Alex Morgan and Sydney Leroux, two of the heroes of the USA's title-winning run at the 2008 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup have been united in a full WNT training camp for the first time. Leroux won the Golden Ball as top player and Golden Boot (five goals) as top scorer in 2008, and followed that up with a Bronze Boot (five more goals) in the 2010 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup.

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Brad Evans showed his first significant signs of being able to return.

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It was a rather eventful day at practice today with the biggest news undoubtedly being Brad Evans' participation in on-field practice drills.

Liam Bridcutt was released by Chelsea on June 7. No surprise. Bridcutt, 21, is just one of many youth products who have failed to establish themselves at the London club.

Bridcutt joined Chelsea in 2004. His senior career at the club began three years later. The midfielder never made a first team appearance for Chelsea, but enjoyed loans spells at Yeovil, Watford and Stockport.

Mario Balotelli (S) has only been with Manchester City for a few weeks time. In that time, he's made just one appearance for The Skyblues featuring in a Europa League Play-Off match against FC Timisoara. Since then he's been suffering from some knee problems. However, this week he's gone under the knife to get these problems all worked out.

We have to go on record saying that this is one of the best decisions Carloz Tevez has ever made! That hair needed to go along time ago and he has finally stepped up and made it happen. All of us have hear the Geico caveman comparisons and the other unruly jokes about Tevez's appearance but now he can definitely hold his head a little higher.

Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson is sure that in Raul Meireles and Steven Gerrard he has the partnership to lead the club back to the Champions League.
Hodgson, 63, brought in Meireles this summer to bolster the midfield in the absence of Javier Mascherano and Alberto Aquilani. The £11.5 million signing played behind Fernando Torres in Sunday's 3-2 defeat to Manchester United in a role usually occupied by skipper Gerrard.

Italian midfielder Andrea Pirlo blames a poor World Cup showing due to a lack of quality and stated that it's time his nation 'start playing football.'

The 31 year-old midfielder was sidelined due to injury for most of Italy's horrific stint in South Africa this summer, making just one appearance in their final match of play, in which Slovakia beat the reigning champs 3-2.

Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp admits that he feared a lot worse than a six to eight week absence for Michael Dawson when the defender awkwardly fell during his second appearance as an England player.

Dawson, who was starting a competitive international fixture for the first time when England squared off against Bulgaria in their opening Euro 2012 qualifier on Friday, is a player Redknapp has very much been counting on in a long season that involves Champions League football for the first time in the club's history.

Not everyone can be Sporting Lisbon and feature a design-conscious stadium which looks full even when it's not, and not every club can be [insert Big Club FC here] and fill the banks with a sellout each and every weekend.

Triestina is one such club, and they're found great difficulties, or impossibilities, in filling over 32k in Serie B (attendance issues in Serie A are well-documented no prizes for correctly predicting issues in Serie B).

Manchester United midfielder Darren Fletcher (26) will pass a major milestone when he lines out as Scotland Captain in tomorrow nights must win Euro 2012 tie with Group I minnows Liechtenstein as it will see him make his 50th appearance for Scotland at Senior International level.

Take a look at this.
FFA release a write up for the media for upcoming games. And I appreciate getting them but the standard has dropped maasively since Bonita left.....
Central Coast Mariners (4) v Melbourne Heart (6)
Friday, 10 September 2010. Bluetongue Stadium, 8.

Missouri State Bears 3
Oklahoma Sooners 2
Tiffany Laughlin gave the Bears the lead in the 11th when she redirected Katelyn Fredrickson's pass to the far post. OK tied the game in the 21st when the Bears defense stopped, seeing the offsides flag raised. No whistle however and Whitney Palmer equalized.

Christian Abbiati's goalkeeping left much to be desired and Alexandre Pato was denied twice by the referee on two questionable offside calls. But it was promoted club Cesena making waves as Erjon Bogdani headed home the first goal and then minutes later Bogdani fed the speeding Emanuele Giaccherini whose angled shot beat Abbiati and came off the far post for the second goal.

