photo by Howard C. Smith/ISIphotos.com

By FRANCO PANIZO

Benny Feilhaber just cannot be stopped.

Having scored four goals in the past seven days, Feilhaber continued his tear with AGF Aarhus on Sunday as he assisted on two goals and scored a clutch game-winner in a 3-2 victory over Koge.

By FRANCO PANIZO

Jose Francisco Torres was recently battling a hamstring injury, but you wouldn't have known it after the goal he scored in Pachuca's latest game.

Torres scored his first goal of the Mexican League season by nailing the winner in Pachuca's 5-3 victory over Puebla.

Disclaimer: Last week I put out my list of the Top 50 players that had a chance to make the final World Cup squad for the United States. I tried to find a blend of players that I felt had a good chance, wanted to see go, and thought Bob Bradley wanted to include.

This week, rather than using this space to take cheap shots at Bradley, I'm putting out a list of the top players that I want to see included.

By Raf Crowley, a senior writer for The Yanks Are Coming. He can be reached at raf@yanksarecoming.com.

The Roster

Goalkeepers:

Brad Guzan (Aston Villa, England), Marcus Hahnemann (Wolverhampton, England), Tim Howard (Everton, England).

photo by Perry McIntyre/ISIphotos.com

By FRANCO PANIZO

St. Etienne will hit the road on Saturday for the second time this season, but for Carlos Bocanegra the match against Stade Rennes will be somewhat of a homecoming.

After failing to make the game-day roster last week, Bocanegra will likely suit up to play against his former club and teammates as Saint Etienne looks for a second consecutive victory.

Here we go with Bob Bradley Version 2.0 - USA v Poland tonight in Chicago (7:30 PM EDT, Fox Soccer Channel).
There are several questions to which we'll have answers come game time, including whether or not Bob Bradley intends to move away from his tried and true 4-4-2. The looks of the roster seems to indicate a change is coming.

By FRANCO PANIZO

The Bundesliga winter break is over, and for Michael Bradley and Borussia Moenchengladbach, that means it's time to pick up where they left off in their continuous battle against relegation.

Moenchengladbach currently sits five points above the drop zone, and will be hoping to build on that advantage as it takes on relegation-threatened VfL Bochum.

As the African Cup of Nations 2010 reaches the semi finals stage I thought we might revive an interesting feature that we ran for the 2008 tournament in Ghana on Just Football, namely Goalwatch. Its an oldie but a goodie, in which we tracked every goalscorer as well as the domestic league they play in, in order to bring you a list of the leagues that contribute most to African Cup of Nations success.

By FRANCO PANIZO

Stuart Holden's debut with the Bolton first team could come in the FA Cup this weekend as he returns from a thigh injury in time for the Wanderers' cup clash vs. Tottenham.

Holden played 60 minutes in a recent Bolton reserve match and is expected to be available for the fifth-round FA Cup match on Sunday.

By FRANCO PANIZO

Brad Guzan has received most of the starts for Aston Villa in the club's run to the Carling Cup final, but it could be incumbent Brad Friedel who gets the nod against Manchester United.

Friedel has been red hot as of late, and that, coupled with his experience, may be the reason he replaces Guzan in the Villans' Carling Cup lineup.

On a light day of action in the English Premier League, it is Serie A where the real marquee match-ups will be played.

Fiorentina faces off against Juventus while Roma takes on AC Milan in Saturday's top matches. If the English game is still more your cup of tea, Marcus Hahnemann will look to try and upset Manchester United when the champions visit Wolverhampton.

Real Madrid takes on Atletico Madrid today in the marquee match-up of the day on this Soccer Sunday.

Real Madrid is looking to stay ahead of FC Barcelona in the race at the top of the Spanish First Division so a win against their city rival is vital, but Atletico isn't likely to make things easy.

First Star: Mired in a relegation battle, Steve Cherundolo and Hannover 96 responded with a shock win over Michael Bradley's Borussia Moenchengladbach. In need of a better goal differential, Hannover got a 6-1 win over 'Gladbach, moving them into 15th-place with a two point lead over 16th-place Nurnberg.

By FRANCO PANIZO

It is the final weekend of club action for a number of the Americans Abroad, and even though much of the preliminary roster that will be announced early next week is already known, there is still plenty to play for.

Steve Cherundolo and Hannover 96 enter its final game of the season aiming to defeat fellow bottom-dweller VfL Bochum in order to avoid relegation.

U.S. coach Bob Bradley decided that even with Charlie Davies's remarkable recovery from a near-fatal car crash seven months ago, that he was not ready to play in a World Cup game. So Bradley left Davies off his 30-man U.S. preliminary roster today. Also left off the list are Colorado forward Conor Casey and Freddy Adu.

