UEFA Champions League Update - 3/31

Here is a look at the first leg of the quarterfinal round of the UEFA Champions League, including some major injuries which will shape the EPL season, UEFA Champions League and the upcoming World Cup. 

Inter Milan (ITA) vs. CSKA Moscow (RUS)
 - Result: 1-0 (Inter)
 - Thoughts: Inter out shot CSKA 25 to 10, but could not find the net until the 65th minute. Inter appeared to have the better quality, but between CSKA's defensive stance and Inter wasting good chances the game and leg remain tight. They now travel to the Russian capital where CSKA are quite capable of knocking off Inter and sending Mourinho packing for the EPL sooner than expected.


Arsenal (ENG) vs. Barcelona (SPA)
 - Result: 2-2
 - Thoughts: Clash of the Titans. The Gunners went up against the reigning European and World champions knowing this was most likely the toughest round of the competition for them, even if they advance. After falling behind early on two goals by Ibrahimovic, Arsenal responded with a goal by Walcott. Then the captain and hero of Arsenal, who made his return despite injury, Cesc Fabregas, connected on an 85th minute penalty to tie the match and save the clubs European title hopes. However, Arsenal was destroyed with injuries as Fabregas, Arshavin, and Gallas all left the match. While the Gunners pulled out the heroics to level, with the injuries and now faced with a road match at Camp Nou the advantage is clearly with the champions. 


Bayern Munich (GER) vs. Manchester United (ENG)
 - Result: 2-1 (Bayern Munich)
 - Thoughts: 2 minutes in and the game looked just as predicted. Rooney and company dominating and continuing to improve their performance. But then Bayern responded with two goals in the final 15 minutes, including one in stoppage time. However, the headline from the match is that Wayne Rooney left with an injured ankle and is expected to be out for at least a month. With a second leg match against Bayern, an EPL game versus Chelsea on Saturday and the World Cup in less than 3 months this is a tremendous blow for English and ManU fans. I think Manchester has the skill to overcome the deficit at home, but will they have the heart after losing Rooney and potentially the EPL lead to rivals Chelsea. 


Lyon (FRA) vs. Bordeaux (FRA)
 - Result: 3-1 (Lyon)
 - Thoughts: The French battle proved to be an entertaining match and on the back of Lopez' two goals Lyon take a solid lead heading into the second leg. Bordeuax were without Pjanic, but will need him, the home crowd and some luck so overtake the goal differential. 

Soccer News & Features - 3/30

Here are a few of the latest headlines around the soccer world today:

European Soccer:
 - Former Arsenal and Germany goal keeper, Jens Lehmann announced his retirement today at the end of the Bundesliga season.
 - UEFA announced today that Chelsea striker, Didier Drogba, has been given a two match ban for European club matches following his ejection against Inter Milan earlier this month. Additionally, his probation period has been extended to July 2013.
 - Inter Milan manager Jose Mourinho, stated today that he is 'unhappy in Italian football' which only fuels the speculation that he is looking to move back to England. Win or lose the Serie A title or the UEFA Champions League many expect him to make the jump to the EPL - perhaps ManCity or Liverpool.

MLS:
 - Toronto has been selected as the site for the 2010 MLS Cup on November 21st. The BMO stadium is currently undergoing changes to increase capacity to 21,800.
 - Seattle Sounder striker, Freddie Ljungberg could miss the upcoming match against New York this weekend due to injuries sustained against Philadelphia last Thursday.

NASL:
 - NASL News.com is reporting that all of the matches for the upcoming season for the new USSF 2nd Division league will be available online. Last year the USL had a 'USLLive.com' website which broadcasted every game for free, the reports speculates the setup will be similar this year. The article also includes details about the upcoming official NASL website and the game ball for the 2010 season.

Check back tomorrow night for a look at the first leg results of UEFA Champions League quarter-final round.

Soccer Table Update as of 3/29

The MLS has returned for its 15th season, Chelsea rolls twice in one week with a combined score of 12-1 and in Italy AS Roma looks to take the throne from Inter Milan. Lets take a look at this past week's action and current table standings.

EPL:
 - Past week's results - Mid-week action saw Everton top ManCity two to nill and Chelsea trash Portsmouth 5-0. On Saturday Chelsea and Manchester United rolled over their opponents with a combined score of 11 to 1, while fellow title chaser Arsenal could only manage a 1-1 draw against Birmingham City. In the battle to escape the relegation zone Hull City pulled off a surprising 2-0 victory over Fulham and Wolverhampton secured a draw against Everton after beating West Ham 3-1 during the week. Sunday saw Liverpool top Sunderland 3-0, only to have Manchester City respond with a 3-0 victory themselves against Wigan.
 - Current EPL Table - Manchester United (72) and Chelsea (71) took a step ahead of Arsenal (68) this weekend with only six fixtures remaining. The mega-clash on Saturday between Manchester United and Chelsea at Old Trafford will play a major role in this year's championship. Liverpool (54) jumped Aston Villa (51) for the final Europa League spot, but still trail Tottenham (58) and ManCity (56). Hull City's latest victory pulls them ever so close to safety at 27 points they are tied with West Ham who is in 17th place, but Hull has a game in hand over the Hammers.

