Quick Friday Stuff

Hey there. SSN Headquarters is hosting some foreign dignitaries today so we'll need to keep the post brief. There is some FA Cup action this weekend, although the big one (Manchester United vs. Arsenal) is not until Monday. No real massive match-ups in the big continental leagues. Napoli vs. Inter would normally be of note, but both sides have been so poor this season, there's not too much in that one.

There is one EPL match and it's QPR vs. Tottenham. Also in the Premier League, Cisse and Evans have been charged with spitting and will probably be banned for several matches. Stoke City's resident asshole Jonathan Walters says spitting is the lowest of the low. Yes, he would know what it's like to be racially abused, we're sure. Dick.

If you're into that sort of thing, Major League Soccer will be a-happinin' beginning with tonight's LA AssGalaxy vs. Chicago Fire match. On Sunday, over 60,000 are expected at the Citrus Bowl to watch Kaka's Purple Army face New York City Football Club City FC New York. That's at 5:00 p.m. EDT (yes, the clocks spring ahead this weekend) on ESPN2 if you want to check it out.

Also on Sunday is Atlético Madrid vs. Valencia. That's probably the best match-up of the weekend across Europe.

OK - gotta run. We'll leave you with The Joy of Six. It's No Look Passes!

Onward!!

-SSN

nbcsoccer.com

MLS Agreement, Wednesday Reports, Spitting Row

No real surprises in yesterday's action, unfortunately. Everything was fairly standard fare in the end. Barcelona advanced to the final of the Copa del Rey where they'll face Athletic Bilbao. In the Premier League, it was business as usual. You've got to fear a bit for Everton, though. They are not looking well. Here's a rundown on all the went down yesterday:

10 Talking Points

Heroes and Villians

West Ham 0 - 1 Chelsea: Dominic Fifield at Upton Park

West Ham 0 - 1 Chelsea: Three Quick Observations

Tottenham 3 - 2 Swansea: David Hytner at White Hart Lane

Liverpool 2 - 0 Burnley: Andy Hunter at Anfield

Newcastle 0 - 1 Manchester United: Louise Taylor at St. James' Park

Newcastle 0 - 1 Manchester United: Three Thoughts

Spitting row: Evans and Cisse face six-match bans if guilty

QPR 1 - 2 Arsenal: Amy Lawrence at Loftus Road

Adam Bate: Arsenal show mental strength but can they handle bigger tests ahead?

Manchester City 2 - 0 Leicester City: Jamie Jackson at the Etihad Stadium

Manchester City 2 - 0 Leicester City: Three Thoughts

Tom Adams: Spitting outcry highlights English football's twisted moral code

Full Premier League Table

Meanwhile, back Stateside, it looks like the U.S.'s top league will play after all. MLS announced that the league and Players Union have reached an agreement in principle on a new collective bargaining agreement. Good. We're glad. Play ball! Just to get you excited, here are some predictions for the upcoming campaign.

You know what? That's it for today.

Onward!!

-SSN

nbcsoccer.com

Midweek EPL, Copa del Rey, Big Sam and Bolton, Tevez Yes, Mata No

Wow. Hump Day is here. How did that happen? We'd better get to it. So, Southampton edged Palace, Villa finally won a match, and Hull and Sunderland drew. Richard Jolly reckons Tim Sherwood's passion may just be enough to keep Villa up.

Yes, he has a pulse.

Today we've got West Ham vs. Chelsea, Spurs vs. Swansea, Arsenal at QPR, Everton at Stoke, Leicester at City, Burnley at Liverpool, and Newcastle hosting Manchester United. We had some midweek general previews yesterday, and here are some additions:

Team News

Questions

Daniel Taylor: Pellegrini digs in his heels at Manchester City

Phil Lythell: Chelsea full of confidence ahead of West Ham tilt

Newcastle United vs. Manchester United: Preview

This is a great piece on one of the more interesting stories in English football back 10 years ago or so. The Editor remembers that Bolton team quite well. They were unique and incredibly annoying.

More MLS Season Previews? Why not? Because the season might not begin on time? That's a decent reason. Regardles, we still think it's time to examine the Houston Dynamo, LA Galaxy, Montreal Impact, New England Revolution and NYCFC. Speaking of NYCFC, dear God, this is bad. NYCFC has a terrible new song thingy. Ugh. Who decides these things?

