Europa League Drama, Everton vs. Manchester City, Premier League Finances, Copa America In The U.S., Coppa Italia Final, Jose vs. Eden

Dorkfest

And there goes another week. A fine one it was, with a few scintillating second legs to help get us to Friday. Where to begin, then? Let's stick to form and look at matches actually played. Benfica and Sevilla will battle it out to see who is the second-best European champion. The guys from Lisbon held off the guys from Turin and the dudes from Seville dumped their Valencian brethren thanks to a very late Stephane Mbia goal. Sid Lowe claims the Sevilla/Valencia drama is why we watch football. Allright, then! Here's a breakdown of both matches. Shame about Juve - the final will be played in their stadium. Oh, well.

Looking ahead, it's almost time to call it quits in the domestic leagues. Just a few more matches to decide who wins, who goes to Europe, and who goes down. Let's begin in the Premier League:

Premier League Preview

Team News

10 things to look out for this weekend

Sean Ingle: Everton and Manchester City face sting in Goodison tale of two cities

Paul Merson's Predictions

Lawro's Predictions

Beyond the Premier League, it's the last match of the season for almost everyone else in England. Will Millwall drop to Division One?! What about Yeovil? Oh, they're already down. Too bad.

In Spain, there are three weeks left in the campaign. Atlético Madrid still sit in first and only need two wins to clinch the title. They go to Levante on Sunday. Here's a complete weekend preview.

Bolton's Player of the Year

In Italy, if Juventus can defeat Atalanta, they will win their third consecutive Scudetto. Here's a complete weekend preview.

It seems The Special One and Eden Hazard are engaging in a war of words. Ouch. Jonathan Wilson says Chelsea and Jose should brace for change after their latest Champions League failure.

The 2012-13 accounts of all the Premier League teams were released yesterday. David Conn examines the data and gives his take on the health of each club.

Today's Top Tenner? Veteran Players. Guys who played forever.

It was also announced yesterday that the 2016 Copa America will be held in the United States. That's excellent news. We're talking Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela, the United States, Mexico and four other CONCACAF nations. There should be some good talent on display.

Major League Soccer is now in Week Nine. Here's a preview. And another.

In Italy, the Coppa Italia really isn't seen as a big deal. But some changes have been made to its structure, and with Juve running away with the Serie A title, it's generating a bit more interest than usual. This year's edition pits Fiorentina vs. Napoli. Michael Cox looks ahead to tomorrow's final in Rome.

Hey, this is pretty cool. Yank Abroad Tim Ream was voted Player of the Year by Bolton fans. And, Yank Abroad Tim Ream was voted Player of the Year by Bolton Football Club. Double Player of the Year! Good on ya, Reamer!

We out.

Onward!!

-SSN

Atlético Madrid Beat Chelsea, Is Tiki-Taka Dead?, Argentina, Americans Abroad

They're happy.

The world's most esteemed club football competition delivered another beauty yesterday as Atlético Madrid strolled into Stamford Bridge and rocked the hosts to the tune of 1-3. The Madrid side's performance was as solid and strong as Simeone's suit. After the match, the winning gaffer said this: “I want to congratulate the mothers of these players, because they gave them big balls to play like this.” Let's get to the reviews.

Chelsea 1-3 Atlético Madrid: Daniel Taylor at Stamford Bridge

John Brewin: Three Things: Chelsea vs. Atletico Madrid

Michael Cox:  Hazard cost Chelsea

Ben Smith: Terry left tearful after Champions League exit

Barney Ronay: Chelsea's defensive juggernaut halted by Atlético's sheer vibrancy

Ben Lyttleton: Madrid Mania

Three Things We Learned

Press Reaction

Social Media Fun

So it's pretty historic. The first European Cup final to feature two sides from the same city. As you might expect, Madrid-based Sid Lowe is pretty pumped.

Here's a question: Is tiki-taka dead? Jonathan Wilson attempts to answer.

He's not happy.

Sam Kelly is in Argentina and he's tackling the issue of hooliganism. The Barra Bravas essentially control many clubs and that's not a good thing for the health of the domestic league.

Barry Glendenning is tackling a Stunning World Cup Moment today. This one is Number 13 and it's when Roy Keene bailed on Ireland in 2002. It certainly was shocking. And stunning.

It's time to check in on the Americans plying their trade in other lands. Terrance Boyd, for instance, plays for Rapid Vienna. He scored twice this weekend! Break it down like this.

