You're looking live for one last time at Neal's townhouse basement - the next time we come to you it will be from temporary quarters in a condo while we wait to buy our next house (which probably won't happen until the off-season). As Jeremy stated, it's been a crazy week for both injuries and injury news (BBC and Sky + ESPN seemed to disagree wildly about the status of some key players like Click to continue reading...

Football FocusWednesdays, 7.30pm (Indian time), ESPN StarPresented by John DykesNothing to do with Lawro or Dicko, Football Focus is the moniker adopted by ESPN for their weekly magazine show, a broadcast that is aired throughout the Asian continent. Based in Singapore, the programme chiefly provides a showcase for the channel's exhaustive coverage of the Premier League (which they call the "EPL" Click to continue reading...

Kyle Beckerman and RSL are going to MLS Cup 2009. (Getty Images)

Looking back on this past weekend that was the conference finals I must say the result isn't as shocking as it initially was. The thought of a LA Galaxy-Real Salt Lake MLS Cup final was something no one would have called back in March, hell or even back at the beginning of this very month.

Click to continue reading...

The news that Chris Rolfe was leaving at the end of the season for Denmark came out a couple months ago, but Jack Bell over at the New York Times had a long article that touched on the topic yesterday:

Rolfe said that Aalborg, known as AaB, attempted to buy him from the league last summer, but M.

Click to continue reading...

After a pair of gripping conference finals, our MLS Cup match-up for next weekend takes the all-East flavor from last year's final out west. It will be the Los Angeles Galaxy (yes, THAT L.A. Galaxy... paging Sky, BBC, iTv and every rotten paper rag to the airport, pack as if staying in London) pitted against upstarts Real Salt Lake at Qwest Field in Seattle a week from today. Click to continue reading...

And it's L for Laura Guimarães! Nilmar scored a beauty of a header in Brazil's 1-0 victory over England yesterday (let's not talk about that Fabulouso penalty shall we, the sky fell down when that happened!) and aptly dedicated the goal to his wife!

Click to continue reading...

Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez wants an amazing £14 million for Brazilian midfielder Lucas Leiva - and plans to keep him despite needing to sell players.
The Kop chief has been approached by a couple of top European sides who hoped to exploit the Anfield cash problems by landing Lucas in a bargain deal. Click to continue reading...

Il capitano bianconero sta tornando. In allenamento, con Diego, è vero e proprio show. Dopo aver passato parecchie settimane tra infermeria e panchina, "Pinturicchio" riassapora il campo e, alla bellezza di 35 anni suonati, è pronto a regalare nuove magie ai tifosi torinesi. Ma non è solo sul campo che concede spettacolo. Click to continue reading...

A pesar de angustiosas situaciones económicas y políticas en el país, el futbol siempre ha sido el escaparate perfecto para la sociedad mexicana.

Es triste ver como el futbol se privatiza poco a poco. Parece no ser suficiente desde hace algunos años, quitarle a la gente partidos de sus clubes en distintos lugares del país cuando estos juegan de locales.

Click to continue reading...

I was watching Sky this morning and they announced the England squad and noticed that Ash wasn't included. So I was wondering what was up and wondered if he had been called but withdrew (for a breather for a pointless game at a pointless venue in my opinion coming up to the Christmas period) but then this afternoon an official Chelsea spokesperson has announced the following: "Ashley Cole has Click to continue reading...

I was watching Sky this morning and they announced the England squad and noticed that Ash wasn't included. So I was wondering what was up and wondered if he had been called but withdrew (for a breather for a pointless game at a pointless venue in my opinion coming up to the Christmas period) but then this afternoon an official Chelsea spokesperson has announced the following: "Ashley Cole has

Click to continue reading...

If you are a Newcastle United fan, there's really nothing in the middle of how things are going at the Tyneside club. Newcastle United fans It;s either feast or famine everything is either just wonderful and great in the Newcastle garden, or everything is terrible and bad and the sky is falling in. Click to continue reading...

