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Stop shit, if you can!

Dear Manu, (I would love to drop the 'dear', but my sensibilities don't allow me to do so).

I hope this letter finds you in low spirits. You have remained a cry baby and have been crying for long that we (read: Gooners) have betrayed you. So I take this opportunity to show you the mirror.

Whether or not you can put too much faith in a list which earmarks Darren Fletcher in the top echelons of world football, I'm not entirely sure. But it does make for interesting reading all the same. The ruddy good FourFourTwo magazine released their annual 100 Best Players in the World feature this month; a countdown of the planet's finest exponents of the oft beautiful game.

There simply is not a better way to describe football than the ‘beautiful game' on days like this. As Nottingham Forest prepared to shake off the shackles of over indulgence and festive frivolity worn over an icy winter period, the Reds welcomed Leeds to their Carlton home in a game promising an entertaining spectacle for the gathered observers [.

Eat Soccer strives to bring awareness to players, clubs and programs within the global soccer community who are making a mark for the beautiful game.
Today, I am proud to introduce you to my friend, Paul Kitson, Jr. We met during a coaching stint at the 2009 Bank of Bermuda Pro Soccer Clinic in Hamilton, Bermuda.

The countdown begins as a year that brought us an exciting World Cup comes to a close. Will 2011 be even better? I think so. From an MLS Commissioner visit and The Gold Cup to a European club friendly match and another NASL season, 2011 offers a unique ability for Miami fans to get away from their TVs and computers to see the "beautiful game" as it was meant to be seen.

The nation's 13th largest multiple system operator has just pleased soccer fans in a few major markets in Kentucky and Ohio. Insight Communications, offering cable, Internet and phone service, has recently added Fox Soccer Channel HD to its already broad selection of high-definition channel offerings.

The first decade of the second millenium has been quite unmatched by any previous time period for the sheer number of cataclysmic changes it witnessed. Without going into potential species-ending events such as Global Warming, Nuclear War, Avatar and Sam Allardyce being reappointed as manager, it's fair to say that football too has been caught up and spun around by this decade.

Photo courtesy of W. Jarrett Campbell and Triangle Soccer Fanatics

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With the signing of Daniel Paladini now official, we asked a couple of people closest to Paladini's Carolina RailHawks some questions about the 26 year-old midfielder.

Yes you are reading a football blog! However, we at In The Stands have brought out our Devilish side and manically have short-listed our top five football scuffles and spats.

Every sport needs its bought of ‘dramatic entertainment' and footy is no different.

Commentary
I am happy that the NASL is taking a pro-active stance after the USSF revoked their preliminary sanction for D2 soccer last week. The NASL under Aaron Davidson and Traffic Sports is currently working with the USSF to regain sanctioning in time for 2011 action as the D2 league in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean.

This week's episode of Friday Flashback Videos honors a legend of the game, striker Bob Latchford.

Latchford is best known for his wonderful career at Everton where the number nine excelled as one of the best headers of the ball as well as being clinical with his feet. He was Everton's top scorer for 1975 through 1978.

The Minnesota Stars press release couldn't have said it any better:

Chants of "You'll never beat Joe Warren" will no longer pour from the stands and beer garden at the National Sports Center Stadium. NSC Minnesota Stars goalkeeper Joe Warren announced his retirement Thursday after 13 seasons of professional soccer in his native Minnesota.

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The AFR House was rocking once again, although this time around we couldn't manage to get any of our female writers to join in on the pod. But regardless, we're not raging sexists, so we still managed to have intelligent conversations on the most pressing topics in the beautiful game.

Teitur Thordarson may only be in his first year of guiding the expansion Vancouver Whitecaps of Major League Soccer, but he has a wealth of experience.
Formerly the manager of the Estonia national team that rose from 145th to 68th in FIFA's world rankings under his watch, Thordarson also led the Whitecaps to a championship in 2008 in the 2nd division.

If you're a regular reader of this blog, you know by now that I'm a "Soccer Dad" - I coach my son's team of 10 and 11 year olds - as well as a huge fan of trying to generate genuine insights into the beautiful game by systematically exploiting evidence and fact. So, here are two book recommendations that deal with each of these passions of mine.

Time for our usual roundup of the business weekend that was in American soccer. The big story is the start of preseason camps throughout MLS. Teams are gathering for initial training sessions, physicals are being performed and preseason schedules have been released. From a business perspective, one of the most interesting stories is the coverage provided by the local papers of the preseason happenings.