The Dutch squad took their Official Team Portraits at their training ground in Hoenderloo yesterday afternoon, as part of UEFA's pre-tournament procedures. Despite the slight rain, Wesley Sneijder, Ibrahim Afellay, Arjen Robben, van Bommel and co' all lined up in a row to have their photo taken.

Arsenal transfer target Yann M'Vila's hopes of playing in Euro 2012 could well be over after the defensive midfielder suffered a horrific ankle injury in a 'friendly' between France and Serbia on Thursday evening. M'Vila was stretched off just 4 minutes into the match after a challenge from Dusan Tadic, only to return to the [.

By Alan Duffy

England's opponents in their opening game of Euro 2012, France, warmed up for the summer's tournament with a comfortable 2-0 win over Serbia in Reims on Thursday evening. Franck Ribery opened the scoring on 11 minutes before Chelsea man Florent Malouda unleashed a rocket to make it 2-0.

Eight days of us lying in waiting to go until the Euros start yet the hotties are dropping like flies. Our fabulash footy in June plan went out the window once news of Yoann Gourcuff being dropped from France's final roster (Blanc's reason: "niggling ankle injury") reached us. We'll be missing him. Like always.

Over the past three seasons, Sigi Schmid has masterfully maneuvered the Seattle Sounders lineup. Many times, he's rolled out a lineup that has made more than a few of us want to rip out our hair. But more times than not, it's worked out in his favor.

His willingness to go more than 20-deep on his roster is part of why the Sounders have been able to do so well in multiple competitions.

By JEFFREY KRAUSE

Chris Rolfe has yet to see the gameday roster for the Chicago Fire due to an ankle injury he suffered after returning to the club following a stint of more than two years in Denmark. That could be changing in the immediate future, though.

Photo: Courtesy of Junior Lone Star

The weekend of May 18-20 will be one to forget for the Stars as they started their inaugural season in the National Premier Soccer League with two successive losses.

FC Sonic 2–0 Junior Lone Star

In their league opener on Friday, May 18th, the Stars traveled to Bethlehem, PA where they lost 0-2 to FC Sonic.

Well, they finally did it and boy, do Chelsea deserve it! Saturday night's Champions League final was a fitting representation of the football patterns we've come to witness in the last decade. The notion of "Finders, keepers" coupled by the actual, cruel possibility of denying a team their fairytale ending has come to light once again.

More Surgery for Wilshere

Arsenal starlet Jack Wilshere is all set to go under the knife once again in order to rectify a knee setback that he suffered during his rehabilitation from his long-term ankle injury. (Goal.com)

The 20-year-old midfielder played no part in Arsenal's 2011/12 football season due to his ankle problem and he will go undergo more surgery in Sweden next week to solve the knee issue, which has been described as a 'longstanding' one by the club officials.

Sporting KC is back in action tomorrow in Chicago when they'll take on the Chicago Fire at Toyota Park in Bridgeview, IL. Traveling there with Sporting are close to 500 traveling supporters, probably the largest traveling support for Kansas City for any game, save maybe MLS Cup 2004. Sadly I couldn't make the trip this year, but it'll be great to see the crowd that turns up to support Sporting tomorrow.

The Red Bulls managed to repulse wave, after wave, after wave of determined Houston Dynamo attacks and came away with their third 1-Nil victory in a row this past Wednesday night. This one wasn't a classic by any means, and only noteworthy for the Alamo-like stand our still shorthanded team made to preserve the 1-0.

It's only been three weeks since the Dynamo and DC United played at RFK Stadium. United won 3-2 and while they've continued to play very well since, things will hopefully be a bit different on Saturday. To preview the match, Martin Shatzer of Black and Red United and I exchanged a simple question: How will this match be different from the last?

STARTERS
Jonthan Spector was subbed out in the 44th min by Birmingham today due to a thigh injury and they promptly gave up goals in the 45th and 48th min to be eliminated from the English Championship division promotion playoffs.
dN
Despite his 3 game suspension being over, Rafa Marquez will not be in the New York game day 18 tonight due to an ankle injury.