So we now know the 23 Bob Bradley will take to South Africa. They are:

Goalkeepers: Brad Guzan (Aston Villa, England), Marcus Hahnemann (Wolverhampton, England), Tim Howard (Everton, England).

Defenders: Carlos Bocanegra (Rennes, France), Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover, Germany), Jay DeMerit (Watford, England), Clarence Goodson (IK Start, Norway), Oguchi Onyewu (AC Milan, Italy), Jonathan Spector (West Ham, England).

When talking with US assistant coaches, they candidly reference Michael Bradley as being a player that the team cannot do without.
There is no nepotism hinted, because despite being the son of US national team head coach Bob Bradley, it is obvious to see that the midfield linchpin is indispensable to the US team.

photo by Chris Ricco/ISIphotos.com

Michael Bradley's World Cup performance was always sure to attract interest from several clubs, and that interest could soon land him in the Premiership.

Recently promoted side Blackpool is considering a move for Bradley, according to the Daily Mail.

It's a friendship unique in world football which has blossomed over four decades.
When Liverpool and Borussia Moenchengladbach met five times during the 1970s the stakes were high and it was the Reds who took the spoils.
In 1973 they edged out the Germans 3-2 on aggregate in the final of the UEFA Cup and then four years later the European Cup was secured for the first time as Gladbach were beaten 3-1 on a memorable night in Rome.

Liverpool: Cavalieri, Johnson, Insua, Ayala, Carragher, Gerrard, Shelvey, Ince, Eccleston, Cole, Dalla Valle. Subs: Gulacsi, Aurelio, Wilson, Darby, Irwin, Spearing, Aquilani, Jovanovic, Amoo, Suso, Sterling.

photo by Perry McIntyre/ISIphotos.com

By FRANCO PANIZO

St. Etienne will hit the road on Saturday for the second time this season, but for Carlos Bocanegra the match against Stade Rennes will be somewhat of a homecoming.

After failing to make the game-day roster last week, Bocanegra will likely suit up to play against his former club and teammates as Saint Etienne looks for a second consecutive victory.

Bob Bradley has called in 20 players for the upcoming friendlies against Poland (Oct. 9th in Chicago) and Colombia (Oct. 12 in Chester, Pa.). Players of note Jermaine Jones, Brek Shea, and Eric Lichaj. Here's the full roster

GOALKEEPERS (2): Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Tim Howard (Everton)
DEFENDERS (8): Carlos Bocanegra (Saint-Étienne), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover), Clarence Goodson (IK Start), Eric Lichaj (Aston Villa), Oguchi Onyewu (AC Milan), Michael Parkhurst (FC Nordsjaelland), Heath Pearce (FC Dallas), Jonathan Spector (West Ham United)
MIDFIELDERS (7): Alejandro Bedoya (Örebro), Michael Bradley (Borussia Moenchengladbach), Maurice Edu (Rangers), Benny Feilhaber (Aarhus), Stuart Holden (Bolton Wanderers), Jermaine Jones (FC Schalke), Brek Shea (FC Dallas)
FORWARDS (3): Jozy Altidore (Villarreal), Clint Dempsey (Fulham), Eddie Johnson (Fulham)

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Jermaine Jones will finally make his USMNT debut
Bob's first act as newly re-signed US National Team head coach was calling in a 20-man roster for the upcoming friendlies against Poland (Chicago - October 9th) and Colombia (Philadelphia - October 12th). The number of fliers taken by Bradley was fairly small, though there are a few interesting inclusions, and omissions, on the list.

That's because MLS clubs are in the middle of crucial playoff races when the U.S. plays friendles against Poland Oct. 9 in Chicago and Colombia Oct. 12 in Philadelphia.

"We understand this is a critical point in the season for teams in MLS," said U.S. Coach Bob Bradley. "Given the circumstances, we felt it was important that the MLS players be given as much opportunity as possible to remain with their clubs and continue to make important contributions as the playoffs approach.

By FRANCO PANIZO

St Etienne may have only tied AJ Auxerre, but it received good news before the match with the return of Carlos Bocanegra to its starting eleven.

Having not played in a match since Oct. 17 due to a neck injury, Bocanegra started and went the distance in the 1-1 draw with Auxerre.

By FRANCO PANIZO

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.

(video gol highlights)
Il Bayern Monaco, prossimo avversario della Fiorentina in Champions League, ottiene la prima gioia del 2010. Felicit doppia, poichè il risultato positivo, ottenuto contro l'Hoffenheim, vale non solo il successo nella gara interna anche la vetta della testa (36 punti, uno in più delle "aspirine" del Leverkusen), conquistata nuovamente dopo più di un anno.