Serie A:
 - Past week's results - The big headliner of the weekend saw title chaser AS Roma upset reigning champion Inter Milan 2-1. The results meant that Inter only took 5 points from 5 matches during March. AC Milan failed to capitalize on Inter's slip and after an early lead they could draw against Lazio 1-1. Palermo, Juventus, and Napoli all notched victories in the push European competition.
 - Current Serie A Table - Roma's (62) three points pushed them to within one of leaders Inter (63). Despite the draw AC Milan still remain in the hunt at 60 points. The next tier is headed up by Palermo (51) and three clubs tied at 48 - Napoli, Juventus and Sampdoria. The future looks bleak for relegation zone clubs Atalanta, Siena, and Livorno with seven rounds to go the teams are four to seven points out of safety.


MLS: 
 - Past week's results - The season kicked off in the most exciting stadium in the US, as sophomore club Seattle dominated expansion squad Philadelphia 2-0. On Friday, Colorado topped Chivas 1-0, who looks soft at the start of the season and heading into the Super Clasico. Saturday was the full slate of MLS action while saw the unveiling of the impressive new NY Red Bull Stadium. The crowd and club did not disappoint with a 1-0 win against Chicago. In the night match-up Landon Donovan returned from his stint with Everton to lead the LA Galaxy to a 1-0 result over New England. Elsewhere, the defending champions Real Salt Lake  won 3-0 against relegation bound (if the MLS had one) San Jose.
 - Current MLS Table - Only one week in but the West is a four way tie behind Real Salt Lake, Seattle, LA, and Colorado. The Eastern Conference is a three way tie at the top between Kansas City, Columbus, and New York. The biggest surprises this week to be pointless are Chicago and Chivas and both take on winning teams this upcoming week.

World Soccer Magazine - April 2010 Issue

The April issue of World Soccer was released this week. This month has a part 3 of the magazine's World Cup Preview Guide. Here is a preview of what this month's issue features:

• Cover Story: Europe's Most Wanted Players - a look at the upcoming summer transfer window, the players who might be on the move and the clubs where the might end up. 
• World Cup Countdown: Profiles of Carlo Costly (Honduras), Harry Kewell (Australia), and Michael Bradley (USA).
• Opinion Pieces: Paul Gardner takes a look at Aaron Ramsey's horrific injury the other week, while David Conn writes about UEFA's push to erase club deft, including the Premiere League's estimated total of 3.5 billion pounds of debt. 
• 2010 World Cup Guide: Part 3 includes detailed analysis of Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Nigeria, North Korea, Paraguay, Portugal, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia. 
• Inside Football: A look at the European market recession and its effect on South American soccer. 
• League Previews: For the USA, Japan, Sweden, Russia, Estonia, Norway, and Ireland. 
• Dispatch Updates from Brazil, Africa, Spain, France, Germany, Italy, Ireland, Japan, and more.
• Talent Scout: Profiles for several up and coming players from Germany, and Argentina.
• 50 Year Celebration: In honor of World Soccer magazine's 50th year they take a look at the 50 most scandalous and tragic events that changed the sport. 
• Interviews with Egypt's controversial striker Amr Zaki.
• Travel spotlight city - Sofia, Bulgaria. 
• World Service: Full recap of the African Cup of Nations, and previews of the upcoming Libertadores Cup and Asia Champions League. 

Soccer TV Schedule for the week of 3/27

Note: All games times are in Eastern Standard (ET).

Saturday (27th):
 - EPL: Chelsea vs. Aston Villa - 9:55am - ESPN Classic
 - EPL: Tottenham vs. Portsmouth - 11am - FSC
 - EPL: Bolton vs. Manchester United - 1:30pm - FSC
 - Serie A: Palermo vs. Bologna - 3:30pm - FSC
 - MLS: Chicago Fire vs. New York Red Bulls - 5:55pm - ESPN2HD
 - MLS: Real Salt Lake vs. San Jose Earthquakes - 9pm - FSC
 - MLS: LA Galaxy vs. New England Revolution - 11pm - FSC

Sunday (28th):
 - Serie A: Juventus vs. Atalanta - 9am - FSC
 - EPL: Liverpool vs. Sunderland - 11am - FSC
 - Serie A: AC Milan vs. Lazio - 2:30pm - FSC
 - International Friendly: USA vs. Mexico - 5pm - FSC

Monday (29th):
 - EPL: Manchester City vs. Wigan - 1:55pm - ESPN2HD

Tuesday (30th):
 - UEFA CL: Lyon (FRA) vs. Bordeaux (FRA) - 2:30pm - FSC
 - UEFA CL: Bayern Munich (GER) vs. Manchester United (ENG) - 5pm - FSC

Wednesday (31st):

 - UEFA CL: Arsenal (ENG) vs. Barcelona (SPA) - 2:30pm - FSC

 - UEFA CL: Inter Milan (ITA) vs. CSKA Moscow (RUS) - 5pm - FSC

 - CONCACAF CL: Pumas (MEX) vs. Cruz Azul (MEX) - 10pm - FSC

Thursday (1st):
 - MLS: Houston Dynamo vs. Real Salt Lake - 8pm - ESPN2HD

Note: How many readers out there have Fox Soccer Plus available in their area yet? I'm trying to decide whether or not I should add that channel to this post.