Muslera 6 - overall a solid match. Nothing to be done at Mudingayi`s goal Lichtsteiner 6 -- solid as well. Active on the right flank, but poor at crosses. Diaz 6 -- another decent appearance by the Brazilian. Not that busy against defensive minded Bologna Biava 6 -- see above Radu 5,5 -- insecure in [.

The transfer window closed just two weeks ago but the rumours for January have begun already.

Michael Owen isn't playing very much, he's obviously not thrilled about that and Aston Villa boss Gerard Houllier likes him.

Put it all together and what do you get? Owen is leaving United for Villa in January.

Josh McEachran became the first player to make a Champions League appearance having been born after the competition's debut in 1992. His 20-minute cameo Wednesday against M K Žilina a 4-1 win was one in which the 17-year-old did not look at all out of place.

Well done, Josh. Following the jump, Carlo Ancelotti touches on the appearance, as does McEachran himself.

Hull City are hoping to extend the loan spell of Liverpool's Spanish defender Daniel Ayala.
The 19-year-old scored his first goal for the Tigers in Tuesday's 2-0 win over Derby County in only his second appearance for the club.
Hull manager Nigel Pearson told BBC Radio Humberside: "I'll be doing everything I can to keep him.

Top U.S Surgeon Dr Richard Steadman believes United midfielder Owen Hargreaves is ready to return to the United fold, which should help alleviate the pressure on United's engine-room with Antonio Valenciaout after suffering a Fracture and Dis-location of the ankle in United's boring 0-0draw with Rangers in Group C of the Champions League in mid-week which will see Valencia on the side-lines for at least 6 months.

By Dominic Vieira, writing from Portugal

The clash of titans kicks of today at 13:30PM (GMT) with Manchester United hosting rivals Liverpool, a match complete with class, goals, hate, intensity and victory.

Today's derby will be greater than ever as both sides possess 58 titles and this season the Red Devils could lift their 19th league title to finally surpass Liverpool's 18 times record.

The last time a United player scored a hattrick against Liverpool was September 11th 1946 at Maine Road. Stan Pearson was the fella to do it. Jack Rowley opened the scoring, Pearson then grabbed his hattrick, before Charlie Mitten made it 5-0, on just his 4th appearance for the club.

The last time a United player scored a hattrick against Liverpool at Old Trafford it was Joe Spence on May 5th 1928.

I think it's time we talked about the coaching situation. I know many of you no longer have confidence in Puel, and it looks like the players don't either. Many questioned why Puel was kept on despite staying trophy-less for two seasons while a guy like Alain Perrin were forced to leave after winning more trophies than any other OL manager.

More Carling Cup action highlights a busy mid-week slate of European soccer for Wednesday afternoon. Newcastle takes on Chelsea, while Aston Villa hosts Blackburn Rovers in the higher profile meetings of the day's competition.

Villa's match will provide a chance for seldom-used U.

For some it was a good tournament and to others, it was the worst FIFA World Cup ever staged. Sure South Africa 2010 had its fair share of blunders, however, what many people fail to understand is that South Africa was not responsible for the Jabulani or the incompetent refereeing. It is only unfortunate that on its maiden appearance on the Continent of Africa, many will remember the World Cup for all the wrong reasons.

Arsenal have confirmed that Ireland u19 international Conor Henderson has signed a contract extension at the Emirates stadium.
The 19-year-old central midfield player has progressed through the junior ranks and Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger could give the player first team opportunities in the Carling Cup this season.

After a lot of stats on Wednesday not a whole lot of stats from last night's game. But congrats to Jimmy Conrad on making his 200th start for KC in league play in his career, only the third player (after Nick Garcia and Kerry Zavagnin) to hit that mark.
Josh Wolff's assist on Ryan Smith's goal was his 25th assist in league play for the Wizards.