22/01/2010Friburgo - Stoccarda 0 - 123/01/2010Werder Brema - Bayern Monaco ore 15.30Bochum - Schalke 04 ore 15.30Mainz - Hannover ore 15.30Norimberga - Eintracht Francoforte ore 15.30Hertha Berlino - Borussia Moenchengladbach ore 15.30Borussia Dortmund - Amburgo ore 18.3024/01/2010Wolfsburg - Colonia ore 15.

05/02/2010Werder Brema - Hertha Berlino 2 - 106/02/2010Wolfsburg - Bayern Monaco ore 15.30FC Colonia - Amburgo ore 15.30Friburgo - Schalke 04 ore 15.30Bochum - Bayer Leverkusen ore 15.30Hoffenheim - Hannover ore 15.30Norimberga - Stoccarda ore 18.3007/02/2010Mainz - Borussia Moenchengladbach ore 15.30Borussia Dortmund - Eintracht Francoforte ore 17.

By FRANCO PANIZO

Jose Francisco Torres was recently battling a hamstring injury, but you wouldn't know it after the goal he scored in Pachuca's latest game.

Torres scored his first goal of the Mexican League season by launching the winner in Pachuca's 5-3 victory over Puebla with just six minutes to play.

On a light day of action in the English Premier League, it is Serie A where the real marquee match-ups will be played.

Fiorentina faces off against Juventus while Roma takes on AC Milan in Saturday's top matches. If the English game is still more your cup of tea, Marcus Hahnemann will look to try and upset Manchester United when the champions visit Wolverhampton.

EPL on ESPN2: Spurs - Blackburn at 7:30am. On Fox Soccer Channel: Birmingham - Everton at 10am, Hull City - Arsenal at 12:30pm, and Bolton - Wigan at 5pm. On Fox Soccer Plus: Chelsea - West Ham United at 10am, Stoke - Aston Villa at 2pm, and Burnley - Wolverhampton at 4pm. Bundesliga on GolTV: Borussia Moenchengladbach - VfL Wolfsburg at 9:30am and Bayern Munich - Freiburg at 12:30pm.

Landon Donovan will bid farewell to Everton today in the final match of his loan with the English club.

Everton takes on Birmingham in one of the matches of the day. Several Americans are facing tough competition today, with Jozy Altidore and Hull facing Arsenal, Jonathan Spector and West Ham taking on Chelsea, and Daniel Williams and Freiburg facing Bayern Munich.

photo by ISIphotos.com

by FRANCO PANIZO

Ricardo Clark has not played in a match since mid-November due to a combination of factors, but Clark appears ready to end that dry spell against one of the hottest teams in Europe.

Real Madrid takes on Atletico Madrid today in the marquee match-up of the day on this Soccer Sunday.

Real Madrid is looking to stay ahead of FC Barcelona in the race at the top of the Spanish First Division so a win against their city rival is vital, but Atletico isn't likely to make things easy.

By FRANCO PANIZO

Slovenia may be a small country of only two million people, but the Slovenians Abroad represented in a big way this weekend with three different goal scorers.

Nejc Pecknik's contributions were the most notable as the midfielder added an assist to his goal in a 2-1 comeback victory for Nacional de Madeira over Vitoria Setubal.

03/04/2010Schalke 04 - Bayern Monaco ore 15.30Eintracht Francoforte - Bayer Leverkusen ore 15.30Borussia Dortmund - Werder Brema ore 15.30Friburgo - Bochum ore 15.30Stoccarda - Borussia Moenchengladbach ore 15.30Norimberga - Mainz ore 15.30Colonia - Hertha Berlino ore 18.3004/04/2010Wolfsburg - Hoffenheim ore 15.

By FRANCO PANIZO

Brad Friedel and Aston Villa are a step away from reaching the finals of the FA Cup, but in order to get there they will need to defeat a team that gave them one of the biggest beatings of the season less than two weeks ago.

Aston Villa will clash with arguably the best team in the FA Cup, Chelsea, at Wembley Stadium on Saturday, and the Villans will need to forget about the 7-1 shellacking Chelsea dished out last month in order to have a chance at winning.

By FRANCO PANIZO

Brad Friedel and Aston Villa are a step away from reaching the finals of the FA Cup, but in order to get there they will need to defeat a team that gave them one of the biggest beatings of the season less than two weeks ago.

Aston Villa will clash with arguably the best team in the FA Cup, Chelsea, at Wembley Stadium on Saturday, and the Villans will need to forget about the 7-1 shellacking Chelsea dished out last month in order to have a chance at winning.

The race for the English Premier League title, as well as the race for the precious fourth place Champions League spot still up for graps in the Premier league, will both be on the line when Tottenham faces Manchester United.

The Red Devils are on Chelsea's heels for the title, while Spurs are trying to hold off Manchester City for the valuable Champions League spot it currently holds.