Sterling Charged With Assault, Transfers Done, The Joy of Six, Previews, ACN

We'll start with some sad news today. Liverpool's Raheem Sterling has been charged with assaulting a woman. Sterling denies the allegation and plans to plead not guilty. So, let's hope he's telling the truth.

On to more positive news. There is another Yank Abroad as of yesterday. Everyone's favorite enigma Brek Shea has joined Tony Pubis' Stoke City. We're not big fans of the football Stoke play, but it's great to have another American in the Premier League. Best of luck to Brek.

Awkward...

Now then. What other transfers went down yesterday? Perhaps the funniest is the one that did not. Peter Odemwingie so wanted to move to QPR from West Brom that he simply showed up at Loftus Road. He was not allowed to enter. Even without adding the Nigerian to their books, old 'Arry still managed to drop loads and loads of cash in the transfer window. The deal for Samba broke the club's transfer record for the second time in a two week period. The fee was £12.5m and the contract is worth more than £20m over the four-and-a-half-year deal. Don't people realize that Harry Redknapp has done this over and over again? If QPR are relegated, they're screwed! Pompey, anyone? Unbelievable. Paul Hayward agrees: "A few days ago they were blaming the high-rollers. Queens Park Rangers had hired too many mercenaries. There was only one thing for it. Hire some different high-rollers, on even more money, and to hell with the long-term cost."

The Telegraph has a nice interactive thingy and a listing of everything that happened yesterday. Have at it. Also, Phil McNulty gives us his verdict.

Oh, and Nicolas Anelka has joined Juventus. That's his 35th club. What, you think we're joking? OK, we are. It's not quite his 35th stop. He has only graced PSG, Arsenal, Real Madrid, PSG again, Liverpool, Manchester City, Fenerbahçe, Bolton, Chelsea, Shanghai, and now Juventus. So, just 10.

La Liga. Primera Division. Whatever you want to call it, Eduardo Alvarez has his Quiniela so you know how to bet on the weekend's action. Barcelona head to Valencia and Eduardo predicts they'll lose.

In Italy, everyone has Balotelli fever. Word is he'll play in Milan's match against Udinese on Monday. Elsewhere, Juventus go to Chievo, Inter travel to Siena, and Fiorentina host Parma. Here's your preview.

Let's hit The Joy of Six. Today's edition is Disallowed Goals. Look! Here's one now:


The matches just keep coming, don't they? We love it. In England this weekend, the biggie is Manchester City vs. Liverpool on Sunday. Newcastle vs. Chelsea could be interesting (Ba goes back), as could West Brom vs. Spurs. Here's a complete preview. The other usual suspects are below...

Ten Things To Look Out For

Premier League Spotlight

Paul Merson's Predictions

Grant Wahl interviewed Wesley Sneijder. Does he think Galatasaray can win the Champions League?

Finally, on to the African Cup of Nations. For the first time since 1992, no North African country has made the Final Eight. Stephen Fottrell takes a look.

That's it. We're out. Enjoy the weekend.

Onward!!

-SSN

TRANSFER DEADLINE DAY!!!! (plus other stuff)

"How much for the little girl? How much for the women?"

OMG! OMG! David Beckham has gone to Paris, Christopher Samba has gone to QPR, Danny Graham has gone to Sunderland, Philippe Coutinho has gone to Liverpool, and, and...here's The Mill and here's your Plus One. Geez. Glad that's over and done.

El Clásico! Yes, the Copa del Rey semi-final sits at 1-1 and neither Messi nor Ronaldo scored! Unbelievable! Madrid looked pretty impressive, we have to say. Certainly better than in some of these meetings last year. They were far less ponderous and had a better plan of how to compete. They deserved the draw. Let's see what the experts thought of it all. Sid Lowe was at the Santiago Bernabéu. Graham Hunter was there as well, and sadly has to end his excellent piece with more reports of racist chanting. This time is was some Real Madrid fans making monkey chants at Dani Alves.

Moving on. Wednesday action in the EPL. Arsenal 2 - 2 Liverpool. The always excellent Amy Lawrence was at the Emirates. As was David Hytner.

Reading 2 - 2 Chelsea. Kevin Palmer was at The Madejski Stadium to see the Royals come back to grab a draw.

Manchester United 2 - 1 Southampton. The Reds were poor but win yet again. Alistair Magowan was at Old Trafford.

Peter Berlin has Five Thoughts. And here are your 10 Talking Points. And here's a full review of all of yesterday's action. And how about the current table? Why not?

Here's the official poster...

Grant Wahl's column focuses on the Jozy Altidore incident. Take a look.

Jonathan Wilson has an update on Togo from the African Cup of Nations: An Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final spot was secured in spite of bizarre refereeing, an awful pitch and difficult memories.

We'll keep an eye on the window and report if anything major happens. Peter Crouch to QPR is not major, by the way...

Onward!!

-SSN

Altidore Racially Abused, USA/Canada Drab Draw, EPL Action, Mario Back to Milan

We'll begin our hump day with some crapola. Yank Abroad Jozy Altidore was subjected to monkey chants during his side's Dutch Cup match against Den Bosch. Apparently Jozy handled things quite well, and from the video, it appears the players did also. Dock these teams points. It's the only way it'll stop.

Meanwhile, down in Houston, Jozy's American brothers were BORING. What an awful match. It ended scoreless. Here's a report and some player grades. Bleh. Thankfully, the squad will look very, very different in the upcoming match that matters against Honduras. Grant Wahl has his Three Thoughts.

Do you really have to ask? Dumb Ass.

