Football is a funny game - this is the sport where anything, and I mean anything, can happen completely out of the blue. For example, no one ever imagined that Brazilian star Ronaldinho, who was literally unstoppable not too long ago, would suddenly become as anonymous as he is nowadays.

£80 million is a lot of money; the debate goes on over whether the world player of the year is worth it. In the meantime Manchester United has to find someone to replace a midfielder who gets around 30 goals a season. A tough ask for any manager, but the good news that comes with this is that Manchester United can now afford any player in the world.

Seven teams, three berths, endless combinations.
The tiebreakers for MLS playoff berths go in this order:
1. Head-to-head (points per game if more than two teams tied)
2. Overall goal difference
3. Overall goals scored
The list below shows all seven teams, their final opponents (all times ET) and their head-to-head records (U.

There's not a lot to report in the way of signings in this morning's transfer news and rumors roundup, but we could have some major signings to report in the near future, if the speculation is to be believed.

Which players could join our lists of confirmed transfers soon? Check out the latest transfer speculation from Europe's biggest leagues below.

Plenty of transfers are floating about this summer, but almost all of them revolve around familiar faces. Premiership Talk takes a look at this summer's hottest targets.

David Villa

Real Madrid have already clinched the signings of Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka, and David Villa appears to be next on the list.

Not for the first time this summer, Real Madrid look set to give up in their chase for a player, namely Xabi Alonso.
According to Sport, Los Merengues are unwilling to pay the €50 million that Liverpool are demanding for the midfielder. Though money is seemingly in plentiful supply at the Bernabeu, Florentino Perez refuses to pay over the odds for any player.

Chamakh has been linked with a host of Premier League teams

Bordeaux's Moroccan striker Marouane Chamakh has made a good start to the Ligue 1 campaign, scoring 3 goals in 3 games for the club. This form has seen him linked with a host of Premier League clubs, but is he really good enough to be considered by Premier League teams as a solid option?

Arsenal are center of most of today's transfer rumors as The Guardian is reporting that Arsenal are in hot pursuit of West Ham's Matthew Upson. The move will follow Kolo Toure's departure to Manchester City. Wenger is a known admirer of Upson, having previously purchased him in May of 1997 from Luton Town.

It's April 15th, which means two things. It is the last day to file your taxes (unless you get an extension) and it is the last day for MLS teams to sign players during the winter transfer window.

With New York's acquisition of Salvadoran defender Alfredo Pacheco and Houston's acquisition of defender Andrew Hainault looking like the only significant signings to be completed this week, this year's transfer deadline looks to be a tame one.

DESPITE securing a number of big-name signings and an encouraging off-season for Perth Glory - less than half the tickets for the English Premier League friendlies have been sold.
Glory owner Tony Sage told local radio show Let's Talk Football that only around 9,000 tickets had been sold for the two nights of football in Perth which will involve Wolverhampton Wolves, Fulham and North Queensland Fury.

For AC Milan in Saturday's fabled Derby della Madonnina, Gennaro Gattuso's nightmare came true. If not for Inter's new-look, new-effect attack, poor Captain Rino would be carrying all responsibility for the unbalanced result (AC Milan 0:4 Inter).

Inter earned three (and perhaps all four) of their strikes, yet more could not have gone wrong in one half of play for the feisty AC Milan defensive midfielder as he returns from long-term injury to snatch back his position from the interloping Galaxy star, a certain D Beckham.

We could finally see Arsene Wenger splash the cash.

As soon as Emmanuel Adebayor started limping off the field in the 38th minute, it was clear that the North London derby between Arsenal and Tottenham would swing into the favor of the hosts at the White Hart Lane. The more important implication of Adebayor's injury, however, was obviously much beyond this afternoon's game.

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Barcelona have reportedly continued their chase for Liverpool's midfield hardman, Javier Mascherano.
The treble winners have been linked with a move for the Argentina captain since before the season ended, and it is now believed that they could use French defender Eric Abidal to tempt the Merseysiders to part company with their star midfielder.

Yes, yes, yes. Spain had an off night. It has been a long season and their players may have been tired. And so on. Let's drop the excuses, here. Spain, the European champions and, if you read the print media in much of Europe, already the World Cup winners a year before the tournament, were beaten by a better team on this extraordinary evening in Bloemfontein.

From Marca, the Madrid-based Spanish sports daily. It leads with the headline "the cure of humility"
Madrid's AS also puts it on the front page witht the headline, "so rare it is to lose"
For Barcelona's El Mundo Deportivo, the loss is far outweighed by Barca's chase after David Villa.

The United States came oh so close to bagging their first FIFA trophy yesterday at Ellis Park. Mexico, meanwhile was busy continuing its neverending saga of who wants to score.
Some thoughts about both.
The US (to use a football term) punched Brazil in the mouth and had them down on the ground with foot firmly on throat after Donovan's ruthless finish.

Photo by ISIphotos.com

The quest to sign U.S. national team striker Charlie Davies has apparently come to an end and Sochaux is claiming victory.

French newspaper L'Equipe is reporting that Davies is being sold to Sochaux in a transfer from Swedish club Hammarby.

I am not quite sure how much of an audience an article about the German Bundesliga can get, but I will still give it a shot. After all, if there is one league that has continued to offer an air-tight title race throughout the year, it has to be the German first division. With two games to go, as many as four teams have a realistic chance of being crowned champions.

Manchester City might be passing Liverpool in the chase for Manchester United wantaway Carlos Tevez because the club is more willing to pay the high cost it will take to get Tevez. The Argentine international is reportedly ready to leave...

