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Friday Footie Link List, March 22, 2008
2008-03-22 05:10:00
First things first: shameless self-promotion time. AmericanSoccerNews.net, which has (not without merit) billed itself as the very first online soccer news service covering MLS, is back. Actually, it didn't really go anywhere, but it has relaunched with a new domain: american-soccer-news.com (though the old one will get you there as well). Why is this self-promotion? Because I am involved with it. In fact, it is this which has been keeping me from my Soccer-Source duties.The new site really is great. Each team has its own mini-site, for example the Red Bulls are redbulls.american-soccer-news.com (they even have a poll on how the team is expected to do this year. The Houston Dynamo site has one too). I could go on about how great it is but even shameless self-promotion has its limits and I've just reached mine.Speaking of the Red Bulls, the team has launched an official blog, the Red Bulls Reader. It offers a lot of inside stuff you couldn't get anywhere else (especially not even with a ...

The World's Top 25 Soccer Clubs, March 10, 2008
2008-03-10 05:32:00
First of all, please check out the new ASN, which (along with my real job and basic human needs such as sleep) is what has been keeping me from my Soccer Source duties. As for the Top 25, it was a very telling week, with the UEFA Champions League proving the worth of many rankings, while debunking others. Onwards...1. (3) Arsenal. L'Arse take the top spot by virtue of their stellar Champions League victory at AC Milan. We'll forgive their transgression with Wigan yesterday, even though it may end up costing them the Premiership. For those keeping score, this its the third weekend in a row that Gunners have failed to defeat an inferior opponent. I have for some time argued that Wigan are not that bad of a side, but I don't exactly see them in the Champions League anytime soon. Also from the records department: this is Arsenal's first appearance atop the list since Oct. 29. Gooners host Middlesbrough Saturday.2. (4) Inter Milan. The nerrazurri beat Reggina Calcio in their final warm-up ...

The Wednesday Wrap: Gunners Grand In CL As English Teams March On
2008-03-05 06:47:00
Arsenal pulled off a huge coup at the San Siro yesterday, notching two late goals to oust AC Milan from the Champions League. Gunners were at a disadvantage going into the game, with the teams having played a scoreless first leg at Emirates. But Arsene Wenger's side outplayed their Italian opponents a fortnight ago and they did so again today. Cesc Fabregas and Emmanuel Adebayor (on a brilliant assist by Theo Walcott) scored for the visitors. It was a very strong effort by Gunners after a pair of subpar performances in the Premiership (ties with the Birmingham clubs on back-to-back weekends). As for Milan, the defending champs never really found their form this season after a disastrous start and this was the logical outcome. Yes, they won the Club World Championship, but does anybody outside Northern Italy and wherever it is that Berlusconi is holed up truly believe this is the best team in the world? Hard to fathom. (To get a more realistic idea of who might actually be able to claim ...

The World's Top 25 Soccer Clubs, March 3, 2008
2008-03-03 06:44:00
It's been a very busy week for the Soccer Source crew (that would be me) for reasons that are utterly unimportant to you so I won't waste your time with them. Instead, I will delve right into what you came here for: the top 25...1. (1) Manchester United. Won at Craven Cottage, as might have been expected, to close the gap with l'Arse to a single point. Face Lyon in the return leg of their Champions League round tomorrow and Pompey (also at Old Trafford) on the weekend.2. (6) Real Madrid. Beat Recreativo Huelva Saturday to take a nice jump in the standings (the Top 25, not the Liga, which they already lead by five points). Now things get serious with Roma on the docket for Wednesday's Champions League Round of 16 return. Real only need to win 1-0 to advance. But Roma are in good form. Real also face Espanyol Barcelona at the Bernabeu Saturday. Depending on how things go this week they could be the top team in the world (according to this list) next week or barely top 10. We'll have to w ...

