Well, as the gang (most of us anyway) try to heal our wounds from yesterday's debacle, there are two remaining matches in the Round of 16 that will finalize the eight clubs in the pot for the quarterfinal draw.
Personally, I'm going to be short with the analysis today because, hell, it's not working anyway. Click to continue reading...

Manchester United fans breathed a huge sigh of relief yesterday after referee Phil Dowd opted not to send off Nemanja Vidic despite him pulling down Gabriel Agbonlahor as the last man.

Whilst a sending off would have ruined the game as a spectacle, Poll reckons there was another reason which saved Vidic.

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Locally Peter Funnell looks at the NTC Challenge,
NTC Challenge, Player Transfers and more from Sports Psychologist Paul Penna.
In this program we cover the NTC Challenge. It was a sensational tournament, directed at the nation's best 15 / 16 year boys and don't we have some good players! Click to continue reading...

Poster by Prairie Rose Clayton. http://tifosi.hooverdam.net/

No, Charlie Davies is not fully recovered and he has a whole lot more to do just to get out on training ground again. But if you ever doubted he could make that recovery let alone make it in time for the World Cup this summer, yesterday's outstanding article by Ives Galarcep may make you feel guilty for ever doubting.

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[via Off the Post]

A bit of advice from England cricket fans aka the Barmy Army about travelling to South Africa.

Wish I could say this was useful, but most of it sounds a lot like simple common sense. Basically don't run around South Africa shouting "I'm carrying loads of cash and I'm not very good at fighting!

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Wouldn't you want the chance to be jumped at if he became available? Well, if rumours are true that Liverpool are burdened with £174 million pounds worth of debt and the owners are at each others throats, over the spiralling costs of the play thing they bought but are now getting bored with, then the idea of them selling their most prized asset may not be completely out of the question.

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The African Cup of Nations 2010 begins today. Though the competition was shrouded under a blanket of tragedy before the opening ceremonies have even been performed due to events in Cabinda, there is still a three-week tournament ahead of us that, we hope, brings entertainment and joy to the people of Angola, the people of Africa and to people watching all over the world. Click to continue reading...

Um, no:

Many of us see the need for Seattle to get a central attacking midfielder and another striker option. One attacking midfielder who must at least warrant a consideration from the Sounders is Columbus Crew star Guillermo Barros Schelotto. GBS is currently available for trade in part because the Crew are asking him to take a giant paycut in 2010.

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Good morning from a very cold Dublin where the temperature right now is -3. This is a stupid temperature. I did not choose to live in the tundra, did I? Still, at least it's not raining.

A few bits and pieces to get on with as Christmas week progresses. We'll start with Cesc who is hoping to be fit for the Villa game on Sunday.

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On Boxing Day, Liverpool reach the halfway point in the season with a ‘make or break' game against Wolves. The club's fans have endured a torrid season so far with nothing but small victories to cheer, and great wins against Man United and Everton overshadowed by points subsequently being dropped . Click to continue reading...

One of the most troubling aspects of the French Football Federation (FFF) retaining Domenech as long as they have is that it felt like a betrayal like a combination of corruption and incompetence had eroded a recently fine institution. So when I read the comments from the FFF's Guy Chambily this morning, I felt like I was getting France back the France I know where corruption and incompetence don't get to win out over decency and common sense.

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AFC Cup play-off idea dismissed
Dr Vichit Yamboonraung, the Chairman of the Thai Premier League, has dismissed an outrageous idea to hold a play-off match between Thai Port FC (FA Cup winners) and Chonburi FC (TPL runners up), to decide who gets the AFC Cup spot. Khun Vichit said, "This idea was presented at a meeting, but had little chance happening because the qualification rules have already been set" - And they've already done the draw! Click to continue reading...

Beyond the criticism for what appears to be a callous and poor way of dealing with now departed Alejandro Moreno, the Crew and Robert Warzycha are taking a lot of heat in some corners for leaving Moreno and Frankie Hejduk unprotected in the expansion draft. Michael Arace in the Dispatch:

Obviously, coach Robert Warzycha wants to go in a different direction.