Marco Amelia Italy's Keeper was horrible.Not is horrible, but last night in the Pretoria night was simple awful. Our ability to defend set pieces last night revealed a weakness that needs addressing.Marco Materazi's size and mental attitude needs to be replaced by someone. New Zealand were big strong and physical and deserve kudos.

Before we get to the quick weekend wrap, here's a reminder:
United States. Italy. Today. 2:30 p.m. ET. ESPN.
If you can't wait that long, Brazil-Egypt starts in just a few minutes.
The quick weekend wrap:
** MLS **

All of a sudden, Chivas USA has a two-game losing streak, losing 1-0 at Houston at 2-1 at Columbus.

Oops!

(Arsene Wenger will be hoping it's a double bluff!)

Anyone who likes to believe that fixtures really are generated over a five minute period just before they are announced had their vision crushed twice yesterday - first by the BBC revealing how they are collated and then by Sky Sports News, who leaked Arsenal's first six matches.

In-demand Valencia striker David Villa has stated that he has already made a decision on where his future lies.

Barcelona and Real Madrid are leading the chase for the Spanish striker, who is also reportedly wanted by Premier League giants Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea.

The Ivorian winger Kader Keita is set to depart the Stade Gerland this summer after two disappointing seasons with les Gones. It seems that a chapter of Kader Keita's career is drawing to a close as he is expected to leave Olympique Lyonnais this summer, with Roma, Everton and West Ham United leading the chase to [.

According to Adam Scime at Goal.com, Tuttomercatoweb is reporting that Liverpool are interested in Udinese midfielder Gaetano D'Agostino but Juventus lead the chase for him. Udinese sporting director Sergio Gasperin said,

"I can confirm the interest of the foreign club [Liverpool], but these are only inquiries, there is nothing concrete.

Rounding up all the days biggest transfer news and gossip.

City To Continue Their Pursuit Of Lescott
Manchester City are set to make an increased offer of £22M for Everton defender, Joleon Lescott.

If at first you don't succeed... Try and try and try again. This is the case for Manchester City who seem to be becoming a bigger threat each week.

Laurent Blanc's title winning side got off to a flyer against Lens beating the newly promoted side 4-1. Some great finishes in this one, especially from Brazilian Wendell and Arsenal target Chamakh puts away a nice finish and then celebrates in a half assed manner.

Don't forget to check out Online Football Manager!

How much!

Fulham will demand £15million from Arsenal for Brede Hangeland with the battle for the Norway centre back set to intensify this week.
Roy Hodgson could find a replacement in the shape of 22-year-old Dane Magnus Troest from Genoa but faces competition from Stoke for Middlesbrough's Robert Huth.

Well that's certainly how it felt. I'll cut to the chase on this one because I've got my GNR preparations and an early night ahead of me. And frankly most of today's game was instantly forgettable. From Enrique's elaborations, to Joey Barton's wonky radar and then over to a lop-sided and blunted formation, there was [.

The road to the MLS Cup.
Things are starting to clear up in the MLS playoff race, chase, whatever you want to call it.
Columbus (East No. 1), Houston (West No. 1), Chicago (East No. 2) and Los Angeles (West No. 2) have a solid lead on the guarantee berths.
The wildcard berths at this point look headed to Seattle, Chivas USA, Colorado and D.

Executive chairman Peter Storrie has defiantly insisted under-fire manager Tony Adams' short and turbulent stay at Fratton Park is not on the line. Storrie's declaration may sound like a predictable call to arms but the bare facts tell a different story. Since former Arsenal and England captain Adams was promoted from the shadow of Harry Redknapp 21 games ago, he has presided over just four wins in all competitions.

Despite forcing Barcelona to sweat big time in recent weeks, defending champions Real Madrid fell off the pace in their pursuit for a third successive La Liga title earlier tonight. At their storied Santiago Bernabeu stadium, the Los Blancos came from behind through a Klaas Jan Huntelaar strike but failed to change the 1-1 stalemate against city rivals Atletico Madrid.

It's April 15th, which means two things. It is the last day to file your taxes (unless you get an extension) and it is the last day for MLS teams to sign players during the winter transfer window.

With New York's acquisition of Salvadoran defender Alfredo Pacheco and Houston's acquisition of defender Andrew Hainault looking like the only significant signings to be completed this week, this year's transfer deadline looks to be a tame one.

It's always this way, isn't it? You wait forever for one bus and then four or five come along at once. After a fairly drab season by Premier League standards, it's all gone frigging loopy as the fight for European and domestic dominance reaches its final stretch. A month ago we (well mainly I, but I'm sure you, too) were bemoaning the lack of really exciting games from the 08-09 Premier League season.

Ten things I noticed from this week's Champions League semifinals:

1. The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth

Results lie. Sometimes. If not, then in the last 5 years I've been privileged enough to watch the great Greek team of 2004 justly claim their prize as the greatest international team in Europe.

Quentin Westberg and Freddy Adu will hope for their first action in months, while Carlos Bocanegra and Rennes chase a spot in the Europa Cup next season.

St Louis Lions - 5
Springfield Demize - 0
A pair of goals in the first 10 minutes effectively sealed the Demize's fate this evening as GLVC Offensive Player of the Year Steven Beattie set up fellow front runner Brooks in the third and scored one of his own in the 10th.

Three more goals, 2 rom the spot by Martin Clayes (Truman State asst Coach) and the Lions keep pace in the Open Cup chase.

St Louis Lions - 5
Springfield Demize - 0
A pair of goals in the first 8 minutes effectively sealed the Demize's fate this evening as GLVC Offensive Player of the Year Stephen Beattie scored in the third minute (pictured), assisted by fellow front runner Steven Brocks, who scored one of his own in the 8th.