The Wednesday Wrap: River Rules In Day Of Draws
2008-02-28 03:33:00
Even though there were no Champions League or UEFA Cup matches today was a busy day in the world of soccer/football--and not just in Europe either. In fact, the biggest games outside of the San Siro were probably played in South America, where the Copa Libertadores group stages have begun to take shape. Interestingly enough, of all the important games that were played today, only one--River Plate's 2-1 victory over Club America--had a winner. The rest were draws. Look at these scores:Inter Milan 1, AS Roma 1Barcelona 1, Valencia 1AC Milan 1, Catania 1Atletico Nacional Medellin 1, Sao Paulo 1Actually there were two more games that ended tied after 90 minutes but as these were the German cup quarterfinals and only played over one leg, they went to overtime. Wolfsburg beat Hamburg 2-1 after extra time while Bayern beat cross-town rivals 1860 Munich (who are a second division side these days) 1-0 on a Franck Ribery penalty in the 122nd (and I imagine last) minute of the game. This means Bo ...

Arsenal (In All Likelihood) To Win London Derby League
2008-02-26 01:12:00
The London derby league, Soccer Source's unofficial tally of all games Premiership London clubs play against each other this season, completed another turn over the weekend. Actually two, as West Ham saw off Fulham in Premiership play Saturday before Spurs beat Chelsea to capture the League Cup on Sunday. The result of the latter game means the only way Arsenal will not win the "league" is if they get drawn with Chelsea in the Champions League. Let's look at the standings: GP W L T GF GA Pts Arsenal 8 7 1 1 16 9 22 Tottenham 9 3 3 3 19 15 12 Chelsea 6 3 2 1 6 4 10 West Ham 6 2 3 1 4 6 7 Fulham 8 0 6 2 7 18 2(By the way, Spurs' victory counts as three points. I know the game was tied after regulation but there are only winners and losers in cup finals--no ties).Here is the remaining schedule (obviously subject to change should these teams meet in F.A. Cup or European competitio ...

The World's Top 25 Soccer Clubs, Feb. 25, 2008
2008-02-25 06:38:00
Liverpool's shocking victory over Inter meant there would be room at the top of the Top 25 list. But who to move into it? Read on to find out...1. (2) Manchester United. Yes, it's the Red Devils. More by default than anything else, but hey somebody needs to fill the top spot. Man. U do it for the second time this season. Hopefully for them it will be a longer stay than the last time around (when they lasted all of one week before giving the pole position back to Inter). Man. U got the result they needed at Lyon, then beat up on Newcastle Saturday. With Arsenal dropping points at Birmingham, it allows Sir Alex' men to move back within striking distance of the top of the Premiership. Play at Craven Cottage next, Saturday.2. (3) Arsenal. Outplayed AC Milan but were unable to put one past them at midweek, then dropped points at Birmingham City Saturday. Also lost Eduardo that game--possibly for good--on a vicious tackle that suddenly opens up a hole in Gunners' attack. Sorry, but I don't h ...

Saturday Summary, Feb. 23: A Gruesome Day For Gunners
2008-02-23 22:05:00
You hate to see scenes like this on the soccer field and when it's the result of an intentional challenge by an opposing team's player it makes the whole thing even worse. I'm not going to provide any video links to Martin Taylor's vicious tackle of Eduardo da Silva. You know where to find them if that's your thing. Arsene Wenger has called for Taylor to receive a lifetime ban and for once I agree with him. The incident cast a dark cloud on what was otherwise a solid effort by Birmingham City and James McFadden at St. Andrews. Obviously Eduardo is lost for the season and also for the Euro championships that very well could have been a stage for his arrival as a soccer superstar. The 2-2 tie could also have wide-ranging consequences in the Premiership title hunt, as Man United's smackdown of Newcastle allowed Sir Alex' men to pull within three points of Gunners.It was a dark day for the Fulhamericans as well, who were unlucky to lose to West Ham United in the first of two London derby m ...

Friday Footie Link List, Feb. 22, 2008
2008-02-22 06:02:00
How bad of an idea was the Pan-Pacific Championship? Not even the locals care about it, according to the New York Times' soccer blog. I seriously don't get the point, not even (especially?) from a business perspective. It's a tiny market in the middle of nowhere. Not so fast, though. One blogger in favor is An American's View on Futbol/Football/Soccer and he refuses to pan the Pan-Pacific Championship. Good for him. Diversity of opinion is what makes the blogosphere great. Hey, he has some good points too. Give credit where it's due.A lot of attention has been given this whole Future of Football report (far more than it deserves if you ask me). PitchInvasion.net and The Offside have some of the more thorough analysis of the whole thing.American Soccer Daily has an interview with Reading's Bobby Convey. I didn't know Convey was a Philadelphia native--but I like him anyway. In fact, he's one of my favorite U.S. national team players right now--and not only because his game is so un-Ameri ...

