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.
Fabio Capello has brushed off claims by José Mourinho that the Portuguese was the Football Association's preferred choice to become England manager three years ago, pointedly saying he would never comment publicly on another job out of "respect" for the incumbent.
I arrived in Prague last Wednesday night and wandered through customs into the arrival zone. A chap waved a banner that had 'Ball' written on it, and although I thought it was a tad rude to just use the surname, I was relieved to see that someone had come to pick me up. The young chap had a dark suit and an electric green tie and he ushered me into his black Mercedes - very nice. And after the usual formalities, he realised that half an hour in silence (the airport is some way from the city) was not his cup of tea. "You must be the top dog for the conference," he quipped in excellent English, judging my reaction in the mirror. "Only the top dogs get the black Mercedes," he added. "If I'm the top dog," I replied, "I wouldn't like to see the other breeds that are coming"- which got a laugh from behind the steering wheel.
Early season is generally a time for optimism in sports but for Fire fans of the last four years who've seen multiple management teams and huge roster overhauls it's generally a pessimistic period and this season started no differently; a returning coach who never started the same lineup twice, a roster returning three starting players and shorn of name value, replaced with a bunch of cheap foreign players nobody had ever heard of and a front office which seems to have been gutted for the third time in four years. The team looked decent in winning a point on the road to MLS Cup-finalist Dallas last weekend so Fire fans headed to Toyota Park Saturday with a curious sense of optimism. The lack of 38 degree weather and pouring rain provided contrast to our last few opening weekends but the beautiful sunshine came accompanied by 29 degree temperatures and high winds resulting in the traditional disincentive for walk-up crowds.
The Fire this year are a curious mix of cheap B-grade foreign talent, (Josep Mikulic, Bratislav Ristic and Marko Maric from Eastern Europe, Gaston Puerari and Diego Chavez from Uruguay), young American washouts from Europe (Mike Vidiera, Gabriel Ferrari), seasoned vets returning to MLS, (Cory Gibbs, Gonzalo Segares returning from Cyprus) and mid-level NCAA talent. Returning midfield players Patrick Nyarko and Marco Pappa are supposed to provide the supply lines from midfield but both have somewhat spotty records - Nyarko is great with the ball at his feet but seemly afraid to shoot when through on goal and Pappa is the Arjen Robben of MLS - dangerous on the dribble and a terror when shooting from distance but seemingly unwilling or unable to combine with the players around him, failing to make the team better as a whole. Fans used to seeing management splash out cash for name players have been wary of Head Coach Carlos De Los Cobos' tactical approach and team selection but the decent start on the road had fans buzzing about the work rate of our new imported strike team after watching years of Brian McBride, Collins John and Cuauathemoc Blanco amble about with little drive or energy.
Section 8 was in fine form from the beginning. Our new fan relations team has taken a lot of initiatives to put butts in the seats; some dubious, (Groupon!), and some quite savvy like providing incentives to Section 8 to sell a larger block of seats, supposedly 800 in all. The newly expanded section was packed and in good voice with a now-typical array of flags and banners. Healthy derision was heaped on the KC franchise including chanting, ("You are still the Wizards"), and a couple hilarious banners - one showing the old KC Wiz logo from the beginning of MLS next to a banner of the Simpsons Nelson Muntz pointing and laughing. The Fire started play well, winning the majority of possession in midfield and quickly moving the ball up to the forwards. Our defense, shifting between a three and four man line depending on Segares' positioning on the field, mostly looked solid but provided a new notable scares including a near own goal by rookie defender Jalil Anibaba which elicited a fantastic save from Sean Johnson. Just before halftime the Fire took a lead after Puerari beat Mexican Wizard Omar Bravo and was hauled down. The result was a red card to Bravo with the penalty converted with gusto by Chavez. The Fire doubled their lead just before the half thanks to an astute ball from Vidiera and a wonderful finish by Puerari. Up 2-0 with a man advantage at halftime and Fire fans were smiling despite the frigid conditions.
Sadly the second half saw the Fire revert to the kind of form which saw them barely eke out a point despite having a man advantage in Dallas. Sean Johnson spilled an easy shot after a corner and the loose ball was easily finished by KC. Shortly afterward Marco Pappa scored a slow-motion golazo which will be in consideration for MLS goal of the season, taking a ball from Vidiera and dribbling through the entire defense before slotting the ball past KC's fat Danish albino lab rat of a keeper, Jimmy Nielsen. Shortly afterward Segares sent an appalling back pass to Johnson which was easily intercepted by Teal Bunbury, who took it past a jogging Mickulic for an easy goal. Fortunately that was all that KC had to offer and the Fire were able to wrap up the full three points after watching a somewhat pointless display from substitutes Dominic Oduro and Orr Barouch.
