The transfer rumor mill is in full force once again, and almost all of the rumors revolve around some up and coming Spanish club that goes by the name of Real Madrid (surely a rip-off of the MLS side Real Salt Lake). This time the rumors concern Dutch striker Ruud van Nistelrooy, who has a rumored price tag of just £1.

Photo by ISIphotos.com

About 20 months ago, Edgar Castillo made what he thought would be the last decision he would have to make regarding his national team future.

According to reports in the Brazilian press, Corinthians leftback, Dodô, has joined Manchester United for around €6 million.

The player, whose real name is José Rodolfo Pires Ribeiro, has still not made a senior appearance for the São Paulo side but has recently helped Brazil's Under 17s become South America champions.

Pictures have been leaked of the new away kit for newly promoted Birmingham City.

Designed and manufactured by Umbro, and sponsored by F&C Investments, the new Birmingham City away kit will be released this summer for the 2009-10 season.

Just like many Premier League clubs next season, Birmingham City has decided to choose a black away kit.

There has been a lot of discussion recently over the individual merits of Fernando Torres and Wayne Rooney. Both have had great starts to the new season, and both are vitally important to their respective clubs...but who is the better player? It's a tough question to answer objectively, but the following in-depth, objective analysis shows quite clearly that Torres is the more consistently effective performer.

ESPN released their match schedule for the weekend and it is highlighted by the start of La Liga and Barcelona's appearance on ESPN on Monday afternoon. The Spanish and European champions open at the Camp Nou against Sporting Gijon at...

Following recent leaks of the adidas Germany and Spain World Cup 2010 home jerseys, one of the shirt that France will supposedly wear in 2010 has appeared on the internet. As with all leaks, whether of not this kit is real is debatable. Also, its appearance at the FIFA World Cup in South Africa next year [.

U.S. international DaMarcus Beasley has appealed for a one-way ticket out of Ibrox during the upcoming January transfer window, telling the Glasgow Evening Times that his lack of playing time with Rangers FC in recent months is severely hampering his chances of making the USMNT squad for the 2010 World Cup.

The 2009-2010 Fantasy Premier League season is ready for action. Exciting times for all of you hard core gamers, big time bettors, competitive mini-league champions, and even gumshoes and beginner managers.
Join our free Never Captain Nicky Butt fantasy mini-league - over on the official Fantasy Premier League website.

It must feel good to be Benny Feilhaber right now.

After an impressive performance for the U.S. national team in the Confederations Cup, and after a solid showing as a substitute in a 2-1 Gold Cup victory over Honduras last week, Feilhaber scored twice in his first summer appearance for AGF Aarhus on Monday.

Columbus just won't let it go.
In an exclusive interview with our good friends at Prost Amerika Soccer Brian Bliss says the following:

A Columbus Crew official today gave a very measured response to the incidents during and after the controversial MLS match between Columbus Crew and Sounders' next opponents Chicago Fire.

After being subbed on and making his 800th appearance for the club, Ryan Giggs rounded the keeper and scored. The linesman's flag was up though making an incredibly right call. There were angry shouts from the crowd with Giggsy clearly looking onside. I've yet to see replays but everyone I have spoken to reckons it's too tight to call.

Photo by ISIphotos.com

The New York Red Bulls are enduring one of the worst seasons in Major League Soccer history, a season so bad that the normally uninvolved Red Bull ownership in Salzburg, Austria has taken notice.

Xavi Hernandez two days ago visited his very own "Campus Xavi", a summer camp for kids that was launched eleven years ago on his father's suggestion. The camp runs for two weeks for three hundred children under the direction of Xavi's brother Oscar, and Xavi himself drops by once a week.
Xavi gave the kids football tips and pointers, took photos with them and told them stories about Barca's wonderful season, and later expressed his joy at being there.

With the World Cup barely a year away, there's a packed slate of results I'll be watching this week. Will the US continue its relatively straightforward qualification to another appearance? Can Bolivia maintain the slimmest hopes of qualifying alive?

1. Costa Rica vs USA - Wednesday, June 3rd.

Dutch newspaper Het Laatste is reporting that Arsenal have a greed a fee for Belgium centre half Thomas Vermaelen with Ajax. The fee is reportedly in the region of £10 million. The newspaper is saying that the player has agreed a four year contract with Arsenal.

As yet there is no confirmation on either club's website nor from the player.

It was a comfortable 5-0 victory for Liverpool over Singapore. The talking point will undoubtedly be Xabi Alonso's second half appearance as a substitute, his first preseason appearance for Liverpool. Did the non soccer factors swayed him from a £30 million move to Real Madrid? (The Singapore fans)Andriy Voronin, Albert Riera and Fernando Torres all scored once, and reserve striker Krisztian

On the road in a hostile environment, the United States men's national team defeated Honduras 3-2 to qualify for the sixth straight World Cup finals appearance for the U.S. Landon Donovan scored and Conor Casey (a shock pick by Bob...

Look at that sweater. That is not a sweater that a sane man wears. Since taking over as manager at Barcelona, Pep has been something of a touchline fashion icon, but this...this is madness.

Look at it it's like he cut two different sweaters down the middle and sewed them together to form one headache-inducing schizophrenic bastardization of clashing designs.

Whilst still unconfirmed by the club, reports last week claimed that Frazier Campbell, Danny Simpson and Darron Gibson had been placed on the transfer list. Since then, Hull have come in with a £6m offer for Campbell, whilst Simpson will probably struggle to land a Premiership team. He couldn't get in the Blackburn team so will likely join a Championship side this summer, with Newcastle and Birmingham apparently interested.

