Derby County is conducting a housecleaning this year bringing in nine new players and letting go of six, including American midfielder Benny Feilhaber. After his $2 million transfer to Derby County from Hamburg, Feilhaber has only played in ten matches (nine as a sub) since last August due to injuries.

Johnny Harkes thinks that the US mens national team still has room to grow. He says "we're playing well, but we're not playing great." He is captain for life after all, so he may know what he's talking about. Plus, he's bucking for more caps for Freddy & Jozy so I'm kinda feeling what he's saying.

It is possible for one team to have too many players who look good in their underwear? I believe that generally, the answer is an emphatic no. This time, though? I'm not so sure.

The Galaxy may find out. Various British sources, including, apparently the BBC, have linked Swedish international and Calvin Klein undies model Freddie Yumberg Ljungberg to the Galaxy.

FC Dallas has finally decided they care about scoring goals.  YS has learned that FC Dallas is very close to signing Ariel Ortega, a former Argentine International, and a current player at River Plate.  Ortega, who is 34, is a veteran of three World Cups and has over 90 caps for Argentina.   John Ellinger, An [.

Our very own, freakishly skilled, Landon Donovan received his 100th cap for the USMNT yesterday at Giants Stadium against #1 in the world ranked Argentina. Although it's arguable that it's easier to reach 100 caps when playing for the US (where the competition for caps has been weaker than for other world teams, like England, say), it is still a remarkable accomplishment made moreso by his age (26).

The Maybes The following players should earn caps during the course of the career. The question is more how many and how significant their contribution to the Socceroos will be. Mark Milligan - Did Mark Milligan's Socceroo career reach its peak with his selection for the 2006 World Cup and his involvement in the 2007 Asian Cup?

Say hello to the newest members of D.C. United - Ibrahim "Marcel" Koroma, Thabiso "Boyzzz" Khumalo and Greg "working on nickname" Janicki. We'll shortly announce that all three players have been signed to represent the Black-and-Red.

Marcel comes to the team from Sierra Leone Premier League, where he spent the last three seasons playing with Kallon FC.

An unnamed Premiership club has made a bid for Atletico Madrid's best player: Sergio Aguero. The forward is one of the world's best young players and is rumored to be worth around £30 million. Aguero's agent suggested that Manchester United are the bidders, and Premiership Talk believes this suggestion as it's no secret that United are in the hunt for a striker.

For those of you who haven't checked the website in the last hour and aren't on our press release list, forward Josh Wolff is back. Wolff returns to KC after spending the last couple seasons at 1860 Munich in the 2.Bundesliga. Wolff, 31, played 80 games with the Wizards from 2003-2006, scoring 27 goals (T-5th in Wizards history) and tallying 20 assists (7th in Wizards history).

Olivier Kapo, 27, has joined a different club in England, switching from Birmingham City to Wigan. Wigan manager Steve Bruce, who will be Kapo's manager for a second time, said Kapo has a touch of quality about him.

We'd seen some of that quality when Kapo had chances to play for France (he has 9 caps), but his move to Juventus was a disaster.

Football Transfers: The Toffee's sticky time in the transfer market continues
Football Transfers are becoming ten a penny as the transfer window closure starts to rush towards us. It's the 4th of August tomorrow and the 31st will be upon us before we know it and all football transfers have to be done by then, or be consigned to the chip wrapper.

England manager Fabio Capello has indicated that Spurs front man Darren Bent may be in line for a recall to the England setup. Bent currently has 3 caps for the national side but having sent England assistant coach Franco Baldini to watch Bent against Roma Capello has decided that perhaps it is time for Bent to increase his tally.

Photo by ISIphotos.com

New York Red Bulls midfielder Jorge Rojas and defender Gabriel Cichero have been called up by the Venezuelan national team for its upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Brazil (Oct. 12) and Ecuador (Oct.

