Friday, October 05, 2007

Boca Suffocates San Lorenzo

Our man Aaron Sheedy is on the ground in Buenos Aires and filed this report from La Bombonera where Boca rolled over San Lorenzo:

La Bombonera is an amazing stadium. The steep stands crowd so close to the field that even when you are on the top level at the end of the pitch, if you lean way out over the railing it feels like you could spit on the opposing keeper.

The fact that you actually can’t, and the fact that your spit lands instead on your own home seating section below you, seemed little deterrent to the Boca Juniors fans who were eventually so bored by their side's 2-0 win over San Lorenzo that they began to harass the poor Lorenzo keeper who was assailed fore and aft by Boca Juniors and Boca Fans alike.

Our second Buenos Aires match in 4 days lacked the drama of the first but the quality football exhibited by Boca made up the difference. From the outset, they controlled the pace and attacked at will. In the first 30 minutes San Lorenzo showed some life and a few great outside shots caused a set of acrobatic saves by the Boca keeper. But the home midfield just seemed to get more physical and more dominating as the half waned. No surprise then that Palermo punched a great header in before the half to take the lead, and the fight, out of Lorenzo.

This match report is nothing compared to the Editor's experience and so I won’t even attempt to convey the atmosphere of the stadium which is outstanding. Just read that report to get a sense of it all. Instead, I was happily surprised by the numerous and exceedingly noisy Lorenzo fans who had the cojones to drape a monstrous team flag across the entirety of the visitors section. This had the unfortunate effect of allowing no one in that section to see the pitch below. That would imply however, that they actually wanted to see their team play football and in truth they were probably happy to stay hidden and dream of victory rather than watch their visiting side be dismantled by Boca. Also, as the ever subtle Boca fan seated next to us pointed out repeatedly and at the top of his lungs, “it is the flag of losers.”

The second half opened as the first had ended with Palermo’s header at the 51 minute mark finding in quick succession the crossbar, the keepers hand, a defender’s foot and ultimately the net for an own goal. Lorenzo could mount nothing of relevance and had to suffer through chants of ‘ole!’ as Boca kept possession.

Both Boca and Lorenzo, hell, the whole league, play a rough brand of the beautiful game and as Lorenzo became frustrated, the challenges on both sides escalated in brutality and the cards became more frequent until a very indecent penalty from Lorenzo’s center back resulted rightfully in his ejection. Down to 10 men, Lorenzo played to save face and Boca played with the ball and we played the tourists by sneaking out of the stadium a few minutes early, avoiding a chilly spring rain and the crush of fans stampeding the exits to hail a taxi within hearing distance of the drums and still singing fans in La Bombonera.

-Guest Correspondent Sheedy

England: The Death Of 3 O’Clock Kick-Off




Just one of this weekend’s ten Premier League fixtures will kick off at the traditional time of 3pm on a Saturday.

Lawro's Premiership Predictions

Newcastle v Everton

Newcastle v Everton

It is just not happening for Newcastle as quickly as they thought and I think it might be a while before Sam Allardyce has the club sorted as he would want it.

The problem for him is being granted the patience to achieve that, but the fans have to realise that the number of managerial changes in recent years has got them nowhere.

Everton look a different side with Mikel Arteta back in the team - he is such a good player for them.

Prediction: 1-1


All Of Lawro's Picks

Houston's Clark gets nine-game ban for horror kick


Houston Dynamo and United States midfielder Ricardo Clark has been banned for nine games after a violent kick on an opponent who was lying on the ground. Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber also fined Clark $10,000 for the kick on Carlos Ruiz of FC Dallas in the 89th minute of Sunday's game.

UEFA Cup Wrap: Onyewu Ejected as Standard Liege Eliminated

Two police officers were wounded in the Netherlands when hooligans identified as Ajax fans threw bottles at them, resulting in 38 arrests before the game, Dutch national broadcaster NOS TV reported.

While Bayern, Atletico and Tottenham were among the clubs to advance, Ajax was knocked out on away goals after a 3-2 home loss in Amsterdam.

Argentine Apertura Championship Preview: River Plate – Boca Juniors

What: Argentine Apertura Championship (Round 13)
Who: River Plate vs Boca Juniors (El Superclasico)
When: Sunday, October 7 2007, kick-off 14:00 (local time)
Where: Estadio Monumental de Nunez, Buenos Aires
River come into this mega-clash undefeated in the last four meetings...