MLS 2010 Season Predictions & Overview

The 15th season of the MLS kicks off tonight in Seattle, WA as the Seattle Sounders host the new expansion club - the Philadelphia Union. The season begins after a very tense off-season with negotiations around the collective bargaining agreement and player transfers/injuries. Here is a quick look at some new changes for the 2010 season:

• The Philadelphia Union joins the MLS as the 16th club as a member of the Eastern Conference. 
• The New York Red Bulls will open their new 25,000 seat, soccer-specific stadium. 
• There are six new coaches: Philadelphia (Nowak), New York (Backe), Toronto (Preki), D.C. (Onalfo), Chivas (Vasquez), and Chicago (Cobos).
• Each team will play all other 15 clubs home and away during the 2010 season.
• The MLS will take a two week break starting June 10th for the 2010 World Cup.

 Here are my predicted finishes for the Eastern & Western Conferences:

East:

1. Chicago Fire*
2. Columbus Crew*
3. D.C. United*
4. New England Revolution*
5. Toronto FC
6. New York Red Bulls
7. Kansas City Wizards
8. Philadelphia Union

West:

1. Seattle Sounders*
2. Real Salt Lake*
3. LA Galaxy*
4. Colorado*
5. Chivas USA
6. Houston Dynamo
7. San Jose Earthquakes
8. Dallas FC

*Team makes playoffs.

For even more MLS 2010 kick-off news, check out Sports Illustrated's top 10 storylines to watch this season.

What are your thoughts on the regular season finishing order for 2010?

Website Review: Soccer24.com

In my free time (the limited amount of it) I like to check out the web for interesting or new soccer and technology websites. Luckily for me I came across Soccer24.com, a great site that I think all of you would like and wanted to bring it to your attention. Soccer24 features the following items:

• Live soccer scores from every major league around the world. Top European leagues like the EPL and Serie A all the way down to small divisions in from Africa, Asia and South America. 
• A look at upcoming matches or past results based on sorted by league and date. 
• Odds comparison data and soccer statistics for betting information and data analysis of your favorite league and/or club.
• A list of games streaming live video at the current time which are free to watch on various websites across the web. 

So when you get some time check out the site and if its what you've been looking for add it to your bookmarks. I've also added the link to Soccer24.com to the upper right hand corner of the blog for future reference. 

Soccer News & Features - 3/23

Finally, getting to the blog late tonight due to some travel, but here are a few quick news stories and features you might want to check out:

• Sports Illustrated has a full breakdown on the MLS Western Conference for the 2010 season - including the major changes for each club, the main players and the outlook for the upcoming year. The writer also predicts the final standings at the end of the season for the West. 
• Similarly, Stevie Davis chronicles the MLS Eastern Conference with a full preview. 
• Liverpool has accepted a $9 million offer to send winer Albert Riera to CSKA Moscow. While the Spanish international had recently been out of favor at Liverpool, he is still a quality player to lose for a team struggling to qualify for the Europa League next season. 
• The MLS and player's association signed a new collective bargaining agreement this past weekend to avoid a pending strike. Here is a quick look at the changes to players salaries and contract statuses - the minimum salary for a senior player is now $40,000 and the annual team budget has been raised from $2.3 million to $2.55 million.  

Soccer Table Update as of 3/22

Here is a look at this past weekend's results in England and Italy, as well as the current table standings. Starting next week I will be adding the MLS action and table standings, as the season kicks off this Thursday night with Seattle taking on Philadelphia on ESPN2 at 9:30pm (ET).

EPL:
 - Past week's results - The mid-week match-up saw Aston Villa win 2-1 over Wigan, the difference being an own goal by Wigan. On Saturday Arsenal's 2-0 victory against West Ham pushed the Gunners to first place in the EPL. Relegation bound Portsmouth secured their second victory in four games against Hull City. The big match-up of the weekend pitted Manchester United against Liverpool. Both Rooney and Torres showed up for the headline game with early goals, but as the season's results would have predicted the Red Devils won 2-1. Chelsea drew with Blackburn 1-1 and is continuing to let their early title lead slip away.
 - Current EPL Table - Man United stays atop the table with 69 points and Arsenal (67) jumped Chelsea (65) for the second position. However, the Blues still have one game in hand over their title rivals. The fourth spot remains Tottenham's at 55 points after their 2-1 win against Stoke over the weekend. Everton jumped to eighth with 45 points and is now only six points outside of a Europa League spot. The relegation zone stayed the same - Portsmouth / Hull City / Burnley - however, Wolverhampton (28) and West Ham (27) are still at risk.

Serie A:
 - Past week's results - While they may have dominated Chelsea in the UEFA Champions League, Inter Milan have won only one game in the past seven domestic ties, after a 1-1 draw against Palermo. After three draws AS Roma returned to their winning streak with a 4-2 result over Udinese. On Sunday, AC Milan failed to capitalize on Inter's slide and could only earn 1 point against Napoli. The Europa League position battle intensified as Sampdoria defeated Juventus 1-0.
 - Current Serie A Table - After the 29th round of the 09/10 Serie A season the title remains between three clubs - Inter (60), AC Milan (59), and AS Roma (56). Roma gained on the top two and AC Milan missed a golden opportunity to jump their city rivals. Sampdoria's (47) victory against Juventus (45) pushed the Old Lady down into the 7th spot.  The struggling Juventus is apparently trying aggressively to bring in Liverpool manager Rafa Benetiz for next season. Relegation clubs Siena (25) and Atalanta (25) both won over the weekend and jumped Livorno (24). However, all three clubs are still four points back of 17th place Lazio.

