Last year I took a week-long trip to Mexico in August, during which Chelsea snared the signature of one Juan Mata. This year, I took a four-day trip to Maui with my wife, only for Chelsea to continue the tropical trend of inking Mr. Eden Hazard. Perhaps I should get on my gallop to Tahiti with the quickness.

Soccer is not only the most popular sport in the world, it is also the most amazing. Besides having plenty of investors pumping money into the various club leagues, soccer also has the largest talent pool from which to draw from. Soccer scouts can search for new stars in every corner of the world.

Former Independence fan favorite Holmfridur Magnusdottir and her fellow countrywoman, Katrin Omarsdottir signed contracts with the Independence last week, adding more depth to a team looking to make another trip to the WPS Final. Both Magnusdottir and Omarsdottir are midfielders, bringing even more experience to an already strong Independence midfield.

While the economy in Italy lurches from one crisis to another, there is an export market which shows no signs of a slump. Across Europe, it seems, there is a prized product of the peninsula which never sees demand dry up. An unerring rule of the football market appears to have been established: if you seek success and tactical acumen go out and hire a Italian coach.

Liverpool are being touted to make a shock January move for in-form Wolves striker Steven Fletcher.
The Scottish striker, who has bagged six goals in ten appearances this season has reportedly caught the eye of Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish, who is growing concerned at his side's lack of goals this term.

Dave: Bumped to front page for general awesomeness. Though I've disagreed with the author on this subject our conclusions are the same.

On several recent occasions in SounderAtHeart comment threads I have found myself buried in discussions over the relative passing abilities of Brad Evans and Erik Friberg.

He may not exactly be renowned for his tactical acumen, but like a broken clock hitting the jackpot ‘Arry has stumbled upon something of a platitude in his assessment of that Adebayor chap, noting a few weeks back that if he scores goals he'll eventually worm his way into our affections – and if he doesn't he won't.

Grant Wahl of Sports Illustrated comments on U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann naming Martín Vásquez as his No. 2, as well as his strengths and weaknesses-
Let me start off by saying it's rare to hear so much talk about an assistant coach for the U.S. national team. Quick, can you name the No.

Eight years in pharmaceutical and software sales isn't the first thing that jumps out about Martin Rennie's resume.
It's the four straight coach of the year nominations as he's worked his way up the North American soccer ladder, or the USL-2 title in Cleveland, or considerable wins in Carolina (see box).

Our long national nightmare is over. Bob Bradley has been ousted as coach of the USMNT. And like Jeff Carlisle says, there's little downside:

World Cup qualifying doesn't start until next year. There is no Confederations Cup to plan for. And given the USSF's ability to schedule quality friendlies, there would seem to be ample opportunity for a new coach to get up to speed.

Sentimments on a sensational, dramatic final, on the ascending quality of women's soccer and on one particular word that really needs to be retired from the sports writing lexicon:

1. What a superb final. As we all know, caution rules and expectations rise in championship deciders and the matches rarely deliver what we would call, on and around July 4 fireworks period, the "big finish.

Soccer America reports on the US 1-0 victory over Panama in the CONCACAF Gold Cup Semifinals.
Clint Dempsey's goal late in the second half gave the USA a 1-0 win over Panama and moved it into the final of the Gold Cup for fourth straight time. Dempsey teamed up with two very improbable substitutions -- Landon Donovan, again coming off the bench, and Freddy Adu, making his first U.

David Vaughan: Blackpool's ‘Other' Midfielder is a post from: Just Football

Mention the words 'Blackpool' and 'midfielder' this season and invariably only one name is ever mentioned. But as Joel Sked argues, it's not all about Charlie:

Ask followers of the English Premier League who Blackpool's player of the year would be and the majority would give you the name of Charlie Adam.

Whereas the discussion in Monday's match against Chelsea has focused around Clint's penalty, to me the bigger story in the game was the formations. And how they would dictate the, erm, "spectacle".

Chelsea came out with the predictable 4-3-3, albeit Drogba started on the bench. Hughes countered with an inverted 4-4-2 that was mostly a 4-4-1-1 with Duff on the right and Dempsey on the left.

PARKTOWN, South Africa Orlando Pirates coach Ruud Krol and Kaizer Chiefs striker Knowledge Musona have won the Absa Premiership Coach of the Month and Absa Premiership Player of the month for the December and January period. The announcement was made at the Premier Soccer League offices in Parktown on Monday.