England 2 - 1 Switzerland
Capello off to a winning start
It was just like this yesterday...
SSN is a digest of the day's soccer/football/futbol articles with a focus on the top European leagues and the United States National Team. Below, you’ll find links to articles and video, as well as additional features and commentary. We locate the top news of the day so you can stay updated with ease.
Thursday, February 07, 2008
African Cup of Nations: Semi-Final Previews
Sid Lowe: Spain suffer as ringmaster Aragonés whips up a soccer circus
If the ridiculous maelstrom that surrounds Luis Aragonés doesn't end soon, even victories like last night's won't help to improve Spain's situation.
European Friendlies
Ireland 0 - 1 BrazilClassy Brazil Edge Plucky Ireland
Italy 3 - 1 Portugal
Luca Toni, Andrea Pirlo and Fabio Quagliarella scored the goals as an impressive Italy beat Portugal 3-1 in a highly entertaining and open friendly at the Letzigrund Stadium in Zurich.
Spain 1 - 0 France
Joan Capdevila was the unlikely hero for Spain as he scored the only goal of a very tight friendly encounter to give Spain an historic victory in Málaga.
England 2 - 1 Switzerland
Tame England leave Capello with more questions than answers
England: Premier League News
Liverpool owners and manager are urged to cease conflict as chief executive targets return to winning ways
Rick Parry calls for end to Liverpool hostilities
Fernando Torres is confident of being fit for Liverpool's weekend trip to Chelsea, despite injuring his thigh
Torres plays down injury fears
After a morale-boosting performance for England Under-21, the Arsenal youngster is all too aware of his shortcomings
Theo Walcott wants regular Arsenal place
The Brazil forward has not played for more than a month but is keen to show Middlesbrough fans what all the fuss is about
Alves anxious to put on scoring boots
The Arsenal manager attacks internatiuonal friendlies for the 1001st time, this time over an injury to his midfield enforcer
Flamini injury angers Wenger
African Cup of Nations Update
The Ivory Coast, with a Chelsea-loving Drogba, and Ghana are the teams to beat as the competition reaches the semi-finals.
Drogba and Essien have key roles as big four play for final honour
Didier Drogba loves the challenge at Chelsea
Samuel Eto'o threat forces Ghana to reshuffle
USA 2 - 2 Mexico
All in all, another entertaining match-up between the region's powerhouses. Too bad Dempsey's goal was waved off. Regardless, Mexico failed to win, and that makes me quite pleased.Oguchi Onyewu and Jozy Altidore provided the goals for the hosts, while Jonny Magallon notched both of the goals on set pieces for Mexico.
Jen Chang's Take
Player Ratings
Martin Rogers on Jozy Altidore
Lo siento, Hugo. Suerte por la proxima...
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
Look Alikes of the Week: Phil Hartman's Frankenstein & Fabio Capello
Fire, BAAAD!!
Michael Owen, WORSE!
Hleb stays, Benjani moves
Arsenal midfielder Alexander Hleb has no intention of leaving the club in the summer, according to the player's agent, but Benjani, having woken up from his little airport nap, is finally moving up north.
Alexander Hleb to stay at Arsenal
Benjani completes move to Manchester City
Irish still seek manager
The Republic of Ireland set-up must rediscover the unity that led to success in 1990 before managerial farce tempts more players to retire
A green mist descends as Ireland's wait goes on
Trezeguet not good enough for Domenech
Sacré bleu! The new France away kit is red.
Ahead of France's friendly in Spain, David Trezeguet has become the latest player to fall foul of Raymond Domenech's peculiar policies, explains Monsieur Lyttleton.
'Provocateur' Domenech opens his black book again
USA vs. Mexico -- It's never friendly...
Whenever the U.S. team plays Mexico I get excited. This game is never boring and always seems to bring out the best in both squads. And no matter how pro-Mexico the crowd is, if it's being played on U.S. soil, the Yanks usually end up taking the match. It'll be another tough test for them tonight. I just wish it weren't on so late. 9 pm is past my bedtime! Waaa.USA vs. Mexico Reliant Stadium Houston, Texas
ESPN 2 9 PM EST
What's not to love??
The American that Mexico Loves to Hate
Love Thy Neighbor
U.S. Brings Its A-Team
Glimpse of USA-Mexico rivalry's future
European Friendlies: Capello makes his bow while Euro 2008 hopefuls start tune-up
As Euro 2008 hopefuls get down to the serious business of fine-tuning their squad permutations for the summer England must embark instead on the long road to the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa under new Italian coach Fabio Capello.Also, France face Spain in Malaga and Italy host Portugal.
