We knew the Melbourne Victory defence, central defence was too slow, too fragile and lacked Muscat.
And in midfield the pairing of Leigh Broxham and Grant Brebner could never control the game in the Asian Champions League games - at times the Victory were embarrassing - and these our Aussie Champions - and this season they've never had the ball, kept the ball or enabled the style boys to get on the ball.

Football, or soccer, is one of the most popular sports in the world, so naturally football betting would be one of the most popular forms of sports betting around. Betting on various aspects of a football game adds an extra dimension of suspense to the game, since you have a very real stake in the outcome, win, lose or draw.

WIN THE CHANCE FOR YOUR CHILD TO BE A McDONALD'S PLAYER ESCORT AT THE ENGLAND V HOLLAND MATCH

We've teamed up with McDonald's, the official Community Partner of The FA, to offer three lucky youngsters between the ages of 7 and 11 years old the chance to become McDonald's Player Escorts as England take on Holland in an international friendly on 29th February.

It's competition time again folks...

WIN THE CHANCE FOR YOUR CHILD TO BE A McDONALD'S PLAYER ESCORT AT THE ENGLAND V HOLLAND MATCH

We've teamed up with McDonald's, the official Community Partner of The FA, to offer three lucky youngsters between the ages of 7 and 11 years old the chance to become McDonald's Player Escorts as England take on Holland in an international friendly on 29th February.

By Chris Wright

The following is copy-and-pasted verbatim from a Chelsea forum, in which former former youth Chelsea player Sam Tillen who now plays his football in Iceland writes candidly about his experiences as having John Terry as his club captain during his formative years.

Arsenal smashed Blackburn Rovers on the weekend. Scoring several goals, dominating the match and appearing genuinely impressive for the first time in a long time Arsenal looked like Arsenal used to look like. In the eyes of Arsenal fans Arsenal played like Arsenal should always be playing. In the eyes of neutrals Arsenal got their old swagger back.

There have been incidents of crowd disorder at the Benteng Stadium in Tangerang over the last few years despite the fact that the two tenents, Persita and Persikota, haven't met for a good while.
When one team plays the other boys come over to lob bricks and vice versa and no one seems able to stop it despite the police clamping down on girls wearing short skirts to games.

There have been incidents of crowd disorder at the Benteng Stadium in Tangerang over the last few years despite the fact that the two tenents, Persita and Persikota, haven't met for a good while.
When one team plays the other boys come over to lob bricks and vice versa and no one seems able to stop it despite the police clamping down on girls wearing short skirts to games.

Adidas, in conjunction with Supersport, is inviting all African football fans to participate in choosing the appropriate name for the official matchball for 2013 AFCON tournament

"Not good enough."

Three words used often by football fans to describe aspects of the club they support. They're used in relation to certain players, performances, the manager, the board, the price of a pint and a pie, how their club handles various communications, pretty much anything they've got the hump with for one reason or another.

On Thursday, world soccer's governing body released the following statement after more than 70 soccer fans were killed following the Al-Ahly - Al-Masry Egyptian Premier League game on Wednesday, February 2nd. FIFA is deeply saddened by the tragic incidents which led to the death of football fans and others at last night's match in Port Said.

People, please! Form an orderly queue for a glimpse of the hawt. Images: Alex Livesey/Getty Images Europe.

Dear Sir,

We don't blame you for handcuffing yourself to a goalpost during the first half of Everton's 1-0 victory over Manchester City in the EPL last night. Many have mocked you, but we often find it hard to resist the magnetic power of Joe Hart as well.

Amidst attempts to pass legislation that would destroy Internet freedoms and the U.S. Department of Justice's takedown of file-sharing site MegaUpload, Internet users around the world are rightfully worried about this wonderful thing that allows me to help you be less productive. And football fans are no different.

