Barcelona are through to the Copa Del Rey final where they will play Athletic Bilbao after a 2-0 win over Valencia at the Camp Nou. Goals by Cesc Fabregas and a late strike by midfield maestro Xavi helped seal a 2-0 win (3-1 on aggregate) for the Spanish champions. Pep Guardiola's men will now face [.

FC Barcelona vs. Brazil in 1999 - The Full Match

The beginning of the week is never enjoyable, but let's lessen the dosage of suffering with a glorious find on Youtube. 1999 was FC Barcelona's centenary year and the whole season was quite the celebration of everything FC Barcelona.

I know I've banged the drum about this before but in light of recent developments, I feel it needs to be said again: Basel midfield maestro Xherdan Shaqiri is available for transfer right now for a comparatively cheap price, and Liverpool would be mad to miss out on this golden opportunity to sign the Swiss International.

Barca beat Real Betis as midfield maestro Xavi making his 400th appearance for the Catalunyans scored the opening goal. Leo Messi fresh of his third Ballon D'Or scored two. Betis made it a game but Barca's victory means they are within five points of league leaders Real Madrid. Keeping fingers crossed.

He does score goals szólj hozzá: c,o1-0F[][Matchhighlight.com] Paul Scholes made a dramatic goal-scoring comeback for Manchester United in his first Premier League start since coming out of retirement. The Scholes of old had a habit of arriving in the penalty area at just the right time. These days he's happy to hang around at the [.

It's not everyday that you get to see Lionel Messi crying but Barcelona's official photographer Miguel Ruiz managed to capture this image of the Argentinean maestro during a private moment in the dressing room. This was snapped after Barcelona's defeat to Real Madrid in the 2011 Copa del Ray final, where some ugly scenes took place on the pitch.

The little Russian maestro Andrei Arshavin has not looked very happy playing for Arsenal every time he has appeared on the pitch this season, even though Arsene Wenger has given him numerous chances to make an impact off the bench, and according to the Metro he has dropped behind Yossi Benayoun and Thomas Rosicky in [.

Benny Feilhaber has to feel relieved.

Since Jurgen Klinsmann's appointment as U.S. Men's National Team manager in July, the Revolution midfielder had inexplicably failed to make it onto any of the new coach's call up lists. Until Thursday.

With a pair of friendlies slotted for late-January, Klinsmann finally called in Feilhaber for National Team camp, which is scheduled to start on Jan.

Mikel Arteta has been an essential piece in the Arsenal midfield set up ever since his deadline day transfer from Everton. He has impressed many Arsenal fans with his footballing brain, accurate passing, ability to keep the ball and technical ability. Now, the Arsenal midfield maestro is looking to beat Manchester City in the big [.

Former Liverpool midfield maestro Jan Molby has admitted that he isn't sure how Andy Carroll fits in at Anfield, and he's suggested that the ex-Newcastle striker might be best served by leaving Anfield for a club that's more suited to the way he plays.When asked by Dutch website Onside.dk whether he thought Carroll would ever fit in at Liverpool, Molby was brutally honest in his response:"I'm not

Earlier in the season, former Liverpool defender Gary Gillespie argued that Charlie Adam has the potential to be as good as Xabi Alonso, an opinion that was met with derision by many Liverpool fans. Now, Gillespie has gone one further, stating that he believes Adam can be even better than the Spanish midfield maestro.

There were a number of solid performance in the weekend's Clasico, but as the game wore on, the untanned genius that is Andres Iniesta began to take over the show entirely. It was a maestro's performance worthy of its own lens on the internet.

And look at that.

Sit back and enjoy.

Socrates, the great Brazilian soccer maverick, has died at age 57. Those who saw him play were moved by his style. He glided over the grass, his intelligence working the angles, carving space, inspirational and beautiful. He was unlike the other midfield maestro of his era Maradona. The Argentine was a short squat explosive; Socrates embodied elegance and poise, something special, the man with the golden heel.

Al inicio de este blog se hablo de la salida de David Faitelson,Jose Ramon Fernandez y Rafael Puente de Tv Azteca, los comentarios fueron diversos, de todo tipo, la mayoria apoyando a los nombres anteriores, quienes ahora tienen bastante exito en la cadena ESPN tanto en futbol picante,como los Capitanes y Nacion ESPN.

