Volkswagen Sponsor D.C. United

Volkswagen will also be prominently featured through a variety of other club and in-stadium marketing components. United will debut the new uniforms on national television Thursday night when the club hosts the Chicago Fire. Kick-off is set for 7:30 p.m. ET at RFK Stadium.

McBride: Still Work To Do

Fulham captain Brian McBride insists there is no room for complacency on the final day of the season against Portsmouth.

Spain: Real set to parade football Liga trophy as Barca visit

Real Madrid are set to rub salt into the wounds of arch rivals by parading their 31st Spanish league trophy when they host Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium on Wednesday.

Real fans waited until the early hours to celebrate with the players at Cibeles fountain on Sunday night after Real retained the title with a thrilling late 2-1 victory over Osasuna.

England: Norman Hubbard on the Championship

The scribe takes a look back at the year in England's second division.

North America: MLS

DC's old sign was designed by Albert Speer


I've been asking myself one question all week: what's wrong with DC United? Despite snapping up someone called Marcelo Gallardo during the off-season their start has still been shite. Lucky Pat Walsh from Goal.com has been asking himself the very the same question...
DC not looking United

England: EPL Comment

The Arsenal manager may need a radical rethink to avoid the 'nearly men' label, writes Dominic Field
Exodus threatens Wenger masterplan

Wenger has created a problem ouut of nothing by mishandling the Flamini situation, and sent a very dangerous message to the rest of the team, says Abhishek Thakur
Fans must blame Wenger, not Flamini

Give Gullitt, Vialli, Ranieri and Mourinho credit for Blues' current success
Kevin McCarra: Chelsea helped by ghost of Mourinho

Uncertainty has gone but sell-out crowds show Premier League is special, writes Tim Rich
That's entertainment!

The manager now knows that his dream of competing with the best in the Barclays Premier League is doomed to failure, claims Martin Samuels
Keegan confronts grim reality at Newcastle

Football's claim to have gone green is really a red herring, writes Jim White
When green is red

A certain cynicism usually descends whenever footballers' charitable projects are mentioned. When it does contribute to society, the gesture is frequently dismissed as a publicity stunt, reports James Mariner
Football's charitable status: Philanthropists in the EPL

Euroland: Gabriele Marcotti Column

All across Europe last season's domestic league winners are all successfully defending their titles again this season
Usual suspects claim Europe’s top titles

Euroland: News

The "special one" is not the chosen one. Barcelona have decided not to appoint Jose Mourinho as their first-team coach for next season despite him being the overwhelming choice of the club's supporters
'Special one' snubbed by Barcelona despite fans' backing

Bordeaux's late charge has sparked an irritable reaction in Lyon's voluble president
Aulas cries conspiracy as Lyon wobble

Real want Arsenal talisman at the Bernabeu to form a new Spanish backbone
Fabregas on Real agenda
Don't you dare

The former Tottenham Hotspur coach is close to accepting a two-year contract to replace Huub Stevens as Hamburg coach
Jol ready to accept new challenge

Rangers chairman Sir David Murray has criticised the SPL's refusal to extend the season
Murray attacks SPL inaction

England: EPL News

Premier Shorts: Today in the EPL

After missing out in January, Spurs will make another attempt to sign Portsmouth midfielder Lassana Diarra
Tottenham confident of claiming Diarra

Patrik Berger will not play for Aston Villa again after encouraging Gareth Barry to join Liverpool
O'Neill ends Berger's Villa career

Manchester City approach Portugal coach to replace Sven-Goran Eriksson but owner wants decision before Euro 2008 finals
Scolari's £3.2m offer

German rewarded for crucial goals with a two-year extension, as Avram Grant views him as essential to plans for next season
Deal puts Ballack at Chelsea's heart

Doubts persist that the Liverpool co-owner can raise the funds to build the new 71,000-seat stadium in Stanley Park
Hicks under pressure to show his money
Light goes green for new Liverpool stadium

South American, African and other non-European footballers who cannot speak English will be barred from joining Premier League clubs from the autumn under the new points-based immigration system detailed by ministers yesterday
Premier footballers will have to speak English