FA Cup Update:
 - Tottenham will take on Fulham on Wednesday at White Hart Lane to decide the fourth and final position in the FA Cup Semi-Finals. The winner of the match will go on face Portsmouth, while the other semi-final sees Chelsea face Aston Villa. The semi-final matches are scheduled to take place on April 10th and 11th.

UEFA Champions League Quarterfinal Draw

The 2009/2010 UEFA Champions League is down to the final eight clubs after the second leg of the Round 16 was held this past week. The advancing teams were placed into the quaterfinal draw and produced the following match-ups:

Draw 1:
Lyon (FRA) vs. Bordeaux (FRA)
Thoughts: The first draw guarantees France a team in the semi-finals for the first time since 2003-2004 when Monaco lost in the final to Porto. Lyon will be the favorites going into the first leg following their two-leg victory over Real Madrid, while Bordeaux advanced by playing Olypmiacos.  

Draw 2:
Manchester United (ENG) vs. Bayern Munich (GER)
Thoughts: While not an easy opponent, Manchester United must be please to be going up against Bayern Munich instead of some of the other top European clubs remaining. The draw also guarantees that the Red Devils will not have to play Barcelona, Inter Milan or Arsenal until the final.

Draw 3:
Barcelona (SPA) vs. Arsenal (ENG)
Thoughts: The hightlight of the quarterfinal round. Arsene Wenger can not be pleased with this draw, espcially after Barcelona dismantled Stuttgart 4-0 in the second leg of the last round. The winner of this match will most likely have to face off against Inter Milan making their road to the final in Madrid even harder.

Draw 4:
Inter Milan (ITA) vs. CSKA Moscow (RUS)
Thoughts: Following the knock-out of Chelsea by Inter, Jose Mourinho's side will be the clear favorites to dominate CSKA Moscow. However, just like in the Round of 16 the Russian club will have nothing to lose and having already advanced farther than ever before

The winners of Draw 1 & Draw 2 will face each other in the semi-finals, pitting the winners of Draw 3 & 4 against one another. 

The first leg matches will take place over March 30th and 31st and the second leg will be held on April 6th and 7th.

What are your thoughts on the quarter-final draws? Predictions?

Soccer TV Schedule for the week of 3/20

A full slate of action this weekend with Arsenal, Real Madrid, Inter Milan, Chelsea, and Juventus all on the schedule. On Thursday the 2010 MLS season kicks off (pending a player strike) as the new expansion franchise Philadelphia Union travel to the MLS' best supported team - the Seattle Sounders.

Note: All times are in Eastern Standard Time (ET).

Saturday (20th):
 - EPL: Aston Villa vs. Wolverhampton - 8:30am - ESPN2HD
 - EPL: Everton vs. Bolton - 11am - FSC
 - EPL: Arsenal vs. West Ham - 1:30pm - FSC
 - La Liga: Real Madrid vs. Sporting Gijon - 2:55pm - ESPNHD
 - Serie A: Palermo vs. Inter Milan - 3:30pm - FSC
 - Friendly: New York Red Bulls (USA) vs. Santos (BRA) - 6:30pm - FSC
 - EPL: Hull City vs. Portsmouth - 8:30pm - FSC

Sunday (21st):
 - Serie A: AC Milan vs. Napoli - 10am - FSC
 - EPL: Chelsea vs. Blackburn - 12pm - FSC
 - Serie A: Sampdoria vs. Juventus - 3:30pm - FSC

Monday (22nd):
 - CONCACAF Women's U-17 Final - 3pm - FSC

Wednesday (24th):
 - EPL: Chelsea vs. Portsmouth - 3:30pm - FSC

Thursday (25th): 
 - Serie A: Napoli vs. Juventus - 3:30pm - FSC
 - MLS: Seattle vs. Philadelphia - 9:30pm - ESPN2HD

UEFA Champions League Update - 3/17

Here is a look at the second leg of the first knockout round of the UEFA Champions League, including the teams advancing to the final eight.

Inter Milan (ITA) vs. Chelsea (ENG)
 - Result: 1-0 (Inter) - 3-1 Aggregate (Inter)
 - Thoughts: The headline match-up of the week. I think most people thought that Chelsea would take control of this game at home and make it three for three for English teams. However, Inter came out strong and fast from the start and dictated the tone for the match. Eto'o's strike helped prove his summer move was worth while for Inter and Jose Mourinho continues to look like a Champions League master. 


CSKA Moscow (RUS) vs. Sevilla (SPA)
 - Result: 2-1 (CSKA) - 3-2 Aggregate (CSKA)
 - Thoughts: Overshadowed on Tuesday's scoreboard, but CSKA went in with nothing to lose having never advanced this far before in the tournament. With two away goals in the second leg the Russian looked like the more quality side and will probably be the biggest underdog in the final eight. 

Barcelona (SPA) vs. Stuttgart (GER)
 - Result: 3-0 (Barcelona) - 4-1 Aggregate (Barcelona)
 - Thoughts: The champions came into the game even with Stuttgart after a 1-1 result from the first leg, but no one expected any trouble for Barcelona. Two outstanding goals by Messi symbolized the performance by the Spanish side. Messi and company looked at their best on Wednesday evening and will be hard to eliminate on their quest for back-to-back titles.


Bordeaux (FRA) vs. Olympiacos (GRE)
 - Result: 2-1 (Bordeaux) - 3-1 Aggregate (Bordeaux)
 - Thoughts: Strong in the first leg, Bordeaux opened the second leg with another goal from a set piece. Never behind in the tie the French team should prove to be an excellent upset candidate for one of the bigger clubs. Bordeaux advances to the final eight for the first time since 1988. 


