Well it's just a preseason match and doesn't count for anything, but the Dynamo's 1-0 victory over the LA Galaxy does give us the ever so slightest bit of retribution after last season. Nathan Sturgis scored his second goal of the preseason as the Dynamo defense continued it's streak of clean sheets with their fifth straight shutout of the preseason.

BY ADAM SERRANO

CARSON, Calif. -- Cameroonian midfielder Franck Songo'o stole the show for the Portland Timbers as the trialist set up a pair of goals to help lead the Timbers to a 4-1 win against the Los Angeles Galaxy on Tuesday in the first MLS pre-season match for both teams.

Sunday was Genoa striker Rodrigo Palacio's 30th birthday, so to mark the occasion, he scored a tremendous backheel goal to begin his side's 3-2 win over Lazio that day. In the 10th minute, the Argentine floated a backheel volley off a corner kick while running away from the goal, landing the ball gently in the far corner of the net.

The Chicago Fire had no trouble dispatching Florida Gulf Coast University 3-0 in their second game of the 2012 preseason. Marco Pappa scored a goal in the 7th minute and assisted on Dominic Oduro's goal in the 21st minute. Orr Barouch made it 3-0 in the 60th minute of the game on a Corben Bone corner kick.

Que dulce! Valencia kept to their promise to the fans last night and held Barca to a 1-1 draw with a 27th minute screamer from Jonas. Part of the promise was to play their best and not lose in front of the home fans, so this result is significantly better than a loss.

The Dynamo had another positive preseason match today, defeating San Jacinto College 4-0. Goals from Nathan Sturgis, Will Bruin, Adam Moffatt and trialist Jorge Escobar did the damage for Houston.

Houston Dynamo Press Release:

The Houston Dynamo continued their 2012 preseason with a 4-0 victory over San Jacinto College, Wednesday morning, at the Houston Amateur Sports Park.

Clint Dempsey did it again.

Dempsey scored another goal for Fulham, tallying the opener in the Cottagers' 1-1 draw with West Brom on Wednesday. Costa Rican international Bryan Ruiz slipped Dempsey a pass inside the area, and the American turned and finished with a right-footed strike in the 69th minute to add to his current run of form.

The Jay Heaps era got off to a winning start as the New England Revolution beat FC Tucson (Premier Development League) 2-0 in their 2012 preseason opener. Sainey Nyassi and Kenny Mansally were the Revs goalscorers.

Instead of the traditional two 45-minute periods, the match featured two 35-minute periods followed by an additional 45-minute period.

By Joel Greenwaldt
@Joel Greenwaldt (On Twitter)
The Baltimore Blast secured their fifth consecutive win at home on Friday, an 18-10 victory over the Norfolk SharX in front of 5,764 fans. The victory improved Baltimore's record to 12-4 on the season, and has them sitting five games up on Rochester for the division lead with eight games to be played.

If Costa Rica had any hope of qualifying for the Olympics this summer, it was extinguished in the second half of tonight's match against the USWNT. While Costa Rica played hard all match long, it wasn't enough, as the US scored two late goals to secure their fifth straight Olympic appearance. The US Women's National Team now awaits the 2012 Olympic Summer Games in London, where they will defend their 2008 gold medal from Beijing.

By FRANCO PANIZO

One of the favorites to win this year's Africa Cup of Nations, Ghana opened its tournament with a narrow victory over Botswana that can best be described as a roller coaster for John Mensah.

The Ghana captain endured highs and lows in Ghana's Group D opener, scoring the only goal before receiving a red card and then picking up a hamstring injury.

By DAVE MARTINEZ

Though the New York Red Bulls were once considered clear-cut favorites to win the 2011 MLS Eastern Conference crown, the team imploded with a host of problems on the field, and in the locker room.

The defense became a porous mess that forced head coach Hans Backe to retool tactically in the final quarter of the season with a crude system he dubbed "cynical soccer" in order to stay competitive.

Photo by ISIphotos.com

George John has yet to make his debut with West Ham United, but he soon could after putting together a strong showing in his first match since joining the club.