There won't be any Gooners travelling to Amsterdam this summer (at least not for footballing reasons anyhow!), after Ajax announced that Arsenal aren't participating in this year's LG Amsterdam Tournament 2009. Instead, Arsene Wenger's side are replaced by fellow Premier League club Sunderland.

American midfielder Danny Szetela and his Brescia teammates have a chance to earn promotion to Serie A if they can get past Livorno in a home and away playoff.
The first leg will be played tomorrow on June 14 in Brescia with the return leg on June 20 in Livorno. In the Italian playoff scheme, away goals do not apply so if tied on aggregate goals, the higher seeded team (Livorno) is be promoted.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The title of this post is somewhat misleading. After all, the thought of taking a Frank Lampard "masterclass" sends your imagination off on a journey of R-rated festivities. With room service.

But alas, it's just a Disney XD viral showing Frank Lampard at Wembley doing an interview and tutorial with a boy named Alfie.

As Newcastle United gear up to face Manchester City tomorrow, Shay Given has been informed that he will not be playing against his future club. Yes, you read it right, Shay Given is on the verge of wrapping up a deal that brings him to the City of Manchester Stadium. Although a signing won't be completed before tomorrow's fixture, both sides have agreed that it's better if Given doesn't make an appearance.

A statement issued by Nani showing remorse in response to his reaction at being hauled off at half-time on Saturday when Manchester United were trailing 2-0 to Tottenham may not be enough to cement his future at Old Trafford.

The official line is that the 22-year-old did not break the club's code of conduct, but the fact that he was already at home by the time the Premier League leaders decided to obey the football odds by completing a stirring 5-2 comeback hardly strengthens his relationship with an increasingly wary Old Trafford crowd.

It looks increasingly likely today that Samuel Eto'o will be joining Manchester City after Barcelona president Joan Laporta confirmed that the world's richest club have made a 'stratospheric' offer to the player.

Veritas Stadion, Turku, 6:30 PM Finnish time

The main focus is on JJK, who make their first Veikkausliiga appearance tonight following two postponements. Unfortunately, the night is unlikely to delight the club or their fans. JJK failed to win in all their games against Veikkausliiga clubs during pre-season, and the first real game could not be much tougher.

Galatasary's Harry Kewell is heading into his prime. No question.

Oh, we don't mean on the pitch. We mean with his appearance.

He seems to have hit his physical sweet spot, no?

Doesn't hurt to see him in these ovary-busting photos taken in May with his daughter, Matilda, either.

The referee for tomorrow's U.S. Mexico qualifier is Roberto Moreno (after Joel Aquilar was apparently deemed to lack the appearance of impartiality he ejected Mexican coach Javier Aquirre during that Mexico Panama Gold Cup match). Roberto Moreno has officiated four U.S. matches in the past and has never issued an American a yellow card.

So Sol Campbell has allegedly walked away from Notts County after making just one appearance for the ambitious League Two side, despite signing a five year contract with the club just over a month ago. Now technically speaking a contract is an agreement that legally binds two parties together under the terms specified within, and [.

This Zlatan Ibrahimovic character is having quite the week for a substitute. After playing the hero in a substitute's appearance against slightly disliked opponent Real Madrid, he was left on the bench for the midweek trip to Andalusia and the fixture against Xerez, which is Spanish for "how are they in the top division again?

Hietalahti, Vaasa, 7 PM Finnish time
Live on Urheilukanava

Hermanni Vuorinen has been reminiscing about Honka's 2005 promotion season ahead of tonight's trip to Vaasa. Back then Honka won a crucial match at Hietalahti, with big Hermanni scoring two goals, and of course Vuorinen has fond memories of the place.

Here in America, ESPN is truly the "Worldwide Leader In Sports." Millions of people wake up with Sportscenter in the morning, and go to bed with it on in the evening. Anyone in America that follows sports seemingly gets their information from ESPN.

The only problem? ESPN has literally no respect for soccer.

Anyone else in denial about Paolo Maldini's retirement?

It's not like we haven't seen it coming or anything. But... we're just not ready. It's too soon.

Please don't try to bring facts or figures to the equation. Yes, he played for AC Milan for 24 years. We're also well aware that he was born in the early 1900s.

After Bojan made his appearance at Spain's Nike camp a week ago and helped out coaching the youngsters, yesterday it was Marc Muniesa's turn. The seventeen-year-old defender rocked out with the 28o children participating in the camp, alternating between the three groups of kids ranging from eight to sixteen years.

As a sign of respect to the previous wearers of the number 25 and to ensure that any future owners of the shirt are not inflicted with the same syndrome, Arsenal FC should consider retiring the number 25 shirt.

The two previous owners of the number 25 both went through the same career path at Arsenal.

It's only one game, and sixtieth minute substitute appearance at that, but Jozy Altidore's English adventure has gotten off to a rousing start. His first touch set up Hull's winning goal in their...

With the arrival of the weekend, football fans across the world are returning to following their respective teams in another series of cracking fixtures. However, excitement is going to reach a whole different level next weekend, when the much awaited FIFA 10 releases in Australia (October 1) and Europe (October 2).

2009 has not been the kindest year to DaMarcus Beasley, but the midfielder's appearance in Rangers' 2-1 victory on Saturday was a step in the right direction.

Beasley came off the bench at halftime in Rangers' league match against St. Mirren, marking the first time Beasley has seen the field in league play this season.

According to the DC United news source the Soccer Insider Ben Olsen is now considering the option of retirement. As the SI said, the idea was thrown around after last season with his 1 appearance last season.

Olsen is DC United. When you say DC United you think Ben Olsen. One would hope that when Olsen does decide retirement is necessary, he will stay with the club in some capacity.