Lets start off Monday's edition of Major Link Soccer with a local flavor.

The North Sound SeaWolves FC have moved from their Everett home to new digs in Edmonds. The club plans to make it official this week. As you may know, the SeaWolves play in the PDL North Division. This is the same division that is home to PDL champs Kitsap Pumas and formerly the Tacoma Tide -- now Seattle Sounders FC U23 -- just to name a few.

Welp, it's done.

Baguettes & Brioche

After months of exile, Alex is once again on the verge of relevance. His protracted transfer saga has come to a close, with PSG concluding a deal to acquire the defender for 4 million quid. After turning down the chance to ply his trade at QPR, that massive club, he elected to reunite with former gaffer Carlo Ancelotti and take his talents to the Champs Elysses.

Fifa's World Rankings for January 2012 were published yesterday at FIFA HQ in Zurich, Switzerland.
2010 World Cup winners Spain remain on top followed by the Netherlands, Germany and Copa America champs Uruguay. England are in 5th.
Ranking Team
1 Spain
2 Netherlands
3 Germany
4 Uruguay
5 England
6 Brazil
7 Portugal
8 Croatia
9 Italy
10 Argentina
11 Denmark
12 Chile
13 Russia
14 Greece
15 France
16 Switzerland
17 Sweden
18 Côte d'Ivoire
19 Bosnia-Herzegovina
19 Japan
Full world rankings
Previous Fifa World Rankings
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As we head into Week 17 of the 2011 NFL season, let's take a look at the power rankings. While the top of these NFL power rankings has familiar teams, the bottom is starting to be populated by underdogs who may be able to make a run at the Super Bowl.

Here are the NFL power rankings heading into Week 17:

1.

Fifa's World Rankings for December 2011 were published today at FIFA HQ in Zurich, Switzerland.
2010 World Cup winners Spain remain on top followed by the Netherlands, Germany and Copa America champs Uruguay. England are in 5th.
Ranking Team
1 Spain
2 Netherlands
3 Germany
4 Uruguay
5 England
6 Brazil
7 Portugal
8 Croatia
9 Italy
10 Argentina
11 Denmark
12 Russia
13 Chile
14 Greece
15 France
16 Côte d'Ivoire
17 Switzerland
18 Sweden
19 Japan
20 Bosnia-Herzegovina
Full world rankings
Previous Fifa World Rankings
Bet with Bet 365
Soccer betting tips
Soccer Books & DVDs
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Soccer News soccer football fifa

Fifa's World Rankings for December 2011 were published today at FIFA HQ in Zurich, Switzerland.
2010 World Cup winners Spain remain on top followed by the Netherlands, Germany and Copa America champs Uruguay. England are in 5th.
Ranking Team
1 Spain
2 Netherlands
3 Germany
4 Uruguay
5 England
6 Brazil
7 Portugal
8 Croatia
9 Italy
10 Argentina
11 Denmark
12 Russia
13 Chile
14 Greece
15 France
16 Côte d'Ivoire
17 Switzerland
18 Sweden
19 Japan
20 Bosnia-Herzegovina
Full world rankings
Previous Fifa World Rankings
Bet with Bet 365
Soccer betting tips
Soccer Books & DVDs
Tags
Soccer News soccer football fifa

Their Words It's disappointing. Done deal, see you later. It's puzzling. It hurts. You put so much into your organization. ‘D.C. United' were the first words my [2 1/2-year-old] son learned. Santino Quaranta, speaking to The Washington Post's Steven Goff. Other Sources Soccer fan Obama makes call to MLS champs - from USA Today's Aamer Madhani: but this was the first time a sitting president has called to congratulate a cup-winning coach, according to the.

As attention shifts to matchday 5 of the Champions League today, many will be waiting with bated breath for what could very well be the Match of the season. Italian giants AC Milan host defending Champions Barcelona at the San Siro tomorrow.

The first leg of this fixture ended in a 2-2 draw at the Nou Camp and Milan know that they can't take any chances with the champs this time round.

Home-and-away series in MLS playoffs tend to play out like the company Christmas party: things may start out a little slow, stodgy and cautious. But pretty soon furniture is being tipped over, fights are breaking out, things are gettin' wacky and, by the latter stages, you just don't know what kind of craziness may claim the night.

U.S. WNT defender Ali Krieger played the full 90 minutes in FFC Frankfurt's 3-0 victory over Paris Saint-Germain in the Round of 16 for the UEFA Women's Champions League this morning and now takes a commanding lead back to France for the second leg on Nov. 9, so Krieger will be a bit delayed coming into training camp in Arizona.

The Colorado Rapids flew under the radar last season en route to capturing their first MLS Cup championship.

Despite holding that distinction, the Rapids find themselves in a similar position in 2011. The defending champions are again quietly still very much alive after defeating the Columbus Crew in Thursday night's wild card match to advance into the Eastern Conference bracket.