Onward!!

-SSN

Real Madrid Crush Bayern Munich, Chelsea vs. Atlético Madrid, Geoff Cameron Interview, Istanbul Derby

Robben remains upbeat despite the defeat.

A good Humpday to you and yours. Damn. Well. That was not what we expected. No, we did not turn our attention to the Champions League Semi-Final Second Leg between Bayern Munich and Real Madrid in Munich yesterday afternoon and expect to watch as Real Madrid steamrolled the defending champs. You almost expected Roberto Duran to show up and say to the ref, "No mas."

0-4 in favor of the Spaniards is how it finished. If you already thought Arjen Robben was the oldest looking 30-year-old on the the planet, it's just that much worse now. Let's look back at yesterday's mauling:

Bayern Munich 0-4 Real Madrid (agg: 0-5): David Hytner at the Allianz Arena

Graham Hunter: Real's shelling of Bayern paves the way to La Decima

Michael Cox: Real Madrid power batters Bayern before speed ends tiki-taka's rule

Jonathan Wilson: Real Madrid stun Bayern Munich in semifinal romp

John Brewin: Three Things: Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid

Five Talking Points

Yanks Abroad. You gotta love 'em. Even though Geoff Cameron plays for Stoke and has bad hair, we still love him. ESPN interviewed him.

Nice work, Norwich fans. When asked to vote for their player of the season, the majority decided to go with reserve keeper Carlo Nash, who has never seen action for the side. That's a novel way to express your frustration, and we approve.

Diego is confident ahead of the trip to Stamford Bridge...

Ooooo. Don't miss this great article on the Istanbul Derby from Spencer Hall. Riveting!

There is another match today and we're confident it'll feature some managerial antics from the Special One and a black on black on black on greasy hair suit from Simeone:

Chelsea vs. Atlético Madrid: Preview

Chelsea vs. Atlético Madrid Preview: When will the deadlock be broken?

Dominic Fifield: Chelsea have faith they can beat Euro imitators Atlético Madrid

Matchpack

Mourinho's Moment of Truth Arrives

That's it.

Onward!!

-SSN

nbcsoccer.com

Everyone Is Eating Bananas, Kevin Phillips Is Retiring, Hatred in Glasgow, Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid Play To Reach The Final, Scribes, Podcast, Arsenal Defeat Dire Newcastle, Landon Donovan Interview

Bloody hell, we've got a lot to get through today. SSN Staffers have been staggering in throughout the morning, seemingly recovered from illness but still obviously feeling some lingering fatigue. No time to rest though, there's simply too much to cover. We'll begin as usual -- with actual results. In Monday Night Football last night, Newcastle were woeful, Aaron Ramsey and Mesut Ozil were wonderful, and Arsenal are left to wonder what if?

Arsenal 3 - 0 Newcastle: Dominic Fifield at the Emirates Stadium

Amy Lawrence: Ramsey puts the oil back in Arsenal's engine

Michael Cox: Three things: Arsenal vs. Newcastle

Louise Taylor: Where has it all gone wrong for Pardew?

John Brewin: Newcastle are stuck in neutral

Yesterday we showed the video of Dani Alves eating the banana some clown threw at him during his match against Villarreal. Dani says the thrower should be publicly shamed. Sounds fine to us. Meanwhile, Alves's actions have sparked a banana-eating campaign all over The Socials. Very good. Enjoy:

Neymar & Child

Sergio & Wife-io

Oscar & David Luiz & Willian

Dembele & Chadli

Hulk & Family

Coutinho & Suarez

Sagna

Yaya

Sticking with the sad subject of hatred, thousands of Celtic and Rangers fans turned last night's Glasgow Cup final between the Celtic Under 17s and Rangers Under 17s into a complete shitshow. Way to support the kids, asshats.

Let's relax and move on to something far less important, shall we? Landon Donovan. The Man. The Myth. The Legend. Soon, 'Ol Landycakes will be putting up his boots for good. Jeff Carlisle interviewed the Galaxy Man and you can read said interview here.

This is a rather sweet goal from Roma's Miralem Pjanic. Paolo has more from Italy in the Scribe section below...

Now is the time on Sprockets when we Scribe:

Where? Spain. Who? Sid Lowe. What? Valverde's Athletic Bilbao sequel is a hit

Where? Brazil. Who? Tim Vickery. What? Argentine clubs staging Copa Libertadores comeback

Where? Germany. Who? Uli Hesse. What?  Bundesliga showing the notion of "the veteran" in football is firmly out of fashion

Where? Italy. Who? Paolo Bandini. What? Roma desperate to keep Pjanic

Where? Germany. Who? Raphael Honigstein. What? Nürnberg: love, loathing, relegation?

