After weeks of anticipation and leaks, the Manchester United Nike 2011/12 home kit has officially been launched. It will be available at World Soccer Shop, Onionbag and Subside Sports. According to a press release from United kit provider Nike: This season Manchester United will play in a new home kit inspired by the traditional red, white and [.

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If you've checked out the site for the last two days, you've undoubtedly noticed that we have embarked on a new series. Robert Hay approached some of the frequent contributors to MLS Talk (Daniel Feuerstein, Kristan Heneage, and myself) with the idea for a daily preview leading up to the new season.

Remember Alex, protect the left side

13th of September 2011 seemed like such a long ago now. Both Arsenal and Borussia Dortmund were really struggling at that time. A little over 2 months since both teams played out a 1-1 draw at Signal Iduna Park and pretty much everything happened in between these 2 games.

It's difficult to remember a kit launch with as much anticipation as Nike's French revolution, but that may be down to the simple fact that France was donning adidas when they stormed the Bastille.

Wait no longer. Nike's first French kit, complete with poetic ad campaign, has been unchained.

Time for our first February look at how MLS teams are selling tickets in anticipation of the 2011 season. This is also our last look at these efforts prior to the official release of the schedule. We'll start in Columbus and Salt Lake City to see how the remaining Champions League teams are selling their home games in the competition.

By Walter Broeckx 20.45 (our local time) I sit in front of my TV with my sons full of anticipation for this game. When the players come out I can hear the Emirates full of noise. I see a lightshow in the stadium. I see thousand Arsenal flags. I send my telepathic thoughts to those 57.000 [...]

A draw in their last match of the 2010/11 season will ensure a second place finish for German Bundesliga side Bayer 04 Leverkusen and an group stage spot in the 2011/12 UEFA Champions League. In anticipation of next season, the Bayer Leverkusen adidas 2011/12 away jersey has been launched by the club.

The date was Sunday, May 22nd 2011. The day and indeed the whole week prior to it was the closest, most intriguing Barclays Premier League survival battle in years – possibly ever. The publicity and anticipation spread worldwide. For one day, the...
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When Manchester United sold Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid in 2009 for £80 million, the goal posts were shifted forever in the transfer markets.

The amount smashed the previous record by £24 million (Madrid also bought Kaka for £56 million in 2009) and has led to some rather overblown numbers being splashed around Europe.

Alex Livesey/Getty Images(Bleacher Report)Scott Dann is another key target that Arsene Wenger will be watching closely over the next few weeks in anticipation of possibly making a move before the end of the window.
The young Birmingham City player has enjoyed more domestic trophy success than anyone on the Gunners side in the last season.

Fittingly, for the first Serie A club to fall under foreign ownership, AS Roma's willingness to embrace change continues with gusto. An influx of youth and experience from various corners of the globe is creating real fervour amongst tifosi, singling Roma out as one of world football's teams to watch this season.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Andre Santos have struck early for Arsenal to give the home side a 2-1 advantage over the visiting Olympiakos during the first half at the Emirates Stadium.

The Gunners left skipper Robin van Persie and key playmaker Aaron Ramsey on the bench in anticipation of Sunday's cracking North London derby but that did not prevent them from dominating in the early stages of their Group F match.

It's 26 days until MLS Cup kicks off at Carson's Home Depot Center.

While Galaxy fans ponder the news that a French club is reportedly printing up thousands of David Beckham T-shirts in anticipation of his arrival and monitor the progress of the injured Landon Donovan and Robbie Keane, the MLS playoffs start tonight.

If that game is anything to go by, I guess I should miss more matches! In fact, the Mrs. did cheekily make such a suggestion but it was stared down.

More importantly, it's three big points at a very difficult venue as Arsenal continue to make light work of really tough games. If the reverse phenomenon can be stemmed the title will certainly end up at the Emirates.

Union

Justin Mapp talks about how welcome he felt when he came to the Union, what he's doing in the off season, and the team's focus on winning in 2011. "Our fans are the best in the league. They're loud. They're supportive. They're passionate. When we start stringing wins together, these fans are going to be the ones who deserve it.

The Game There is always a sense of anticipation when cup games are around the corner, especially when we play at home. Some expect big wins and a party mood at the Emirates and in a ...

Checking in now as Nick Rimando and Sean Johnson start warming up.

Sean Franklin: Starting in his club stadium....so proud...

You're starting line-up...sorry we're late:

GK: Nick Rimando

DEF: Zach Lloyd, Omar Gonzalez, Tim Ream, Sean Franklin

D MID: GINGER NATION (Dax, Larentowicz)

MID: Brek Shea, Mix Diskerud, Ale Bedoya

STR: Chris Wondolowski

Bench: GK Sean Johnson; Ds A.

Photo by scythr

It's time to take a pulse on how excited or not you are about the international friendlies this week. England plays Denmark, Wales played Republic of Ireland last night. And then there are a ton of other friendlies including Brazil versus France, Germany against Italy, Spain vs Colombia, Holland v Austria, Northern Ireland against Scotland, and many more.

This week saw tickets go on sale for our home game against AC Milan in the Champions League on 9th March. Having beaten their neighbours Inter earlier this season, there can be few Spurs fans not frothing at the mouth in anticipation at the thought of taking on the Serie A leaders.

In short; it's a hot ticket and everyone wants one.

In golf terms, Coach Winter and his Toronto FC team were given a mulligan today, a chance to start over again. The opportunity was not wasted. I went down to the game today just a little worried. I am sure I was not alone in fearing that a repeat of the Vancouver result would have made for a Toronto crowd restless and cranky.

