Soler Swag for days

After what can only be described as a highly disappointing season in 2011, the Red Bulls, and more importantly their front office, certainly had their work cut out for them. A roster filled with so much talent but woefully underachieved had to be revamped somehow. And it was Erik Soler's job to fit together the right pieces to assert New York as a top team once again.

Thailand are currently hosting the King's Cup, I'm not covering it, featuring teams from Scandinavia and North Korea and not doing particularly well it must be said. Anyway striker Sompong Soleb decided to go out for a few beers, breaking curfew, drove home, smashed up his motor and in fine Thai tradition, fled the scene.

Thailand lost to a South Korea team yesterday in the King's Cup. I have no idea which South Korea, it certainly weren't the first team and they didn't even include the Arsenal striker Park, but anyone the Thais played them and got beat 3-1.
Coach Winnie Schaefer after the game said the Thai team weren't very fit.

Featured image: Courtesy of Dan Morrison and bethlehemsteelsoccer.org

Against the expectation of many in the US, the United States Football Association's first international tour in Scandinavia in the summer of 1916 had been a great success. The cash-strapped USFA had come out of the trip in the black—the Swedish FA had paid for the tour thanks to the backing of a leading Swedish newspaper—and the team had performed well to garner a 3–1–2 record despite having been put together only days before departure to Europe without the benefit of tryouts.

Marc Burch, formerly of D.C. United, negotiated new terms with the Seattle Sounders. Burch will compete with Leo Gonzalez for starting time at left back, but per today's release Coach Sigi Schmid sees him adding needed depth.

"We are happy to have Marc signed," said Sigi Schmid, Sounders FC head coach.

The Seattle Sounders appear to be hitting the international market during transfer season yet again.

After officially announcing the acquisition of Swedish right back Adam Johannson on Thursday, the Sounders are reportedly close to signing Danish winger Christian Sivebaek, a player general manager Adrian Hanauer told the Seattle Times that the Sounders are "very interested" in acquiring.

One of college soccer's top attacking talents is headed overseas.

After not being offered a Generation adidas deal by MLS, University of Virginia winger Brian "Cobi" Span signed with Swedish club Djurgarden on Tuesday. Djurgarden had also offered former Akron and current GA striker Darren Mattocks a deal before he ultimately signed with MLS.

Incompetence over fixture scheduling is an ASEAN speciality. The Indonesians have long led the field, and now there are two leagues there we get to see double the incompetence.
Lately the Thais want their turn. The current Thai Premier League began in March and there have been so many changes to the schedule I think everyone has forgotten when it was originally slated to end.

The NCAA College Cup Final always has its share of scouts tracking the top talent, and last weekend's matches in Hoover, Alabama drew extra attention from foreign clubs interested in the handful of top pro prospects on display.

At the top of that list was North Carolina striker Billy Schuler, who helped lead the Tar Heels to their second NCAA title after scoring the vital equalizer in the semifinal win against UCLA last Friday.

Even though tonights game was a International Friendly, It was never gunna be a friendly with all the pre-match hype, Denmark and Sweden have obviously got a big history + rivalry both from being from Scandinavia. Nicklas Bendtner had hit 3 goals and an assist in his last 3 games for Denmark, so he was on fire going into tonight's game.

Even though tonights game was a International Friendly, It was never gunna be a friendly with all the pre-match hype, Denmark and Sweden have obviously got a big history + rivalry both from being from Scandinavia. Nicklas Bendtner had hit 3 goals and an assist in his last 3 games for Denmark, so he was on fire going into tonight's game.

Denmark and Sweden meet again on Friday night in an International Friendly Match, the two Scandinavian rivals met last time in late 09′ for the World Cup South Africa 10′ Qualifiers, in a decider to see who will qualify out of the group. Denmark came out victorious that night, with Bendtner squaring it to Jakob Poulsen, who hit a hard low powerful shot past the keeper from 20 yards, Which saw them qualify.

Long-term Liverpool target Ola Toivonen is being linked with a move to Sunderland.
The Swedish international striker was heavily linked with a move to Anfield whilst the Reds were under the stewardship of Roy Hodgson, who still had connections from his time in Scandinavia.
However, replacement Kenny Dalgish was also thought to be keen on the PSV Eindhoven forward, who impressed Liverpool scouts with his form in the Eredivisie.

Just like in Scandinavia, the various football leagues of the Baltic States are approaching the business end of the 2011 campaign. As well as Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, this report will feature Belarus.

Earlier this season the Latvian Virslīga looked like a one horse race as FK Ventspils stormed into the lead when dropping just two out of thirty six points in their opening twelve games of the season.

Liverpool has been regular visitors to Oslo in recent years but today's trip to face Valerenga will be unlike any other.
Norway is a nation grieving after the horrific terrorist attacks 10 days ago which claimed 77 lives.
A car bomb at a government building in the capital killed eight with another 69 shot dead on the island of Utoya.

By Chris Wright

...Wayne Rooney (his seventh consecutive year) and l'il Jacky Wilshere which, so far as we know, marks the Arsenal diddyman's cover art debut...

According to the blurb, Rooney and Wilshere will appear on the FIFA 12 cover in the UK, Ireland, Scandinavia and Middle East when the game is released on September 30th.

Eddie Johnson during one of his few happier times with Fulham, celebrating with fellow American Clint Dempsey. (Getty Images)

All I can say is it is about time for the Grown Ass Man to return to MLS. Goal.com had a post about US Men's National team forward Eddie Johnson saying he would consider returning to MLS.

Liverpool target Juan Manuel Mata will ‘listen to all offers' after the European Under-21 Championships, according to his dad.
The Valencia winger is currently on international duty with Spain's youngsters in Denmark, and Barcelona are the latest club to have expressed an interest in the £20million-rated midfielder.

You know it's the summer when the main stories in the footballing world seem to come out of Scandinavia and the collective ass of the mass media.

Thrusting Norway's Tippeligaen to the forefront for a reason other than its awesome promo videos is Remi Johansen, a placement specialist, even when those placements are very much not real.

Scandinavian misbehaving no, Finland is not technically a part of Scandinavia, but...come on seems to come in bulk. The Swedes spent some time in trouble yesterday, earning a timeout for the masses, and the Finns, while at it for some time, just keep riding the slippery slope.

Of all the places, Finland is mired in a huge bribery scandal, with layers being peeled back by the day.

Last night's Community. Was. AWESOME...Let's kick off with one that got lost on my Notepad last week: Gale Agbossoumonde sits down for an official club interview production. FYI: This was done before they got themselves a new manager. We'll hop next to another American in Scandinavia, as NSC pal Jared Montz video chats up AaB's Chris Rolfe.

Jeremy Vuolo has become the latest yank to play in Scandinavia after signing a one year contract with AC Oulu of the Finnish Veikkausliiga late last week.

This is a guest post by our newly crowned Serie A expert Eric Giardini.

And thus concludes another transfer window with the tally of Americans newly introduced to Serie A clubs again...zero....

Thumbs up for....Frankfurt...not Livorno...

Over the past few decades, the number of Americans playing overseas in Europe has grown substantially.

With teams in North America and Scandinavia starting to gear up for the 2011 season, we check in on some of Wisconsin's professional players and their prospects for the upcoming year.