Major League Soccer. There are a few guys of quality playing in that league. Clint Dempsey being one. Obafemi Martins being another. And...they play on the same team! Their partnership is proving to be quite something. Here are four additional things we learned from MLS last weekend. Power Rankings? We can do that!


Podcast! What a weekend, and what a show we have in store as Football Weekly enters the final furlong. AC Jimbo, Owen Gibson, Paul MacInnes and Barry Glendenning try their darnedest to not use the words 'twist', 'turns', 'blown', 'wide' or 'open' after Chelsea put on a Mou masterclass to shut out Liverpool and thus hand Manchester City the advantage in the Premier League title race (unless there are any other twists or turns to come which blow the title race wide open again). Next, we hear from Sid Lowe about the two Madrid sides' chances in the Champions League semi-finals as well as the sad death of the former Barcelona manager Tito Vilanova. Finally, we turn our attention to the relegation scrap, where Norwich appear doomed and Sunderland continue to head onwards and upwards.

Thanks for the memories!

Kevin Phillips. He began his career as a defender at Baldock Town in the eighth tier of English football. Six years later, he notched 30 for Sunderland and finished as the continent’s top scorer. That year he scored more than Raul at Real Madird, Patrick Kluivert at Barcelona, Andriy Shevchenko at AC Milan, Gabriel Batistuta at Fiorentina, and Hernan Crespo at Parma. He is the last Englishman to win the Golden Boot and one of only three 40-year-olds to play in Premier League. He will play his final game on Saturday. Louise Taylor takes a look at the tiny striker from Hertfordshire.

Is it Tuesday? It is. Does that mean Monday Musings? It does. This week Gab is gabbing about Mou's winning gamble, great Prem race, Seedorf's Milan mess, more.

The World Cup is only 45 days away. As you should know by now, BBC Sport, with the help of European football expert Andy Brassell, is taking a weekly look at happenings from across the world of football and what impact they could have on the tournament in the summer. 

And, finally. Whew. Finally. On to the match this afternoon at 2:45pm EDT on Fox Sports 1. Bayern Munich host Real Madrid and need to overturn a 1-0 deficit. It should be a doozy.

Onward!!

-SSN

Alves Eats The Banana, Chelsea Beat Liverpool, Monday Night Football, Van Gaal In At United?

If you're wise, you'll stay away...

Oh, dear. We're going to have to be brief today as we slowly get back up to speed from whatever bug shut down SSN Headquarters on Friday. It wasn't Norovirus but the way it hit all of us we may as well have been on some sort of disgusting Carnival Cruise Line Cruise of Death. Engine dead, just floating helplessly in the sea, completely crippled with the toilets backing up on a big-ass boat shared with 3,231 other filthy humans. And Supertramp's Breakfast in America on repeat...

Those who know us know we're not big fans of Dani Alves. He can be, well, a bit rough at times. Over the weekend, though, his stock at SSN Headquarters rose considerably when he picked up the banana thrown his way and ate it. Take that, racist bitches!

Was it a Masterclass from The Special One? Of just an unwatchable slew of time-wasting techniques and child-like behavior? You'll have to make that decision on your own. Here are a few opinions:

Liverpool's Brendan Rodgers hits out at Chelsea for 'parking two buses'
Michael Cox: Rodgers learns a lesson
Chris Bevan: Jose Mourinho's tactical masterclass
Richard Jolly: Three Things: Liverpool vs. Chelsea
Barney Ronay: Not anti-football from Mourinho, but simply football

In terms of the other shit that went down in the Premier League, this should cover it. So who is going to win this thing, anyway? And who is going down?

Every picture tells a story, don't it?

We're going to try to get some rest so we can bounce back tomorrow with a mega-post that looks more closely at the weekend and also the Champions League matches to come. Arsenal host Newcastle this afternoon, and after Everton's unexpected own-goal fest yesterday, the Gunners have the opportunity to solidify their fourth-place spot. Also, there is talk that Van Gaal will soon make his way over to VanManchester to take over as United's new VanManager.

Apologies for the brevity and scattered nature...improvements to come tomorrow.

Onward!!

