Barcelona v. Real Madrid Preview: Will Ronaldo and Real strike a decisive blow at the Camp Nou? - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

On Saturday evening, Barcelona and Real Madrid will face off for the 11th time in the last two seasons, and the anticipation level as high as ever, even with the defeats that both sides suffered this week in the Champions League.

So, the boys are now at altitude. JSpector says the early arrival helps alleviate the burning in your lungs, which crops up immediately and lasts about three days. Helloo, Azteca.

Bobbo called the 17-hour flight from DC to Joburg 'easy.' Right. The USMNT is staying at this place, the Irene Country Lodge, behind three-foot thick walls and amongst roosters and cows.

Social networking is increasingly important in the promotion and marketing of sports stars and teams. Thus Facebook, now the No1 social networking site in history by some margin, is one key democratic barometer of popularity and / or the extent of marketing success.

People of all ages have embraced Facebook and use it on a daily basis to keep in touch, get information, and promote information.

The vast majority of football fans don't take much notice of the Community Shield. Sure, as a spectacle, it is entertaining enough. But as a barometer for the season ahead, it is useless. Take the...
Continue to the full story

AMERICAN SOCCER MEDIA LANDSCAPE NEEDS TO GET BEYOND THE BLOG

Ives Galarcep moved to Fox Soccer. MLS hired my Waiting For Gaetjens co-host Greg Lalas and Sports Illustrated's Jonah Freedman to run MLSnet 2.0. Jose Romero left the Sounders beat at the Seattle Times.

With J Hutcherson -- Two nationally available games on Saturday, with Chivas USA traveling to Houston at 4pm on Telefutura and Los Angeles hosting Real Salt Lake on Fox Soccer Channel at 10:30pm ET. Of the two, it's the second game giving us a first vs second match-up in the Western Conference. Like last season, it's the Western Conference that's the quality barometer for the League.

With the World Cup only 8 days away, it only seemed fitting that our guest (via phone) this week was 1/2 of the father-son duo behind the recent book "World Cup 2010: The Indispensable Guide to Soccer and Geopolitics": Mr. Harrision Stark.

Stark, a rising senior at Brown University, got on the line to discuss the book with Taylor.

Today is National Youth Day in South Africa. It marks the anniversary of the start of the 1976 Soweto riots, which began with the death of twenty-three people after the police opened fire on a protest in the township against the imposition of Arikaans in schools. The events of that day caused revulsion around the world prompted in no small part by a horrific photograph of a dying child, twelve year-old Hector Pieterson, which flashed around the world and sparked the consciences of many millions of people.

They say that consistency helps in football. Especially in terms of number of players you use. This seems to be one of Japan's tactics, as they enter this game with the same XI that began each of the group games with. Paraguay give first starts to Edgar Benitez and Nestor Ortigioza, as they become the sixteenth and seventeenth players to start for the South Americans (with two others having played as substitutes).

Years ago, pre-season friendlies were invisible to all but the hardcore fan who travelled to watch the team take on a bunch of part-timers or second string players. Newspapers did not report on the games the most you would get was the result buried on the inside pages and without the 24/7 news cycle there was no need to desperately fill hour after hour with mundane exclusives.

View full size photo »

October 8, 1871. Chicago, IL. The entire Midwest is parched from a mighty drought. A couple of fires have already hit Chicago and the Chicago Tribune prophetically writes that a 'big one' could develop if rain does not arrive.

UEFA Champions League

While Real Madrid and Barcelona can earn their spots into the knockout round with wins against AC Milan and FC København, respectively, and will likely qualify even without victories in Matchday 4, Valencia does not have that margin of error as they play their reverse fixture against Rangers on Tuesday night.