Clearly, every game is a very tough one for Arsenal on current form. Will the team get its first League win of 2012? Doesn't seem like it if we look at the manner in which Arsenal have dropped points in recent games, or the way Blackburn came from behind to win at home earlier this season, or the fact that Steve Kean is yet to lose against Wenger or Ferguson in the Premiership (2W, 2D)!

Jan Molby believes Liverpool will face a different type of challenge to the one they overcame midweek against Manchester City when they meet Stoke at Anfield on Saturday.
The Dane, who made 292 appearances for the club, also believes Andy Carroll has an important part to play, both in attack and defensively, if the Reds are to take all three points.

As widely predicted, Jake Livermore settled in to Scott Parker's slot in the centre of midfield last night and coped admirably with the physical presence of Everton's Tim Cahill and Marouane Fellaini. After filling in at right back against Cheltenham at the weekend, Jake moved into a more comfortable position and his all round performance drew praise from manager Harry Redknapp.

The Seattle Sounders continued their active offseason on Wednesday, officially announcing the signing of 23-year-old fullback/midfielder Christian Sivebaek. The move has been rumored since late December, and the player himself had even confirmed the deal.

"Christian is a player that we have been following for quite some time," Sounders technical director Chris Henderson said in a team release.

By Tony Edwards - San Jose, CA (Jan 10, 2012) US Soccer Players -- Tuesday's Five, and Tony considers a big name in CONCACAF coming to MLS, Chicago's latest signing, and coaches who were fired after they won MLS Cup. Which has been the quietest 'big name' signing by an MLS club this offseason? How about Dallas signing Panamanian forward Blas Perez.

By Alan Duffy

"They say I score once every 275 minutes... on average"

Following in the orange, manicured footsteps of Robbie Savage, former Italian international striker Christian "Bobo" Vieri is taking part in the Italian version of Strictly Come Dancing.

It's been five years since the fleet footed winger arrived from Southampton on the promise of energizing the wide areas of the pitch and fulfilling what a homesick Jose Antonio Reyes failed to deliver. At 22 years of age, Walcott is now an exasperating muddle of intuition and speed spliced with dollops of bad choices and lack of composure.

Rajko Lekic scored the the game-winner in a memorable match against Sporting K.C. on April 23rd (Photo: Chris Aduama/aduama.com).

Let's face it: 2011 wasn't particularly kind to the New England Revolution. And that's probably putting it lightly.

Nevertheless, the year wasn't entirely devoid of hope or optimism.

The presence of the holidays seems to signify to most MLS die-hards that the 2012 season grows ever-closer, and it's with that thought in mind we continue our player profiles with a pair of midfielders: National Champion UNC's Enzo Martinez, and Louisville's Nick DeLeon!

Enzo Martinez has been on the radar of MLS clubs for quite some time already.

In a pulsating affair at The Etihad Stadium today, Man City overpowered Arsenal and registered a 1-0 win to go back to the top of the English Premier League. A resurgent Arsenal side that had forced their way back to the top 10 of the division following a horrific start to the season, were simply not good enough to slow down a City side that was coming off a 2-1 defeat to Chelsea last Monday night.

The football world is still trying, and failing, to come to terms with the loss of a legend.

The shocking news on the sudden death of Wales manager Gary Speed brought the country to a stand-still. Since the announcement there has been an endless amount of tributes for the 42 year old husband and father, showing just how much he meant to not only football, but the UK itself.

Anxiety? Not needed.

A pulsating showcase, carefully imagined by Andre Villas-Boas and anchored by the irresistible Didier Drogba, sees our beloved Chelsea into the knockout stages of the Champions League once again. As group winners, too, no less. This, my friends, was a night to cherish.

Happiness is a warm brace

What to say, what to say.

The list for the Re-Entry Draft is out. Any interesting targets for United?

Ante Jazic: To old (36 before 2012 season starts) and too expensive ($115k salary), but plays a position of need. This would be an extreme reach, even at a reduced salary in Stage 2.

Bobby Boswell: Way too expensive ($210k salary) and we're probably set with McDonald and Jakovic in the middle of defense, but .

Two days on and the football world is still trying, and failing, to come to terms with the loss of a legend.

