Read any preview of the Africa Cup of Nations and you'll read expert after expert talk of Senegal's striking talent. Football being football Saturday's tie between the Terranga Lions and Chipolopolos didn't really turn out that way. The undoubted talents of Moussa Sow, Demba Ba, Pappis Cisse and Mamadou Niang failed to fire and it was the trio of Christopher Katongo, Rainford Kalaba and Emmanual Mayuka who impressed.

The turn of the year has seen the transfer market in the K-League gather momentum. Players and coaches have returned from their end of season vacations and teams are starting their winter training camps.
The first week of 2012 saw two big deals involving midfielders who may not be quite automatic starters for the national team but are never too far from the first eleven.

Sadness as Gary Ablett dies aged 46

FORMER Liverpool and Everton defender Gary Ablett died on New Year's Day at the age of 46. His death came twenty years to the day since his last game for Liverpool, a club he'd joined straight from school in 1982. That last game for the Reds was at home to Sheffield United, a 2-1 win for a side, now managed by Graeme Souness, was a shadow of the one he'd made his debut for five years previously and with which he'd won two league winners medals and one FA Cup winners medal.

Defending Spanish La Liga and UEFA Champions League winners FC Barcelona won their second FIFA World Club Cup in the past three years with a 4-0 dismantling of Brazil's Santos FC this past Sunday. In commemoration of manager Pep Guardiola's team triumph in Yokohama, Japan Barca technical sponsor has released the official FC Barcelona World [.

FC Barcelona World Champions (Photo: Getty Images)

Another scintillating performance by Leo Messi saw Barcelona dismantle Brazil's Santos 4-0 to claim the FIFA Club World Cup Championship.

Barca enter the record books as the only club to ever win the tournament twice, giving Pep Guardiola his 13th trophy since taking over at the helm in 2008.

FC Barcelona humbled Copa Libertadores champions Santos FC to win the 2011 edition of the FIFA World Club Cup by a score of 4-0 on Sunday. The UEFA Champions League winners dominated play throughout the match and went ahead after just seventeen minutes on a Lionel Messi goal. Goals from Xavi in the 24th and [.

It may not have been the most difficult challenge that FC Barcelona would have to face in their quest to become FIFA Club World Cup winners. That, however, did not dampen the celebrations as the Spanish and European champions strolled their way past a poor Santos FC team courtesy of a 4-0 victory.

Villa lost for season during Club World Cup victory of Al-Saad (Photo: AP Photo)

When is a victory considered a loss?

Barcelona's 4-0 demolition of Qatar's Al-Sadd Sports Club advanced Barcelona to the Club World Cup Championship against Santos, but the victory came at one hell of a price.

Barcelona has reportedly placed David Villa on the transfer list, sparking a scramble for his signature between Liverpool, Chelsea and Aston Villa.
The Spanish international, 30, has dropped down the pecking order at the Nou Camp this season, and more importantly, has allegedly fallen out with star player Lionel Messi.

FC Barcelona will compete in this year's FIFA Club World Cup following a sensational UEFA Champions League triumph in 2011. The Catalans must first face AFC Asian Champions League winners Al Sadd before they can start dreaming of the possibility of winning the world crown for the second time in three years.

Brazilians Santos FC will participate in their first ever FIFA Club World Cup and are hoping to take the title back to South America after a five year period of domination for European clubs. Santos FC, who are based in Brazil's second city of São Paulo, will face the winner of the quarter-final between Japanese champions Kashiwa Reysol and North and Central American CONCACAF Champions League winners Monterrey CF on December 14th.

The FIFA Club World Cup officially got under way today with two goals just before half-time giving Kashiwa Reysol a 2-0 win over Auckland City in the qualifying play-off to send the Japanese club through to the quarter-finals.

Kashiwa, who clinched the 2011 J-League title last weekend, had Junya Tanaka and Masato Kudo to thank as the pair struck in the 37th and 40th minutes respectively to send the host nation's representatives into the next round.

The FIFA World Club Cup Japan 2011 kicks off on Thursday with Japanese J. League Division 1 champions Kashiwa Reysol meeting 2011 OFC Champions League winners Auckland City FC. Next week UEFA Champions League winners FC Barcelona and Copa Libertadores trophy holders Santos FC enter the competition at the semi-final stage.

Moroccan side MAS Fez have won the 2011 CAF Confederation Cup after a dramatic penalty shoot-out victory over Tunisians Club Africain.

