David Beckham answering questions at Friday's pre-game presser at Seattle's Qwest Field

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SEATTLE – To say that RealSaltLake never traveled well is like saying most people aren't exactly fond of cold sores.

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With football heavyweights France, Portugal and Russia looking to seal their place in South Africa you would be a fool to discount the action in Europe. But tonight in Omdurman, the largest city in Sudan, Egypt and Algeria clash in the day's most explosive tie.

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With football heavyweights France, Portugal and Russia looking to seal their place in South Africa you would be a fool to discount the action in Europe. But tonight in Omdurman, the largest city in Sudan, Egypt and Algeria clash in the day's most explosive tie.

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The Algeria vs Egypt match was played In the backdrop of potentially escalating violence, a build up to the game which saw the stoning of the bus carrying Algerians and injuries to three of their players.

Following the match, violence broke out in Marseille. In Egypt, 32 fans including 20 Algerians were hurt in clashes in Cairo and Nasr City.

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The four play-off games in the European qualification zone were all tight affairs with all left to play for in the second legs. France edged Ireland 1-0 at Croke Park in Dublin with a second half Nicolas Anelka goal.
In Lisbon, a Bruno Alves strike gives the Portuguese a slight advantage ahead of the return leg in Sarajevo. Click to continue reading...

If you read our African World Cup qualifying finale preview post yesterday, then you knew that Egypt vs Algeria was big. Historic bad feeling, exacerbated by Egyptian fans attacking the Algerian team bus in Cairo big. There was also the beautifully weighted qualification situation in Group C, where Egypt needed to beat Algeria by three goals or more to qualify for World Cup 2010 at Algeria's expense.

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In the first showdown between the two teams most likely to be challenging for major honours at the start of the season, Chelsea took one step closer to the Premiership title on Sunday after beating Manchester United 1-0 in a match many felt that United had to win. Chelsea are now 5 points clear of their rivals, and although there is a long way to go have taken the early lead in the title race.

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Maybe with me, mostly with Hertha Berlin. See, I posted before about the disturbing trend of teams I like sucking a lot. What I didn't expect was that, um, Hertha Berlin would, um, CONTINUE TO SUCK.As you can see, Hertha Berlin is at the bottom of the table. The very, VERY bottom. It's ridiculous how bad they suck. Click to continue reading...

Goal video highlights from the Chelsea vs Manchester United Premier League game on Sunday, November 8, 2009. Game kicks off at 16.00 UK time at Stamford Bridge, London. A draw for Manchester United will put them back into second place at Arsenal's expense ( The Gunners are ahead of Man United on goal difference after [. Click to continue reading...

Liverpool's chances of advancing to the UEFA Champions League knockout stage are on life support after the team's 1-1 draw at Olympique Lyon earlier today. With the point from the draw, Lyon become the first team in the group to advance. Likely to join them are Fiorentina, who sit second on nine points. Click to continue reading...

Those of you who don't like it when I go digging in the numbers may care to leave now...

As you know, I draw "inspiration" from far and wide. Today we're going to borrow from ice hockey!

This article had some interesting quotes to draw me in:

However, it is only one month.

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The 33rd round of Brasileirao put on the top Palmeiras and Sao Paulo, creator (Muricy Ramalho) versus creation (Sao Paulo). Palmeiras leads because of the goal difference, three more than Sao Paulo.

On the weekend, Palmeiras played the derby against Corinthians whereas Sao Paulo played Barueri.

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This week included two gigantic matches in world football, the North London Derby, Arsenal against Tottenham, and Ajax against Feyenoord. Pellegrini is a bit safer at Madrid, and Benitez is moving up the spots in the sack race. While Inter escape to the top of Serie A, seven points above second place Juventus, Portsmouth start getting the three points needed to start moving up the Premiership table. Click to continue reading...

A lacklustre display by the Citizens see them draw their fourth successive EPL Game. However they still managed to climb above Tottenham into the 4th spot because of a superior goal difference. Click to continue reading...

After a disappointing start to the season that sees them sitting above the League One relegation places on goal difference, Brighton & Hove Albion have parted company with their manager, Russell Slade. This in itself isn't much of a surprise, but it does provide us with a reasonable case study on the psychology of football supporters and the pressure under which clubs find themselves.

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It has been dawning on me slowly but surely that supporting Bolton is like being in an abusive relationship. Every weekend they hurt me and then I go through several stages. First I'm angry with them, I question our relationship and whether it's worth it. Then I begin to start qualifying and saying to myself "Well, it wasn't too bad," I convince myself they'll change.

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On this main report, languagecaster takes a look at a team from the CONCACAF region that has qualified for the 2010 World Cup Honduras. The transcript of the report is below.

Listen to the main report here

Transcript

First a few facts and stats about Honduras.

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This was just before we visited Reading.  They had six points on Bolton and eight on us.  Birmingham had six points on us and two on Bolton for that matter.    That day we had a bit of fun.   Hade was driving so Toby and Matt headed over to ours, and stopped off at the Tooting branch of Woolworth's (now history) for some inflatables.

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Normally the points in this fixture are rather an irrelevance, but this time there is more at stake than just bragging rights. The sides go into the game separated only by goal difference, and the three points up for grabs could prove crucial come May. Ultimately, league position is the gauge, and this season for a change we have a realistic chance of finishing above l'Arse.