The current Fire roster, especially the hard work and happy attitudes of our new Uruguayan front line, has most Fire fans feeling pleasantly surprised. There are a lot of questions still to be answered especially in midfield where we have solid players who don't seem to combine particularly well to keep the ball and in defense where the roles still seem fuzzy and Sean Johnson needs to take better command. Still this is MLS, where we've learned that depth is often more important than star power, and it's quite possible that the doom and gloom which were forecast by many (myself included) is unfounded.
Mario Balotelli has been warned he must 'mature' before he can return to the Italy team as Manchester City launch an internal investigation over an alleged training ground incident.
Manchester United could take on David Beckham and Thierry Henry in the same game later this year after agreeing a deal to face the MLS All-Stars at New Jersey’s Red Bull Arena in July.
United are due to confirm the final details of their summer plans when Ferguson attends a press conference in New York on Tuesday. But plans are understood to be in place for United to launch their trip on the west coast with a game against Seattle Sounders.
United are also due to play in Chicago before ending their trip with a clash against Barcelona in Washington D.C following the All-Stars game.
Lots of people offered their counsel when Charlie Davies started to ponder his next professional move last fall.
Davies' coach at Sochaux thought he should move elsewhere on loan to find the first team action he needed after returning from life-threatening and body-mangling injuries suffered in a October 2009 car accident. His agent, his family members and his friends all had their say as well.
England, Germany and the Republic of Ireland all recorded victories in their Euro 2012 qualifying fixtures. Group G leaders England and Montengro received a huge boost as Bulgaria and Switzerland drew 0-0 in Sofia. The result leaves the pair six points adrift at the halfway stage with Wales anchored at the foot of the table. It will take a miracle for either side to overturn the deficit and progress to next summer's tournament. In Group F, Georgia maintained their superb form under coach Temuri Ketsbaia as Levan Kobiashvili struck the only goal in the last minute to condemn Croatia to their first Euro 2012 qualifying defeat. Group B leaders Russia were again left frustrated in front of goal as Armenia secured a battling goalless draw at the Yerevan Republican Stadium. Bosnia-Herzegovina boosted their hopes of qualification by coming from behind to beat Romania 2-1.
Few of us like Monday but The Fifth Official does, for it brings with it a chance for him to point the finger and laugh. Here he pulls out the pretty, the puzzling and the downright pig-ugly from a week brimming with potential victims.
Break out your roster cards. It's time to learn about a few unfamiliar faces.
International play has once again ravaged squads across the league as countries prepare for friendlies and qualifiers during this FIFA match day. The full slate of international matches will see reserves across the league thrust into the spotlight as starters at least for one weekend.
France's World Cup campaign in South Africa last summer will go down as one of the most ill-fated of a major football nation but coach Laurent Blanc appears to have finally got his players and the French public to focus on the future rather than the past
The noises emanating from Les Bleus' training camp at Clairefontaine in the last few days have been positive ones. Harmony, at least on the surface and in public, has been restored. Pulling on a French jersey has become fun again rather than a chore, according to captain Alou Diarra.
Sky Sports'voice of football and his back-up team of experts are here to answer your questions and queries on all things statistical and historical from the beautiful game.
Most goals from an American player in a single Premier League season:
TEN Clint Dempsey (2010/11)
NINE Brian McBride (2005/06) Brian McBride (2006/07)
SEVEN Clint Dempsey (2009/10)
SIX Roy Wegerle (1993/94) Joe-Max Moore (1999/00) Brian McBride (2004/05) Clint Dempsey (2008/09) Clint Dempsey (2007/08)
On Sunday, Velez Sarsfield were hosting San Lorenzo de Almagro. The two clubs aren't traditional rivals but have, over the last few years especially, had to contend with a very heated atmosphere whenever they've played. One San Lorenzo fan got into an altercation during a routine police security check (most accounts seem to agree on that) and then ... well, and then things get a bit murky. Buenos Aires' Federal Police spokesman, Nestor Rodriguez, told the press that "he sat down on the kerbside, suffered a cardiac arrest, and died".
Off The Ball never rests in its mission to scratch around the underbelly of professional football to find the most bizarre, humorous and inexplicable stories.
This week, Gerald Asamoah's angry wife gets into catfight with two women he brought home, Bayern's stars express their dislike of the Europa League, Michael Ballack says sorry for his megaphone obscenities and thousands of inflatable sheep head to the Millennium Stadium.
We've made it to Thursday of the International Week, thank God. It's like the Bermuda Triangle when real football simply disappears. And we've already got some injuries and the matches have yet to be played.