-SSN

Real Beat Bayern, San Lorenzo And The Pope, Crystal Palace, Chelsea To Field Weakened Team, Brazil Protests, Spain's Awful World Cup Anthem Video

Che! Padre! San Lorenzo!

Right! Not the greatest match yesterday but certainly a major improvement over Tuesday's drab draw between Chelsea and the other Madrid side. Real Madrid won at home by a goal to nil to set up what should be a juicy return leg in Munich next Tuesday. Here's your lot:

Real Madrid 1-0 Bayern Munich: Daniel Taylor at the Bernabéu
Adam Bate: Clash of styles felt like far more than just a contest between two teams
Sid Lowe: Ronaldo lays charge for explosion against Bayern
Graham Hunter: Pep's decision to move Lahm ruined Bayern's hopes
Jonathan Wilson: Real Madrid strikes, holds firm in win over Bayern
Michael Cox: Modric passes test after Bayern Munich lose their way
Miguel Delaney: Three things: Real Madrid vs. Bayern Munich
German Press: Bayern's 'predictable' tactics slammed

We all know that Pope Francis is from Argentina. Some of us know that he's a football fan. A couple of us know that he supports San Lorenzo. Jonathan Wilson takes a look at the Argentine champions chances in the Copa Libertadores.

Want to see something really, really bad? Here is Spain's World Cup Anthem Video. It's really, really bad. Cesar Azpilicueta can really rock that tambourine, though...

Crystal Palace. The South London club that was left for dead back in the fall whilst languishing at the bottom of the league has somehow been guided to safety. By Tony Pubis, of all people. After Brendan Rodgers, you'd have to rank him as Manager of the Year. Dominic Fifield has a piece on the Palace revival.

There are matches today. The Europa League. Semifinals. Juventus. Benfica. Sevilla. Valencia. Preview.

The loan system. It's a mess, right? Chelsea have 26 players out on loan. Lukaku has enjoyed a fine season at Everton. Victor Moses looks set to win a Champions medal. And yet Jose claims he doesn't have any good strikers. And he'll field a weakened team this weekend against Liverpool, by the way.

There were more protests in Brazil on Tuesday. One person died during violent protests in Rio near Copacabana beach. A dancer allegedly killed by police sparked the protests. Ugly, ugly, ugly. FIFA should get Brazil to crack down on this sort of thing. Oh. Wait.

Onward!!

-SSN

More Moyes And Man U., Atlético Madrid & Chelsea Finish Scoreless, Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid

A spot of fun in Madrid for the traveling supporters...

Welcome to another Hump Day, folks. The big item on the agenda is the second Champions League semi-final first-leg featuring the defending champions Bayern Munich and Los Blancos de Madrid. But first, we should examine yesterday's match. You want a quick summary? Chelsea parked the bus and nobody scored. You want more? Here:

Atlético Madrid 1-1 Chelsea: Daniel Taylor at the Vicente Calderón

Sid Lowe: Mourinho draws Simeone's Atlético into war of attrition

Miguel Delaney: Who benefits more from the 0-0, Chelsea or Atletico?

Ben Lyttleton: Chelsea grinds out 0-0 draw at Atletico

Barney Ronay: Costa and Torres fire only blanks

John Brewin: Three Things: Atletico Madrid vs. Chelsea

Oh, gosh. Everyone is still going nuts over the Moyes sacking. Marina Hyde claims that the sorry saga of David Moyes won't shake Sir Alex Ferguson's self-belief. Barney Ronay reckons the appointment of Moyes was a big mistake. Simon Kuper says Manchester United’s biggest problem is not selecting next manager. Russell Brand (!?) is also talking about it in his typically humorous manner. How's this for a sentence: Sir Alex Ferguson's selection of the "chosen one" now looks less like John the Baptist heralding Christ and more like what I would do if invited to select my ex's next partner; the mendacious dispatch of a castrated chump to grimly jiggle with futile pumps upon Man United's bone-dry, trophy-bare mound. ?

So, today we move across the city from the Vicente Calderón to the Santiago Bernabéu to enjoy Real Madrid vs. Bayern Munich. Sadly, Gareth Bale probably won't play. He has the flu. And we'll have to wait and see about Ronny. Check it:

Preview

Preview II

Preview III

Seated firmly in the WTF?! category is the fact that FIFA have decided to allow Barcelona to transfer players this summer. Yes, the ban is suspended pending appeal. What a joke.

"Yes, José, I'm injured. No, José, you can't have my woobie...