Over in France in League Uhhhhhhh, things is tite, yo! Nobody seems to want the title. Lyon, PSG, and Marseille keep screwing things up. Let's take a look.

Down in Spain, it's the second leg of the Copa del Rey semis between Villarreal and Barcelona. The first leg finished 1 - 3, with Villarreal grabbing that all-important away goal to take back to El Madrigal. The other semifinal features Espanyol vs. Athletic Bilbao. That one finished 1 - 1 in the first leg.

Back over in Italy, Juventus are flying high and on their way to yet another Serie A title. Much of their success has to do with the form of one Carlos Tevez. Adam Bate examines how the Argentina striker has really made it count in Turin this season. On the flip side, Juan Mata has become persona non grata at United. What went wrong with him? Jim White takes a look.

That'll do. Hopefully you can catch some of the matches later today. Good luck with that!

Onward!!

-SSN

nbcsoccer.com

Whelan Resigns, Scribes, Midweek EPL, Roma & Juve Draw, Adam Johnson Arrested

Those were the days...

All right, all right, all right! The match of note yesterday went down in Rome. If you were hoping for some sort of exciting title race in Italy, too bad. Not gonna happen. Juve have got it pretty much wrapped up after yesterday's drab draw with Roma. Yes, it's still only nine points, but Juventus won't be losing much from here on out. Trust us. You can find more on all of that Serie A stuff from Paolo and James in the Scribes section below.

What else? There are matches today and tomorrow in the Premier League. Here's enough to get you started:

How To Watch

Team News

Aston Villa vs. West Brom: Preview

Hull vs. Sunderland: Preview

Southampton vs. Crystal Palace: Preview

Lawro's Predictions

Paul Merson's Predictions

Oh, good. This old racist geezer is no longer Wigan's chairman. Buh bye.

Scribes!

Where? Spain. Who? Sid Lowe. What? Valencia assistant Ian Cathro prevails in La Liga’s battle of the Scots

Where? Italy. Who? James Horncastle. What? Roma getting an education in expectations, injuries and Europe

Where? Germany. Who? Raphael Honigstein. What? Borussia Dortmund on the rise thanks to their superheroes

Where? South America. Who? Tim Vickery. What? Peru's poor away record the first piece of business for new boss Gareca

Where? Italy. Who? Paolo Bandini. What? Roma’s failure to find cure for draw-itis leaves Juventus in the clear 

Do you want some MLS previews? Oddly enough, The Guardian has some. Here. Did you know that the league has been around for 20 years? Geez, we're old...

Oh, no. Adam Johnson's been arrested on suspicion of having sex with a 15-year-old. That's not good. His Mom says he's innocent, though. Want more bad news? How about this: Reported incidents of racist abuse rise 70%?

Want a bunch of really good stuff? Here is the Best XIs from the Premier League, La Liga, Ligue 1, Serie A and Bundesliga, plus analysis of which English clubs will qualify for the Champions League. See? We told you it was really good stuff.

Dude. What's up with Di Maria? He's gone rather flat, no? Is it LVG's fault?

Tuesday = Marcotti's Musings. This week Gab is gabbing that Zouma impresses for Chelsea, Real Madrid slip, Man City's season fades.

We out!

Onward!!

-SSN

nbcsoccer.com

Chelsea Win League Cup, More Racism, Liverpool Beat City, Barca Win, Real Held, Roma vs. Juventus, MLS, Gentleman Ultra's Alternative Serie A Guide To Sassuolo

And a fine Monday morning to you, as well! Chelsea has won the first trophy on offer this season. The Capital One Cup is theirs. Diego Costa was his usual feisty self, slapped Bentaleb and then scored a goal, as did some guy named John Terry. After the match, some of their supporters were accused of racist actions on a train. Again. Over at Anfield, Liverpool gave Chelsea's title hopes a boost by beating City 2 - 1. In Spain, things got a bit tighter thanks to a home draw for Real and an away win for Barcelona. Germany? Borussia Dortmund won again to continue their rebirth, Bayern Munich were victorious, and Bas Dost simply cannot stop scoring. In Italy, the big one is this afternoon (2:45 p.m. EST on beIN Sport) when the top two clash in Rome. Let's get to it, beginning with that trophy...