Spain: La Liga Weekend Preview

No fewer than eight Spanish sides found themselves in European action this week, concluding a whirlwind spell of fixtures that saw each of them play six games in just over two weeks. Nonetheless, the Spanish league doesn't wait for anyone, and each club will need to dust itself off ahead of another vital round of domestic ties. Barcelona's visit from Atletico Madrid is perhaps the most intriguing tie as we enter Matchday 7...






Saturday 6 October (all times local)
22:00 Valencia - Espanyol
Sunday 7 October
17:00 Barcelona - Atletico Madrid
17:00 Zaragoza - Levante
17:00 Osasuna - Villarreal
17:00 Athletic Bilbao - Almeria
17:00 Murcia - Betis
17:00 Mallorca - Getafe
17:00 Real Madrid - Recreativo Huelva
17:00 Sevilla - Deportivo La Coruna
17:00 Racing Santander - Valladolid

Italy: Serie A Weekend Preview

Fiorentina – Juventus

The match of week seven sees second-placed Juventus travel to Florence to meet third-placed Fiorentina. The atmosphere in the Artemio Franchi is sure to be a hostile one as these two teams have never hidden their hatred for one another.

The bitterness really originates in the 1981-82 season. Both teams went into the final day of the campaign level on points at the top. Fiorentina could only manage a goalless draw at Cagliari after having a seemingly perfectly good goal disallowed, while Juventus were awarded a debatable penalty at Catanzaro, which Liam Brady converted to give them a 1-0 victory.

The Viola fans have always regarded this as a ‘stolen’ Scudetto and relations between the clubs got worse in 1990 when Roberto Baggio moved from Fiorentina to Juventus. There are a number of other sub-plots to the game. Adrian Mutu and Christian Vieri are former Bianconeri players and will be keen to impress while Juventus Coach Claudio Ranieri and left-back Giorgio Chiellini have past links with Fiorentina.

Clashes between Fiorentina and Juventus usually produce a lot of goals and one memorable match in the past was the 3-3 draw in 2001 when Enrico Chiesa scored two screamers for the Gigliati.

All The Previews From Goal.com

England: Premier League Previews

Liverpool welcome Spurs to Anfield in the top clash of the weekend...
Man. United v Wigan
Aston Villa v West Ham

Arsenal v Sunderland

Reading v Derby

Blackburn v Birmingham

Bolton v Chelsea

Liverpool v Tottenham

Man. City v Middlesbrough

Newcastle v Everton

Fulham v Portsmouth

Germany: Bundesliga Weekend Preview


The pressure is increasing on a number of teams as the new Bundesliga season progresses. Thomas Doll looks to end a losing streak at Dortmund, as does Rudi Bommer as Duisburg.

Felix Magath is seeking his first home win, while Bojan Prasnikar is under pressure to turn things around at Cottbus.

All The Previews From Goal.com

Celtic ban fan for life but sweat on Uefa verdict

Celtic yesterday issued a life ban to the supporter who invaded the pitch at Celtic Park on Wednesday night during the Champions league tie against AC Milan, though the club has been left sweating over the punishment being considered by Uefa for the episode. The supporter, who owned up to his act of stupidity by walking into Celtic Park yesterday and speaking with the club’s officials, was later interviewed by Strathclyde police.

(AFP/File/Carl De Souza)

Thursday, October 04, 2007

Uncertain Future For Brazil’s Battling Women


The Brazilian team returned from China with runners-up medals from the FIFA Women’s World Cup but an uncertain future facing them despite a breakthrough performance. In the wake of their best-ever position at a World Cup Finals the team and Coach landed back in Brazil with a sad question mark hanging over how the sport will fare in the land that is almost synonymous with joyful football…

Who Is Italy’s Most Promising Youngster?

Italy and Serie A are never short of promising youngsters. However out of the current crop of hot prospects, who is destined for the top? Goal.com wants to know what you think. Here are five suggestions…

3) Alberto Aquilani (Roma)

It seems only injuries can stop this brilliant midfielder from becoming an Azzurri regular in the future. Aquilani is a complete midfielder, he can pass, tackle, run and as Palermo and Siena found out in the first two weeks of the season, he has a brilliant long-shot with both feet. Has just been ruled out for two months but don’t bet against the 23-year-old returning better than ever.