A score on and off the field

Martin Rogers on Golden Balls scoring goals

Eredivisie Play-Offs: Pérez Double Sees Ajax Through

Michael Bradley sent off after 39 minutes as Heerenveen fall in Amersterdam

Americans in England

Eddie Lewis, Derby CountyVs. Blackburn (72 minutes, 0 goals)

The Rams officially clinched the worst point total for any team in Premier League history as they fell to Rovers on Saturday. Derby now sit on 11 points, and even with a win next week, would only have 14, one off Sunderland’s mark of 15 points from two years ago. Lewis had a rather ineffective game as Derby squandered an early lead and eventually fell 3-1 at Ewood Park.

All the Yanks

Phil Ball in Spain

In the end it was all fairly dramatic, as the rain poured down from the dark Pamplona sky. The owner of the bar where I decided to watch the second half of the Osasuna v Real Madrid game is from Navarre, and he adorns the walls of his hostelry with team photos of Osasunas past and present.

England: Did you have a nice time shopping?

As the season comes to a close, Glenn Moore selects the EPL signings who have proved a shrewd investment and those who broke the bank and their club's heart
Good buys bad buys

England: Newcastle 0 Chelsea 2

Avram Grant believes the Barclay's Premier League title is within his side's grasp after their 2-0 win over Newcastle United
Chelsea hold out for final twist

Michael Ballack's economy of physical effort enables him to shine when it comes to ball retention and distribution
White Ferrari finds top gear as United look nervously back

Euroland: News

Reports in Spain are claiming that the Barcelona board have decided on former skipper Josep Guardiola to take over from Frank Rijkaard, and that he will be officially unveiled as head coach on May 19...
Guardiola new Barca coach?

The AC Milan forward has described his altercation in a Rio de Janeiro motel as the "biggest mistake of his life"
Ronaldo 'ashamed' by scandal

Russia has agreed to allow fans with European Cup final tickets entry to the country without a visa
New visa deal for Moscow final is just the ticket for fans

Et tu, Brute?

Well the lure of dirty lucre was too much for Mattieu Flamini, who joined Milan yesterday. It will hardly have come as a shock to Wenger as the midfielder joined Arsenal from Marseilles in similar circumstances. In terms of the type of player Flamini is Wenger shouldn't find it too difficult to find a replacement, but his going could have a destabilising effect. Both Wenger and Diarra could be regretting that move to Portsmouth this morning. Possible replacements? I quite like Michael Johnson at Man City, though maybe he doesn't cover the ground as much as a Flamini or a Hargreaves. The Guardian is suggesting Gattuso, which would be more of a like-for-like replacement.

Loss of key midfielder might prompt a rethink in Arsene Wenger's transfer policy
Wenger faces a summer of rebuilding
Hleb wants to follow Flamini out of Arsenal

Italy: Paolo Bandini Column

Defeat for the Viola at Cagliari has cost them a Champions League spot, with Milan gleefully taking full advantage. Signor Bandini reports...
Milan get on their bike in race for fourth

Germany: Raphael Honigstein Column

Unsettling their greatest asset would be a bigger own goal for Nürnberg fans than Jan Koller dividing his loyalties for a couple of minutes. Herr Honigstein reports...
Koller caught out by divided loyalties

Spain: Sid Lowe Column

Madrid finally got their La Liga title party started, but only just. Señor Lowe reports...
Madrid get the party started ... just

England: EPL News

Premier Shorts: Today in the EPL

Supporters' union in talks with private-equity company about being represented should buyout of American owners go ahead
DIC promises fans place on Liverpool board

Liverpool are winning the battle to sign Gareth Barry with the player himself having made the decision to sign for Rafael Benitez's club this summer rather than agree a new contract at Aston Villa
Barry to reject record pay deal and join Benitez

Former England international Paul Gascoigne is in hospital following an incident at a hotel in London
Gascoigne in hospital after hotel incident
Gascoigne's tears a tragedy foretold

Stephen Warnock, Martin Olsson and Matt Derbyshire all agree new deals that will keep them at Ewood Park until 2012
Blackburn trio sign new contracts

The Good, The Bad and the Ugly

Roberto Gotta in Italy

Gotta reports from the San Siro where Milan beat city rivals Inter

MLS Weeked Wrap Up

Another exciting weekend in MLS has come to a close. It's still early and the only thing we know for sure is that it sure seems like every team is capable both of winning big and tripping over its own dick.

