For far too long special effects have been the preserve of ropey Hollywood blockbusters. Thankfully, the excess of computer generated explosions, fire-breathing and walking dinosaurs has made it's way to the football pitch. In what has to be one of the most head-shakingly brilliant video we have seen for some time, we see some classic [.

A book review by contributor Paul Demko
As a book about professional sports, This Love is Not for Cowards: Salvation and Soccer in Ciudad Juarez is pretty much a dud.

Rosicky Claims His Footballing Age Is 29

Arsenal FC midfielder Tomas Rosicky has said that there is plenty of football left in him even though he is now in his thirties. The 31-year-old playmaker has missed a large chunk of his Arsenal career due to a series of injuries and therefore, he claims that his hunger and desire to play at the highest level is more than his age suggests.

A few years ago if someone had suggested to me that Alex Song would one day be (nearly) world-class I would have taken them straight to Broadmoor and had them sectioned myself.
At the beginning of his Arsenal career Song looked, in my opinion, horribly out of his depth. When he went on loan to Charlton Athletic I actually believed he had probably found his level.

Was Lionel Messi so prodigious at the age of 7 a French-Cameroonian family knew to name their son after him? Probably.

Much like Michel Platini both heads UEFA and plays in the attack for Dinamo Bucharest world's greatest multitasker, him Lionel Messi (Nyamsi) has been offered a contract for Angers in Ligue 2.

As the end of the 2011/12 league campaign draws near, Bristol City have improved their ranks – and their chances of surviving relegation – by bringing in some fresh blood.
The Robins have signed QPR's Hogan Ephraim and Andre Amougou, of Burnley fame, on loan until the end of the season.

Talking Tactics: How Arsenal can turn it round v AC Milan is a post from: Just Football

Let's not beat around the bush. It is highly unlikely that Arsenal are to overcome a four goal deficit, despite being at home, when they take on AC Milan in the second leg of their Champions League tie next week.

BY ADAM SERRANO

CARSON, Calif. -- Cameroonian midfielder Franck Songo'o stole the show for the Portland Timbers as the trialist set up a pair of goals to help lead the Timbers to a 4-1 win against the Los Angeles Galaxy on Tuesday in the first MLS pre-season match for both teams.

guest writer Richard Hall Originally the Nerazzurri could not believe it, Zlatan Ibrahimovic had gone but in return they had 46 million Euros and even better they had Samuel Eto'o. Now, half a season since the Cameroonian left for Russia the question is being asked, ‘Did Moratti sell the wrong man?

Arsenal can confirm that Jack Wilshere has suffered a small stress fracture to the right foot which is in a different location to his original injury. He will be reassessed in two weeks by Arsenal's medical team. If all goes well (keeping fingers crossed), Wilshere might be back in time for Arsenal's Ides of March schedule.

Four trialists have joined the New England Revolution's preseason camp, according to the Revolution's latest preseason roster released today. Defender Théophile "Junior" N'Tame, midfielders Jeremiah White and David Foley, and striker Saër Sène, join the Revs four MLS Supplemental Draft picks as non-contracted players in camp.

Four games in the next 13 days should give Arsenal sufficient opportunity to bounce back from the recent disheartening defeat against the League leaders. Given the state of injuries in defence though, Arsene will have to take things game by game. There isn't much room left for tinkering, particularly at the back.

Four games in the next 13 days should give Arsenal sufficient opportunity to bounce back from the recent disheartening defeat against the League leaders. Given the state of injuries in defence though, Arsene will have to take things game by game. There isn't much room left for tinkering, particularly at the back.

Junior N'Tame (left) may be set to join the Revs after trialing with the team in October. (Photo by Art Donahue/artdonahue.com)

Despite trialing under former New England Revolution head coach Steve Nicol in October, Théophile Junior N'Tame may be a part of new head coach Jay Heaps' plans. According to a report on French site MLS-News.

Cameroon's most decorated player and captain, Samuel Eto'o has 10 days to appeal his International 15 game ban handed down to the striker after he incited player's to go on strike last month which prompted Cameroon's friendly with Algeria to be postponed.

The strike followed a row over bonuses after a tournament in Morocco in November.

Not even one of the faces of African soccer is immune to punishment of the harshest kind.

The Cameroonian Football Federation banned captain and star forward Samuel Eto'o 15 matches for his role in a players' strike last month. Eto'o can appeal the punishment over the course of the next two weeks, but if it is upheld, the ban could signal the end of the 30-year-old Eto'o's international career, considering the length of the ban and the bad blood between player and federation.

FC Basilisk turns Man Utd to stone

Thorsten Fink, the present Hamburger SV manager must have felt chills going up and down his spine today as his former club, FC Basel dumped Man Utd unceremoniously out of the Champions League. You read that right. Last year's finalist crashed and burned out in the group stage.