Leicester City and Burnley have been promoted to the Premier League. Here's the question: Can they stay there? Richard Jolly examines the two new boys.

Scott Murray: Real Madrid vs. Bayern: The night Juanito kicked Matthäus in the face. Read it. Enjoy it.

More Major League Soccer? Why not?

Sticking with the States, Jermaine Jones is getting ready for the World Cup the best way he knows how...with ink, bitches!

Sticking with the World Cup, some guy named Karl Matchett has 50 reasons why it'll be the best ever. Sorry, Karl, but it ain't gonna happen.

And finally...Vincent Kompany has opened a couple of bars in Belgium. They're called, "Good Kompany." The servers wear badges that say, "I Heart Foul Play." Good Grief.

Onward!!

-SSN

Moyes Fired, Atlético Madrid vs. Chelsea, Scribes, Burnley Promoted, City Defeat West Brom, European Relegation Battles

Uhhhh...no.

Good Day! Loads to get through, beginning with the expected news that Manchester United have decided to part ways with Moe Szyslak. Here's all the fallout:

David Moyes sacked by Man Utd and replaced by Ryan Giggs

Daniel Taylor: Ferguson's chosen one has missed every realistic target

Jonathan Wilson: Moyes unable to adapt quick enough

Phil McNulty: Ferguson 'must take share of blame' at Man Utd

Louise Taylor: Five contenders to replace David Moyes

David Bond: Glazer family must also be held accountable

John Brewin: Results, delusions, atmosphere made Moyes' firing inevitable

Adam Bate: Ten reasons why Moyes had to go

Burnley will be back amongst the big boys next season. They joined Leicester City yesterday as the second Championship side to earn automatic promotion to the Premier League. How did they do it? Strong work ethic. 4-4-2 design. Ginger Mourinho.

In yesterday's match, Manchester City made easy work of West Brom and cruised to a 3-1 win. They're back within six points of Liverpool and still have a game in hand.

The Champions! It all goes down this afternoon in Madrid at The Vicente Calderón. Fernando Torres has returned (to a warm reception, we're told) to the ground where he made his reputation as one of the greatest strikers in the world. It's the Champions League semi-final first leg between Atlético Madrid and Chelsea and it's on Fox Sports I at 2:45pm EDT. The Blues are coming off their shocking loss at home to Sunderland. How shall they respond? Here's all you need to know:

Preview

Preview II

Preview III

Barney Ronay: Mourinho aims to end run of semi-final exits at Atlético Madrid

Sid Lowe: Atlético Madrid's Tiago Mendes intent on ignoring his old Chelsea manager

Why Chelsea should fear Atlético Madrid

Uhhhh...no.

Tuesday means it's time to go in deep with some analyses of what went down over the weekend. Like Wide World of Sports, we'll span the globe to bring you the constant variety of sport... the thrill of victory... and the agony of defeat... the human drama of athletic competition...

Where? Spain. Who? Sid Lowe. What? Paulão's sorrow sums up a season of surrender for Real Betis

Where? Brazil. Who? Tim Vickery. What? Brazil stars' club troubles no concern for Scolari

Where? Germany. Who? Uli Hesse. What? Relegation battle can provide the cruellest of twists.

Where? Italy. Who? Paolo Bandini. What? Torino's Ciro Immobile quick to make impression as Italy prepare for Brazil

Where? Germany. Who? Raphael Honigstein. What? Hamburg look to higher powers while Stuttgart take huge leap to safety

Tuesday also means Monday Musings from Gab. This week it's Sore Mourinho, Messi's future, Moyes' delusions, more.

We also need to check in with Major League Soccer. A quick look at some of Jeff Carlisle's Power Rankings coupled with an MLS Best XI should do the trick.

Wow! We've got to end there, folks. Keep it tite.

Onward!!

-SSN

Chelsea Lose To Sunderland, Everton Dominate Manchester United, Moyes Set For The Sack?, Messi Saves Barcelona, Roma Win At Fiorentina, Monday Night Football, Berbatov Goal

Frightening...ly poor.

A glorious spring Monday here at SSN Headquarters where the sun is shining, the birds chirping, and the temperature ideal. Not so ideal for David Moyes, with reports of his demise making the rounds after another completely inept performance, this time at Everton. Yes, it would appear that he is going to get the sack before he can even make it through a season. Oh, dear. How did it all go so wrong? Meanwhile, it's all going right for United's rivals Liverpool. Phil McNulty says Liverpool will never forgive themselves if they fail to win title. Sunderland did Liverpool a big favor by winning at Stamford Bridge. Predictably, The Special One was having none of it. Asshat.