Chelsea 2 - 0 Tottenham: Phil McNulty at Wembley

Chelsea 2 - 0 Tottenham: Daniel Taylor at Wembley

Chelsea 2 - 0 Tottenham: Barney Ronay at Wembley

Chelsea 2 - 0 Tottenham: Three Quick Thoughts

Michael Cox: Chelsea’s victory over Tottenham hardly a high-tempo display

Adam Bate: Classic Chelsea

Premier League Review

Premier League Notes

10 Talking Points From The Weekend Action

Heroes & Villians

The Weekend in 90 Seconds

Liverpool 2 - 1 Manchester City: Andy Hunter at Anfield

Liverpool 2 - 1 Manchester City: Three Thoughts

Liverpool 2 - 1 Manchester City:  

Team of the Week

Garth Crooks's Team of the Weekend

In Spain, as mentioned above, things have gotten a bit tight thanks to the weekend results. Real Madrid's lead over Barcelona is down to two points. Here are Five Things We Learned in La Liga over the past two days.

Major League Soccer. Remember that league? Things are a bit iffy Stateside at the moment. Jason Davis brings us up to date here. 

Holy Cannoli! The Gentleman Ultra is back! We're graced with a guide to Sassudio. Grazie, Gentleman! Sticking with Serie A for a moment, here's your preview for tonight's clash at Stadio Olimpico between Roma and Juventus. What happened already? Fiorentina defeated Inter, for one. Here's a review of the weekend action in Italy. Oh, and want to see a really shitty corner kick? Look no further than Podolski in the Inter/Fiorentina match. Yikes! What the hell was that?!

And finally...was Di Maria ousted from Real Madrid because he's too ugly?

Onward!!

-SSN

nbcsoccer.com

Spurs & Liverpool Out of Europe, More Crowd Trouble, Weekend Previews, League Cup Final, QPR Movie, Sex at the Valley

Ugh. Sorry, folks. There was some snow yesterday, and when it snows in the southern United States, people lose their shit. This loss of shit resulted in schools being closed and SSN Staff refusing to make their way to SSN Headquarters. They are weak and will be disciplined.  Anyway, you probably are well aware of Arsenal doing an Arsenal and completely embarrassing themselves. They lost to Monaco 1 - 3. In the other Champions League match on Wednesday, Atlético Madrid lost in Leverkusen. Now that we're up to speed, let's move on.

In Europe's secondary club competition, winners included Inter, Zenit St. Petersburg, Ajax, Besiktas, Fiorentina, Sevilla, Everton, and Roma. Losers included Tottenham, Liverpool, Celtic, Bilbao, Salzburg, Guingamp, and Feyenoord. Yes, more woe for English clubs in Europe. As you might expect, The Fourth Estate is having a field day (see more from Ronay and White below). Regardless, here's your lot from yesterday's fun:

Fan Trouble Overshadows Europa League Round

Europa League Wrap

Europa League Draw 2014-15

Fiorentina 2 - 0 Tottenham: James Riach at the Stadio Artemio Franchi

Fiorentina 2 - 0 Tottenham: Three Thoughts

Besiktas 1 - 0 Liverpool: Andy Hunter at Ataturk Stadium

Besiktas 1 - 0 Liverpool: Three Thoughts

Barney Ronay: Failures in Europe = Time To Stop Talking About Referees

Jim White: England's Week of Shame

Woop!? Are Inter Milan finally turning it all around? Richard Hall investigates. Right. Richard Williams has an article about a film called R’Story. Apparently, it's about QPR fans. Check it out.

Dynamo Kiev fans fight...amongst themselves.

We've not had a The Joy of Six is far too long. Appropriately, ahead of Sunday's What's In Your Wallet Final Clash at Wembley, it's...League Cup Final Goals!

And with that, we'll delve into the action in England and Wales this weekend. The Premier League (Manchester City vs. Liverpool looks tasty) and the League Cup Final are on deck:

Team News

10 things to look out for this weekend

Spotlight

Five teams, two places: EPL's race for Champions League berths

League Cup Final: Preview

Explaining the League Cup Final

League Cup Final: Key Battles

Lawro's Predictions

Paul Merson's Predictions

What the hell else is going on out there? Well, for one, Dunkin' Donuts executives made a big massive offensive error. Idiots. Charlton Athletic have an interesting way of promoting a pitch rental scheme. Six at the center circle? Uhhh, really? 