Fantasy Sport: Soccer In The Year 2020
2008-02-22 03:56:00
I don't know who or what The Future Laboratory is, nor do I know why a company like Orange would hire them to put together a report on the Future of Football. Because whoever these guys are, they don't seem to have a solid grip on reality, much less a legitimate grasp of the changes affecting professional sports in general and soccer/football in particular. According to these visionaries, 12 years from now kits will majestically heal injured players, linesmen will be replaced by robots, "stadiums will be equipped with dry ice rockets to set off any heavy rainfall well before the game" (yes that's a direct quote) and crowds will get energized by cocaine gas (or something to that effect) being pumped through stadium airducts. This is all supposed to take place not in some distant time and place (like, I don't know, a science fiction movie?) but by the year 2020. Twelve years from now. To put this in perspective, think back to 12 years ago and what professional sports were like then. Well ...

The Thursday Treatise: Bhoys Beat Themselves
2008-02-21 18:03:00
A pair of fatal errors cost Celtic their Champions League match with Barcelona at Parkhead yesterday. The result, a 3-2 home loss, will be extremely difficult for Hoops to make up in the return leg. Difficult, and if Gordon Strachan is to be believed, unlikely ("I wouldn't bet the house on it," were his exact words, when asked if his team could come up with the 2-0 win necessary to advance). Speaking of beating themselves, Fenerbahce won their game with Sevilla, but sloppy defending cost them two goals, which may have just left the Andalusian side too much of a window. Arsenal were unlucky to not beat Milan and the scoreless tie leaves the rossoneri needing to score just once and put 11 men behind the ball in the return leg at San Siro. In the fourth Champs League game, Man. United likely did enough (a 1-1 tie at Lyon) to make it through to the next round.In the Southern hemisphere, the Copa Libertadores completed its first round of group stage play. Some mild upsets to tell you about ...

Wednesday Wrap: Reds Stun Inter
2008-02-20 06:19:00
Inter Milan suffered only their second loss of the season yesterday, as Liverpool came through with a shocking upset of what was widely viewed as the best team in Europe (and not just by this Web site). Yes, Reds got help from the referee but let's give credit where it's due: Rafa Benitez' team played a great game and ultimately deserved to win. Inter now have their hands full for the return leg, to be played March 11. Yes, I will admit to being completely wrong about Liverpool, but a full apology to Reds supporters will ensue only if and when their team pulls through and eliminates Inter Milan. One thing is for sure, though: we're about to find out if the nerazurri deserve their top rank. Now why can't Liverpool always play like this?Liverpool's victory wasn't even the upset on the day, as Schalke beat a team I thought was vastly superior to them. (Wrong again! That's 0 for 2). Though Porto are in a better position than Inter for the return leg. The other games went down pretty much a ...
Inter 

Fearless Forecast, Revisited: UEFA Champions League Round Of 16
2008-02-19 04:42:00
When the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 pairings were drawn, this site offered a preliminary forecast, with a promise to revisit the matter closer to kick off. That time is now. Our main guide is still the Top 25 ranking of the world's soccer clubs, (the number in parentheses is the team's corresponding ranking this week; the first leg's home teams are listed first):Liverpool (unranked) vs. Inter Milan (1)Tuesday, 2:30pm EST (ESPN2)Most audiences in the U.S. will get this one tomorrow. A shame, because it's sure to be a blowout. Inter have better players at virtually every position, with Fernando Torres really the only Red capable of starting for the Milan side. To make matters worse, Reds just suffered a new low this weekend, when they lost at home to Barnsley in the FA Cup. Roberto Mancini's side have not lost to anybody since Sept. 19. Only the most delusional Scouser would give Reds any realistic chance of winning this one. And yet, many apparently still do. Pity the fools...Ro ...
Champions  Champions League  League  Uefa  Uefa Champions League 

