So there were some very interesting results around Europe this weekend with the major stories making the headlines being Inter's 4-0 loss to Roma in the Serie A and Chelsea's surprising 3-3 draw at home with United.

Coming off the back of 3 poor results, Inter desperately needed a win to ensure they broke into the top 4 spot.

A goal from Sergio Ramos was enough to gave Real Madrid a slender 1-0 win against city rivals Getafe to maintain their seven-point lead over title rivals Barcelona at the top of the Spanish Liga.

The visitors dominated possession but created few clear-cut opportunities and the match was eventually settled by Ramos's 18th-minute goal, the Spanish international defender meeting Mesut Özil's corner with a flying header that powered into the top right coner.

Two goals from Fernando Llorente has given Athletic Bilbao a 2-1 first-leg advantage in their Copa del Rey semi-final against giant-killers Mirandes, and seriously dented the Cinderella dreams of the third division team.

Llorente scored twice in the first half to seemingly put Athletic firmly in control of this tie.

Amidst attempts to pass legislation that would destroy Internet freedoms and the U.S. Department of Justice's takedown of file-sharing site MegaUpload, Internet users around the world are rightfully worried about this wonderful thing that allows me to help you be less productive. And football fans are no different.

You can argue that everything Barca does these days is being scrutinized or subject to unfair criticism. But it's hard to deny the club's latest tribute to a journalist who passed away and spent his life reporting on the club. That's affectionate dedication for you!

Last week prior to the club's normal press conference, first-team players Xavi, Puyol, Valdés and Iniesta along with Pep Guardiola observed a silent tribute to Dani Montesinos, who formerly worked for Spanish TV and Barca TV.

It is looking more and more likely that Real Madrid will walk away with the La Liga title this season. A 3-1 win over Real Zaragoza at the Santiago Bernabeu yesterday coupled with Barcelona's barren draw with relegation threatened Villarreal pushed them 7 points clear at the top of the table.

It was no walk in the park, but United States claimed an Olympic berth after withstanding a spirited and stubborn Costa Rica to earn a 3-0 win Friday night.

Tobin Heath put the U.S. on the board with a 16th minute goal while Carli Lloyd followed up with an insurance strike in the 74th minute.

Get In Bellers!...Liverpool booked their place in the League Cup final at Wembley on Wednesday night after beating Manchester City 3-2 on aggregate. It was a fantastic tie for the neutral as City took the lead twice at a boisterous Anfield but the home side were the better team over the two legs and Craig Bellamy's 73rd minute goal made sure the Reds would be fighting for some silverware next month.

Four days after putting together an impeccable performance against Venezuela, the United States had to overcome a sloppy and disheveled showing to escape Estadio Rommel Fernandez with a 1-0 win over Panama Wednesday night.

Graham Zusi's ninth minute goal survived more than 85 minutes of as Panama squandered countless chances to equalize against a maligned back line during the international friendly.

Ghana 1-0 Botswana by goalsarena2012

Ghana made a jittery start to their ACN campaign overcoming a plucky Botswana through John Mensah's 25th minute goal. The Black Stars then had to endure without Mensah who was sent off in the 66th minute for his foul on Jerome Ramatlhakwane.

Goran Stevanovic's squad were at full strength minus Kevin Prince Boateng with World Cup standouts Asamoah Gyan, Andrew Ayew, and Sulley Muntari present.

If not for one thrilling 97th minute goal, the USA v. Venezuela friendly would have been forgettable at best. A team that had looked aimless most of the night was matched against players with a very defensive mindset, and thus little progress was made on either end of the pitch. Once the US began finding [.

Two big wins tonight in the FA Cup for Bolton and QPR, two sides that have been struggling for wins in the league this season.

Bolton beat fourth-tier Macclesfield 2-0 to reach the competition's last 32. First-half goals by striker Kevin Davies and Bulgaria winger Martin Petrov set up an all-Premier League match against Swansea on Jan.

Two big wins tonight in the FA Cup for Bolton and QPR, two sides that have been struggling for wins in the league this season.

Bolton beat fourth-tier Macclesfield 2-0 to reach the competition's last 32. First-half goals by striker Kevin Davies and Bulgaria winger Martin Petrov set up an all-Premier League match against Swansea on Jan.