It seems like anybody who's ever worn an Arsenal shirt is coming out of the woodwork these days to give their opinion on what ails the club. Former Gunners Paul Merson and Stewart Robson are the latest to chime in on the current state of affairs at Emirates Stadium and the performance of the team and manager Arsene Wenger.

It seems like anybody who's ever worn an Arsenal shirt is coming out of the woodwork these days to give their opinion on what ails the club. Former Gunners Paul Merson and Stewart Robson are the latest to chime in on the current state of affairs at Emirates Stadium and the performance of the team and manager Arsene Wenger.

Arsenal supporters are becoming increasingly frustrated at the club's recent failure to compete for major honours in the past 7 years.

The ‘so near yet so far' statement could not ring more true than it does for the Gunners and the fans are starting to lose patience.

The poisonous atmosphere that has swept across the Emirates Stadium in back-to-back games against Manchester United and Aston Villa must be a worry to both the manager and the board.

I watched the game and come away from it thinking "Good performance" and "Good result, we're through!" and being honest I cannot believe the negativity that has come from "Chelsea fans" on here and Twitter to me after the game.
Some of you lot need a kick up the arse and to get a sense of realism right now.

Sing along now: "There's only one Arsenal."
Or not.
Fans of the Gunners familiar with only the Premier League, or the top four leagues in England, might know a few teams from other countries. Mostly, this has been due to the Champions League being televised so widely. Crazed football fans may watch more games, including from the top European leagues in Spain, Italy, Germany and France but, for the most part, naming three teams in Denmark might prove to be a challenge.

High up on the list of things no to do with football fans is to promise the unveiling of a big new signing and then fail to follow through. Worse is to promise a big signing and then come through with someone who won't even find the end of the bench on the reserves. Like Bayern did this afternoon, requesting their fans tune into an official press conference to unveil the signing, which turned out to be the photo of the fan who'd logged in via facebook.

Nottingham Forest FC have once again shown magnificent support and joined forces with Football Aid, allowing football fans the opportunity to grace the hallowed turf and play on their Field of Dreams at The City Ground in 2012, while at the same time raising funds for charity [...] Read the original post on eighteensixtyfive

Published monthly, the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking of national teams gives football fans across the world much to talk about, not to mention numerous statistics that sports betting outfits use to create odds. No one can deny it! It's exciting to see your country climb up a few spots and even more exciting to see your [.

As the NFL playoffs continue on this weekend, Tom Brady and the New England Patriots will take center stage.
Brady has become an icon in professional sports, and is associated with leading a Patriots' dynasty as well as ranking among the all-time greats.
As precise a passer as Brady is, people who know him best always remark about his tremendous level of commitment, focus, determination and toughness.

Ducky's Note: Starting with this post, and hopefully not dying a premature death, BigFourZa will feature interviews with other football fans from around the world under the 'Fanboyism' section. The topics will range from match previews, reviews, transfer discussions, referee rants and a lot more.

Since the transfer window was brought into effect by FIFA during the 2002/03 season, football fans throughout the UK have been glued to their televisions, computer screens and mobile phones, hoping for news of a blockbuster signing that will transform the fortunes of their club. With the clock ticking, cash-rich football clubs approach the looming [.

For over 20 years, Anne Williams has fought in vain for a new inquest into the death of her son Kevin, who was one of 96 Liverpool football fans killed in the Hillsborough stadium disaster. Mrs Williams believes the original inquest into Kevin's death was 'riddled with corruption', and that 'vital evidence' was suppressed: "I want a fresh inquest for Kevin and I want it to run up until 4pm when

Apparently the first recorded example of football boots were owned by Henry VIII.
Football boots: worn by oversexed egomaniacs since 1526.
The description of Hank's boots - heavy, leather, ankle high - actually chimes with the general principles of the humble boot through much of the last 150 years or so.

Stadiums function a great deal like shoes. Wear a pair for too long and the shoelaces begin to fray, the outer sole wears thin, and the inner sole starts to emit a smell generally acceptable at the bottom of a rubbish bin. Change them out for new shoes that fit too snug, and walking around becomes a right pain in the heel with ingrown toenails forming from the compression.