Sunday's shocking news on the sudden death of Wales manager Gary Speed brought the country to a stand-still. Since the announcement there has been an endless amount of tributes for the 42 year old husband and father, showing just how much he meant to not only football, but the UK itself.

Yesterday, during the l-o-n-g wait for the announcement of the MLS teams' protected lists, I tweeted that I expected the Philadelphia Union to protect the following players: Faryd Mondragon, Danny Califf, Carlos Valdes, Sheanon Williams, Gabriel Farfan, Sebastien LeToux, Brian Carroll, Roger Torres, Danny Mwanga, Michael Farfan, and Freddy Adu.

Hi Phil, I'm Abou

Premier League returns today. Hurrah!! On current form and given it's Norwich we have to play today, one would think 3 points is a guarantee. Yet, this match may not be as easy as one thinks. If it turns out to be as easy as our last game, I'm all for it but the number suggest otherwise.

The United States played another dull and creatively challenged game against France last night, losing 1-0 in a game in which the U.S. managed just two shots on goal. The loss it the fourth in six games under new coach Jurgen Klinsmann with all four losses coming by the same 1-0 scoreline. The honeymoon period is quickly coming to an end for Klinsmann with the United States suffering from a severe offensive drought having scored just two goals in six games.

The criticism of Arsène for trying to force square pegs into round holes has frequently been levelled over recent seasons. Bendtner, Eboue and Arshavin in particular have all been deployed in areas that would not be their first choice let alone the Championship Managers among us. The reason for this has generally been a lack of depth in the squad exacerbated by the perennial injury problems that have depleted us so cruelly at vital times.

Liverpool's teenage starlet Stephen Sama is ready to leave Liverpool on a temporary loan deal, with Preston North End manager Phil Brown reportedly keen on acquiring his services.
According to The Mirror, Sama has put in a series of impressive performances for the Liverpool reserve side that have been enough to put him on the radar of Brown.

In the week that will have shareholders debating the future and with twitchers spotting the rare appearance of Silent Stan, we must have some good news to report. Well we have to believe that we will make the top four after making it 5 wins out of 6 apparently. The fact that there was a Carling Cup and two Champions league fixtures in there seems to have escaped everyone's attention.

After a mini revival of sorts, a real challenge awaits. It's the first time since I have been watching Arsenal that the Gunners are not clearly superior going into the NLD. To be fair, Redknapp has assembled a strong group that is there or thereabouts as far as the top four is concerned. With the summer that Arsenal have had, coupled with the current injuries, Arsenals' away form, and the appointment of Dean as the ref, it's no surprise that the Tiny Totts are actually favourites according to the pundits and bookies.

Manchester United dropped their first points of the season on Saturday as an impeccable start to the 2011-12 Barclays Premier League campaign was halted by a 1-1 draw with Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium. It was a result which allowed city rivals Manchester City to rejoin United at the top of the table, with 16 points from the opening 6 league fixtures.

Crane style Robin

This was our second win in 6 Premier League games. It pushes us up to 12th place in the league standing with 32 more games to go. The win was made even sweeter by the fact that we managed to claw back 2 points from leaders Manchester United, who drew away at Stoke yesterday.

Let me start by stating the views held below are entirely my own and in no way represent the views of the site.

Anyone who has read my pre-matches over the seasons will know that I am not a huge fan of Blackburn, I will go further and say that for many seasons they have represented all that is reprehensible in football from top to bottom.

A trip to a usually hostile Reebok Stadium probably isn't the ideal way to return from and international break, one which United headed into with great momentum, having put 8 past an abysmal Arsenal side and 3 past Spurs.

From the side that did so well last season, Bolton missed Elmander, Sturridge, Steinsson, Holden, Muamba and Lee, bringing in City loanee Boyata as an uncomfortable right back, Klasnic/Tuncay/N'Gog as poor replacements for Elmander and Sturridge, both of whom left Bolton without a penny coming in, and Eagles, Reo Coker and Mark Davies filling in for injured or unfit players in the midfield.

Out with the old, in with the new.
"I think we have some very interesting youngsters coming through the ranks," U.S. head coach Jurgen Klinsmann remarked in the press conference following the 1-0 loss to Belgium on Tuesday.
It is the reality of the situation for Klinsmann; the window of opportunity is closing for a lot of the stalwarts of the national team.