The Moroccans, who trailed 1-0 from the first leg, restored parity on aggregate in today's return fixture thanks to Moussa Tigana's goal three minutes into first half stoppage time.

Tunisian giants Espérance will make their maiden appearance in the FIFA Club World Cup following their second CAF Champions League title win, their first such title for seventeen years, which was achieved with a 1-0 aggregate victory over Moroccans WAC Casablanca in the final. Should the Tunis based side overcome the challenge of Asian champions Al Sadd in the quarter-finals, a glamour tie against UEFA Champions League winners FC Barcelona will be on the cards for one of Africa's most famous clubs.

Hi everyone,
It has been clearly seen that Roman Abramovich is starving for titles and does everything possible to dominate England and Europe. However, things have not been going the way he wishes. Unlike some other clubs, finance is one of the least of worries that the owner has, thanks to his outside business which does not make him shy to spend almost unlimited amount of money with the club.

By IAN HOLLIDAY

Will this be the year that the spending sprees that brought Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka, Karim Benzema and Jose Mourinho, among others, to Real Madrid finally translate into a La Liga title? There's a lot of season left to be played, but this weekend's results will be cause for optimism among fans of the Merengues.

With over 80 England caps to his name, a Champions League winners medal and countless other medals to boot some might claim it is a little premature to be calling the time on Steven Gerrard's career when he is only 31 years old.

Steven Gerrard still has plenty of ambition, numerous targets finals success with England and a Premiership title medal for Liverpool, to name just two -and age on his side.

Liverpool, Norwich City, Aston Villa and the worst teams to reach and win major finals

France's rugby team has been labelled the worst to reach a World Cup final, but that didn't stop Liverpool's 2005 Champions League winners, Villa's 1982 European Champions and more supposedly woeful winners.

Manchester United travel to Romania to face UEFA Champions League debutantes Otelul Galati as the visitors seek to finally secure their first win in Group C. Alex Ferguson's men are definitely favorites here unless the Romanians can come up with a shocker. Check out the football betting offers and place your bet where you see fit.

I might have to be writing a bit this season. Things are exciting at the Roar and I am full of material. If anything I've been suffering the writer's block of someone with far too much to say. So fuck it, I'll start with a rave. Anything to get the gripes with FIFA (which I still have) from the top of the page and some news of this brilliant team.

Bayern Munich are a legendary team for the supporters of the notorious club, and football fans around the world. In recent times the German side have been very successful. They've won the Bundesliga title a total of 22 times, the DFB-Pokal 15 times, the DFB Liga-Pokal 6 times, they've been the UEFA Champions League winners on 4 occasions, the runners up in the European Cup on 4 occasions, and managed to claim the Europa League once back in 1996.

Will the revolution crumble tonight at the Mestalla? by Dominic Vieira

Valencia is sailing in uncharted waters are they're sitting at the top of La Liga, a position they've struggled to conquer since the glorious Ranieri and Benitez days.

Morning, saucepots. I shan't keep you long. Spurs are on Europa League duties this evening and Greece is very much the word on everyone's lips. And here're some more words to get your noise holes around. Panthessaloníkios Athlitikós Ómilos Konstantinoupolitón FC. The Hellenistic herberts that stand betwixt us and three points that might prove terribly handy in the months to follow.

The opening round of group matches in the UEFA Champions League were completed on Wednesday with a shock in Milan, predicted wins for the likes of FC Bayern and Real Madrid proving true whereas the Manchester duo of City and United had to be content with a point in two difficult matches.

Ondřej Čelůstka proved to be the hero in the San Siro stadium as his 76th minute goal proved to be the winner in a 1-0 victory over 2009-10 Champions League winners Internazionale.

European football's governing body UEFA has decided against allowing Swiss club FC Sion back into the 2011-12 UEFA Europa League, thus maintaining Glasgow Celtic's place in Group I of the competition which begins this Thursday.

FC Sion qualified for this season's competition following an aggregate victory against the Scottish giants in the Play-Off round but were subsequently expelled following a protest from the Parkhead club who claimed that a number of the Swiss club's players were ineligible.

Jack Wilshere reckons Arsenal must win a trophy this season to prove they are the next best thing to Champions League winners Barcelona. Gunners midfielder reckons it is "unthinkable" that Arsene Wenger's outfit don't finish in the Premier League top four despite a torrid start to the campaign.