Inter's slender 1-0 victory over their city rivals Milan last night threw them back in the title race. A 65th minute goal from Diego Milito was enough to hand Claudio Ranieri's men win the 204th edition of the Derby Della Madonnina.

Juventus who were level on points with Milan before last night's round of fixtures also failed to make most of their match against Cagliari as they were held to a 1 all draw at the Juventus stadium.

There was hardly a better way for Derry born James McClean to mark his first start for Sunderland as Ji Dong-won scored a last-minute winner against Manchester City.
The 22-year-old Irish flyer starred on the left wing for Sunderland, who recorded their third win in five games thanks to Dong-won's 93rd-minute goal.

Goals:
Adam (og) 45'
Maxi 53'
Liverpool have been massively unlucky in an awful lot of matches, but this one's going to take some beating. Another terrible, horrible, no good, very bad home draw in a season already chock-full of them.
Blackburn had exactly one chance, from Dunn in the 79th, on the break and spoiled by his own teammate.

DFB Pokal (German Cup) holders Schalke 04 were dumped out of this season's competition by Borussia Mönchengladbach following the latter's 3-1 home win in Wednesday's Round of 16 tie.

Borussia Mönchengladbach ensured that there would be no repeat triumph for Schalke 04 in this year's DFB Pokal.

If there is one thing we love in football, its a villain. Someone to hurl abuse at in such a fashion that it would not be out of fashion at a Pantomime at the Hippodrome in Birmingham. However, in pantomime we all know that anyone booing or hissing is merely in jest and by the end of the evening the actors and actresses all are smiling away as they accept the standing ovation which their performance (just about) deserves.

The Revolution Youth Academy rebounded from Sunday's disappointing defeats with a pair of wins against North Meck SC to close out the Winter Showcase on Tuesday.

The U-18s earned a 3-0 win while the U-16s grabbed a 3-2 victory as the both squads returned to their goalscoring ways two days after they were shutout at the hands of the Chicago Fire.

Turkey's U-17(16)'s started the match in very shaky grounds and sat in their half of the field whole first half of the match and than after with ten men they played a lot more better in the second half but lost the match in the last minutes of the match!
In 2010 ,Turkey beat USA, 2-1 and won the Nike International Friendlies Tournament.

Besiktas's Ricardo Quaresma and Ibrahim Toroman
Thanks to Quaresma, Besiktas won the match in the injury -time with Quaresma's big life saving goal..
Besiktas was up 2-0 in the begining of the second half but Maccabi Tel-Aviv tied the match with two quick goal..

Kenny Dalglish believes the nature of Liverpool's performances against both Manchester clubs is an indicator of the headway being made on Merseyside.
Sunday's 1-1 draw against 10-man Manchester City may have been the fourth successive time they have been held at home but that does not really tell the full story.

We rather liked the look of Moritz Leitner when he replaced Sven Bender in Arsenal's victory over Dortmund last night. Further investigations confirmed that he is indeed the type of tender, succulent manmeat we thrive on. Anyone else feeling peckish? Image: Getty Images.

Marginally better that Tuesday night's action, if your criteria includes clothing removal, short-tents and potential for sarcasm.

Messi, Ibrahimović, Neymar, Rooney and O'Reilly, just half of the names that are up for the FIFA Puskás Award to determine the best goal of the year from around the world.
U.S. midfielder Heather O'Reilly's strike from distance against Colombia in the USA's second group match of the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup earned her that honor.

La Galaxy claimed their third MLS Cup in ten years in the early hours of Monday morning European time, after Landon Donovan's 72nd minute goal was enough to see off a spirited Houston Dynamos side.

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Bundesliga blog: Dortmund set for season-defining week after impressive win at FC Bayern

Welcome to our new German football blog, courtesy of BundesligaFussball's Ross Dunbar *** Monday morning will be a tough one for the Dortmund supporters who have probably undertaken a weekend-long drinking session.

Clarence Goodson got an 18th-minute goal in Brondby's 2-1 win over Copenhagen, one of two Americans to score over the weekend. Robbie Findley got the other goal, with Nottingham Forest beating Ipswich Town 3-2 in England's Championship. Findley equalized in the 42nd minute, with Joel Lynch getting Forest's second equalizer in the 84th and Marcus Tudgay finding a stoppage time winner.