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The North London Derby highlights this week's slate of games as Arsenal prepares to entertain Tottenham Hotspur this weekend.

Somebody in Bristol is smiling today, as the early match on ESPN figures to be the most-watched game yet on the network.

It's on at 8:45 a.m. on ESPN2, if you're wondering.

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It's starting to get interesting in the Bundesliga. With the weekend being eclipsed by a thrilling 3-3 draw. Schalke needed a last gasp goal from Kevin Kuranyi to make the game even stevens after Hamburg had led, 2-0, 2-1 then 3-2. Markus Berg and Kevin Kuranyi scored two goals each with Lucas Schmitz and Piotr Trochowski both on target in a 3-3 draw which had everything, including a red card for Hamburg's David Rozehnal.

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It was a great weekend in the Premier League for Chelsea. Not only did the Blues finally hit top gear to crush Blackburn 5-0, Liverpool took three points off Manchester United while Man City and Arsenal both dropped points having surrendered two goal leads.
Chelsea now sit two points clear at the top of the table with the joint best goal difference and, whilst more difficult games are on the horizon (not least Man Utd next month), things are looking bright.

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It was a great weekend in the Premier League for Chelsea. Not only did the Blues finally hit top gear to crush Blackburn 5-0, Liverpool took three points off Manchester United while Man City and Arsenal both dropped points having surrendered two goal leads.
Chelsea now sit two points clear at the top of the table with the joint best goal difference and, whilst more difficult games are on the horizon (not least Man Utd next month), things are looking bright.

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I won't put it on the main page because it's such a long post, so check it out here:
All Time Best & Worst MLS Teams (single season & multiple)
How do this year's teams stack up?

• Columbus lost three of their last four, which means that they ended up tied for the worst Supporters Shield winners ever with the 2004 Crew.

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There is reason to be concerned.

If AZ Alkmaar was a foreshadowing, the Gunners did their best to not heed the warning. Â Anyone who has watched this team over the past five years knew what was coming, both in the Netherlands and at Upton Park. Â It's just too predictable.

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Six teams, two playoff berths. We'll keep the standings atop the post and update them with final results. Standings include opponent, goal difference (for/against), and tiebreakers. All times ET

40 Colorado: +7 (42/35), even on tiebreakers
39 Toronto: -4 (37/41), beats NE and DC, loses to DAL
39 D. Click to continue reading...

You can watch Nice v Lyon Live online here.

Nice v Lyon
Ligue Un
Saturday 24 October 2009
Kick-off: 18:00 BST

Nice Preview

Nice are second from bottom in Ligue 1 after gaining just eight points from nine games.

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You can watch Schalke v Hamburg Live online here.

Schalke v Hamburg
Bundesliga
Sunday 25 October 2009
Kickoff: 17:30 CET

Two early pace-setters go head to head a battle of the heavyweights in the Bundesliga. Schalke are 3rd in the table, trailing Hamburg by 2 points (who themselves trail leaders Bayer Leverkusen on goal difference).

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Can't stand the suspense or the scenario-crunching? Here's what will happen this weekend in MLS, chronologically:
Toronto at New York, 7:30 p.m.: A lot of people seem to be assuming Toronto will march right over the last-place Red Bulls. Don't overlook the motivation of New York playing the final game of a magical era -- the interim coachship of Richie Williams. Click to continue reading...

Russian champions Rubin Kazan beat Barcelona 2-1 at Camp Nou. Liverpool lose 1-2 to Lyon at Anfield. Arsenal concede a late equalizer against AZ Alkmaar, 1-1. Dynamo Kiev (who's ever heard of them? Or right, one of the most important clubs in the development of modern football) draw 2-2 with Inter Milan. Click to continue reading...

In one of the most shocking UEFA Champions League matchdays in recent memory, no fewer than four of Soccer Source's Top 25 clubs were upset or had to settle for draws. The biggest, undoubtedly, was No. 1 Barcelona's fall from grace in a stunning 2-1 home loss to No. 23 Rubin Kazan. Few soccer fans had even heard of the Russian upstarts before the group stage draw, and the club appeared destined to fade from memory just as quickly when it lost at Dynamo Kiev on the first matchday. Click to continue reading...

Seven teams, three berths, endless combinations.
The tiebreakers for MLS playoff berths go in this order:
1. Head-to-head (points per game if more than two teams tied)
2. Overall goal difference
3. Overall goals scored
The list below shows all seven teams, their final opponents (all times ET) and their head-to-head records (U. Click to continue reading...

Oh how I love the smell of crackpot ethnographic posturing in the morning.
Today, it's none other than Kartik Krishnaiyer playing the part of soccer's Bernard Lewis with his post, entitled, "Mexican Qualification for South Africa Borders on Illegitimate."
Quote: Few will recall that Mexico's passage to the Hexagonal and success in the Hex owed itself largely to unsporting play, and the failure of CONCACAF's officials to fairly referee games in the qualifying cycle. Click to continue reading...

One week to go, and this is where we stand:

As the table stands now, this would be the playoff matchup –

WESTÂ

Los Angeles vs Seattle

Houston vs Chivas

EAST

Columbus vs  Colorado

Chicago vs Toronto

Remember, the first tie-breaker is head to head competition, not goal difference.

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It's like something out of a very bad movie. Imagine you have two teams vying for the title, both are level on points and that both therefore need to make sure they get the necessary win from their final day matches, then add into the mix that this whole thing will go down to goal difference.

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