Barcelona's hero on the pitch is undoubtedly Lionel Messi but former coach Josep Guardiola leaves behind a winning legacy punctuated by 14 titles in just four seasons. Guardiola's stint at the helm has witnessed a number of remarkable achievements, particularly winning the Champions League on two occasions.

Though it was meaningless in terms of the Serie A table, Milan's season finale against Novara was an emotional one. Alessandro Nesta, Rino Gattuso, Pippo Inzaghi and Clarence Seedorf all announced they would be leaving the club at the end of the season prior to the match, forcing Milan to finally let go of their aging favorites all at once.

Venky play foul in Blackburn takeover

After two years one still doesn't quite know why Venky's decided to takeover Blackburn. The one thing that has been established unequivocally is that they did not do it because they loved football. The other imperative of raising the company's profile internationally by investing in a brand is also not being borne out by their step sisterly treatment of Rovers.

Once upon a time, Spider-Man lived on the Soccer field. The years were 2003-2005. He lived through a magical, goal-scoring forward who played for the Ecuadorian National team, a team that eventually made it out of group play in the 2006 World Cup, only to lose 1-0 to England in the round of 16 on a Beckham free kick.

The great Bruce McGuire pointed me at this, a celebration of what it is to be discovering football in America at the moment. While I appreciate that a lot of you mericans have been onside for years (many years in some case, eh, Don?), there's something quite exciting about what seems to be happening in the US of States.

Finally the off season has ended. With the hot streak Chicago finished 2011 on, the winter seemed unbearably long. A few moves have been made in the downtime. And the remaining players have had another preseason to gel as a team. Today I will break down the team by goalie, defense, mid-field, and forwards.

For anyone who was asleep for the whole of last week, you missed probably one of the biggest stories in recent sporting history. Rangers FC were sent into administration because of an overdue tax bill which stretched back to over 11 years ago. And although Rangers Chief Executive Craig Whyte stated how this is not the end for Rangers, it can be deemed as somewhat wishful thinking.

Russian club Zenit St. Petersburg are said to be interested in signing Andrei Arshavin on loan according to reports from the icy city. Of course this should not come as a surprise to many fans who believe that the 30 year old is one of the club's recent worst signings.

Most of Arshavin's 27 appearances this season have been as a substitute, forcing Arsene Wenger to rule him and his misfiring strike partners Yossi Benayoun and Marouane Chamakh to the reserve team.

WIN THE CHANCE FOR YOUR CHILD TO BE A McDONALD'S PLAYER ESCORT AT THE ENGLAND V HOLLAND MATCH

We've teamed up with McDonald's, the official Community Partner of The FA, to offer three lucky youngsters between the ages of 7 and 11 years old the chance to become McDonald's Player Escorts as England take on Holland in an international friendly on 29th February.

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- Series of Photos from Aston Villa vs QPR
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- For comprehensive and latest QPR news-related pieces and discussion, visit the football-only, somewhat-different QPR Report Messageboard. All QPR Perspectives genuinely welcomed! Or comment on any of the articles posted below - QPR REPORT Available on TWITTER!

The North Dakota State University Women's Soccer team has a new head coach. Mark Cook, who has been director of coaching for both Bangu and the Minnesota Thunder Academy for the past 11 years, was announced as the new head coach of the Division I school filling the void left by outgoing coach Pete Cuadrado [.

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-- Next Newcastle: Stats/Past Results/Past Joint Players
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- For comprehensive and latest QPR news-related pieces and discussion, visit the football-only, somewhat-different QPR Report Messageboard. All QPR Perspectives genuinely welcomed! Or comment on any of the articles posted below - QPR REPORT Available on TWITTER!

szólj hozzá: Swindon v Wigan 2:1 (FA Cup)

Paolo Di Canio's Swindon, in League 2, shocked Wigan three levels above them. Callum McManaman got the ball rolling for Wigan seizing the rebound after Ben Watson's penalty struck the post. But Swindon playing some really good football staged a comeback through Alan Connell and Paul Benson.

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- QPR Stalwart, Ian Watson (1965-1974) Turns Sixty-Eight. (At QPR before Rodney Marsh Still at QPR, after Rodney!)
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- Throughout the day, the QPR Report Messageboard has news updates, comments and perspectives - even links to other board comments of interest re QPR matters (on and off the field) along with football (and ONLY football) topics in general.