U.S. Open Cup Final: This Time, the Revs Celebrate



The New England Revolution have a long history of disappointing their fans in final games. However, the 3-2 victory over FC Dallas in the U.S. Open Cup Final was a different story altogether, writes Goal.com USA's Kyle McCarthy.

Richard Jolly: Crouch's Shortcomings All Too Clear to See


Peter Crouch has a unique rapport with the footballing public. He has attracted ridicule, a cult following and genuine support. Whether there is any great sense of sympathy now is a moot point, but Liverpool's lesser-spotted striker is a cause celebre, at least in his own mind.

Champions League MVP Profile: Goran Pandev (Lazio)

Despite an indifferent start to their Serie A campaign, Italian side SS Lazio claimed a valuable draw at home to Real Madrid on Champions League Matchday 2. The Spanish side twice took the lead, only to be denied by two strikes from Biancocelesti striker Goran Pandev, who constantly tore teh Madrid defence to shreds. He is Goal.com’s Champions League MVP for week two.

Champions League: Celtic Defeat Milan and Dida is "Injured"

Liverpool fall at Anfield to Marseille, Chelsea win in Valencia, Lazio and Real Madrid draw...

And they didn't even catch the fan!!

Liverpool 0 - 1 Marseille:
Anfield has built its reputation on raucous European atmospheres but an unfamiliar sound accompanied Liverpool down the tunnel last night. Boos reverberated around a stadium unacquainted with defeat in the Champions League proper since Rafael Benítez's Valencia won here in October 2002, and the uncharacteristic response was perfectly in tune with a performance the Spaniard readily accepted as the worst of his Liverpool reign.

Celtic 2 - 1 Milan:
This victory, secured with a dramatic last minute winner from Scott McDonald, adds Milan to an illustrious list of sides who have tasted defeat in Glasgow's East End - including Juventus, Valencia, Lyon and Manchester United to name but four - and puts Gordon Strachan's team right back in contention in Group D.

Valencia 1 - 2 Chelsea:
Victory over Valencia came by the same score as at the Mestalla in the Champions League quarter-final six months ago, but it was accomplished without the departed Jose Mourinho. Mourning and resentment no longer seeped into the display and Chelsea, just as they did on their previous visit to this ground, came back to win after falling behind.

Denilson struggling to have an impact for FC Dallas

No one quite knew what to make of Denilson as FC Dallas signed the mercurial former Brazilian international a few weeks ago. Here was a guy who graced two World Cup finals and was once the most expensive player in the world, and yet had bounced around the continents without distinction over the last few years.

Wednesday, October 03, 2007

SSN Special Report: River Plate Salvages a Draw

Our man Aaron Sheedy is on the ground in Buenos Aires and filed this report from El Monumental where River salvaged a draw with Rosario Central:

It was a muggy and heated affair at Monumental Stadium on Sunday where River Plate played host to Rosario Central and managed to find the net in the 98th minute, yes the 98th, to get a most unlikely draw.

I'll start with a bit of back-story since it was equally unlikely that we were even there to see the 14:30 match in the first place. My wife and I got off the plane in BA at 10am and were ogling our way through the outskirts of the city when we happened to ask if there were any matches to be seen. Not only was our young driver a River Plate fan, he drove us out of the way to the stadium gates, paid for scalped tickets out of his own pocket (we didn't have any currency yet) and then dropped us off at the apartment an hour late, imploring us not to tell the miffed apartment owners that we had made a little detour.

And so it was that we found ourselves seated in a half full stadium in Plata D2 among the slightly more sedate fans while songs and mayhem raged above us in the packed cheap seats.

River Plate controlled the game early on with neat ball movement and solid midfield play. But even with the bulk of the possession they failed to mount any serious threat and perhaps more ominously were easily penetrated by even the most straightforward runs from Rosario. River hit the post several times before the half but it was Rosario who netted the first goal with a fine 30 yard strike from Garcia at 41'.

The crowd turned from loud and bemused to loud and angry with many of their chants being directed at River Plate's coach Passarella. He was cursed openly when the half ended and was lucky not to be hit by sundry coca Cola and paper detritus hurled his way as he slunk into the tunnel.

