
A Twente fan was injured by a hatchet in clashes with Paris St Germain supporters ahead of a UEFA Cup game at the Parc des Princes, police said on Thursday.
Lovely...
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.





"I must admit I have a dressing room curiosity over Beckham. I want to see if he is equipped as he is in the underwear adverts."
Sat 20 Dec 2008 (all times local)









There are many measures of sustained success, but one of the most intimidating was apparent at White Hart Lane on Saturday. When Sir Alex Ferguson decided upon a double change, the men introduced had a combined haul of almost 50 trophies and the best part of 1400 appearances for Manchester United. Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes are arguably the finest winger and the outstanding creative central midfielder of the Premier League era. Had Gary Neville, probably the premier right-back of the last decade and a half, accompanied them on to the pitch, that total of games would have been swelled above 1900.
You won't find Rio Ferdinand, Frank Lampard or John Terry here. We’ve tried to give the little-known and the under-rated their due by concentrating on those who have enhanced their reputations this year. The kind of footballers who took their game to the next level in 2008, no matter what level it was before.
Scoring Hull’s winner in the Coca-Cola Championship play-off final was the worst thing he could have done for his playing time, as Phil Brown appears to think that the Premier League isn’t much of a place for 39-year-old strikers. But what a winner and what a story for the local legend.





The United States will play its home World Cup qualifier against Mexico in Columbus, Ohio, for the third straight time following victories in 2001 and 2005. The Feb. 11 match will be the U.S. opener of the final round of World Cup qualifying in the North and Central American and Caribbean region.
As we draw ever nearer the end of 2008, it’s time to take a look back at the year that was.
The United States national team had another successful campaign, storming through the semifinal round of CONCACAF World Cup 2010 qualifying and removing any doubt over its status as one of the top two teams in the region. The squad drew with an admittedly weakened Argentina side and took care of business in classic Bob Bradley fashion the rest of the time. They could play with more pace, more excitement and more panache, but it’s a young group that keeps improving its play and especially its depth. You can’t ask for more. Next up: the February showdown with Mexico in Salt Lake City, which will set the tone for the entire year.





Aston Villa has teased, poked, and threatened all season, and finally, the battle is for real as Villa supplanted Arsenal in fourth place after defeating Bolton on Saturday.




As we approach the midpoint of the English Premier League season, one statistical anomaly has lasted too long to be a coincidence.
Home comforts are meaning little this campaign, with five of the top seven EPL teams having won more away games than on their own territory. Now, it would be easy to disregard the evidence as a freak run of away results, but the evidence points more toward a shift in mentality.
EPL’s best taking road less traveled