John, on loan from FC Dallas until the beginning of March, starred in his first game for West Ham's developmental squad on Tuesday, putting together a strong defensive outing while scoring a goal in the Hammers' 1-1 draw with Gillingham.

Last night in Arizona, the US national team topped Venezuela in the first of two friendlies for the camp cupcake roster, 1-0 thanks to a late goal by Ricardo Clark. Sporting KC forward Teal Bunbury and midfielder Graham Zusi both started for the US, while forward, CJ Sapong came on as a second half sub, replacing Zusi.

U.S. Soccer Communications
GLENDALE, Ariz. – The U.S. Men's National Team opened the year in dramatic fashion as Ricardo Clark tallied a game-winning goal seven minutes into second-half stoppage time for a 1-0 win against Venezuela at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.
The U.

For 90 minutes the U.S. Men's National Team dominated play against Venezuela on Saturday night at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz, but couldn't find the goal they needed to take the lead. Substitute Ricardo Clark finally had the answer with a stoppage time header to give the U.S. a deserved 1-0 victory.

The United States opened its 2012 schedule with a 1-0 friendly draw against Venezuela at University of Phoenix Stadium. The USA got a last gasp goal, with Ricardo Clark scoring from a corner kick late into stoppage time. Both teams were using experimental lineups, with the game falling outside of the international window.

BY ADAM SERRANO

CARSON, Calif. – In a match that was much closer than the last time these teams met, the U.S. Under-23 national team battled to a hard fought 1-1 draw against the U.S. national team on Tuesday evening at the Home Depot Center Complex.

This weekend saw lots of action in the Serie A: a furious downpour which forced the suspension of a game; a feisty, highly-anticipated derby; and some very decisive wins. The result? The Serie A standings have been, to borrow from the late, great Elvis Presley, "all shook up"!

On Saturday, Roma travelled South to Sicily to take on Catania.

D.C. United U-15 Academy squad excels at Disney Soccer Showcase
United's U-15 squad finishes prestigious youth tournament unbeaten
Washington, D.C. (January 10, 2012) – D.C. United's U-15 Academy team recently traveled to Orlando, Fla. to participate in the annual Disney Soccer Showcase.

STARTERS
Did you see the trio of goals that Clint Dempsey scored for Fulham in the FA Cup this past weekend. He is been on FIRE lately. See those goals right here.
dN
Landon Donovan also contributed to an Everton win in the FA Cup putting in a corner kick that was finished off with a fine header for the games first goal.

photo by Michael Janosz/ISIphotos.com

By FRANCO PANIZO

A trio of Americans saw the field for one team this weekend, but it is not the trio you might first think of.

Mexican-Americans Edgar Castillo, Joe Corona and Greg Garza received minutes for Club Tijuana in its Clausura opener, a 1-1 draw with Morelia.

Last week Brian Straus made it known that the USWNT got off too light. He said that if the women didn't choke in the World Cup final, well, then they "folded":

In the aftermath of the U.S. women's national team's heartbreaking penalty kick shootout loss to Japan in the Women's World Cup final, usage of the word "choke" was frowned upon.

Union

Nick Sakiewicz tells the DelCo Times about starting the Philadelphia Union and how he financed the first four months of operation on his AmEx. Yikes.

The Philadelphia Sports Writers Association will hand out a Special Achievement Award to Seba Le Toux at the end of January.

One of the neat experiences I've had coaching youth soccer is having a player who can do a flip throw. We actually have two players on our 96 girls team that can do it, though one is a striker and only throws in on occasion. The other is one of our starting defenders and was a competitive gymnast before she started playing soccer.

Just for fun: I thought I would embeded this new ad for the NBC Sports Network that launched January 1st. Gone with 2011 is VERSUS and in with the new 2012 is the NBC Sports Network who are contracted with Major League Soccer for the 2012 season. "This is not a corner kick," says the [...]

Liverpool striker Luis Suarez has been handed an eight-match ban and a £40,000 fine by the FA after being found guilty of racially abusing Manchester United's Patrice Evra. The news has been slightly overshadowed by a crazy statement released by Liverpool in the wake of the news. It ranks around the same level of Rafa [.

