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.
There will be four Bundesliga entrants in the Champions League for the 2012-13 season. Serie A will only have three places as a result. After recent disappointment for Serie A teams in Europe - all three Italian sides in the Champions League lost their home ties while Napoli were eliminated from the Europa League - German sides have moved ahead in the UEFA co-efficient rankings.
Arsenal fans who feel they are overdue silverware are likely to get short shrift from Birmingham supporters. The Gunners may have gone six years without a trophy, but their opponents have claimed only one major title in their 136-year history, winning the 1963 League Cup over two legs. This will be Arsenal's first Wembley final since 1998. While Birmingham won the Football League Trophy at the old stadium in 1991 & 1995, Bluenoses will need slightly longer memories to recall the last time their side contested a major final there; it was 55 years ago, when Manchester City beat them in the 1956 FA Cup final despite goalkeeper Bert Trautmann breaking a bone in his neck.
Manchester United can reassert their authority at the Premier League summit while the congested relegation picture may also become clearer this weekend. The Red Devils saw their advantage at the summit trimmed to a solitary point by Arsenal in midweek, but can surge four clear again with victory over struggling Wigan at the DW Stadium. Rock-bottom Wolves play host to a Blackpool side buoyed by their midweek victory over Spurs, while West Ham welcome improving Liverpool to Upton Park. Mark Hughes returns to Eastlands as Fulham face Manchester City, Aston Villa play host to Blackburn, Bolton make the trip to Newcastle and Everton tackle Sunderland.
Bayern München came away with a valuable away goal and a victory against Inter Milan in the Champions League on Wednesday. Their next task is to take on Borussia Dortmund on Saturday in the late match. This showdown between the first and third placed sides is undoubtedly the biggest match of the weekend.
Napoli coach Walter Mazzarri is thrilled with the way his team is playing going into Monday's showdown at Serie A leaders AC Milan. The Azzurri head into the match at a sold-out Giuseppe Meazza stadium in second place and three points behind, with last weekend's 1-0 triumph over Catania their sixth win in seven games.
Two of La Liga's struggling big guns clash at the Vicente Calderon this weekend. Atletico Madrid and Sevilla each won trophies last season and would have been hoping to push for further honours this time around, especially after keeping hold of most of their key players last summer.
For a club that finished dead last in the 2010 MLS points race, D.C. United sure has an intriguing team heading into the 2011 campaign. The four-time MLS Cup champion features the league's most talked-about signing, Charlie Davies, the U.S. forward who joined on loan in his attempt to come back from a horrific 2009 auto accident. United also has 17-year-old midfielder Andy Najar, the reigning Rookie of the Year, who has put some adult muscle on his wiry frame. What's more, the revamped roster includes a host of other new faces, from gritty midfielder Dax McCarty to touted rookie center back Perry Kitchen to seasoned veterans in goalkeeper Pat Onstad, midfielder Fred and forwards Josh Wolff and Joseph Ngwenya.
Liverpool will welcome Sparta Praha to Anfield after their 0-0 draw in the first leg of their round of 32 clash, with manager Kenny Dalglish looking to grab his first European win in his second stint managing the club. Fellow Barclays Premier League side Manchester City will also have to overcome a goalless first leg against Aris Thessaloniki FC in their clash at Eastlands. Elsewhere, Villarreal face a tricky tie against Napoli, who managed to hold their La Liga opponents to a 0-0 draw during the first leg at Naples.
The recent South American Under-20 Championships in Peru was something of a triumph for Sao Paulo. Brazil captain Bruno Uvini, injured during the campaign, is a Sao Paulo player. So too is talented striker Henrique. Even more impressive was big, all-round midfielder Casemiro. And best of all was right-sided attacking midfielder Lucas, the hero as Brazil was crowned South American champion. With perfect timing, Lucas chose exactly the right moment to leave a good impression in the tournament -- the last game, with the title at stake. Uruguay only needed a draw, and for 40 minutes on a pitch suffering from the effects of heavy rain, they looked well on the way. Then came the Lucas show, with two goals in quick succession.
Marseille
| Club P | W | D | L | GD | PTS | |
| Man Utd | 26 | 16 | 9 | 1 | 32 | 57 |
| Arsenal | 27 | 17 | 5 | 5 | 30 | 56 |
| Man City | 27 | 14 | 7 | 6 | 19 | 49 |
| Tottenham | 27 | 13 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 47 |
| Chelsea | 26 | 13 | 6 | 7 | 24 | 45 |
| Liverpool | 27 | 11 | 6 | 10 | 3 | 39 |
| Sunderland | 27 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 0 | 37 |
| Bolton | 27 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 1 | 36 |
| Newcastle | 27 | 9 | 8 | 10 | 4 | 35 |
| Stoke | 27 | 10 | 3 | 14 | -3 | 33 |
| Blackburn | 27 | 9 | 5 | 13 | -8 | 32 |
| Blackpool | 27 | 9 | 5 | 13 | -9 | 32 |
| Fulham | 27 | 6 | 13 | 8 | 0 | 31 |
| Everton | 26 | 6 | 12 | 8 | -3 | 30 |
| Birmingham | 26 | 6 | 12 | 8 | -10 | 30 |
| Aston Villa | 27 | 7 | 9 | 11 | -15 | 30 |
| West Brom | 27 | 7 | 7 | 13 | -17 | 28 |
| Wigan | 27 | 5 | 12 | 10 | -18 | 27 |
| West Ham | 27 | 5 | 10 | 12 | -18 | 25 |
| Wolves | 27 | 7 | 4 | 16 | -19 | 25 |
Reports of their demise are not so much exaggerated as invented. That is the party line from Chelsea, proclaimed with a defiance that some of their displays can lack. While it is greeted with scepticism, the ultimate test lies in time. There are reasons to believe Chelsea are in decline, whether the age of their squad or their faltering form of late, but perhaps the greatest factor for believing that the greatest spell is nearing an end is simpler: History.