So now we are down to the final eight in the 2009/2010 UEFA Champions League: Manchester United (ENG), Arsenal (ENG), Lyon (FRA), CSKA Moscow (RUS), Bayern Munich (GER), Inter Milan (ITA), Barcelona (SPA) and Bordeaux (FRA).


The first legs of the quarterfinals will be played on March 30th and 31st, while the second legs will be played on April 6th and 7th. 


What are your thoughts on the final out? How about Chelsea getting knocked out during the quarterfinals?

David Beckham Highlights

As many of you are probably aware by now, David Beckham injured his achilles in a match for AC Milan during the weekend. The injury has removed Beckham from the England World Cup squad and will force him to miss the rest of the Serie A season. If Beckham is able to return at any point this season it would be in the fall for the end of the MLS season with the LA Galaxy. In the meantime I'd like to highlight some of the better moments of his career or some good Beckham resources:

 - Check out David Beckham's full profile and history at his wikipedia page.

 - The official David Beckham website, including his personal blog, the latest news and information on his charities and academies.

 - For all things Beckham, check out on the longest running fan sites dedicated to the English superstar - Beckham Magazine Online.

 - Two great video complilations of his best goals ever - 'All the Free Kicks' & 'Career Goals'

 - Finally, check out this great autobiography released in 2004 - Amazon.com's page - for only $13. Also see my previous post about the book here at David Beckham - Both Feet on the Ground: An Autobiography

Get well Beckham, the World Cup will not be the same without you.

Soccer Table Update as of 3/15

Both the EPL and Serie A saw the title races stay tight with AC Milan's win, and ManU jumping Chelsea for the English lead. In Italy the biggest story of the week is the loss of David Beckham for the season - from a football and entertainment factor. In England it was announced today that relegation side Hull City had released their manager Phil Brown. But for now lets get on to the past week's results and current table standings.

EPL:
 - Past week's results - In the mid-week Sunderland and Birmingham secured victories (however both clubs could only draw in the weekend), while Stoke City and Burnley drew 1-1. Saturday Tottenham pressed for 4th place with a 3-1 win over Blackburn. Arsenal scored a second in stoppage time to win 2-1 against Hull City (and cost Phil Brown his job), while Chelsea throttled West Ham 4-1. On Sunday Manchester United and Wayne Rooney continue their hot streak coming off the impressive Champions League match to drop Fulham 3-0. Finally, Liverpool made their second straight appearance on Monday night and defeated Portsmouth 4-0.

 - Current EPL Table - The top three sides all won - ManU (66), Chelsea (64) and Arsenal (64) - but Chelsea still have a game in hand over the other two. Tottenham finally takes over 4th place by themselves at (52) , but ManCity sit close behind with 50 points and a one game advantage over Tottenham. Liverpool's victory moved them into 5th place with 51 points, but has already played two more games than ManCity. Wolverhampton's win over Burnley was a massive result in the relegation battle moving the Wolves 3 points above the drop zone.

Serie A:
 - Past week's result - The weekend was kicked off with a 3-1 shock win by Catania over Inter Milan. Saturday's lone game was Fiorentina with a 3-1 win against Napoli. The biggest result of the weekend was AC Milan's 1-0 win against Chievo, which saw the team capitalize on Inter's loss, but also suffered a season ending injury to midfielder David Beckham. In other action Roma and Juventus both ended with 3-3 draws in their respective matches.

 - Current Serie A Table - Yet again Inter has given away a massive Serie A lead and now is in the thick of a championship battle. Inter's loss held them at 59 points, while AC Milan's victory moved them to within one point (58). Roma (53) looks comfortable in third spot - five behind second and seven ahead of fourth. After AC Milan, Genoa was the next biggest mover (and winner) jumping into 7th place with 42 points and only two outside of a Europa League position.

World Cup Preview (ESPN) & MLS News

Here is a look at ESPN's World Cup 101 Preview features from this past week:
 - March 7th - OTL reports from South Africa - Last weekend ESPN's Outside the Lines TV show reported on the the United States 2010 project that was launched in 1998. A look into the US program to strengthen their youth development
 - March 8th - Best World Cup jerseys of all time - The top 10 best national team jerseys from World Cups of the past, including USA 1994 and Zaire 1974.
 - March 9th - The worst World Cup jerseys of all time - The top 10 worst national team jerseys, including Bolivia's 1930 jersey's which collectively was a greeting to the tournament hosts Uruguay, 2002 Cameroon's sleeveless venture, and the upcoming 2010 Germany kit.
 - March 10th - The Beckham factor - A look into the positives and negatives of including David Beckham in the English squad heading to South Africa. In my personal opinion I'd had him on the team for leadership, experience, and deadly set pieces.
 - March 11th - World Cup storylines to watch - Will the hosts be ready in time? How will the long European season effect World Cup players? When will the England squad turmoil be over with?
 - March 12th - Diagramming the Dutch - Can Holland finally win the World Cup? ESPN looks at several issues holding the Dutch back - a striker who can hold up play, Van Persie and Sneijder's feud, and replacing Edwin Van der Sar in goal.
 - March 13th - Which player is most overrated? - ESPN writers comment on their picks for the most overrated World Cup player - Cannavaro (Italy), Robinho (Brazail), German strikers, Henry (France), and Terry (England).
 - March 14th - Top five surprise early exits - England's stunning defeat in 1950 to USA and back-to-back champions (at the time) Brazil falling in 1966.

