The best photo from a blurry batch of cell-phone pictures. I'm glad to say that I was lucky enough to be able to go to Empire Field's last Vancouver Whitecaps game against the Seattle Sounders. When I go see matches live, I'm usually too engrossed in the action and swept up by the atmosphere to be able to properly focus on what I'm going to write later in the match report.

By Alan Duffy

The Guv'nor is in town and he's not a happy bunny.

Currently "in between" jobs and probably with an eye on a media position, the tough-tackling former West Ham United star has let rip at the state of the national team.

"If you get called up, you should make sure you're there, " he explained.

Stewart Downing claims Kenny Dalglish has given him the confidence to become an England hero.
By his own admission, the winger has had an up and down England career, but he is now aiming to follow former Aston Villa teammate Ashley Young in becoming a regular for Fabio Capello.
Like Young at Manchester United, Downing has been on top form since swapping clubs in the summer - and our new No.

Darren Fletcher has had a horrible time with an illness over the past few months, which saw him miss out on a place in the Champions League final as well as the pre-season tour with United.

Despite not having played for United yet this season, he has been called up to the Scottish team to face the Czech Republic and Lithuania.

Oliver Holt's big match verdict: Lamps is going out but England's future looks bright

Frank Lampard has been a fine player for England, a stalwart of the midfield for more than a decade who has won 86 caps. He deserves better than for his omission from the side to be hailed as a barometer of change but that was his fate here in Sofia.

By J Hutcherson - WASHINGTON, DC (Sep 3, 2011) US Soccer Players -- On Friday night in Carson, California, the United States National Team played their second game under new coach Jurgen Klinsmann. Here are five items worth your attention from the 1-0 loss to Costa Rica. Five Or Less We've already got enough examples of Jurgen Klinsmann using players with five or less caps to call it a trend.

Former Colombia star Leonel Alvarez, who played five seasons in MLS with Dallas and New England, was named Colombia's new national team coach, replacing the popular Hernan Dario Gomez, who quit last month after being involved in an incident in which he struck a woman at a Bogota bar.
Alvarez, 46, was Gomez's assistant and then the national team's interim coach after Gomez, who apologized for the incident, resigned on Aug.

Did you see that remarkable stat this week that, before the game against Wales, Scott Parker had won seven caps for England under three different managers over the course of 8 years whilst playing for five different clubs?
Nothing like consistency of selection, eh?
Since his debut against Denmark in 2003, the following players have been capped in (broadly) midfield:
Alan Thompson (1 cap)
Shaun Wright-Phillips (36 caps)
Stewart Downing (29 caps)
Kieran Richardson (8 caps)
Theo Walcott (18 caps)
Aaron Lennon (19 caps)
Joey Barton (1 cap)
David Bentley (7 caps)
Ashley Young (17 caps)
Gabby Agbonglahor (3 caps)
James Milner (19 caps)
Tom Huddlestone (3 caps)
Adam Johnson (8 caps)
Jack Wilshere (5 caps)
Now, of those, the most capped are basically wingers: Wright-Phillips, Downing, Walcott, Lennon, Young, Milner.

• Travel trouble lands Dynamo in Columbus [Houston Dynamo]
• Leading scorer Ching questionable for Wednesday [Houston Chronicle]
• Playing shorthanded all too familiar [MLS Soccer]
• Bunbury's two goals helps Sporting beats Houston [Houston Chronicle]
• Houston Dynamo's Moffat targeting Scotland caps [Tribal Football]
• San Carlos midfielder Sanchez set to join Houston Dynamo [Tribal Football]

Morning all,

Champions League action tonight and we begin our campaign away at German champions Borussia Dortmund. From our point of view the team news is that Aaron Ramsey and Tomas Rosicky are added to our midfield injury list (quite the collection at the moment) but there are returns to the squad for Alex Song and Gervinho, both of whom have been domestically suspended for their Bartonary indiscretions.

The transfer rumours don't stop when the window closes – they merely slow down. This morning there have been a number of stories appearing, but the most interesting of these concerns Valencia midfielder Ever Banega.

As the Modric rumours continue, so will the suggestions of possible replacements, but Banega looks to be one of the better players to be linked with a move to Spurs.

Alessandro Nesta and The Classiest Moment at the Camp Nou last night

35 years old. 78 caps for Italy. 19 years of club football calcio in Italy. For Milan fans, for Italians across the world, Alessandro Nesta is a man that makes you proud to be associated with him in any way, shape, or form.

Keane's well placed header Preparing myself mentally to watch the Whitecaps is a long experience, especially when they're facing the top of the table LA Galaxy, at the Home Depot Center, where the Galaxy have yet to lose. Yet as the match kicked off, the Caps seemed organized, hardworking, and ready to create a few attacking opportunities of their own.

News today that Newcastle United are after Scottish midfielder Scott Allan. Scott Allan 19 year-old Scottish midfield play-maker The Scotland U21 International (2 caps) turns 20 at the end of November, and has only recently rejected a new contract offer from Dundee, and there is news today in the Daily Mail that Newcastle are interested in [.

Why Scottish caps 'didn't count' at Bayern Munich in the '90s

I fulfilled a dubious ambition on Monday night by going to the Munich Oktoberfest. Those of us from the press corps who raised a few steins in the Weinzelt owe a debt to Bayern Munich officials who obviously recognised kindred spirits and swung entry for us.

As far as the rumour mills are concerned, the race is on for Spurs to find the new Ledley King and after on-going target Gary Cahill has been linked with Barcelona today, there is a suggestion that the club could look abroad.

One name mentioned is that of Lorient centre half Bruno Ecuele Manga, a 23 year old Gabonese international with 20 caps for his country to date.