Liverpool voiced out their rage after acknowledging FA's punishment towards their star striker, Luis Suarez, who received an eight match as he is being found guilty in making a racist remarks towards Manchester United's Patrice Evra.

The Reds, through their official voiced out a stern disapproval statement regarding the decision, but reports stated that the club's response was taken off from their site 30 minutes after being shown.

Well Luis Suarez has been found guilty of Racism by the FA and banned for 8 matches and given a £40,000 fine. Liverpool have appealed this so he should be free to face Wigan in tonight's match.

"Today (Tuesday) is a very difficult and painful day for both me and my family. Thanks for all the support, I'll keep working!

Official Liverpool Statement
Liverpool Football Club is very surprised and disappointed with the decision of the Football Association Commission to find Luis Suarez guilty of the charges against him.
We look forward to the publication of the Commission's Judgment. We will study the detailed reasons of the Commission once they become available, but reserve our right to appeal or take any other course of action we feel appropriate with regards to this situation.

Luis Suárez: Liverpool statement

• Club are 'very surprised and disappointed' • Statement: 'Luis Suárez is innocent' Liverpool FC is very surprised and disappointed with the decision of the FA commission to find Luis Suárez guilty of the charges against him.

Luis Suarez has been banned for eight matches and fined £40,000 by the Football Association for racially abusing Patrice Evra.

Evra told French TV he was racially abused by Suarez on 10 occasions during Manchester United's Barclays Premier League match at Anfield on October 15.

The FA said in a statement:

"An Independent Regulatory Commission has found a charge of misconduct against Luis Suarez proven, and have issued a suspension for a period of eight matches as well as fining him £40,000, pending appeal.

Liverpool FC respond to the FA's Suarez announcement

The reaction from Liverpool FC to the announcement that charges against Luis Suarez had been proven has come in the form of a lengthy statement and a question to The FA. Read it yourself: Liverpool Football Club is very surprised and disappointed with the decision of the Football Association Commission to find Luis Suarez guilty of the charges against him.

Houston Dynamo fans have been waiting since the club's inaugural 2006 season for a soccer-specific stadium they could call their own, and, come May, that dream will be realized.

According to the Houston Chronicle, that stadium will be named BBVA Compass Stadium at an official ceremony slated for Wednesday afternoon.

By JOHN BOSCHINI

Underdog Charlotte looked poised to pull another upset, and make North Carolina the latest victim, but Tar Heels forward Ben Speas delivered a goal worthy of a championship to help UNC win its first NCAA title in a decade.

Speas, who won a national title with Akron last season, produced the game's lone goal 24 minutes from time with a fantastic strike.

The meteoric rise of the Charlotte 49ers into the 2011 College Cup is like something out of a movie, and coach Jeremy Gunn is the orchestrator of their run.
Tom Sorensen of the Charlotte Observer writes of how Gunn's passion and commitment have led his Cinderella 49ers to the national semifinals.

Two tickets have been punched to the College Cup.

Top seeded North Carolina and 13th seeded UCLA advanced to College Cup 2011 with victories on Saturday and will face one another in on Friday, Dec. 9th at Regions Park in Hoover, Ala.

The final two spots in the final four will be decided on Sunday when third-seeded Connecticut face Charlotte and second-seeded Creighton take on South Florida.

It took extra time on Saturday, but the Fort Lewis College Skyhawks picked up the team's third national title since 2005.

Berekk Blackwell delivered a header off a Joey Madigan corner kick that gave Fort Lewis a 3-2 victory over Lynn about 90 seconds into the first overtime of the NCAA Division II men's soccer championship in Pensacola, Fla.

Even Gervinho can't miss this one

December is here but Arsenal continued where they left off. Four goals victory at the DW Stadium. Four different players added goals to their statistics for the season and we're now up to just one place behind fourth spot (until Liverpool's match against Fulham tonight at least).

Turkey's U-17(16)'s started the match in very shaky grounds and sat in their half of the field whole first half of the match and than after with ten men they played a lot more better in the second half but lost the match in the last minutes of the match!
In 2010 ,Turkey beat USA, 2-1 and won the Nike International Friendlies Tournament.