Another week, another trialists. This time it is Felix Dja Ettien. I haven't read the 'net reaction yet. Probably much a flutter over a former captain of a La Liga side (Levante UD) coming in for trial. Sure he fills a need as Right Midfielder, who leans towards the offensive side of things having spent time up top and in the middle as well.

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Cristiano Ronaldo recieved his marching orders for the second time in a Real Madrid shirt this weekend for an elbow on Patrick Mtiliga of Málaga; but was it deserved? Whilst I certainly feel a degree of sympathy for Cristiano, in my humble opinion he had to go. Click to continue reading...

These are from the PASL-Pro, a young league still trying to make inroads. They have the (once again) reincarnated San Diego Sockers, as well as the California Cougars, who you may remember as an MISL expansion team from a few years back.

Team G Total Avg. Prince George Fury 2 3,445 1,723 San Diego Sockers 5 7,833 1,567 Louisville Lightning 3 2,676 892 Denver Dynamite 4 1,942 486 1790 Cincinnati Express 3 1,323 441 St. Click to continue reading...

Last fall, when the Minnesota Thunder's financial issues became more apparent, it looked to Minnesotan's as if they may not only lose pro soccer in the Twin Cities, but that the Thunder PDL team in Rochester, Minnesota would also be gone. Dean Johnson, owner of the Thunder and 60% majority owner in the Rochester PDL team, owed money to both the Rochester minority owner Dan Penz and also to the United Soccer Leagues (USL).

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Remember back when Kun Aguero signed for Atletico Madrid? It was a shock on par with the Tevez/Mascherano-West Ham double swoop, Claudio Caniggia to Dundee and Raymond Domenech failing to take France beyond the Euro2008 groups. Well it appears lightning might strike twice, as they're once again oh-so-close to the next big thing and [. Click to continue reading...

Erik Soler has not tipped his hand on Richie Williams future with the organization. Perhaps that is why Williams is scheduled to interview with the Chicago Fire, as reported on the Washington Post blog.

Somewhere in Colombia, Juan Carlos Osorio is smiling.

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Often it is perceived that owning a record is a good thing. In fact insane people from all over the world attempt bizarre acts every day just to claim exactly this. But being a record holder isn't always what it is cracked up to be. Imagine holding the record for being struck by lightning the most times.

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The oldest professional football club believe it or not faces the possibility of court proceedings for non-payment of taxes.

Months after a Qadbak Investments, a Middle East company, whose owners remain largely unidentified bought over Notts County, they are faced with a huge tax bill which had accrued under Blenheim 1862, the former parent company.

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SirHitsAlot (aka Mo) rode into town yesterday with his marauding minions, used his head, and wreaked havoc in the Concord soccer world.

In plain English, his talented upstart U-13 team toppled the mighty U-14 Concord Express Team 2-1 on a windswept field where the Merrimack River meanders through Concord and soccer aficionados gather, hoping for just this sort of contest.

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Well, Jeremy stole a little bit of my thunder with his post on what to do about O'Hara/Rooney for this weekend. The fact that he points out some excellent options in midfield and at forward combined with the fact that work has been very busy this week is going to lead me down the path of writing my first Lightning Round TWA column of the season. Click to continue reading...

Follow Zidane on the quest to assemble the ultimate team The comic version is here.In the comics,which are like X Men or something in that vein - he has gathered 3 players so far - Steven Gerrard: The Powerhouse, Kaka: The Maestro and Emmanuel Adebayor: The Lightning Strika.

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Meet the Lightning Strika' We are pretty sure this can't be good for anyone's state of mind. As part of Adidas' new comic book-style campaign, which features a cartoon Zinedine Zidane clocking up the airmiles as he searches for his dream team of three-stripe-clad superheroes. Emmanuel Adebayor is the Lighting Strika'. Click to continue reading...

Today's links brought to you by Emmaneul Adebayor. MUTV make Dimitar Berbatov look like a revelation. [101GG] E.On not to renew FA Cup sponsorship [Daily Mail] Marco Materazzi doesn't like being the butt of a joke. [The Mirror] Ronaldo takes on Gattuso a bull. [YouTube] Football struck by lightning while playing, has leg amputated. Click to continue reading...

Danish footballer Jonathan Richter is an unlucky soul.. He has had the lower part of his left leg amputated after he was struck by lightning during a match six weeks previously. The family of the 24-year-old midfielder from FC Nordsjaelland said in a statement that his condition was improving and he would soon be moved from the [. Click to continue reading...

So much craziness all over the soccer world, I have to share it all in one post.
First off, a Danish player had to have his leg amputated six weeks after being struck by lightning in a reserve game. Gotta blame the ref from that one right?
Also an ex-Swedish goalkeeper was busted for steroids. Click to continue reading...

