After winning El Triplete last season, Barcelona fans have to be wondering what is in store for this season and how can they possibly surpass last season's history.
I know how they can do it, by becoming the 1st team in European history to win a SEXTUPLE. Mathematically speaking it would be a doubling of the Treble that was won last season.

Relax - this post is nice and short.*
The "Summer of Soccer" was bullshit. But, it was important bullshit.
Take a look at the attendances from the big international summer friendlies MLS played these past couple of months. The numbers are damning. Take the statistics closest to me (and therefore, the most important) - high-priced sell-out for AC Milan, 81,000 for Chelsea Inter, another 90,000 to see Barcelona, plenty of great seats available for Galaxy-Chivas.

REUTERS/Gustau Nacarino

Barcelona fans can breathe a little easier this morning because the team has announced that they have reached a tentative agreement with captain Carles Puyol for a contract extension until 2013. The announcement ends weeks of speculation that had Puyol leaving the Camp Nou for the Premiership or Serie A when his contract expired in June.

FC Barcelona continued their preseason tour of the United States with a match against the Seattle Sounders FC on Wednesday night in front of capacity crowd at Qwest Field. Here's a recap of the match along with video highlights.

FC Barcelona beats the Seattle Sounders FC 4-0 Video Highlights

Two goals from Lionel Messi in the first half were the difference as the beat the Seattle Sounders 2-0 in a friendly on Wednesday night.

Sigh. More transfer rumors today. I have to say, I like it so much better when the window is closed and we don't have to deal with all this nonsense every day. But it's out there, so let's dive right in.

First, there are reports that Arsenal and Barcelona have agreed on a deal to sell Cesc Fabregas to Barcelona for a fee of €35 million.

It's just after 6:20 p.m. here at the Rose Bowl and the crowd is beginning to filter in.

I took a ride over here on the free shuttle from Old Town and it was incredibly fast and easy; parking spots were available within just a couple of blocks for all of $5, so I recommend that option for those of you still planning to head to the game (shuttle details are in this morning's post - click on arrive early!

Needed: more fans (still cheering on Seattle in the waning moments of Wednesday's game even with the Sounders dead and buried at 4-0) like these in L.A. (AP Photo)As I lined up to take the shuttle bus at the Rose Bowl after last Saturday's Galaxy-Barcelona exhibition game, I chatted with three teenage fans about their experience.

May 27th was a day of mixed emotions for me. On the one hand my club suffered a devastating loss that led many to question whether or not they could remain a world class side. On the other, my girlfriend experienced bloodlust for the first time, as obnoxious Barcelona fans nearly caused a small scale riot in our section of the bar.

It's that time again. The Premier League season is upon us and, so with it, everyone and their hetero male partner are making predictions. Most are outlandish, none are accurate.

That's where I come in. While my predictions are never, ever accurate, they are, however, brilliant. Why you ask?

Carles Puyol gave Barcelona fans much joy when he announced that he will renew his contract till 2013, thus ending weeks of speculation about his future.Puyol is the heart and soul of the team, and to have him renew means that any doubts that could have been placed on his future can now be discarded.

There is no doubt that on his day Zlatan Ibrahimovic is one of the most talented footballers in the world but often he is criticised for being lazy and unproductive so his transfer to Barcelona was met with doubt by some Barcelona fans. However the Swedish striker has played well since his move from Inter Milan and has been a stand out player in a Barcelona shirt this season.

Here's a TyC Sports interview with Messi in Madrid in which he discusses the WC qualifying campaign, the upcoming WC, and the treatment towards him by the Barcelona fans and Argentina fans.

Here are some pictures of the best Champions League final that I have seen in recent years. Credit must be given to Barcelona for a very composed attitude towards the final. The team refused to be bullied and overawed by Manchester United. In the end, all that was seen from United were displays of frustration by the so-called "Fab Four".

MIGUEL RIOPA/AFP/Getty Images

With a different looking lineup than Barcelona fans are accustomed to, Pep Guardiola and his men visited third divison side Cultural Leonesa. Today's lineup featured Bojan, Gai Assulin and Pedro upfront and early on the kids looked like they were going to have an easy time moving the ball around the Leonesa defense.

International women's World Cup qualifiers, huge surprise in Spain and a prison sentence for Premier League footballer all feature on this week's The Good, the Bad and the Ugly section of languagecaster's podcast. Vocabulary support can be found for the words in bold at the foot of the post.

The locals got their wish. Their very own superstar delivered the goods with a goal from his heart to proclaim Barcelona as FIFA Club World Cup Champions of the World.
The truth of the matter was that he, proclaimed World footballer of the year the following day, and he alone (well maybe not.