The World's Top 25 Soccer Clubs, Feb. 18, 2008
2008-02-18 06:04:00
The return of continental play (Copa Libertadores and UEFA Cup) last week threw open a large portion of the Top 25. With Champions League games on the docket for this week, things are about to get even more interesting. But here is where we stand today:1. (1) Inter Milan. The undisputed No. 1 team beat Livorno over the weekend. Now the Champions League resumes with a trip to Anfield tomorrow. Inter only have one loss this season (at Fenerbahce Istanbul, back on Sept. 19). Will Reds make it two? Uh, no. The nerazzuri also play at Sampdoria Sunday.2. (5) Manchester United. Thoroughly destroyed Arsenal Saturday. Yes it was "only" FA Cup play, but Arsene Wenger showed up with his 'A' team. And yes, Arse still leads them by five points in the EPL standings, but Man. U have the better record in head-to-head games. There will be at least one more of these this year, April 12 at Old Trafford, potentially to decide the Premiership. This week, Sir Alex' men travel to Lyon for their UCL Round of ...
Clubs  Soccer 

Saturday Summary, Late Edition: Juve Tops Roma, Real Goes Down
2008-02-17 06:03:00
Finally, Juventus beat a top side, edging AS Roma by a 1-0 score earlier today. Alessandro del Piero scored the game's only goal via free-kick on the stroke of halftime. Check it out on youtube, it was pretty sweet. Juve move within a point of second-place Roma with the victory, their first against "top competition" since being promoted back to Serie A this year. They had come close before though, tying Inter Milan twice, AC Milan, Fiorentina and Roma once. So the bianconeri are back. We'll see them in Europe next year for sure; and it will probably in the Champions League.A few short weeks ago I was ready to (and in fact nearly did) anoint Real Madrid as Spanish league champs. Their lead was nine points at the time and I didn't see how Barca could close the gap. But after losing two of their last three games, including last night's at Real Betis, Madrid's lead is five points. There are 14 games left to play, which is plenty. A lot can happen in that time so let's not anoint anybody as ...

Saturday Summary, Early Edition: Reds Get Embarrassed
2008-02-16 20:08:00
Domestic cup competitions are a little like first dates or job interviews; the key is not so much to shine as it is to avoid embarrassment at all costs. Other than that, the goal is merely to make it to the next round without losing one's dignity or sanity.Today, Liverpool failed to meet these objectives. Reds not only lost to what was supposed to be a vastly inferior opponent--Barnsley aren't only a Championship side, they're a mid-table Championship side--they did so at home and in rather spectacular fashion: on an injury time header. Who knows when the bleeding will stop for Liverpool. By today's indication, it could be a while. A better question might be how much of it Rafa Benitez will be around for. That one should be answered sooner. Maybe even next week.Liverpool were not the only team to get embarrassed in FA Cup play. Arsenal got shellacked by Manchester United, 4-0. And Arsene Wenger brought his 'A' team to Old Trafford as well. What this shows me is that Man. United can bea ...

Friday Footie Link List (Better Late Than Never)
2008-02-16 05:16:00
The absolute coolest thing I saw in the soccer blogosphere this week was at Pitchinvasion.net. The geniuses who run that site got one of (if not the) best bloggers on Argentine soccer, Hasta el Gol Siempre (whom I have also interviewed on this site) to collaborate with Bill's Sports Maps on a primer on Argentinian football. The result speaks for itself and I'm being dead serious when I say no words--least of all mine--can do it justice. Check it out.Another week another massive scoop by Ives, this time getting us the exclusive on the New York Red Bulls signing Oscar Echeverry. It looks like the Colombian striker will essentially provide depth up front and act as a potential insurance policy if and when Jozy Altidore leaves the club (which will hopefully not be for a crappy team like Reading). Red Bulls Head Coach Juan Carlos Osorio told Ives as much. This is all well and good, and it's high time the Red Bulls made some acquisitions this off season, but I thought Osorio's primary concer ...
Link 

