SoccerBlogs

With the start of the season quickly creeping up on the calendar and the transfer window being open until the end of August, Arsenal, like most other Premier League teams, aren't sure who will be in the line-up on opening day and who might not be with the club anymore.

One thing looks certain though, and that's that Gunners midfielders Tomas Rosicky and Jack Wilshere won't be ready to play when the season kicks off.

The third World War which is currently brewing over the Great Charlie Adam Tackle of 2012 is quite something, because if you'd read the reports, with Charlie being called a "coward," you'd think ol' Charlie came into the challenge with an arsenal of medieval weaponry and a dancing street gang.

Manchester United forward Federico Macheda realizes that spending loan spells at other clubs reminds him of how much he wants to remain a Red Devil in the long run.

Macheda, 20, arrived at United as a teenager in 2008 but has since been sent out on loan at Sampdoria and Queens Park Rangers.

Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert believes star striker Darren Bent will have a major part to play in the club's plans this season.

The new Villa chief will be able to unleash the England striker from the start of the new Premier League campaign after Bent recovered from the ankle injury that kept him out of Euro 2012.

When FC Dallas hit the practice field on Tuesday morning, the club's first practice since a 3-3 draw at San Jose on Saturday night, the club did so without center back George John, who has been recovering from an ankle injury. John, a third-year defender who had a trial with West Ham United of England's second division earlier this year, did a session with homegrown forward Jonathan Top, who is also currently out with an ankle injury right after his teammates had ended practice and a member of the FCD medical staff.

After being sidelined for three weeks, David Beckham has recovered from an ankle injury and could make his return to action for the Los Angeles Galaxy on Sunday when they take on the Colorado Rapids.

Beckham resumed training this week and is on the verge of returning to action after missing the team's past two MLS victories against the Colorado Rapids and Toronto FC.

Szczesney to miss clash against Montpellier by TS

According to reports from ESPN, Arsenal keeper Wojciech Szczesny will miss tomorrow's game following an ankle injury. The Polish international has not traveled with the squad for the Champions League clash against Montpellier.

By BRYAN ROBISON

While Manchester United was able to enter the win column with a 3-2 win over Fulham after losing their season debut to Everton last weekend, it was not all good news for the Red Devils, as star Wayne Rooney went down with a leg injury. After attempting to deflect Fulham's Hugo Rodallega's shot, Rooney had his thigh cut open by Rodallega's cleat after he stepped on Rooney's leg.

Italy and Germany are tremendous historic rivals; as two of Europe's most powerful footballing nations, any match between these two squads is intense and there is usually something on the line. Although this match probably won't be as epic as the battle in Dortmund in the 2006 World Cup, it is still highly-anticipated and should be plenty exciting.

Photo by ISIphotos.com

Robbie Rogers has a new place to play until this winter.

Rogers was loaned Thursday from Leeds United to League One side Stevenage, where he will play for former Colorado Rapids manager Gary Smith. The loan extends until the end of 2012, at which point he will return to Leeds.

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By THOMAS FLOYD

It appears Robbie Rogers' brief tenure with Leeds United could be coming to an end.

The U.S. national team midfielder has been placed on the club's transfer list, manager Neil Warnock said. Rogers signed with Leeds as a free agent in December after five years with the Columbus Crew.

Nil-nil is not often a fair result, but on a night where the New England Revolution squandered early chances, and the Columbus Crew played a tight defensive formation, 0-0 is a fair result. With each team taking a point away, there was absolutely no movement in the Eastern Conference leaving New England in sixth place, which is just outside of the last spot.

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Tim Cahill will make his New York Red Bulls debut at Red Bull Arena Tuesday night, as the Red Bulls host Tottenham in the Barclays New York Cup (7 p.m., ESPN2/ESPN3.com).

Cahill, who is in the starting XI, will look to replicate Thierry Henry's feat of scoring against Tottenham in his Red Bulls debut, something he did two summers ago.

Three points on the board as USA starts its 2014 qualifying. How those three points were achieved is debatable. For those who see the cup as half full, the USA created chances at a phenomenal rate. For those more pessimistic, they just could not score and the scoreline should have been doubled.

By FRANCO PANIZO

If Germany is to defeat Italy in the Euro 2012 semifinals and advance the the tournament finale, they might have to do it without one of their key midfielders.

Bastian Schweinsteiger is questionable for Germany's semifinal bout on Thursday against Andrea Pirlo and the rest of the Azzurri with an ankle injury.

In their last training session before flying to LA to take on the Galaxy tomorrow, the Timbers found themselves in the middle of a much more busy training facility that normal. With the usual practice taking place alongside a Tualatin Hills United Soccer Club tournament and a tour for sponsors of the team, the atmosphere around the Timbers training facility was much more lively that normal.

The Portland Timbers trained as usual at the Timbers' training facility in Beaverton this morning. Players stayed out on the field until well after noon today, taking advantage of the almost-summer sun. We were not allowed to see any of the players' post-training activities, so I don't have anything to report on that footing.

Javi Martinez is officially a Bayern Munich player.

After an on-again, off-again transfer saga, the Spanish international has completed his move from Athletic Bilbao to the German giants for a €40 million fee that was necessary to trigger a buy-out clause in his contract.