The top two U.S. 'keepers go head to head Saturday With U.S. head coach Jurgen Klinsmann set to finalize the roster for the opening match of the Hex against Honduras, there's a chance to get a glimpse of the form of some U.S. players abroad this weekend, including a duel between the USA's top two 'keepers.
UEFA Champions League on Fox Soccer Plus: Spartak Moscow - Fenerbache at 12pm. On Fox Soccer:
Helsinborg - Celtic at 2:30pm. Fox Sports Net has Borussia Moenchengladbach - Dinamo Kiev at
2:45pm. Copa Sudamericana on Fox Deportes: Sao Paulo - Bahia at 8:15pm and Universidad San Martin -
Emelec at 10:30pm.
Manchester United takes on Arsenal today in FA Cup action, a match that is easily the best of a
busy day of soccer action.
The Red Devils will be looking to keep Arsenal down after the Gunners' recent Champions League
loss to Barcelona, but Arsenal will have a chance to knock off a United side with its own UEFA
Champions League issues to deal with.
Brad Friedel has started an English Premier League record 306 straight matches, but after
Tottenham's acquisition of star French goalkeeper Hugo Lloris on Friday, that streak looks to be in
jeopardy. Friedel will make it 307 starts in a row today as he leads Tottenham against Norwich City
in what might be his final Premier League start for some time.
Chelsea and Liverpool began the current season with hopes of challenge for the English Premier
League title, and while both teams saw their league campaigns turn into disappointments, both have
enjoyed considerable success in cup competitions.
Now the Blues and Reds are set to face off today in the FA Cup Final (12:15pm, Fox Soccer
Channel), with Chelsea hoping to add the trophy to its collection ahead of the UEFA Champions
League Final, and with Liverpool looking to add the FA Cup to the Carling Cup the club has already
won this season.
Saturday EPL on ESPN2: Norwich City - Arsenal at 7:30am. On Fox Soccer: Manchester City - Newcastle
United at 9:30am, Swansea City - Manchester United at noon, and Sunderland - Fulham at 5pm. Fox
Soccer Plus has Everton - Wolverhampton at 10am and Stoke City - QPR at 4pm. Championship on Fox
Soccer Plus: Burnley - Leeds United at 7:45am.
In comments on Monday in the run-up to Tuesday's Premier League game against Manchester United,
Aston Villa manager Gerard Houllier confirmed that United States National Team and Borussia
Moenchengladbach midfielder Michael Bradley is expected to join Villa on loan for the rest of the
season. "Bradley will be signing, hopefully," Houllier said.
Jermaine Jones is set to make his English Premier League debut for Blackburn against West
Bromwich Albion in one of today's key matches to watch.
Jones joins Blackburn on loan and should slide right into the starting lineup for a Rovers side
currently in 12th place. He won't be the only American central midfielder in action, with Michael
Bradley and Borussia Moenchengladbach facing Bayer Leverkusen.
Manchester United are officially the best supported club in Europe according to Futebol
Finance.
Futebol Finance based their analysis on attendances last season, and with an average Old
Trafford attendance of 75,304 last season, United surpassed Real Madrid, the 2009-2009 winners.
What is surprising is the lack of Premier League sides on the list.
Manchester United are officially the best supported club in Europe according to Futebol
Finance.
Futebol Finance based their analysis on attendances last season, and with an average Old
Trafford attendance of 75,304 last season, United surpassed Real Madrid, the 2009-2009 winners.
What is surprising is the lack of Premier League sides on the list.
Just days after Jermaine Jones made the move from the German Bundesliga to the English Premier
League, now comes word a U.S. teammate of Jones could be joining him in the EPL.
Sunderland is lining up a transfer bid for U.S. World Cup midfielder Michael Bradley. The Black
Cats are believed to be looking for a potential replacement for Lee Cattermole, who is battling a
back injury and is drawing transfer interest from the likes of Liverpool, and Bradley could be just
the player to solidify the midfield for Steve Bruce's side.
Which are the best soccer teams or leagues in the world? Of course we can see which teams win more
matches, and for leagues, UEFA's league coefficient allows us to answer that question with a fair
amount of precision. Less systematic but popular ways of determining league or team quality
involves looking at international head-to-head competition, or evaluating which leagues attract the
best players and managers.
Borussia Moenchengladbach Sports Director Max Eberl has been quoted in the German Football magazine
Kicker, but he only alludes to saying the Luuk de Jong  is one of the targets of the Bundesliga
club. Max Erbel Borussia Moenchengladbach Sports Director Borussia finished 4th top last season
and qualified for the Champions League, after finishing 3rd bottom the [.
The Liverpool FC/Borussia Moenchengladbach fourth consecutive Fan party in Liverpool has been
declared 'an outstanding success'. Fan party organizer Graham Agg said it was an honour for the
Liverpool supporters to once again host our friends from the Borussia Moenchengladbach Official
Supporters Club.
Lauri Dalla Valle has been sent to Dundee United on loan. This might not mean much to you, but
it's a nice reminder of days gone by for me.
