How did Seven Nation Army take over Italy?

It's probably the most indie sports anthem ever, but if anyone was following the 2006 World Cup then they remember the simple, ever-so-catchy bassline of The White Stripes' Seven Nation Army. It ended up dominating the whole world of sports, but it became the beloved song of the Italian fans and players.

By FRANCO PANIZO

Sacha Kljestan and RSC Anderlecht returned to league action this weekend for the first time since December, and they both picked up right where they left off.

RSC Anderlecht continued its winning ways with a 3-0 victory over third-place Club Brugge on Sunday.

By Alan Duffy

It may well be the preserve of Thursday nights and Channel Five, but the Europa League, now ready for the knock-out stages is still peppered with some of Europe's big guns. Probably the biggest in the competition, Manchester United, will face another all-time European great, Ajax, in the last 32, a tie which has more than a hint of glamour.

Jozy Altidore and Sacha Kljestan have both enjoyed individual club success this season, which in turn has led to their teams turning in strong results both domestically and in Europe. All of that will come to a head in the UEFA Europa League Round of 32, when their two teams will square off.

The UEFA Europa League group stage will wrap up today, and several Americans are hoping their respective team is still standing after the dust has settled.

Jozy Altidore is one of those players, as he and AZ Alkmaar need a win over already-qualified FC Metalist Kharkiv in Group G in order to secure qualification.

A great match for the Europa League generation Portuguese side Maribor must have thought they were coasting to an easy victory after going 3-0 up against Club Brugge last night. But the Belgian outfit fought back and, in a remarkable turnaround, managed to pull of a 3-4 victory. Video via 101GG

By Chris Wright

The ten FIFA nominees for the Puskas Award 2011 ("Goal of the Year' in Layman's terms) have been announced, and the shortlist looks something* like this...

(*It looks exactly like this)

1. Benjamin de Ceulaer, LOKEREN vs Club Brugge

2.

Dempsey helped Fulham to a 4-1 win against Wisla Krakow

With the second half of the 2011-12 Europa League Group Stage underway, the picture for advancement to the knockout phase is becoming much clearer for the U.S. internationals. One has already clinched, a couple are on the doorstep and others will go down to the wire .

By CALEB SONNELAND

With the second half of the Europa League group stages kicking off today, the English Premier League quartet involved in the competition are sitting pretty in their respective groups.

Tottenham and Stoke City sit atop Groups A and E, respectively, on seven points, while Birmingham City is tied for the top spot with Club Brugge on six points — the two sides clash today.

By FRANCO PANIZO

Jozy Altidore's red-hot start to the season with AZ Alkmaar cooled off a bit in October, but Thursday should give him an opportunity to get back on track.

Having failed to find the back of the net last month, Altidore will look to get back on the scoresheet when AZ face Austria Vienna in a Europa League match.

By Geoff Reid

Group E
Valencia vs Bayer Leverkusen from the Mestalla, Valenica
The home side are in a tough position with only two points taken from three games so far in the group and currently sit in third place four points behind their opponents who sit in second place.

By Chris Wright

Pies' pick of the 15 best photos from last night's Europa League action...

Lokomotiv Moscow's Felipe Caicedo celebrates his injury time goal against AEK Athens as he passes AEK keeper Giannis Arabatzis

The Britannia Stadium sits empty an hour or so before Stoke City kicked off against Maccabi Tel Aviv

Besiktas' Filip Holosko and Dynamo Kiev's Betao gurn away while tussling in the air over Kiev

Birmingham fans decorate the square in the centre of Bruges before kick-off

Standard Liege's Yoni Buyens almost has his face pummelled by Vorskla Poltava goalkeeper Serhiy Dolganskiy

Club Brugge 'keeper Colin Cooseman celebrates his side's early lead against Birmingham, though it didn't last with Brum eventually winning it 2-1 in the 9th minute of injury time

Kenwyne Jones celebrates in customary style after scoring the opening goal for Stoke against Maccabi Tel Aviv

Legia Warszawa's Maciej Rybus gets crumpled in a pile-up with Rapid Bucharest duo Rui Duarte and 'keeper Danut Coman

Tottenham's Danny Rose is fouled on the edge of the box by Rubin Kazan captain Roman Sharonov.

Tweet my Goal! Europa League special with Tottenham, Stoke, Fulham and Birmingham

It was a busy night in European club football's second best competition, with wins for Tottenham, Stoke and Birmingham, and a narrow defeat for Fulham in Poland. Tottenham 1-0 Rubin Kazan Pavlyuchenko stunner sends Spurs top of the group Stoke 3-0 Maccabi Tel-Aviv Potters cruise to victory despite Jerome red card Club Brugge 1-2 Birmingham Wood grabs stoppage time winner for Blues Wisla Krakow 1-0 Fulham Ten man Cottagers beaten in Poland These were the funniest Tweets on the g.

By FRANCO PANIZO

Sacha Kljestan has been in good form as of late, and he'll attempt to carry that over as Anderlecht continues its Europa League run.

Coming off a weekend performance that earned high praise, Kljestan should start again when Anderlecht plays its third match in Group L against Austria's SK Sturm Graz.

The first classic of the season took place in the Belgian Jupiler League this weekend with Club Brugge and Anderlecht fighting it out on Matchday 5 of the 2011-12 campaign.

Despite being reduced to ten men in the 74th minute when goalkeeper Colin Coosemans was sent off for a second bookable offence it was the Flanders side who took the lead with just five minutes remaining after Vadis Odjidja-Ofoe struck from the penalty spot.

The first classic of the season took place in the Belgian Jupiler League this weekend with Club Brugge and Anderlecht fighting it out on Matchday 5 of the 2011-12 campaign.