Soccer TV Schedule for the week of 3/13

Just how the week is suppose to be, full of soccer action. A full weekend of English, Italian and Spanish match-ups, including what could be Landon Donovan's last game for Everton. Monday afternoon Liverpool take on Portsmouth a try to rebound from their disappointing Europa League match. Then Tuesday/Wednesday bring Champions League football headlined by Chelsea vs. Inter. Finally, catch Fox Soccer Channel's MLS Season Preview show Friday night, as that may be your only MLS content for a while if the players end up striking.

Note: All games are in eastern standard time (ET).

Saturday (13th):
 - EPL: Tottenham vs. Blackburn - 7:30am - ESPN2HD
 - EPL: Everton vs. Birmingham City - 10am - FSC
 - EPL: Arsenal vs. Hull City - 12:30pm - FSC
 - Serie A: Napoli vs. Fiorentina - 2:30pm - FSC
 - EPL: Bolton vs. Wigan - 5pm - FS

Sunday (14th):
 - Serie A: Livorno vs. Roma - 10am - FSC
 - EPL: Manchester City vs. Sunderland - 12pm - FSC
 - LA Liga: Barcelona vs. Valencia - 1:55pm - ESPN2HD
 - Serie A: AC Milan vs. Chievo - 3:30pm - FSC

Monday (15th):
 - EPL: Liverpool vs. Portsmouth - 3:55pm - ESPN2HD

Tuesday (16th):
 - UEFA CL: Sevilla (SPA) vs. CSKA Moscow (RUS) - 3:30pm - FSC
 - UEFA CL: Chelsea (ENG) vs. Inter Milan (ITA) - 6pm - FSC

Wednesday (17th):
 - UEFA CL: Barcelona (SPA) vs. Stuttgart (GER) - 3:30pm - FSC

 - UEFA CL: Bordeaux (FRA) vs. Olympiacos (GRE) - 6pm - FSC

 - CONCACAF CL: Columbus Crew (USA) vs. Toluca (MEX) - 8pm - FSC

Friday (19th): 

 - MLS Season Preview Show - 8pm - FSC

UEFA Champions League Update - 3/10

Here is a look at the second leg of the first knockout round of the UEFA Champions League, including the teams advancing to the final eight.

AC Milan (ITA) vs. Manchester United (ENG)
 - Result: 4-0 (ManU) - 7-2 Aggregate (ManU)
 - Thoughts: Wayne Rooney stole the show again as led the red devils into the final eight. David Beckham's return to Old Trafford was highly covered and he played well, but in the end AC Milan could not match the talent level of ManU. Not having Pato hurt AC Milan, but with the vast amount of injuries ManU has gone through this year there can be no complaints. Manchester just went out and proved why they have been on top for the past few years.

Lyon (FRA) vs. Real Madrid (SPA)

 - Result: 1-1 (Draw) - 2-1 Aggregate (Lyon)

 - Thoughts: Back at home and in the stadium which will host the final, Real got off to a great start behind a Ronaldo goal. However, Lyon got a second half strike to push them through in this week's biggest upset. Madrid have to be tremendously disappointed to miss out on the European Final in their home town. 

Porto (POR) vs. Arsenal (ENG)

 - Result: 5-0 (Arsenal) - 6-2 Aggregate (Arsenal)

 - Thoughts: Down 2-1, missing Van Persie and Fabregas, no problem for the Gunners. Wenger led Arsenal to a tremendous performance at home. Between the current hot streak in the EPL and now advancing the final eight, Arsenal will be definitely be a favorite to win the trophy.

Bayern Munich (GER) vs. Fiorentina (ITA)

 - Result: 3-2 (Fiorentina) - 4-4 Aggregate (Bayern Munich on away goals)

 - Thoughts: Fiorentina took the aggregate lead twice at home, only to see two second half goals by Bayern Munich tie the draw up. Bayern advanced on away goals and look very suspect against the powerful offenses remaining - Arsenal, Barca, ManU, Chelsea. 

Thoughts on this weeks match-ups?

2010 FIFA World Cup video game update

The World Cup is still over 90 days away, but you are only about 60 days away from leading your country to a World Cup victory. EA Sports 2010 edition of the FIFA World Cup video game is set to be released on April 27th. Here is a look at the third preview trailer - the sizzle video.

IGN recently sat down with the producer of the upcoming video game, Simon Humber, and discussed some of the new features. Here are a few highlights from that interview:

• Improved on the penalty taking and saving systems to factor in the nerves of the kick at that moment in the match.
• Players can slip or miss the ball completely if you get the penalty strike incorrect.
• A new Captain Your Country mode will be added similar to the Be A Pro mode in FIFA 2010.
• 199 countries will be features in the game, not just the teams qualified for the 2010 World Cup.
• In the Captain Your Country mode you will have to earn your way onto the team, into the starting line-up and the captain's armband through the qualifiers. 

You can read the full report here at IGN's interview.