Trotters Top Atleti, Lanus Lift Argies Copa Lib Spirits
2008-02-15 02:44:00
Senegalese forward El Hadji Diouf scored minutes after Atletico Madrid substitute Sergio Aguero was red-carded for spitting to send Bolton Wanderers to a 1-0 home victory in the first leg of their UEFA Cup match-up. It was probably the biggest surprise on the day, though arguments could also be made for Bayern's 2-2 tie at Aberdeen, which comes a day after I basically called all SPL teams crap. (While we're at it, Atletico was in my ranking of the world's top 25 soccer clubs last week, so I either don't know what I'm talking about or these games were one-offs. Or both).In the Copa Libertadores, Lanus got a a pair of second half goals to gain three points from their group stage opener against Danubio. I saw most of this game and felt the Argentine side deserved the victory (even though the third goal looked offside. The Argie commentators even appeared to admit as much, though I couldn't understand them very well. This isn't a slight on the Argentine accent; I can't understand the other ...

Wednesday Wrap: Libertadores Pain Continues For Argies; No Real Upsets In UEFA Cup
2008-02-14 02:58:00
It's three games and three losses for Argentine clubs in the 2008 Copa Libertadores, as River Plate went down to Peru's Universidad San Martin this afternoon. River Plate lost to a college team? Nah, they're just called that. The Lima side are full-on professionals. Yesterday, Estudiantes and San Lorenzo came up short in their opening games in the group stage and today River were put to the sword, 2-0, with the second goal scored by a 33 year-old Argentine journeyman named Jose Luis Diaz (the same thing happened yesterday). I'm not sure where today's upset ranks, but San Martin were probably the weakest team in what some have called the Group of Death of this tournament (the other teams are Mexico City's Club America and Santiago's Universidad Catolica). The Argies have plenty of chances to get it right though; Arsenal, Boca Juniors and Lanus are all in the group stage as well, with the latter playing tomorrow (they host Uruguay's Danubio).So upsets galore in Latin America, but what a ...
Pain  Uefa 

Cry For Me Argentina! Copa Lib Groups Kick Off With Upsets
2008-02-13 03:59:00
And they're off. The 2008 Copa Libertadores group stage got underway today, with Argentine sides San Lorenzo and Estudiantes both losing road games to Caracas and Ecuador's Deportivo Cuenca, respectively. It was not the first time the Venezuelan side upset a favored team from Argentina; los rojos eliminated River Plate from the 2007 version of the "Champions League of Latin America."Ronald Vargas and Rafeal Castellin scored for the hosts, one of two Venezuelan teams in the group stage (Union Atletico Maracaibo is the other. A third, Mineros de Guayana, was eliminated in qualifying). San Lorenzo had two players sent off with direct red cards. I didn't see the match and can't pretend to know anything about Caracas' players (only one of them even has a Wikipedia page). Six San Lorenzo players, on the other hand, have played in Europe: Diego Placente (Leverkusen and Celta de Vigo), Aureliano Torres (Real Murcia), Bernardo Romeo (Hamburg SV, Mallorca and Osasuna), Andres D'Alessandro (Wolf ...
Argentina  Kick Off 

The World's Top 25 Soccer Clubs, Feb. 11, 2008
2008-02-11 06:06:00
The plot thickened this week as several top teams were put to the test. Most passed by the slimmest of margins, while not impressing (Chelsea, Bayern). One did not even get that far. Read on.1. (1) Inter Milan. Saw off Catania Calcio yesterday, winning 2-0 on second half goals by Esteban Cambiasso and David Suazo. Up next: Livorno Saturday, then the Champions League resumes with a trip to Anfield on Tuesday, Feb. 19. I don't expect Fernando Torres' men to thwart these guys like they did Chelsea, mainly because Zlatan Ibrahimovic presents a problem they (or anybody outside Serie A except for Inter's CL opponents) have faced before. But we're getting ahead of ourselves as that game is not for another week.2. (2) Arsenal. Idle last week. Play Blackburn today, then their FA Cup date with Man. United Saturday. Fun times ahead.3. (4) Real Madrid. Beat up on poor Valladolid yesterday. Play at Real Betis Sunday. Their Champs league date with AS Roma is on tap a week from tomorrow.4. (6) Barcel ...
Clubs  Soccer 