On that note...

Onward!!

-SSN

nbcsoccer.com

Football Suspended in Greece, Barcelona Beat City, Juventus Edge Dortmund, Cannavaro Sentenced to 10 Months in Prison, Arsenal vs. Monaco, Bayer Leverkusen vs Atlético Madrid, Marina Hyde on Qatar

Stay classy, Feyenoord...

Hey Hey Hey! Hump Day! The two matches yesterday were quite good. Barcelona's total football was a joy to behold, Messi missed a penalty (twice), and Juventus showed some mettle in Turin. Here's all the loot from all of that:

Champions League: Suarez conquers, Messi misses, Juventus prevails

Manchester City 1 - 2 Barcelona: Phil McNulty at the Etihad Stadium

Manchester City 1 - 2 Barcelona: Barney Ronay at the Etihad Stadium

Manchester City 1 - 2 Barcelona: Three Quick Thoughts

Manchester City 1 - 2 Barcelona: Five Talking Points

Graham Hunter: Suarez adds goals to his voracious Barcelona work ethic

Phil McNulty: Suarez exposes how far Manchester City have to go

Juventus 2 - 1 Borussia Dortmund: Report

Juventus 2 - 1 Borussia Dortmund: Three Quick Thoughts

Dude. Don't swim in your pool if the cops tell you not to. Former Italy captain Fabio Cannavaro and his wife did just that, and he's been sentenced to 10 months in the slammer! Yikes!

Goals of the Week

Looks like SI has something called, "Under The Crest." Grant Wahl is trying to figure out Chelsea's identity. Hmmm. Looks like a stupid piece to try to garner more U.S. interest. You decide.

Oh, Qatar 2022. What a shit show you've become, and you're still years away. The always astute Marina Hyde is the latest to provide some perspective on the insanity.

Two more matches today, peeps. Look to London and Leverkusen for the ties. Here's all your preview information:

Arsenal vs. Monaco: Preview

Arsenal vs. Monaco: Preview II

Jonathan Wilson: Berbatov eyeing one last hurrah as Monaco tackle Arsenal

Amy Lawrence: Wenger's worlds collide

How Monaco found a new way after their grand ambitions crumbled

Bayer Leverkusen vs Atlético Madrid: Preview

Bayer Leverkusen vs Atlético Madrid: Preview II

Adam Bate: How do Atlético do it?

And finally...they can't even play anymore in Greece. Yes, it's come to that...

Onward!!

-SSN

nbcsoccer.com

Manchester City vs. Barcelona, Juventus vs. Borussia Dortmund, Paolo on Parma, Winter World Cup

Oooooo. Manchester City vs. Barcelona. That should be nice, right? Get to that TV at 2:45 EST this afternoon (Fox Sports 1 USA) and soak it all in. Here are some previews of today's Champions League matches:

Manchester City vs. Barcelona: Preview

Manchester City vs. Barcelona: Preview II

Iain Macintosh: Time for Manchester City to shine

Sid Lowe: Barcelona’s deadly trident can help club bounce back

Jamie Jackson: Fitter, fresher Manchester City ready to show Barcelona hold no fear

Matthew Stanger: Messi back to his best 

Barcelona & Manchester City Dream XI

Juventus vs. Borussia Dortmund: Preview

Juventus vs. Dortmund: Preview II

Michael Cox: Can Juve handle Dortmund's pressure?

Adam Bate: Are Dortmund back?

Over in Italy, Inter Milan beat Zola's Cagliari side 2 - 1. Here are Five Key Points from that island encounter. Napoli also won. Here's a panino.

Scribe Time! Travel the globe! Well, sadly, today it's just Europe...

Where? Spain. Who? Sid Lowe. What? The curious case of Real Sociedad’s victory over Sevilla in La Liga

Where? Italy. Who? Jonathan Jurejko. What? Time is running out for Parma

Where? Germany. Who? Andy Brassell. What? Stuttgart starting to lose hope at the bottom

Where? France. Who? Julien Laurens. What? Wenger's reunion with Monaco dredges up unpleasant memories

Where? Italy. Who? Paolo Bandini. What? Parma’s downfall pains a city and its people 

Where? Spain. Who? Andy West. What? Suarez shines as Barcelona provider for Lionel Messi & Neymar

Oh, this is fabulous: Burnley boss Sean Dyche breaks down Jose Mourinho's 'four moments'. Take that, Jose! Paul Parker's got more on Chelsea here. He (rightly) claims that Chelsea will never be champions off the pitch with The Special One in charge. And how about this? Can we just stop talking about referees altogether? Thank you.

