It's time for riffing.#5 - The 'Nats are beginning to become a real nuisance to the big boys.Since the last Argentina meetings in 2008, the USMNT has played a total of nine matches against a group or world powers listing the Albiceleste, Brazil, England, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain - the two CONMEBOL monsters and four Euro-beasts.

Image Credit: Jasper Juinen/Getty Images Europe.

As much as we love it when ballers get heated (mostly because pushing and shoving can lead to flashes of skin exposure), sometimes things get a bit too intense for our emotionally frazzle and often drunk selves. Case in point: this past Saturday towards the end of Barcelona's 0-0 draw with Sevilla when things got heated between Cesc Fabregas and Frederic Kanute.

Time to ditch the MLS qualifying bracket in the US Open Cup.

I've had this thought bubbling for a while. How on earth can we improve the US Open Cup? I know I've mentioned it in the past and today seemed like a good day to bring it back up. With the changes that have gone on in US Soccer over the last year or so with the NASL-USL split and the ever growing MLS it seems like a perfect time to revamp the Cup.

Today, a celebration of the wonder that is Martin Kelly, more than doubling the vote of his closest contender despite being injured since February. Tomorrow, we'll have results for Goal of the Season on Paisley Gates in the morning and Performance of the Season on Anfield Asylum in the afternoon (all times relative to me, which means US Eastern Time).

We're starting to get to that point in the season where the movement in the Power Rankings goes down. Not a whole lot of changes from top to bottom this week. The good teams are still good while the bad teams are still bad. I know that is a terrible and yet a general statement to make but its pretty damn true here.

As promised in my Strike Partnership article (Although not to the most pinpoint time schedule) here are my top ten defensive pairings in Premiership History.

10. David Wier and Alan Stubbs

Stubbs and Wier defied all odds in the 2004-05 season when relegation candidates, Everton, qualified for the Champion's League.

A few observations from tonights 4-0 drubbing at the hands of the World Champions.

• The first half showed how much Dempsey, Donovan and Michael Bradley mean to the U. S. The midfield was a mess, particularly Jones and Edu. Robbie Rogers did not make an impact as well. I thought Sasha Kljestan was the best of the lot in the first half.

By Chris Wright

In no particular order, Pies brings you a run-down of ten of the brightest young buttons on the Premier League's tweed waistcoat (to coin a phrase) for you to keep your peepers fixated on next season...

1. James McCarthy, 20, Wigan

His classy, mature style has already made him a first-team regular and a crowd favourite at the DW.

West Ham United boss Sam Allardyce has called on his players to live up to their reputations and deliver an instant bounce-back to the Premier League. The Hammers were unlikely relegation victims last season, but are among the favorites for promotion as the new season kicks off this weekend.

"We are the favorites, the big boys in this league and I have told the players 'Everyone wants your scalp, you are going to have to live up to your reputation from day one because they are going to want to turn you over,'" said the former Bolton boss.

Do you hear that? That's the sound of Premiership football (with the exception of Spurs-Everton) rumbling closer. While we haven't been exactly starved for footy this summer (Womens World Cup, Copa America, U21 Euro's etc) there is nothing like the Prem. Tomorrow the Trotters usher in the new season with a trip to new boys, QPR.

See ya ...

Diminutive midfielder Juan Mata looks set to leave the friendly confines of the Mestalla before the end of the month, bound for London's West End and Chelsea.

SuperDeporte claims "talks between the directors at the London club and Valencia have intensified."
Las Provincias says Chelsea are ready to pay between €25 million and €30 million, and that Valencia would accept, with Sergio Canales' arrival from Real Madrid offering adequate cover.

The fourth round of the FA Cup saw the league's top four barely survive, though the fifth of the Big Five (Tottenham) met their end at Craven Cottage. On this edition of the EPL Talk Podcast, myself, Kartik Krishnaiyer, and the returning Laurence McKenna discuss the weekend's results, outcomes that failed to producing the type of captivating upset we've come to hope for from our knock-out competitions.

Remember when we were top of the table with a healthy lead over our closest competitors and threatening to run away with the title? That seems like such a distant memory now after back to back losses against our heated rivals. After going through the first half of the season entertaining thoughts of finishing the season undefeated, we now find ourselves with 3 losses out of our last 5 league games.

