In honour of today's Algeria vs Egypt showdown in Sudan, had planned on putting together a Top 10 Biggest International Rivalries post. But halfway through I realized it wasn't a great idea. Your own national team's rivalry will always feel bigger than anyone else's, so why include some in a Top 10 but not others?

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• For the love of Kun, the Rojiblancos have been slapped with a fine of 150 euros (about the cost of a decent La Liga ticket these days). Anyway, RFEF meted out that small punishment after Atletico's fans were said to have thrown objects at Pellegrini from the stands during the Madrid derby on November 7.

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Kaka and Dani Alves welcome you to Day 4 of the Brazilian Bootcamp! And you really need to clap your hands at that photo. What on Earth were those two thinking?! They're putting all of us in the spirit of el clasico next week.

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Two players have been dropped from the original Bafana Bafana Squad and replaced. All but five are still to arrive in cap to prepare fro the friendlies against Japan and Jamaica later this month.

Every young boy kicking a tennis ball around in a dusty township street dreams of wearing the Bafana Bafana Jersey.

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Date: Tuesday October 13th 2009
Ground: Barton Stadium
Match: Winsford 0 Newcastle Town 1 HT: 0-0 ATT: 97
Boast 79
Additional: Entrance £6, Programme £1.50, Coffee/Tea £0.80

Barton Stadium in pictures

This was a late decision. I was originally going to watch Leek Town at Market Drayton, but MDT had an FA Trophy replay.

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Liverpool FC secured its first trophy of the season in Spain at the weekend, but it was on the track rather than on the pitch.
A motorsport team backed and financed by the English soccer club won the 2009 Superleague Formula title, seeing off the challenge of Tottenham Hotspur. Liverpool's driver, Adrian Valles, secured a fourth-place finish in the final race, won by Anderlecht, to take the series. Click to continue reading...

Q. What exactly happened here?

A. Darren Fletcher won the ball and Ashley Cole jumped up into the air. Martin Atkinson promptly scurried across and awarded Chelsea the 'foul'. The rest, as they say, is the rest of this post.

Q. Was Sir Alex wrong in criticizing the referee?

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The annual marquee event of the local football fraternity returned to Caldecott Broadcast Center after a two-year break, as all involved came together to honour the best of the best of the who and who of Singapore football.
As I was tasked something else in the event, I did not watch the whole proceeding like two years at Suntec City, while hopping in and out of media at Orchard Hotel last year. Click to continue reading...

*Even ardent Italophobes sometimes have to doff their cap to La Dolce Vita. The Stadio Olimpico was so sparsely attended for tonight's Roma v Fulham clash, that despite being a veggie, I thought about eating Saltimbocca alla Romana in honour of the stayaway fans.When they consider a game meaningless, Italian tifosi vote with their feet. Click to continue reading...

The British Empire fought for this!

The Daily Mail goes patriotic after Jan Moir's homophobic innuendo and their divers perp walk. But it seems a bit fascist in its endeavour. After all, the very people they want to honour fought that scourge in World War II. And yes, it is also true that the British Empire was not welcome in many countries.

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Up and coming talent linked with Anfield move.

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Liverpool are reportedly lining up a move for young Hungarian midfielder Vladimir Koman.

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After Samuel Eto'o's alleged statements against Pep and others at Barca, he adressed the subject as expected at the presentation campaign for "Shoe Aid In Africa" which he's the face of. And Samu's statements were far from any sort of lashing out at the club:
"My relationship [with Guardiola] has never been bad. Click to continue reading...

Just as last Tuesday, this was a game that Liverpool had to win but, contrary to the game against Lyon, they put in a performance that irrespective of the result was an excellent one. That Liverpool did win is a great bonus but in reality seeing the team respond in this manner was almost enough.
Of course, there will be those who will claim that Jamie Carragher should have been sent off, particularly because of his foul on Michael Owen. Click to continue reading...

Liverpool fear another season of failure could spark Fernando Torres' departure from Anfield.
Nobody doubts the brilliant Spaniard's commitment to the Anfield cause. But since arriving from Atletico Madrid in a £20 million move 28 months ago even Torres' goal-scoring brilliance has not inspired the Reds to lift a trophy. Click to continue reading...

FIFA have established a new award named after Hungarian legend Ferenc Puskas that will be given to the player who scores "the most beautiful goal" of the year.
It will be inaugurated in December during the 2009 FIFA World Player Gala and presented to the player - man or woman - who has scored the "most beautiful goal" during the past year.

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Ignoring the rumour and speculation that has been floating around this week, Mark Bowen has been discussing the return of Robinho and warned that he faces a fight for his place:

"He's a naturally-fit guy who doesn't carry a lot of weight, so once he's back training with the group it doesn't take him much time to be right.

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Oh, Senor Pep! Ha sido un largo tiempo! Now that the internationals are over and done with, Barca's Babes are getting ready to face the exciting Valencia tomorrow. As expected, the Messiah flew back via private jet which was provided by the club.

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Was it because he has an impressive facial hair growth or because he is so instantly lovable?

Even Fabio Capello was unsure as to why a cameo appearance from the second best player at LA Galaxy was enough to secure him the man of the match award last night. Perhaps the sponsors of the match, who usually get the honour of naming the recipient, realised that the post match promo photo opportunity would be far more effective with the most famous man on the planet rather than Peter "BFG" Crouch.

