SoccerBlogs

After a scoreless first half, the Worcester Hydra and Vermont Voltage scored five goals in a 21 minute span in the second half that sent the Hydra away with three points in a 3-2 victory in front of 241 at South Burlington High School on Saturday night.

Seeking to win three in a row after starting the season on a 10 game winless streak, Vermont (2-9-2, 8 points) looked to be in good shape against Worcester (4-3-5, 17 points), taking a 2-1 lead just before the hour mark.

Manchester United captain Nemanja Vidic is full of praise for summer signing Robin van Persie, insisting that the heroic showing of the former Arsenal captain has compensated for the club's poor defensive form.

Vidic struggled with make-shift defensive partner Michael Carrick as United conceded three goals in their opening two matches.

Defending champions Manchester City brought back memorable celebrations of May 13 to Etihad Stadium as they started their new Premier League campaign with a dramatic 3-2 come-from-behind win against newly promoted Southampton.

City dramatically came from behind to score two late goals in their 3-2 win over QPR on the last day of the 2011-12 season, sealing a nervy title win at the expense of bitter rivals Manchester United nearly 13 weeks ago.

Amid reports that Arsenal are looking to bolster their attack with the potential signing of Fulham's Moussa Dembele, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has urged the club's greatest attacking weapon skipper Robin van Persie to remain a Gunner.

Van Persie reportedly had an inconclusive contract meeting with manager Arsene Wenger last week, with many assuming that the Dutchman turned down an extension that would have rewarded him with a £130,000 weekly salary.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger believes that the developments during Bolton's must-win match at Stoke City influenced the attitude of Queens Park Rangers and thus, allowed Manchester City to score two dramatic stoppage time goals en route to their famous Premier League triumph yesterday.

QPR were leading the Citizens 2-1 at the Etihad Stadium when they heard that Bolton were up by the same score at Britannia despite an early Jonathan Walters goal that should have been waived off due to a clear foul on Trotters stopper Adam Bogdan.

To say that the 38th matchday of the 2011-12 Barclays Premier League season was extremely thrilling and dramatic would be an understatement, as the verdict on the season of many teams was held till the very last kick.

Manchester City came from 2-1 behind to score two stoppage time goals against Queens Park Rangers to secure an incredible 3-2 win and with that, their first league title since 1968.

It's never easy for a team to play without its leader. That proved to be the case on Saturday as the New England Revolution were unable to compensate for the absence of Shalrie Joseph in a 2-1 loss to D.C. United.

Joseph, the Revs' midfield general for the past decade, was forced to sit out the match after the MLS Disciplinary Committee issued a retroactive suspension on April 10 for a tackle he committed in the Revs 1-0 loss to FC Dallas on April 5.

For the first time in their brief MLS History Portland has scored 2 away goals and not only have did they score two but one of them was a late equalizer. With all that said there were not that many players to choose from for Man of the Match honors as quite a few players had pretty poor performances, so let's see who the writers thought was their MOTM.

Just over two weeks ago the New England Revolution looked primed to make a run at the playoffs. The club was in the midst of a five game unbeaten streak, sitting in sixth place in the East and closing in on the fifth and final playoff spot while preparing to face the worst team in the league, Toronto FC, at home.

Toronto FC is one game away from having its name in the record books for a lengthy streak to start the season. Unfortunately for the club and its fans, it is for all the wrong reasons.

After a 3-2 loss at home against the Chicago Fire on Saturday, Toronto fell to 0-6-0 to start the season. Another loss will tie them with the 1999 Kansas City Wizards for the worst start in MLS history.

Lionel Messi was again on hand to score two first-half penalties as Barcelona beat AC Milan at the Nou Camp last night.

Messi's brace makes him the youngest player to score 50 goals in the Champions League and equals AC Milan striker Jose Altafini's season record of 14 in the same competition.

With United 2-1 down away at Southampton today, Robin van Persie won a penalty thanks to a reckless challenge from behind. The Dutchman stepped up to score his second equalising goal of the game but then took a bizarre penalty, a poor attempt at an Andrea Pirlo from this summer's Euro 2012, and the keeper saved it.

Big spending Paris St. Germain looked set to make a splash in the world of football this season after signing the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva. Les Parisiens were heavy favorites to bring home the Ligue 1 title this season, but this weekend succumbed to a third successive draw as the French league gathers pace.

EAST LONGMEADOW, Mass. Mutiny head coach Tony Horta had a decision to make in Saturday's clash against the Breakers.

With his team down a goal to the best team in the league in the waning minutes and subs at his disposal, Horta could do one of two things: play it safe or play for the win.

W.B.A. 2-3 Arsenal

We score an early goal, then we let two in, then we score two more before holding on for dear life for the win. And that, ladies and gentlemen, sums up Arsenal's strengths and weaknesses in one handy cut-out-and-keep sentence.

Ultimately though, despite pretty much three dicky patches, ten league defeats and a defence that shipped 49 goals, we have come third and made our summer all the more enjoyable in the process.