I'm going to attempt to keep this short because, quite frankly, spitting viciously vile vitriol is not how I'd like to spend my Saturday afternoon. Virulence really isn't going to get us anywhere.

But, shit, I'm fucking pissed.

Don't worry, it got much worse.

Didja like what you've seen so far? If you answered "no" then it probably won't get much better than that. In this package of brilliance, you will find the inaction shots of Milos Kocic, 2010-workhorse-2011-goat Dan Gargan and the biggest endorsement 'miss' going of the not-yet-Harvey's sponsored Torsten Frings.

Have to say the game this afternoon between Ireland and Wales was an absolute classic. It was a joy to watch two brilliant teams go all out for the win
For the record I thought Wales deserved it but the brilliance of the win was tainted somewhat by a really nasty spear-tackle in the second half.

Help me, I'm having nightmares. More, after the jump:

Cold as ice

I'm not even sure this match is as important as what's transpiring around the orbit of England's Once Brave (Twice-Removed) John Terry- henceforth known as EOBTRJT. Jack cooked up some brilliance on the matter, as always, which I recommend you all read at once.

It was, as things turned out, a mercifully quiet transfer deadline day, but the most curious acquisition of the day ended up involving a young player with just a handful of first team substitute appearances under his belt but also, it would seem, the capacity for potential brilliance and and self-destruction in roughly equal measures.

By CALEB SONNELAND

Despite both sides having punched their tickets to the 2012 London Olympics, bragging rights and a No. 1 seed were on the line when the United States Women clashed with Canada last night.

Thanks to the continued brilliance of Abby Wambach and young gun Alex Morgan, the United States trotted out a 4-0 victory to cap off what has largely been a pedestrian Olympic Qualifying.

Liverpool win 3-2 on aggregate
Goals:
De Jong 31'
Gerrard 40' (pen)
Dzeko 67'
Bellamy 74'
*Shakes head* Football, man. Football.
So much for Liverpool holding what they had. This was no lock-down defensive effort. Liverpool played defense by attacking, and would have settled the tie far sooner if not for Joe Hart's continuing brilliance.

Kenny Dalglish may have threatened to axe some under-performing players in the Liverpool squad following Saturday's humiliating 3-1 loss to Bolton but he has firmly maintained his support behind winger Stewart Downing.

Downing cost the Reds £20 million during the summer transfer window and despite showing sparks of brilliance, the England international has yet to score or provide an assist in his Liverpool career.

It was, in short, a poor afternoon. Let's just say our trip to Spain couldn't have come at a better time. More, after the jump:

Begging for Mercy

I'm a hazy mess. Well, not a mess per se. But, disappointed by what was without a doubt a toothless display of our ineffective style that sums up our season.

Feliz Sabado! If you haven't heard of 'Cuando Messi', you've gotta get with the program right away. Yesterday (for the most part), most of the football fraternity was up in arms over something Pele said :

"When Messi has scored 1,283 goals and won three World Cups, then we will talk.

Not the NY Cosmos MLS bid here...

-

Imagine a world where Sepp Blatter and Jack Warner's shady dealings weren't illuminated...to all?

Or better? That Lionel Messi's brilliance wasn't on display for the world prostrate.

(Our two cents: SOPA was never going to come to be both politically and technically.

Tried to replicate the formation from the 2-0 win against Stoke last season, starting with three center-backs for the first time this season. Didn't work. Tried sending Carroll on for final thirty minutes. Didn't work. Bellamy couldn't change matters either. Another disappointing, frustrating draw at Anfield.

Goals:
Simpson 28'
Bellamy 30'
Gerrard 45' (pen)
Shelvey 68'
Carroll 89'
Downing 90+4'
It should be illegal to complain when Liverpool score five, including firsts for Shelvey and Downing and a cameo from Carroll off the bench, no matter the opposition or merits of overall performance.

Measuring events in terms of a calendar year in football is a little silly. Almost everything that happens in club football is only important in terms of the August to May season. But so many things have happened to Arsenal in the last twelve months, I felt nostalgic.

