Euro 2016 Qualifiers, Simon Kuper, Crotch Grabbing, Xavi to Qatar

A little Roberto Mancini to start your weekend off right...

Hey. We're at the end of a dull, dull week. Let's just get to it, shall we? Brazil beat France in Paris yesterday, but it was only a friendly, so we don't really care. Tim Vickery does, though, and we like Tim. Here's his report.

There are some matches that actually matter today (and through the weekend) as European nations attempt to book their tickets to France 2016. Let's have a gander.

Euro 2016 State of Play

Internationals: What To Look Out For This Weekend

Michael Cox: Can Verratti/De Gea/Kane break into their teams' starting XIs?

Jonathan Wilson: Five Key Qualifiers To Watch

Miguel Delaney: Qualifying full of stories from Bale, Wales, to sluggish Spain

Spain vs. Ukraine: Preview

England vs. Lithuania: Preview

Euro 2016: The state of play for England/Scotland/Wales/N. Ireland/Rep. of Ireland

Sharp Dressed Men

The damage of the international games: What to look out for in MLS. Here's what else to look out for: Crotch Grabbing! Vinnie Jones would be so proud.

Backheel Breakfast

Simon Kuper has an article out today. The Soccernomics guru is writing about how football really is a thinking game. We never doubted that. What we did doubt was the use of Wayne Rooney as an example to prove the theory...

Xavi is set to leave Barcelona for the monied shores of Qatar at season's end. Uhhh, good luck?

And good night.

Onward!!

-SSN

nbcsoccer.com