Anelka was the man for Chelsea yesterday as they cruised to victory in Denmark. To be honest, it looked like the Copenhagen squad was still hibernating during their winter break. Torres had a heavy touch but had some encouraging moments, and I think he'll find his form before long. There was no room for Drogba in the starting 11, but Carlo chalked that up to his long day against Everton last week in the FA Cup. Make of that what you will. Drogba is 33 and I can't see him hanging around Stamford Bridge much longer.
Marseille
“It’s about creating something,” Cantona said. “I have my own vision of the game and will try and bring it here and win. Ajax in the ’70s created something. Johan Cryuff at Barcelona created something, a new revolution. The Cosmos can create something, too, that’s never been seen. Every 20, 30 years there is a new movement. You have to look to history and take inspiration from things and use them to create your own future. I came here with this kind of idea.”
Before they used to say "You were the champions? Sure, when football didn't even exist, but today they're looking at us in a different light," Edinson Cavani said in an interview in El Pais this month about the impact of Uruguay's World Cup campaign, which saw the country reach fourth place after decades of absence from center stage.
Even for an Arsenal fan supposedly immune to wildly oscillating emotions (see: the second-half meltdown at St. James' Park), the Mood Swing-O-Meter has been off the charts this past week. From storming back to beat "the best team in history" to tying a squad more than 50 places below them in the English league hierarchy. From outplaying Xavi, Iniesta and Messi to struggling against Whing, Chorley and McGleish. From visions (and delusions) of Quadruples to the cold reality check of an FA Cup replay against Leyton Orient. I hate to be a killjoy, but on behalf of insufferable Arsenal supporters everywhere, can we now please have a moratorium on all of the talk of Arsenal winning four trophies until the Gunners have lifted at least one, even if it's just a Cup named after a weak lager?
All eyes will be on the Parken Stadium in Copenhagen to see how floundering Chelsea will fare in the Champions League. Liverpool legend and nose prince (Mick McCarthy is the King) Phil Thompson predicts a draw and I can't argue with him. I've not been there but the stadium looks fantastic; seats rising dramatically up from the pitch to create what should be a fine atmosphere. You can catch the match at 2:45pm EST on Fox Soccer Channel. According to Dominic Fifield it's freezing cold and snowing in Copenhagen. Let's hope they open the roof.
FC Copenhagen
If history is a reliable guide to the mindset of Sir Alex Ferguson, do not be surprised if the abject performances of Manchester United’s fringe players against non-league Crawley Town leads to a swift and ruthless purge at Old Trafford. The likes of Gabriel Obertan, Bebe and Darron Gibson probably woke this morning with the temptation to pull themselves back under the duvet in a desperate attempt to banish the memory of Saturday’s embarrassingly narrow 1-0 FA Cup fifth round victory against the Sussex minnows.
Two goals in the last 10 minutes settled an entertaining Bundesliga encounter between Bayer Leverkusen and Stuttgart. Borussia Dortmund got back to winning ways thanks to a 2-0 win in a one-sided game against St Pauli. Lucas Barrios put Dortmund ahead five minutes before the break and an own goal from Ralph Gunesch early in the second half wrapped up the points for Jurgen Klopp's men. Bayern Munich moved up to second thanks to a 3-1 win over Mainz at the Bruchweg Stadion.
Lionel Messi was the hero for Barcelona on his 250th competitive game for the club as he scored the winner to beat Athletic Bilbao.Goalkeeper Daniel Aranzubia was Deportivo La Coruna's hero as he scored a dramatic last-gasp equaliser to earn his side a point at second-bottom Almeria.
With his side trailing to Pablo Piatti's brilliant 48th-minute opener, Aranzubia ventured forward for a corner deep into injury-time and headed in a goal that helped Depor avoid what looked set to be a fourth defeat at the hands of Almeria this season.
Roma coach Claudio Ranieri has offered his resignation in the wake of Sunday's stunning loss to Genoa. The Giallorossi led 3-0 after 51 minutes, but contrived to lose 4-3 - their third straight Serie A defeat. Alexandre Pato came off the bench to score AC Milan's winner against Chievo as the Serie A leaders brushed aside their Champions League defeat in midweek with a 2-1 victory at the Marc' Antonio Bentegodi. Fiorentina and Sampdoria battled out a goalless draw at the Stadio Artemio Franchi which did little to boost either side's cause.