Soccer Table Update as of 3/8

(Note: The EPL results and table standings are through Monday's game between Liverpool and Wigan)

EPL:
 - Past week's results - A light schedule this week with FA Cup & UEFA Champions League action going on. Arsenal continued to press the leaders with a 3-1 result against Burnley. However, the result was yet again pushed to the background by an injury to Fabregas. Likewise, Manchester United earned the expected three points with a 1-0 win over Wolverhampton. Sunday saw red-hot Everton continue their second half push with a dominating 5-1 performance against Hull City. Landon Donovan's EPL loan might have ended Sunday as the striker is scheduled to return to LA, but if it is the end he went out with style - 1 goal, 1 assist, and the fans chanting "USA". Monday afternoon Liverpool was shocked by Wigan and a 1-0 defeat.
 - Current EPL Table - Chelsea sat idle in domestic action, while ManU's victory pushed them to the top of the table (63). Arsenal's victory moved them into a second place tie with Chelsea at 61 points. Liverpool's loss has them in 6th place outside of European competition and having already played two more matches than 5th place ManCity. Wins by Wigan and Bolton this weekend moved both clubs at least four points clear of the relegation zone.

Serie A:
 - Past week's results - On two games on Saturday, but the big names were out at title chasers AC Milan and Roma met. Roma had an incredible run through the middle of the season, but as recently cooled off. Both clubs wanted to close the gap on title leaders Inter, but could only manage a 0-0 draw. Juventus rebounded from last week's loss with a 2-1 v ictory over Fiorentina. On Sunday, Inter Milan failed to pull away in the Serie A title race after they drew 0-0 with Genoa. Sampdoria and Bologna earned 2-1 victories over Lazio and Napoli, respectively.
 - Current Serie A Table - The top three sides all failed to make a key late season move as each team ended in a draw, Inter (59), AC Milan (55) and Roma (52). Sampdoria and Juventus' wins moved them into 5th and 6th places and a Europa Cup position. Towards the back half of the table Bologna's win puts them 11 points above the relegation zone and most likely safe for the season. The relegation zone tightened with Atalanta (22) and Siena (21) both earned a point and Lazio (26) and Livorno (23) lost.

FA Cup:
 - The FA Cup Sixth Round took place with weekend, headlined by a 2-0 victory by Chelsea over Stoke City. The most entertaining match of the round was Aston Villa's 4-2 result against Reading. Aston Villa win down 2-0 at half time, but responded with three goals in the first 12 minutes of the second half. Portsmouth's roller coaster season continued at the club now in administration pulled out a 2-0 win over Birmingham City. The final match-up was a 0-0 draw between Fulham and Tottenham. The top sides will replay at Tottenham on March 24th. Take a look at the full 2009-2010 FA Cup Recap.

World Cup & MLS news update

Here's a quick look at some news, rumors and features across the web this weekend, encase you've been busy watching the games.

As I reported this past week ESPN has started 101 days of World Cup features leading up to the kick-off on June 11th. Here is a summary of the past five days features:
 - March 3rd - How predictive are qualifying results? - A look at past World Cup qualifying runs and how those teams faired in the finals to see if any predictions can be made about the 2010 edition.
 - March 4th - Five U.S. storylines to watch - Roster spots still up for contention, US injuries - including Charlie Davies' status, and uncertain positions on the starting squad.
 - March 5th - Five surprising World Cup runs - Five of the best underdog runs from World Cup history, including the US 2002 team.
 - March 6th - The most exciting player in the world - Four ESPN contributors discuss their picks for the most entertaining player to watch and how they might fare in the World Cup.

Also, for the MLS fans out there waiting for the season to kick-off later this month MLSnet.com has posted their latest five-a-side segment discussing Kasey Keller's contract, US players at the international level, and a look at this season's rookies.

Soccer TV Schedule for the week of 3/6

Great week of soccer action ahead, with six out of the next seven days featuring televised soccer. This weekend features Serie A's battle for second place between AC Milan and Roma, then the 6th round of the FA Cup. Tuesday and Wednesday feature the second leg in the 1st knockout round of the UEFA Champions League, including David Beckham's return to Old Trafford. Also Tuesday night the quarterfinals get started as the MLS' Columbus Crew host Mexico's Toluca.

Saturday (6th):
 - EPL: West Ham vs. Bolton - 10am - FSC
 - EPL: Wolverhampton vs. Manchester United - 12:30pm - FSC
 - Serie A: AC Milan vs. Roma - 2:30pm - FSC
 - FA Cup: 6th Round - Fulham vs. Tottenham - 5pm - FSC

Sunday (7th):
 - Serie A: Bologna vs. Napoli - 9am - FSC
 - EPL: Everton vs. Hull City - 11am - FSC
 - Serie A: Inter Milan vs. Genoa - 2:30pm - FSC
 - FA Cup: 6th Round - Reading vs. Aston Villa - 5pm - FSC

Monday (8th):
 - EPL: Liverpool vs. Wigan - 2:55pm - ESPN2HD

Tuesday (9th):
 - UEFA CL: Fiorentina (ITA) vs. Bayern Munich (GER) - 2:30pm - FSC
 - UEFA CL: Arsenal (ENG) vs. Porto (POR) - 5pm - FSC
 - CONCACAF CL: Columbus Crew (USA) vs. Toluca (MEX) - 8pm - FSC

Wednesday (10th):
 - UEFA CL: AC Milan (ITA) vs. Manchester United (ENG) - 2:30pm - FSC
 - UEFA CL: Real Madrid (SPA) vs. Lyon (FRA) - 5pm - FSC

Friday (12th):
 - Serie A: Catania vs. Inter Milan - 2:30pm - FSC
 - CONCACAF Women's U-17: USA vs. Cayman Islands - 8pm - FSC

USSF 2nd Division Update

Hey guys, two quick notes about the new USSF 2nd Division Soccer League (aka NASL vs. USL).