Calcio Debate: Kaka & Pato Out - Milan In Big Trouble?
With Kaka and Alexandre Pato seemingly set to miss Milan’s monster Champions League clash with Arsenal a fortnight today, Carlo Garganese is concerned that the European Champions could be in big trouble…
Manchester United: Munich Remembered
Manchester United's tribute to the eight footballers lost in the Munich air disaster 50 years ago will be one of permanence. This afternoon's service, in the Manchester Suite at the ground, will be conducted by club chaplain Reverend John Boyers to coincide with the time of crash at 3.04pm.Sir Alex fears Munich tribute will be targeted by 'idiots' and be remembered for the wrong reasons
Phil Holland on the Busby Babes
Picture Gallery
Richard Williams Remembers
Facts About the Crash
African Cup of Nations: Favourites on course for Accra collision
The dream final is still on in the African Cup of Nations after Ghana and Ivory Coast successfully negotiated quarter-finals with performances at the opposite ends of the comfort extreme.
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
Tim Vickery in South America
Republic of Ireland fans are in for a treat this week when Brazil come to town; and the fact that Dunga's squad is not at full strength only adds interest to Wednesday's match.
Quotes and Chants of the Week
"Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!"
Newcastle fans when Nicklas Bendtner came on for Arsenal, joining Emmanuel Adebayor on the pitch, a week after their on-field tussle.
"There's only one Kevin Keegan!"
Arsenal fans when they went 3-0 up.
"I was full of it, I wanted to cuddle everyone I could see!"
Fulham's Jimmy Bullard on hugging the ref after hitting the winner against Aston Villa with a cracking free-kick.
All the Fun
Newcastle fans when Nicklas Bendtner came on for Arsenal, joining Emmanuel Adebayor on the pitch, a week after their on-field tussle.
"There's only one Kevin Keegan!"
Arsenal fans when they went 3-0 up.
"I was full of it, I wanted to cuddle everyone I could see!"
Fulham's Jimmy Bullard on hugging the ref after hitting the winner against Aston Villa with a cracking free-kick.
All the Fun
Bochum beat Bremen
The "unrelegatables" had not won at Bremen in 29 attempts before the referee gave them a helping hand on Sunday, writes Herr Honigstein
Bochum finally end 37 years of hurt
Sid highlights Almería manager Emery
He might be anonymous for now, but if Unai Emery continues to perform masterstrokes like Almería's win over Madrid, he won't be much longer, writes señor Sid Lowe
Almería's miracle-working pesado masterminds another Real upset
English Premier League: The Race For Europe
While the majority of the headlines about the Barclays Premiership seem to revolve around the tight, three-way battle for the Premiership crown between Arsenal, Manchester United, and Chelsea, an equally intriguing fight is ensuing right behind them.
Matt Monaghan looks at the Premiership challengers' prospects of European football...
Friedel Extends Blackburn Contract
The American was out of contract at the end of next season, but he will now remain at Ewood Park until summer 2010, marking a decade at the club.
ACN: Egypt and Cameroon Reach Semis
Stephane M'Bia and Cameroon needed extra time to beat Tunisia 3-2 Monday and reach the semifinals at the African Cup of Nations. Defending champion Egypt also advanced, beating Angola 2-1 to complete the final four. Cameroon will face host Ghana and Egypt takes on Ivory Coast in Thursday's semis.
Easily Cameroon's #1 fan. Does soccer.com sell those diaper-shorts?
1991 Marked the Turning Point for the U.S.
While victory in Mexico has continued to be elusive, the U.S. has proved to be almost as tough on its side of the border, in spite of some decidedly unfriendly crowds.
And if there was one match that signaled the U.S.'s transformation from doormat to rival, it would be its 2-0 victory in the semifinals of the 1991 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Monday, February 04, 2008
Americans in England
Goal.com USA's Matthew Braine runs down the happenings of the American players in England this past week.
