Kickoff from White Hart Lane at 7:00PM GMT/2:00PM EST

Liverpool's youngsters return to NextGen Series action today, with their quarterfinal matchup with Tottenham's U19s taking place in London. The brief break in senior squad action allows for attentions to turn to a competition that, on the whole, has been a terrific advertisement for youth football on the continent.

After what we've seen at this year's Africa Cup of Nations it's perhaps a little foolish to talk in terms of more shocks. Why should we continue to be shocked when our predictions are continually thrown back in our faces time after time?

Sudan became the latest side to upset the African apple cart when they qualified for the quarter finals last night.

Whoa. I forgot we were still involved in the CL for a second. More, after the jump:

The Shove Heard Round Naples

Get this: Napoli's manager, Walter Mazzarri, has been banned by UEFA for two matches after shoving Nilmar during Napoli's final group stage match with Villareal.

Midfielder Carli Lloyd scored a hat trick to lead the United States Women's National Soccer Team to a 4-0 win over Mexico in both teams' final group stage match of...

When Cuba's national women's team showed up for Monday night's CONCACAF Olympic qualifying match against Haiti in Vancouver, BC two players were conspicuously missing.

Unconfirmed reports say star forward Yesenia Gallardo Martinez, 20, and midfielder Yisel Rodriguez Llanes, 22, have defected from the Caribbean nation while playing Olympic qualifying matches in Canada.

Photo by Stephen Brashear/ISIphotos.com

The CONCACAF Olympic qualifying tournament has been a breeze so far for the U.S. women's national team, which has outscored two overmatched opponents by a combined 27-0 margin. Things should be a bit more competitive in Tuesday's final group match.

The U.S. team once again practiced indoors at BC Place (with the weather so far in Vancouver, trust us when we say outdoors would not be too much fun), this time in preparation for its final Group B match vs. Mexico. The CONCACAF neighbors will meet on Tuesday, Jan. 24 at 7:30 p.m. PT. Fans can watch the game live on Universal Sports Network, Universalsports.

The U.S. Women's national team figured to face a tougher task against Guatemala on Sunday than it did after a 14-0 thrashing of the Dominican Republic to open CONCACAF Olympic qualifying on Friday.

The challenge was slightly tougher, but only by a goal.

Abby Wambach scored two goals to move into third place on the all-time international goals scored list, while Sydney LeRoux added five goals in a 13-0 thrashing of Guatemala in Vancouver on Sunday.

It was another easy win for the USWNT tonight as the rolled right on through Guatemala, winning the game 13-0. Unlike the game against the Dominican Republic, the goals didn't come as quickly during this game, as the US tried to feel out their Guatemalan counterparts during the opening five minutes.

Qualifying starts. Maura Gladys has you covered.

Morgan looking to excel--in a new role?--as winter closes...

The last time the U.S. Women's National Team competed in a CONCACAF qualifying tournament, they almost missed the cut for the 2011 Women's World Cup.

By FRANCO PANIZO

A day after Pep Guardiola said he had no plans of selling him, David Villa was lost to injury.

Villa will be sidelined for approximately the next six months after fracturing his tibia in Barcelona's 4-0 Club World Cup win over Al Sadd on Thursday.

By Chris Wright

Unbeaten going into the game, ten-man Stoke stumbled to defeat in Turkey in their final Group E game, though it mattered little with them having already booked their place in the knockout phase courtesy of a draw against Dinamo Kiev last time out.

It's do or die for a number of teams across Europe as the UEFA Europa League winds down.

Half of the teams in the field play their final group games of the tournament today, including Clint Dempsey's Fulham, which can cement a place in the knockout round and set the tone for perhaps another deep tournament run with a win or by getting some help.

A draw could be enough to guarantee Clint Dempsey and Fulham passage to the final 32 while Jozy Altidore and AZ will likely need a win in their final group game to continue their European run.

England's Euro 2012 hopes were given a boost last week when Uefa reduced Wayne Rooney's suspension to two games.
The Manchester United front man was originally handed a three-match ban after being sent off for kicking Miodrag Dzudovic during England's 2-2 draw with Montenegro in October. The ban was reduced on appeal.