Podcast! This week it's...AC Jimbo is back, back, back - and on today's Football Weekly, he's joined by Barry Glendenning, Paul MacInnes and Nick Ames to laud Liverpool, bravo Burnley and salute Spurs as we look back on the best and worst of the weekend in the Premier League. Plus, we look forward to Manchester City's visit from Barcelona in the Champions League with Sid Lowe, as well as the second legs of the Europa League's round of 32. Finally, we get nostalgic for the Football Italia days as we ponder the fate of poor old' Parma, who find themselves well and truly on the brink.

Bloody hell. In an (failed) attempt to save face, it looks like SPECTRE FIFA will hold it's Qatar World Cup during the "winter." Idiots. Idiots. Idiots. Anyway, Owen Gibson is on hand to off the when, why and what of a winter Qatar tournament. And Dan Roan is wondering if conditions have improved for all the laborers imported by Qatar to make the stupid thing happen.

On most Tuesdays, we visit with Gabriele Marcotti for his musings. This Tuesday is no different. Today, Gab's gabbing about...Barca no longer control their Liga fate; Mourinho's siege mentality; Parma woe.

And finally...The Athens Derby, or, The Eternal Derby, turned chaotic over the weekend. Enjoy the mayhem.

Onward!!

-SSN

nbcsoccer.com

Premier League Madness, Barcelona Lose at Home, Another Goalfest for Bayern, Parma's Problems

Whoa Nellie! Another doozy of a weekend of footy, eh? Barcelona lost at Camp Nou, Matic lost his head at Stamford Bridge and Chelsea lost two points, The Special One went off the tracks on Sky Sports, Joey Barton did an excellent Joey Barton imitation, Bayern Munich scored six goals, Spurs got a late penalty miss/follow-up from Big Daddy Kane to snatch a point from West Ham, Liverpool slid past Southampton in a deluge at St. Mary's, there was too much rain to play the Genoa Derby, and Manchester United lost at Swansea. Attack!

Premier League Review

Weekend Recap

10 Talking Points 

Heroes and Villains

The Weekend In 90 Seconds

Peter Berlin: EPL Notes

Chelsea 1 - 1 Burnley: Paul Doyle at Stamford Bridge

Chelsea 1 - 1 Burnley: Three Observations

Swansea City 2 - 1 Manchester United: Joe Lovejoy at the Liberty Stadium

Swansea City 2 - 1 Manchester United: Three Observations

Crystal Palace 1 - 2 Arsenal: Jacob Steinberg at Selhurst Park

Crystal Palace 1 - 2 Arsenal: Three Quick Observations

Manchester City 5 - 0 Newcastle: Chris Bevan at the Etihad Stadium

Richard Jolly: Manchester City destroy Newcastle

Tottenham 2 - 2 West Ham: Dominic Raynor at White Hart Lane

Tottenham 2 - 2 West Ham: David Hytner at White Hart Lane

Tottenham 2 - 2 West Ham: Three Thoughts

Michael Cox: Southampton lack invention to break through Liverpool defence

West Ham: Zero-tolerance if fans found guilty of singing antisemitic song on train

Team of the Weekend

Garth Crooks's Team of the Week

We noted above that Barcelona lost at home this weekend. Here are Five Things We Learned in La Liga, and here's a wee review. More tomorrow from El Sid.

The rain in Italy falls mainly in Genoa...

Over in Italy, no go in Genoa, and although Totti scored for Roma, they fell further behind Juventus. Matches today in Serie A include Napoli vs. Sussudio and Cagliari vs. Inter. More tomorrow with Paolo. He'll also give us more insight into the sad situation at Parma.

Since we're in Europe, how about a European Team of the Week? Lovely. Wait. Massimo Maccarone?!?!

Monday Morning Hangover

Look! Arsenal play Monaco on Wednesday. Here's a great piece on Arsene Wenger's time in Monaco. What a coincidence.

Back to the EPL for a second: How to replace the near-indispensable Nemanja Matic? Yes, how will Chelsea do it?