(First things first, Dundee United play in orange-black-orange. If I started a team from scratch
my team would wear these colours. I haven't thought about this seriously for about 25 years, but
this was always my position on the matter: any football club I found would wear
orange-black-orange.
Lauri Dalla Valle has been sent to Dundee United on loan. This might not mean much to you, but
it's a nice reminder of days gone by for me.
(First things first, Dundee United play in orange-black-orange. If I started a team from scratch
my team would wear these colours. I haven't thought about this seriously for about 25 years, but
this was always my position on the matter: any football club I found would wear
orange-black-orange.
Whether you want to see relegation-threatened teams fight for survival or clubs attempting to
win a title, this weekend should have just what you're looking for and then some.
There are several quality games to watch, starting with the FA Cup final between Chelsea and
Liverpool on Saturday afternoon.
The German Bundesliga comes to a close this weekend, and Ricardo Clark and Eintracht Frankfurt
are in a must-win situation if they are to return to the league next season.
Clark and Eintracht Frankfurt face league champion Borussia Dortmund on Saturday, and only an
upset win combined with other results can save the 17th-placed club.
The Clint Dempsey-to-Liverpool rumors just won't go away, and they will likely continue should
he have a strong game against the club this weekend.
Dempsey and Fulham travel to take on Liverpool in a game that could help the Cottagers further
themselves from the relegation zone or drop them into it.
Playing time has been hard to come by this season for Jonathan Spector, but after his Carling
Cup heroics, he might just see the field for West Ham for a second straight game.
Spector made a strong case for more minutes with his brace in the 4-0 win over Manchester United
in the quarterfinals of the Carling Cup on Wednesday, and that performance could bear fruit when
the Hammers visit Sunderland.
It's a huge day for the U.S. internationals still involved in the Europa League, as the second
legs of the quarterfinal round kick off this afternoon and places in the final four up for
grabs.
Jozy AltidoreValencia v. AZ Alkmaar (3 p.m., DirecTV)
AZ Alkmaar surprised many with a 2-1 win against the highly-touted Spanish side, and have given
themselves a fighting chance as they travel to Valencia.
After a month's hiatus (due primarily to an extended internet-free trip to India see below),
we're back with a TV guide to the weekend. Â As usual, we provide US TV listings with ET kickoffs,
since that's where we reside. For our non-US readers, we've included a link to livesoccertv.com
for each match.
Marco Reus, the rising star in the German Bundesliga having helped Borussia Mönchengladbach to
a respectable fourth place during the winter break, will be leaving the club at the end of the
season to play for Borussia Dortmund.
It was announced today on Mönchengladbach's website that the player will remain at the club for
the 2011-12 season before signing a five year deal with the current German champions Dortmund for a
transfer fee of 17,5 million Euros.
DFB Pokal (German Cup) holders Schalke 04 were dumped out of this season's competition
by Borussia Mönchengladbach following the latter's 3-1 home win in Wednesday's Round of 16
tie.
Borussia Mönchengladbach ensured that there would be no repeat triumph for Schalke 04 in this
year's DFB Pokal.
Michael Bradley becomes the next American to try to make a career for himself in Italy's Serie A
after finding success in Holland and Germany. Chievo is hardly a household name among the Italian
clubs, so here's what you need to know about Bradley's new home. Why Are We Here? After going on
loan to Aston Villa for the second0half of the 2010-11 season, Bradley was unable to make the move
permanent.
In the same month that the New York Red Bulls signed Maryland standout Matt Kassel to a
Homegrown Player contract, the club has now added the first defender from its academy to the senior
team.
The Red Bulls have signed U.S. Under-20 national team defender Sacir Hot to a Homegrown Player
contract, sources told SBI on Friday.
Tim Howard missed out on the Premiership's opening weekend as Everton's game versus Tottenham
Hotspur was postponed due to rioting. But the wait to begin the season will end for Howard as he is
set to man the pipes against Queens Park Rangers.
There's been lots of changes of addresses for U.S. internationals this winter in one of the most
active transfer window periods for national teamers in history. A trio of players left the U.S. to
pursue careers abroad and several crossed borders in Europe for increased playing time and new
opportunities.
ESPN is reporting that sources close to Michael Bradley are reporting that the American
midfielder is heading to Aston Villa on loan through the end of the season. Bradley will then have
one year remaining on his contract with Borussia Moenchengladbach.
Fenerbahce will face Lazio fron Italy.... Lazio and Fenerbahce, who have both been in trouble with UEFA over fan behaviour, were paired in another tie while Tottenham Hotspur, the only one of the quarter-finalists to have won the trophy, face FC Basel with the first leg in London. Fenerbahce, at home in the first leg against Lazio, had to stage their last 16 second leg against Viktoria Plzen on Thursday behind closed doors after their fans set off fireworks during a previous home match against BATE Borisov.
Last night was a night for some stunning goals following ,a href="http://www.attackingsoccer.com/2012/11/adil-rami-50-yard-opener-v-llagostera/">Adil Rami's 50 yarder in the Copa del Rey came this awesome volley from Borussia Moenchengladbach's Juan Arango as they beat Wolfsburg 2-0 in the Bundesliga last night.