What price genius? It has been suggested more than once this season that Mario Balotelli may be more trouble than he is worth. The firework-igniting, errant child-correcting, trampoline-buying Manchester City forward carries a very unique kind of baggage around with him, but the evidence of this season brought very firmly into focus this season has demonstrated that every piece of baggage that he carries (including the suitcase that contains a talking toucan wearing a bow tie that he bought when his mother sent him out to buy a can of sardines) is worth the occasional bouts of petulance, the occasional show-boating that will probably cost his club a major trophy of some description at some stage and his perpetually aggrieved facial expression.

Ireland will be based in Gdynia in Poland for Euro 2012, the Football Association today confirmed
Giovanni Trapattoni and Marco Tardelli visited Poland this week to sign off on the base camp for the finals.
Gdynia is located in the Pomeranian region of Poland and is part of a metropolitan area around the city of Gdansk, known as Tricity.

Manager's moaning about referee's is nothing new, it has always gone and probably will always go on. But Kenny Dalglish took things to another level by playing a DVD during his weekly press conference to point out examples of where his club were hard done by against Fulham last Monday.
The game, which the Red eventually lost 1-0, also landed Liverpool in trouble with the FA after Luis Suarez was charge after giving the Fulham fans the finger, while the club was charged for failing to control their players after they surrounded referee Kevin Friend following Jay Spearing's dismissal.

Good news for England fans today as UEFA has reduced Wayne Rooney's three match suspension has been reduced to two matches after a successful appeal by the FA.

The reduction means that Rooney , 26,will now be available for England's third Group D game, against Ukraine, but will miss the fixtures against France and Sweden.

The United States Under-23 national team found out who it would play during the group stage of Olympic qualifying earlier in the week, and now it knows when it will play each of its opponents.

The U.S. team will open qualifying against Cuba on March 22, followed by a meeting with Canada two days later and a final group game against El Salvador on March 26.

England's chances at Euro 2012 have been given a boost after UEFA decided to suspended the third game of the striker's three match ban following his sending off against Montenegro in October.
It now means that the England striker can play in his country's final group stage game against Ukraine, though he will definitely miss the first two games against France and Sweden.

By FRANCO PANIZO

Wayne Rooney will be able to play in group stage of Euro 2012 after all.

Accompanied by England head coach Fabio Capello, Rooney had his three-game ban reduced to two after a successful appeal to UEFA on Thursday. The decision to shorten Rooney's ban, which came as a result of Rooney receiving a red card against Montenegro in a Euro qualifier last month, means he will be eligible to play in England's final group match against Ukraine.

By Alan Duffy

Lyon players celebrate qualification for the last 16

It looked like game over for Lyon in this year's Champions League, after the French giants left themselves with an enormous task ahead of the final Group D matchday.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE final Group matches with Tuesday night action with 50% of the Clubs playing it out. Two SPANISH FOOTBALL representatives went to work with a good & bad result that will now be summarized below with the final results & the scorers. FC Barcelona FC BARCELONA hosted BATE BORISOV with the top spot of Group H theirs & their minds already on Real Madrid for this Saturdays LIGA

Arsenal are visiting Greece for the final group game with top spot secured. Such games can easily become an unwanted, tiresome chore but they can also be an opportunity for the some of the players to show what they are capable of with a chance to perform in a pressure-free environment.

Of course, we don't want the team to be frivolous and roll over but I feel the squad that Wenger has taken to Olympiacos is full of professionals who respect the badge on their shirt and the game/competition.

By Alan Duffy

Next summer, Fabio Capello's England will be facing both France and Sweden in the European Championship group stages, just as they had done 20 years previous.

In the 1992 finals in Sweden, a Graham Taylor-led England side endured a dismal tournament, losing to the hosts (courtesy of Thomas Brolin's famous goal) after playing out goalless draws with both Denmark (the eventual winners) and a France side which included Eric Cantona and Jean-Pierre Papin.