Brian McBride, Fulham
vs. Aston Villa (20 minutes, 0 goals)
Italy: Serie A Weekend Wrap
Roma and Juventus losing hope of catching InterReports
| Serie A | ||||||
| CLUB | GP | W | L | D | PTS | GD |
| Inter Milan | 21 | 16 | 0 | 5 | 53 | 31 |
| Roma | 21 | 13 | 2 | 6 | 45 | 16 |
| Juventus | 21 | 11 | 2 | 8 | 41 | 22 |
| Fiorentina | 21 | 10 | 4 | 7 | 37 | 13 |
| AC Milan | 20 | 9 | 5 | 6 | 33 | 16 |
| Udinese | 21 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 33 | -1 |
| Atalanta | 21 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 29 | 2 |
| Sampdoria | 21 | 8 | 9 | 4 | 28 | 1 |
| Palermo | 21 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 28 | -6 |
| Genoa | 21 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 28 | -6 |
| Napoli | 21 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 27 | 1 |
| Catania Calcio | 21 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 23 | -5 |
| Lazio | 21 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 23 | -6 |
Spain: La Liga Weekend Wrap
The gap narrows as Madrid fall to Almeria and Barcelona snatch a late win...
| Primera División | ||||||
| CLUB | GP | W | L | D | PTS | GD |
| Real Madrid | 22 | 17 | 3 | 2 | 53 | 28 |
| Barcelona | 22 | 14 | 3 | 5 | 47 | 27 |
| Espanyol | 22 | 11 | 5 | 6 | 39 | 8 |
| Villarreal | 22 | 12 | 7 | 3 | 39 | 6 |
| Atlético Madrid | 22 | 11 | 6 | 5 | 38 | 13 |
| Racing Santander | 22 | 9 | 6 | 7 | 34 | 0 |
| FC Sevilla | 22 | 10 | 10 | 2 | 32 | 11 |
| Almeria | 22 | 9 | 8 | 5 | 32 | -1 |
| Valencia | 22 | 9 | 10 | 3 | 30 | - |
England: EPL Weekend Action
Team of the WeekJussi Jaaskelainen
Jonathan Woodgate
David Wheater
Bacary Sagna
Lassana Diarra
Jimmy Bullard
Joe Cole
Emmanuel Adebayor
The Good, The Bad And The Ugly
Fulham 2 - 1 Aston Villa
Bullard Dream Return
Manchester City 1 - 3 Arsenal
Arsenal So Superior
Blackburn 0 - 0 Everton
Referee Errors Cost Everton
Wigan 1 - 0 West Ham
Wigan En Route to Safety
Newcastle 1 - 1 Middlesbrough
Michael Owen Scores a Goal
Portsmouth 1 - 1 Chelsea
Defoe on Target
| Premier League Table | ||
| February 3, 2008 | GP | PT |
| Arsenal | 25 | 60 |
| Man Utd | 25 | 58 |
| Chelsea | 25 | 54 |
| Everton | 25 | 44 |
| Liverpool | 24 | 43 |
| Aston Villa | 25 | 41 |
| Man City | 25 | 41 |
| Blackburn | 25 | 39 |
| Portsmouth | 25 | 38 |
| West Ham | 24 | 36 |
| Tottenham | 25 | 29 |
| Newcastle | 25 | 28 |
| Middlesbrough | 25 | 26 |
| Bolton | 25 | 25 |
| Wigan | 25 | 23 |
| Sunderland | 25 | 23 |
| Reading | 25 | 22 |
| Birmingham | 25 | 21 |
| Fulham | 25 | 19 |
| Derby | 25 | 9 |
United Fined For White Hart Lane Indiscipline
Manchester United have been fined by the FA after seven players were booked in the draw at Tottenham.
Bradley brings in 12 Europe-based players for Mexico
After meeting Mexico, the Americans likely will play at Poland on March 26 and at Spain on June 4 before the start of World Cup qualifying in mid-June.Goalkeepers: Brad Guzan (Chivas USA), Tim Howard (Everton, England)
Defenders: Carlos Bocanegra (Fulham, England), Ramiro Corrales (Brann, Norway), Drew Moor (Dallas), Oguchi Onyewu (Standard Liege, Belgium), Michael Parkhurst (New England), Heath Pearce (Hansa Rostock, Germany), Eddie Robinson (Houston)
Midfielders: Freddy Adu (Benfica, Portugal), Michael Bradley (Heerenveen, Netherlands), Ricardo Clark (Houston), Bobby Convey (Reading, England), Brad Davis (Houston), Maurice Edu (Toronto), Benny Feilhaber (Derby, England), Stuart Holden (Houston), Eddie Lewis (Derby, England)
Forwards: Jozy Altidore (New York), Clint Dempsey (Fulham, England), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles), Pat Noonan (Aalesund, Norway)
Friday, February 01, 2008
Lawro's Premiership Predictions
Tottenham vs. Manchester United
Tottenham's improvement is there for all to see and they have also strengthened by bringing in Alan Hutton - who looks like he will be a really good player - and Jonathan Woodgate.
I think this will be Manchester United's toughest league fixture for a while. Yes, they beat Spurs in the FA Cup last week but that was a much closer game than the 3-1 scoreline suggested.
