There's very little that surprises us here at Inside Left Towers these days. When we first heard SFA Chief Executive Gordon Smith blithely announce only days after he sacked his national team manager that those pariahs of the Scottish game, Alan McGregor, Barry Ferguson and Kris Boyd would be eligible for selection by any [. Click to continue reading...

In the wake of Ireland's heartbreaking aggregate defeat to France, where Thierry Henry's handballed assist for William Gallas to score an equaliser in extra time denied a team who had performed magnificently to haul themselves level, we pay tribute to five of the greatest footballing heartbreakers in recent memory.

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Think for a moment about the organisation of tournaments such as the UEFA Champions League or the European Championships. How do you decide how many teams are eligible for entry into each competition, when those teams should enter the competition or what about the fixtures of those competitions?

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With the Scotland squad about to start a series of games that will hopefully qualify us for the World Cup in 2010, we continue our story of how Scotland recovered from the disappointment of Argentina to reach the next world Cup in ‘82. Click to continue reading...

The week's Ultimate 11's is Bobby Richards' England Pony 11. Bobby once scored 2 goals in Hastings as a 20 year old playing for an under 12's side, and was ever present when his Sunday League side took a 12-0, 8-0, and 14-0 battering. So who better quailified to give us his Ultimate England Pony 11!

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UEFA is the governing body of European football and is by far the most lucrative and most watched of all the 6 confederations of FIFA. UEFA's influence over the world of football is unprecedented and in the last 20 years its success has magnified beyond all expectations. The UEFA Champions League is universally regarded to be the ultimate competition in club football and generates money of unimaginable proportions.

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As the Azzurri floundered and failed in South Africa, it was left to the Azzurrini to provide the Italian nation with something at cheer about or at the very least restore some national pride, which they managed to do, and even more so if it weren't for the great German machine.

Heading to the European U21 Championships in Sweden, the Italy U21 side were the favourites, along with England and Spain U21's.

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The under-21 European Championships kick off tonight in Sweden. There are 8 teams in two groups contesting the finals.
Group A consists of Belarus, Italy, Serbia and hosts Sweden. Group B has England, Finland, Germany and Spain.
To win their first U21 Euros in a quarter of a century, Stuart Pearce's team need to overcome the favorites of Spain and Serbia. Click to continue reading...

Watch the U21 Euro 2009 live here.

The 2009 European Under-21 Championship will take place in Sweden from 15 June to 29 June. While it's expected to be overshadowed in press coverage by the dress rehearsal for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, the U21 Euro 2009 still promises to be a showcase of quality football and a chance for European football fans to evaluate the young stars of tomorrow (be it for their clubs or national teams).

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Italy U21 v Serbia U21 (Group A)
Date: Tuesday 16th June
Venue: Helsingborg
Kickoff: 19:45 GMT

5-time champions Italy will hope to make a winning start to their Euro Under-21 campaign when they take on Serbia at the Olympia Stadium in Helsingborg on Tuesday.

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Sweden U21 v Belarus U21 (Group A)
Date: Tuesday 16th June
Venue: Malmo
Kickoff: 17:15 GMT

Hosts Sweden open their campaign against Belarus in Group A of the UEFA Under-21 European Championships at the New Stadium in Malmo on Tuesday. You can watch Sweden U21 v Belarus U21 live here.

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Spain U21 v Germany U21 (Group B)
Date: Monday 15th June
Venue: Gothenburg
Kickoff: 19:45 GMT

Spain will look to convert their immense talent into trophies when their youth side takes on Germany in the second game of the UEFA Under-21 European Champions at the Gamla Ullevi Stadium in Gothenburg.

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The 23-player squads for all 8 U-21 Euro 2009 teams are listed below. Only players born on or after 1 January 1986 are eligible to play in the 2009 U-21 European Championships.