Cameroon's German Coach Offered USMNT Job?
2008-02-10 02:05:00
Call this news of the weird, or something. Otto Pfister, head coach of Africa Cup of National finalist Cameroon (they play Egypt in the final tomorrow), told Germany's kicker.de he has been offered the job of U.S. Men's National Team coach. The job has been held by Bob Bradley for over a year. By nearly all accounts, Bradley has done a fine job. Pfister told kicker he would choose between the U.S. job and the South Korea spot, which had also been offered to him, but that he preferred the U.S. one because he wouldn't have to use an interpreter (I'm assuming he speaks English). All a bit bizarre but worth keeping an eye on nonetheless... ...
Coach  German  Job 

Saturday Summary, Feb. 9, 2008: The (Relative) Calm Before The Storm
2008-02-09 23:35:00
Today's games can be viewed as the "opening act" for tomorrow's top-of-the-table crackers in England and Germany. Those games (the Manchester derby, Chelsea-Liverpool and Bayern-Werder) will be discussed at length later, but there was plenty to hold our attention until then:Today's top game in the German Bundesliga featured third-placed Leverkusen against fourth-placed Hamburg SV. The visitors from Hamburg struck first, on a goal by Rafael van der Vaart (yes he's still there) but the home side knotted things up after 60 minutes. The tie doesn't help either team in their campaign for Champions League spots. The two sides are equal on points, with fifth-placed Schalke (they too play tomorrow, in the Revierderby with Dortmund) and Karlsruhe (it's pronounced Karls-rooh) two points in arrears.Okay so Michael Bradley didn't have a very good game for the U.S. national team at midweek, but he picked right up where he left off with his club team, Heerenveen. The Dutch Eredivisie side were down ...
Storm 

Friday Footie Link List, Feb. 8, 2008
2008-02-08 06:30:00
One of this week's most blogged-about items was the English Premier League's plan to play regular season games overseas. Not surprisingly, most bloggers hated the idea: All Quiet in the East Stand titled its rant "The Day Football Started To Kill Itself." Football Corner wrote Premier League games abroad is not the answer" (they didn't say what the question was, but I get it; they hate the plan. Fair enough).It wasn't just English bloggers who came out vocally opposed, either. Jakarta Casual out of the Indonesian capital city, is calling the EPL the English Prostitute League. Oh You Beauty, an American Liverpool fan, also blasted the concept, arguing that it would require too many games and dilute the fact that it's the English Premier League. I think he's a bit confused because the only thing English about the EPL (besides its name) is the fact that its teams play in English cities. I suppose a few of the players are English too, though not at Arsenal. If I'm not mistaken, there are a ...
Link 

Becks, Galaxy To Visit Jersey Swamp Saturday Night, July 19
2008-02-07 18:53:00
The New York Red Bulls announced their schedule along with the rest of Major League Soccer today. Of paramount interest (at least to casual fans or the general public) is of course the July 19 visit of David Beckham and the L.A. Galaxy. That game will once again take place on a mid-summer Saturday night (last year was Aug. 14, if memory serves).Other home dates of interest: New England visits Saturday, April 19, which is the third weekend of the season. D.C. United comes to town Saturday, Aug. 9, defending champion Houston Dynamo on Sunday afternoon, Aug. 24.Ten of the team's home games take place on Saturday night, four on Sunday afternoon and the obligatory one on Thursday night, which is exactly the same as last year. But the team's three home dates in April are one more than last year, which could crimp attendance figures. So could the pair of October home games (last season Red Bull had only one).The away schedule is somewhat more conducive to road trips (for passionate fans in th ...
Galaxy 

Sorry, But I Don't Care About USA-Mexico...
2008-02-06 21:19:00
...or any other international friendlies. And neither should you. They're boring. We're talking about exhibition games here, okay folks? Nothing's at stake other than "bragging rights," which in this case comes down to nationalism. I don't like nationalism. It's caused too much trouble, including all of last century's most bloody conflicts. And to what end? At least religion inspired people to paint the ceilings of churches and what-have-you. Nationalism just inspires people to kill each other.This doesn't mean I eschew international competitions wholesale. The world cup is good fun--great fun, even--and I will also watch the Euro championship, Copa America, Gold Cup, etc. Those tournaments at least represent a means to an end, with a number of national teams competing against each other for an ultimate prize. Okay, that's still vaguely fascist, but then so too is GDP. But we need a way to measure a country's economic output just like we need a way to gauge its soccer output. The inter ...
Mexico  Usa 