Back in England, Manchester City failed to score at Loftus Road. QPR didn't score either. It was the final match for Ryan Nelson as he prepares to take over at Toronto FC. The Kiwi got a nice send-off from the home crowd. Dominic Fifield was there. Speaking of Manchester City, it is finally official: Mario Balotelli has moved to AC Milan. The Man-Child is back in Serie A. His antics will be missed, that's certain. Here's a look back at his bizarre ride.

Elsewhere, Aston Villa are in big trouble after losing at home to Newcastle, Stoke and Wigan drew 2-2, and Sunderland and Swansea finished goalless.

Today's menu of matches is far superior. We've got Arsenal vs. Liverpool, Reading vs. Chelsea, Norwich vs. Tottenham, Fulham vs. West Ham, Manchester United vs. Southampton, and Everton vs. West Brom. Here's a preview. And here are Lawro's Predictions and Paul Merson's Predictions.

Competing for air time with the above fixtures is El Clásico. Today's edition takes place at the Santiago Bernabéu in Madrid and is a Copa del Rey fixture. Here's an interesting piece on the problems facing Real Madrid. And here's a preview of the match.

Wondering what is being shown where and when? Here you go: 

2:45pm

Arsenal vs. Liverpool on Fox Soccer Channel

3pm

Manchester United vs. Southampton on ESPN2

Reading vs. Chelsea on Fox Soccer Plus

Real Madrid vs. Barcelona on beIN Sport USA

Right. So, the Transfer Window is open for one more day. Thank The Lord. Here's The Mill and here's your Plus One. Basically, Balotelli is back at Milan, 'Arry Redknapp wants to buy everyone, and Drogba might not be able to go to Turkey after all. Oh, and Lewis Holtby could be Tottenham's Deal of the Century.

Meanwhile, Martin Samuel looks back at the greed and panic that have graced the January window and thinks it's time to shut it. For good.

Sam Kelly is in Argentina and wants us to know more about Mauro Icardi. We will allow it.

That's about it. Enjoy Wednesday.

Onward!!

-SSN

Phil Ball, USA vs. Canada, EPL Midweek Action, Podcast, ACN, Super Mario

Tuesday. Time to check in with our favorite scribes in select nations around the globe. At the top of the list is Phil Ball. The Englishman who's been in Spain for eons reports this week on La Copa del Rey and the action in the Second Division. It's a nice break from the usual Messi/Ronaldo-dominated fare. Also in Spain is Sid Lowe. El Sid takes time to delve into the issues facing Deportivo de La Coruña and Valencia. Again, it's not all Barcelona and Real Madrid, folks.

Across the Mediterranean in Italy, we've got Paolo Bandini on the case. Today's entry looks at Juventus and their gaffer Conte and the controversy surrounding The Old Lady's draw against Genoa. Paolo also looks at all the rest of the action in Italy's top flight.

Conte = Angry

Let's bounce to Brazil. Tim Vickery is down in the South American behemoth trying to make sense of it all. The hot topic today is the Fabricio Coloccini Affair and why there is little hope of buying big names back from Europe.

The Bundesliga is back, baby. Those lucky enough to ply their trade in Germany's top league get a nice, long winter break. It's finally over, and Raphael Honigstein is ready to bring us up to speed. He starts with a club from one of our favorite cities: Hamburg.

Meanwhile, in The Republic of Texas, the United States Men's Team is preparing to face our neighbors from the Great White North. It's the final prep for Klinmann's men before World Cup Qualifying begins. Jeff Carlisle has a preview. You can check out the match tonight on ESPN2 at 9pm EST.

Mario's headed back to Italy...

Today is January 29. That means the Transfer Window is about to slam its ass shut. Here's The Mill and here's your Plus One. It looks like Balotelli is headed back to Italy and everyone is wondering who Pep will bring to Bayern once he starts to make moves. And Didier Drogba has left China and landed in Turkey. Is Brek Shea going to Stoke?

One deal that is done is Lewis Holtby from Schalke to Spurs. The Independent's German Football Expert Kit Holden looks at what Tottenham fans can expect.

Bloody hell. There's even more footie on the telly today. Yes, midweek action in the EPL. Today we've got Aston Villa vs. Newcastle, QPR vs. Manchester City, Stoke vs. Wigan, and Sunderland vs. Swansea. Here's a little preview that includes tomorrow's matches. Likewise your Team News. We'll wait until tomorrow for predictions.

Jonathan Wilson is in South Africa for the African Cup of Nations. He sends this report on Mali. They've made the Final Eight and that should bring at least a bit of hope to a nation in crisis. Wilson also filed this report on Cape Verde. The tiny nation is the Cinderella story of the tournament thus far.

Want to see a Manchester United fan peeing on Mario Balotelli's car? Here.

And...we've got The Podcast to enjoy. Today it's this: In an especially argumentative edition of Football Weekly, James Richardson is joined by two former lawyers – Barney Ronay and Daniel Harris – and professional ne'er do well Barry Glendenning. The panel get stuck into a raucous weekend in the fourth round of the FA Cup, where Oldham outplayed Liverpool, Luton embarrassed Norwich, MK Dons spanked QPR, Tottenham tumbled to Leeds, Chelsea salvaged a draw at Brentford, and Millwall didn't beat Aston Villa by more than the odd goal in three. Plus, there's Sid Lowe in Spain with a Barcelona and Real Madrid-free round up from La Liga, and discussions about Ray Parlour's punditry, reverse nominative determinism, and errant pets.

We'll finish with poor Paul Scholes. Seems he wanted to warm his car up and someone stole it. Oh well.

Onward!!