That's a nice run for a Monday. We'll see you tomorrow with scribes and Champions League previews.

Onward!!

-SSN

nbcsoccer.com

Europa League Fun, Idiots in Rome, Southampton vs. Liverpool, Tottenham vs. West Ham, Sampdoria vs. Genoa, Winter World Cup 2022

Feyenoord "fans" in Rome...

There goes another one, folks. Snow, frigid temps, ice, all that crap. Makes it easier to watch matches, though, don't it? Sadly, some Feyenoord "supporters" weren't as interested in watching their team face Roma as they were in trashing the Eternal City. Idiots.

Meanwhile, good on Chelsea for responding to what their "fans" did in Paris. It's nice to be able to agree with The Special One every once in a while...

Back to the action on the pitch, though, right? Tottenham vs. Fiorentina was a dandy. End to end stuff with a cracker from Soldado. It finished 1 - 1. James Riach was at White Hart Lane and filed this report. Over at Anfield, Super Mario snatched the ball from Jordan Henderson and converted the penalty kick to give Liverpool the win over Besiktas. Andy Hunter was at Anfield and filed this report. Over in Bern Lukaku grabbed a hat-trick and Everton cruised past Young Boys. We think Mike Whalley was at Stade de Suisse. Regardless, he filed this report. Celtic vs. Inter Milan looked like it was fairly exciting. That finished 3 - 3. Here's a review of all of yesterday's fun.

It all begs the question: Does a run in the Europa League damage a team's chances in the Premier League?

Take a look at this. It would appear that Spurs will be able to build a new stadium now that Archway Sheet Metal Works has had (and lost) its day in court. Will a new ground allow Tottenham to be London's next big power, or will it be West Ham instead? Either way, Jim White thinks Pochettino is the perfect man to lead Spurs into the future.

After a bit of a break on behalf of the FA Cup, the Premier League will resume normal service tomorrow. Here's your prep:

Premier League Spotlight

10 Things To Look Out For

Team News

Joe Prince-Wright's Picks

Paul Merson's Predictions

Lawro's Predictions

We should tackle the other top leagues in Europe while we're at it. Germany? Ja. Italy? Sì. Spain? Sì

This Weekend In Europe

Good Week? Bad Week? Who had which?

And finally...it looks like 2022 in Qatar will be in the winter. That'll be interesting. Enjoy the weekend.

Onward!!

-SSN

nbcsoccer.com

Champions League, Europa League, More on the Paris Racism

Good Day! The matches in Europe yesterday were a bit flat. Real Madrid brushed aside Schalke without much fanfare, while Basel and Porto drew 1 - 1. Here's some info on everything Champions League:

Ronaldo, Marcelo guide Real Madrid; Porto has edge
Talking Points

Winners & Losers

Real Madrid 2 - 0 Schalke: Three Points

Adam Bate: Ronaldo's drought over

Basel 1 - 1 Porto: Three Things We Learned

Liverpool have improved of late. Why? John Brewin takes a look.

David Conn's piece hadn't hit the webs when we focused on the behavior of the idiots in Paris yesterday. He's too good a scribe to leave out. Here. And, look! Old SSN Pal Jeff Bradley (yes, Bob's brother) has an article, as well. He's concerned about the growing U.S. supporter culture and hopeful that fans can maintain some perspective. More? Here: Football and racism: An inconvenient truth.

There's more European action today. It's in the form of Europa League matches. We know, we know, but there are a few decent ties out there. Liverpool host Besiktas, Spurs face Fiorentina, Everton and those Young Boys, Celtic vs. Inter... Here's the lowdown on Europe's secondary competition.

Copa Libertadores is underway down in South America. Here's a wrap of what's happened so far.

Back in Europe, what's up with The Zlatan and PSG? Ace scribe Jonathan Wilson claims they are killing each other's buzz.

OK! That's fine for now.

Onward!!

-SSN

nbcsoccer.com

Idiots in Paris, Champions League, Scribes

There's really no other place to begin today but in Paris. Some individuals with two legs attempting to pass as human beings proudly displayed their idiocy. Here's the fallout:

Film shows Chelsea fans in Paris Metro incident

Police hunt for Chelsea fans involved in racist Paris incident

Barney Ronay: Racist poison on the Paris Métro: Why Chelsea, and football, must step up

Marina Hyde: It’s high time Sepp Blatter’s gang recognised football’s racist underbelly

Neil Ashton: We foolishly believed this shameful behaviour was a thing of the past

Will Chelsea ever throw off the spectre of fans' racism?