The second half opened in disaster as Rosario closed ranks, stalled for time, and still managed a great goal from Diaz when he rocketed on in at 49' past a frozen and staring River back line. At that point the game started to turn ugly as the Rosario Central players took liberal opportunities to fall to the turf in mock agony and the crowd took liberties with the Rosario Central's mothers if their chants were any indication.

The river plate front 6 pushed erratically forward and managed few chances until the 63rd and 75th when they put two swift, pretty goals in to tie it up. After the 2nd goal I feared for my hearing as the entire stadium erupted. It was insanity and even the formerly aloof fans on either side of us gave the weird, out of place, Americans huge grins. By that time it was ridiculously hot and Meredith had herself a River Plate cap so either we were becoming more endearing or they were beginning to suffer mild heat induced delirium.

The last 25 minutes of the game made all that came before look sedate and placid. First, to my tactical surprise, River Plate did not play for the tie and kept pressing the attack. This was all the more puzzling since their back 4 had looked disastrous all afternoon and now in addition were looking a bit knackered. I was beginning to suspect the earlier abuse of the coach was not unfounded.

Rosario on the other hand redoubled their tactics that I have since dubbed "stalling and falling" and were given 3 yellow cards in quick succession for their efforts. After the 3rd yellow, the Rosario coach must have felt left out as he started screaming on the sidelines until he too was booked.

At 89 minutes the referee flashed that 6 minutes were to be added to play given all the shenanigans that occurred. Not 3 minutes later Rosario's left back Raldes (a force all day) seemingly strolled into the box and after some indifferent pressure from River, neatly put one past the keeper. The River Fans in response, nearly tore the place apart. To their credit, their anger was directed not at Rosario’s small boisterous fan contingent, nor at the opposing team but at their own appallingly bad defenders.

After the restart and a quick foul, Rosario was again carded for stalling and apparently, the referee took the liberty of tacking on a few minutes of injury time since the game was still underway at 97 when River gained the chance for a corner. Rosario's backup keeper took this break in play to have a little break of his own earning a red card by leaping from his bench, screaming at the ref, refusing to leave the field and eventually rushing onto the pitch where he finally was restrained and sent packing.

River took their corner, promptly lost possession and were nearly undone when Rosario came within inches after a quick run by Raldes (again.) It was now 98' as River prepared their goal kick only to be delayed by members of the Rosario team surrounding the ref apparently in protest of the clock.

When order was restored, River took full advantage of the frazzled opposition by working the ball up the pitch and getting a solid cross to striker Falaco who headed over the keeper in the final seconds for the draw.

Post game, the ref had to be escorted from the field by police as the Rosario Central team seemed to want to kill him. As for the poor River fans, they kept us penned in the stadium singing and chanting and waiting for a good 30 sweltering minutes while the Rosario fans were bustled away.

Today we see Boca Juniors play San Lorenzo. Hopefully we won't be disappointed.

-Guest Correspondent Sheedy

The Top 50 Football Kits: 50 - 26

From the pink jersey donned by Sicilian hardmen to the strip that hid blood on George Best's ankles, Nick Szczepanik has picked the best kits ever. The first 25 are below. Return tomorrow for the second installment.

38. Birmingham City 1972
The penguin outfit worn by Bob Latchford and Trevor Francis revived a season. There was a red away version and a strange third kit that was black on one side, gold on the other and red down the middle.

The Big Interview: Teddy Sheringham

After 23 years in the game the former England forward has a cabinet full of trophies. So why play on at Colchester at the ripe old age of 41?


Inside Teddy's Fridge:
2 Time Out bars. 5 tins of Foster’s lager. 1 Caramel bar. 4 tins of Red Bull. 1 jar of Tesco’s strawberry jam. 5 bottled beers. 1 jar of Colman’s horseradish sauce. 2 bottles of Dom Perignon. 1 tub of Flora. 2 bottles of white wine. 1 jar of Colman’s mustard. 1 carton of milk. 6 (slightly rotten) tomatoes. He examines the tomatoes curiously and throws them in the bin. “Not exactly what you would call performance-enhancing,” I observe. “No,” Sheringham admits. “But you haven’t looked in here.” He opens an adjoining cupboard and you suppress the urge to gag. 4 tins Ambrosia rice. 5 tins Heinz baked beans. 4 packets of biscuits. 1 box of Shredded Wheat. 1 box of teabags. 1 jar of instant coffee. 1 entire shelf laden with crisps and sweets.

