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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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: 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.

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.

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.

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.