By Chris Wright

According to the Beeb, this 'ere jilted Newcastle fan has dug up and removed a commemorative brick from outside what used to be St James' Park in protest over Mike Ashley's decision to award the stadium's naming rights to himself last week and rebrand the ground as the 'Sports Direct Arena'.

By Joe Stevenson
Northwest Herald
Erin Holland has played soccer at an elite level since joining the Eclipse Select Soccer club when she was 11 years old.
Holland, a Cary resident and junior at Cary-Grove, made sure she will be playing with another elite team when she goes to college in two years.

Jay Heaps is now the new boss of the New England Revolution (photo via Boston Globe)

It didn't take the New England Revolution that long to find a replacement for Steve Nicol. Today the club announced the hiring of former defender Jay Heaps as their next manager.

The 35-year old Heaps is just two years removed from playing for the Revolution, where he spent 11 seasons.

Jay Heaps is set to be named the Revs 6th head coach, according to reports. (Photo by Art Donahue/artdonahue.com)

According to the Boston Globe, Massachusetts native and former New England Revolution defender Jay Heaps is set to be named the Revolution's sixth head coach on Tuesday. Heaps, who in 2009 retired from playing after 11 years in Major League Soccer, his final nine with the Revs, will replace Steve Nicol who was relieved of his coaching duties after New England missed out on the postseason for the second consecutive season this year.

George "Geordie" Armstrong died of a brain haemorrhage after collapsing on the training field 11 years ago on the first of this month. He was a year younger than me and joined the club as a 17-year-old, two years after I had first claimed my permanent place on the terraces as a 15-year-old. He was my first footballing idol and was to be associated with the club on and off for 39 years.

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-From the Bushman Archives
- Throughout the day, the QPR Report Messageboard has news updates, comments and perspectives - even links to other board comments of interest re QPR matters (on and off the field) along with football (and ONLY football) topics in general.

By Chris Wright

Pies are offering two lucky readers the chance for their children (between the ages of 7 and 11 years old) to become a McDonald's Player Escort and walk out with the England players ahead of their international friendly against Sweden at Wembley Stadium on 15th November.

Liverpool have not beaten Stoke City on their own ground for 11 years now, but Pepe Reina is confident Liverpool can get a result tonight, and his eyes are firmly fixed on Wembley, and winning the Carling Cup.
Reina, who has kept only 1 clean sheet in the last 10 games, is aware that the route to the final will not be easy:
"There's still a long way to go, and we have a really tough game at the Brittania stadium.

Liverpool lost ground on the top four as their leaky defence and a failure to capitalize on numerous opportunities cost them victory at Anfield.
Kenny Dalglish's side hit the woodwork three times among several other chances but had only Craig Bellamy's late first-half goal against his former club to show for their efforts.

News in the Evening Chronicle today that Newcastle are looking at young Leicester City striker/winger Jeffrey Schlupp. Jeffrey Schlupp on Newcastle radar The 18 year-old is of Ghanaian descent, and was born in Hamburg Germany in 1992, and joined the Leicester City Youth Academy when he was just 11 years old.

Call for 18-30s to give a spit

TIME for a plug for a very good cause. Before you click "back", this isn't a plea for money. You can still send some if you can find some to spare. But we're asking you for something far simpler than that. Spit. We want your spit. Or to be more accurate Anthony Nolan want your spit, sent in a special container they'll provide (they call it a ‘spit kit'), so that they can add you to their register of donors of bone marrow and blood stem-cells.

Dan Flynn has been CEO/Secretary General of U.S. Soccer for 11 years. While the following of U.S. Soccer, it's programs and sanctioned leagues continues to grow yearly, many still don't know much about the St. Louis, Missouri native. But that's how Flynn prefers things as he quietly goes about his job of running the day-to-day [.

Kenny Dalglish admits our premature exit from last season's Carling Cup will be in his mind when selecting a side to face Exeter on Wednesday night.
The boss will make changes to his team while guarding against any repeat of our penalty shoot-out exit to League Two strugglers Northampton in last year's third round.

Arsene Wenger was a man under pressure even before yesterdays game, but after a disappointing performance in which his side lost at home to Liverpool for the first time in 11 years some fans, and it is a very small minority it has to be said, have been calling for Wenger to go. Despite yesterdays [..