Ireland face a tough group after being drawn against world and European Champions Spain, Italy and Croatia in Kiev on Friday evening.
Giovanni Trapattoni's side, who will play all of their Group C games in Poland, kick off their finals campaign against Croatia in Gdansk on 10 June.
Ireland will remain in the port city for the clash against tournament favourites Spain on 14 June, before travelling to Poznan for the side's final group game against Italy on 18 June.

By Alan Duffy

A late goal from FC Twente sub Marc Janko secured a 1-0 away win for the Dutch side against FUlham last night, a result that leaves the Londoners needing a victory from their final group game if they are to make it to the last 32.

Fulham's summer signing Moussa Dembele believes that his side will qualify from the Europa League group stage despite a heart-breaking 1-0 defeat to Dutch runners-up FC Twente.

In a toughly contested match away from home, the Cottagers always looked second best and were punished when Austria international Marc Janko struck with just over a minute left to play.

Roman Pavlyuchenko has been ruled out of tonight's game with PAOK as a freak training injury is set to see him endure a spell on the side lines.

Yesterday, manager Harry Redknapp said after Pav's knee problem came to light,

'It doesn't look very good. He just banged it on Andros Townsend's head.

Silao Malo scored the only goal of the game as Samoa defeated their neighbours American Samoa by one goal to nil in the final round of first stage FIFA World Cup qualification matches in the Oceania region.

American Samoa, a team who have become famous for suffering heavy defeats and propping up the FIFA World Rankings in recent years, had captured the hearts and minds of many football fans with their exploits this week.

A great match in midweek versus Dortmund secured our Champions League qualification, and with it the opportunity to perhaps rest a few legs in the final group game. The Carling Cup game early next week is another such tie, but with City coming to the Emirates rotation is most likely to be on a "needs [.

By Chris Wright

Chelsea will wade into their final group stage game against Valencia in a fortnight's time needing a win or a goalless draw (because the Spaniards thrashed Genk 7-0) at Stamford Bridge to avoid being farted from the Champions League at the first hurdle ('knocked out' in technical terms) after being pipped at the death by Bayer Leverkusen in Germany last night.

Chelsea seem to have lost all direction as was evident when they suffered their 3rd consecutive loss last night. The Blues have now lost 4of their last 5 games and the future is not only looking bleak for Villas-Boas, but also for a number of the club's stars.

Reports now emerging from London suggest that Anelka is thinking about leaving the club in the January transfer window.

FC Barcelona defeated AC Milan 3-2 in an entertaining encounter at the San Siro on Wednesday to secure first place in UEFA Champions League Group H. Milan will finish in second place regardless of the results of the final group stage matchday in two weeks time. Xavi Hernández scored the winner in the 63rd-minute after [.

szólj hozzá: B2-1C

Bayern Leverkusen stunned Chelsea with a last minute winner which see's the German's into the Champions League last 16 at the expense of Chelsea who will fight it out with Valaencia in the final group game at Stamford Bridge to join the Michael Ballack led Germans in to the Champions League last 16.

Both of the Manchester clubs came unstuck in Europe last night. The Champions League campaigns of both Manchester City and Manchester United was certainly been amongst the biggest curios of the start of this season. Imperious and already pulling clear of the pack in the league, they have been broadly misfiring in their midweek matches, and last night they stumbled again against opposition that they might have expected to beat comfortably in previous seasons.

It was bound to happen sooner or later. Man City's amazing unbeaten run finally ended last night after they suffered 2-1 away defeat to Serie A club SS Napoli. The loss now means City will have to beat Bayern Munich at home in the final group game and hope that Villarreal who are yet to pick up a point in the tournament can spring a surprise and beat the Italian club.

szólj hozzá: M2-2B

Manchester United must avoid defeat in their final Group C game away to Basel to avoid the drop to Europa Cup football after Benfica grabbed a deserved 2-2 draw at Old Trafford tonight and in doing so showed United's soft Centre.

Gary Gardner scored all three goals in a comprehensive victory over Ajax U19s in the Young Lions' final group stage match of the NextGen Series at Villa Park tonight, guaranteeing a place in the quarter finals next year.
Ajax, who are now bumped down to second place in the group, have one final game; Rosenborg at home on November 29th.