Colorado is on the rise. (Brian Stevens)

I hate to say my thoughts and notes for this week will be kept rather brief. I honestly wasn't able to view a lot of this past weekend's action other than highlights though I did jot a few notes down that I did gather from what I did see.

Seattle's Hot Feet, Columbus Struggles

I don't know what is bigger, Blaise Nkufo going from near-bad DP status to solid all in one game OR the fact that the Columbus Crew have been dominated in league play for two straight games giving up seven goals in that time.

That was the sentiment many expressed when Walcott was injured. I hate internationals is another common feeling that is shared by football fans across club boundaries. And I totally relate with anyone who has gone bonkers with the news that Walcott will be out for six weeks or so.

These are times when the polite ones go ‘WTF!

The middle of the MLS season can be a little dull, but the middle of the MLS season is over. With just over a month to go, it's now all about making the playoffs, and everyone wants to make the playoffs.

For the uninitiated, there are 16 teams in Major League Soccer this season, divided into two conferences East and West.

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has issued a rally cry to his teammates after a humiliating midweek Carling Cup exit at the hands of Northampton. The shock defeat came after another disappointing result against Manchester United in the league, but Gerrard insists it's only a hump that his club needs to get over.

Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard has called on his senior team-mates to carry the club through a difficult start to the season.
Gerrard, 30, was just an observer as Roy Hodgson's understrength side crashed to defeat to League Two Northampton Town in Wednesday night's League Cup tie. The result followed a poor start to their Premier League campaign which sees them in 16th place in the table.

BY ADAM SERRANO

Landon Donovan, David Beckham, Rafael Marquez, and Juan Pablo Angel.

Despite the loss of Theirry Henry and Omar Gonzalez, Friday's clash (ESPN2: 8pm, PDT)between the Los Angeles Galaxy and New York Red Bulls is not lacking star power. With the Galaxy leading the league with 50 points and the Red Bulls in second place in the Eastern Conference, the match has major implications for not only MLS Cup, but the Supporters Shield as well.

Injuries are always going to happen, but I'd much rather they happen now than a few months down the line.

If we are lucky Theo will just miss this weekends game against Bolton at home which is no real biggie, Robin van Persie will be missing for Bolton, Braga, Sunderland, Spurs, West Brom, Belgrade, Chelsea and Birmingham the majority of them we can survive without him.

On this week's free podcast Hans, our German correspondent, introduces some of the main talking points in the Bundesliga this season. We also look at some of the footballing stories from last week and try to predict some of the big games this week in our predictions battle. Remember you can also:

Check out a new football expression in English for Football For learners of English check out our Football Language Resources page with: Football glossary (a huge collection of football vocabulary, football cliches and football phrases) Worksheets and transcripts from previous podcasts Automatically receive the podcast each week by clicking here

On this week's free podcast Hans, our German correspondent, introduces some of the main talking points in the Bundesliga this season. We also look at some of the footballing stories from last week and try to predict some of the big games this week in our predictions battle. Remember you can also:

Check out a new football expression in English for Football For learners of English check out our Football Language Resources page with: Football glossary (a huge collection of football vocabulary, football cliches and football phrases) Worksheets and transcripts from previous podcasts Automatically receive the podcast each week by clicking here

This year's Champions League group stages get underway next week, but Spurs fans have been left in a bit of a pickle. Can they enjoy the experience of seeing their side compete against Europe's elite clubs, or will the desire to win turn it into a nerve racking experience?

With the group stages throwing Spurs right in at the deep end of top level European football, supporters could be forgiven for wanting an easier introduction to the competition.

It was 16 months in the waiting but on Saturday night Pep Guardiola and Barcelona experienced their first home defeat in La Liga and it was to the most unlikely of opponents.

Newly promoted Hercules came to Camp Nou with more hope than expectation but left this great stadium with the 3 points after a stunning 2-0 victory over the reigning champions.

It was announced earlier this week that Gary Neville would no longer be United's captain on the field, due to the fact that Sir Alex wants someone who is going to play week in week out. He will however, remain official club captain off it.

So who will be United's next full-time captain on the field?

