscoring crisis. Mourinho admits he is alarmed by Chelsea's [...]

The day after the night before, the night before that saw us lead u the cul-de-sac of broken dreams, hopes and promises. A night that deep down never gave us any real surprises, weaknesses highlighted that we knew we had and also coaching weaknesses that we knew we had.
Thing is, decent sleep for once. No going over in ma mind of the shocking goals, the fact of the matter is i agree wie oor managers words while i also agree with the Shakhter coaches words as well.

What a night of footy it was and what a shock result coming out of London as the mighty Chelsea were held to a 1-1 draw by Norwegian club Rosenborg.

Rosenborg - who had previously won just once in 19 Champions League encounters - opened the scoring through defender Mikka Koppinen and battled hard for the point in a game which Chelsea dominated from start to finish.

The Champions League adventure has just begun for the Italian clubs, and current title holders AC Milan are off to a very good start. In a brilliant display of attacking football, the Rossoneri took home their first 3 points in this year's CL campaign by beating Portuguese club Benfica on a score of 2-1, courtesy [...]

Real Madrid got off to a winning start with a new coach in the Champions League thanks to goals from Ruud Van Nistelrooy and Raul.

Raul's goal took his tally in the Champions League to 59 just a goal behind Inzaghi & Shevchenko with both of his rivals also scoring on the same night.

Raul's goal arrived on 16 minutes. Van Nistelrooy headed for the left by-line and Raul's trajectory took him towards the near post.

The gunners face their toughest test of the season so far. Sevilla has won a number of cups in the last couple of seasons and they will be ready for this after having won 2 home matches on the trot by 4-1 in the La Liga. I feel they are the biggest threat to Real Madrid and Barcelona in the Spanish La Liga this season.

Arsenal will have to be at their best.

Nice to have a story about sportsmanship and doing the right thing for once :
Leicester give Forest a 'free' goal.
Leicester allowed Nottingham Forest's keeper to score in order to reclaim the one goal lead they had when the match was abandoned after a Foxes player had a heart attack at half time a couple of weeks ago.
I was a bit surprised about this :
Paul Colingwood nips to a lap-dancing club.

Is there no stopping the juggernaut that is Dave Taylor? Another three 1-0 results produce nine points in a low-scoring week and the Chelsea man suddenly has a four-point lead at the head of the pack. It begs an obvious question. Why do we all spend hours, sometimes minutes, deliberating, cogitating and procrastinating each and every [...]

USA 1-0 Nigeria
Report from du Nord reader Adam
Group Stage Match 3:
The US women's soccer team scored the second fastest goal in Women's World Cup history and finally bucked the trend of slow starts that plagued them in their first two matches. With only 54 seconds gone, Lori Chalupny scored the game's only goal, securing first place for the US in the "group of death.

By 1970's Gooner Arsene Wenger has a decision to make for the Champions League Group H encounter against Sevilla. Does he continue with Gilberto in central defence or does he opt for the returning Senderos. This is a much more difficult decision than it first appears because either selection will have repercussions elsewhere in the formation of the team but also in Wenger's future planning.

Apologies for the lack of posts over the past month; getting settled after a cross-country move is harder than you think. Tonight the 2007 UNCAF Club Tournament resumed with the first leg match between Motagua (Honduras) and San Francisco (Panama)...

The excitement and the stress is starting to pick up. Don't get me wrong: I'm living my dream by going with the Timbers to Atlanta and calling their semifinal first leg...but that doesn't mean it's without difficulties. There are a lot of things and a lot of people that go into a broadcast, and they need to be publically thanked.
Firstly, Marc Kostic, the Timbers media relations maven, has been instrumental these past few weeks.

Egil Olsen will be the new coach of Iraq. The eccentric, welly-wearing, 65-year-old Norwegian, who was previously in charge of the Norwegian national team and Wimbledon, succeeds Brazilian Jorvan Vieira as coach of the new Asian champions.
Olsen's 3-year contract stipulates he will live outside Iraq and employ a Norwegian assistant.
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Tuesday's Champions League openers offered much in the way of uninspired English play, as both Liverpool and Chelsea came away with 1-1 draws and singe marks from the bullets dodged.
It's to be expected that upsets will happen in group play. What wasn't to be expected was the all-around shoddy performance of the Reds, who — with the exception of striker Dirk Kuyt — appeared almost ambivalent at the prospect of getting an early leg up on their group, despite coach Rafa Benitez's stated goal of earning a road win off the top, as to allow his side to concentrate on the goal of a Premier League title.

Shannon Boxx isn't the only Southern Californian at the Women's World Cup; Torrance resident Simone Carmichael (Ferrara) is representing New Zealand after recovering from a devastating achilles injury in May.

New Zealand plays China at 4:55 a.m. Wednesday on ESPN2 in its last group game so I e-mailed Simone to see if she would get some playing time.

On poor performances, red cards, ugly-ass uniforms and amusing commericials... I must say, after the past two draws, I'm looking forward to seeing the team get back on track this Saturday. Birmingham comes to Anfield, and let's be frank, this is exactly the type of team we can cut apart. I expect blood to be spilled this [...]