Yesterday was quite an afternoon of football, with two compelling Cup matches. Turns out there's more today another Copa del Rey quarterfinal second leg, another Coppa Italia quarterfinal, and this just in from our Uruguayan buddy it's time for Copa Libertadores again. Click thru for livesoccertv's TV listings and match previews:

Coppa Italia quarterfinal – Milan vs Lazio - 8:45pm CET / 2:45pmET / 7:45pm GMT (USA: GolTV, ESPN3.

Like many Americans of my generation, I fell in love with football at age 14 during the 1994 World Cup.
Prior to 1994, I did not even realize that you could play football professionally. I figured it was something to do for fun. It was nothing more than a PE activity to do in between American football and basketball seasons.

"Se mira y se toca" Copa Sudamericana glory for Universidad de Chile is a post from: Just Football

Just Football's man in Chile, Santiago Irribarra reports on an historic continental cup triumph for Universidad de Chile:

In June, when Universidad de Chile lost the first leg of the Apertura final to bitter rivals Universidad Católica 2-0, everybody expected Católica, Copa Libertadores quarter-finalist and building on last year's title-winning form, would have no trouble sealing the win in the second leg, especially when they'd have to lose the second leg by three goals to not win the tournament, in accordance with new rules favouring the higher play-off seed.

As expected the Supporters' Shield winner will host MLS Cup, a welcome and long overdue change.

But the top five in each conference - Montreal joins the now 10-team Eastern Conference while the nine-team Western Conference remains the same - will now qualify for the playoffs. The fourth and fifth place teams will play a single game to determine who advances to play the conference champion in the two-game aggregate score semifinals, while the second and third place teams faceoff in the other semi.

Article by Jon Parker
Seeing as we are the home of MLS in the UK, we thought it only fitting to write an article about arguably Britain's most beloved player, following his exploits during the MLS Playoff season. I speak of course about the second most capped England player of all time, David Beckham.

Sporting Kansas City beat the defending champion Colorado Rapids 2 - 0 at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park in the second leg of the Eastern Conference semifinal. With an aggregate score of 4 - 0, Sporting KC advances to face the winner of Philadelphia Union and Houston Dynamo Sunday at LIVESTRONG. Full gallery Jimmy celebrates.

Soccer can be a cruel game. Sometimes you can do everything right and fall short of victory. That was the case for the Carolina Railhawks in their final match of the season. The stage was set for an incredible night of drama and both teams delivered. The second leg of the NASL semi-final between Carolina and Minnesota was one for the history books.

By JOHN BOSCHINI

For the second consecutive year, the Carolina Railhawks scored four goals in the return leg against the NSC Minnesota Stars. Only this time, it wasn't enough.

Minnesota advanced to the NASL championship series on penalty kicks despite losing a wild 4-3 game in Cary on Saturday.

photo by Victor Palkaninec

By FRANCO PANIZO

FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. - The Puerto Rico Islanders won't soon forget the name Brian Shriver.

A week after scoring the final goal in the Fort Lauderdale Strikers' 3-1 road win against Puerto Rico, Shriver bagged a brace in the second leg of the NASL semifinals series to give the hosts a 2-1 victory in front of 4,233 fans at Lockhart Stadium on Saturday night.

A few weeks ago, the Manchester United FB Page asked the question 'Still thinking about the 8-2?'. I said hell yeah. What else was there to think about? The international break had most inconveniently followed, and I've never translated my United fandom to following England (for Roon one could argue, but now practically the entire right wing) or hating them (for Lumplard, Cashley and the likes).

On the 9th April 2002, a particularly catastrophic tactical decision by Gerard Houllier robbed Liverpool FC of the chance to participate in what would undoubtedly have been the game of the century.
On the night in question, Liverpool faced Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League quarter-final second leg.

On the 9th April 2002, a particularly catastrophic tactical decision by Gerard Houllier robbed Liverpool FC of the chance to participate in what would undoubtedly have been the game of the century.
On the night in question, Liverpool faced Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League quarter-final second leg.

The 2011 Recopa Sudamericana (South American Super Cup) was won by Brazilian side Internacional on Wednesday night. The 2010 Copa Libertadores champions were 2-1 down from the first leg to 2010 Copa Sudamericana winners Independiente before they turned it around in the return fixture with a 3-1 win.

