For ranking methodology and other information about the series, see the original post. To read the about the No. 7-rated stadium, the Camp Nou in Barcelona, click here. To see all "soccer mecca" entries click here.
No. 6 Estadio Bernabeu, Madrid
Open since: 1947
Capacity: 80,000
Tenant(s): Real Madrid
World Cup hosts: 1982
We have now had two stadiums in Argentina (Bombonera at No. Click to continue reading...

Recently, it was brought to my attention that someone had posted a defence of Liverpool, and specifically Benitez's, transfer activity.
At first glance, the conclusion is clear:
Total Players Bought: £228,976,000
Total Players Sold: £145,100,000

Total Net Spend: £83,876,000So, that's a total spend of just over £83m in 5 years at the club. Click to continue reading...

For ranking methodology and other information about the series, see the original post. To read the about the No. 8-rated stadium, the Monumental in Buenos Aires click here. To see all "soccer mecca" entries click here.
7. Camp Nou, Barcelona
Open since: 1957
Capacity: 98,000
Tenant(s): FC Barcelona
World Cup hosts: 1982
In its relatively brief (by soccer mecca standards) history, Barcelona's Camp Nou has hosted some memorable matches: a World Cup, a memorable Champions League final (very memorable for Manchester United fans) and an Olympic gold medal game, to name but a few. Click to continue reading...

Javier Aguirre has been the focal point of Mexico's resurgence in 2010 World Cup qualifying, and Goal.com interviewed Mexican star winger Andres Guardado about how Aguirre has revitalized the Mexican team.
A little over three months ago the Mexican National team was at a state of emergency. Click to continue reading...

PIM picks his squad for the Qatar matchday 3 qualifier tomorrow (11am Eastern), and based on his previous work and the fact there is an international break in the calendar, it is likely to be a big one. That's the Verbeek way, allowing him to not only expose many players to his methodology, but allowing for meaningful training-ground scrimmage. Click to continue reading...

The Danish Windmill at Elk Horn, Iowa
I made a comment on a message board a couple of days ago about Colchester keeper Dean Gerken (more about him in future weeks). One response I received concerned my methodology, namely that there is no distinction made between shots on target and shots off target. Click to continue reading...