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This weekend saw another round of international games, some important like the playoffs for the final positions at the World Cup, but all too many were unimportant games that counted for absolutely nothing t should the top players be excluded form playing in them to avoid injury?

I know that this brings up loads of potential problem like who do you classify as a top player etc.

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Rafa makes January plans.

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Here we find ourselves slap bang in the middle of another damn international break, only this one is even more torrid than others as there are barely any meaningful internationals to hold our attention.

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The Wikimedia Foundation has kicked off their annual fundraising campaign:

Lots of people love Wikipedia, but surprisingly few know it's run by a non-profit, the Wikimedia Foundation. The Wikimedia Foundation has just one purpose: to support the free and open sharing of knowledge. We don't sell information and we don't accept advertising.

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Just when I'm trolling around in search of something to care about, along comes Toronto FC COO and all around fan favourite Paul Beirne tweeting about how he intends to require TFC Academy entrants to commit to playing for Canada.
Even Duane Rollins points out the Academy couldn't force a player to play for the national outfit if it came down to that, so ultimately this is just more fan populism, and it seems they're loving it. Click to continue reading...

Ok, to be honest, I was expecting a loss for AEK here. Aris were considered favorites for this game and I think that's somewhat justified. Bearing that in mind, I'll take a draw here. Its never easy to win away against Aris, even on a good day.

I wasn't able to watch the match since it was satellite.

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For two weeks in a row now, glaring penalty calls have been missed in the early Saturday EPL game. � Wolves' striker Kevin Doyle was fouled twice, by my count, when through on goal, and last week it was Villa's Agbonlahor who was being tripped in the act of shooting. � (Here are the videos for the Wolves and the Villa incidents).

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Yesterday, I posted a list of eleven reasons why I believe Liverpool have struggled this season. Today, it's time to look to forward positively and come up with a way out of the current mess. Yes, things are bleak, but I do not think that the season is over. In fact, I actually think Liverpool can still put in a title challenge, but only if certain changes are made and previous mistakes are not repeated. Click to continue reading...

Kevin Nolan has urged Mike Ashley to provide the necessary financial backing to caretaker manager Chris Hughton. Kevin Nolan - all players responsible for Saturday With a rare but common-sense statement from Ashley yesterday in the Sunday Times, he has dropped the price of the club to £80M, but he wants all of that up [. Click to continue reading...

This is one of the most hilarious goals of recent times, unless you're a Liverpool fan.
And, of course, by any standards of common sense it shouldn't have been a goal at all. (I just tested this on my wife, incidentally, who is conversant with the rules of the game and considered the awarding of the goal an outrage. Click to continue reading...

What's there to say?
The coach is sacked, a whole lot of laundry is aired, some no doubt utter bullshit, other true. Frank is scapegoated for a long period of administrative incompetence in the Roar and the FFA.
At the same time - quick, someone mentioned a 50% hike on the already most expensive tickets in the league might have 'contributed' to the disappearing crowds - the Roar announces a 15% price cut and a special promotion letting kids in free. Click to continue reading...

We here at COS Towers love a bit of nostalgia and we think that you do too.

As kids we all remember playing footie until it got dark, or until that irritating kid decided we couldn't use his ball anymore, and we all recall with alarming vividness pretending to score a goal in the manner of our heroes.

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Guarantees just aren't what they used to be.� Back in the day a guarantee was something extraordinarily, spectacular:� A sacred declaration of one team's predicted� dominance� over another.� � It was� something that got fans to pay close attention to an event even if the game didn't fascinate them.

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Flailing arm could cost Argentine a suspension.

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Javier Mascherano could face a violent conduct charge from the Football Association after appearing to swing an arm and strike Jermaine Beckford on the back of his head during Liverpool's 1-0 Carling Cup win at Leeds United last night.

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The MLS has announced that� during the� 2010 World Cup in South Africa that there will be a two-week hiatus from any league matches.� � The 15 day� timespan the� American league gave for the� break will be from June 11th to the 25th.� During those weeks� the World Cup� group brackets will be played and the league also confirmed that no MLS games will be played during the semi-finals or finals of the World Cup as well.