-SSN

FA Cup Magic, Egypt Riots, Messi For Four, Jurgen the Chopper Pilot, Kuper on Wenger

Oldham Athletic players celebrate their win over Liverpool

We told you. The magic, the intrigue, the upsets, the minnows, the "classic Cup ties". Well, it followed the script this weekend as there were upsets aplenty and nail-biters galore. Oldham Athletic over Liverpool. Luton Town over Norwich. Leeds over Tottenham. MK Dons over QPR. Millwall over Aston Villa (that might not really count as an upset...). Brentford Town almost over Chelsea.

We'll begin with Phil McNulty's piece. Phil says this: The FA Cup always works best when it is not a battle of equals and the odds are stretched - and so it proved on a weekend when the great old competition answered back to its detractors. Yes!!

You want talking points? Of course you do. Here are 10.

You want some specifics? How about Michael Cox talking some tactics in regards to Leeds vs. Tottenham? What exactly happened between Brentford and Chelsea? Henry Winter was there. Just how did Liverpool lose to Oldham Athletic? Andy Hunter was at Boundry Park.

How about a Team of the Week? Boo Yah! All of that leaves us with this: The Fifth Round Draw


Moving on, Jurgen Klinsmann flies a helicopter. Who knew?

Sadly, in Egypt, the fallout from last year's riots at the El Masry vs. Al Ahly match has resulted in yet more deaths. The sentencing of those involved in the horrific scenes from last February prompted more unrest with another 30 reported dead. We'll just stick with The New York Times for this story.

Lionel Messi scored four goals. Cristiano Ronaldo scored three. Here's a wrap of the weekend action in La Liga. The two meet Weds. in the first leg of their Copa del Rey semi. Excellent...

In Italy, leaders Juventus drew, Napoli notched a late win, Roma and Bologna hit for six, and AC Milan edged Atalanta. Here's your wrap. And here's your table.

The Bundesliga winter hibernation is over in Germany, but let's wait until we check in with Honigstein tomorrow to see what's up.

You know the Soccernomics dude? Simon Kuper? Right, so he's got a piece in the Financial Times about Arsenal. Here's his question: Has football’s economist got it wrong when it comes to the game’s finances?

And that's your Monday. Have at it.

Onward!!

-SSN

Ronaldinho, Rewind to 1975 with Leeds & Spurs, FA Cup, Nile Ranger

Buck Tooth Ronny is back in the news. And for the right reasons, no less. Barney Ronay has a little ditty about the Brazilian star's resurgence back in his homeland. He's still only 32 and he just won the Brazilian Player of the Year award. The question is, how is his hair looking these days? Oh.

Moving on, the Copa del Rey is shaping up nicely in Spain. Barcelona clinched a spot in the semis where they'll play...wait for it...Real Madrid! Shocking, we know. Atlético Madrid face Sevilla in the other semifinal. Atlético are having a great year, by the way.

Yes. 1975.

On Fridays we like to go back in time with Jon Carter. Today, he takes us back to 1975. This is the reason: One of the most important games in Tottenham's history came in 1975, when Spurs were left languishing in the relegation zone and had to beat the reigning champions, Leeds United, on the final day of the season to ensure they stayed in the top flight.









The Home Depot Center will be getting a new name soon. We thought someone might care. No biggie.

OK, what's on offer this weekend? Let's begin in England, yeah? It's an FA Cup Weekend. Here's a complete preview. Here's one for Fulham vs. Manchester United. Here's one for Leeds vs. Tottenham. Macclesfield and Luton are the two non-league sides that remain in the competition. Best of luck to them. Here are Ten Things that some people are looking forward to.

Over in Italy, Serie A remains in full swing. Leaders Juventus host Genoa, Torino are at Inter Milan, Bologna host Roma, and Napoli go to Parma. Here's a preview.

In Spain, Athletic Bilbao and Atlético Madrid clash, Barcelona are at home against Osasuna, and Real Madrid host Getafe. Here's a preview.

Time for The Mill and your Plus One. Again, things remain fairly quiet. We think it'll stay like this through the end of the month. There simply won't be any big moves, sadly.

Down in South Africa, Ghana beat Mali.

You want class? How about Newcastle's Nile Ranger? He's been arrested on suspicion of rape...the day after he spelt his name out in £1,500 worth of £20 notes. For fuck's sake.

There's your lot. Enjoy the weekend and keep it tite.

Onward!!

-SSN

Swansea City, Hazard Ballboy Kick, Gold Cup Venues, ACN, Adu Update

Where to start today but with Eden Hazard? You say you're not really a fan of Chelsea? How about now? The Chelsea dynamo kicked a ball boy. He was frustrated because Chelsea were not going to advance to the final of the What's In Your Wallet Cup. Instead, Swansea City now have that honor.

Let's go to the videotape!

It's really not that big a deal. We think the kid is faking it. And just who is this kid, anyway? Regarding Chelsea, the BBC's Phil McNulty says this: ...if one club is a symbol for the permanent turbulence that swirls around our national sport away from the actual playing of the game, it is Chelsea. Damage limitation has almost become a way of life at Stamford Bridge. Here's the rest of Phil's piece.

Let's not let the whole sordid affair take away from Swansea's wonderful run to the final. Swansea City vs. Bradford City for the League Cup. No arguments here. Daniel Taylor took in all the fun at the Liberty Stadium. And, while we're at it, let's check out this fine article from David Conn on Bradford the club and Bradford the town.

