Lots of fallout from the tragic Robert Enke suicide. Here were the main stories from yesterday.
The guy was depressed, he left a good-bye note and Germany called off its friendly with Chile.
Oh and Goal.com caught up with Clint Mathis, an ex-teammate of the goalkeeper.
Now the links:

• Soccer violence extends to college men now.

Click to continue reading...

So Jozy Altidore was dropped for showing up to a Hull City game late. Then he was fined for tweeting an apology for being late.
Not a good day for the youngster.
Maybe some links will cheer him up.

• Ryan Giggs wants to coach Wales. [UK Press]
  
• A mass brawl in the Bulgarian league.

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Haminu Dramani catches Reyna napping on the ball
(2006 World Cup)

Buried deep in the mountain of sports news on college football, NFL, and the baseball playoffs in the NY Times, Jere Longman writes about the US qualifying for the 2010 World Cup. It was not exactly on top of the sports news in the major broadcasting networks either.

Click to continue reading...

Word is Seattle and Qwest Field might get the nationally-televised MLS opener against Philly in 2010.
Also, the MLS Cup this year is gonna get primetime treatment from ESPN.
Seattle rules.
Now the links:

• Bobby Robson tribute. [BBC]
  
• Does soccer need a visible game clock?

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Southampton police have contacted the FA regarding the Matt Le Tissier betting scandal.
The former Southampton captain and England international admitted gambling on a Premier League game in which he was playing.
Le Tissier admitted in his autobiography, Taking Le Tiss, that he gambled on the time of the first throw in the Saints' 2-0 win at Wimbledon in April 1995. Click to continue reading...

[DISCLAIMER: The pictured ape is not an insult to the subject of this post, just an awesome goalkeeping photo]
An Italian goalkeeper is coming out of retirement to play in the amateur leagues.
He's 66 years old.
Also he's the world record holder in the long jump for those over 60. Click to continue reading...

While some Americans at newly European teams have had some sparkling debuts recently (Jozy Altidore, Charlie Davies), one had a very quiet opening weekend.
Oguchi Onyewu.
The big guy saw no time for AC Milan and Serie A action kicked off this weekend. Though he did have an awesome Q&A with the NY Times boys. Click to continue reading...

Ready for round 2 of the play-offs? Sky Blue and the Athletica are set to square off in St. Louis 7PM ET tonight on FSC. After rough starts, both teams find themselves in contention to take on the LA Sol this weekend.

On the rough start front, Sky Blue definitely has the upper hand, as is recapped in this article from the NY Times .

Click to continue reading...

• Sir Bobby Robson, English legend, dies at 76 [NY Times]

• Darren Bent uses Twitter to attack Tottenham boss Daniel Levy [Goal]

• It's time to start considering strategies and selections for Fantasy Premier League 2009/2010. Are Man City worth looking at? [The Football Blog]

• Mutu loses appeal against Chelsea over huge fine.

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Ji-Sung loves Korean women, according to teammate Evra
Not much going on in the world of footie other than Gerrard being found not guilty and Zlatan moving to Barca as we continue the (too long) summer break, but here are a few interesting links from our Butt Buddies and others to keep you going on a Friday. Click to continue reading...

Seems ESPN is coming under fire from a lot of quarters regarding its decision to not report the civil suit alleging sexual assault filed against Ben Rothlisberger. From the NY Times:

Kelly McBride, the ethics group leader at the Poynter Institute, a journalism school, questioned ESPN's reasons for not reporting the case but said all reports needed to be careful of accusations in civil lawsuits.

Click to continue reading...

Americans Abroad / USMNT
US Squad Shrinks As Cherundolo And Parkhurst Return To Europe - Soccer By Ives
Pictures From Our First Session In Philadelphia - The MNT Blog
Davies Looks Ahead To Sochaux - Yanks Abroad
Davies Takes A Step Up - Goal (NY Times)
A Few Gold Cup Things - No Short Corners
Feilhaber Nets Brace In Aarhus Friendly - Soccer By Ives
US International Szetela Returns To Spain's Santander - SI. Click to continue reading...