Liverpool's teenage starlet Stephen Sama is ready to leave Liverpool on a temporary loan deal, with Preston North End manager Phil Brown reportedly keen on acquiring his services.
According to The Mirror, Sama has put in a series of impressive performances for the Liverpool reserve side that have been enough to put him on the radar of Brown.

Wenger says the two games against Marseille will be vital for Arsenal's qualification hopes and fans who don't want a repeat of last season's second round draw know results in these two fixtures will go a long way in deciding the group topper.

Nevertheless, I have a feeling Arsene will rotate some of his players and I support that wholeheartedly.

By CALEB SONNELAND

Just under two months after shocking the soccer world and signing for Russian side Anzhi Makhachkala, Samuel Eto'o is being linked with a return to Inter Milan — on loan.

Eto'o left the Italian giants in late August, but when the Russian Premier League season takes a break in January and February, meaning Eto'o could potentially return to Inter for a Serie A as well as Champions League fixtures.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. Even with the regular season two games away from completion, Revolution manager Steve Nicol is already thinking about next year.

Right back Junior Ntame, 26, and central midfielder Nicolas Dieuze, 32, both of whom are reportedly out of contract, were brought in for trials this week, giving the gaffer a glimpse of two internationals who may be use next season.

Should Footballers Be Allowed To Chew Gum On The Pitch? - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

At first glance it seems it could not possibly be true. A repeat viewing of the BBC's Match of the Day programme, however, confirms the initial suspicion that Tottenham Hotspur's Benoit Assou Ekotto took to the field against Wigan last month chewing gum.

Soka Afrika is probably the first documentary that really tackles the problem of trafficking of young footballers from Africa to the European leagues through the story of two aspiring footballers who set out to find their fame and fortune and end up taking very different journeys. It won the best film at the Kicking and Screening film festival in NYC and London this year.

Cameroonian international striker Samuel Eto'o has compared his new club's supporters to those of Liverpool.
The former Barcelona and Inter Milan forward became the highest-paid footballer when completing a move to Russia this summer, with Anzhi Makhachkala splashing out on the 30-year-old.
Concerns were raised over the reception the player would receive from supporters after the move was confirmed, but Eto'o admitted that both he and his teammates were grateful to their 2,000 traveling fans in the 1-0 defeat at Kuban.

New Anzhi Makhachkala signing Samuel Eto'o has made an instant impact for his new club by scoring the equalizer in a 1-1 draw away at FK Rostov.

The signing of the Cameroonian international has raised many eyebrows throughout the world of football especially given the huge wages that he is reported to be earning, something akin to 20 million euros a year.

Last season, Milan was the center of the Italian soccer world, as the two city rivals battled at the top of the table. This season, things will not change much as Internazionale and AC Milan will lead the race for the scudetto. And just like last season, Inter will likely fall just short of the trophy.

Monaco forward Benjamin Moukandjo has told skysports.com that he is flattered by interest from Liverpool.
The 22-year-old only moved to the Principality in the January transfer window when he arrived from Nimes.
However, following Monaco's relegation from the French top-flight - he is now being linked with a move away.

RICHMOND, VA – (Saturday, March 19, 2011) – The Richmond Kickers defeated the Old Dominion University Monarchs 4-1 on a beautiful, spring-like day Saturday at the Kickers state-of-the-art training facility, Ukrop Park. Newcomer Shaka Bangura opened scoring for the Kickers in the first minute of play, but Monarchs forward Yannick Smith notched the equalizer before the end of the half.

Goran Pandev struck two minutes from time to give Inter Milan a dramatic win at Bayern Munich and propel the Champions League holders through to the quarter-finals on away goals.

Bayern's 1-0 first-leg advantage lasted just four minutes as Samuel Eto'o tucked away his eighth goal of the competition.

I guess now we have moved past winter and entered the Cliché season. So every game will be like a Cup Final. Home games are a must win. No team can be underestimated, certainly not Wolves who've just beaten The Pretenders. So on and so forth, I could probably write a thousand words just with clichés; but don't worry, a headache and a modicum of common sense will prevent me from doing that.

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa Veteran goalkeeper Muteba Kidiaba starred as Club World Cup runners-up TP Mazembe from the Democratic Republic of Congo collected a seventh African title Saturday. Kidiaba saved a shootout kick against FUS Rabat from Morocco in southern Congolese city Lubumbashi and then converted a penalty to give his team a 9-8 victory [.

MILAN, Italy Inter Milan routed visiting Bologna 4-1 in the Serie A on Saturday and continued its winning run since Leonardo took over as coach. Leonardo replaced Rafa Benitez on Christmas Eve and Inter has since won all four of its games to move to eight points behind league leader AC Milan, which was [.