The Gold Cup is coming to a city near you. If you're lucky, that is. Everyone's favorite CONCACAF tournament will go down in the USA this July. Yes, the giants of North America, Central America, and the Caribbean will fight it out on our soil. Watch out for Belize. They're strong this year. Anyway, here are your cities and venues:

Atlanta – Georgia Dome (Atlanta, GA)

Baltimore – M&T Bank Stadium (Baltimore, MD)

Chicago – Soldier Field (Chicago, IL)

Dallas – Cowboys Stadium (Arlington, TX)

Denver – Sports Authority Field at Mile High (Denver, CO)

Hartford – Rentschler Field (East Hartford, CT)

Houston – BBVA Compass Stadium (Houston, TX)

Los Angeles – Rose Bowl (Pasadena, CA)

Miami – Sun Life Stadium (Miami Gardens, FL)

New York- Red Bull Arena (Harrison, NJ)

Portland – JELD-WEN Field (Portland, OR)

Salt Lake City – Rio Tinto Stadium (Sandy, UT)

Seattle – CenturyLink Field (Seattle, WA)

Back in the English Premier League, Arsenal took their finger out of the dyke and hit five past West Ham. Nothing much more to say than that, really. Per usual, it took a West Ham goal to wake the Gunners up, but after that they were off and running. There was a scary moment late on when Hammers' defender Daniel Potts was knocked out for a significant amount of time. Apparently he has a concussion and should be OK. Jeremy Wilson saw the show at the Emirates Stadium.

Big Sam = Not Happy

Freddie Adu. It's been awhile, mate. Let's check in and see how shitty your career is progressing.

The Mill. Your Plus One. It appears Manchester United are poised so sign Crystal Palace sensation Zaha. Newcastle Captain Coloccini wants nothing to do with the club. Llorente is going to Juve this summer.

The African Cup of Nations is underway. Here's everything you need to know for today's action where Ghana find themselves in need of a win against Mali. And here's your Round 1 Round-Up.

Meanwhile, in North London, Tottenham have cloned Gareth Bale.

That'd do for today.

Onward!!

-SSN

Bradford City, League Cup, Americans Abroad, Arsenal vs. West Ham

We just can't seem to get into a rhythm these days. The entire SSN Staff took a trip up to D.C. for the inauguration Monday and we were unable to produce posts until now. Apologies. Now, what went down?

Let's start with Phil Ball. He's in Spain (duh) and Barcelona lost last weekend. As we expected, since he lives in San Sebastian, he attended the match between Real Sociedad and Barcelona. Good stuff as always. 

We're sure everyone knows about Sunday's results. Yank Abroad Clint Dempsey scored very, very late to snatch a deserved draw for his Totttenham against ManU. At Stamford Bridge, Arsenal woke up too late and were overrun by Chelsea. 

Yesterday, however, Bradford City shocked the world by defeating Aston Villa (over two legs) and making the final of the What's In Your Wallet Cup. By eliminating Villa, Bradford became the first side from the fourth tier of English football to reach the League Cup final - or the showpiece of any of the two major knock-outs - since Rochdale in 1962. They're also the first team from outside the top two divisions to do so since Villa themselves in 1971. They are currently 10th in League Two! That's pretty damn impressive. Well played, Bantams! Daniel Taylor saw the history made at Villa Park. And this is pretty nice. Who says footballers don't care?

Now then, who will join them in that final match at Wembley? It'll be either Swansea City or Chelsea. They clash this afternoon, but as far as we can tell, there is no U.S. TV. Find a stream...

Holy Christ. The African Cup of Nations is already underway down in South Africa. Jonathan Wilson is there. Apparently, Gervinho doesn't suck. At least not all of the time.

Americans Abroad. Jozy continues to burn in Holland. He hit for three at the weekend. Here are all the rest.

Three More For Jozy

Speaking of Yanks Abroad, Tactics Master Michael Cox has an interesting piece on why Serie A clubs are moving away from the classic Number 10 and toward players in the mold of Roma's Michael Bradley. It's a big reason Sneijder is now in Turkey and no longer in Milan.

There is another Yank Abroad who deserves a mention. Stuart Holden. He played! Check it.

And that leads nicely into The Mill and your Plus One. The Dutch maestro had some fine years in Serie A but he'll now be enjoying the delights of Istanbul. That's really the only "big" news.

Right. There's a big match in the EPL this afternoon. Arsenal host West Ham in the match that was canceled back on Boxing Day. Arsenal are in crisis. They won't make the top four. Wenger out. Right? Here's a preview. And here's an interesting graphic thanks to Arseblog comparing the top 10 in the tables from this time last year and now:

Right! That'll do for now. We'll see you tomorrow.

Onward!!

-SSN

Adkins Sacked, Subbuteo Streaker, Wahl Interviews Klinsmann, The Joy of Six

Nigel Adkins has been sacked as manager of Southampton and replaced by former Espanyol boss Mauricio Pochettino, the club have announced. And that's how we'll begin our Friday. Not sure you could expect much more from Southampton. They're not in a relegation spot at the moment. We'll see how this Pochettino fares. If nothing else, it's an excuse to bring back The Donald.

Grant Wahl talks to United States National Team gaffer Jurgen Klinsmann. Jurgen says he and Donovan have been texting but Landycakes won't meet him for coffee. Too bad.

Let's jump to The Joy of Six. Derby County is Mrs. SSN's favorite team. This Friday, they're featured in something called Nottingham Forest v Derby County memories. One memory includes a nipple bite from Stuart Pearce. Have at it.

Eduardo Alvarez is looking forward to the weekend in La Liga. Pep's departure still dominates the headlines but there are matches to be played. Barcelona will be in San Sebastian (we bet Phil Ball will take in the match) and Real Madrid will try to get back on track with a tough trip to Valencia. Atlético Madrid vs. Levante could be interesting, too.