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Well if Don Garber has a bulletin board in his office with a list entitled "EUROSNOB DEMANDS," he's managed to check off two of them as he announced today MLS will not play during the 2010 World Cup group phase, on semifinal and finals day, and that the league will have play a balanced schedule next year. Click to continue reading...

"There is a lot of politics at Tottenham, but that's Tottenham as a club," added Bent.

With Daniel Levy, every day is one more day spent in politics, one day less on football. I have no idea why this man wants to be chairman of a club. He should contest elections for the Tories.

Anyway, Bent's Twitter rant apparently helped seal the most expensive signing in Black Cats history.

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According to Jozy Altidore's Twitter, he has signed for Hull City and it will be announced shorty.� Here's his latest tweet:

First match is against chelsea subject to a work permit *wink* *wink* lol thanks for the support and love keep it coming.

Technically that could mean either Manchester United (since they play in the Community Shield against Chelsea) or Hull City.

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Newcastle are now starting to sell some of their players and we've lost six of the squad since we were relegated on May 24th. Kevin Nolan emerging leader at Newcastle So it's maybe not a surprise to common sense people that we may need to start signing some new players to replace them. We have no [. Click to continue reading...

It was the perfect set up;� A Mexican squad in dire need of a win to gain back confidence, A U.S. squad playing with benchwarmers.� U.S. Soccer executives probably didn't figure on 5 - nothing.�

The damage is done.� After huge summer gains with the American sports fans, U.S. Soccer blunders.

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FIFA President Blatter's statement a couple weeks back regarding MLS and its schedule was way out of touch with the reality of the American sporting landscape.� Blatter said it was imperative for MLS to get on an August to May schedule in order to compete with other leagues for the best players.

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The idea that United pulled out of the Tevez deal for any reason other than money is absolute nonsense. Tevez has stated on numerous occasions that he simply wants a five year contract and is well aware that at his age this is the last chance to secure one. The purpose, quite honourable in my opinion, is to achieve financial security for himself and his family for the rest of their lives.

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According to Richard Bailey at Sky Sports News, Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger admitted that the club does not have a great amount of funds. He told the club's official magazine,

"I'm fed up with people who think I have £100million in the bank yet don't want to spend it .

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For a none story this has had quite a life. Tim didn't help himself by ignoring the questions of the Socceroos major sponsor - FoxTel - after the Japan game. Then Mark Bosnich made matters worse by claiming solidarity with Tim for being betrayed by someone close to him. Then there was a supposed email from a Socceroo of 10 years - yeah right, just had to send it to loser NRL journo HQ eh? Click to continue reading...

Nothing like making yourself popular with your new team mates, and new president for that matter!
When his club are splashing the cash like there's no tomorow to bring in high profile names. Real Madrid defender Christoph Metzelder hasn't exactly held back in expressing his view that £80million for Cristiano Ronaldo is pretty extravagant spending during the global economic crisis. Click to continue reading...

I guess the headline and accompanying photo gives it away, but would you have been able to identify Michael Owen's from the following quote:
"Were it not for an unhappy spell at Real Madrid and two injury-scarred years at Newcastle, he would be spoken about in the same breath as Torres and Ronaldo and valued in the priceless figures that only match-winning goalscorers ever justify. Click to continue reading...

Hard to know what Wenger makes of this transfer pandemic, isn't it?

The great man has kept radio silence over the last week, presumably either because he's off on business or because he's staggering around Blackpool half cut wearing a Kiss Me Quick hat.

But we can guess: For a man who has long (and correctly, in my view) espoused common sense in the running of a football club, this mayhem must be deeply discomforting.

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UAE keeper gets his priorities muddled Most keepers would rather avoid conceding a corner if at all possible, but when it is a straight choice between conceding a corner or conceding a goal common sense dictates that the corner would be preferable. But common sense is apparently something United Arab Emirates goalie Majed Naser is lacking. Click to continue reading...