Liverpool have lost out on many great players over the years for a variety of reasons but there is one player most fans - including Craig Bellamy - would agree is the proverbial 'one that got away'.
That player is Danish maestro Michael Laudrup. Liverpool had two chances to sign this footballing magician (1983 and 1989) but failed on both occasions, and Bellamy is still gutted about it:
"My biggest regret is that the club didn't sign Michael Laudrup when they had the chance.

Former Liverpool defender Gary Gillespie has praised the club's management team for taking a risk on the signing of star-striker Luis Suarez.
Gillespie, who is a massive fan of the Uruguayan maestro, said:
"All credit to the likes of Damien Comolli and Kenny for going out and taking a risk.

This week, with the MLS Cup still lingering off in the distance like a bored monolith, we take a look at Don Garber's love for unloved announcements, why Jurgen Klinsmann is America's favorite step dad and more. Assist maestro Brad Davis went down with a quad injury in the first half of Houston's eventual 2-0 victory over SKC in the Eastern Conference Final last weekend.

Italy, oh Italy! The world's eyes are fixated on their fallen president and wacky owner of AC Milan today... Botox Berlusconi! Well, everyone except the Azzurri of course, where it was 'Business as Usual' with medical checks at the team's training camp in Florence yesterday.

After a scoreless first half, the Dynamo opened up the attack with Andre Hainault and Carlo Costly goals as Houston earned 2-0 win over Sporting K.C. at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park and a return to the MLS Cup Final for the first time since 2007.

Hainault opened the scoring in the 53rd minute when a corralled a loose ball inside the box and fired it through to give the guests the lead.

This piece appears in full on TEAMtalk.

As Sir Alex Ferguson celebrates 25 years at Manchester United, TEAMtalk guest Adam Bate puts the manager's longevity down to his adaptability.

For many the personification of genius is the wizened portrait of Albert Einstein in old age.

Xavi scored a superb first-half free-kick to give Barcelona all three points over nine-man Granada and send Pep Guardiola's men top of La Liga albeit temporarily. The midfield maestro was making a record-breaking 392nd La Liga appearance for the Catalans who were seeking to get back to winning ways after losing their 100 per cent [.

By Eric Beard

"He's been waiting for this moment his entire life. He's just minutes away from hoisting up the trophy of his dreams. Holland has stayed up all night to watch their beloved Dutch maestro make history. They said it was impossible. Hell, I said it was impossible.

It's almost ten years since Franck Sauzée left Easter Road, a turbulent 69 days of management bringing a passionate Leith love affair to an end.
Yet he's still revered by the green and white hordes (not all, but a hefty number). Gone but ever more cherished.
Why?
Over the course of Ted Brack's account of the Sauzée era many observers – teammates, his former manager, Hibs legends and ordinary fans – try to get the bottom of what it was in the relationship between the veteran and the faithful that convinced so many supporters that there was indeed only "one Sauzée.

After exciting midweek fixtures in the two top European club competitions; the Champions League and the Europa League, attention shifts to the respective leagues across the entire continent.

The big match of the weekend takes place on Sunday when Italian champions AC Milan travel to Turin to face league leaders Juventus in what could determine the pace of the scudetto race this season.

The midfield maestro Cesc Fabregas, who is on a tear lately scoring tons of goals, has switched to Puma soccer shoes.

Laszlo Kubala: Played for three countries while becoming a Barca legend in the 1950s

With two goals scored in the 38th and 56th minute against FC Bate Borisov, the little maestro joins Hungarian born Czech legend Laszlo Kubala, with 194 goals as second highest goalscorer in Barca's history.

As the English media continues to scrutinize Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas for reducing veteran Frank Lampard's role in team, all eyes will be on the Blues' team sheet when they face Valencia in the UEFA Champions League tonight.

However, regardless of who Villas-Boas prefers to choose, midfielder John Obi Mikel is convinced that the manager's arrival has sparked a healthy competition for places and for that, he must be lauded rather than criticized.

We were looking through ProZone's report of the USA's tie with Canada form Saturday and after sifting through a mountain of statistics, came up with a few we thought would be of interest to fans of the WNT Blog:
Cheney: Midfield Maestro in the Making?
- Lauren Cheney made her first start in center midfield for the WNT and covered the most distance.