Weekend Premier League Action Links:

10 Talking Points

Talking Points

Best of the Weekend

Five Thoughts

Quick Six

Chelsea 1-2 Sunderland: Jacob Steinburg at Stamford Bridge

Everton 2-0 Manchester United: Jamie Jackson at Goodison Park

Richard Jolly: Three Things: Everton vs. Manchester United

Norwich City 2-3 Liverpool: Sachin Nakrani at Carrow Road

Michael Cox: Rodgers keeps opponents guessing

Team of the Weekend

Garth Crooks's Team of the Week

In Spain, Barcelona looked set for more disappointment, but Messi saved the day. Meanwhile, Atlético won and are three wins from the title. Round 'em up!

In Serie A, Juventus and Roma won, and Napoli was held by Udinese. Elsewhere, Inter saw off Parma and AC Milan beat Livorno. Here's more.

What else of note happened across Europe? Let's take a look.

We learned a lot of things in Major League Soccer this weekend. Here are Five of said things. And here's a Team of the Week.

I'm still here.

There is a match of import this evening. Manchester City will attempt to keep the title race close as they host West Brom. West Brom will attempt to remain clear of the drop zone. Check a preview, why don't ya?

USA! USA! USA! Hotlist! Hotlist! Hotlist! Who's hot (Bedoya)? Who's not (DaMarcus Beasley).

Let's conclude with everyone's favorite smoking Bulgarian...Dimitar Berbatov! He's in France now, but still up to his old tricks. This...is...classic:

Onward!!

-SSN

Spain Nuts For Bale, Football Pantomime Villains, AS Roma Spotlight, Moyes Back To Everton

And there goes another week. In Spain, they're still going ape-shit (pun intended) over Gareth Bale's amazing goal on Wednesday. Sid Lowe reports. In weekend matches of note, Everton host Manchester United, Chelsea welcome Sunderland, Parma host Inter, Liverpool go to Norwich, Barcelona host Bilbao, and Roma go to Fiorentina. We'll begin in the Premier League:

Premier League Preview

Spotlight

10 Things To Look Out For

Team News

Paul Merson's Predictions

The Joy of Six this week is Football Pantomime Villains. How do you pick just six? This list does not contain Robbie Savage, Craig Bellamy, Robbie Fowler, Kevin Davies, Emmanuel Adebayor, Teddy Sheringham, Luis Suarez, El-Hadji Diouf, Neil Ruddock, Javier Mascherano, Gary Neville, Tim Cahill, John Terry, Joey Barton, Lee Bowyer, Alan Smith, Dennis Wise, Duncan Ferguson, could go on and on. And that's just the Premier League. Suppose you've got to begin somewhere, though.

Greek Ring of Fire? Why not. It gets going around 2:26. Pretty impressive.

In Spain, all eyes will be on Barcelona as they attempt to stop the rot. It won't be easy. They have to go up to Athletic Bilbao. Here's a weekend La Liga preview.

Rudi! Rudi! Rudi! Rudi Garcia has done the job at Roma this campaign. James Horncastle takes a look at the Roma gaffer and the successful season enjoyed by i Giallorossi. Va bene. And here's a weekend preview for Serie A.

Can't really find any decent MLS weekend previews, sadly. This'll take you to a page with specific match reviews.

Tony Pubis. We've never liked him. He does deserve credit, though, for steering Palace to safety. The Eagles fans on the SSN Staff have no complaints. Jim White looks at how Palace could have a say in the Premier League title with final matches against Liverpool & Manchester City.

Speaking of the Premier League, it's been a mad, mad season. Here are 10 reasons why this campaign has been the most bizarre of them all.

Enjoy your weekend!

Onward!

-SSN

All Hail Bale As His Stunning Goal Wins Cup For Real = More Barca Misery, Palace Win At Everton, Sunderland Draw At City, Atlanta Will Be #22 In MLS

Surplus to requirements...