Group A
Belarus Euro 2009 Squad

Head coach: Yuri Kurnenin

No. Pos. Player DoB/Age Caps Club 1 GK Pavel Chesnovskiy 4 March 1986 (aged 23) FC Vitebsk 2 DF Nikolai Osipovich 29 May 1986 (aged 23) MTZ-RIPO 3 DF Aleksandr Martynovich 26 August 1987 (aged 21) Dinamo Minsk 4 DF Igor Shitov 24 October 1986 (aged 22) BATE 5 DF Maksim Bordachyov 18 June 1986 (aged 22) BATE 6 MF Sergei Balanovich 29 August 1987 (aged 21) Shakhtyor Soligorsk 7 MF Sergey Krivets 8 June 1986 (aged 23) BATE 8 MF Aleksandr Volodko 18 June 1986 (aged 22) BATE 9 FW Leonid Kovel 29 July 1986 (aged 22) Saturn Moscow Oblast 10 FW Dmitri Komarovskiy 10 October 1986 (aged 22) Naftan Novopolotsk 11 MF Mikhail Afanasyev 4 November 1986 (aged 22) Amkar Perm 12 GK Artem Gomelko 8 December 1989 (aged 19) Lokomotiv Moscow 13 MF Aleksandr Sachivko 5 January 1986 (aged 23) FC Minsk 14 MF Anton Putilo 10 June 1987 (aged 22) Dinamo Minsk 15 MF Sergei Kislyak 6 August 1987 (aged 21) Dinamo Minsk 16 DF Oleg Veretilo 10 July 1988 (aged 20) Dinamo Minsk 17 MF Sergei Gigevich 26 January 1987 (aged 22) Dinamo Minsk 18 DF Dmitry Verkhovtsov 10 October 1986 (aged 22) Naftan Novopolotsk 19 DF Aleksei Yanushkevich 15 January 1986 (aged 23) Shakhtyor Soligorsk 20 FW Vladimir Yurchenko 26 January 1989 (aged 20) Saturn Moscow Oblast 21 MF Mikhail Sivakov 16 January 1988 (aged 21) Cagliari 22 GK Anton Kovalevskiy 2 February 1986 (aged 23) Naftan Novopolotsk 23 DF Andrei Chukhley 2 October 1987 (aged 21) Dinamo Minsk
Italy Euro 2009 Squad

Head coach: Pierluigi Casiraghi

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England U21 v Finland U21 (Group B)
Date: Monday 15th June
Venue: Halmstad
Kickoff: 17:15 GMT

Finland and England will kick off the the UEFA Euro 2009 Under-21 Championship on Monday at the Orjans Vall Stadium in Halmstad, Sweden. You can watch England U21 v Finland U21 live here.

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Watch the U21 Euro 2009 live here.

The 2009 U-21 Euros will take place across 4 venues in Sweden from 15 June to 29 June, with the best and brightest young footballers from Europe hoping to stake a place in the senior national team on the basis of their performances this summer.

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The 2009 Under-21 European Championship will showcase the best and brightest of young football talent from around Europe. With Spain, Germany, England, Italy and Serbia all having qualified for the Euro 2009, the tournament will be closely followed by football scouts across Europe's top clubs.

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The 2009 European U21 Championship (the 17th Under 21 European Championship) will be held in Sweden from 15 June to 29 June kicks off on 15 June 2009, and is the ideal opportunity for football fans to see the stars of tomorrow in action.

If you're having trouble finding out where to watch the Under 21 Euros on TV, you can easily watch all the U21 European Championship matches live online.

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Italian referees could use some damage control PR today, after managing to royally fuck up two games. In Palermo-Fiorentina, Alberto Gilardino - who is quite hot at the moment so we can maybe forgive their assumptions he'd magically huffed and puffed the ball into the net - scored with what appeared to be his hand. Click to continue reading...

It isn't, at least not yet, as this Associated Press story points out.

The ever-escalating rights fees broadcasters are apparently willing to pay is one reason rich Americans are buying EPL teams, while eyeing similar growth in MLS.

As soccer's popularity grows in the U.S. we'll see a similar situation here - the would-be owners of MLS clubs willing to plunk down a $40 million expansion fee are counting on it.

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That's the longest title I think I've ever written on this blog. I'm on my way to Turku now, and unfortunately there isn't much in the way of coverage in Ilta Sanomat or Veikkaaja. I'll update this at regular intervals, so refresh it to get the latest. Team news will be up as soon as [...] Click to continue reading...

Andrei Arshavin is world-class material. He deserves a better club and greater recognition than to spend his entire career languishing in the Russian League.To many soccer fans, this name may not ring a bell, that is, until the European Championships which concluded last month. Arshavin caught the eyes of soccer pundits and bigwigs with his [. Click to continue reading...