Geez. Anyway, they actually played two games in the Champions League yesterday. They were both draws. Here's your lot.

Courtois keeps Chelsea, PSG even; Bayern held

PSG 1 - 1 Chelsea: Daniel Taylor at Parc des Princes

PSG 1 - 1 Chelsea: Three Observations

PSG 1 - 1 Chelsea: Five Talking Points

PSG 1 - 1 Chelsea: Five Things We Learned

Gabriele Marcotti: Chelsea showing signs of fatigue at wrong time

Jim White: Chelsea a shadow themselves in Paris - but that's exactly how Jose wanted it

Shakhtar Donetsk 0 - 0 Bayern Munich: Report

Shakhtar Donetsk's 0-0 Bayern Munich: Three Quick Thoughts

European play continues today with Schalke vs. Real Madrid and Basel vs. Porto.

We were closed yesterday and missed Scribes. We know it's already Wednesday, but these guys are too good to pass up.

Where? Spain. Who? Sid Lowe. What? Valencia enjoy late Valentine’s after half-time betrothal lifts spirits

Where? Germany. Who? Andy Brassell. What? Rhine derby ends in chaos as ghosts of seasons past return to haunt Köln

Where? Brazil. Who? Tim Vickery. What? All eyes on Sao Paulo as 2015 Libertadores groups kick off

Where? Italy. Who? Paolo Bandini. What? Unheralded sides make swift response to call to ban them from elite

Where? Italy. Who? James Horncastle. What? Inter's Mancini returning club's sense of historical importance

Falcao. He's been rather shit at United, no? Chris Bevan is wondering if his time is already up. Sticking with United, Wayne Rooney is purported to have apologized for his dive the other night. What a guy.

That'll do. Back on the horse.

Onward!!

-SSN

nbcsoccer.com

We're Closed

Unbelievable. We get a dusting of snow, a little ice, and nobody shows up at SSN Headquarters. It's a big day, too! Scribes, the Champions League returns, Rooney dives again, and much more!

Oh, well. We'll try tomorrow.

Onward.

Bayern Hit Eight, Atlético Madrid Lose, FA Cup, The Zlatan Tats, Cologne "Fans"

Happy Monday! No huge upsets in the FA Cup over the weekend. Bradford continued their fine run, but considering the opposition was Sunderland, it's not too surprising. In Spain, Atlético Madrid fell off the pace after a loss at Celta Vigo. City rivals Real were victorious against Deportivo La Coruña, but didn't look particularly impressive. Meanwhile, Messi went nuts again, and Barcelona slotted five past Levante. In Germany, Borussia Dortmund are out of the Drop Zone after a win, and in Italy, well, blah. Juventus and Roma both drew, Milan were poor, you know the scenario. Let's get to it.

FA Cup: Talking Points From the Weekend

10 Things We Learned

Crystal Palace 1 - 2 Liverpool: Three Observations

Derby County 1 - 2 Reading: Richard Rae at the iPro Stadium

Aston Villa 2 - 1 Leicester City: Stuart James at Villa Park

Arsenal 2 - 0 Middlesbrough: Amy Lawrence at the Emirates Stadium

Arsenal 2 - 0 Middlesbrough: Three Observations

We haven't done The Big Interview in a while. Frankly, there haven't been too many subjects of interest. Not so this week. It's everyone's favorite Patrick Stewart look-a-like, Arjen Robben. Sticking with German football, Kirsten Schlewitz has this love letter to the Bundesliga. She likes goals, apparently.

World Football's Monday Morning Hangover

Spain. We need a bit more on that. Here are Three Things about Real Madrid's win, and here are Five Things We Learned in La Liga this weekend. More tomorrow with El Sid.

How weird is this? Bizarre scenes at Borussia Moenchengladbach's stadium. Idiots.

More oddness, this time courtesy of SSN Favorite, The Zlatan. He scored against Caen and removed his shirt to reveal several tattoos. Here's the story.

There's one more FA Cup match this week. It goes down tonight. Preston North End vs. Manchester United. Here's your preview.

