Rafa Benitez said he would quit Liverpool if Fernando Torres is sold. The Spanish striker could have been sold last summer to Manchester City if Benitez had accepted their offer – and there will no doubt be more enquiries coming in for Torres until the day he does actually leave.
But what is remarkable about the offer made to Liverpool last summer is the scale of the City bid: £70million for Torres plus and additional £30million for Javier Mascherano. Click to continue reading...

Following their defeat to Chelsea, I read a couple of articles writing off Manchester United's title hopes. This feels absurdly early to me, so ahead of this weekend's Premiership matches here are 4 reasons why I reckon Manchester United will be lifting the Premier League title in May 2010.

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After an extended vacation, I am back writing the blog. The coming week could turn out to be the most important week for FC Barcelona this season. After achieving a historic treble, no team would like to be thrown out of UEFA Champions League in the group stage, but the chances are pretty high for that to happen. Click to continue reading...

FYI
I will be off Friday and Monday enjoying all that Seattle has to offer. So our good friend Graham Fox will be filling in. I have no doubt you will like it. His work here in the past has been fantastic. Have fun everyone, and don't miss MLS Cup.
- Bruce
STARTERS
If last Saturday's USA game at Slovakia was disappointing, then yesterday's game at Denmark was down right pathetic. Click to continue reading...

In case you missed the goal of the World Cup playoffs. Here it is. Antar Yahia's screamer in Sudan.
Relive the goal. Relive the celebrations. Be in no doubt: This is for 1982. This is for the players with the peppery hair and tears in their eyes. This is for the players who were robbed.

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Getting off the topic of the "Hauptman Letter Debate" for a minute, some important info came out today regarding next Wednesday's MLS expansion draft. Here's the info, per Steve Goff (and NaperSteve -- who provided the tip):

Philadelphia will select 10 players; current clubs must submit their 11-man protected list by Monday afternoon; no club will lose more than one player, which means five teams won't lose anyone; Generation Adidas and home-grown players [(for the Fire that means Baggio Husidic and Patrick Nyarko] need not be protected; developmental players claimed must be offered a senior contract; clubs must protect designated players that have no-trade clauses.

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The Irish FA is calling for a replay. Will it happen? Who knows, but there is no doubt that it was a hand ball. Thierry Henry even admits it:

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The story linking Jose Mourinho with a move to Manchester United as manager one day continues to rumble on. Mourinho has in the past hinted that he would like the job, and again this week, that he sees his long term future in England.
It would seem unlikely that a return to Chelsea would be on the cards and, going on the assumption he would only go to a top 4 club, unless there is new ownership at Arsenal then his style of play wouldn't exactly be welcomed at the Emirates which leaves Man Utd or Liverpool. Click to continue reading...

Oh dear, am so behind this week. Sorry! But I'm back and promise to update regulary from now on. So to Round 8, and it's really becoming crunch time now. Some interesting match-ups, that could mean a shake-up of the top-four for the first time in a few rounds. If the Mariners beat the Victory by one or more goals and if Canberra United beat Newcastle by two or more goals, then they will move into fourth spot. Click to continue reading...

What are the laws of football for?  You get sent off for dangerous play because it's dangerous. You get sent off for fouling too much because you shouldn't foul too much.  But what are the implications of these dastardly acts? Usually nothing. Just the general cleaning up of the game and allowing it to be the free-flowing attacking game we all love.

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"Those that doubted football's cruelty ought to have been on hand here in Paris."
-David Hytner of the Guardian, following Ireland's 1-1 draw (2-1 aggregate loss) to France on Wednesday.

Applaud these men.

This is obviously a non Chelsea-related post, but I don't care.

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The media reports are heating up that Mo Johnston, fresh of his Scottish Football Hall of Fame induction (insert joke here), will announce the signing of Preki (scientific name: Predrag Radosavljevic) as TFC's new manager. Sources are saying that negotiations are well under way and that an official announcement could come as early as Thursday. Click to continue reading...

A Bad screen grab tells it all An image the Irish will never forget and an image the Referee never had a chance to see. As the Swedish ref is right about now showering down , he will have no doubt have been told or even see the "hand of God" issued by Mr [...] Click to continue reading...

Zlatan Ibrahimovic was Barcelona's big money signing in the summer with Samuel Eto'o and a reported £40 million going in the opposite direction to Inter Milan. Few can doubt that Ibrahimovic has ability and on his day is one of the best forwards in the world, however many have criticised him for his work rate and not everyone was convinced he would cut it in Spain.

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The Beauty: Ariadne Artiles is a stunning beauty and worthy of worship as a Wednesday WAG here at LLTO. She's a super hot Spanish model who recently divorced a famous athlete, superbike champion Fonsi Nieto. Since her separation, she has become a smoking sexy WAG by snagging one of soccer's greatest GKs.

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I'm not a Columbus Crew supporter. I don't live in Ohio...but I do follow Major League Soccer and i've watched more than a few Crew matches over the past two seasons. I've seen the Crew go from laughing stock of the league to MLS Cup Champions. While there were several factors that helped turn the club around and change their fortunes, there is no doubt that Guillermo Barros Schelotto was a huge part of that success. Click to continue reading...

The trap-door has been opened at Anfield, and above it perches a team on the brink. Consequently, every game seems to be make or break for Liverpool this season. Every decision is overly scrutinised, and despite us being without a league title since 1989, the media tells us that the league must be won or the manager must go. Click to continue reading...

Who saw this coming?