With the 2011 NFL season almost halfway over, let's take a look at the best team's in all of football. This NFL power rankings will cover the top ten teams. Did your favorite team make the cut? Find out below.

1. Green Bay Packers
The reigning champs are undefeated and by far the best team in the NFL.

One more weekend scorer to salute: Ironi Kiryat Shmona midfielder Bryan Gerzicich scored his first goal in 42 games with the club to cap a 3-0 road shocker at champs Maccabi Haifa. The play starts at about the 3:13 mark.- Greg Seltzer

TFC is in the knockout phase? TFC is in the knockout phase. Our odyssey into the Champions League group phase this year started hot, ran arctic chill cold and ended us somewhere in purgatory. As a reference point, here are your final group standings. MLS pushed through Seattle, Toronto (wha?!) and the Galaxy, none of which were group winners.

Fifa's World Rankings for October 2011 were published today at FIFA HQ in Zurich, Switzerland.
2010 World Cup winners Spain are on top followed by the Netherlands, Germany and Copa America champs Uruguay. England are in 7th.
Ranking Team
1 Spain
2 Netherlands
3 Germany
4 Uruguay
5 Brazil
6 Italy
7 England
8 Greece
8 Portugal
10 Argentina
10 Denmark
12 Croatia
13 Russia
14 Sweden
15 France
16 Chile
17 Japan
18 Switzerland
19 Côte d'Ivoire
20 Australia
Full world rankings
Previous Fifa World Rankings
Bet with Bet 365
Soccer betting tips
Soccer Books & DVDs
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Soccer News soccer football fifa

Playing for pride isn't a common thing for the Seattle Sounders, at least not because they have been so damn good that the result bears little meaning. Lose and nothing really changes. With a draw the Sounders win the group. With a win they may just knock out the reigning champs. This game has a chance to get a little negative, because Monterrey's scenario is really simple, if they get a point they advance.

A month ago, friend and foe agreed: Ajax would be dominating the Eredivisie this season. But a series of poor games threw the champs back. And right before the clash against rivals AZ, a crisis looms around the corner.

If AZ wins this weekend, they'll be 9 points away from Ajax, [read more]

The two on the left got it way worse than the four on the right.
Not exactly a full house, I rushed over for the first pantomime session in hopes someone hit'em hard.
Someone did.
Pre-talkie time, I overheard Mr Anselmi discuss about how "the Champions League is the best" and he "doesn't get it" why attendance is poor.

Michael Ballack scores in the 90th minute to give Bayern Leverkusen a 2-0 win over Belgian Champs Genk after his volley gets a slight deflection before hitting the back of the net.

Fifa's World Rankings for September 2011 were published today at FIFA HQ in Zurich, Switzerland.
2010 World Cup winners Spain are back on top followed by the Netherlands, Germany and Copa America champs Uruguay. England drop to 8th.
Nepal are in 134th place!
Ranking Team
1 Spain
2 Netherlands
3 Germany
4 Uruguay
5 Portugal
6 Italy
7 Brazil
8 England
9 Croatia
10 Argentina
11 Greece
12 France
13 Russia
14 Chile
15 Japan
16 Côte d'Ivoire
17 Denmark
18 Switzerland
19 Australia
20 Mexico
Full world rankings
Previous Fifa World Rankings
Bet with Bet 365
Soccer betting tips
Soccer Books & DVDs
Tags
Soccer News soccer football fifa

"We were, I think, a little bit intimidated by the whole event." - Schellas Hyndman, FC Dallas coach

Let that quote sink in for a bit. That's the coach of a team that just went to Mexico City and beat the defending Mexican Primera champs, suggesting that his team was intimidated by the setting of the U.

Yours for the taking

Chelsea and old friend Juan Mata.

Bayer Leverkusen, last year's second-place team in Germany, led by the robotic Michael Ballack.

Genk, Belgian champs with a comical name.

What do you think of our chances?

AMSTERDAM - Maurice Edu and a nine-man Rangers were relegated to the Europa League after Malmö FF grabbed a late 1-1 equalizer in the second leg of their Champions League third-round qualifying tie on Wednesday, allowing the hosts to advance 2-1 on aggregate.

The US midfielder went the distance for the Scottish champs, switching over to perform solidly at right back after Steven Whitaker was the first man sent to the showers in the 18th minutes.

AMSTERDAM - Danish giants Brøndby have had a pair of overtures for Sporting Kansas City forward Teal Bunbury soundly rejected, MLSsoccer.com has learned.

According to multiple sources, the 10-time SAS Liga champs initially requested the chance to invite the US international to Denmark for a four-day trial and were rebuffed.

