Welcome to the first Friday Crackovia Club of 2012! As the Catalans say... "és temps de festa!" (time to party) And really, who better to raise your first toast to than these brilliant actors, who do it week in and week out? (just like the players!

Ep.18 Christmas Special by Off The Post on Mixcloud After injecting mince pies into our veins, doing shots of Bucks Fizz via our retinas and recording wearing nothing but tinsel jockstraps, the OTP Podcast is in fine, slightly chafed, festive cheer for its Christmas Special. (That unorthodox preparation may partly explain why we sound like [.

As we do every so often, today we present a business blog of a prominent televised soccer event. The New York/Los Angeles rivalry provides the latest installment in this regular feature. The match was rescheduled into weekday prime time because of Hurricane Irene and provides a national outlet for the Red Bulls' diminishing playoff hopes.

Depending on your allegiances and grievances:

• Bayern's Away Support.
• A Gazprom delegation.
• Felix Magath and his staff paying their former employees a visit.

Spotted by Ian Holyman ahead of the game between Schalke and Bayern.

Artist Gary Finkler has been so inspired by US women's goalkeeper Hope Solo's heroics in front of goal for Team USA, that he created this fun cartoon featuring Hope Solo (dressed as Han Solo) battling off the evil force of FIFA (i.e. Darth Vader).

You can see more of Gary's cartoons on his website at http://7thinningsketch.

Artist Gary Finkler has been so inspired by US women's goalkeeper Hope Solo's heroics in front of goal for Team USA that he created this fun cartoon featuring Hope Solo (dressed as Han Solo) battling off the evil force of FIFA (i.e. Darth Vader).

You can see more of Gary's cartoons on his website at http://7thinningsketch.

Today's practice was at the Starfire Stadium. While this might seem like it has to do with facing the Portland Timbers and their smaller pitch, it actually had to do with the Sounders FC Youth Cup tournament. Sigi Schmid had the team working on small field/small side drills focusing on technical play, while a small group broke off to work on set-play service.

We continue a great new feature on the Free Beer Movement site. In collaboration with the quality soccer site, "The Other 87 Minutes" we present the "Tuesday XI" (and sometimes the "Tuesday Ten") a thoughtful list on a variety of topics in the world of soccer.
What is this new site we're exposing you too?

adidas Originals continues its line of Star Wars sportswear with the Boba Fett adidas Originals Rasta soccer jersey. The collection already includes Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader jerseys. According to adidas: In 1980 Boba Fett first came on the scene. The adidas Star Wars Jersey celebrates his arrival in a Rasta coloured football kit that suggests he's [.

DALLAS, Tx. Of all the commercials seen during yesterday's Super Bowl, one seems to have captured the imagination more than others; perhaps even more than Christina Aguilera's messing up of the Star Spangled Banner and the pulsating end to the game itself. One ad where a child in the full Darth Vader costume attempts [.