Goals:
Adam (og) 45'
Maxi 53'
Liverpool have been massively unlucky in an awful lot of matches, but this one's going to take some beating. Another terrible, horrible, no good, very bad home draw in a season already chock-full of them.
Blackburn had exactly one chance, from Dunn in the 79th, on the break and spoiled by his own teammate.

By Eric Beard

"Pelé doesn't know sh*t."

That was Sid Lowe's response to James Richardson's teasing statement on The Guardian's Football Weekly Podcast. Richardson, of course, was referencing Pelé's opinion that Neymar is better than Lionel Messi.

Photo: Paul Rudderow

Editor's note: At the end of the 2010 season, we posted a series of season reviews of every Philadelphia Union player. Over the next several weeks PSP continues with a review of the 2011 season.

It was a disappointing second year for Jack McInerney.

Two bits of A-League off field brilliance to make you weep this festive sesason.
Marcos Flores is brilliant - and still United couldn't win the league - well lets sign the Coach up for four years and let Flores go.....
Loving the A-League business minds working hard around the country prior to the season and now the chooks have come to roost.

photo credit: prettyfriendshipThanks to Cesc Fabregas, Xavi and, of course, Lionel Messi Barcelona won the World Club Cup at a canter. Santos, arguably the best team in South America at the moment, were disposed of as though they were an irritant to Barcelona. This Barcelona side take no prisoners.

The sooner we invent teleportation the better.

Not because I hate flying itself, although I really, really do. And not because airports are the most soulless, tedious places on earth, although they really, really are. It's mostly because every time you fly there's somebody with the plague sitting close enough to give you all their germs and leave you smothering.

The newspapers are reporting Harry was brilliant, brilliant, - or his Coach Mem thought he was.
Guess what the text I received from a football mate straight after the game said, "Kewell ordinary."
And I might be "just a blogger" but I know brilliance when I see it.
Lionel Messi Sunday morning - absolutely brilliant.

How does one go from a miracle to synthetic grass? This sums up the problem faced by the Lyon squad just a few days after an heroic and historical game that took everyone by surprise.

For that's the big question mark tonight : in what condition will the heroes of Zagreb be in Lorient : back down to earth (or rather to the synthetic pitch with artificial grass of le Moustoir stadium), or still floating somewhere with their minds still in Zagreb, with a heavy hangover after days of partying night and day?

These dark nights by the Thames aren't half special, eh? A lively 0-0 turned into a scintillating 1-0 win, Clint Dempsey's late goal nicking the points with five minutes left. We more or less deserved them, riding our luck to a degree but mainly doing enough, then taking advantage when Liverpool lost a man after Spearing's red card.

Hi everyone,
Having gone through another engaging Premier League weekend, I think that the most talked about incident is the ''penalty that never was'' in the every so interesting game between title holders Manchester United and ''hot runners'' Newcastle. This was bound to be a eye catching for the fans but ever so difficult for everyone involved with the clubs and especially referees.

Dirk Kuyt claims Liverpool's performances against the Premier League's top sides have given the Reds the belief they can regain Champions League football.
Kenny Dalglish's side drew 1-1 with Manchester City at Anfield on Sunday and was unlucky not to be the ones to end the league leaders' unbeaten start to the season.

Dirk Kuyt: Liverpool's displays against top sides hint at bright future

• Kuyt hopes displays lead to Champions League qualification • 'The way we have played has been fantastic' The Liverpool forward Dirk Kuyt believes their performances against the top sides have improved their chances of regaining Champions League football.

FBM looking all "journalism-y".Wondo: "You're so funny." FBM: "I know." (Note: These words are not apart of the audio recording below.)So handsome.During MLS Cup 2011 weekend we had the pleasure of running into San Jose forward Chris Wondolowski. Wondo was in town for a bunch of MLS W.O.R.K.S.

Liverpool: Lescott (og) 33′
Manchester City: Kompany 31′

Liverpool prove their mettle but were stifled by Manchester City and Joe Hart, as once again the hosts can't convert the chances that would have won them the match. This one's as much about Hart's impressive ability in goal as it is Liverpool's inability to find the net; both he and Pepe Reina kept their clubs in a match that was plenty entertaining.