The Lions were leading 1-0 when their opening match of the season against Webber International University was called in the sixty-first minute due to lightning. The NCAA requires seventy minutes be played before a match can be official, so the result will not stand. It is not clear at this point if the game will be rescheduled. Click to continue reading...

It was a bit wet today at practice. They quit early when the lightning got too close. A few shots of players looking a little soaked. Jack, Matt and Zoltan...Aaron...And Michael...After the team went inside Coach Vermes stopped for a couple minutes...Just a short video of one of the scrimmages in the rain before they went inside. Click to continue reading...

Betting companies fascinate me, partly because I have a propensity for number crunching, and partly because the people involved have to be lightning quick, reacting with incredible speed to the most innocuous looking story, hidden in an unnoticed column on a newspaper's website.

Because these days, you can bet on anything.

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photo- les jones

Nope, not in the slightest are they worried! Why you ask? Well, if lightning can strike ONCE, then it can always strike twice?! Three times?! No? Guys?!?!

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Talk about lightning striking twice.Another game (in the World Football Challenge) and another goal that left another goalkeeper speechless.After this opening goal for Chelsea,Clarence Seedorf equalised for AC Milan.Yuri Zhirkov then scored his first goal for Chelsea to end the game at 2 -1. (All goals here)

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Blaine, MN Wednesday, July 15

The Lightning have only one more regular season match in their 2009 campaign but their playoff hopes have slipped away as Hudson Valley Quickstrike Lady Blues are breaking away from the rest of the league. Hudson Valley is commanding sole possession of first place at the top of the W-League.

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The recent form of the Minnesota Lightning has been very good and this past week saw the team take three wins on the road. The success of the team has prompted Rudy Hoffman to look at the chances of the team making the playoffs.

By Rudy Hoffman

Currently, the Minnesota Lightning are in third place in their division and still have a viable chance at qualifying for the playoffs.

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The recent form of the Minnesota Lightning has been very good and this past week saw the team take three wins on the road. The success of the team has prompted Rudy Hoffman to look at the chances of the team making the playoffs.

By Rudy Hoffman

Currently, the Minnesota Lightning are in third place in their division and still have a viable chance at qualifying for the playoffs.

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Timbers celebrate 5-1 win over the Thunder

In front of a national audience on Fox Soccer Channel's Friday night USL match, the Minnesota Thunder set numerous records for USL-1 teams in 2009. Unfortunately, the records were not of the positive sort. The Thunder lost to the Portland Timbers 5-1 and had 3-players ejected from the game.

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Timbers celebrate 5-1 win over the Thunder

In front of a national audience on Fox Soccer Channel's Friday night USL match, the Minnesota Thunder set numerous records for USL-1 teams in 2009. Unfortunately, the records were not of the positive sort. The Thunder lost to the Portland Timbers 5-1 and had 3 players ejected from the game.

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The Lightning made a game of it, but not until the Chicago Red Eleven were already up on Minnesota 2-0 eleven minutes in. The team fought hard against the Midwest Division's first place team. Six caution cards were given to the Lightning and Kylie Kallman was ejected with a red card.

"After the first two goals, it was a pretty good game.

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The Lightning made a game of it, but not until the Chicago Red Eleven were already up on Minnesota 2-0 eleven minutes in. The team fought hard against the Midwest Division's first place team. Six caution cards were given to the Lightning and Kylie Kallman was ejected with a red card.

"After the first two goals, it was a pretty good game.

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Hey everyone (well those still reading). I'm here to give you a short State of Advantage played.
In the past, the skies were full of magic and wonder. Every day I would update with glorious tales of football and the heros and villians that ran the pitches. Then the skies grew dark. Click to continue reading...

A number of tasty match ups in the 2nd round to determine which clubs will face MLS sides in the Third Round.
Charleston Battery vs Miami FC is an all USL-1 affair.
Carolina Railhawks FC vs Wilmington Hammerheads will be an all North Carolina battle separated by only a 2hr car trip. Click to continue reading...

Yes, those hail stones are as big as the Wizards golf ball in the middle. Photo courtesy of corporate partnerships guru Jeff Foster.
Kansas City is getting covered in a pretty thick blanket of water right now and, in some places, some hail as well. Hail hit Loch Lloyd Country Club this morning, and the heavy rain and lightning followed shortly thereafter. Click to continue reading...

Name: Paul Clapson Date of Birth: 20th March 1983 Place of Birth: Chatham, Kent Position: Striker Previous position: Goalkeeper Previous Clubs: Sittingbourne Town, Clearwater Chargers, Countryside Lightning, KI Klaksvik Present club: Afturelding (Iceland) Paul Clapson is perhaps one of the strangest, yet one of the most prolific players profiled on Les Rosbifs to date. Click to continue reading...