Remember when I said that it was MLS Cup or bust for New York this year? Well folks, that sentiment should be felt now more than ever. Erik Soler made a huge splash this afternoon in anticipation to their clash with Houston by trading away Tony Tchani, Danleigh Borman, and a first round draft pick in 2012 for five-time MLS Best XI midfielder Dwayne De Rosario.

We're less than an hour away from kickoff of tonight's Champions League quarterfinal second leg showdown with Chelsea, and I don't know about you, but my cup runneth over with anticipation and excitement.

The task at hand is pretty simple. Thanks to last week's 1-0 win at Stamford Bridge, all United need to do is, well, not lose.

By Andrew Villegas If MLS is to become a global brand, then this week's announcement that Stan Kroenke will take a controlling stake in Arsenal must have many mouths at MLS headquarters agape in anticipation. Kroenke – that Missouri businessman and part heir to the Wal-Mart family fortune – has a reputation, one that almost [.

Many electrons and much ink (which is a form of electron used mostly in the 20th century) has been dedicated to the off-the-field aspects of this weekend's match between the Seattle Sounders and Portland Timbers. It is, after all, the MLS inauguration of a rivalry which has apparently had the rest of US soccer fandom squirming with anticipation for the last year.

Drum roll, please.....
The time has come to roll out a brand, spankin' new Free Beer Movement t-shirt! Yes, folks, that's right after months of anticipation (at least for us) we're debuting this awesomely, epic shirt.
Our friends at Objectivo/Ultras are back again to support the making, retailing, and shipping of the shirt so if we're already sold you head on over there right away!

I don't like Manchester United.

From the owners of the club, to the manager, to a whole host of players past and present and onward to "19″— I'm not a fan.

So, you'd naturally think I'd be supporting Barcelona in Saturday's Champions League final.

Lefty. Progressive. Unicef.

Well it's not yet confirmed but I am 90% certain that it will be after his latest comments this week. I posted earlier in the week about him stating that he could combine both roles as a club manager and a national coach once more as he did when he took over at Stamford Bridge while he was manager of Russia.

We have this wonderfully complex & twisted relationship, you and I. You depend on me to write a post on this blog for your reading pleasure. If I post, you read it. If I don't post, you simmer with anticipation. The cosmic heat from your lingering desire may elicit from me a temporarily curled eyebrow and a smirk, but little more.

Sporting Kansas City has endured a tortuously long road stretch in anticipation of their home opener. Livestrong Sporting Park opened up to a sold out crowd of 19, 925 as Sporting Kansas City took on the Chicago Fire.
These fans enjoyed a first class facility, the best in the country most likely, to watch a soccer game.

As if by divine intervention, my whining in the close of yesterday's post about Word Press being the spawn of Satan is met with immediate resolution our admin servers are suddenly back to their former glory, which means that we're close to normal service. Even if, as Noel pointed out to me earlier, the front page is having trouble of letting go of things that happened four days ago and our tags ("Christian Purslow is Worse Than Hitler" et al.

On a lighter note, here's a post offering some behind-the-scenes insight.

The following is our original email sent to the University of North Caroloina, the nations most prestigious women's program. I'm sharing this now that our girls team (our first and likely last) has aged out.

Hello Chris and UNC Staff,

I am writing you with regards to what in my opinion is the best Center Back in this age group.

Real Madrid have completed their fourth signing of the summer after securing the services of highly-rated Lens defender Raphael Varane on a six-year contract. Reports put the transfer fee at about 10 million euros

"Real Madrid and Lens have reached an agreement for the transfer of the French player Raphael Varane, who will be tied to the club for the next six seasons," Real announced on their official website.

Photo by Brian Soko

Several months ago, I was excited after hearing that Manchester United would be touring America again. I had gone to last year's match in Philadelphia where the match was decided by one goal by Manchester United youngster Gabriel Obertan. It was a memorable experience as it marked the first time I ever saw Manchester United in person.

Rarely does a tie feel like a defeat more than when the closing goal comes on a dubious penalty call at the end of the game.

For the Colorado Rapids, it was the old sinking feeling that comes from letting points slip away at home to a poor side that has mustered only one win on the road. The fact that the tie came after Kosuke Kimura scored a ludicrous goal made the 2-2 draw with the New England Revolution only that much more unsettling.

Here we are; first home game of the new season and the second of the five massive fixtures this month.

The start wasn't as good as one would have liked but it wasn't as bad as many had feared either. Things could be a lot worse than a hard fought draw in the opening game away from home which included a strong defensive performance.

Anticipation is building for the late September launch of FIFA 12, the new video game from EA Sports. And to coincide with Gamescom 2011, the huge video game event in Germany this week, EA Sports have released a new trailer for FIFA 12 which is...
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Mou contemplates the reality of losing a 'tiny little trophy'. Images: Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images.

Right, people. A little cautionary note. We know you're all foaming at the mouth and twitchy of the fingers after last night's er... match, which we are thrilled about.

After months of anticipation, it is hard to believe that the first weekend of the Premier League has already come and gone. As we all look ahead to the second week, here are some additions that should be made to all fantasy squads on ESPN Premier...
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A win for German against Austria in Gelsenkirchen on Friday will see Die Mannschaft qualify for EURO 2012 with a perfect record of eight wins from eight qualifying matches. In anticipation of qualification, the DFB has launched the Germany adidas EURO 2012 home kit (or heimtrikot in Germany). Here is a first look at it [.

Two of European football's most distinguished and celebrated clubs are set to clash again in Group H of the UEFA Champions League and in anticipation, In The Stands looks back at three classic matches between the pair. Barcelona 0-4 AC Milan, UEFA Champions League Final, 1994 If talking about classic matches between Barcelona and AC Milan, [.