The Roy Hodgson era as England manager has not exactly gotten of to the smoothest of stats. From his late appointment, to the abbreviated training camp ahead of the Norway game, Hodgson seems to be playing catch-up.

And his job has not been made an easier with the news that Manchester City midfielder Gareth Barry has been ruled out the Euros due to a torn stomach muscle picked up in Saturday's friendly.

With a question mark over Scott Parker's fitness it may have been a surprise for many to see him start the game against Norway at the weekend but after playing into the second half, Scott looks set to make the plane for Euro 2012.

"The game in Norway was my first for a while and I'm pleased I've come through it.

The Roy Hodgson era as England manager has began with a 1-0 victory at Norway, but the fee good feeling was slightly marred by a double injury scare ahead of Euro 2012.

Manchester United winger Ashley Young scored the only goal to give Hodgson victory in his first match in charge.

But there are concerns over ­Manchester City midfielder Gareth Barry and Spurs' Scott Parker, who both came off.

I'm French! Why do think I have this outrageous accent!

Before I get started I want to point out that the full list of MLS salaries were released today. I'll have a full write-up later this weekend but I figured some people might want to take a look.
Our only look at this year's expansion team, the Montreal Impact, comes tomorrow night at the Dick.

Tottenham's Scott Parker took part in England's first training session under Roy Hodgson although it seems that the injury doubt hanging over the midfielder has yet to go away. Scott was named in Roy Hodgson's squad for Euro 2012 despite an Achilles problem that had kept him out of the Spurs squad at the end of the season and he now has to prove his fitness to the new boss.

Spock Spork!

After a disastrous midweek game in DC Colorado is back at home against Sporting KC. Kansas City is on a 3 game slide after winning their first 7 to start the season. There's a big tailgate for this one as Kansas City usually brings a good crown. we're doing a BBQ tailgate and the KC fans are bringing authentic KC BBQ sauce.

WASHINGTON -- Matt Pickens could only come up big so many times.

The Colorado Rapids goalkeeper made eight saves, most of which came at a high degree of difficulty, but Dwayne De Rosario and Hamdi Salihi were able to break through to deliver D.C. United a 2-0 victory in front of 11,593 at RFK Stadium Wednesday night.

Our finest moment in DC

After what felt like a extremely long 10 days off Colorado is back in action tomorrow night in DC. The center of power hasn't been kind to the Rapids historically, with last year producing only our 3rd ever win in the District. This season a beat up burgundy side makes the trip with 4 major starters unlikely to start.

Need I say more? ;)

A quick turnaround from our trip to Boston sends us to Dallas tomorrow for a rematch of our MLS Cup victory. As good as the Rapids have been in Dallas in the postseason they've struggled in the regular season. With this being the 3rd game in 8 days we'll probably see some tired legs.

No Jamesons Night this season

The Rapids get their only look at the New England Revolution tomorrow night in Foxboro. That's right, the hallowed Colorado supporter's tradition of Jamesons Night when the Revs are in town won't happen this year, barring some surprise matchup in the U.

Not all weaknesses reveal themselves easily on a silver screen. Sometimes, we think we've found Achilles's heel, but instead encounter steel-backed boots. Sometimes, we use our hands to part the scales on the sleeping dragon's chest only to realize, crap, we brainfarted and left the sword at the cave entrance.

Do you dare try the Tacos de Buche?

The other LA team, the Under-a-Chivas, are in town this week. The crowd should be a little more subdued after the Beckham-fest or last week and I for one am glad. We don't need half the stadium rooting for some guy on the other team.

Bruce Campbell, a much better spokesperson for Old Spice than Beckham

That's right, Old Spice, Keane, PrimaDonnavan, and the rest of the Galaxy will be our opponents tomorrow night. This is the first of two trips to Colorado for LA this year and reportedly David Beckham will be making an appearance this trip.

Yes, I have to start out the scouting report talking about Brian Mullan, even though he's far from the most likely player to have a significant impact on the game. Sounders fans have been increasingly chided and cautioned over the last few weeks by the media as well as the organization to just leave the poor guy alone - cause garsh shucks bygones is bygones - to the point that if every fan doesn't give him a handshake and a wet kiss on the cheek, we've embarrassed the franchise.

Ah yes, its that time again

The Rapids are in Salt Lake City for the first of two trips to play FaKe SaLt LaKe this season. We only get one home game which makes the Rocky Mountain Cup difficult to win this season, but now appears to be a good time to strike.

Chicago Dog Week at the Class VI/Pid Army tailgate

After a long two weeks in the Northeast the Rapids are finally back at home on Sunday. The Fire are in town and Colorado is trying to right the ship after a bad outing in NY. Game time is 5pm and since its a themed tailgate (see above) the grills start and kegs open at 2pm.