Ryan Giggs is looking forward to this weekend's game against Liverpool.

Following some disappointing results in the league and in Europe, Giggs is expecting the atmosphere of Sunday to get the lads going.

"The crowd will light up," said Giggs. "It's usually a quick game and it's usually a ferocious game, so hopefully it's the kind of game that sets us back on the winning trail.

The man cannot stop scoring. In what has probably been his biggest test so far this season individually, he responded with aplomb knocking in 3 goals to help us edge out Liverpool 3-2. There's always been a knock on Berba for disappearing in the big games. That argument has been put to bed at least for a couple of days.

Diego Forlan has spoken to the official website about his time at Manchester United. After Dimitar Berbatov scored a hattrick against Liverpool yesterday, Forlan was asked how well he remembered the two goals he scored at Anfield in 2002.

"Very clearly," Forlan responded. "They came at a difficult time for me.

After playing Dallas and courting controversy, Thierry Henry and the Red Bulls visit Southern California Friday to play the Galaxy (AP Photo).

It's a sign of how far MLS has come that soccer fans are clearing their Friday night calendars in anticipation - yes, anticipation - for a regular season game.

Well that was crazy wasn't it? I mean from the joy of watching United storm into a two goal lead to the despair of watching Liverpool pull two goals back in the space of six minutes to the sheer ecstasy of Dimitar rising high to head United 3-2 in front, and with lessons learnt from Fulham and Everton and earlier in this game, United were never going to throw it away!

It seems to be a regular occurrence that games are continually ruined by refereeing decisions which ultimately cost the team on the end of these decisions not just 3 points but those 3 points could be the difference between relegation and staying up or qualifying for Europe or not.

There is no doubting that a referee's job is not an easy one and as fans watching it on television we have the aide of watching umpteen replays all from different angles.

With all the action taking place at mid-week, and all the big games we have taking place this weekend, Friday seems like the perfect time for the next SBI Live Q&A.

I will host the next Q&A at 1pm on Friday so get your soccer (and pop culture) questions ready to send my way. Want to discuss the CONCACAF Champions League craziness?

Another week of former Wizards update, a day later due to last night's Wizards game. Along with the Wizards, former Wizards Abe Thompson and Yura Movsisyan both had big games as combined they scored 5 goals between the two of them in their games yesterday. Matt Taylor also came back on the scene, scoring 2 goals for his new club in the German third division.

BY ADAM SERRANO

Landon Donovan, David Beckham, Rafael Marquez, and Juan Pablo Angel.

Despite the loss of Thierry Henry and Omar Gonzalez, Friday's clash (ESPN2: 8pm, PDT)between the Los Angeles Galaxy and New York Red Bulls is not lacking star power. With the Galaxy leading the league with 50 points and the Red Bulls in second place in the Eastern Conference, the match has major implications for not only MLS Cup, but the Supporters Shield as well.

BY ADAM SERRANO

The stars are out tonight as the New York Red Bulls visit the league leading Los Angeles Galaxy (8pm PDT, ESPN2).

Thierry Henry may be missing, but tonight's match will feature a cavalcade of stars including Landon Donovan, Rafael Marquez, David Beckham, Juan Pablo Angel and Edson Buddle.

As much as I enjoy that, by now quite old, bit of word play in the title, it was Chelsea who played like a steaming pile of you know what on Saturday. The losing score line of 1-0, away at City is not exactly to start an inquisition, but it did raise a number of questions.

Top scorers in Aussie football.
0.63 goals per game - Shane Smeltz (42 goals / 67 games)
0.51 goals per game - Sergio van Dijk (29 goals / 57 games)
0.48 goals per game - Archie Thompson (49 goals / 102 games)
0.47 goals per game - Eugene Dadi (15 goals / 32 games)
0.47 goals per game - Joel Griffiths (28 goals / 60 games)
0.

Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson knows all about the biggest and best tournaments in the world. The 19 time EPL title winning coach is prepared for battle today away against Spanish side Valencia and with a long list of critical players out injured (Rooney, Scholes, Giggs, Valencia), this Champions League match could make or break the Scottish coach's entire season.