Quite the load of footie yesterday, right? The Copa del Rey final was great and was settled by a crazy Bale sprint-fest, Tony Pubis and his Crystal Palace side went up to Fortress Goodison and will return to South London with all three points, and title-chasers Manchester City could only draw at home (thanks to a late Nasri goal that should have been saved by Vito) against bottom-of-the-table Sunderland. Let's get to it, beginning in Valencia:

Barcelona 1-2 Real Madrid: Sid Lowe at the Mestalla

Graham Hunter: Bale proves which Spanish club got the better mega-deal

Jim White: Bale steps out of Ronaldo's shadow

Miguel Delaney: Three Things: Barcelona vs. Real Madrid

Avi Creditor: Bale worth every penny

Nicholas Rigg: Bale crowned "Prince of Wales" with stunning Copa winner

65 yards, 7.2 seconds... one stunning strike
Video Of The Goal

And in England:

Everton 2-3 Crystal Palace: Report

Joe Prince-Wright: Toffees’ top four hopes take huge hit

Manchester City 2-2 Sunderland: Jamie Jackson at the Etihad Stadium

Richard Jolly: Three Things: Manchester City vs. Sunderland

Jan Molby: Man City result proves this is the best league in the world

Current Premier League Table

Bale jumps for joy...

So Messi is out of form. He's on poor form. Jonathan Wilson reports that they are none too pleased about that down in Argentina.

Atlanta is now officially set to become Major League Soccer's 22nd club. So...OK?

Drogba. Underwear. Charity. Fine.

World Cup Watch! Edinson Cavani (poor form), Cristiano Ronaldo (hurt), Sami Khedira (back for Germany?)

Nice bus...

This has never happened before: NBC networks to broadcast all 10 EPL season finales simultaneously.

Onward!!

-SSN

Copa Del Rey Finale, Arsenal Beat West Ham, Everton vs. Palace, City vs. Sunderland, Football Album Covers, Fair Play

Hello. So, all the SSN staffers got together last night and watched Hillsborough. Brutal. Grant Wahl has a Q & A with director Daniel Gordon.

Also yesterday, Arsenal moved back up to fourth with a 3-1 win over West Ham. And Matt Jarvis didn't dive. Here are some articles:

Arsenal 3-1 West Ham: David Hytner at the Emirates Stadium

Amy Lawrence: Weary warriors finally find a way

Miguel Delaney: Three Things: Arsenal vs. West Ham

Wenger grateful Jarvis didn't go down

Today, Everton can move back into fourth as they welcome Crystal Palace to Goodison Park, and Manchester City host Sunderland.

It's Spain, it's yet another Clásico. This one is for the King's Cup. It should be interesting for a few new reasons. Primarily, Ronaldo is hurt and won't play, and Barcelona have sucked of late. Here's what you need to know. If you can get to a TV in the U.S., you can check it out on ESPN at 3:30pm EDT. Preview? OK. More? Sure. Sid Lowe? But, of course.

UEFA and Fair Play. What the hell is it? What does it mean? There are so many unknowns. Thankfully, Gab Marcotti has some answers.

Beautiful Game + Beautiful Album Covers = Bliss

Jeff Carlisle is a U.S. soccer expert. Here, he takes a look at life on the bubble for Yanks hoping to get a spot on the plane to Brazil.

Done.

Onward.

-SSN

Hillsborough, Arsenal vs. West Ham, New York City FC To Play At Yankee Stadium, Pirlo Autobiography, Bergkamp Wonder Goal, Wanda Derby

And...now she has a Derby named after her...

Hello friends! Tuesday has come and with it a closer look at the weekend activities. Also, there is a match in the Premier League between London rivals Arsenal and West Ham. And Big Sam. Here's a preview for that one.

Podcast!! It's an all-star line-up on today's Football Weekly, with AC Jimbo joined by Barry Glendenning, Amy Lawrence, Barney Ronay and just a little bit of Gregg Bakowski to look back on the highs and lows of the weekend in the Premier League and the FA Cup. The high of course was Liverpool's 3-2 win over Manchester City. Can the Reds' momentum take them all the way to the title?. Not quite as entertaining was Arsenal's plodding penalty shoot-out victory over Wigan. Still, a final's a final, as they don't say, especially in France, but the Gunners will be heading back to Wembley for real next month when they face Hull in the FA Cup final. Have some of that, purists. Finally in today's show, we hear from Sid Lowe about Barcelona's latest defeat, before discussing the saucy love triangle in Serie A.

Interesting. NYCFC will join MLS in '15. And they'll play at Yankee Stadium, at least for a little while.

He wrote a book.