Newcastle captain Coloccini is out for the next two games with a hamstring problem. Mike Williamson we can cope without Fabricio With Steven Taylor also being out with an Achilles problem for the rest of the season, Newcastle do not any specialist center-backs to come in, and it will be James Perch who will do the duties next to big Mike Williamson in Sunday's game [.

New meaning to bridge over troubled water

Colorado is back in the Northeast on Sunday, just up the road from last week's game in Philly. This will be the team's only look at New York this year, and it won't be a pretty one. The midfield core is devastated by injury and suspension so there's a big challenge ahead of Pareja's team.

(Yeah, I can't help myself. A Crew game requires a LEGO Village People picture)
It's finally time to get the season started! Tomorrow the Rapids host the Crew to kick off Oscar Pareja's coaching career. Game time tomorrow is 4pm, the first game (along with Vancouver-Montreal kicking simultaneously) of the whole MLS season.

Bad news out of Commerce City today as Anthony Wallace ripped his Achilles in training yesterday and he'll miss 6-9 months. That means if he takes exactly 6 months and no longer he can get back for the final 7 games. Realistically he'll be back closer to the final 2 games, at which point hopefully the Rapids will be in their playoff push.

The Frank Lampard Appreciation Society presents another series of entries in the diary of one Monseur Lampard. We hope you enjoy this untainted gaze into the mind of England's once prominent philosophical bum-rushing midfielder.

February 5, 2012

This is the season that can do neither wrong nor right by me.

By Chris Wright

In which, during his side's 3-1 Nordderby win over Hamburg in the Bundesliga, Werder Bremen hardman Marko Marin gets hacked down mercilessly by an empty plastic cup thrown from the crowd...

Of course, objects being thrown from the terraces is deplorable, but the fact that Marin instinctive reaction is hit the turf holding his Achilles as soon as he feels the nudge is, to my eye at least, indicative of the mindset of flimsy footballers these days.

Morning all.

We'd best start with the bad news this morning and that's Jack Wilshere. He's suffered a 'little setback' according to Arsene Wenger and although the manager was obviously trying to play it down a bit, saying he couldn't put a timeframe on it because Jack has to see consultants, the fear is that this could keep him out for at least 6-8 weeks, if not the rest of the season.

Spurs were already in the midst of an injury crisis when Brazilian midfielder Sandro limped out of action on the half hour mark of yesterday's win over West Brom. The news got worse as Sandro's replacement Jake Livermore left proceedings after a clash of heads with Younes Kaboul.

The situation has left the club with few right sided options in midfield with Scott Parker nursing a knee injury and Tom Huddlestone a long term absentee.

By Chris Wright

Chelsea held an open training session in aid of the 'Help A Capital Child' charity at The Bridge yesterday afternoon ahead of their midweek trip to Tottenham and we've got photographic proof people...

The West Stand at Stamford Bridge in all it's glory

The replacements for David Luiz and Alex are wheeled out

"These gloves smell of.

Yesterday during the open training session at Stamford Bridge we had the news that John Terry had suffered an injury and at first was doubtful to face Spurs on Thursday night. Thank god that it seems as though we will now be OK for the game as I really believe he is one player we simply cannot afford to miss right now.

Squad sheets: Aston Villa v Liverpool

Stewart Downing, who scored the only goal of the game in the corresponding fixture at the end of last season, can expect a hostile reception from Aston Villa supporters on his return to his former club. The England winger has still to score for a Liverpool side that have lost only once in their last 10 league matches.

Tomorrow's game at Norwich gives Newcastle United a chance to get back to their winning ways. But they will have to do that without top center-back Steven Taylor, who was injured in the game against Chelsea last Saturday afternoon, and is now out for the season after undergoing surgery on his Achilles last Monday.

News today in the Journal that the powers that be at Newcastle will be deciding whether to bring in two new center-backs in the January transfer window. James Perch -- becomes important player for Newcastle The big bad news on Saturday was with just two minutes left in the game Steven Taylor ruptured his Achilles, and he is in London today having an operation that [.

The Rapids start the playoffs tomorrow night at the Dick against the Columbus Crew. 4 games in the next 11 days separate them from another trip to MLS Cup. Tomorrow night its simple, win or go home. There will be 30 minutes and, if necessary, PK's to decide a winner. Of course last year when Colorado started their run to MLS Cup they did it by beating the Crew in the first round.

By Chris Wright

RAT!

He's probably not the worst, he's definitely not the first and he sure as excreta won't be the last, but Wisla Krakow's Gervasio Nunez showed his true rat colours in getting Moussa Dembele sent-off in the Europa League last night.

Team news, manager quotes and match facts ahead of the Champions League Group F fixture between Marseille and Arsenal at Stade Velodrome.

