Here is my thinking:

1. Harry is battered and bruised after the court case, just look at the interview this morning outside his home in Dorset. Think all the media pressure and the cushy job at Spuds, no doubt a massive pay rise and more money for players to come from Levy will mean... thanks but no thanks.

Two goals from Didier Drogba and a fine free kick from Yaya Toure gave Ivory Coast a comfortable 3-0 win over Co-host Equatorial Guinea to send the Elephants through to the Semi final where they will face either Gabon or Mali.

In the day's earlier match Zambia beat 10 man Sudan with a scoreline to make it through to the semis for the first time since 1996.

There were two things we learnt about Zlatan Ibrahimovic this week. One was that in his youth, he was "easily in the top five of the most unruly pupils" his school's headmistress had ever seen. The second was that he used to lock himself up in his apartment after a bad game when 50,000 fans whistled at him.

Without a "Group of Death," and without 5 of the top 8 ranked African countries (Egypt, Algeria, Nigeria, Cameroon and South Africa all failed to qualify), the opening stages of the African Cup of Nations lacks a bit in the tasty fixtures department. For perspective, Tunisia, the participating country with the fourth-highest FIFA ranking is still behind tiny Cape Verde Islands (who also did not qualify).

Group C: African Cup of Nations Preview (Gabon, Morocco, Niger, Tunisia) is a post from: Just Football

We've looked at Demba Ba and friends in Group A and contemplated Côte d'Ivoire in Group B. Just Football's team-by-team African Cup of Nations 2012 group previews continues now with a look at Group C.

U.S. defender and Women's World Cup star Ali Krieger, who plays her trade for FFC Frankfurt in Germany, was originally scheduled to attend the second half of the USA's training camp in Los Angeles. Due to several injuries to her teammates, and a run of poor league results, Krieger's club requested that she stay in Germany.

Liverpool at home for FA Cup 3rd Round

LIVERPOOL will begin their 2012 FA Cup campaign with a home match against either Southend United and Oldham Athletic. League Two Southend drew 1-1 at home to Oldham Athletic yesterday, matching their club-record 17 match unbeaten run, and now face a trip to League One Oldham's Boundary Park for the 2nd round replay.

Back in full effect next week.

In fact a piece on the Euro 2012 draw out later today.

Best game to watch today? Newcastle vs. Chelsea? Close. Barca vs. top-table wannabee Levante? Not quite.

Inter vs. Udinese? Not bad, but...

The correct answer? Stateside...UCLA battle Lousville for the right to move on to the semis of the College Cup.

UEFA impose ticket limit for England fans

Teams will only get 5,000 official seats for Euro 2012 quarters and semis

View the full story here: The Mirror

A news article on 2011-12-01 23:05:11 from: The Mirror

This news item has been reproduced from today's media.

The Carling Cup quarterfinals were full of entertainment and although four teams saw their chances of going to Wembley brought to an end, the remaining four shall offer plenty more in the semis.

For now, here is a look at five lessons learned, in no particular order, from the quarterfinals:

1.

Yer shoulda stayed at a big club, staaaayed at a biiig club!...Liverpool make their second trip to Stamford Bridge on Tuesday in as many weeks. The Reds drew Andres Villas-Boas' side in the Carling Cup quarter final away from home and will be looking to progress to the semis.
After beating Chelsea 2-1 on their own turf last weekend, Liverpool will surely be brimming with confidence.

Chelsea In Carling Cup Quarter Final

Yer shoulda stayed at a big club, staaaayed at a biiig club!... Liverpool make their second trip to Stamford Bridge on Tuesday in as many weeks. The Reds drew Andres Villas-Boas' side in the Carling Cup quarter final away from home and will be looking to progress to the semis.

Whilst discussing the barrage of abuse new German recruit, Per Mertesecker, has received from all quarters Wenger inadvertently confirmed the back four to start the most important game of the season for Arsenal against Dortmund in the Champions League penultimate group game.

"The criticism in the papers has been very harsh, but when you play for a big team, you have to accept that.

That the 2012 Major League Soccer season will be unbalanced comes as little surprise. The surprise is that MLS' Board of Governors decided to go with the least balance they could thereby creating enormous strength of schedule differences both for the overall standings and within the Conference. When MLS Executive Vice-President Nelson Rodriguez says "We have established a fair and compelling format for the 2012 season," one must wonder what the definition of fair is that he's using.