That"s your lot to start the week. Scribes and Champions League tomorrow!

Onward!!

-SSN

nbcsoccer.com

The FA Cup Fifth Round, La Liga, Bundesliga, Serie A, Cairo Massacre

Put that one in the books. Another week is gone and we're lucky enough to have some matches to view this weekend. It's nice when there is stuff happening during the week, though. There were some good ones on Tuesday and Wednesday. Anyhoo, let's jump into it, beginning with the next round of the FA Cup.

FA Cup Questions

What to look out for in this weekend’s matches

How to watch, and why you should

FA Cup Notebook

Richard Jolly: FA Cup still the king of giant-killings

Lawro's Predictions

Why is the Premier League so popular? Many reasons, really. Richard Williams writes that one of them is the promise of drama in the technical area.

The battle for the Champions League is tight this year. Michael Cox looks at each competing club's chances for the coveted third and fourth spots.

Bundesliga? Preview. La Liga? Preview. Serie A? Preview

Football's rich owners are destroying the game. Duh.

We noted earlier in the week that football and violence had tragically come together yet again, this time with multiple deaths in Egypt. Today, The Guardian's Patrick Kingsley reports from Cairo with additional information and background.

Action will resume in Argentina soon. Sam Kelly is on it, thankfully. There have been some format changes. More Superclásicos!

The Weekend In Europe

We've always had a soft spot for Xabi Alonso. He seems like a good guy and plays the game in a very attractive manner. That's why, today, we'll link to his dream Champions League XI.

And finally...there was this nice little piece in The Atlantic recently about how Messi and Ronaldo are the greatest soccer players in history. No argument here.

Onward!!

-SSN

nbcsoccer.com

Chelsea Leave It Late, Messi, Suarez, Neymar Coming Into Ominous Form, Villa Sack Lambert, Venezuela

Good times at The Bridge...

Hello, hello, hello! The midweek action is done and it's time to revisit all the fun whilst looking ahead to the weekend. In the Premier League, Chelsea continue to set the pace, this time thanks to a late and dramatic Will.I.An winner that went through 38 sets of legs before sliding past Timmy Howard. But, wait! Did Ivanovic bite McCarthy?! Ahem.

Elsewhere, Manchester United were awful yet won, James Milner boosted Man City, nobody could score in the Southampton/West Ham match, West Brom beat Swansea, Palace and Newcastle drew, and Messi, Iniesta, and Piqué scored to lead Barcelona past Villarreal. They've now won 10 straight in all competitions. Let's do it.

Wednesday Wrap

10 Talking Points From The Midweek Action

Chelsea 1 - 0 Everton: Daniel Taylor at Stamford Bridge

Chelsea 1 - 0 Everton: Three Quick Points

Stoke 1 - 4 Manchester City: Jamie Jackson at the Britannia Stadium

Stoke 1 - 4 Manchester City: Three Observations

Manchester United 3 - 1 Burnley: Paul Wilson at Old Trafford

Manchester Untied 3 - 1 Burnley: Three Observations

Manchester United 3 - 1 Burnley: Five Things We Learned

Crystal Palace 1 - 1 Newcastle: David Hytner at Selhurst Park

Southampton 0 - 0 West Ham: James Riach at St. Mary's

The Midweek Action in 90 Seconds

Paul Lambert.

As expected, Aston Villa have parted ways with Paul Lambert. Yep, you guessed it: You're Fired. It's deserved, it must be said. Villa have been shit, and they've been shit while looking ugly. And Yank Abroad Brad Guzan has kept it from being, really, really ugly. As Phil McNulty puts it, "no goals and dull football." Indeed.

As noted above, Barcelona won their Copa del Rey semifinal first-leg match at Camp Nou last night. Villarreal were the victims. Here's a report. According to Andy Mitten, Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar are coming into some ominous form, and that's not good news for their rivals.

Hey! Look at this! Tim Vickery has a piece out today on football in Venezuela. Apparently, it is improving. Good to hear.

Shitty Headline of the Week: Bradley saddened by Egypt's latest soccer tragedy. Thankfully, the article is better. Bird wrote it.

Here's a fun little article on Liverpool. They're the best team in England. Sort of.

And finally...is The Special One good for the Premier League?

Onward!!

-SSN

nbcsoccer.com