El-Hadji Diouf does not ride his bike to work...
Gareth Bale has a hamstring problem and won't feature against England on Saturday. There's no word on the extent of the problem but with a hamstring it could basically be two weeks or forever. Elsewhere Greatest Striker Alive Nicky Bendtner screwed up his ankle training with his Danish brothers.
Thankfully there is some fairly interesting stuff out there to help us pass the time.
The Big Interview from The Guardian is Yank Abroad and only pilot in the English Premier League Marcus Hahnemann. I knew he was working on getting his license and is a big heavy metal fan, but I didn't know he rides his bike to training every day. That's way cooler than pulling up to the ground in a Range Rover with pink highlights.
Never one to shy from the spotlight, Chad Ochocinco is currently working out with FC Kansas City in a (soon to fail) attempt to join Major League Soccer. I can understand the benefits from Chad's point of view but if I'm the gaffer in KC there's no way I allow that sort of distraction.
In far sadder news, a Port Vale player claims he was on the receiving end of some racist vitriol from his own fans. There's video of the classy fans in question in the relevant post below.
Elsewhere today, we've got a look at the rapid decline of Joe Cole's fortunes, a look back to Brazil in 1982 and a look at Germany's new wave of young talent that is beginning to emerge. Oh, and Qatar says they'll develop some fake clouds to keep things cool at World Cup 2022. Nice try, but I'm still not going. Unless I get a free jetpack with my match ticket...
Hahnemann, like most goalkeepers, has always been regarded as a little eccentric. The former Reading keeper has a sizeable gun collection, listens to heavy metal, likes to go deer stalking near his old home in Berkshire, spends hours doing up the many cars he owns and, to the bemusement of his team-mates completes a 10-mile round trip into training on his mountain bike every day.
Yet even by Hahnemann's standards, flying a plane seems a little extreme.
Could he not have picked a safer hobby? "I don't think it's dangerous. It's definitely not as dangerous as those guys on the team driving their cars on the road," Hahnemann says.
After signing a contract extension (until 2014) and tentatively solving the "Michael Ballack question" -- the Germany captain will have an unofficial farewell match against Brazil in August -- coach Jogi Löw has few problems left. The biggest one might be finding places for a wave of new, exciting prospects in the squad. Here's a projection of Germany's next top model professionals (under 22 years).
The process is part of a painstaking two-and-a-half-year project by the Barclays Premier League leaders to develop their own talent in South America rather than splash out huge fees on the next generation of stars.
Confidentiality agreements prevent Desportivo Brasil from revealing which of their 100-plus teenagers have a pre-contract agreement with United, but Sportsmail has learned that the five players pictured at Old Trafford are called Gladstony, Aguilar, Lucas Evangelista, Agnaldo and Rafael Leao.
The 26-year-old centre-back had to be dragged away from his tormentors, who screamed racist invective at him as he left the field at the end of Saturday’s defeat at Accrington Stanley.
An investigation has been launched by the club, the FA and PFA after a film on YouTube showed fans surge towards the dressing rooms and hurl insults at Geohaghon, in between calling for boss Jim Gannon’s head.
From their rooms in the Grove hotel outside Watford in the Hertfordshire countryside, Wayne Rooney, John Terry and Co were able to see the championship-standard course outside but that was as close as they got to playing on it.
Wales will be without their biggest threat in their Euro 2012 qualifying match against England on Saturday after Tottenham midfielder Gareth Bale was ruled out of the match with a hamstring injury.
Saud Abdul Ghani, the head of the mechanical and industrial engineering department, told Gulf News the "clouds" are made from a lightweight carbon structure carrying a giant envelope of material containing helium gas. Four solar powered engines move the structure via remote control.
The journey from cause celebre to forgotten man took nine months. Last summer, as England exited the World Cup with a desperate lack of invention, Joe Cole assumed the role of the overlooked saviour. Now he is simply ignored: the right-footed, left-sided player called up by Fabio Capello these days is Matt Jarvis. One of the greatest talents of his generation has been displaced by a footballer discarded by Millwall and who spent four years languishing at Gillingham.
On Sunday, Scotland play Brazil in a friendly at Emirates Stadium. The two countries were involved in a memorable game at the 1982 World Cup, where Brazil set new aesthetic standards but ultimately failed to marry style with silverware as their challenge ended with a thrilling defeat to Italy.
So many great options for 1982 -- couldn't choose just one...
Boca Juniors veteran striker Martin Palermo says the Buenos Aires club—probably the biggest team in Argentine football—has “hit rock bottom” and is enduring it worst stretch since he joined the club in 1997.
Boca is lodged in 18th-place in the 20-team league, has only four points from six matches and has scored only two goals in the Clausura tournament.