Everyone's favorite slow, old, hairy, Italian midfield genius Andrea Pirlo has an autobiography out. Michael Cox has read it and has a favorable review. He gives it Four Balls. Check this out: Pirlo's penchant for slightly risqué humour is obvious throughout. He drops the F-bomb no fewer than 18 times and throws in the phrase "Monica Lewinsky under Bill Clinton's desk" where you least expect it. "Swearing's my release," he says. "It's the one weapon I have to defend myself against destiny when it elects to strike without pity." Makes us want to read it!

Raheem Sterling. Is he a rare breed? Barney Ronay thinks it's possible.

Time to Scribe!

Where? Spain. Who? Sid Lowe. What? Luckless, mismanaged and doomed: Real Betis need more than a miracle

Where? Brazil. Who? Tim Vickery. What? Messi's Argentina better for Carlos Tevez absence

Where? Germany. Who? Uli Hesse. What? Paderborn to be wild

Where? Italy. Who? Paolo Bandini. What? López loses again in Sampdoria's 'Wanda Derby'

Where? Germany. Who? Raphael Honigstein. What? Concern for Bayern's Red Machine

Right. It's Tuesday. Time for Gab to gab and muse. This week it is Gerrard's emotion, an Anfield epic, Martino's mess, more. Good.

Okeee Doughkee. We've got another installment of the Guardian's series: World Cup: 25 stunning moments. We are up to No. 10. And it is Dennis Bergkamp's wonder goal. The Editor remembers this fondly. He watched this match in Chicago on a static-filled screen thanks to rabbit ears and Univision. Suffice to say, the call of GOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAALLLLLLL is still ringing in his ears.

We need to look back at the weekend in Major League Soccer. We shall do so here. And here.

There is no other way to conclude today other than remembering the tragedy of 25 years ago. Jonathan Wilson and The BBC have it covered.

Onward.

-SSN

Liverpool Beat City, Barcelona Lose Again, Diego Costa Mooned And Misses, Arsenal Win On Penalties, USA Hotlist, Hillsborough

Whew! Another weekend of insanely entertaining action. Yesterday's mega-clash between Liverpool and Manchester City lived up to the hype with Liverpool eventually winning 3-2 and reducing Steven Gerrard to tears of joy. Elsewhere, Spurs enjoyed another comeback to snatch a draw, the Barcelona crisis deepened, Hull City will face Arsenal in the FA Cup final, John Terry asked for a red card for his opponent and got it as Chelsea won at Swansea, Clint Dempsey continues to hit the back of the net for Seattle, Bayern Munich lost again, Atlético Madrid won as Diego Costa scored, got mooned, missed a penalty, and cut his leg (looks like he'll be OK), and Fiorentina, Inter Milan, AC Milan, Roma, and Napoli all won in Italy. Let's roll with the action in England and Wales:

10 Talking Points From The Weekend

Weekend Talking Points

Five Thoughts

Andy Hunter: Five Talking Points From Anfield

Richard Jolly: Three Things: Liverpool vs. Manchester City

Barney Ronay: Liverpool thrill on sombre weekend

Michael Cox: Sterling sparkles in midfield diamond.

West Brom 3-3 Tottenham: Peter Lansley at The Hawthorns

Swansea City 0-1 Chelsea: Stuart James at the Liberty Stadium

Miguel Delaney: Three Things: Swansea vs. Chelsea

Phil McNulty: Arsenal celebrations at beating Wigan a sign of the times

Amy Lawrence: A day in the strife of Arsenal manager's torture chamber

Hull City 5-3 Sheffield United: Jacob Steinberg at Wembley

Team of the Weekend

Garth Crooks's Team of the Week

We told you it was a big weekend. The picture is now a bit clearer in terms of the relegation watch: Who's safe and who's not?

ESPN's 30 for 30 series has been intensely enjoyable and informative, and it looks like that trend is set to continue with tomorrow's premier of Hillsborough. As we noted last week, it's been 25 years since the disaster, and the search for justice continues.

The FA Cup used to be the biggest prize in English football. This is no longer the case, nor will it ever again. There are, however, ways in which it could be improved. Here are eight ways to reinvent the FA Cup.

So Barcelona lost at Grenada. According Francesc Tomas, they are a club teetering on the brink of chaos. Meanwhile, it's butt chaos as Diego Costa misses whilst being mooned:

In Italy, it was Goals! Red Cards! Goals! We cannot resist. Here's a complete European Review.

Team USA Hotlist! Hot = Clint Dempsey. Not = Omar Gonzalez.

Yaya Toure is a pretty damn fine footballer. Here, he talks about his career.

We're done talking.

Onward!!

-SSN