AMSTERDAM - Maurice Edu and Rangers stumbled out of the Champions League blocks on Tuesday night, dropping a 1-0 decision to third-round qualifying guests Malmö FF in the tie opener. Edu went 90 minutes in the loss.

The Swedish champs carried play for most of the night, grabbing the lead early through Daniel Larsson - a player currently being linked with Rangers.

Jovanovic eager to join Anderlecht... because the missus told him to

Liverpool misfit wanted by Brussels club and French champs Lille

View the full story here: The Mirror

A news article on 2011-07-13 22:00:51 from: The Mirror

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

By Chris Wright

Presenting the colourful new Adidas ball that everyone will be knocking about once the 20th Champions League campaign (since the European Cup was rebadged) properly farts into life come early September everyone that is, except for Barcelona, who will get to use a special 'reigning champs' version just to hammer home how much better than everyone else they truly are.

AMSTERDAM - There's something that's been eating at Djurgårdens IF defender Gale Agbossoumonde, and it's not about a fight for playing time or his up-in-the-air club status. It's about that one damned night in Guatemala.

Sure, the 19-year-old is trying to regain his Blue Stripes place before the end of the month, when he finds out whether the 11-time Swedish champs will take up the purchase option on his expiring six-month loan.

Featured image courtesy of Philadelphia Union

Hot damn that was fun to watch! Pressure all over the pitch resulting in turnovers of every sort from an admittedly inferior team, but still.

Six goals is goals. And good finishing is good finishing.

And the Union needed a match like this one, BADLY.

The summer friendly season kicked off today when DC United hosted Eredivisie champs Ajax at RFK stadium. Ajax, a week after their impressive 3-1 win over FC Twente, trotted out five starters from last week's match and played a total of ten starters from a week ago. DC was without the services of Charlies Davies and Josh Wolff, but still trotted out a first team lineup that included defender Perry Kitchen in the midfield and one-time midfielder Brandon Barklage as a center back.

Tom Tomsk loan striker Eugene Starikov opened his season account to spark a 2-1 win over parent club/Russian champs Zenit St. Petersburg. The youngster beat star Portugal defender Bruno Alves to nod home a cross for the game's first goal.And no, I have not forgotten the Video post I owe from yesterday, which was postponed due to exhaustion at least somewhat beyond my control.

The season is not yet out and yet the rumour-mill is grinding back into full action. Here is a quick surmise of 4 players recently linked with Valencia. Take each with a pinch of salt. Try (especially Javier) to forget for a moment whether or not the transfer is economically realistic (;)) and rate them or your wanting to see them in our team.

Alejandro Bedoya and Orebro will head to reigning champs Malmo while Gale Agbossomounde and Djurgarden will look to keep their recent turnaround going.

This week's column:
Climbing the Ladder: How bad a red card hurts
How many goals per 90 will it cost your team to go down a man?
And I already realized that I missed the RSL-Columbus series for the article's second point, about drawing the away leg of the CCL first. Doh.

This week's column:
Climbing the Ladder: How MLS teams rank by age
Features a list of the team ages so far this season. Interesting to see that the most foreign and most domestic teams, NY & SJ, are the two oldest so far this season.
Previous Columns

• March 9 - Champs usually start hot
• March 16 - Home-field advantage
• March 23 - Hidden milestones of Week 1
• April 1 - Playing percentages by nationality
• April 6 - Dixon and the Name Game
• April 13 - Winning PK shootouts

This week's column:
Climbing the Ladder: Winning PK shootouts
If the CCL final goes to one, everything is pointing to RSL having a great chance (knock on wood).
Previous Columns

• March 9 - Champs usually start hot
• March 16 - Home-field advantage
• March 23 - Hidden milestones of Week 1
• April 1 - Playing percentages by nationality
• April 6 - Dixon and the Name Game
  

Link:
Climbing the Ladder: Dixon and The Name Game
This week, I looked at the significance of Houston Dynamo academy signing Alex Dixon's debut, as well as a few more notes on the Champions League and the Rapids' excellent start. Check it out!
Previous Columns

• March 9 - Champs usually start hot
• March 16 - Home-field advantage
• March 23 - Hidden milestones of Week 1
• April 1 - Playing percentages by nationality
  

New MLSsoccer.com column. Didn't get published on the normal day this week, so you might have missed it:
Climbing the Ladder: Playing percentages by nationality
I'll probably go back and figure out the rest of the years in the near future, though it can be tricky as certain players have changed nationalities (like Jeff Cunningham, domestic since 2002 but foreign before).

It can be read by clicking here.
Features notes on the longest amount of time between league games (Adin Brown is up there), new nationalities in MLS, Faryd Mondragon's debut, and more.
Previous Columns

• #1 - Champs usually start hot
• #2 - Home-field advantage

Climbing the Ladder: Champs usually start hot
First column, which will appear weekly. Pretty cool, huh?