Earlier in the week we caught up with some Gunners fans as Liverpool travel down to London to face Arsenal today, to get their opinion on how the game will pan out and what life without Cesc Fabregas is likely to mean for them in regards to technical change on the pitch.

The Emirates has never been a ground to yield many points for the Reds since its construction, in fact 3 points have never been taken on the ground by the Reds and you have to step back 11 years in time to Highbury to find the last time that Liverpool left todays hosts with nothing.

Can Liverpool win their first Premier League game at the Emirates? Ten key stats for the Premier League weekend

It's 11 years since the Reds have beaten the Gunners in north London, when Titi Camara struck the winner, while Chelsea look to continue to make hay against West Brom

View the full story here: Goal

A news article on 2011-08-19 12:10:00 from: Goal

This news item has been reproduced from today's media.

By Michael Lewis - PHILADELPHIA, PA (Aug 12, 2011) -- If you think Major League Soccer will be satisfied with only reaching its goal to expanding to 20 teams, then guess again. The league wants to become a leading American sport and one of the best leagues in the world by 2022. You don't believe that statement?

Virginia women's coach Steve Swanson, an original member of the Milwaukee Wave, was named the U.S. Under-20 women's national team coach Monday.

Swanson will continue to coach the Cavaliers in addition to his latest role with the U.S. Soccer Federation – he's also been the Under-16 and Under-18 national team coach and has served as an assistant with the Under-17, Under-18 and Under-20 teams in previous stints with the national program.

Image Source: Ego.globo.com.

Inter Milan's manager, Leonardo Araujo, and his girlfriend of two and a half years, Anna Billó, are expecting! And to think, it was only a day ago that we discovered Leonardo had a surname, let alone a girlfriend!

Seen on vacay in Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro earlier this week, the Brazilian-born, Italian Sky News journalist showed off her four-months-along baby bump in a pretty patterned bikini.

*They're bracing for a huge crowd for a much anticipated U.S.-Mexico Gold Cup final in Pasadena where temperatures are expected to top out at in the 80s.

Kickoff is at 6:10 p.m. incidentally, live on Fox Soccer Channel and Univision. I'll blog live from the game.

Notable: It's the first time in 11 years Mexico and the U.

UPDATE The game at Ozark High School has been moved to 4pm today. The rematch, the one for all the marbles, grab your favorite sports cliches folks.

District 11: at Ozark High School, 4:00 pm
#1 Glendale Falcons -
#2 Nixa Eagles -

The winner will host Parkview on Tuesday May 24th in the Sectional

District 10: at Camdenton, 1:00 pm
#1 Camdenton Lakers -
#3 Waynesville Tigers -

Rance Burger of the Lake Sun News offers a nice preview of the Lakers who return to the District Title game for the first time in 11 years.

We'll know three of the four Sectional teams vying for a single spot in the State Final 4 by the end of the evening. The fourth slot will be determined tomorrow when Glendale and Nixa play. Note that there may be a time change on that game to try and avoid weather issues.

District 10 Final: at Camdenton, 5:00 pm
#1 Camdenton Lakers -
#3 Waynesville Tigers
Rance Burger of the Lake Sun News offers a nice preview of the Lakers who return to the District Title game for the first time in 11 years.

As the author of the last great memory in U.S. Women's World Cup history, Brandi Chastain has a unique perspective on the U.S.'s struggles at the Cup since that calm, clear day in Pasadena 11 years ago. She sat down with NSC on Monday to talk about it. "I hadn't thought about the fact that the U.S.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has today revealed that he may have neglected his wife and kids at times to ensure that his Manchester United career lasted as long as possible.

"I played football for 11 years at Manchester United and put my career ahead of everything," he said. "You sacrifice all that is required to play at United for as long as possible.

Shola Ameobi has 9 goals for Newcastle so far this season, with 6 of them being in the Premier League, and 3 in the Carling Cup. Foluwashola Ameobi Newcastle United striker for 11 years Shola is 3rd top of the goal scoring charts behind Kevin Nolan with 12 goals, and the departed Andy Carroll [...]

While yesterday's blog was an ode to Sir Alex Ferguson, the man who looks to have fulfilled his promise of ‘knocking Liverpool off their f***ing perch' with a record-breaking 19th title just one point away, today's is about a fellow Scot he knows well; the man who pipped him to the Premier League title in 1995.