Over in Italy there are a few juicy fixtures on tap. Roma host Inter Milan and Fiorentina welcome Napoli to, well, Florence. Elsewhere, leaders Juve host Udinese. Here's full preview of the weekend menu.

Happy Birthday Pablo Zabaleta

It's snowing a bunch over in England so there might be some fixture cancelations. Let's hope not. Here's a preview of the action. Once again, Sunday brings the best fare, with Arsenal at Chelsea and Manchester United at Tottenham. The Editor has had the "pleasure" of attending the Chelsea vs. Arsenal fixture a few times over the years at Stamford Bridge and at Highbury. In fact, he's still haunted by a Drogba goal in front of the Shed End in 2010 and THAT Wayne Bridge goal in the Champions League Quarter-Final Second-Leg in 2004. The Editor was not at the match in 2011 when Cunt Terry "slipped" and Arsenal won. The Editor will not be at the match on Sunday. Hmmmm. 

Lawro's and Russell Brand's Predictions

Paul Merson's Predictions

10 Things To Look Out For

Finally today, thanks to our Ligue 1 expert JD, we all get to bid for this:

Onward!!

-SSN

Delinquency, Pep to Bayern, Cosmos

Sorry. We failed in our obligation or duty there for a couple of days. What a week! Ugh. Right. Before we move forward, let's move back. Back to Kompany's red card from Sunday. It was overturned by the FA. People seem pleased. The "Art of Tackling" is saved. We think it should have stood. Thankfully, the ever-astute Paul Wilson agrees. What if Wilshire had broken a leg?

Pep. Pep, Pep, Pep. So, he's off to Bayern Munich. An interesting move, we have to say. A smart one, as well. No oligarchs running that club like a little toy. No sheiks throwing oil money to get results. Our favorite German expert Raphael Honigstein weighs in. Meanwhile, in Spain, Sid Lowe says the media are freaking out. Since they are always freaking out down there, perhaps they are now freaking out more so. Check it.

We missed Phil Ball on Tuesday. Sad, we know. Especially since he's taking a look at every team in La Liga and taking the time to give us his mid-term report. We could not be more thankful for Phil.

Shakira and Pique

Right. What else? In a couple of FA Cup replays yesterday, Jack Wilshire scored to propel Arsenal over Swansea and into the Fourth Round, while up at Old Trafford, someone named Wayne Rooney scored to send United into the Fourth Round. In League action, Chelsea had to play to make up for the match they missed on their regrettable and forgettable trip to Japan for the Club World Galaxy Earth Championship that ended in a loss. Yesterday, The Blues played Southampton, went up 2-0, and then allowed Southampton to tie things up and claim a draw. The noose tightens around Rafa's neck. David Hytner was at Stamford Bridge.

Luis Suarez admits that he fell. Or dived. Or dove. Rodgers is angry. Cue stupid scene on Being Liverpool.

The New York Cosmos. The history. The tradition. The cocaine. The fun at Studio 54. Like it or not, they're back, and they're back with a bang. They've announced plans for a new stadium out at Belmont Park. They're not even in MLS. And MLS wants its own team on Long Island. Grant Wahl says the Cosmos are increasingly looking like a competitor and not a prospective member of Major League Soccer. Interesting. Very interesting. Jeff Carlisle also takes a look. And if you've not yet seen this, you should.

Transfers! Here's The Mill and here's your Plus One. We're still waiting for that big January move. Perhaps we already got it with Guardiola's bounce to Bayern. Hopefully there will be something bombastic to come. Oh, did you know Rivaldo is still playing?

We'll leave you with some beautiful pictures from Simon Harsent.

Onward!!

-SSN

The Fifth Official, Weekend Action, Serie A, Hygiene Report

Happy Monday. We hope. The Fifth Official is here to "point the finger and laugh". Stoke's Jonathan Walters gets the treatment for his two own-goals against Chelsea. And, as always, The Fifth Official has his/her usual go at Arsenal.

We'll stay in England and talk about yesterday's action. Liverpool looked decent enough at times but you always knew United would run out winners. Suarez really never got going and although Sturridge scored thanks to De Gea, the new Liverpool striker fluffed his lines when presented with a chance to even things up a bit later. Henry Winter was at Old Trafford.

Over at the Emirates, everyone was talking about the high price of tickets. London is expensive. Very expensive. Is this news to anyone? On the pitch, the match was settled in the ninth minute thanks to Laurent Koscielny's tackle of Eden Dzeko. Was the Arsenal defender playing rugby? Attempting to save Dzeko from getting hit by a car? Regardless, Mike Dean made the right call. He also made the right call later when he sent off Kompany for his tackle on Wilshire. The City captain went in with two feet off the ground. Letter of the law = Red Card. Did he get the ball? Yes. Does it matter? No. Two feet off the ground = Red Card. End of story. Alan Hansen can bitch about it all he wants, the wanker. The fact is that the game has changed and (for better or worse) things like this rule have been implemented to protect players. Dominic Fifield was at the Emirates. Michael Cox talks tactics.

On Saturday, QPR and Spurs finished 0-0, Everton and Swansea finished 0-0, Norwich and Newcastle finished 0-0, and Chelsea won at Stoke 4-0. Here's a closer look at the results. And here's a full review. 

Talking Points? Yes.  Team of the Week? Yes. Five Thoughts? Yes.

Unlike in Spain (Barcelona won, Real Madrid drew, more tomorrow from Phil and Sid), there is still a race for the title. Juventus now lead by only three after they were held by Parma. Lazio and Napoli are chasing the Old Lady and remain close after they both won. Here's a wrap and here's a table.