We're glad to report that NY Times Goal blog is reporting that Goal.com is reporting that Greek club Olympiakos are interested in bringing Jozy Altidore in on a year-long loan. "There is also interest in Spain (La Liga), Germany and the EPL," says Altidore's agent. So...the news is that a number of clubs are interested in Altidore.

Click to continue reading...

... witten wiff apologies to Baba Wawa ...

So I've not got a lot of time this morning, but wanted to share some soccer bits ... like an article about the trials, triumphs and tribulatiopns of the WPS from the NY Times.

Selling Americans on professional soccer has been tough.

Click to continue reading...

US team has more than game at stake -- from The Miami Herald's Michelle Kaufman: "What we convinced the world was we can beat Spain." Most important game in US soccer history -- from Yahoo! Sports' Dan Wetzel: A World Cup title is, of course, an outrageous goal. US Team Focuses on Tasks, Not Tributes -- from The NY Times' Jere Longman: They are here to win a soccer match, not to mourn the death. Click to continue reading...

Americans Abroad / USMNT
Feilhaber Could Play In Another Final - Soccer By Ives
Three Keys For The US vs. Brazil - MLS Talk
US Team Focuses On Tasks, Not Tributes - Goal (NY Times)
A Guy From Green Bay Plays The Other Football - New York Times
Anxious USMNT Fans Unite - Match Fit USA
Decision Time For US Before The Final - Goal (NY Times)
US Win Away From Doing The Impossible - MLSnet
US Vows To Go For Broke In Unlikely Final With Brazil - Associated Press
Onyewu: Final Is Big Boost - Soccer365
Bradley: Our Second Chance - FIFA. Click to continue reading...

TEAM USA - CONFEDERATIONS CUP
USA Group Stage Matches:
-Mon Jun 15
USA v Italy - 1:25pm Central on ESPN
Venue: Loftus Versfeld Stadium - Pretoria
dN
As far as I can gather the USA has NEVER beaten Italy.
dN
USMNT Official Blog
dN
Paul Oberjuerge does a Q & A with Landon Donovan. Click to continue reading...

Americans Abroad/USMNT
U.S. U-20 And U-18 Teams Call Up Squads For Upcoming Matches - Soccer By Ives
A Very Cloudy Crystal Ball - Yanks Abroad
Hahnemann Agony As Reading Crash Out - No Short Corners
End To End: All-MLS Edition - Goal.com
Hill Likes Guimaraes Fit - Soccer365
Americans Abroad: Tuesday Edition - Soccer Insider
Bob Bradley: Proactivity Or Cynical Call Ups? Click to continue reading...

In an conference with mainstream media, as reported by Jack Bell at the NY Times the MLS Commissioner had this to say:

"Fans want to see stars. They want more games on TV and they want an increased quality of play," he said Thursday in a meeting with editors and reporters from the Associated Press Sports Editors conference.

Click to continue reading...

By SEAN RUBIO

Good afternoon folks. If you are looking for some good soccer reading, here are some stories to satisfy your craving:

• FOX Vice President says Champions League will not be in HD until February 2010 [NY Times]
• The sins of the NASL and how we're still paying for them [The Offside]
• "The UEFA Champions' League is stupid and useless and needs to be spayed.

Click to continue reading...

By SEAN RUBIO

Good afternoon folks. If you are looking for some good soccer reading, here are some stories to satisfy your craving:

• FOX Vice President says Champions League will not be in HD until February 2010 [NY Times]
• The sins of the NASL and how we're still paying for them [The Offside]
• "The UEFA Champions' League is stupid and useless and needs to be spayed.

Click to continue reading...