• Glendale's Sprouse breaks into the box, her shot goes off the crossbar and is cleared in the 11th (0-0) #
• Pattonville scores in the 24th, a header in the box from a long throw-in (0-1) #
• Glendale's Cline had her shot go wide after breaking in alone on goal and getting past the keeper in the 24th min #
• Pattonville scores from a scramble in the box in the 33rd (0-3) #
• Pattinvilles 2nd goal was scored by Laughlin (sister plays for MSU) when she breaks past defense into box #
• Glendale freshman Molly Brewer scores on a run into the 6 yd box (1-3) #
• Pattonville scores as a cross from the right skips past the keeper and is met at far post by a Pirate (1-4) #
• KC Brass score a pair in the first 4 minutes to take the early lead at the Demize #
• #MOcup U15 Champions Lou Fusz tied 1-1 with Springfield at half #SGF #
• #MOcup play halted due to lightning midway thru 9am games #
• #MOcup U15 Lou Fusz win 2-1 over Springfield SC #SGF #
• #MOcup U16 Gallagher1 up 1-0 while a man down, Springfield SC also 1-0.

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Follow me on Twitter @SGFsoccer

Glendale Falcons vs Pattonville Pirates, Saturday June 6th

• Glendale's Sprouse breaks into the box, her shot goes off the crossbar and is cleared in the 11th (0-0) #
• Pattonville scores in the 24th, a header in the box from a long throw-in (0-1) #
• Glendale's Cline had her shot go wide after breaking in alone on goal and getting past the keeper in the 23rd min #
• Pattonville scores from a scramble in the box in the 33rd (0-3) #
• Pattinvilles 2nd goal was scored by Laughlin (sister plays for MSU) when she breaks past defense into box #
• Glendale freshman Molly Brewer scores on a run into the 6 yd box (1-3) #
• Pattonville scores as a cross from the right skips past the keeper and is met at far post by a Pirate (1-4) #

KC Brass at Springfield Demize, Saturday June 6th

KC Brass score a pair in the first 4 minutes to take the early lead at the Demize #

Missouri State Cup, Sunday June 7th

#MOcup U15 Champions Lou Fusz tied 1-1 with Springfield at half #SGF # #MOcup play halted due to lightning midway thru 9am games # #MOcup U15 Lou Fusz win 2-1 over Springfield SC #SGF # #MOcup U16 Gallagher1 up 1-0 while a man down, Springfield SC also 1-0. Click to continue reading...

I don't have much to say about Ancelotti-to-Chelsea, not because it's uninteresting but because the possibilities it opens are so vast. There's something genuinely dark about it no one involved really wanted it to happen, except maybe Abramovich, who seems to think that Milan's aristocratic cast-offs can help him cleanse his club of its arriviste taint but open your mouth against it and you risk being sheared by lightning.

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Thunder 1-2 Puerto Rico
The Minnesota Thunder continued their woeful ways with another home loss, this time to the struggling Puerto Rico Islanders. The team had stretches of play that were good but gave away too many chances to the skillful Islanders who finished those opportunity.

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Thunder 1-2 Puerto Rico
The Minnesota Thunder continued their woeful ways with another home loss, this time to the struggling Puerto Rico Islanders. The team had stretches of play that were good but gave away too many chances to the skillful Islanders who finished those opportunities.

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Lightning 1-1 FC Indiana Lionesses

BLAINE, Minn. (Friday, May 29, 2009) - The Minnesota Lightning started off the 2009 campaign with a 1-1 draw with FC Indiana Lionesses. The Lightning is the only team in the USL W-League to get points from Indiana in the past two years. Indiana is ranked 6th in the world by www.

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Lightning 1-1 FC Indiana Lionesses

BLAINE, Minn. (Friday, May 29, 2009) - The Minnesota Lightning started off the 2009 campaign with a 1-1 draw with FC Indiana Lionesses. The Lightning is the only team in the USL W-League to get points from Indiana in the past two years. Indiana is ranked 6th in the world by www.

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After living up to its moniker for most of the day, the Sunshine State showed its darker side this afternoon as thunderstorms rolled in around us. With the safety of the players and referees foremost in their mind, Academy staff called for a suspension of games until the lightning passed. With teams off the field and under shelter, we waited out the worst and are happy to announce that games are back underway. Click to continue reading...

Everton's end of term party was pretty routine really,
Everyone had stayed in the pubs to watch the end of the Utd v Arsenal game so getting into Goodison was fairly tricky. West Ham threatened to spoil the day by scoring a 30 yard screamer which was applauded by the Everton fans such was the quality of the strike (although Howard's reading of the drive and positioning was possibly suspect. Click to continue reading...