FC Barcelona won its second trophy of the 2011/12 season when it lifted the UEFA Super Cup on Friday with a 2-0 win over last year's Europa League winners FC Porto. Lionel Messi gave Barca a deserved 1-0 lead in the 39th minute when he collected Porto midfielder Freddy Guarin's errant backpass and rounded hapless [.

Benfica Portugal
Last season: 2nd in the league, 21 points behind Porto. Semi-finals of Europa League. Winners of the League Cup.
This season: 3rd out of 16. 2 points behind the leaders.
Last season's top scorers: Javier Saviola (9) and Óscar Cardozo (9).
European success: 2 European Cups (1961 and 1962).

Who will follow Atlético Madrid as Super Cup winners?

The UEFA Super Cup will be held on Friday night with 2010-11 UEFA Champions League winners FC Barcelona ready to take on the 2010-11 UEFA Europa League holders FC Porto in a massive Iberian derby. These two clubs have been the dominant forces in their respective countries in recent years and both teams are hoping to add yet another trophy to their already bulging trophy cabinets this weekend.

Monterrey 0 - Seattle 1 This time, it was the Major League Soccer club playing mostly reserves and the Mexican club and defending CONCACAF Champions League winners starting their regular lineup at home. The result was MLS's second win in Mexico, courtesy of a 38th minute Alvaro Fernandez goal. Real Espana 1 - Colorado 1 The Rapids became the first MLS team not to win in the group stage of the Champions League, giving up.

When FC Dallas made history last week by beating UNAM Pumas in CONCACAF Champions League play, becoming the first MLS team to win an official match in Mexico in the process, the question immediately became how long would it take for another MLS to pull off the feat.

It took less than a week.

TBFWHL has seen into the future. Everything that's going to happen in this season has been foretold and, hold on tight, you're about to find out how it all pans out. Remember to look surprised when this all actually happens...
August
Spurs finally get their season under way at Old Trafford and the 2011/12 incarnation of Tottenham look good.

Last week, Arsenal were drawn with Italian side Udinese in the final qualifying match to determine if they'll reach the Group stages of the Champions League. Udinese have lost some of their top players, including Colombian international defender Cristian Zapata who left for Spain's Villareal.

The agent of Porto full-back Alvaro Pereira has refused to rule out a summer move for the Uruguayan but admits any interested clubs will have to pay his full €30 million release clause.
The 25-year-old has been linked with a move to Premier League giants Liverpool and Chelsea, as well as mega-rich French side PSG and his agent Alejandro Savich believes a move could happen.

THFC1882's Stuart Watts takes a look at the season ahead, Rob Handworker offers his thoughts throughout.

The Odds

(All odds are those offered by majority of bookies using www.oddschecker.com on 8th August)

Premier League winners: 50-1

Top 4 Finish: 3-1

Premier League Top Scorers: Defoe & Van der Vaart 33-1; Pavlyuchenko 50-1; Crouch 66-1

Europa League Winners: 14-1 (joint second favourites with Roma, behind Atletico Madrid, Sevilla & PSG)

FA Cup winners: 12-1

Carling Cup winners: 12-1

The Players

As it stands there are barely any personnel changes so the playing staff remains reassuringly familiar.

Shaun Botterill/Getty Images(Bleacher Report)It is truly almost that time. This weekend sees the Barclay's Premier League fans get a glimpse at two of the most talked about teams for next season. With Manchester United out to defend their record 19th English Championship, their cross town rivals Manchester City hope to knock the mighty Red Devils off their perch.

Dynamo Press Release

The Houston Dynamo will host Mexican powerhouse Monterrey, the defending CONCACAF Champions League winners, in a friendly at Robertson Stadium on Sunday, September 4, the clubs announced today. The match will be the second in the last three seasons between the clubs; Houston beat Monterrey 2-1 in the 2009 Dynamo Charities Cup.

Park Ji-Sung is the most successful Asian player of his generation and arguably of all time, as the South Korean has had a glittering career in Europe with PSV Eindhoven and Manchester United, as well as captaining his country. The 30-year-old has played a part in six league title wins, four domestic cup victories and has a Champions League winners medal.

Liverpool has been joined in the race to sign Barcelona winger Jeffren by Spanish side Sevilla after the Catalan giants revealed that the midfielder was surplus to requirements at the Camp Nou.
The attacking midfielder's profile was raised after he helped the Spanish Under-21 side win the European Championships with his impressive displays drawing interest from a number of clubs.