A week ago I asked you, the readers, if Chelsea needed to sign a short-term replacement for Essien. A hefty 44 percent of you said we should ink free agent Stephen Appiah if he were interested. Some 43 percent of you said we need not delve into the market.

Well, neither of you got your wish.

Turkish international goalkeeper Rustu Recber announced that he has retired from international football following Turkey's semifinal defeat against Germany. Rustu has a 14 year career with Turkey and has 119 caps to his name. The former Fenerbahce ace and 2002 World Cup star, Rustu Recber has finally decided to call it a day.

From everything! Forever!
It's kinda sad, but I can't remember watching this guy play since the World Cup.
Nevertheless, Claudio Reyna (aka Captain America) is one of the few Americans that has earned street cred in Europe.
He's played in England, Germany and Scotland at a high level.

Tim Candon's got the scoop...

The Carolina RailHawks signed veteran forward Ronald Cerritos on Thursday, team president and GM Chris Economides confirmed.
Were hoping he can come in and add a spark and some leadership to the team, Ecoomides said. Hes had a storied career with the El Salvadoran national team and MLS.

Vikings look to take bigger step on the pitchJacksonville Daily News 8/16 Cardinals soccer ready for another runJacksonville Daily News 8/16 Bruce Matlock South Iredell keeper Carlos Solis makes a save during Tuesday's practice. South Iredell soccer intent on conference title pushRecord & Landmark 8/13 SCOTT GOODWIN - BROUGHTON, SR.

Dynamo Kyiv boss Yuri Semin already has a fair knowledge of his Champions League opponents, Arsenal, but it has most likely broadended after the experienced coach travelled 1340 miles to watch Arsene Wenger's side thrash Blackburn 4-0 on Saturday. The 40-year-old former Highbury defender earned over 70 caps whilst at the club and will be looking [.

After over 1,000 senior appearances, five European Cups, 126 caps for the Azzurri and nearly a quarter of a century at AC Milan, Paolo Maldini considered retiring. The world was ready to pay tribute to one of the world's greatest defenders and a beacon of the word "loyalty". Maldini had ...

We'll announce officially later today that Ivan Guerrero has been called up by his native Honduras to participate in the team's World Cup qualifier against Mexico on August 20 (meaning he'll miss United's game in New England against the Revolution). He will report to the National Team following United's August 16 game against Chicago and return shortly after the August 20 game.

With the 2008-09 Premier League season now less than a week away, we here at COS thought it was only proper to play a bit of football mad libs to bide the time before Saturday's kickoff. So take a moment, put on your Nostradamus caps, and let us know where your team will finish this [...]

With the 2008-09 Premier League season now less than a week away, we here at COS thought it was only proper to play a bit of football mad libs to bide the time before Saturday's kickoff. So take a moment, put on your Nostradamus caps, and let us know where your team will finish this [...]

With the 2008-09 Premier League season now less than a week away, we here at COS thought it was only proper to play a bit of football mad libs to bide the time before Saturday's kickoff. So take a moment, put on your Nostradamus caps, and let us know where your team will finish this [...]

New York: The bids the club placed for foreign based strikers were rejected, so it appears that the Red Bulls will be going even harder after Macoumba Kandji of the Silverbacks. The issue at this point is acquiring enough allocation money through the league to pay Atlanta's approximate $200,000 transfer fee.

Tottenham are eyeing up a possible £15 million move for Sporting Lisbon midfielder Miguel Veloso. The Portuguese international has been linked with a move to the Premier League all summer, with Arsenal and Manchester United also believed to be interested. (The Guardian)
Veloso, 22, has been in the Sporting first team for the past two years after progressing through the club's highly aclaimed youth system, the same youth academy which Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo progressed from.

Not to be left standing with their d*ck in their hands, Vancouver Whitecaps have made the next move in the Pacific Northwest MLS Expansion Death Race 3000™. One day after Portland fired it's shot across the bow, they launched a two-pronged attack today on both the world-wide web and, as seen above, British Columbian morning television.