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The Scottish Football Association tonight confirmed George Burley's sacking as Scotland manager.

The SFA acted quickly after Scotland fans turned on Burley during Saturday's 3-0 friendly defeat by Wales.

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Tough decision, not really!

Portsmouth Vs Liverpool Tickets Still Available!

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Well, it's getting to that time of year again when agents and journalists alike are trying to earn their money.

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At Asburton Grove Medical Centre, there are people who like to make optimistic statements. Then there are the players themselves who always think that they can come back sooner than they are actually able. Van Persie and the AGMC reckon he will be back in around six weeks. At Arsenal, that means anything this side of next christmas. Click to continue reading...

Any list of soccer meccas in the United States would have to include Nevada Smith's. The bar, located on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, has bringing in the soccer faithful of New York since 1994. Today, on any given weekend day, the bar shows games from morning till night.

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A surprising bit of rumour is making the rounds in the Sunday morning papers that could possibly have some legs. Reports are linking the recently departed Chivas USA manager Preki to the vacancy on the Toronto FC bench.
The merit that this rumour has is that Preki, or Predrag Radosavljevic for our Serbian readers, was a long time teammate of Mo Johnston's at KC Wizards. Click to continue reading...

by CARL ELDRIDGE Here's a tall story from the Sun (for a change), which tells us that aspiring midfielder Aaron Ramsey has grown two inches in the last year.

The redtop says Arsenal's 18-year-old whizkid wins his 11th Welsh cap today when Scotland provide the opposition in Cardiff.

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Tottenham backup goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini fractured both his wrists and possibly broke his pelvis in a horrid motorcycle accident yesterday.
The police called his injuries "possible life-changing."
Yikes.
Fortunately the woman and child in the car he hit were unharmed. Click to continue reading...

Well, here we go, let's give this a try. This Interlull hasn't been as kind as the last one. Inner ear problem or Amsterdam? You'd have to be as thick as a Spud to chose the ear thing, but given that there was no choice involved on my part my intelligence levels can in no way be comparable.
And just so you know, despite what Jamrock says, The Verve did lie. Click to continue reading...

Ian Edward Wright, known now by many a name but during in footballing career he was fondly known as ‘Wrighty'.

Born in the fine year of 1963, he went on to be a half decent striker at Crystal Palace and then Arsenal and boy, did he love to score!

He had a bit of a strange start to his career in football, he had trials at both Southend and Brighton while in his teenage years but neither club thought he was good enough and let him go on his merry way.

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Hard to keep him out of the headlines at the moment:

They had hoped to dissuade Robinho from reporting for international duty but relented after agreeing to send their own doctor with him so the injury could be assessed by Brazil's medical staff.

City had hoped Robinho would then fly back with them but have had to relent further, agreeing to him staying with Brazil – although they did not expect him to fly on to Oman for next Tuesday's match.

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Alex Livesey/Getty Images

Is there any truth in the Rooney rumour?

The rumour mills, as always, have been in full swing in the last couple of weeks with the latest one being that Barcelona are set to launch a swoop next summer to make Wayne Rooney the most expensive player in the world with an £85 million bid which would beat the current record held by Cristiano Ronaldo, but is there any truth in the rumour and would he move to Barcelona?

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Bath City drew 1-1 with Staines Town Tuesday night. Pretty much everyone says it was a forgettable match. This is hardly surprising given that both clubs had just defeated League 2 opposition three days previously in hard-fought FA Cup matches. Staines had been victorious 1-0 over Shrewsbury Town. Likewise, Bath City had come out on top 2-0 over Grimsby Town in THE GREATEST FOOTBALL GAME EVER PLAYED ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD! Click to continue reading...

The tiresome saga surrounding Fergie's ill-timed and ill-conceived attack on Alan Wiley has finally been dealt with; the punishment will no doubt be seen as a slap on the wrist. The FA's decision to fine the United manager and ban him for four games, two of them suspended, isn't going to harm Manchester United or the manager. Click to continue reading...

It doesn't take a genius to work out that Man Utd are not the team they were last year with the only loss to the team being Cristiano Ronaldo. Wayne Rooney has been given much more of free role and is playing better than he ever has but he can't do it alone. Just like Ronaldo needed Rooney in the team Rooney, needs a Ronaldo and Antonio Valencia just isn't it. Click to continue reading...

After up and down regular seasons that saw one team consistently dissatisfied with its results and one team barely scrape its way into the playoffs, it's only fitting that the Chicago Fire and Real Salt Lake take each other on. Both teams will enter the Eastern Conference Final feeling that they have something to prove - Chicago wanting to live up to the hype that built up prior to and during the season and Salt Lake wanting to prove they're first round win over Columbus was more than merely a fluke.

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Brazil's playmaker on Steven Gerrard, Cristiano Ronaldo and why England can triumph in South Africa.
'I have no doubt England can win the World Cup' says Kaká. Click to continue reading...

This weekend will make and break the careers of some coaches and players. The European play-offs which will begin on Saturday the 14th November and conclude on the following Wednesday, will definitely be a must win for the likes of France, Portugal and Russia.

A world cup without the reigning world player of the year Cristiano Ronaldo is simply unimaginable.

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We all had the news yesterday that Jose Bosingwa has had to undergo knee surgery back in Portugal and will now be out for upto three months of the season. He joins Ashley Cole on the injury list. The statement from Chelsea (short and sweet) yesterday read:
"Chelsea Football Club can confirm that Jose Bosingwa underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee this week. Click to continue reading...