Despite being reduced to ten men in the 74th minute when goalkeeper Colin Coosemans was sent off for a second bookable offence it was the Flanders side who took the lead with just five minutes remaining after Vadis Odjidja-Ofoe struck from the penalty spot.

There are plenty of Americans still involved in the UEFA Europa League, but none will play against each other until the knockout stage at the earliest after Friday's draw revealed this season's 12 groups.

Jozy Altidore has been on fire as of late, and his AZ Alkmaar has a favorable outlook in Group G.

Denmark seem to be a footballing nation on the rise, with a stylish possesion/technique playing style, If things continue from there last two visits to away grounds at Iceland and Scotland, where in both matches they dominated long spells of the game, they could well be on their way to qualifiying for the Euro 2012 which will take part in Poland and Ukraine.

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. - He's only 19 years old, but Chicago Fire striker Orr Barouch has already been around the world and back again.

Born in Israel, Barouch - who was last week called up to the Israeli U-21 national team for a September friendly at England - moved to Southern California at age five, nearly joined Belgian team Club Brugge after spending a few months there in the summer of 2009, and eventually signed with Mexican club Tigres UANL later that year.

GK: Thibaut Courtois (Atletico de Madrid), Jean-Francois Gillet (Bologna), Simon Mignolet (Sunderland) DEF: Toby Alderweireld (Ajax), Vincent Kompany (Manchester City), Nicholas Lombaerts (Zenit), Denis Odoi (Anderlecht), Daniel Van Buyten (Bayern Munich), Jelle Van Damme (Standard Liege), Thomas Vermaelen (Arsenal), Jan Vertonghen (Ajax) MID: Moussa Dembele (Fulham), Marouane Fellaini (Everton), Eden Hazard (Lille), David Hubert (Genk), Dries Mertens (PSV Eindhoven), Vadis Odjidja-Ofoe (Club Brugge), Timmy Simons (Nurnberg), Jelle Vossen (Genk), Axel Witsel (Benfica) FOR: Igor de.

Belgian Pro League side Club Brugge Koninklijke Voetbalvereniging (usually called Club Brugge) is a soccer club from Bruges in Belgium. It was founded in 1891 and is one of Belgium's most popular teams. Club Brugge is the only Belgian club to have played in the final of the European Cup (predecessor of the UEFA Champions League) [.

Belgian Pro League side Club Brugge Koninklijke Voetbalvereniging (usually called Club Brugge) is a soccer club from Bruges in Belgium. It was founded in 1891 and is one of Belgium's most popular teams. Club Brugge is the only Belgian club to have played in the final of the European Cup (predecessor of the UEFA Champions League) [.

The final of the Champions League at Wembley Stadium is almost upon us. The iconic twin towers of the old Wembley may be gone but the arch of the latest, rejuvenated and reinvigorated Wembley Stadium is all set to become just as famous.

Saturday 28th May 2011 will the biggest day in the new stadiums life to date.

By Chris Wright

Because everything looks better in black and white...

A young Martin O'Neil sits at the back of the bus as Nottingham Forest parade the European Cup trophy along the Trent Embankment after beating Malmo in the 1979 final

Peter Shilton, Trevor Francis, Larry Lloyd, Ian Bowyer et al celebrate Nottingham Forest's 1979 European Cup win a feat they also repeated the following year

King Kenny wakes up with the European Cup in his bed after scoring the winning goal against Club Brugge in the previous night's final, 1978

Bayern Munich's Georg Schwarzenbeck tackles St Etienne's Herve Revelli (r) from behind as Munich goalkeeper Sepp Maier looks on, 1976

St Etienne's Gerard Janvion (r) blocks a shot from Bayern Munich's Uli Hoeness, 1976

St Etienne goalkeeper Ivan Curkovic saves at the feet of Bayern Munich's Gerd Muller, 1976

Leeds scrappers Joe Jordan and Billy Bremner pick a fight with Bayern Munich's Gerd Muller, 1975

Gerd Muller celebrates Bayern Munich's 2-0 victory over Leeds United in the 1975 final

After thrashing Atletico Madrid 4-0 in the 1974 final replay, Bayern Munich pair Johnny Hansen and Gerd Muller watch the reaction of the fans as Der Kaiser lifts the trophy

Bayern Munich's Paul Breitner is foiled by Atletico Madrid goalkeeper Reina, 1974

Ajax (Johan Cruyff first row, second from right) line up prior to the 1971 European Cup Final against Panathinaikos at Wembley

Liz Samain, grandmother of Chelsea legend Ron 'Chopper' Harris, stands proudly with the European Cup.

There is being a bad teammate, causing a ruckus in the locker room, and then there is being Stijn Stijnen. Somewhere on the spectrum of squad disruption behind both John Terry and Joey Barton, but ahead of Craig Bellamy with a karaoke machine and pitching wedge.

A virulent internet campaign hit the town of Brugges attempting to get Stijnen inserted into the net at the expense of his two goalkeeping teammates.

Bocanegra faces a big derby with St. Etienne-Lyon this Saturday
It's another weekend where U.S. internationals may get a chance to make an impact outside our borders, and some could be lining up against each other.
On Saturday, Michael Bradley is available for selection as Aston Villa takes on Blackpool, who sit just one point behind Villa in the league table.

Sacha Kljestan, Anderlecht (Belgium)

Vs. Lierse, 6-0, 79 Minutes; Away to KV Kortrijk, 2-0, Did Not Play

Sacha Kljestan played well in his 79 minutes for Anderlecht crushed Lierse 6-0 at home last week. He was then rested as Anderlecht coasted to a 2-0 win away to KV Kortrijk.