New England keeps losing players when they play the Fire and can claim that they've yet to play a fairly contested match, but it's hard to argue with the fact that the Fire crushed the Revs, and John Thorrington is the Goal.com player of the week. Payback since last year's Revolution playoff win currently stands at 7-0.

Real Salt Lake has thus far proven that they can play anybody as long as they get to do it at home on their crappy plastic football field, but they couldn't stop Goldenballs from saving LA's bacon on a couple of nicely struck balls from distance.

DC United shipped out two-time MLS MVP Christian Gomez last winter and used the DP they got in return to bring in Marcello Gallardo. Last night Gomez had something to say about it.

Chivas, Dynamo battle to draw.

The Crew Just Keep Winning.

Columbus sits atop this week's ESPN MLS Power Rankings

England: News and Preview

Newcastle vs. Chelsea
Cech promises to keep the pressure on United

Dempsey signs new Fulham deal
Deuce to stay at The Cottage until 2010

Stoke City promoted
Stoke are back in the top flight for the first time since 1985

West Bromwich Albion promoted
WBA win the Championship

Leicester City relegated
Foxes in freefall

Gazza in hospital
Incident at a hotel has fallen star back in bed

England: EPL Reports + Table

Manchester United 4 - 1 West Ham
Richard Jolly at Old Trafford

Fulham 2 - 0 Birmingham City
McBride on target as Fulham revival continues

Liverpool 1 - 0 Manchester City
Sven headed out of Eastlands

Arsenal 1 - 0 Everton
Exodus impending?

Aston Villa 0 - 2 Wigan
Euro charge in shambles

Reading 0 - 1 Tottenham
Losing control

English Premier League Table
Club	GP	PT
Man Utd	37	84
Chelsea	36	81
Arsenal	37	80
Liverpool	37	73
Everton	37	62
Aston Villa	37	59
Blackburn	37	58
Portsmouth	37	57
Man City	37	55
West Ham	37	48
Tottenham	37	46
Newcastle	36	43
Wigan	37	40
Middlesbrough	37	39
Sunderland	37	39
Bolton	37	36
Fulham	37	33
Reading	37	33
Birmingham	37	32
Derby	37	11

Portugal: Liga 1

Benfica coach Fernando Chalana played down the poor display and result against Estrela da Amadora, saying that reaching the second place is still possible
Chalana: Second Place Is Still Possible

France: Ligue 1

Olympique Lyon missed a chance to close in on a seventh consecutive Ligue 1 title when they were held to a goalless draw at mid-table Nice on Saturday
Lyon fail to wrap up title after Nice draw

A Pierre Ducasse thunderbolt sealed a fantastic win for Bordeaux to keep the side's title hopes alive
Bordeaux comeback keeps Ligue alive

Germany: Bundesliga

As Spain, the standard has not been especially high in Germany this year. Every now and again one of the teams below Bayern would go on a good run, but nothing of any great substance, nothing that was ever going to threat the Munich powerhouse. Bayern have made two excellent signings in Toni and Ribery, so it'll be intersting to see how they get on against the big boys in the CL next year.


Bayern have been crowned Bundesliga champions following a goalless draw with Wolfsburg. The Bavarians put in a far-from spectacular performance but that will not matter as Ottmar Hitzfeld’s side gained the point they needed to clinch their 21st Bundesliga title...
Bayern Claim 21st Bundesliga Title

Italy: Serie A

Milan beat Internazionale 2-1 at San Siro yesterday to blow open the title race as second-placed Roma won 3-0 at Sampdoria to move just three points behind the Serie A leaders with two games to play
Inzaghi and Kaka upset Internazionale's title charge

A seventh minute strike by Houssine Kharja was enough to give his Siena side all three points against a Juventus side who struggled to make an impact in Tuscany
Resilient Siena Stun Poor Old Lady

Spain: La Liga

It's been a poor year quality-wise in Spain. Real have retained the title without much pressure. In fact Barca have been so poor they may loose second spot, and automatic CL qualification to Villarreal. Surely both teams, after the obligatory heavy summer spending, will come back stronger. It'll be interesting to see who gets the Barca job.