Spain 1 Germany 0

Spanish Eyes Are Smiling.

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Just be glad ABC didn't show the Galaxy-D.C. United game after the Euro 2008 final.

The Galaxy froze on a sweltering day in the nation's capital, surrendering 4-1 to United.

Meanwhile, the Spain-Germany game is at half time.

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Germany's inspirational captain and midfield powerhouse Michael Ballack will start in the final of the European Championship, according to this report.

The game starts at 11:30 a.m. on ABC.

D.C. United is beating the Galaxy 2-1 right now on the same channel, by the way.

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The obligatory David Beckham update that passes for a Galaxy preview. Game begins at 9 a.m. on ABC.

The finale of Euro 2008 follows with Spain against Germany for whom Michael Ballack is a doubt.

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Spain emerged victors in the semi-final clash with Russia and many were surprised that a 3-goal deficit still separates both teams. After a baptism of fire in the group stages and a comprehensive 3-1 victory against Netherlands, the Russians had established their title credentials convincingly. Arshavin, who burst onto the international scene after sitting out a [. Click to continue reading...

Goals aplenty are expected Sunday when the Galaxy plays D.C. United on the road in a rare nationally televised MLS game on ABC that precedes the Euro 2008 final.

The official Galaxy blog has a video preview.

Speaking of Euro 2008, sports media columnist Tom Hoffarth had more today on the broadcast snafu that frankly ruined the first semifinal Wednesday between Germany and Turkey.

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Germany narrowly beat Turkey 3-2 at Euro 2008 and will take on the winner of today's Spain-Russia semifinal (11:30 a.m. ESPN2) in Sunday's final. Let's hope today's game isn't marred by the technical problems viewers both here and around the world endured during Wednesday's game. I don't know about you, but the telecast missing two of the game's goals (and returning just in time to catch Germany's last minute winner) spoiled the excitement of the game for me.

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Turkey, already a long shot to beat Germany in today's first Euro 2008 semifinal, (live 11:30 a.m. on ESPN) has several starters missing through injury or suspension and the Germans are in a confident mood. Derek Rae and Andy Gray will call the game, while the second semifinal between Spain and an entertaining Russian side follows at the same time Thursday.

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The quarter-finals of Euro 2008 came to an end and several favorites were slain in the process. Portugal exited the tournament with their tail tucked behind their legs after being overpowered in a 2-3 defeat by Germany. Some tears were shed as Portugal were among the most exciting entertainers. However, the mesmerizing wizardry of Cristiano [. Click to continue reading...

The U.S. beat Barbados 1-0 today to advance to the next round of CONCACAF qualifying 9-0 on aggregate.

Game story is here.

Still, if you were like me you were watching the rather dull Spain-Italy Euro 2008 quarterfinal. With that, the semifinals are set.

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Knockout stage of Euro 08 campaign has yet to arrive but the footballing actions we have seen are exhilarating enough. In Group A, Portugal are safely through despite a 2-0 loss to Switzerland. Scolari had to apologize for destroying a winning momentum when he rested key players and fielded reserves who either developed stage fright [. Click to continue reading...

It's Day 11 of Euro 2008 and time once again to witness the goings-on in 'The Group of Death', i.e. Group C, featuring France, Italy, Romania and the Netherlands.
We've used the term 'Group of Death' quite a lot here at SPAOTP recently, but to be fair we're not the only ones bandying that particular title around. Click to continue reading...

Distracted as I am with Euro 2008 and this morning's compelling Spain-Sweden game, there's plenty of soccer to watch this Father's Day weekend and the difficult part will be taking it all in.

Let's try.

The Galaxy are on the road in San Jose where the Earthquakes will actually play at the Oakland Coliseum, which is much larger than Buck Shaw Stadium.

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Hat-Trick Heros
The Only 8 Hat-Tricks Ever Scored At The European Championships
1. Dieter Muller (for West Germany v Yugoslavia, 1976)
2. Klaus Allofs (for West Germany v Netherlands, 1980)
3. Michel Platini (for France v Belgium, 1984)
4. Michel Platini (for France v Yugoslavia, 1984)
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