See here's the thing. You and I (assuming you have as little access and professional influence amongst the soccerati as I have) can scream "Cap Kenny Cooper now!" as loud we want and no one is going to listen. We're just the crazy, homeless guy with a brown bag of booze standing on the corner of Soccerville Lane & Internet Road talking about how the end is nigh et cetera, et cetera; you pass him off as a nut, walk past and think nothing of him.

As Italy prepare to play Holland in their first game of Euro 2008, as part of all the fever, Carlo Garganese offers his all-time Azzurri XI...

4) Gaetano Scirea (1975-86) – Caps 78 Goals 2
Probably the best natural sweeper to have played the game after Franz Beckenbauer, Scirea was class personified.

Everton are today closing in on the signing of Sporting Lisbon midfielder Miguel Veloso after months of speculation over the players future. Arsenal and Manchester United are also said to be interested but it it the Toffees who are now favourites to land the Portuguese international. (A Bola)
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The 22-year old has impressed whilst playing for Sporting last season in both the league and Champions League leading to speculation that a £18 million move to the Premier League could be on the cards but few predicted Everton may of signed him.

Arsenal are today preparing a £4 million bid for Weder Bremen midfielder Torsten Frings. The 31-year old is currently on international duty with Germany at the European Championships but Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is keen to bring him to the Emirates as soon as the tournament ends. (Daily Mirror)
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The former Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich player has been at Bremen for over three years now, making over 80 appearances in the process.

Let's meet some of our midfielders in Meet Your Croat, volume VI:

Name: Luka Modric

Born: 9. 9. 1985 (age 22)

Position: Midfielder

Club: Dinamo Zagreb (future Tottenham Hotspur)

National Caps: 28 (4)

Final caps most successful EURO tournament ever on TSN and Rogers Sportsnet. TSN's live coverage of yesterday afternoon's UEFA EURO 2008® final featuring Germany vs. Spain attracted a national average audience of 1.01 million viewers, making it the most watched EURO game ever on TSN.  Audience levels peaked at 1.

Crystal Palace in their ongoing fight to Premier League promotion has bolstered their back four with the signing of Johannes "Johnny" Ertl. The twenty-five year old defender, who has seven caps for Austria has spent the last two campaigns with Austria Wien and has been looking for a change since

Former Liverpool striker Djibril Cisse has told his club Marseille that he wants to return to England. Cisse's teammate Modeste M'Bami has also made the same request. The French striker has recently been linked with Portsmouth, West Ham, Bolton, and Wigan, but more clubs could join the race. Teammate M'Bami has been linked to Everton and Manchester City.

Richard Wright looks set to join Ipswich Town in the coming days. The club is where the current West Ham and former Arsenal and Everton keeper began his career. After getting two caps for England, Wright has struggled to find...

Sideline Views reported earlier today that GK Brad Guzan of Chivas USA has been sold by Major League Soccer to Aston Villa. Guzan has nine caps for the US National Team and this past year has emerged as Tim Howard's...

Lets start off with Jonathan Bottinelli.
Bottinelli is 23 years old, a defender for Argentinian side San Lorenzo. Bottinelli has also been called up for the Argentina international squad when Martin Demichelis was forced to serve a ban. In 5 seasons at San Lorenzo, Bottinelli had amassed 116 caps with 9 goals for San Lorenzo.

Next on the transfer list is Simon Vukčević.
Who doesn't love a young midfielder? Simon Vukčević is a 22 year old attacking midfield who currently plays for Sporting Club Portugal. He's played one season for Sporting CP and in that season he earned 32 caps and 12 goals for Sporting CP in all competitions, a good ratio for anyone.

Fabrice Muamba
He's young. Only 20 years old and he's earned 7 caps for the England U21 squad in the last year. Fabrice Muamba is our new defensive midfielder and he can fill in right where Ivan Campo left off. Campo spent 6 seasons at the Reebok and he was a welcome sight for just about every Trotters supporter over the years, but he got older and he got slower.