Madrid are champions of Spain again after a dramatic victory at Osasuna
Prosaic but persistent, Real wrap up title for Schuster

A quickfire trio from Barcelona ended this match as a contest within just fifteen minutes
Barcelona Blitz Six Past Valencia

England: EPL Weekend Preview

The Manchester United striker is losing his battle to be fit for the visit of West Ham, plus the rest of the team news

Saturday, 03 May 2008
15:00 Aston Villa v Wigan
15:00 Blackburn v Derby
17:15 Bolton v Sunderland
15:00 Fulham v Birmingham
12:45 Man Utd v West Ham
15:00 Middlesbrough v Portsmouth
15:00 Reading v Tottenham

Sunday, 04 May 2008
13:30 Arsenal v Everton
16:00 Liverpool v Man City

Monday, 05 May 2008
16:00 Newcastle v Chelsea

Preview

Germany: Bundesliga Weekend Preview

Another busy round of Bundesliga action gets underway this weekend with Bayern Munich looking for the point that will clinch their 21st league title, while the battle for survival becomes ever fiercer at the bottom of the table

With just four games left the sides at the bottom are leaving it late s they bid to secure their Bundesliga survival

Friday 2nd May
20:30 Borussia Dortmund - Nürnberg

Saturday 3rd May
15:30 Hansa Rostock - Hamburg
15:30 Arminia Bielefeld - Bochum
15:30 Schalke - Hannover
15:30 Werder Bremen – Energie Cottbus
15:30 Stuttgart – Eintracht Frankfurt
15:30 Hertha Berlin - Karlsruhe

Sunday 4th May
17:00 Wolfsburg – Bayern Munich
17:00 Duisburg – Bayer Leverkusen

Preview

Italy: Serie A Weekend Preview

Inter Milan will retain their Serie A title if they beat a hungry AC Milan on Sunday in what has been billed as one of the most important city derbies ever

03 April 2008
15:00 Torino - Napoli
15:00 Cagliari - Fiorentina
15:00 Empoli - Udinese
15:00 Siena - Juventus
15:00 Atalanta - Livorno
15:00 Lazio - Palermo
15:00 Parma - Genoa
15:00 Catania - Reggina

04 April 2008
15:00 Milan - Inter Milan
15:00 Sampdoria - Roma

Preview 1
Preview 2

Spain: La Liga Weekend Preview

Round 35 in Spain

Real Madrid go into this game knowing that they could seal the Liga title with a win over Osasuna in Pamplona

Saturday 3 May 2008
20:00 At. Madrid - Recreativo
22:00 Zaragoza - Deportivo

Sunday 4 May
17:00 Sevilla - Valladolid
17:00 Almería - Betis
17:00 Villarreal - Getafe
17:00 Levante - Espanyol
17:00 Athletic - Mallorca
17:00 Racing - Murcia
19:00 Barcelona - Valencia
21:00 Osasuna - R. Madrid

Preview

England: Lawro

Reading v Tottenham

Reading are in a bit of trouble and will have one eye on the Fulham-Birmingham match, but I'm going to go for the home win and that should banish any fears of relegation

You never know which Tottenham will turn up. Since their win in the Carling Cup final they've completely dropped off and I think Juande Ramos will experiment with the team a little bit.