The Tiki Taka Contest: "How many passes, Xavi?"

Two Clásicos in two weeks. It's the Copa del Rey, sure, but it's still a Clásico. Will Barcelona outclass Real Madrid? Well, much of that argument will depend on the performance of Xavi, Barça's metronome in the midfield, and the club's continued mastery of Tiki-Taka football.

I appealed because I obviously completely disagreed with the interpretation of the officials on the day but that happens in football and we move on. I wonder though if we are now going to see an unprecedented wave of red cards on match days because we sanction "if's" and "maybe's"? Are we going to look back at video evidence for every single challenge that goes unnoticed by the officials, look at different scenarios and potential outcomes of what could have been considered a good tackle and then sanction it?

He's been here a week - who knows who the better Coach is - but football is often about bluff and baloney and the man from Belfast has it in spades...or so it seems.
Memhet has a deep rich voice but his media efforts were poor, didn't inspire or excite the fans. He couldn't explain his vision, looked frozen before the camera and when things got tough he had no bluster or baloney to fall back on.

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- For comprehensive and latest QPR news-related pieces and discussion, visit the football-only, somewhat-different QPR Report Messageboard. All QPR Perspectives genuinely welcomed! Or comment on any of the articles posted below - QPR REPORT Available on TWITTER!
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Football Aid 2012 – Bid to Play at Loftus Road!

The challenge today is to see if I can go through a whole blog without mentioning Thierry Henry.

Oh, balls. Well, mentioning him again. I know we football fans live very much in the moment, and the moment is kinda all his, but I reckon I've had my fill of articles about how great he is in training.

By Alan Duffy

They may only be a Southern Football Premier League side, but the decision by Oxford City to sack player Lee Steele over homophobic Twitter comments he made will have a significant influence on the game in general.

In refering to the out-gay Welsh rugby player, Gareth Thomas, and his appearance on Celebrity Big Brother, Steele Tweeted: "I wouldnt fancy the bed next to Gareth Thomas #padlockeda**ehole".

When it was first announced that Thierry Henry would be returning to the club, as an Arsenal fan, it was always going to be impossible not to get excited about the move.

Some people however, were quick to criticize the deal, stating the 34-year old forward was "past it" and this was just another "desperate" signing by Arsene Wenger.

Or, what if Tim Tebow was a Buddhist or Jew? Would he be getting the support and love he is receiving now from the sports world?
As a devout Christian, Tebow has raised many eyebrows inside and outside the sports world.
People are rooting for him because they like his style of play and because he stands for Conservative principles.

Nominations for the Football Fans Down Under Fan Awards are now open: It's that time of year again so it's time to open up nominations for the 2011/12 season Fan Awards. The fan awards provide you the fans with your chance to recognise the hard work and efforts of fan groups and individuals as well as

Welcome to the very first Fan of the Month for January, 2012. Melbourne Victory has some of the most passionate football fans in the A-League and the club would certainly not be what it is today without them. Thats why FotM is all about you guys! First up is Chris.... Name: Chris Van Unen (@ritchie78)

As the January transfer window kicks into high gear, the name many football fans are most eager to see on the move is Carlos Tevez. The now infamous saga between the Manchester City striker and Roberto Mancini seems destined to end in days if not hours, with Italian Serie A to be the Argentine's destination.

Remember USA '94? Remember Brazil scoring goals and then acting out that rock-the-baby celebration? If your answers to the above two questions are yes then the video above is certain to make you feel old. It is currently the season break in Brazil, but football fans have been watching the Sao Paulo Junior Cup, trying [.

This guy's a total douche, and his photo gallery offers compelling evidence that Sounders fans are just a subset of the self-congratulatory culture permeating the city, as opposed to a special case:

You're only allowed to move away if you sign a non-disclosure agreement promising not to tell anyone how perfect it is.