The New York Red Bulls look to make it three wins in a row, but to do so they'll have to get by a Houston Dynamo side finally at the end of its seven-game road trip to open the season (7 p.m., MLS Live/Direct Kick).

The Red Bulls are again without Rafa Marquez, who has completed his three-game suspension but is out with an ankle injury suffered in training, according to the Red Bulls.

At one point the path to Western Conference victory was assumed to include FC Dallas. Their slow start puts the Toros in 6th, but their struggles are deeper than the 12 points in 10 played indicate. Similar to the Seattle Sounders, Dallas lost a player to injury last year. David Ferriera is still out after his ankle injury last year.

Liverpool are said to be lining up a bid for Aston Villa striker Darren Bent who is said to be nearing a full recovery from an ankle injury that has kept him sidelined for much of the second half of the current campaign. Kenny Dalglish is reportedly interested in the England international who still has hopes of making Roy Hodgson's Euro 2012 squad.

Full team news will follow of course but reports suggest that Scott Parker will be available for Sunday's clash with Aston Villa after making good progress from his ankle injury.

In Scott's absence however, Sandro has stepped in and has been back to his brilliant Brazilian best so Scott may conceivably have to wait in the unfamiliar territory of the subs bench.

Newcastle host Man City as United and Tottenham hope for a draw - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

The Manchester derby on Monday was widely dubbed the biggest game of the season but this clash now carries a similar level of importance. Not only is it vital for City to cement their recently gained advantage by claiming three points from the toughest of their two remaining fixtures, the game is huge for the Magpies too.

Manchester United midfielder Tom Cleverley has warned Manchester City that the title race isn't over yet. The 22-year-old pointed to United's track record of comebacks as he insisted that Sir Alex Ferguson's men have not given up yet. Cleverley, who was helping to launch Adidas' new Predator Lethal Zones boot, said: "The title race isn't [.

Tom Cleverley is aiming to put an injury-hit season behind him and score against Swansea to keep the pressure on title rivals Manchester City. The midfielder made an impressive start to the season, but failed to to find the net in any of his five games before succumbing to ankle injury. He's hoping all that [.

So the title decider is here Man City vs Man United is due to kick-off tonight at 8pm at the Etihad stadium and this match is sure to be watched by millions of people online and on Sky TV.

Manchester United will be hoping to exact revenge following the 6-1 humiliation when Manchester City came to Old Trafford earlier in the season.

A twist of fortune which currently happened with Alberto Aquilani at Ac Milan reportedly could make him return to Anfield next season, as the Rossoneri are not willing to meet the clause both teams set last summer.

Acknowledging this situation, the Reds' manager, Kenny Dalglish, said that he would welcome Aquilani back with open hands although the tactician believed that leaving Milan would make the player truly disappointed.

Monday's disappointing result has added pressure to an already difficult fixture. Failure to gain three points from the Chelsea game will seriously jeopardise our push for a third place finish. Not only will it add impetus to the chasing pack but it will make the rest of the season's fixtures must win games not want win games.

By THOMAS FLOYD

D.C. United and the New York Red Bulls will renew their longtime rivalry Sunday, and they'll do so with second place in the Eastern Conference at stake.

The match features two of the league's most in-form teams, with New York unbeaten in four and United undefeated in five.

Plenty of potential draws this weekend and a couple high scoring games too. (Getty Images)

The weekend is finally here! Like we discussed yesterday, Week 7 in Major League Soccer has already gotten off to a hot start.

We have eight more games set for this weekend, seven of them tomorrow with one lone game on Sunday.

If there is a knock on up-and-coming American winger Josh Gatt it is his propensity for injury, and it seems as if the injury bug has caught the 20-year-old speedster yet again.

After missing Molde's match this past week against Viking, Gatt has been ruled out for the club's clash with Luke Rodgers' Lillestrom SK on Monday with an unspecified muscle strain, according to the club's official website.

Talking Tactics: Are Aston Villa's woes purely down to missing key players? is a post from: Just Football

by Sam Thompson

It was clear during Aston Villa's heavy defeat to Manchester United last weekend that the Midlands club are a side missing key players. Looking at Aston Villa's strongest XI on paper, it is obvious that the three players in the spine of the side who have been unavailable are sorely missed.

Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere has been ruled out for the remainder of the season with an ankle injury and "will not go" to Euro 2012 with England, Gunners manager Arsene Wenger confirmed on Monday.

A stress fracture to his right ankle has prevented Wilshere from playing this season, but both the player and Wenger had been optimistic that he would return to play some part in the end-of-season run-in.

By FRANCO PANIZO

If there was an award for the best goal scored in a season by an American Abroad, Jozy Altidore's latest strike would surely be up for contention.

Altidore scored his 14th league goal and 18th across all competitions on Saturday when he rocketed a shot from distance in AZ Alkmaar's match against PSV Eindhoven.

Chelsea's Uruguayan target Edison Cavani has been offered a £3.7m per year salary by Juventus should he choose to leave Napoli at the end of the season however, a transfer fee has not been agreed. With Napoli President Aurelio De Laurentiis wanting €50m (£41.2m) or €60m (£49.3m) for the 26 year old, it is hard to see Cavani joining Juventus.

Limited to signing autographs for now

FA Cup semifinal today but it doesn't involves The Arsenal. There's a couple of Premier League matches, none of which involves us as well. Our game against Wigan will only be on Monday night and that give the players plenty of time to recover from the midweek exertions at Molineux.

Limited to signing autographs for now

FA Cup semifinal today but it doesn't involves The Arsenal. There's a couple of Premier League matches, none of which involves us as well. Our game against Wigan will only be on Monday night and that give the players plenty of time to recover from the midweek exertions at Molineux.

The Houston Dynamo are in a bit of a personnel crisis with suspensions and injuries taking their toll on the club's roster, but the club augmented its defensive options on Friday with the signing of a young Mexican left back.

Houston acquired Oscar Recio on loan from Monterrey, a move that frees starting left back Corey Ashe to slide up to the midfield with Brad Davis nursing a calf injury.

Mike Williamson made his comeback in the 2-0 win at the Reebok Stadium back on Boxing Day, December 26th, and has been an ever -present in the Newcastle side since then. Mike Williamson in action at Swansea Mike came back from the ankle injury he picked up at the beginning of the season in the Carling Cup tie at Scunthorpe United on August 25th, [.

The big team news ahead of this afternoon's clash at White Hart Lane is the injury doubt over Gareth Bale. The Welshman suffered an ankle injury following a heavy tackle by Craig Gardner and could be rested with Harry promising to make changes elsewhere.
Aaron Lennon is one of those who could feature after coming off the bench on Saturday.

Liverpool play host to Aston Villa at Anfield on Saturday with both sides desperate for all three points.
The Reds are looking to arrest a horrible run of form, which has seen them lose six of their last seven Premier League matches to culminate in them dropping to eighth spot in the table.
Villa are also in need of a morale-boosting victory as they are nervously looking over their shoulders in the battle to stay up, with Alex McLeish's troops sitting just five points above the drop zone.

United have the chance to move eight points clear at the top of the Premier League if they beat QPR a Old Trafford this weekend, and they are a top priced 1.2 with Paddy Power to do so and heap the pressure on rivals City.

They play just hours before City visit Arsenal and Sir Alex will be well aware of the psychological blow they can inflict on their neighbours.

Arsenal fans will have been disappointed not to see midfielder, Jack Wilshere, in action in the Premier League this season. With the youngster nearing a return to full fitness, will he do enough to earn a place on the plane for the European Championships, this summer?
It was disappointing to hear the news that Wilshere had suffered a nasty ankle injury before the first ball was kicked in the ongoing Premier League season.

McLeish's needs a win as much as Dalglish...Aston Villa are the visitors to Anfield on Saturday as the Reds look to readdress their form in the league. Dalglish's side have only had some joy of late when they beat Everton but results against the likes of Newcastle, QPR and Wigan have brought Liverpool back to a cruel reality.

James Perch is one of the best professionals at Newcastle. James Perch has been great for Newcastle this year Last season he had a tough time of it, and once Danny Simpson had recovered from that bad ankle injury, he came straight back in at right-back and James Perch lost his first team place.