Their poor run of form will have told him everything he needs to know about his players as he starts to build for next season, because you find out so much more when you're team are playing poorly than when they are winning all the time

Verdict: 2-0

Lawro's predictions

Liverpool: Change Ahead

It promises to be an interesting summer at Anfield as the club face up to the need for greater depth if they are to challenge next season
Blood-letting back on the agenda with Benítez to lead the cull

Concern was growing on Merseyside last night over whether Liverpool's co-owners, Tom Hicks and George Gillett, will ever find the £300 million for the club's proposed new stadium
Shadow Stanley Park

Champions League loss to Chelsea may prompt the Arab investors to restart their attempts to take over the Anfield club
Liverpool's European exit may force DIC bid

North America: MLS

The New York Red Bulls secured a point on Thursday night by drawing Toronto FC 1-1 at BMO Field
Red Bulls Earn Point in Toronto

Miami FC announced the signing of defender Avery John, the Trinidad and Tobago international who spent the last three years playing for the New England Revolution
Miami FC signs Avery John to shore up defense

Goal.com USA's Pat Walsh gives praise to the Columbus Crew, who came out of nowhere to finish the month in first place in the Eastern Conference
Walsh: Stay Gold

Euroland: News

There's not much cracking off in Euroland today. Having watched the evil empire that is Bayern Munich getting a whiping that would make a Berlin Dominatrix blush, most people probably brought out the single malt. Combine that with the sophoriphic effect of the Fiorentina v Rangers game and everyone's sleeping in.

Frank Rijkaard will leave Barcelona at the end of the season, a close colleague of the Dutch coach said yesterday
Colleague's blog reveals that Rijkaard will leave Barca

A court ruling over Franck Ribéry could force FIFA into a worldwide cull of agents
Ribéry ruling puts agents on the spot

England: EPL News

Premier Shorts: Today in the EPL

Chelsea are livid that Alan Curbishley has said it would be 'an injustice' for United not to win the title
Chelsea fury as Curbishley says Ferguson is 'Mr Amazing'

The departure of the club's managing director was the result of a row over future policy on foreign shareholders
Edelman exit may boost Arsenal spending

Manchester United striker, dogged by a hip injury, is highly doubtful to play against West Ham United tomorrow
Rooney injury could leave United light

Reading have suspended midfielder Emerse Fae and centre-back Ibrahima Sonko for two weeks for refusing to play in a reserve team match
Royals suspend Sonko and Faé for 'refusal to play'

Reading chairman John Madejski acknowledges his club have experienced a "reality check" this season but remains confident that a single goal can reverse an alarming tailspin towards the relegation places
Madejski refuses to panic

Olivier Kapo has vowed to stay with Birmingham through thick and thin- even if the skinny of it means that he will be a Championship football next season
Kapo Prepared To Go Down With The Ship

Champions League

rank Rijkaard, doomed but surely not dishonoured at Barcelona after winning one Champions League title of imperishable beauty with players like Ronaldinho and Lionel Messi, may well have provoked the best of all possible scenarios when Man Utd and Chelsea collide in three weeks' time
Fergie must fight Chelsea fire with skill and adventure of old

It will be the hottest ticket in town - not a seat at the Champions League final, but the invitation to join Roman Abramovich to celebrate the event
Abramovich aims to parade power and glory

Sir Alex Ferguson has not got the opponents he wanted in Moscow and has good reason to fear Chelsea's zest
Ferguson must fear Chelsea's freshness

Chelsea manager visits Auschwitz after semi-final win
Avram Grant confronts horrors of past

Strike!

Every summer in the EPL there's a drawn out story that goes on and on, a story that has mild interest for the first couple of days but from then on bores the crap out of everyone. Gerrard to Chelsea, Henry to Barca, the Tevez bollocks, etc. This year it looks like there's going to be a few: how many Arsenal players will stab Wenger in the back, Liverpool melodrama and now Sven leaving City. They're all probably going to bore us to tears, but the City players at least want to start things off right by going on strike. Sven, typical sensible Swede that he is, has averted the mutiny. Why Sven? If this story is going to drag on for weeks at least let it start will a bit of real drama.

