Internacional and Brazil midfielder Oscar

This weekend, Brazil's national championship reaches round 28. So, with just 11 games to go in the league, it was high time I revealed the six players who have caught my eye this season. This is the fourth Talent Factory (2008, 2009, 2010) and in many ways it's been the hardest to write.

Make that eight straight games without conceding a goal for the No. 1-ranked (Fox Soccer/SBI) Connecticut men's soccer team.

Carlos Alvarez scored in the fifth minute, and UConn's defense posted its eighth straight clean sheet to lift the Huskies to a 3-0 victory over Manhattan Tuesday night.

During Ipswich's game with Coventry last night, both Jimmy Bullard and Keith Andrews wanted to take a free kick. How did they settle who got to take it? Like men with a game of Rock-Paper-Scissors... I'm not a fan of the game because whenever I have a kickabout with friends, we always do rock-paper-scissors [.

Tottenham Hotspur have named the 25 man squad that will take on the first half of the season. As you know, 8 of those 25 must be "Home Grown", which is a player that has been registered at an English or Welsh club for 3 years between their 16th and 21st birthday.
On the left is the squad, on the right is our summer transfer activity.

Guest writer David Bolt takes a look at how the new 25-man squad rule will affect Liverpool, and considers whether the club has actually prepared well-enough for its implementation.
After the transfer window closes, Liverpool will have to name their 25-man squad for the Premier League. As it stands, the club has got itself into a bit of a mess with the 25-man squad rule and is facing the prospect of having to pay some players (and not just Brazil's answer to Mr.

Photo by Dan Dickinson

The first time I heard Luke Rodgers was moving to New York Red Bulls was when it fell through. He was turned down for a visa due to an affray charge. The dream seemed all but over for the diminutive striker. This however was not my first memory of Birmingham born Rodgers.

Manchester football is better than ever with the youth policy proving effective - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

A new season breeds new talent. The end of last season saw the retirement of two of the biggest stars at Manchester United in midfield magician Paul Scholes and goalkeeper Edwin Van der Sar.

In FireStingDoug's continuing series of trips down memory lane this edition takes a look back at the May 17, 1981 battle between the Sting and the New York Cosmos. A match that was televised on WGN TV.

The Cosmos had world class talent but the Sting seemed to own them through the years holding an overall 4-1 all time lead in the series.

It's still early, of course, but the chances are more likely that we'll remember this week's two U.S. national-team friendlies less for the results -- a 1-1 tie against Argentina and Tuesday's 1-0 loss to Paraguay -- than for the initial impacts made by some young American players.

After the Argentina game the name on the lips of most observers was Juan Agudelo, the 18-year-old forward who scored his second goal in three U.

First and foremost, happy 21st birthday to Timothy Chandler today. Chandler earned his first start in his second appearance for the USMNT against Paraguay in Nashville.I was optimistic tonight when I followed the game online and saw that the U.S. had gone down 1-0 to a South American opponent in a friendly.

An exciting night in New Jersey last night as an inspired second half performance led the United States to come back and draw versus Lionel Messi and Argentina, 1-1.
Paul Kennedy of Soccer America recaps the action.

Catching up with Danny Cruz

The Dynamo midfielder talks about his travels abroad, his 21st birthday, Pat Onstad and his preparations for 2011. (HoustonDynamo.com)