Soccer America interviewed U.S. national team coach Jurgen Klinsmann following their 1-0 defeat away to Belgium in an international friendly.
On the match:
"I think it was an interesting game for both sides. You saw in the first 25 minutes we had good passing movement and we were really involved in the game.

Jurgen Klinsmann's second game as the man in charge did not go exactly as expected. Playing on home soil against an experimental Costa Rica squad the expectation for the United States was to get a result Instead, the loss to Costa Rica, while not a disaster in any sense, did provide some answers as we move forward with the Klinsmann era.

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Photo by ????? [ AKA Gilyo

Let me begin by clarifying that I am a Manchester United supporter, so I obviously hate City. But to ignore them would be akin to sitting at home watching TV when the boy you hate next door is having a party for celebrating his selection to the national football team.

On a day where Arsenal dominated all of the transfer headlines, Sunderland manager Steve Bruce has hailed his new loanee from the Gunners. Danish striker Nicklas Bendtner was a late deal Wednesday evening as he clinched a last gasp loan deal to Sunderland, and Bruce is pleased to link up with the target man once again.

With the victory of CSD Comunicaciones of Guatemala in the CONCACAF Champions League by the Seattle Sounders one phrase seems to have rocketed to the top of the charts. #ChurchOfFucito (now in the left sidebar here for your viewing pleasure) started as a way for someone to mock my near constant call for Mike Fucito to start.

Arsenal came to Toon to play and play they did.

The first half was predictably all Arsenal, controlled possession and lots of through balls for Gervinho and Arshavin to chase. Gervinho did extremely well on his Premier League debut and there is much more to come from the talented Ivorian. Ramsey busied himself about in the middle of the park and did very well, the midfield trio of Ramsey, Song and Rosicky functioned well and snuffed out any attacking threat from Barton, Tiote and Cabaye whilst piling more pressure on Newcastle.

Its clear that Arsene Wenger needs someone new at Arsenal as months of ongoing transfer gossip involving the sales of Samir Nasri and Cesc Fabregas finally look to be coming to a close.

Team spirit is Wenger's number one priority, he constantly repeats it in his interviews, and I would strongly concur with him.

Admit it - you can't wait until Jurgen Klinsmann reveals his first U.S. national team roster.
I can't either.
It could either be a completely different new set of names or a lot of the old standbys. Or a mix of both. Since it's an international fixture date, Klinsmann won't be limited with his choices.

Call it a hangover, call it a trap game, call it a gut punch. There are lots of negative adjectives you can use to describe the Seattle Sounders' 3-1 loss to the Houston Dynamo on Saturday in hot, humid and nasty Robertson Stadium.

It was, easily, the Sounders' worst performance of the MLS season.

It is very rare these days that we see an Arsenal player with a genuine connection to the club. A local lad, someone who has known Arsenal all their life, and not just from the start of their footballing education. When Lansbury scored against Spurs last season everybody could see what it meant to him he is Arsenal born and bred and suggestions of letting him go without giving him a decent chance in the first team would be typical of the youth project in recent years.

Costa Rican teenage sensation Joel Campbell who caught the eye in the Copa America campaign is set to join Arsenal for a sum of £900,000. The Ticos exited in the group stage but Campbell made his mark scoring in a 2-0 win against Bolivia. They were outclassed 0-4 against Argentina with Campbell again shining with his speed and dribbling skills.

The Missouri Comets second season is coming up sooner than later, and today the team announced their first two signings for this coming season. One is a returning player, another is a player familiar to Comets fans. Brian Harris, who was on the MISL All-Rookie team last year has signed a two year contract with the Comets to begin his second season with the team.

It seemed a foregone conclusion that England Under-21 international Connor Wickham was heading to Anfield this season. Liverpool had been linked with Wickham for months, but while they haggled over his price with Ipswich, Steve Bruce swooped in and grabbed the Ipswich striker for a fee in the region of£8.

On August 5th the NY Cosmos led by Eric Cantona will play Paul Scholes's testimonial at Old Trafford.

Cantona, the coach of the Paul Kelmsley owned Cosmos hopes nostalgia will help gain a foothold in the MLS but featuring in the testimonial of a player the stature of Scholes in one of football's most hallowed ground might translate into something more tangible.