Amazing game last night as the Louisville Cardinels took it to Oklahoma and are moving on to the national championship game. Angel McCoughtry came back after a dismal first half and scored 14 of her 18 points in the second frame as she helped her team put away the Sooners. Now they have the dubious pleasure of facing the UConn Huskies in the final - after the Huskies (led by the incomparable Renee Montgomery) summarily dispatched Stanford in the late game.

Click to continue reading...

Thierry Henry's new boot adA sneak peek at some 09-10 kits. Yikes. [The Spoiler] The Milans (Inter and AC) and Chelsea plan a summer visit. [NY Times] Gooners you can relax now, Silvestre is back. [Sky Sports] Some ni... Click to continue reading...

Thierry Henry's new boot adA sneak peek at some 09-10 kits. Yikes. [The Spoiler] The Milans (Inter and AC) and Chelsea plan a summer visit. [NY Times] Gooners you can relax now, Silvestre is back. [Sky Sports] Some ni... Click to continue reading...

Thierry Henry's new boot adA sneak peek at some 09-10 kits. Yikes. [The Spoiler] The Milans (Inter and AC) and Chelsea plan a summer visit. [NY Times] Gooners you can relax now, Silvestre is back. [Sky Sports] Some ni... Click to continue reading...

Thierry Henry's new boot adA sneak peek at some 09-10 kits. Yikes. [The Spoiler] The Milans (Inter and AC) and Chelsea plan a summer visit. [NY Times] Gooners you can relax now, Silvestre is back. [Sky Sports] Some ni... Click to continue reading...

Thierry Henry's new boot adA sneak peek at some 09-10 kits. Yikes. [The Spoiler] The Milans (Inter and AC) and Chelsea plan a summer visit. [NY Times] Gooners you can relax now, Silvestre is back. [Sky Sports] Some ni... Click to continue reading...

Thierry Henry's new boot adA sneak peek at some 09-10 kits. Yikes. [The Spoiler] The Milans (Inter and AC) and Chelsea plan a summer visit. [NY Times] Gooners you can relax now, Silvestre is back. [Sky Sports] Some ni... Click to continue reading...

Thierry Henry's new boot adA sneak peek at some 09-10 kits. Yikes. [The Spoiler] The Milans (Inter and AC) and Chelsea plan a summer visit. [NY Times] Gooners you can relax now, Silvestre is back. [Sky Sports] Some ni... Click to continue reading...

Thierry Henry's new boot adA sneak peek at some 09-10 kits. Yikes. [The Spoiler] The Milans (Inter and AC) and Chelsea plan a summer visit. [NY Times] Gooners you can relax now, Silvestre is back. [Sky Sports] Some ni... Click to continue reading...

Thierry Henry's new boot adA sneak peek at some 09-10 kits. Yikes. [The Spoiler] The Milans (Inter and AC) and Chelsea plan a summer visit. [NY Times] Gooners you can relax now, Silvestre is back. [Sky Sports] Some ni... Click to continue reading...

Thierry Henry's new boot adA sneak peek at some 09-10 kits. Yikes. [The Spoiler] The Milans (Inter and AC) and Chelsea plan a summer visit. [NY Times] Gooners you can relax now, Silvestre is back. [Sky Sports] Some ni... Click to continue reading...

Thierry Henry's new boot adA sneak peek at some 09-10 kits. Yikes. [The Spoiler] The Milans (Inter and AC) and Chelsea plan a summer visit. [NY Times] Gooners you can relax now, Silvestre is back. [Sky Sports] Some ni... Click to continue reading...

So have you made your picks yet?  Sign up here for the men's bracket and here for the women's.  Click the link and then click "Join this group."  You need to be logged in to your NY Times account for it to work.  If you have problems, post a comment and I'll try to help.  [...] Click to continue reading...

The Men's bracket is up and some folks (you know who you are) have already made their picks.  The women's bracket will be finalized this evening.  Then we have a couple of days to get everything set before the games are off and running.  I'm using the NYTimes Brackets this year - we'll see how [.. Click to continue reading...