Steve Bruce has made no secret of the fact he would love on loan striker, Danny Welbeck, to remain at Sunderland on a permanent deal. The lad from Longsight has done well in the North East and has obviously benefited with playing week in week out.

However, at United, he would still be fourth in pecking order, which has meant he's less than certain about his return to United next season.

Nottingham Forest 2-5 Yeovil Town, May 2007 Your boys took one hell of a beating is a post from: Just Football

by Ben Barrett

The story you are about to read is not one out of a story book; it was not plucked from a comic or magazine nor is it a case of a wild imagination.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Thank you, Sergio 'butterfingers' Ramos. We have spent the last couple of days issuing threats of casual violence to our interns in order to have some Midweek Results for our beloved readers, and you have just ensured they won't bother reading any of it.

Who needs Alexis Sanchez more Manchester United or Manchester City? - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

One of the hottest names in this transfer window is Chilean International star, Alexis Sanchez.

After leading Udinese to a historical qualification to the Champions League, scoring 12 goals (his best ever goalscoring tally in a single season) and providing six assists, "El Niño Maravilla" looks mature enough to step up to one of Europe's big boys; he appears to be in the midst of a tussle for his services between both Manchester clubs; City and United (along with a host of top European clubs as Udinese hawk their player to the highest bidder.

It has been a topsy-turvy season in the K-League so far. Asian champions Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma have been kept off the bottom of the standings only thanks to the dreadful form of Gangwon FC. Suwon Bluewings find themselves in one of their annual slumps in form while champions FC Seoul have improved since earlier in the season but still can't quite break free of the middle level.

Our opening game in League 1 is against a familiar friend in the shape of Exeter City. Whilst many are looking forward to going up against the big boys of Sheffield Wednesday, Charlton, Preston and Sheffield United this season, our first test in the 3rd tier of English football is against the Grecians, who we battled in the Conference just a few years ago.

It's not often the US national team comes around these parts, around SoCal.
Sure, Home Depot Center gets a friendly once a year, but that's in January after a weeks-long camp that usually features a bunch of new faces. While those friendlies can be entertaining, it's tough to watch the US play international friendlies on FIFA dates (with full teams) as well as World Cup qualifying matches and other meaningful games in far-flung destinations around the country.

I think anybody who follows this blog on a regular basis will be current on what has happened in Indonesian football this year and certainly I have no intention of rehashing the year so far...again.
We've had the Liga Primer Indonesia start, go into a mid season break then end with a whimper, their slogan of Change The Game quietly shunted to one side when it was realised the only change was in the people running the game.

By Chris Wright

While the big boys were off galavanting around Europe, there were heart-breaking scenes at the Keepmoat Stadium last night where Doncaster striker Billy Sharp, who tragically lost his two-day old son Luey on Friday, opted to play through the pain against Middlesbrough, led a minute's applause before kick-off and then scored a stunning volley in the 14th-minute before revealing a t-shirt that read 'that's for you son'.

Photo: Courtesy of FIFA

Philadelphia Union

A new article from Kerith Gabriel on Friday morning about a Gabriel Gomez to the Philadelphia Union deal is headlined "Panama's Gomez signs with Union" but the copy says "According to sources, the contract has been approved by Major League Soccer and awaits Gomez' signature before the Union can schedule an announcement, which can come as early as next week.

It's the Third Round of The FA Cup this weekend, and Alan Smithy will be looking forward to not all of the matches played being decided on the day. Alan writes Football Hobo, and you can follow him on Twitter here.

We all love a good cup replay, don't we?

While the Aussies played a 0-0 draw with UAE last night as they start their Asian Cup 2011 bid on the weekend it was announced by AFC President and Qatari Bin Hamman that Australia has won the rights to host the 2015 Asia Cup.
Aussie media are reporting we were the only bidder!
I'm telling you who cares.

The quick and dirty on the Premier League in 2010.
Teams: Man City & Tottenham. Not only have these teams firmly, and possibly permanently, broken into the Big Boys Club, but they've become title contenders surprisingly quick. Breaking up the hegemony is one thing; still within striking distance in January?