CARSON, Calif. -- Funny thing about the prediction and prognostication game when it comes to big games:

It's a bit like the weather; stick around long enough, and the prevailing winds will change.

Earlier this week, conventional wisdom said Sunday's biggie inside the Home Depot Center would be an old-fashioned romp-and-stomp.

JAKARTA - His Singapore under-23 side crashed out of the SEA Games football tournament on Thursday night, but Slobodan Pavkovic (picture) was game enough to meet the media over breakfast yesterday.
A year ago the Lions team were booted out in the group stages of the AFF Suzuki Cup and, along with coach Radojko Avramovic, faced a torrent of criticism back home.

Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it. | Subscribe: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

In this week's review section, minnows on the brink, how to reach a final and not make friends, and Leeds humbled at home. You can listen to these and other stories on our weekly podcast and can find explanations of key vocabulary in bold below, or highlighted in blue.

In the emotionally-charged sequel to last weekend's showdown at Red Bull Area, Mike Magee and Landon Donovan each scored as Los Angeles beat New York 2-1 during the second leg of the Western Conference semis and advanced to the Conference Finals 3-1 on aggregate.

Although Red Bulls' target man Luke Rodgers opened the scoring with a 4th minute strike to immediately level the series at 1-1, Magee, the former Red Bull who had pointed words for his former employers prior to the match, replied before halftime when he took hold of a David Beckham cornerand banged it through to relcaim the L.

Villarreal Club de Fútbol, S.A.D., usually abbreviated to Villarreal CF or just Villarreal, has been a regular top five finisher in the Spanish Primera División since the 2004/05 season. The club was a UEFA Champions League semi-finalist in 2006 and made the semis of the UEFA Europa League in 2004 and 2011.

Fredy Montero joins Nate Jaqua (10), Kasey Keller (09) and Pat Noonan (07, with Revolution) as current Seattle Sounders who earned the Player of the Tournament award from TheCup.US and North American Soccer Reporters. Montero helped the Sounders to their historical third straight US Open Cups by hitting game winners in the quarters, the semis and the Final.

The Minnesota State High School Soccer Coaches Association (MSHSSCA) have completed their final poll of the year. Sectionals start next week with the 2011 State High School Tournament taking place from October 26 November 3. IMSoccer News will once again bring you coverage of the quarterfinals and up-to-the-minute coverage of the semis and finals [.

When Osvaldo Alonso signed with the Seattle Sounders back in the fall of 2008 it was coming off a season with the Charleston Battery that wasn't just impressive, but amazing. He was the team Player of Year, led the team to a US Open Cup Final appearance (after beating Seattle in the semis), USL-1 Rookie of Year, scored seven goals and assisted on seven more.

Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it. | Subscribe: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

In this week's review section, a wonderful gesture by the Old Lady, Korean clubs in the Asian Champions League and a football executive forced to resign in England.

The Chicago Fire may be on a three game win streak, but as things stand, the 2011 season has failed to live up to the Fire's high expectations. Frank Klopas must take the brunt of the blame for the Fire's failures to date this season. Now before anyone jumps down my throat I want to point out that as it stands, the Fire are almost certainly not going to make the Playoffs and are playing the U.

Just heard on World Football Daily that Bobby Rhine, former FC Dallas player, face of that franchise, TV commentator, Around the League contributor and all-around good guy has died of a sudden heart attack while vacationing with his family. He was 35 and leaves his wife and two daughters.

Holding a 3-0 lead going into the 2nd leg of their Singapore Cup Quarter Final against Myanmar side Okkthar United, Hougang United were made to fight all the way as the Myanmar team gave them a scare or two. Fortunately for the daftly nicknamed Cheetahs, Jordan Webb's goal right on half time gave them some breathing space but their 3-1 loss was enough to see them into the semis where they join Albirex Niigata, who defeated them in the League Cup Final, and Home United.

August 10Dasarath Rangashala
Pakistan U16 remain undefeated in all its matches in the tournament and carried away the SAFF cup with them which was thought to be ours to keep. The Pakistan repeated the group stage outcome against the fellow estranged nation. India was not welcomed by fans owing to public perspective to the nation as well as our defeat with them on semi finals.