Prediction: 1-1
All the PredictionsSerie A: Improving Milan set sights on Fiorentina
AC Milan's ascent towards a Champions League qualifying spot reaches a crucial point this weekend when they visit fourth-placed Fiorentina.
Weekend Preview
La Liga: Ronaldinho to reignite Barca title bid?
Barcelona are hoping the return of Ronaldinho for Sunday's league match at home to Osasuna will reinvigorate their fading title hopes and add some much needed spark to their football.
Weekend Preview
England: Premier League Previews
The teams at the top have tough trips as United travel to White Hart Lane and Arsenal make the reverse journey to the City of Manchester Stadium. Elsewhere, Chelsea face a potential bump on the south coast at Fratton Park and Newcastle and Boro square off in the northeast.
Saturday Feb. 2
Birmingham v Derby
Blackburn v Everton
Liverpool v Sunderland
Manchester City v Arsenal
Portsmouth v Chelsea
Reading v Bolton
Tottenham v Manchester United
Wigan v West Ham
Sunday Feb 03
Fulham v Aston Villa
Newcastle v Middlesbrough
Martin Rogers: Transfer Window's Winners and Losers
The January transfer window ended Thursday, producing some brisk business in the soccer world. As opposed to several previous years, when the January window saw little in the way of meaningful activity, the positive financial outlook for many big teams triggered some key moves that sent cash hurtling around the sport's international marketplace.
Germany: Bundesliga Weekend Preview
The Bundesliga returns after the traditional winter break with the battle for the league title finely poised. Bayern Munich sit atop the league table on 36 points, but lead rivals Werder Bremen on goal difference only.Huub Stevens’ Hamburg are four points further back and cannot be discounted as title challengers especially if they hit the kind of form they did at the start of the season. Last seasons top two, Stuttgart and Schalke, will be looking to improve on a rather disappointing first half of the season and ensure Champions League qualification at the very least.
The weekend’s nine matches mirror the opening weekend of the season’s fixtures.
Raphael Honigstein's Preview
USA vs. Mexico: Sanchez selects his first naturalized player
Brazilian-born midfielder Antonio Naelson was picked by Mexico coach Hugo Sanchez for the first time Thursday.
February 6, 2008
Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas
9 pm EST
ESPN2
Goalkeepers: Luis Michel (Guadalajara), Moises Munoz (Morelia), Guillermo Ochoa (America)
Defenders: Israel Castro (Pumas), Jonny Magallon (Guadalajara), Rafael Marquez (Barcelona, Spain), Fausto Pinto (Pachuca), Oscar Rojas (America), Carlos Salcido (PSV Eindhoven, Netherlands)
Midfielders: Fernando Arce (Santos Laguna), Andres Guardado (Deportivo La Coruna, Spain), Antonio Naelson (Toluca), Pavel Pardo (Stuttgart, Germany), Gerardo Torrado (Cruz Azul)
Forwards: Adolfo Bautista (Jaguares), Juan Carlos Cacho (Pachuca), Giovanni Dos Santos (Barcelona), Antonio de Nigris (Ankaraspor, Turkey), Carlos Vela (Osasuna, Spain)
USA vs. MexicoFebruary 6, 2008
Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas
9 pm EST
ESPN2
No EPL Move for Guzan
U.S. National Team goalkeeper Brad Guzan was denied a British work permit on Thursday, ending his plans to sign with Aston Villa
Guzan Denied Work Permit, Returning to Chivas USA
Platini in Ronny Challenge
Is that really your best Ron?
Michel Platini has challenged Cristiano Ronaldo to produce his best form on grandest stages
Michel Platini challenges Cristiano Ronaldo
David Edbrooke assesses where Ronaldo's fantastic free-kick stands in all-time top 25
The 25 best free-kicks of all-time
Pompey in Stress?
According to The Times the possibility of his manager moving to Newcastle may have prompted the Portsmouth owner's decision to sell the club, but The Telegraph says Gaydamak is still committed to Pompey.
Redknapp's 'move' tested Gaydamak’s loyalty
Alexandre Gaydamak committed to Portsmouth
African Cup of Nations Update
Which side does George Clinton support??Senegal's draw against South Africa mean both teams are out while Tunisia and Angola qualify:
Senegal, South Africa go out in 1-1 draw
Tunisia, Angola qualify after tame draw
Ballack Aims High
Michael Ballack believes his team's apparent invincibility at Stamford Bridge will prove decisive in the title race
Ballack gets that title feeling
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