Joey Barton feels Manchester City fans owe him a debt

Joey Barton believes the newly-resurgent Manchester City would not even be in the Premier League but for his performances last season.

What a jackass! This from a clown who moons opposing fans, puts a cigar out in the eye of a teammate, starts a brawl in a preseason match and attacks another teammate in practice, sending him to the injured list. And he slapped a 15-year-old fan.


But since we’re looking at Joey B., why not a glance at his family? His brother, was convicted of murder in a racially motivated attack after he and his cousin killed a black man with an ice pick to the head. And two of his cousins turned themselves in this past August for stabbing another man.

Joey Barton: Oozing Class

-Sanford

Tim Vickery in South America

While Brazil's women were hitting the headlines for their splendid campaign in the World Cup, back home the players of Botafogo were greeted with a shower of women's underwear on their arrival at Rio airport.

Champions League Wednesday Previews

There are games in Lisbon and Liverpool, Valencia and Rome, Bremen and Trondheim, Glasgow and Istanbul.

And arguably the most intriguing ties are those in Rome, Valencia and Glasgow.

Lazio host Real Madrid, Valencia have a re-match with Chelsea following last season's quarter-final, and Celtic have another crack at Milan, who beat them 1-0 on aggregate last season in the first knockout round, a 0-0 draw in the first leg in Glasgow being followed by the San Siro return settled by Kaká three minutes into extra time.

What's in store in each of the groups?





Valencia vs. Chelsea:
John Terry will complete a remarkable recovery tonight when he captains Chelsea at the Mestalla Stadium little more than 72 hours after undergoing surgery on a fractured cheekbone. There were fears that he would be out for up to six weeks when he was injured on Saturday after being struck by the Fulham striker Clint Dempsey's elbow but, aided by a custom-made protective mask which he will wear against Valencia, the 26-year-old has made clear his desire to play.

Liverpool vs. Marseille:
History suggests there is no way back for a player who falls from grace with Rafael Benítez and the consequences of crossing the Liverpool manager should be apparent to Peter Crouch at Anfield tonight in the shape of the man wearing the No9 jersey for Marseille.

Celtic vs. AC Milan:

The Celtic midfielder Massimo Donati has given tonight's Champions League game against Milan an extra edge by speaking of his desire to prove a point to the coach of the European champions, Carlo Ancelotti.

Champions League: Brits' success, Inter win

Wins for Manchester United, Rangers, Arsenal, Barcelona, Sporting Lisbon, Inter Milan and Sevilla

Lyon 0 -3 Rangers:
Goals from Lee McCulloch, Daniel Cousin and DaMarcus Beasley clinched a win which was as remarkable as it was unexpected. Lyon have beaten Real Madrid 2-0 and 3-0 here in the past two seasons - and top the French league - but Alain Perrin's side will now struggle to get out of the group.


BBC Images

Manchester United 1 - 0 Roma:
Manchester United opened up an emphatic lead in Group F thanks to a tentative superiority. This victory over Roma was in keeping with muted yet generally effective showings in the Premier League. At least United will not be damned as tiresome drudges so long as they can decide a match as they did this one.

Steaua Bucharest 0 - 1 Arsenal:
Arsène Wenger's dynamic young Arsenal team have not been held up by much this season during their imperious march to the Premier League summit and their sweep into the Champions League. Last night was no different.

Stuttgart 0 - 2 Barcelona:
In a scintillating encounter in the Daimler-Gottlieb stadium, the Blaugrana were at their attacking best and two second half goals were enough to maintain their 100 per cent start to this season's Champions League campaign.

Inter Milan 2 - 0 PSV Eindhoven:
A solid display by Inter allowed the Nerazzurri to win three precious points for the qualification to the second round of the Champions League as Ibrahimovic scored a brace for the Italian champions.

Tuesday, October 02, 2007

The Joy of Six: The Greatest Ever Football Kits

From Johan Cruyff's limited edition Oranje shirt to Coventry's chocolate brown number, The Guardian pays tribute to some of the best kits ever worn.

All became instantly recognisable and iconic strips for - in design terms at least - otherwise unremarkable clubs. But the greatest wanton embellishment of the era was surely Cardiff's mid-70s get-up, which saw a yellow-and-white stripe loosely influenced by the London Weekend Television ident cascading down the left-hand side of a previously plain blue number. Nowadays this garb is most famously associated with Super Furry Animals cover star and 25-time Bluebird Robin Friday, the most over-rated player you never saw.