Lanus, Arsenal Join Libertadores Fray
2008-02-06 03:45:00
Copa Sudamericana champs Arsenal de Sarandi and Argentine Apertura winners Lanus both advanced to the group stage of the Copa Libertadores earlier today at the expense of Venezuela's A.C. Mineiros and Ecuadorian side Olmedo, respectively. The Libertadores is widely considered (not just by me) the second-best club competition in the world after the UEFA Champions League.Lanus' qualification was in doubt for long periods of today's match as el Granate had a 1-0 deficit from the first leg that it did not erase until nearly an hour into the game. Matias Lionel Fritzler (as the name suggests, he has German as well as Argentine nationality) scored via a header in the 58th minute. Santiago Biglieri doubled the lead 20 minutes later and the Argentine champs added a third to settle matters on 84 minutes. In the Libertadores group stage, Lanus will face fellow Argentine side Estudiantes, Danubio of Uruguay and Cuenca from Ecuador.The Argentine Arse had an easier time of it, with a 2-0 lead from ...
Arsenal 

The World's Top 25 Soccer Clubs, Feb. 4, 2008
2008-02-04 16:03:00
First of all, congratulations to the New York Giants, winners of last night's Super Bowl XLII. A great triumph for the city of New York (our first championship since 9/11) and an event that unfortunately had more than indirect effects on the delay of this week's Top 25. But speaking of the real football, there were several changes to the rankings (again) this week. Let's get to it:1. (2) Inter Milan. The sojourn away from first place was a short one for Roberto Mancini's men, who won a huge game at Juventus during the midweek to advance in the Coppa Italia and then beat Empoli at home yesterday. With Roma losing, Inter's Serie A lead is now eight points. They're still unbeaten in Italian competition. Play at Catania Calcio Sunday, then Livorno home a week from Saturday. After that, the Round of 16 Champions League match-up with Liverpool ensues. The first leg is at Anfield on Tuesday, Feb. 19.2. (4) Arsenal. How quickly the tides can turn! Last week's also-rans are this week's big winn ...
Clubs  Soccer 

Saturday Summary, Feb. 2, 2008: Real Rocked, Heerenveen Hot
2008-02-03 00:01:00
A ray of hope, perhaps, for Barcelona in Spain's Primera Division, as their arch rivals Real Madrid went down for only the third time this season, succumbing to seventh-placed UD Almeira, 2-0. Second-placed Barca can cut Real's lead to six points with a victory over Osasuna tomorrow, which would essentially re-open a title chase many had just began to write off.Elsewhere, Michael Bradley's Heerenveen romped to a 7-0 victory over Vitesse Arnheim to retake second place in the Dutch Eredivisie. The son of U.S. men's national team coach Bob Bradley continued his scoring streak (six games and counting) with a 50th minute goal to put his team up 3-0. It was icing on the cake after that. The Pride of Friesland can rightfully stake their claim as one of Europe's hottest teams at the moment, having won their last four games by a combined score of 19-1. Perhaps the Top 25 committee will take notice? It may depend on whether Heerenveen hold onto second place. Third- and fourth-placed Ajax Amsterd ...

Friday Footie Link List, Feb. 1, 2008
2008-02-01 06:26:00
The 2008 MLS season is fast approaching. Preseason rankings and expectations will arrive soon enough but Who Ate All The Cupcakes (the Yank version of Who Ate All The Pies, I presume) brings us their 2008 MLS Superlatives, styled after those really annoying yearbook contests they had in high school. Readers get to vote on a dozen categories (everything from "most popular" to "best dancer" and "best hair") and even suggest their own. I think I am going to suggest "least valuable," which was a popular category with the Red Bulls last year.Speaking of WAATP, they have an interesting poll that asks readers to vote on which Premiership team had the most successful January transfer window. I think it's hard to argue against Spurs, personally. But please have your own say.USA Soccer Spot has their take on the Brad Guzan work permit saga, arguing that work permit rules hurt Americans. I agree that in the short term players like Brad Guzan will suffer in their development because they cannot co ...
Link