In terms of transfers, it's pretty quiet. Here's The Mill and here's your Plus One.

Rats at Old Trafford? Pink chicken at Swansea? Here's your Hygiene Report!

And that'll do it for this Monday. We'll go in depth tomorrow with our favorite scribes and hope the transfer action heats up. Until then...

Onward!!

-SSN

Zamorano & Salas, Big Weekend in England, Spanish Quiniela, Dani Alves

This is fun. From that stupid awards thingy the other day:

What's gone wrong with Dani Alves? The guy used to be top-notch. He's now out of the Barcelona XI and caught in a downward spiral. Not that we're too upset about it over here at SSN Headquarters. The guy's a punk. Tactical expert Michael Cox examines his fall from grace.

Sid Lowe says this: La Liga dominance at FIFA awards reflect troubling reality. And he's right.

Bang. Right to The Joy of Six. Caught you off guard there, right? This Friday's edition is Unlikely Football Heroes. Jimmy Glass, anyone?

Sunday is a big, big day in the English Premier League. Manchester United host Liverpool in the early match, and Arsenal host Manchester City in the later kick-off. Van Persie vs. Suarez! Howard Webb is the ref! Hype it up, yo! Elsewhere you've got a London Derby as Spurs head over to face old gaffer 'Arry at Loftus Road, wounded Chelsea face a tricky trip up to Stoke, and Everton host Swansea. Here's your preview of all the upcoming action.

Ten Things To Look Out For

Lawro's Predictions  

"Whatever he does, Luis Suarez is going to get a lot of stick from the home fans and, if he doesn't have a great day, then I don't know where Liverpool's goals are going to come from."

Paul Merson's Predictions

Remember Ivan Zamorano and Marcelo Salas? Those guys were awesome. They rocked it for Chile back in the 90s. Zamorano had some great years at Inter Milan and Real Madrid, while Salas was a rock for a monster Lazio squad. Here's a nice remembrance.

Apparently football grounds aren't full of old white men after all. The Telegraph's Jim White explains...

Back to La Liga for just a moment. Eduardo Alvarez offers up his Quiniela for our pleasure. Barcelona go to Malaga. Malaga currently sit fourth in the table. Might the mighty Barca drop points? We're wondering if Yank Abroad Gooch will start and face a well-rested Messi. If so, it could get messy. Cough.

Right! The Mill! Your Plus One! Balotelli to Milan? Pep to Chelsea?

And finally, what's on tap for Serie A this weekend? Read the bloody preview and you'll find out.

That's your lot for this week. Enjoy the footie over the weekend. Until Monday...

Onward!!

-SSN

1995, What's in your Wallet?, Transfer Guff, Wasted, Association of Prostitutes

Right! We had to close SSN Headquarters unexpectedly yesterday. Sorry about that. Everything is fine and there were no major injuries.

So, what did we miss? The hookers in Belo Horizonte are going to learn foreign languages to ease their transactions during the World Cup. OK. There is actually some called the Association of Prostitutes and their president made the announcement. Don't say football never helped anyone improve themselves...

The BBC has a nice little piece with Paolo Di Canio. Never one to shy from controversy, Di Canio boasts about his Christmas roast.

Di Canio in one of his finer moments...

Sticking with the BBC, they've got a series going called "Wasted". Andy van der Meyde was the most recent subject. The former Dutch star talks about how injuries and alcohol ruined his promising career.

Actual football. Yes, there was a bit of that. The What's in your Wallet? Cup threw up another nice one yesterday. Everyone's favorite underdogs Swansea swatted Chelsea aside in their first-leg semi-final match at Stamford Bridge. The day before, Bradford City piled more misery on Aston Villa by triumphing 3-1. Dom Fifield was at the Chelsea match. Barney Ronay was there too, and he saw Michu make Torres the sadder Spaniard. There will be some interesting second legs. Let's hope they're on U.S. TV.

Yup. 1995.

Americans Abroad. We've not gotten an update for a while. Let's remedy that situation. Here's one dude: 

Stuart Holden, M, Bolton -- Not in the 18 for Bolton's 1-0 loss to Leeds United on Tuesday or a 2-2 draw with Sunderland in the third round of the FA Cup on Saturday. The two teams have their replay slated for Jan. 15. According to Bolton's website, Holden is slated to play in a reserve match Tuesday, which would mark his first competitive action since returning to training after more than a year on the sidelines with a knee injury. 

And here are the rest.

1995 was a good year for us at SSN. It was also a good year for Andy Cole. The marksman left Newcastle for Manchester United. It proved a very, very wise move. His partnership with Dwight Yorke produced some of the finer moments in EPL history. Jon Carter Rewinds to 1995 to take a look. 

The Big Interview is Chris Samba. Check it. The Congolese defender on playing for Anzhi Makhachkala, the reality of racism in Russia and his fears for his former club, Blackburn Rovers.

We'll finish with The Mill and your Plus One. Looks like Wesley Sneijder is headed to Turkey. So there.

Onward!!

-SSN

Podcast, Awards, Transfer Guff, Phil Ball, Paolo Bandini, ANC, More USA

We're not big fans of awards in soccer. Never have been. They're useless in the world in which we live.  Messi won the Ballon d'Or. Great. No surprise there. The best thing about the whole affair was his absurd tuxedo. We already know the players in Spain are dominating things at the moment. We don't need FIFA or anyone else to tell us that. Jonathan Wilson agrees. But, since Spain is dominating, we'll go to Sid Lowe for his take on the whole shebang. Apparently it's a big deal for some folks. This would be cool, though. EPL best vs. La Liga best in a two-legger.

