Major League Soccer: All Star Game Previews

David Beckham didn’t need to be educated about Manchester United’s motivation heading into Wednesday’s MLS All-Star Game at Red Bull Arena. The L.A. Galaxy star, capped 115 times for England’s national team, expected the English Premier League champions to come out full blast against his All-Star teammates. “When you play at that level,” Beckham said, “you approach every game the same—to win. Man U didn’t come here to have a nice holiday and run around the field. They want to get their fitness up and they’re playing to win.”

Steve Davis: 10-Point Primer

Georgina Turner: United impress on tour in the U.S., though midfield questions remain

Most Beautiful Footballer Players All The Time

Top Ten Cute Sexy Hot Football Players For Female soccer fans





Frankie Hejduk = Not on the Most Beautiful Footballer Player list...

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Wednesday's Rumours



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Manchester City set to complete Sergio Aguero transfer

Argentina striker Sergio Aguero has arrived in Manchester to complete his move to Manchester City after they agreed a fee with Atletico Madrid. The 23-year-old frontman is reported to have agreed terms on a five-year deal, with the fee thought to be about £38m.

Aguero Tweeted: "Just arrived in Manchester to finalise details of deal with City. Everything is going well."

Europe's top clubs threaten FIFA revolt

Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, the chairman of the European Club Association (ECA), has called for a club-led "revolution" against the "corrupt people" who govern football and called for his members to have a say in Fifa's decision-making process.

The 55-year-old chief executive officer of Bayern Munich said he despaired at what he described as the "daily corruption process at Fifa" and asked the footballing authorities "to recognise that it's time for democracy, transparency and the right balance in the football family".

On tour with Manchester City: It's not pants to see Beckham in the locker room

One of the highlights of a week in California has definitely been the chance to see David Beckham in his pants.

It has never been an ambition of mine to see Beckham in his undies but last week I was grateful. It’s all about media access, you see.

In England we used to loiter in car parks and hang about at training grounds in order to interview footballers. These days we need to make appointments through press officers and agents and often are required to plug a sponsor or a community event in order to hear a player talk about how much he likes scoring goals.

In America things are different, though. At the end of the game you wander downstairs and walk straight in to the ‘locker room’.

Mario Balotelli: the life and times of Manchester City’s Italian bad boy

Telegraph Sport looks back at the eventful time Mario Balotelli has had since his arrival at Manchester City.

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Tuesday's Rumours



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A summer of discontent for Queens Park Rangers and Neil Warnock

What kind of club do you think would provoke these kinds of comments on message boards?

"I've had my fill tonight of the club, they can fck off."

"I have mates who support other teams asking me if I am looking forward to this season and I tell them I don't want to talk about it because I am so depressed about the current situation."

"We've been fleeced as fans, the manager has been taken for a ride and the club's name has been continually dragged through the dirt IMO."

"Whenever I think about the shambles they have turned us into I feel like spouting off. There literally is so much material. I find it hard just to accept it and get on with things."

"I refuse to be part of their willful destruction of our club whilst paying through the nose for the privilege."

Steve Davis on MLS

Know your Major League Soccer --

Five things we learned from Week 19:

Batista fired as Argentina coach

Sergio Batista has been dismissed as Argentina coach following a disastrous Copa America in which a team of stars led by Lionel Messi managed only one victory.

Batista, who took over a year ago, was Argentina's fourth coach in five years and had the same problem as his predecessor Diego Maradona: little tactical experience and an inability to get superstars to play as a team rather than as individuals.

Uli Hesse in Germany

Four weeks ago, my column about relocating to a football diaspora mentioned the North German club Holstein Kiel and noted in passing that their fans and players are known as the 'Storks'. The resourceful Soccernet editors thereupon illustrated the piece with a picture of the club's mascot, a stork called Stolle, which prompted a reader to remark: "I would have guessed Holstein Kiel's mascot to be a cow." He meant no disrespect, I hasten to explain. Kiel, as noted, is in Schleswig-Holstein, hence the club's official name, and that region is famous for a breed of cattle - the Holstein or Holstein-Friesian cow, if you must know.

Meet the new Bergkamp

Well before he put pen to paper and signed for newly promoted Brighton, Roland Bergkamp knew what to expect. Famous name, chip off old block, let's see how he compares with great uncle Dennis. That sort of thing.

England: Can Moyes the magician conjure up another miracle season for Everton?

Calling all Evertonians.

Roll up, roll up to see the Magnificent Moyesie perform his magic trick at Goodison Park yet again! Be amazed as without having spent any money again this summer he attempts to challenge for Europe and claim a few big scalps along the way. Marvel at how he takes players and wrings every last drop of talent and ability out of them. Be astonished as he pulls another white rabbit out of his hat to follow in the long tradition of Tim Cahill, Leighton Baines, Phil Jagielka, Jack Rodwell, Stephen Pienaar, Mikel Arteta and Seamus Coleman.

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Monday's Rumours



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Monday MLS Breakdown

Henry and Shea continue their tussle for MVP honors: MLS MVP contenders Thierry Henry and Brek Shea tangled over the weekend as FC Dallas and New York dueled at Red Bull Arena.

Breakdown

Tony Adams is still relishing his Azerbaijan adventure

Tony Adams hardly made the most auspicious of starts. Thousands of miles from home and in a tiny town that he surely had not heard of at the beginning of last year, he watched his ticket to managerial redemption threaten to flutter away. After three matches of the Azerbaijani league season, Gabala FC had failed to pick up a point.The reaction in England was predictable.

If there had been general incomprehension that Adams, the former Arsenal and England titan, had signed an initial three-year contract at a footballing outpost, then it moved to derision in some quarters.

Copa América: Final Reports & Analyses

Uruguay won the Copa America for a record 15th time after beating Paraguay 3-0 on Sunday from two goals by Diego Forlan and another from Luis Suarez. Suarez scored in the 12th minute while Forlan hit the target in the 42nd and final minute of the match.


Jonathan Wilson: Tabarez the driving force behind Uruguay's rise to soccer greatness

Tim Vickery: Future bright for Copa kings Uruguay

Jonathan Wilson: Uruguay's Copa América triumph ushers in another golden age

Three Things We Learned

Awards

Aston Villa Agree N'Zogbia Fee

Aston Villa have re-opened talks with Wigan regarding Charles N'Zogbia and have agreed a £9.5million fee. Having seen a £9million bid knocked back earlier in the summer, Villa are prepared to raise the stakes and have put an improved package to the Latics.

Mario Makes Football Fun

It took just a few seconds for Mario Balotelli's latest bizarre act to go viral. He swiftly trended on Twitter as links to the now-famous video clip peppered timelines across the globe. I duly clicked, watched, chortled. Then Tweeted on it myself. But when the dust had settled, though, there appeared to be quite the animosity towards the Manchester City striker for his actions. Why?