August 10Dasarath Rangashala
Pakistan U16 remain undefeated in all its matches in the tournament and carried away the SAFF cup with them which was thought to be ours to keep. The Pakistan repeated the group stage outcome against the fellow estranged nation. India was not welcomed by fans owing to public perspective to the nation as well as our defeat with them on semi finals.

AnfieldIndex.com Writers Predictions | 2011/12 Season

AnfieldIndex Liverpool FC Stats | Liverpool FC Blog | Liverpool FC Forum So the start of the new season has come around (super fast for us as we've been so busy) and as is usual at this time of year everyone is having their say for the predictions.

Columnist: Ram GurungNepalifootball.com
Nepal into the semisNepal U16 entered the semis by winning against Sri Lanka U16 side which opened the flood gate in the second half of the encounter. The defeated side will be playing the playoff against the Maldives after the semi finals of the tournament.

6th AugustRam Gurung,Columnist: Nepalifootball.comIndia U16 and Pakistan U16 have already qualified to the semis as they await their opponents from Group B. India thrashed the Goal droughted Maldives 5-0. Maldives awaits Nepal or Sri Lanka from Group B for the fifth place playoff.Talking about the goal drought, Nepal U16 has not been able to open an account regardless of myriad chances against Bangladesh.

Ram Gurung
Columnist, Nepalifootball.com


4 AugustDasarath RangashalaThe confident U16 Nepal National team has drawn against the strong Bangladesh side which scored 6 goals against Sri Lanka. Heman Gurung and his teammate squandered a series of chances in this tie.

The SPAIN U-19 TEAM participating in the U-19 EURO CHAMPIONSHIPS in Rumania fell down hard back to Earth with a 3 - 0 defeat against TURKEY. The Spaniards had nothing to lose in this match as they had already qualified for the semis, however Turkey was playing for a spot & missed out because Serbia did not lose against Belgium.

The Western Mass Pioneers and MPS Portland Phoenix kicked of the weekend that was in New England soccer with a 0-0 draw on Friday at Lusitano Field in Ludlow, MA. Goalkeepers Matt Williams (MPS) and Colin O'Donnell (WMP) stopped a combined 19 shots to keep the board unblemished.

Por Gastón del Torto / @g_deltorto
¿Cómo puede ser que en tres de los cuatro partidos de la última instancia de la Copa América hayan clasificado quienes no lo merecían?. Más allá que la justicia y el fútbol no van de la mano, los penales determinaron que dos grandes de Sudamérica no siguieran en el torneo y el excesivo "tarro" hizo lo mismo con Chile.

So as wonderful as the Women's World Cup has been, the Copa America has been just epic from the standpoint of a simple question: "Who?"

Was anyone expecting that much the summer after a full Euro season + World Cup year? Nay. Gaslights are all on, have been on, and the needles are about to break off.

Uh-may-zing. The Japanese WNT win the FIFA Women's World Cup. Image: Getty Images/Daylife

Thank heavens for the WWC. For the players' obvious joy at simply being there. For the quality of the football, which has surpassed expectation over and over again. For the competitiveness and work ethic of each side, that made each fixture thrilling and unpredictable.

Right from ancient times, when the balls were made from pig intestines and the goal had no crossbar, to a-changin' times where crystallized tears of Arsenal supporters sell like hot cakes after each game, football has always been considered a man's game. Rugged, craggy, rumble-tumble in the mud, and certainly no place for a dignified member of the fairer sex to mingle.

Right from ancient times, when the balls were made from pig intestines and the goal had no crossbar, to a-changin' times where crystallized tears of Arsenal supporters sell like hot cakes after each game, football has always been considered a man's game. Rugged, craggy, rumble-tumble in the mud, and certainly no place for a dignified member of the fairer sex to mingle.

By FRANCO PANIZO

Not even homefield advantage was enough to help Argentina put an end to its trophy drought.

Argentina was knocked out of the Copa America at the Santa Fe Stadium on Saturday night, losing to Uruguay, 5-4, in a penalty kick shootout after playing to a 1-1 draw.