Who will take home the 2010 UEFA Champions League title? I don't know. Honestly it is way to early to decide, but lets make some bold predictions about who will advance to the elite eight round of knockouts:

Stuttgart v Barcelona

A gambler lives by three rules of thumb: Never play poker with a guy who is named after a city, never date a woman with a tattoo of a knife piercing a heart, and never and I mean never bet against Barcelona.

After a few weeks off due to some holidays, the Premiership Talk Podcast is back at last. A bit different from ordinary podcasts, this episode sees Brian Lofrumento joined by a new co-host (no word on Taylor Fisher's whereabouts, but he was last spotted somewhere in Brazil). Who is it? You'll have to find out!

Usually before the season begins I do a league review counting down each squad from worst to first before the first week of matches. Well it's a little bit after the beginning of the season, but none the less I figured with the weekend off for league competition it would give us a chance to catch up this upcoming week and review squads and throw out some bold predictions.

L.A. and Chivas brought us some major drama in the MLS Playoffs first ever SuperClasico in a battle for Los Angeles bragging rights and some sorely needed points in the Conference Semifinals. Chivas has to struggle to pull together a draw on the Galaxy, but the fireworks have only just begun.

Cavalieri
Johnson Kelly San Jose Dossena
Kuyt Lucas Spearing Babel
Ngog Voronin
Subs:
Mascherano for Spearing 46'
Degen for Johnson 46'
Riera for Babel 46'
Plessis for Lucas 46'
Benayoun for Kuyt 46'
Gerrard for Voronin 62'
Torres for Ngog 62'
Insua for Dossena 62'
Ayala for San Jose 62'
Gulasci for Cavalieri 79'
Carragher for Riera 86'
Goals:
Voronin 44'
Ngog 59'
I know everyone's more interested in the Aquilani news.

Pepe Reina was as surprised as anyone at Anfield when he saw the weekend headlines.
The Reds goalkeeper stood accused of writing off Liverpool's hopes of Premier League glory.
After an interview given in his native tongue prior to the resounding win over Burnley, the Spaniard was quoted as saying the title "is not a realistic objective" this season.

Another year has come and gone, which means we can now look back at the wonderful fearless predictions bit. Let's see if I broke 5 points this year. This is one of my favorite running bits on 3rd Degree, the original Bold Predictions. Last year I actually made a slight step forward in the point total.

Here are the groupings for Friday's World Cup draw. Seeding for the top 8 were strictly set on the top teams from the October 2009 FIFA World Rankings. Only the top 7 will be included, as the host South Africa gets the 8th top seed. One team will then be drawn from each pot to make up the 8 groups of 4 teams each.

How times have changed for Michael Owen. The former undisputed golden boy of English football, feared by defenders throughout the World and lauded by Europe's biggest clubs, is, if growing rumours are to be believed, about to announce his retirement.

Injuries

Owen's injury-plagued stay at Newcastle has proved to be a nightmare, with the player a mere shadow of his former self even when officially ‘match fit' and raring to go.

They all want to be at Qwest on Nov. 22. Where is the playoff upset as the MLS post-season begins tonight?

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I've already weighed in a bit on the playoffs in this ESPN.