The obligatory Owen Coyle photo

The cup season is upon us once again as Bolton Wanderers open the Carling Cup against Macclesfield Town at the Reebok. The Silkmen of League Two downed Hull City by a score of 2-0 to reach the second round. Bolton will look to do better than they did last year when they were ousted by Burnley in the third round.

Next week, the CONCACAF Champions League group stage gets under way with 5 MLS teams having qualified. In light of that, I thought a few readers might like a bit of an explanation about what the whole thing is all about.

By now, most MLS fans have at least an inkling of what the CONCACAF Champions League is.

Next week, the CONCACAF Champions League group stage gets under way with 5 MLS teams having qualified. In light of that, I thought a few readers might like a bit of an explanation about what the whole thing is all about.

By now, most MLS fans have at least an inkling of what the CONCACAF Champions League is.

Next week, the CONCACAF Champions League group stage gets under way with 5 MLS teams having qualified. In light of that, I thought a few readers might like a bit of an explanation about what the whole thing is all about.

By now, most MLS fans have at least an inkling of what the CONCACAF Champions League is.

For the second year in a row the MLS All Stars fell to Manchester United in the mid-season all star game. Again it wasn't much of a game as United won 4-0, bringing the aggregate score to 9-2 over the two years. But honestly in the end it was a team that had practiced with each other a grand total of two times before the game going up against a team that has been consistently playing together, many of them for years.

What a credit to MLS that All-Star game was.

Let's do that next year, too, so we can add to the 9-2 aggregate score of the last two years.

Can you imagine how many converts to the league there will be because of this game?

Don't listen to critics like this - they have no clue.

Seattle hopes to be the next MLS team to make a deep run in the CCL. (Getty Images)

Back in April the 2010/11 CONCACAF Champions League ended in a thud for Major League Soccer. The one club (Real Salt Lake) with any dreams of having CCL glory come their way was dashed away as they fell to Mexican side Monterrey in the final match.

** This post will be bumped to the top of the site until the end of the Preliminary Round. ** Below are collated results for the Preliminary Round of the 2011-12 CONCACAF Champions League. Ties are a two-match, home-and-away series, higher aggregate score wins, and the away goals rule is in effect. If aggregate and away goals are level, a 30-minute extra time period (away goals rule not in effect) is played with penalties if necessary.

The first round of 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying has been completed in Asia this weekend. Eight nations from Nepal to Malaysia, from Myanmar to the Philippines, have secured their places in the next round of qualifying which will take place in late July.

The biggest story of Asian (AFC) World Cup qualifying came at the Faisal Al-Husseini International stadium in the Palestinian city of Al-Ram where Palestine faced off against Afghanistan.

The 2011 Gold Cup Final everyone was expecting has arrived. At stake is not just CONCACAF bragging rights, but a berth in the 2013 Confederations Cup, a crucial tune-up tournament for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

The Road to the Final

It has not been an easy road for the United States or Mexico, with both teams having difficult games on the way to Pasadena.

With the next World Cup still three years away and the US Men's National team putting us to sleep in the Gold Cup, wouldn't it be nice if there was something exciting going on this summer?

What's that you say, Amy Rodriguez? Something exciting in Germany? But what?

The Women's World Cup kicks off this Sunday and runs until the big final on July 17.

The 2011 Copa Libertadores final will see two of South America's pioneering club sides take the competition back to its halcyon days of the 1960s. Uruguayan giants Peñarol are one of the grand old clubs of the continent having won South American football's greatest club competition on five occasions, just two behind record champions Independiente.

Roped once more into acting as question setter as a local hostelry puts on a themed quiz.
Tonight's theme is Edward Gibbon's The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.
No, I jest.
It's the Champions League as Barcelona and Manchester United go head to head in the final.

2008/2009 was all-in-all Barcelona's season. Pep Guardiola led his childhood club to glory like no other manager had done before him.

United on the other hand, weren't too bad the whole season. They were back again in the UEFA Champions League final to defend the title that they had won last year against Chelsea.