This was a blatant dive. The clip above makes it look like a dive and it is the most forgiving angle. From the side one can clearly see Fletcher throwing himself down before any contact is made and the contact that is made is microscopic to say the least. The ref got it spot on and booked Fletcher for his gamesmanship. Click to continue reading...

Louis van Gaal ist spätestens seit der zweiten Niederlage gegen Girondins Bordeaux und dem damit verbundenen Fast-Aus in der Champions League-Gruppenphase ein heißer Kandidat für die nächste Trainerentlassung der Bundesliga. Ausgerechnet Bayerns Ex-Meistertrainer Felix Magath kann am Wochenende mit seinen Schalkern in München das Schicksal des Holländers besiegeln.

Click to continue reading...

Apologies all, I've been moving house today and cannot get near to doing a full preview of tonight's game, which starts in a matter of minutes. Suffice to say that a win is actually quite important given Chelsea's qualification last night (we play Chelsea after matchday 5, and they can concentrate entirely on that one), and I think we'll get it, 2-0.

Click to continue reading...

Bill Shankly once said: "Aim for the sky and you'll reach the ceiling. Aim for the ceiling and you'll stay on the floor". Against Fulham on Saturday, Rafa Benitez didn't aim for the sky or the ceiling; he didn't even aim for the floor! With his cautious approach and maddeningly incomprehensible decisions, Benitez went against everything Liverpool FC stands for and committed the ultimate footballing sin: he gave up and conceded defeat. Click to continue reading...

It is strange that Arsenal Champions League matches always play second fiddle to those of Chelsea/Manu/Liverpool when it comes to getting on tv, especially given how few supporters Chelsea have. It is strange how rarely an Arsenal game is featured early on in Match of the Day, invariably tedious games involving Manu/Chelsea and Liverpool feature earlier on. Click to continue reading...

Well, wasn't that all a pleasant surprise last night. Getting a lead, and holding it (eventually), Nasri and Eduardo getting 90 minutes, Craig Eastmond being an absolute powerhouse in the middle of the park, the fact that the more Liverpool raised the tempo, the better we played, Fabianksi not looking like Nervianski at all, Kerrea (FYI Sky it's not Gary or Ciara) growing into his position, Fran's wonder strike. Click to continue reading...

Just a quick note to say that FIFA's monthly women's wrap is up here, it includes the latest transfer goss from the WPS (Sky Blue FC seem to have done VERY well for themselves), Marta's stint back in her home country of Brazil which culimated in a 9-0 win in the championship final. Yep, 9-0. Short wrap on European leagues and the W-League gets a mention. Click to continue reading...

Though the rain may have followed it's way over from Giants Stadium to Red Bull Arena, and the sky was as gray as ever, it could not dampen nor cast a shadow on today's accomplishment. Ladies and Gentlemen, say goodbye to plastic turf; the final piece of sod is in place, and the Red Bulls Kentucky Blue Grass pitch is finally complete.

Click to continue reading...

From Saturday's Ukrainian SuperLiga match between Dnipro and league leaders Dynamo Kiev, we have Dnipro's Pavlo Pashayev sending Milos Ninkovic on a painful trip through the sky with a terrible high challenge that earned him a straight red. Even worse? His teammates actually had the gall to argue the ref's decision.

Click to continue reading...

RVP: Cesc. Look at me, mate.

Cesc Fabregas: Don't wanna.

RVP: We can't take all the responsibility here. We're good at scoring goals. We make jazzy stuff happen on the pitch. That's what we do.

Cesc Fabregas: I'm captain.

Click to continue reading...

RVP: Cesc. Look at me, mate.

Cesc Fabregas: Don't wanna.

RVP: We can't take all the responsibility here. We're good at scoring goals. We make jazzy stuff happen on the pitch. That's what we do.

Cesc Fabregas: I'm captain.

Click to continue reading...