Happier times: Palermo lifts the 2007 Copa Libertadores...
Injury has kept Aguero out of some recent squads -- he has not played for his country since coming on as a substitute and scoring against Spain last September. But he is currently fit. Tevez has picked up a minor injury, but only after the squad was called up. The official line, it seems, is that he is being punished for pulling out of the squad to face Brazil last November, only to play for Manchester City a few days later.
Argentina Roster:
Goalkeepers: Mariano Andujar (Catania), Adrian Gabbarini (Independiente, Argentina), Sergio Romero (AZ Alkmaar).
Defenders: Javier Zanetti (Inter Milan), Pablo Zabaleta (Manchester City), Ezequiel Garay (Real Madrid), Gabriel Milito (Barcelona), Nicolas Otamendi (F.C. Porto), Federico Fazio (Sevilla), Nicolas Burdisso (Roma), Marcos Rojo (Spartak Moscow).
Midfielders: Javier Mascherano (Barcelona), Mario Bolatti (Internacional, Brazil), Ever Banega (Valencia), Fernando Belluschi (F.C. Porto), Esteban Cambiasso (Inter Milan), Lucas Biglia (Anderlecht), Javier Pastore (Palermo).
Forwards: Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Ezequiel Lavezzi (Napoli), Angel Di Maria (Real Madrid), Nicolas Gaitan (Benfica), Jose Sosa (Napoli), Eduardo Salvio (Benfica).
Fifa officials investigating alleged match-fixing in recent friendly internationals held in Bahrain and Antalya, Turkey, believe the games may be “the tip of an iceberg” of corruption, sources close to the inquiry have told Telegraph Sport.
Forty-eight hours after discovering Manchester's two sides would meet in an FA Cup semi-final at Wembley, United fan Nick Coppack flew to Serbia to witness a truly explosive derby...
Bernd Schuster, a man who has become known as the 'Blond Angel' during his career, may sound like a superhero-in-waiting, but proved to be as brittle as the rest of us when he chose to jump before he was pushed last week at Besiktas. The man brought to Turkey on a wave of expectation to replace Mustafa Denizli on a two-year contract worth €5.2 million resigned having won just one of his last seven games, maintaining that he did not want to "waste the resources" of the highly ambitious club.
Zenit St Petersburg have launched an investigation into an alleged incident of racist abuse involving former Brazil international Roberto Carlos.
Carlos, 37, now plies his trade for Russian outfit Anzhi Makhachkala and was apparently taunted by Zenit fans prior to his side's 2-0 defeat to the reigning Premier Liga champions on Monday.
As Mohamed Bin Hammam last night began his attempts to win over vital European support for his bid to oust Sepp Blatter as the president of Fifa, a former colleague of the Qatari claimed that football's governing body would be "doomed" if he won.
With about 15 minutes remaining in Bolton's 1-0 loss to Manchester United on Saturday, Holden and Jonny Evans both went for a loose ball, sliding to the ground at the same moment. Holden's upper leg and Evans' studs clashed in a gruesome meeting.
The result for Evans was a straight red card. The result for Holden was a gash above his left knee that required 26 stitches and a further undisclosed diagnosis (along with surgery) that will reportedly keep Holden on the sidelines for the next six months.
Arsenal keeper Wojciech Szczesny has joked he would rather play behind 48-year-old youth team coach Steve Bould than any of the club's current defenders.Speaking at a fans' forum Szczesny also suggested that Bould, who retired 11 years ago due to arthritis, could reform his partnership with Tony Adams. Szczesny, 20, also branded striker Nicklas Bendtner "arrogant" and fellow goalkeeper Jens Lehmann "a nutcase".
The loss by Red Football Joint Venture, the Glazer family's parent company that owns United, include some one-off costs from setting up the £526m bond scheme last year to replace their bank loans, according to accounts filed at Companies House.
When Roma signed Brazilian striker Adriano last year, the club directors may as well have lit their cigars with high denomination banknotes or poured their money down a rathole. They were quite happy to tear up his contract earlier this month and received no money in return.
This, though, is not the story of a player unable to adapt to life in a foreign country.
For a good five years, Adriano was a top-class striker in Italian football, a giant centre forward with a howitzer left foot that was also capable of surprising subtlety. And yet, at 29 and theoretically at his peak, he seems unlikely to play in Europe again. Only a very brave or foolhardy European club would give yet another chance to a player who has been wasting them for the last five years.
Fabio Capello has brushed off claims by José Mourinho that the Portuguese was the Football Association's preferred choice to become England manager three years ago, pointedly saying he would never comment publicly on another job out of "respect" for the incumbent.