Don't get me started on their away kit at the time.
-by Scott Murray

Champions League Previews

Lyon vs. Rangers, Stuttgart vs. Barcelona, Dynamo Kiev vs. Sporting Lisbon, Manchester United vs. Roma, CSKA Moscow vs. Fenerbahce, Inter Milan vs. PSV Eindhoven, FC Sevilla vs. Slavia Prague, Steaua Bucuresti vs. Arsenal

Matchday 2 of this season’s Champions’ League kicks off on Tuesday evening with eight matches on tap across the continent. The action will range from Manchester to Moscow and some of the fixtures are purely mouth-watering propositions.

The Italian Challenge:
On paper the Italian teams face an extremely difficult task if they are to improve on their Champions League results from matchday one.

Barcelona playmaker Ronaldinho, back in the squad for Tuesday's Champions League Group E tie at VfB Stuttgart, wants to prove the doubters wrong after enduring a difficult start to the season. The Brazilian has missed the last three matches with a calf strain and suffered criticism about transfer speculation and media reports on his private life.

Arsene Wenger admits he would sacrifice Champions League success to restore Arsenal to the pinnacle of English football. Wenger has never won Europe's elite club competition but it is not a short-coming that hurts him because the French coach believes coming out on top in the Premier League is the acid test of his team. He insists the 38-game domestic season will give a true picture of their ability, whereas the Champions League's knockout stages mean it can be won by a team who get a good draw or a lucky break in a big match.

Wayne Rooney is expecting Roma to come out with all guns blazing tonight at Old Trafford to avenge last season's 7-1 humiliation by Manchester United.


Tottenham 4-4 Aston Villa

Premier League
Final - White Hart Lane Attendance: 36,094
Tottenham 4 - 4 Aston Villa
Dimitar Berbatov (20)
Pascal Chimbonda (69)
Robbie Keane (pen 82)
Younes Kaboul (90)
Martin Laursen (22)
Martin Laursen (33)
Gabriel Agbonlahor (40)
Craig Gardner (59)

Spurs Fight Back to Get an Epic Point

Americans on the Continent: Another Goal for Bradley

Michael Bradley scored again last week, extending his streak to four games, but on the weekend, his club, Heerenveen, ran into the juggernaut that is Feyenoord. Goal.com's J.R. Eskilson and Zac Lee Rigg take a look at all the Yanks in Continental Europe.

Americans in England: Keller Stuffs Chelsea

After two weeks on the bench, Kasey Keller got the starting nod in the goal for Fulham on Saturday. Thanks to the big 38-year-old's performance, the Cottagers earned an impressive point at Chelsea. Goal.com's Matthew Braine takes an American whirl around the EPL.

EPL: Summer recruits still bench-warming

Others, however, are all too predictable. Nolberto Solano arrived at West Ham as the fourth player signed for the same position within three months. With more right wingers than the Norman Tebbit fan club, Alan Curbishley has not called upon the Peruvian yet.

Phil Ball and Sid Lowe in Spain

Phil Ball:
Quite a week here in Spain, with three league games crammed into a space of seven days. Although it's still too early to make any sweeping statements, it's nevertheless interesting how such a short and intensive period of league action can make a difference to a team's morale, in both the positive and negative senses. Whether it makes a difference only in the short-term we will have to wait and see, but take poor Sevilla, for starters.




Sid Lowe:
Three matches in eight days has upset the table, with Sevilla's 100% record shattered and Real Madrid's players in the doghouse.

Bundesliga: Newcomers Karlsruhe boar their way up to third


Raphael Honigstein:
After notching up a fifth win, newly-promoted Karlsruhe look set fair to become this season's Bundesliga overachievers.

Monday, October 01, 2007

Curtains for SoccerTV.com?

The amazing internet soccer resource soccertv.com is auctioning its domain names. This notice is currently posted to the site:

Auction of soccerTV.com/futbolTV.com to take place in October

The "silent" auction of domain names soccerTV.com, futbolTV.com,
soccerTV.net, soccerTV.org, soccerTV.biz, and soccerTV.us,
as well as the rights to the "soccerTV" trademark
in the United States and the rights to the
soccerTV Update e-mail list (over 23000 email addresses), will be
conducted by Moniker and will take place on October 12-18, 2007.