A mutiny was narrowly avoided at Manchester City when Sven-Goran Eriksson stopped a player walk-out
Eriksson talks angry City players out of strike

UEFA Cup Update: Fuck Rangers

Well, that was just brutal. After St. Pete and Munich showed us all how a semi-final should be played (read: plenty of scoring), Fiorentina assaulted the Rangers bunker for a total of 210 minutes, outshooting them in that period 35-11. Rangers set out to keep a clean sheet for two whole legs and the neutral observer would have to credit Walter Smith's side for sticking to the plan, if that neutral observer hadn't clawed their eyes out from boredom after the first 125 minutes had elapsed. Rangers did a masterful job of conceding midfield possession completely, forcing Fiorentina possession wide and denying the crosses, and the plan certainly worked. Fiorentina were unable to cross accurately and their forwards couldn't get their heads on anything (aside from the forehead of the artful Daniel Cousin, sent off in extra time in the second leg for his third headbutt). In the end it came down to penalties and both keepers excelled. Bobo Vieri ended the tie by making the mistake of heaping too many toppings on his sundae; he stutter-stepped to juke the keeper, went for placement in the top corner and added power in case Rangers keeper and man-of-the-match (in Bobbie's book) Neil Alexander made the guess of the century. As the misguided effort sailed up and over the bar Rangers fans everywhere certainly applauded their side's commitment to excellence in entertainment and looked forward to penalties in the City of Manchester Stadium later this month. No, I'm not bitter at all. I've never been much of a Celtic fan but I'm starting to re-consider.

UEFA Cup Update: Zenit abuses Bayern

After last season's debacles in the Bundesliga the Bayern board cleaned house and brought in a host of new talent to reassert the club's dominance in the domestic and European leagues. While the Bundesliga championship is secured, Zenit St. Petersburg reminded Bayern that the measuring stick for European success is considerably longer, delivering a compreshensive defeat over two legs. Thanks for the memories Ollie Kahn and Ottmar Hitzfeld, it's been a great ride.

English Fear

Why do English stars perform like lions for their clubs and lambs for their country?
England fear factor curbs club champions

Euroland: News

Barca fell at Old Trafford last night to Man Utd in the Champions League semi-final. It wasn't just the end of the season, but the end of an era. But Ewan Macdonald argues that this is nothing for the blaugrana faithful to be afraid of...
Barcelona's Exit, A Blessing In Disguise

The EC's regulation of sports agents has been delayed, blocking legislation for years
Euro action on agents? File under maybe

Former Chelsea manager is expected to relaunch his career in Italy as a replacement for Roberto Mancini at the San Siro
Inter Milan tempt Mourinho to return

French club pays for fans' comments
Paris St Germain banned from next League Cup

North America: MLS News

New York faces a Toronto squad keyed by several former Red Bulls (Yanks can catch this game on ESPN2, 7 p.m. ET)
Old Acquaintances

The Chicago Fire signed Paraguayan defender Lider Marmol Tuesday
Fire sign Paraguayan defender Marmol

The Brazilian Football Federation has announced that the national team will play two friendlies in the United States of America in late May/early June
Brazil Announce US-Based Friendlies

UEFA Cup Semi-Final 2nd Leg: Zenit Vs Bayern

Uefa Cup, Semi-Final, 2nd leg
Zenit St Petersburg v Bayern Munich
Thursday 1st May, 18:30 (CET)
Petrovsky, St Petersburg
Preview

Zenit St Petersburg hope their worn-out pitch will help them reach a first European final by upsetting favourites Bayern Munich in the return leg of their Uefa Cup semi-final today
Zenit hope imperfect pitch will aid final quest

Munich chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has claimed that nothing has been decided following the first leg
Rummenigge: Zenit Cannot Relax

UEFA Cup Semi-Final 2nd Leg: Fiorentina Vs Rangers

Uefa Cup, Semi-Final, 2nd leg
Fiorentina v Rangers
Thursday 1 May 2008, 20:45
Stadio Franchi, Florence
Preview

Walter Smith has dismissed claims that Rangers have lacked flair in Europe this season
Smith shrugs off criticism of tactics

Fiorentina coach Cesare Prandelli believes his team's fans can make ththe Artemio Franchi stadium difference at the Artemio Franchi stadium tonight
Prandelli: Our fans will make the difference