Harry Kewell has called the Asian Cup a 'mini-World Cup', which seems rather appropriate given the nature of the first round. There were the mildly colossal upsets (Uzbekistan over Qatar and Syria over Saudi Arabia), the big upset which will wind up a small upset (Jordan drawing with Japan) and the big boys takin' care of business (Korea, Australia, Iran).

Szczesny, Sagna, Djourou, Koscielny, Clichy, Song, Wilshere, Fabregas, Nasri, van Persie, Walcott

Arsenal 3-0 Wigan (van Persie x3)

That first eleven are mustard. The creativity is unrivalled and we got a sign that they can create against the big boys against Chelsea, the midfield is the perfect blend, the defence has a hell of a lot of potential.

By AVI CREDITOR

The training wheels have been taken off, and the Philadelphia Union is ready to ride with the big boys.

After an inaugural season that ended well short of a postseason berth, the Union has made a number of personnel moves to shore up what was a shaky defense in 2010 while providing support for its budding attackers as well.

The Germany U20s got our day off to a great start and beat the Italy U20s 3-1, Alexander Esswein nailing a hat trick. The Germany U21s had a much less auspicious run-out against Greece, a drab affair that ended 0-0. Now it's time for the big boys! Let's see what [read more]

Real Madrid, Barcelona top soccer's money list - Soccer - SI.comThe Premier League big boys (now including Citeh) are still adding revenue despite the global economic woes. What this article doesn't discuss (and I think it should) is how things are going for the less famous clubs around Europe. We know about the issues at places like Pompey or Crystal Palace but I'd be very interested to learn

Despite being backed by the deep pockets of one of Indonesia's richest and most influential families Pelita Jaya have been a lame duck for many, many years. Back in the semi professional years they were the big boys, winning trophies and signing players like Mario Kempes and Roger Milla.
Recently though, and especially under previous coach Fandi Ahmad, they have concentrated on spending as little as possible and nurturing youth.

Starting Tuesday, the last 16 teams in the Champions League start to fight it out for the championship of all Europe. This was the weekend before the big show for eight of those teams, which tends to be a time where their mostly smaller opponents see a chance for an upset, as the big boys rest players and prepare.

With the race to be promoted to the EPL for next seasons' competition hotting up, it is worth a look at some of the teams you may not know so much about, who could be playing agsinst the big boys next term.

Two of the contenders played each other at the weekend, with Queens Park Rangers and Nottingham Forest drawing one each at Loftus Road.

By Geoff Reid

The world's best club competition returns today with two very tasty first leg match-ups, and this is where it really starts to get exciting seeing the big boys go against each other. Today, we see AC Milan hosting Tottenham, and Raul making his return to Spain with Schalke taking on Valencia.

Does this guy get a chance in front of the old home crowd?

First knockout round matches continue on Tuesday with Real Madrid visiting the very well run french side Olympic Lyonnais (richest club in the country, 'natch), while the slumping Blues from London head to Denmark to meet FC København (the first Danish side to play in this phase of the cup).

Danny Welbeck has yet again confirmed that his International career will be with England, not Ghana, because of his ties to Manchester and this country.

"I've been in Manchester all my life and I'm a Manc through and through," he told United's site. "I've played for England at all the youth levels up to the Under-21s and it just felt like progression to graduate to the seniors and, the other day, it happened as well.

LA Galaxy
Conference: West Position: 3rd
W-L-D: 2-1-2 (0 points, -1 goal differential)
Away Form: 1-1-1 (-2 goal differential)
Recent Form: DWLDW
Last Meeting: Toronto FC 0 LA Galaxy 0 (June 26, 2010)

The big boys are coming to town.

STARTERS
In all competitions in the 2010/11 season at Barcelona Lionel Messi has scored an astounding 53 goals in 51 games.
STORY OF THE DAY
Clint Dempsey had a big had for Fulham scoring their first two goals in a 3-0 home win over Bolton.

La Liga Lowdown, Jornada 34: Thrills at the bottom as the big boys lose out is a post from: Just Football

Barcelona lost. Real Madrid lost. When was the last time you heard that after a weekend in La Liga? Well, let me tell you: 2009. It's been two years since they both succumbed to defeat in the same round of games, so Saturday's events came as a bit of a shock.