Sticking in Spain, let's catch up with Phil Ball and his first post of 2013. It's a good one. Phil was in London for the holidays and took a Spanish mate to Craven Cottage. He also got stick for writing White Storm. Good stuff as always from perhaps our favorite scribe.

Here's The Mill. Here's your Plus One. Not too much is going on, unfortunately. Barcelona say Villa isn't going anywhere. Some people are saying Fatpard is going to ManU. Some people are saying Fatpard is going to the assGalaxy. Does anyone really care?  

The African Nations Cup begins later this month. Not playing: Seven-time winners Egypt, Cameroon, and Senegal. Here's a preview. And here is Jonathan Wilson on the difficulties Nigeria and Ghana are having with big egos.

Ready to replace Lampard...?

As we mentioned yesterday, The Diving German announced his squad for the USA training camp. Grant Wahl reckons it could be a good opportunity for some newbies to boost their stock.

The holiday break is over in Italy and that means Paolo Bandini is back at work. He looks at the weekend action in Serie A. And Sid posted on the La Liga fixtures, as well. Here.

Tuesday! Podcast! Here: James Richardson's back in the extra comfy presenter's chair for today's Football Weekly, and he's got Barry Glendenning, Tom Lutz and James Horncastle to keep him company as we look back at all the romance and hi-jinx from the weekend's FA Cup games. We kick things off by tut-tutting naughty Luis Suárez after his handball provided Liverpool's safe passage over plucky Mansfield, before taking in Demba Ba's goalscoring debut for Chelsea, Newcastle's defeat at Brighton, and Arsenal's 2-2 draw with Swansea. Next, there's a bumper Serie A section, paying particular attention to matters at AC Milan, including Kevin-Prince Boateng's stand against racism and the sale of the once mercurial Alexandre Pato. Finally, we hear from Sid Lowe about the continuing hoo-haa between José Mourinho and Iker Casillas at Real Madrid, before finishing up by getting as excited as possible about this week's Capital One Cup semi-finals.

And finally...Ronaldo has decided to go to school in England. The Brazilian legend plans to study advertising. SSN wishes him all the best.

Onward!!

-SSN

The Cup, Serie A returns with Lazio racism, La Liga, USA Roster

Good Day!  The third round of the FA Cup went down over the weekend. Sadly, things went according to plan for the most part in that there were no upsets that we'd deem "major".

Yank Abroad Clint Dempsey had a fine match as Spurs dispatched Coventry and assured there would be no repeat of 1987. RVP saved Manchester United yet again with an injury time equalizer to get The Reds a replay against West Ham. Joe Cole played for the Hammers and played quite well, setting up both goals for his new/old club. Arsenal and Swansea will also do it all over again at the Emirates after a late flurry of goals left the sides even at two apiece. Elsewhere, Demba Ba took no time to settle at Chelsea as he notched a brace in the Blues' victory.

The home of Mansfield Town

Alas, leave it up to Luis Suárez to provide the talking point (Here are nine others) of the round. The Uruguayan asshole used his hand to score the winner at Mansfield. Phil McNulty took in all the action at Field Mill and goes easy on Luis. Daniel Taylor was there as well and is not so forgiving. Jan Molby thinks it's time to give him a break. He's still an asshole, though.

Here's a Team of the Weekend for the FA Cup and the draw for Round Four. You want a review of all the weekend's action? Fine.

Italia. Land of wine, women, pasta, meat, beaches, mountains, stallions...we could go on and on. Also, sadly, home to another incident of racism as Serie A returned to action with a bang. No strangers to this sort of thing, Lazio fans apparently subjected Cagliari’s Victor Ibarbo to abuse on Saturday night. When will this shit stop? In actual competition, the big surprise was leader Juventus' loss to Sampdoria. Inter Milan also lost and Napoli crushed Yank Abroad Michael Bradley and Roma 4-1. Here's a wrap.

Football also returned to Spain and the thriller was between Real Madrid and Real Socieded. Madrid won 4-3. We'll check with Phil Ball tomorrow to get the deets. Barcelona won, so business as usual.

To quit or not to quit. That is the question.

Back in the USA, Jurgen Klinsmann named his roster for the upcoming training camp. Omar is back, but Lando gets a break to presumably search for his soul on the beach. Or something. Here's the roster:

Goalkeepers: Tally Hall (Houston), Bill Hamid (D.C.), Sean Johnson (Chicago)

Defenders: Steven Beitashour (San Jose), Tony Beltran (Salt Lake), Matt Besler (Kansas City), A.J. DeLaGarza (Los Angeles), Omar Gonzalez (Los Angeles), Connor Lade (New York), Alfredo Morales (Hertha Berlin, Germany), Justin Morrow (San Jose), Jeff Parke (Philadelphia)

Midfielders: Kyle Beckerman (Salt Lake), Alejandro Bedoya (no club), Brad Davis (Houston), Mix Diskerud (Rosenborg, Norway), Brad Evans (Seattle), Benny Feilhaber (Kansas City), Josh Gatt (Molde, Norway), Graham Zusi (Kansas City)

Forwards: Juan Agudelo (Chivas USA), Will Bruin (Houston), Edson Buddle (Colorado), Eddie Johnson (Seattle), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose)

Yikes! We almost forgot about transfers. David Villa? Luka Modric? Giuseppe Rossi? Here's The Mill and here's your Plus One.

We're comfortable with leaving it at that for this Monday.

Onward!!

-SSN

More on Milan and Racism, FA Cup, SWP

We've got to stick with Kevin Prince-Boateng's and AC Milan's actions in the friendly against Pro Patria. Thankfully, more media are picking up on the story and giving it the attention it deserves and requires. James Horncastle has a good look and includes some interesting quotes from prominent footballers.