Let's hope that whomever purchases the domain names in question will continue to operate some sort of useful online broadcast schedule tool, rather than building some sort of craptacular portal site.

Deuce Takes Out Terry

Fulham forward Clint Dempsey will not face punishment over his challenge on John Terry that left the Chelsea and England captain nursing a fractured cheekbone.

The Cuauhtemoc Blanco Chronicles

Cuauhtemoc Blanco is one of the most colorful characters in Mexican soccer history and even after moving to the United States, he still attracts magnified levels of adulation and controversy south of the border.

Yahoo! Sports followed his three-day trip to Los Angeles – the USA's biggest Hispanic market – as Blanco's Chicago Fire took on Chivas USA, the only Mexican-owned team in Major League Soccer.

The result: plenty of fireworks, verbal battles, accusations, a magnificent free kick – and a telling insight into the life of one of the league's genuine superstars.

MLS Round Up

Streaks Alive!
Conference leaders D.C. United and Chivas USA continued their 11-game and 9-game unbeaten streaks, respectively. But two other streaks intrigued even more: Chicago’s 3-game run of relinquishing late leads, and (gasp!) LA’s 3 wins on the trot.

La Liga Wrap


Sunday:Valladolid Collapse, Villarreal March On Villarreal - perhaps temporarily - top the table after a hard-fought victory over Villarreal, while Espanyol and Atletico Madrid also picked up consecutive wins. Real Betis got their first victory of the season, Murcia punished nine-man Valladolid, and Racing Santander took three points from a lacklustre Almeria side as La Liga's Sunday afternoon card unfolded...
Saturday:
Henry Hit Hat-Trick As Barça Sink Levante
Sevilla Stumble

Moritz Volz on dressing room music


The curse of the dressing-room - R&B

Tottenham v Aston Villa


Gareth Bale is bright spot in dark times
Match Preview

Serie A Reports

Serie A Round 6 : A moment of madness by Ludovic Giuly literally hands Inter the lead and the Nerazzurri run out 1-4 winners at 10 man Roma. David Trezeguet scores an injury time winner to settle the Turin derby. Fiorentina win the Tuscan derby in Livorno for the first time in 75 years. Antonio Cassano scores his first Serie A goal in two years in Sampdoria's 3-0 win over Atalanta. Fabio Quagliarella is finally off the mark for Udinese but defender Cristian Zapata scores the winning goal. Milan's misery continues.

"Atalanta hit the post for a second time before completing a hat-trick of failed offside traps to allow Cassano in for his first goal of the season. He stripped to his underpants at full time and was either clearly excited or had stuffed his pants with socks."

EPL match reports


More Chelesa gloom:
Chelsea's woes near crisis point
More Arsenal joy:
Arsenal combine graft with craft
More Arteta magic
Everton shake Euro blues
More goals:
Benjani puts Portsmouth in seventh heaven
More drudgery:
Reality hurts for Gary Speed
More Blackburn success:
Straight-up Hughes puts McCarthy in his place
More Liverpool rotation:
Torres factor makes the difference
More ManU playing poorly but still winning 1-0:
Ronaldo takes advantage
More of Eriksson proving everyone wrong:
Man City stars shine on centre stage

More EPL Action

West Ham 0 - 1 Arsenal: The Insider Returns to Upton Park

Premier League Replay: The Good, The Bad and the Ugly

Andrew Discenza spotlights what was best and worst about the weekend's action in the English Premier League…

Women's World Cup: Germany Retains the Title, U.S. Third

Germany won its second straight Women's World Cup on Sunday, defeating Brazil 2-0 behind second-half goals by Birgit Prinz and Simone Laudehr. Prinz scored in the 52nd minute and Laudehr added a cushion in the 86th, helping Germany become the first women's soccer team to successfully defend its title in the World Cup or Olympics.

Abby Wambach gave the United States something more than bad memories to carry home from the women's World Cup. Wambach's two goals, and two more from Lori Chalupny and Heather O'Reilly, led the United States to a lopsided 4-1 victory over Norway on Sunday in the third-place game.

Jen Chang's Musings


Andrea Canales: U.S. Makes Solo Scapegoat for its Failure