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Well, at least we now have half an idea of what Catweazle looked like when he was younger. Actually, the most remarkable thing about David Beckham's beard which was just about the most interesting thing about this routine win is that it seems to be sculpted. It isn't the beard of a man that no longer cares, for sure.

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Liverpool defender Glen Johnson is expected to play a part in tonight's fixture with Ukraine, but the 25-year-old insists that the 2010 World Cup sits at the back of his mind as he concentrates on securing silverware for the Merseysiders.
"It's every schoolboy's dream to play for their country at a World Cup," Johnson told the club's official website. Click to continue reading...

Manchester United defender John O'Shea has not ruled Liverpool out of the title race despite losing their third game of the season at Chelsea on Sunday.
The Reds fell to a 2-0 defeat at Stamford Bridge leaving Rafa Benitez's side collecting more reverses from their first eight Premier League games than their entire 2008/2009 campaign. Click to continue reading...

Steven Pienaar

Ajax Cape Town's Franklin Cale, who has been shining in the PSL, will join the Bafana Bafana squad in place of the injured Steven Pienaar for their two friendlies against Iceland and Norway.

The Ajax Cape Town winger was unable to honour his debut call-up for the national team against Madagascar last month due to a foot injury.

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As a goalkeeper for Arsenal, Bob Wilson captured the heart of many Gooners. He gave 11 years service as a player before another 28 years as a goalkeeping coach. The word 'legend' is thrown around a lot these days, but it is a title Wilson richly deserves. But it doesn't stop there...

Wilson is a family man through and through.

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The Fiorentina coach ,Cesare Prandelli is called "Il Mago di Orz" -- the Wizard of Orz -- in honour of his birthplace, Orzinuovi.He lived up to the nickname.His team outplayed Liverpool and sent them home a humbler and chastened side.2 - 0 was the score at full time,both goals coming from Jovetic.

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Welcome to the first blog written on my shiny new laptop. Well, to be fair, I've had it for about three weeks, but have been so terrified of getting it dirty due to it's phenomenal price tag, that it has sat in a corner for about three weeks. It is, without doubt, the most expensive thing I have ever owned, and when you think that it was also a gift, it's no wonder I've been scared of it.

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With four games to play in the Thai Premier League things couldn't be tighter in an epic title race between newly promoted Muang Thong United and Chonburi.
1 - Muang Thong 26 16 7 3 41-18 55
2 - Chonburi 26 16 6 4 44-26 54
Just one point between them and they go head to head at the Thunderdome this weekend. Click to continue reading...

Continental giants keen on talented winger.

And both Juventus and Bayern Munich want to pay £10m for the privilege of having Aiden McGeady running about looking quite nippy dribbling the ball about without ever seeming to, somehow not quite, not really sort of... anyway.

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Firstly of course, this game will be remembered as a time when Ipswich paid tribute to the great Sir Bobby Robson and renamed the north stand of Portman Road in his honour. Lady Elsie Robson and her sons, Andrew and Paul were in attendance for the ceremony. Also, both teams wore special, commemorative kits for [. Click to continue reading...

The annual pre-season guide published by kicker magazine lists every Bundesliga club's trophies. Even Mainz has an entry under the heading "Titles", namely: 1982 German Amateur Champions. (An honour handed out between 1950 and 1998.) Currently, there are only three teams in the top flight for which kicker does not list a single title. Click to continue reading...

• The Dinho's bro and agent, Roberto de Assis is annoyed that you think his bro is a Has Been and should be banished from the seleção forever. This comes after the newspaper Sport alleged last week that the Brazilian is planning to retire.

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(P.S: Those wonderful guys at SoccerPro seek this blog as a platform to spread the message of helping the less-privileged)
The recent-concluded Homeless World Cup saw Ukraine crowned as the world champions of this tournament, by beat Portugal en-route to clinch the honour.
Despite the fact that this tournament had ended on 13th September, the spirit of this event did not. Click to continue reading...

Now that one transfer window has finally closed the talk around the next window opening begins. And it should be no surprise that Valencia's amazing strikers are at the top of the desired list. It is no secret that Valencia is strapped for cash and needs to sell the forwards in order to make some money back.

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Thomas Vermaelen, wow what a signing. Arsene Wenger sure doesn't know a good defender when he sees one.

Why was he born 8 miles across the Belgium border, his parents ruined my headline?
He is tenacious in defence, and attacks corners like a madman and is showing the team the way, we now have a new confidence on corners, you can see the takers trying harder to hit a man rather than just hit and hope.

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"If somebody stamps on your head in that way, you wouldn't say, 'thank you very much' and turn the other cheek. Only Jesus Christ did that."

Wenger backs Van Persie for speaking out about the unholy incident.

"I don't watch Match of the Day, I watch Coronation Street instead.

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Big Story

Danny Dichio's retirement last Wednesday meant emotions ran high during the 24th minute of the first half during Toronto FC's 3-2 win against the Colorado Rapids yesterday at BMO Field. It was the 24th minute when Dichio scored Toronto FC's first ever club goal against the Chicago Fire on May 13th 2007, and fans in the south stand have chanted his name at the same minute of play at every home game ever since.

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