By Alan Duffy

West Bromwich Albion 2-1 Bolton Wanderers Premier League 19th November 2011

Ireland striker Shane Long made a surprise comeback from injury to net the winning goal in an entertaining game at The Hawthorns.

FC Politehnica Timişoara forward Tosaint Ricketts (UW-Green Bay) scored his third international goal as Canada thumped St. Kitts and Nevis 4-0 Tuesday night in Toronto to close out the second round of CONCACAF World Cup 2014 qualifying.

Ricketts, 24, played the full 90 minutes in his first start for the national team and closed out the scoring with his 88th-minute goal for the Canadians, who had clinched a spot in the third round of qualifying with a 0-0 draw with St.

By Alan Duffy

Luscious-locked footballing woman's crumpet, David "Because I'm worth it" Ginola is to sue his former France boss Gerard Houllier over offensive comments allegedly made by the former Liverpool manager in a new book, Coaches' Secrets.

Nice article from the local paper giving boss Rudy Funk's opinions on the Retford v Boro match.
SCARBOROUGH Athletic boss Rudy Funk was delighted with his side's last-gasp point on the road at NCEL Premier title challengers Retford United.He said: " I'm delighted, but it is nothing more than we deserved .

Turkey's coach Guus Hiddink watches the game during the first leg of their Euro 2012 play-off qualifying soccer match with Croatia at Turk Telekom Arena in Istanbul, Turkey, Friday, Nov. 11, 2011. (AP Photo )
This was disaster and choking by whole Turkish National football team on Friday night in Turk Telekom Arena in Istanbul, Turkey!

A 72nd minute goal from Loic Remy was all France needed for a 1-0 win over the United States at Stade de France on Friday. USA goalkeeper Tim Howard did a lot of work to keep the score manageable, with France holding a decisive lead in shots taken and shots on goal. Hugo Lloris kept the clean sheet for France.

One team repeated at the Madison Soccer Association finals Friday night at Breese Stevens Field, while another came up just short.

Ryan Compty (Mukwonago/UW-Oshkosh) scored on a breakaway with approximately 10 minutes remaining as Team Paradigm edged the Madison Fire 2-1 to claim its second straight Division 1 championship – the teams played to the same result in last year's final, with an 85th-minute goal the difference on that night.

Robbie Keane's 68th minute goal ensured LA Galaxy would be in this years MLS Cup Final as the Galaxy beat Real Salt Lake City 3-1 last night. Galaxy will meet Houston Dynamo in the Final after they beat Kansas City 2-0 in the earlier game on Sunday.

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Madison's top amateur men's league will crown its 2011 champions Friday night, with the Madison Soccer Association playoff finals set for Warner Park Field 1.

The Division 1 final at 8 p.m. pits top-seeded Team Paradigm (13-1-2) against second-seeded Madison Fire (9-3-3) in a rematch of last year's championship – Paradigm won that game 2-1 thanks to an 85th-minute goal.

How fortunate that this man was around to make essential repairs to Malaga CF goalkeeper Wilfredo Caballero's Halloween mummy costume. Heaven knows what we would have been exposed to if he hadn't.

We've done our level best to avoid getting embroiled in any 'unpleasant controversies' this week, but events appear to have conspired against us.

By IAN HOLLIDAY

If Arsenal is able to turn around its 2011-12 Premier League campaign and return to UEFA Champions League football next year, the club will likely look back at Saturday's 5-3 win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge as the turning point.

After twice coming back from a one-goal deficit, the visitors took a 3-2 lead on a 55th minute goal from Theo Walcott that looked like it might prove to be the winner before Juan Mata struck in the 80th.

The story of the weekend for National Teamers was Clint Dempsey's 42nd minute goal with Fulham beating Wigan Athletic 2-0 at DW Stadium. Moussa Dembele scored Fulham's second goal in the 87th minute. Mark Schwarzer needed six saves for the shutout, with Fulham only putting three shots on frame. "I'm happy we got the points today and I'm sure people back home in the States like to see me doing well.

Gonzalo Higuain's eight minute goal against Real Sociedad was enough to see Real Madrid go top of La Liga a point above rivals Barcelona in second place, but it was the sheer class and confidence of the finish from Higuain which got all the plaudits and rightly so.

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