Since his much-heralded arrival this summer, plenty has been made of Andre Villas-Boas tactical genius. Is he, as many would argue, a tactical maestro? Or as others would argue, an impostor that's yet to face any true challenges in his fledgling career? To get to the root of this, and as part of the inevitable hype surrounding Sunday's United fixture, we take a closer look at the formations, substitutions, tactical adjustments, and philosophies of Mr.

Photo courtesy of UCLA media relations

By ADAM SERRANO

UCLA midfielder Kelyn Rowe knows a thing or two about trying to live up to high expections.

Rowe, who will have no shortage of professional options after his sophomore season with the Bruins, starred for the United States Under-20 national team during its failed attempt to qualify for the Under-20 World Cup, scoring three goals and one assist in leading the U.

Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson claims that greedy, disloyal, diving thug Wayne Rooney has similarities to the Brazilian maestro Pelé. That may be true in the Twilight Zone, but in reality, Rooney is not fit to lace Pelé's boots.
In what must have been a fit of drunken fantasy, Ferguson observed:
"Look at Pelé.

Ahead of our Champions League game against Benfica, Éter from Ceu Encarnado has taken time to answer a few questions for us about tonight's opponents.

Scott the Red: Last season you finished miles behind Porto. Are you confident you can catch them up this season?

Éter: Sure.

Ahead of our Champions League game against Benfica, Éter from Ceu Encarnado has taken time to answer a few questions for us about tonight's opponents.

Scott the Red: Last season you finished miles behind Porto. Are you confident you can catch them up this season?

Éter: Sure.

Reports in Germany have resurfaced linking Liverpool with a move for Werder Bremen midfielder Marko Marin, according to the reports Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish has marked the 22 year old German International as his number one winter target.
Marin has previously been linked with a whole host of European clubs, at one stage it was thought that he would be heading to Old Trafford, then Arsenal became the favoured destination for the player labelled as the German Messi, now it is Liverpool's turn to be linked with the Bosnian born midfield maestro.

Reports in Germany have resurfaced linking Liverpool with a move for Werder Bremen midfielder Marko Marin, according to the reports Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish has marked the 22 year old German International as his number one winter target.
Marin has previously been linked with a whole host of European clubs, at one stage it was thought that he would be heading to Old Trafford, then Arsenal became the favoured destination for the player labelled as the German Messi, now it is Liverpool's turn to be linked with the Bosnian born midfield maestro.

Photo: Daniel Gajdamowicz

Freddy Adu said all the right things.

The eyes of the City and the League—dare I say the world?—were focused on the press conference almost four weeks ago, witnessing the "official" reunion between a former-teenage phenom and his hard-nosed coach.

By Chris Wright

In which Deigo Forlan (who we are just hearing has agreed to join Inter Milan, though it's yet to be confirmed) swaps his clubs for studs in order for a bracing round of 'Footgolf' in this new viral for Adidas...

Fancy a round of Footgolf with Fenella the Witch?

Sin duda Chucho Benitez se llevó la Jornada 6 y muy a pesar del golazo que hizo Ángel Reyna a su regreso, el hat trick que hizo el Ecuatoriano del América contribuyó en gran parte para la goleada de 5 a 2 sobre el Atlas de Romano. Hace unas semanas se rumoraba que Reinoso podría salir de la dirección técnica del América con el triunfo descansa y toma aire posicionando a sus Águilas en el 8o puesto y con la 2a mejor ofensiva del torneo, por otro lado los de Romano sufren en el lugar 16 con apenas 4 puntos.

Can Arsenal quickly forget their midfield maestro? After the somewhat disappointing draw with Sunderland last week, Liverpool tomorrow will be looking to change their fortunes in this surely exciting clash with Arsenal. The last three matches at the Emirates for Liverpool haven't been excellent. A draw and two loses only fuel the fire for Dalglish and the boys looking for all three points.

Roy Hodgson doesn't like to bring up his time at Liverpool. He also doesn't like to speculate about taking on the England job once Fabio Capello steps down after next summer's European Championships. Just ask him and he'll tell you, before launching into a discussion about his former job at Liverpool and a potential future one leading England's national side.