The transfer window remains open. Demba Ba now plays for Chelsea. Joe Cole has returned to West Ham where he began his career way back in 1999. Newcastle picked up French International Defender Mathieu Debuchy. Roger Espinoza has traded Kansas City for Wigan. And that's really about it thus far. Here's The Mill and here's your Plus One.

Grant Wahl has something odd called "Ambition Rankings" for Major League Soccer clubs. Check it out and decide what it's all about.

Shaun Wright-Phillips returned to the headlines with his winner for QPR against Chelsea on Wednesday. Barney Ronay is wondering if SWP is perhaps pound-for-pound the most disappointing English footballer ever. Ronay also thinks SWP (now 31) peaked when he was 23 (he did). Theo Walcott and Daniel Sturridge are now 23. Cue scary music.

Ready to party like it's 1999...

Here's some sad news that you don't care about: Sergio Aguero and Diego Maradona's daughter are breaking up. We told you you wouldn't care...

The English FA Cup resumes tomorrow. The Third Round. The romance, the memories, the intrigue. Minnows vs. Giants. Yes, it's Cup football time and it's the one that really matters. This is the FA Cup, damnit! Not the What's in Your Wallet Cup! Let's bust out of the gates with THE ULTIMATE GUIDE. And here's another little preview. 

And this: Gary Neville picks his best XI from first half of Premier League season and his top three goals.

Enough of the UK, though. Spain is the place, really. Graham Hunter has Five Spanish Stories for 2013. Oddly enough, The Sun Also Rises is not one of them.

Finally, kudos to West Ham's Matt Jarvis for sticking his neck out against homophobia in football.

Onward!!

-SSN

Mancini & Balotelli Fisticuffs, Racism in Italy, QPR beat Chelsea

It's always nice to wake up to some training ground fisticuffs. It's really not a big deal -- this sort of thing happens all the time. But, when it involves Super Mario and Mancini, the media are going to jump all over it. Regardless, it's pretty funny. Can you imagine having to deal with Balotelli day in and day out? No wonder Mancini is at his wits' end.

Do you know what's not nice to see when you wake up? This shit. Good for Boateng and Milan for bailing on the match and getting the hell out of there. And props to Boateng for kicking the ball at the fans and making it obvious who the culprits were.


Transfers. Right. Ba to Chelsea is basically done. Sturridge to Liverpool is done. What else? Sadly, nothing concrete. Here's The Mill and your Plus One.

Luis Suarez. He's simply so easy to loath for so many reasons. The man can play, though. He was absolutely stunning yesterday as Liverpool brushed aside Sunderland 3-0. Richard Jolly was at Anfield. There were two other matches in the EPL yesterday. One of the results was Chelsea 0 - 1 Queens Park Rangers. Yes, you read that correctly. QPR cruised down to Stamford Bridge and beat Chelsea. To make matters worse for Chelsea, it was old boy Shaun Wright-Phillips who scored the winner. Quite the result, that. David Hytner was there.

Elsewhere, Everton won at Newcastle thanks to an absolute cracker of goal from Leighton Baines. It finished 2-1 in favor of the visitors. Michael Walker was there.

Points on which to talk.

Grant Wahl's Planet Futbol takes a look at MLS Commish Don Garber's response to FIFA Head Cunt Sepp Blatter's comments about MLS. Take a look.

Let's finish with our old pal Gabrielle Marcotti. He looks at the RVP to Manchester United move. There were a lot of skeptics when it went down. And there were a lot of reasons to be skeptical. So far, however, it's been a golden move for Sir Alex.

Onward!!

-SSN

Transfer Window Open, USA, EPL, Pato

Hello! Hopefully your introduction to 2013 went well. SSN wishes the best to you and yours for a footie-tastic new year.

Let's begin with the United States. It's a big year for the Yanks. We've got to qualify for Brazil. Jeff Carlisle knows his shit when it comes to this sort of subject. Here he looks at the Top 10 Storylines for 2013. Bring on the Hexagonal!!

Right. Matches in the EPL yesterday. There were some. And there really were not any shocking results. You had Man City winning easily against Stoke at home, Man United winning easily at Wigan, Tottenham breaking down some Reading resistance to win (Dempsey scored off a deflection), Arsenal drawing at Southampton (awful, awful match of soccer), and West Ham winning at home. Here's a Round-Up.

Today the menu is a bit meh: Liverpool host Sunderland, Everton at Newcastle, and a London Derby at Stamford Bridge where Chelsea host 'Arry and QPR. Speaking of QPR, do they have any chance of avoiding relegation? Jonathan Wilson takes a look.

In terms of what 2013 will bring to the English Premier League, Barney Ronay has a few thoughts. Where will Pep manage? Where will Bale play?

But, it IS January and that means the Transfer Window is wide open and The Mill is back from vacation at long last. Nothing major has gone down. Yet. Let's hope for some action. We've still got Sturridge to Liverpool and Ba to Chelsea as the two likely moves. Thierry Henry will not be returning to Arsenal. Here's your Plus One.

Pato + Unhappy Marriage = Shit Form?

Remember Alexandre Pato? Of course you do. The kid was supposed to be the next major Brazilian export. He had three solid seasons with Milan, but he's faded considerably and now looks like he's headed home. What went wrong? Tom Vickery fills us in. 

Diving has been getting a lot of press of late. Here's some more from Paul Wilson.

Meanwhile, in Spain, readers of Marca voted Song and Modric the worst signings of the season. So...OK.

Let's finish with The Hof at Manchester City...

Onward!!

-SSN