Olympique Lyonnais vs. SM Caen

Week 23 – Ligue 1

What an AWESOME start to the year! Six wins, one well fought out draw and a marginal 1-0 loss in 8 matches since January. 8 matches in which Lyon has scored 19 goals.

Things just keeping getting tougher for goalkeepers. The match balls continue to be more active and fly faster, attackers are stronger and smarter, and now the U-23 coaching staff has added a new challenge: the absence of light.
OK, it was just for one session and it wasn't actually planned that way, but it still made the training interesting.

Tenzin Rampa (Madison West/UW-Milwaukee), Ian Bennett, Hewerton and Marcio Leite scored two goals apiece as the Milwaukee Wave routed the Cincinnati Kings 31-4 in an exhibition game Saturday night at U.S. Cellular Arena.

The reigning Major Indoor Soccer League champion Wave led 4-2 at halftime against the Professional Arena Soccer League side, but dominated the second half in their warmup for next Sunday's league opener against the Wichita Wings.

Tenzin Rampa (Madison West/UW-Milwaukee), Ian Bennett, Hewerton and Marcio Leite scored two goals apiece as the Milwaukee Wave routed the Cincinnati Kings 31-4 in an exhibition game Saturday night at U.S. Cellular Arena.

The reigning Major Indoor Soccer League champion Wave led 4-2 at halftime against the Professional Arena Soccer League side, but dominated the second half in their warmup for next Sunday's league opener against the Wichita Wings.

U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati sees innovation first, not losses, for the national team so far under new Coach Jurgen Klinsmann, seen at right Tuesday night directing things from the bench in New Jersey. Associated Press Sports Writer Ronald Blum has the full story in the wake of last night's loss to Ecuador:

HARRISON, New Jersey (AP) -- Jurgen Klinsmann has been backed by his boss at the U.

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.

Game on. And while we and many fans across the world are disappointed to see several matches postponed because of the rioting, there is hope. Most of the games will still go on. So the question is, "how are we going to get you a nice warmup in before kickoff?" Here you go, courtesy of theoriginalwinger for giving us the heads up on this: szólj hozzá: TVGOLO - Goals of the Week Video:
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Klinsmann on the field in Philly
At 6:30 p.m. Eastern Time tonight, Jurgen Klinsmann led 13 players onto the field for his first training session as head coach of the U.S. Men's National Team. Despite the hot and muggy conditions, the session had pace and energy. After an extended warmup that included field players and goalkeepers, the team went through a passing exercise before breaking into a 5 v.

3:10 p.m. Well, ok, we're not actually at the Rose Bowl yet. Luis and I decided to be environmental and carpool to the game and at this moment, we're stuck in the traffic leading to the stadium parking lots. People are walking past us at a steady clip, going faster than the molasses pace of the crowded cars.

In a tournament riddled by drug suspensions, coaching turmoil, and corporate corruption, there was only one possible story line that could overshadow all the Gold Cup controversy: A Mexico-USA final.

El tri versus the Yanks. Skill versus speed. Chicharito versus Donovan. You name it, and this rivalry probably has it.

I'm setting this to post today because right about now, I'm enjoying a nice beer and some time watching some soccer. Enjoy a little taste of a USMNT warmup.Video: ussoccer
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This is the USA-Spain post-mortem, with a little US Soccer/FIFA nonsense thrown in. Jason and Jared take stock of the warmup, talk about the reaction to it, consider Sunil Gulati's actions in the FIFA presidential voting and more. What! CSRN MEDIA PLAYER

MADRID — Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo broke the La Liga goal-scoring record with his 39th and 40th league goals of the season as Real Madrid hammered relegated Almeria 8-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday. Ronaldo poked home from close range on four minutes for his record-breaking goal to overtake the previous best of 38 [.

Etchu Tabe and RoPS will hope to run their winning streak to two games while the Yanks at Mariehamn have one last warmup at home against league powerhouse HJK before next week's crucial cup semifinal.

I've put the photos from this weekend into a separate post. First up, the game versus NJPC:

Stefani Miglioranzi and Sebastien LeToux during warmup.

Our little hero.

Justin Mapp warms up.

SOB TIFO display at Red Bull game.

Theirry Henry at PPL Park.

MILAN, Italy Antonio Cassano scored his first AC Milan goal and Robinho struck twice to help the Serie A leaders end a run of two straight draws in a 4-0 home thrashing of Parma on Saturday. Second-placed Napoli made sure the gap stayed at three points, however, with the league's top scorer Edinson Cavani [.

If there's one thing FIFA doesn't like, it's healthy players skipping out on international meetings. Well, FIFA doesn't like a lot of things, but that one's high on the list.

Sparta Prague had three players too ill or injured to make their international treks this week, which would've gone completely unnoticed until they showed up on Zenit's website after partaking in a club friendly, wearing different names on the back of their shirts.

LONDON, England — Arsenal goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski will miss the rest of the season following shoulder surgery, Gunners manager Arsene Wenger said Thursday. The Pole was injured during the warm-up ahead of Arsenal's Premier League match against Manchester City last month and has not played since.

Japan defeated Australia 1-0 on Saturday to hoist its fourth AFC Asian Cup title. The Blue Samurai battled Australia through extra time, with substitute Tadanari Lee breaking the deadlock in the 99th minute. Check out his goal! Not a bad way to open your account for your country:
Japan becomes the third nation to qualify for the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup, after host Brazil and 2010 FIFA World Cup champion Spain.

The Associated Press
Tuesday, January 25, 2011; 7:57 AM
BEIJING -- The top-ranked United States beat China 2-0 Tuesday in the final game of the Four Nations Tournament, a warmup for the Women's World Cup this summer in Germany.
The United States also won the tournament title, because it won by the bigger margin in Tuesday's two games.

Well, for once let's start with something completely uncontroversial. Last night's attendance wasn't actually a January Garbage Friendly record - last year drew a margin of error more. But that was a World Cup warmup, and the opponent was a Central American World Cup qualifier. This was a real, down-home Home Depot Center January Garbage Friendly.

And it's the team's second loss in the last five games:

CHONGQING, China (AP) -- The U.S. women's team began World Cup preparations by losing a match in which it led for the first time in more than eight years.

Carli Lloyd's goal off an 11th-minute corner kick was offset when Stina Segerstrom scored in the 16th and Kosovare Asllani in the 60th to give Sweden a 2-1 victory over the Americans on Friday in the opening game of the Four Nations Tournament.

Álvaro Arbeloa promised to keep on fighting despite Real Madrid's defeat at Almería last Sunday night. Down on the warmup track that runs round the inside of the stand, where the media gather waiting for a word of wisdom, elbows in sides, cameras swinging lethally, faces press up against arm pits.

More photos » Koki Nagahama - Getty Images

3 days ago: DOHA QATAR - JANUARY 17: A Japanese fan is seen prior to the AFC Asian Cup Group B match between Saudi Arabia and Japan at Al-Rayyan Stadium on January 17 2011 in Doha Qatar.

The second day of the January training camp was also the first of double days. The workload in the morning workout was relatively focused and intense. After a warmup that included technical work and a separate passing exercise, the team separated for games of 4 v. 4 plus one to small goals. The goalkeepers were called in for the final exercise, 6 v.