It was a great weekend in the Premier League for Chelsea. Not only did the Blues finally hit top gear to crush Blackburn 5-0, Liverpool took three points off Manchester United while Man City and Arsenal both dropped points having surrendered two goal leads.
Chelsea now sit two points clear at the top of the table with the joint best goal difference and, whilst more difficult games are on the horizon (not least Man Utd next month), things are looking bright.

Click to continue reading...

It was a great weekend in the Premier League for Chelsea. Not only did the Blues finally hit top gear to crush Blackburn 5-0, Liverpool took three points off Manchester United while Man City and Arsenal both dropped points having surrendered two goal leads.
Chelsea now sit two points clear at the top of the table with the joint best goal difference and, whilst more difficult games are on the horizon (not least Man Utd next month), things are looking bright.

Click to continue reading...

Fabio Capello admits banishing the fear factor has been the key to England's success during his reign. Capello led England to next year's World Cup in South Africa in impressive fashion as his side won nine of their 10 qualifying matches. But the sky-high morale around England is a complete contrast to . Click to continue reading...

They Think It's All Over... is bemused by the scheduling of Everton's Carling Cup tie with Tottenham. Click to continue reading...

When you looked up at the sky, and the puddles all over the floor, there was a certain irony in it all; as if even the God's were crying over the 2009 season. And what weather could be more fitting for a Stadium that caused nothing but tears for the past 14 years? Surely, with a hungry and desperate TFC at the gates, tonight would end like so many others; a tearful mess of a loss.

Click to continue reading...

Henri Lansbury - what a player in the making. If for no reason other than to see the midfielder play for Watford you tuned into Sky last night you would have seen him score a terrific goal. A pass, the perfect positioning for a return, heads for goal, a player on either side of him [...] Click to continue reading...

Bis zur Sportschau müssten sich die Fans noch gedulden! Das ist eindeutig zu lange für alle Bayer 04 und BVB Fans. Und das Sky Bundesliga-Paket für ca. 30€ kann sich ja nun auch nicht jeder leisten. Daher haben wir für euch aus dem befreundeten Ausland schon mal das Videomaterial des Freitagsspiels zusammengesammelt, damit ihr euren Freunden sagen könnt: "Ich hab die Tore von Barrios und Friedrich ja schon gesehen.

Click to continue reading...

I'm not overly keen on criticising our own players but sometimes it's hard to avoid it. I got a lot of stick for criticising Cristiano Ronaldo last season but it's rare that I would really lay in to one of our own players.

I'm afraid I have to get something off my chest today though.

Rio fucked up massively a few years ago and I was more than happy to voice my dislike of him.

Click to continue reading...

My blog over at SoccerCity is already a little outdated given the events of today but I'll publish it anyway!
A few months ago I wrote a blog comparing the fortunes of England's two Magpies – Newcastle and Notts County.
Back then Newcastle were in despair, mourning the loss of their Premier League status. Click to continue reading...

Cheer Up Alan Shearer's Top 10 TV Football Moments
1. Goooooooooooooooooolllllllllllllllllll
It would be fair to say that Kelvin Koogan's 'love it!' rant on Sky was our nailed on Number One clip when we sat down to formulate this list. That was, however, until I was sent this cfootage. Click to continue reading...

With the Ballon d'Or nominations finally releasing this weekend, the headlines have mostly been devoted to the fact that world champions Italy have no representation whatsoever. But why blame the press for paying excessive attention to an irrelevant detail? After all, the award itself is destined to be heading Lionel Messi's way, which means very little is there to be talked about in terms of debating the winner, right?

Click to continue reading...

I can see us beating them 0-2 tomorrow, plain and simple.
Let's face it, with the mess that they were (still are) in, Paul Hart had no choice but to bring in Championship players. Championship players normally end up in the Championship.
O'Hara, who's been solid for them this season, won't be in the side, whilst King (who Patrick Barclay of the Times called the best centre-half in Britain) should be back. Click to continue reading...