TEAM NEWS

Marseille lacked the services of playmakerMathieu Valbuena at the weekend as they drew 0-0 with Toulouse, but the the diminutive midfielder.

Mais um jogo da Indian Ocean Games, foi jogado no dia 09/08/2011, na cidade de Victoria-SEY, onde jogaram as seleções de Seychelles (199º no ranking da FIFA) e a seleção de Maldives (160º no ranking da FIFA).
Antes desse jogo, as 2 seleções nunca haviam jogado.
O árbitro desse jogo, foi: Jean-Pierre Rakotonjanahary-MAD
O primeiro gol do jogo, foi de Nelson Laurence, aos 16 minutos do primeiro tempo, sendo seu terceiro gol pela seleção nacional.

Mais um jogo da Indian Ocean Games, foi disputado no dia 06/08/2011, na cidade de Victoria-SEY, onde jogaram as seleções de Seychelles (199º no ranking da FIFA) e a seleção de Mauricio (195º no ranking da FIFA).
Antes desse jogo, as 2 seleções jogaram:
Eliminatórias Continentais
2008Curepipe 09/09/2007 MRI1:1 (0:1)SEY Group matches2008Roche Caiman 07/10/2006 SEY2:1 (1:0)MRI Group matches1998Roche Caiman 24/08/1996 SEY1:1 (0:1)MRI Preliminary round1998Bellevue 08/08/1996 MRI0:0SEY Preliminary round1990Roche Caiman 16/10/1988 SEY1:0MRI First round1990Curepipe 02/10/1988 MRI3:0 (2:0)SEY First round
Amistosos
Witbank 19/07/2008 MRI0:7 (0:2)SEY Group matches
Antananarivo 14/08/2007 MRI3:0 (2:0)SEY First stage2006Roche Caiman 28/06/2006 SEY2:1 (0:0)MRI 2003Curepipe 02/09/2003 MRI0:0SEY 2001Port Louis 26/09/2002 MRI1:0 (0:0)SEY 1998Saint-Pierre 15/08/1998 SEY4:3 (0:0)MRI 1993Roche Caiman 28/08/1993 SEY2:6 (0:0)MRI 1990Antananarivo 25/08/1990 MRI2:0 (2:0)SEY 1987Roche Caiman 15/10/1988 SEY1:0 (0:0)MRI 1986Curepipe 14/09/1986 MRI2:0 (1:0)SEY 1986Roche Caiman 31/08/1986 SEY1:2 (1:2)MRI
O árbitro desse jogo, foi: Harouna Hassui-FRA
O primeiro gol do jogo, foi de Nelson Laurence, no primeiro minutos de Seychelles.

By Chris Wright

I'm usually fairly passive when it comes to getting riled up over football, but I routinely make an exception for Real Madrid's ankle-buster in chief, Pepe.

Dear sweet Jesus-on-a-stick how I hate this disgusting, conniving, cowardly, nefarious, maliciously-unhinged c**t with the burning passion of a thousand suns the most recent case in point being his Achilles-shredding, head-kicking assault on Levante's Xavi Torres during Madrid's shock 1-0 defeat over the weekend.

Squad sheets: Tottenham Hotspur v Liverpool

Harry Redknapp's distaste for the Europa League had veered into parody by the time he fielded just one of the team to have beaten Wolves last Sunday, but the importance he placed on this fixture was genuine. Spurs's early-season form has been dubious and if they are to end their six-month recession then victory against nominal rivals and a team whom they beat twice last season would be a start.

A muggy night, a sparse crowd (hello, prep football) and Galaxy Coach Bruce Arena has the squad rotation in full effect.

Goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts returns from injury for his first start since June, Bryan Jordan slots in at right back for his second start of the season, Paolo Cardozo starts up front in his third start of the season and Chad Barrett is alongside him for his first start since, um, Monday.

Arsene Wenger's Arsenal side are already facing a major injury crisis, only three matches into the Premier League season. Last night it was revealed that center back Thomas Vermaelen underwent an achilles operation in Sweden, ruling out the influential Belgian for at least a month.

The injury, combined with Jack Wilshere's persistent injury problems, means that the struggling Gunners will continue to be without some of their key players.

Just when you thought things were on the up at Arsenal, and lets face it they couldn't have got much worse could they, there are reports in today's Daily Mirror saying that defender Thomas Vermaelen could be out for two months! The defender took a knock on his Achilles against Udinese two weeks ago which [.

Good morning from a wild and windy Dublin. I think summer, such as it was, is now well and truly gone.

There's gloomy news to start with this morning involving Thomas Vermaelen. The Belgian is set to miss two months having undergone ankle surgery in Stockholm early this week. He picked up a knock away to Udinese and although Arsene Wenger was hopeful he might play against United at Old Trafford things have taken a very obvious turn for the worse.