 - First, the USL announced that they will be added an additional team to their league next season as they fight to become the sole Division 2 league in America. The Orlando Titans will join the USL in 2011 and replace the Portland Timbers who will move to the MLS. The IndyWeekBlogs has a good report on the situation and the official press release announcing the arrival of Orlando.

 - The folks over at NASL News posted a great editorial in response to the USL announcing Orlando's addition. The post discussing how this is ultimately a bad move for the USL in relation to the future decision of which organization gets control over D2 soccer in America next year.

Check back later today for the usual Soccer TV Schedule Post.

International Friendly Recap

Today was a massive World Cup preparation day for players making a case for the final squad and coaches deciding on roster spots as over 40 international matches took place across the globe. Here is a look at some of the key World Cup qualifier's match-ups by region:

Note - Most of the Asian teams were playing Asian Cup qualifiers today.

AFC (Asia) - All three playing countries won their respective games. Australia and Japan won Asian Cup qualifiers against weaker opponents. But the headliner grabber today was South Korea's 2-0 win against Ivory Coast, who has been a dark horse for the upcoming World Cup.

CAF (Africa) - All six African teams were in action, but only Nigeria could produce a victory albeit against another non-qualifying African team (5-2 over Congo). Cameroon managed a 0-0 draw against Italy, while Algeria lost 3-0 to Serbia.

CONCACAF (North America) - The score line looked close, but USA's 2-1 loss to Holland was completely one-sided. Mexico is also scheduled to play New Zealand (OFC's only qualified team) later tonight at the Rose Bowl in CA.

CONMEBOL (South America) - Argentina pulled in one of the most impressive wins today, 1-0 over Germany. Uruguay who was the last team to qualify for the 2010 World Cup, took a big step in improving their confidence with a 3-1 victory against Switzerland.

UEFA (Europe) - England came from behind to win 3-1 over Egypt. France lost to Spain 2-0 for the ninth straight time. Greece posted a surprising lost to Senegal, 2-0. Portugal had a 2-0 win over China

You can get all of the international scores and full match reports at ESPN soccernet.

ESPN's World Cup Coverage

ESPN knows that everyone is counting down the days until the opening kick-off of the 2010 World Cup in June. Luckily, they've started their World Cup coverage early with 101 days of soccer features. Here is a look at their first two offerings:

 - March 1st: The top 50 players in the world - As expected. Messi tops the chart Ronaldo, Rooney, Kaka and Xavi round out the top five. Spain takes six of the first 16 spot, while USA is only listed once (50th place - Landon Donovan).

 - March 2nd: ESPN ranks the 10 must see games of the group stage, including South Africa vs. Mexico (opening match June 11th), England vs. USA (June 12th), Brazil vs. Ivory Coast (June 20th), and Ghana vs. Germany (June 23rd - key Group D match-up).

Soccer Table Update as of 3/1

EPL:
 - Past week's results - The weekend started with a major clash between Chelsea and Manchester City, in which all the headlines revolved around the Terry/Bridge scandal. Chelsea took the early lead, but ManCity responded with four straight goals, and saw Chelsea have two players sent off. The final score was 4-2, which setup an interesting weekend ahead for both the top of the able and the EPL 4th spot. Portsmouth pulled off a shock 2-1 win over Burnley after going into administration this past week. Arsenal took advantage of the Blue's loss to pull three points closer after a 3-1win over Stoke City. However, the mood was not high for the Gunners after they lost midfielder Ramsey to a broken leg. On Sunday, Liverpool and Tottenham kept the race for 4th place tight with 2-1 wins against Blackburn and Everton, respectively. Aston Villa and ManU were both idle in league play as the two met in the Carling Cup Final, with ManU winning the silverware from a Rooney header.
 - Current EPL Table - Just when it looked like Arsenal's title hopes were done for the season following losses to Chelsea and Manchester United, the Gunners have pulled off a string of positive results as the two top slipped. Chelsea (61) retain the lead, just one ahead of ManU (60) and three ahead of Arsenal (58). As it has been for the past few weeks, and likely until the end of the season, 4th place is a track race. Tottenham (49) currently hold the spot on goal differential, but ManCity are also at 49 and have a game in hand. At the bottom of the table Wolverhampton is the last club safe from the relegation zone over Hull City, but only based on a five goal difference. Seven teams are still at risk to being one of the two teams to drop to the Championship, along with Portsmouth.

Serie A:
 - Past week's results - AC Milan kept the pressure on Serie A title holders, Inter, with a 3-1 win against Atalanta. However, an injury late in the game to young striker Pato has put a cloud over the victory and the pending Champions League match against Manchester United. Palermo topped Juventus 2-0 and Inter Milan came from behind for a 3-2 win against Udinese. Roma's hot streak finally slowed after they could only produce a 2-2 draw against Napoli.
 - Current Serie A Table - Inter retained its position at the top of the table with 58 points, but Milan kept the race close only four points back (54). Even with a draw Roma still sits comfortable in third spot at 51. Just like in England, 4th place remains a wide open race with only five points separating 4th through 9th - Palermo, Juventus, Napoli, Sampdoria, Cagliari, and Genoa.