The first legs of the Mexico Torneo Clausura semifinals were played earlier today, and the first one was a weird one. #8 Guadalajara Chivas, fresh off their convincing upset of #1 UNL Tigres by a 4-2 aggregate score, hosted #2 UNAM Pumas, who tied Torneo Apertura champions #7 Monterrey by a 3-3 aggregate score but advanced on the away goals rule, losing 3-1 in Monterrey and then winning 2-0 at
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This match was supposed to be a foregone conclusion. Indeed, the final aggregate score perpetuates that feeling. Truth, however, can be stranger than fiction and the supporters of Wrexham FC can be justifiably proud of the performance of their team at Kenilworth Road this evening. In the first leg of this Blue Square Premier play-off, Luton Town put in a display of consumate professionalism at The Racecourse Ground as the home side froze on their big night.

Palermo have reached their first Coppa Italia final in over three decades. The Rosanero beat AC Milan 2-1 at home, to go through the semis on a 4-3 aggregate score. The side now faces either Roma or Inter in the final at the Stadio Olimpico on May 29th.

Aurelio De Laurentiis and Walter Mazzarri's tenuous relationship seems to be growing more and more fragile by the day.

The Canadian championship final will be an all-MLS affair.

Toronto FC made quick work of FC Edmonton while Vancouver needed extra time to put away the Montreal Impact in the final legs of their semifinal matchups Wednesday night.

Rookie Joao Plata set up Alan Gordon in the 21st minute for the lone goal in TFC's 1-0 victory over Edmonton.

Atsuto Uchida and Darron Gibson compete for a place in the Thursday Thigh Off. Darron edges it here for us, but we'll be keeping a close eye on Atsuto for you. Images: AP Photo/Getty Images/Daylife.

That's it then. Formalities over, we now have the teams who will be lining up at Wembley on May 28th for the Champions League Final.

Last night, Real Salt Lake hosted Monterrey in the second leg of the CONCACAF Champions League final, bringing a 2-2 aggregate score into Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy Utah. It looked as if RSL would break Mexico's five year winning streak in the CCL, as they only needed a tie to win the title.Fabian Espindola had the first effort at Monterrey's goal, and his effort slipped just wide of the right
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Tonight, Real Salt Lake begins it's attempt to become the first team since the 2000 LA Galaxy to win the CONCACAF Champions' League/Cup. A US team has made the finals for the first time since the format changed for the 2008-2009 season. The first even since LA's run to the finals in 2000, when the entire tournament was hosted in Los Angeles.

Aberdeen v Celtic.
Four games so far this season and Celtic have racked up an aggregate score of 17-1. They probably just edge it as favourites today.
Coming into the weekend this was seen as the semi-final that would likely turn out the more one sided affair. Then marvellous Motherwell led the sorry Saints on a first half dance at Hampden yesterday.

Clinical Barca seal Semi-Final spot

FC Barcelona finished off the good work they did in the first leg with a 1-0 victory against Shaktar at the Donbass Arena. In an arena, where many of the Europe's finest struggled, Barca produced a very efficient display to book their place in yet another Champions League semi-final and an aggregate score of 6-1.

Monterrey will join Real Salt Lake in the CONCACAF Champions League final.

Humberto Suazo's 81st-minute penalty kick sealed a 1-1 draw at Estadio Azul Wednesday night, lifting Monterrey past Cruz Azul, 3-2 on aggregate in their CCL semifinal.

Cruz Azul, looking to reach the CCL final for the third consecutive year, looked to be on its way after Cesar Villaluz scored in the 24th minute to level the aggregate score and give Cruz Azul the edge because of its away goal in the first leg.

2 Critical wins in 2 matches: 1 in the Champions League, 1 in La Liga: puts us right into the thick of things and still be in contention for 3 titles this season. An amazing display of man management by the coach, avoidance of interference by management... and above all CHARACTER by the team.

Oguchi Onyewu and FC Twente advanced to the next round of the Europa League on Tuesday, losing 2-0 on the night to Zenit St Petersburg but winning 3-2 on aggregate. Onyewu started and played the full ninety at the Petrovski Stadium. Zenit scored in the 17th and 37th minutes, but were unable to find a third goal to tie the aggregate score.

So we narrowly go out to Barcelona, the team touted as the 'best in the world' by many an expert, with the aggregate score being 3-2 despite us playing for almost a quarter of the tie a man down, unfairly a man down I may add, and the media seem to think that we are useless, have 'no leaders', cannot defend, et cetera.