In the lull between the Expansion Draft and the Re-Entry draft (and by lull I mean total dearth of relevant news), we at The Bent Musket have decided it is time for our 2011 season grades. Corey, Matty, and I have looked at the four major areas of the team - goalkeeping, defense, midfield, forwards - and assigned our grades on a 4.

A single moment of brilliance proved the difference-maker in Sunday's clash between Bologna and Cesena. The early-season relegation battle looked to be heading for a 0-0 until Marco Parolo's goal-of-the-season contender stunned the Dall'Ara crowd in the 84th minute. Hosts Bologna went in as favourites thanks to a good run of form under new coach Stefano Pioli.

A single moment of brilliance proved the difference-maker in Sunday's clash between Bologna and Cesena. The early-season relegation battle looked to be heading for a 0-0 until Marco Parolo's goal-of-the-season contender stunned the Dall'Ara crowd in the 84th minute. Hosts Bologna went in as favourites thanks to a good run of form under new coach Stefano Pioli.

Diaby has to be in the shadows, for now

I'm sure by now you've all heard or rather, read the interview that Arsene Wenger did on L'Equipe. Or if you can't read French like I am as well, then thank god there's Arseblognews who has come out with the translated interview without looking for a headline.

Dear Andre,

I get it. This isn't an easy gig. There's plenty of pressure on your Portuguese shoulders. Our owner is fickle, our fans are impatient, the press relentless, and the expectations massive. Trust me, I understand what you're feeling. Well, not really in a literal sense- but I get the jist of it.

The Ex-Factor – How the match was won and lost as Chelsea fell to Liverpool at Stamford Bridge

Kenny Dalglish's gameplan, coupled with individual brilliance, exposed Chelsea's weaknesses but Andre-Villas Boas made up for lost ground with half-time readjustment

View the full story here: Goal

A news article on 2011-11-21 07:55:00 from: Goal

This news item has been reproduced from today's media.

As tradition goes, I never feel confident before a match against promoted opposition away from home. Arsenal, who naturally take up the mantle of Goliath in these clashes, have a tendency to trip up from a sly foot thrown forward by these Davids; and such matches have an even greater probability of being forbearers of frustration if they succeed an international break.

Nasri has pulled out the squad injured (Malouda, Remy, and Cabaye are also injury doubts), but we all know that Lyon have an attacking midfielder who can do the job just as well, or better, on his day: our very own Christian Gourcuff. But Gourcuff is left to watch from home as his club teammate Maxime Gonalons has been called up.

Liverpool legend Alan Hansen believes Liverpool were 'sluggish' and 'lacked fluency' against Swansea City at the weekend, but he's confident Liverpool can bounce back with two wins against a 'struggling' Chelsea team in the coming weeks.
In his weekly column for LFC Magazine, Hansen bemoaned Liverpool's failure to create as many chances as in previous games, but called for Kenny Dalglish's fledgling team to be given more time:
"As disappointing as the result was, it has to be remembered that this Liverpool side is still gelling as a team, and there will be days when they just don't get going.

Boro were a completely different class to their West Yorkshire based opponents today, no disrespect to Thackley who are a decent side, but today they could not live with the brilliance of Boro.
After today's performance I cannot imagine Rudy leaving Gary Hepples out of his future starting line-up's, once again Gary was my man of the match, he rightly regained his place today at the expense of Dean Windass, who was on the subs bench.

After the West Brom victory last week, I posted an article arguing that the quality of Liverpool's second half performance had been wildly exaggerated. The gross hyperbole coming from fans, pundits and ex-players after the game was laughable, and just served to deflect attention away from the real issues, which were exposed again today by an outstanding Swansea team who, quite frankly, gave Liverpool a footballing lesson on their own ground.

Remember how multiple home draws against inferior opposition ruined the '08-09 title chase? That was fun. Let's do that again.
Out of all four of Liverpool's disappointing home draws – and I include United in that – Swansea are most deserving of the point they leave Anfield with. Rodgers' tactics were excellent, soaking up Liverpool pressure for 60 minutes before pummeling the home side for 10, then settling back into their deep, resilient defense.