Friday, May 15, 2015

Last Anfield Appearance For Gerrard, Superclásico Abandoned, St. Pauli Issues

Hey, now! There goes another one. We're getting down to the end of it all. What happened to the season? Geez. Let's get to the weekend shiznit, beginning with the UK and all that.


So. We know the Champions League Final will be Juventus vs. Barcelona. What about the Europa League Final? Why, it's Sevilla vs. Dnipro Dnipropeptreptakniptrovsk!

A bunch of idiots at La Bombonera forced the the Superclásico Copa Libertadores matchup between Boca and River to be abandoned. Great. Nice work, assholes.



Italy? Serie A? Here's a Weekend Preview as clubs scramble to qualify for Europe. Spain? Barcelona can win the whole bloody thing if they can beat Atlético Madrid at the Vicente Calderón. Here's your Weekend Preview for La Liga.


There is a Joy of Six today. It's...Sporting Insults! Look out! Top Tenner? Why, it's got to be...The 10 best moments of Steven Gerrard's Liverpool career!!

Is there hope for English managers? Richard Williams makes the claim that there is, thanks to Tim Sherwood and Gary Monk.

Kirsten Schlewitz got in with some Fiorentina supporters. Embedded, as it were. Here's her report.

And finally...No Dinner For You!!

Onward!!

-SSN

Posted by The Editor at 12:16 PM 0 comments

Thursday, May 14, 2015

Juventus Oust Real Madrid, La Liga Strike Won't Happen, Friedel to Retire


Well, now. Ronny and Co. will not be involved in the Champions League Final. Juventus made sure of that last night, with a 1 - 1 draw and 3 - 2 aggregate win. Most around SSN Headquarters were pleased with the result. There's not much to like about that Real Madrid team, and (unlike in years past) this Juve side is actually rather attractive, what with Old Man Pirlo covering the midfield in his Rascal and Alice Cooper Gigi Buffon keeping things clean at the back. And now we've got a final featuring Luis Suárez and his old buddies Patrice Evra (a little racial slur incident) and Giorgio Chiellini (a little biting incident) Anyway, here's the fallout:

Real Madrid 1 - 1 Juventus (agg. 2 - 3): Sid Lowe at Santiago Bernabéu
Real Madrid 1 - 1 Juventus (agg. 2 - 3): Three Quick Things
Gabriele Marcotti: What next for Real Madrid?

They will finish the La Liga season after all. They talked to the judge and he said that a strike would be illegal. So that's that. Barcelona have it all to lose.


Back to Munich for a second. What's Pep going to do next? Will he stay? Is Bayern broken? Can he fix it? We shall see...

More matches today! The Europa League needs a final, too. We'll see if Fiorentina can overturn their deficit against Sevilla and whether Napoli or Dnipro Dnipropeptreptakniptrovsk will prevail.

Robin van Persie. He was pretty good. He was pretty good very recently. What's happened? Richard Jolly is on the case.



Brad Freidel will retire. It will happen. Finally. Sticking with U.S. stuff, Grant Wahl has a few notes of note. He has an update on Bob Bradley, for example.

Ashley Cole's got the same problem as RVP. He went to Roma but now he doesn't play.

That's it for today. Ta!

Onward!!

-SSN

Posted by The Editor at 11:18 AM 0 comments

Wednesday, May 13, 2015

Barcelona Advance, Turkish Football Violence, Juventus vs. Real Madrid, Sepp Blatter and the FBI

Crowd trouble at Manchester Under-21 Derby

Is it Hump Day already? Geez. Where does the time go? Anyway, as expected, Barcelona booked their ticket to Berlin last night despite a 3-2 loss in Munich. Bayern got the first goal to give them a hint of hope, but Neymar ended any optimism the hosts had shortly thereafter. Here's your lot:

Bayern Munich 3 - 2 Barcelona (agg. 3 - 5): Barney Ronay at the Allianz Arena
Bayern Munich 3 - 2 Barcelona (agg. 3 - 5): Three Things We Learned

We knew the situation in Turkey wasn't good. But, we had no idea about the extent of the troubles over there. This is an excellent look at the worrying state of Turkish Football. Violence is killing the game.

Today! The other tie. Go:

Real Madrid vs. Juventus: Preview I
Real Madrid vs. Juventus: Preview II


Nice! Javier Zanetti's Champions League Dream Team!

And finally...is Sepp Blatter avoiding the U.S. due to an FBI investigation?

Onward!!

-SSN

Posted by The Editor at 11:06 AM 0 comments

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Swansea Beat Arsenal, Bayern Munich vs. Barcelona, Chelsea Are Big in Japan, Scribes, Goals of the Week, Getting Shirty With Scott Murray

Right! Off we go. Swansea swept into the Emirates Stadium last night and left with the maximum points on offer. Dafydd Pritchard was there and filed this report. Amy Lawrence was there, too. She had this to report. Three Points? Why not? And so...here is your Premier League Table.

Chelsea are also big in Japan. See below...

The Champions League returns today with Bayern Munich facing the unenviable task of attempting to turn around a three-goal deficit at the Allianz Arena. Here are your previews:

Bayern Munich vs. Barcelona: Preview I
Bayern Munich vs. Barcelona: Preview II

There's a Top Tenner today. Naturally, it's Top Champions League Comebacks. Are you reading, Pep?

It's Tuesday and that means it's time to Scribe!

Where? Spain. Who? Sid Lowe. What? Barcelona can rule again after Real Madrid falter

Where? Germany. Who? Raphael Honigstein. What? Schalke get their moment in the sun … for all the wrong reasons

Where? Germany. Who? Raphael Honigstein. Again? Yes. OK. What? Guardiola retains Bayern Munich's faith despite recent difficulties







More Tuesday fun: Goals of the Week. More Tuesday fun: Marcotti's Musings.

We could use some thoughts and some power rankings for MLS, right? Bird is on the case.


Here's a question for you: Is the correlation between a well-designed kit and a well-functioning team obvious? Scott Murray claims that it is.

How about a European Team of the Week? Good. Mexico has named its squad for Copa America. As expected, they're saving the big guns for the Gold Cup.

There was talk around SSN Headquarters yesterday about Newcastle. Most agreed that they should be relegated. This morning we find an article by Andi Thomas indicating that he agrees, too.

And finally...we're big in Japan.

Onward!!

-SSN

Posted by The Editor at 11:28 AM 0 comments

Monday, May 11, 2015

Burnley & QPR Relegated, Liverpool & Chelsea Draw, Real Madrid Held, Bayern Lose Again, Red Bull Win Derby, Monday Night Football, Someone Almost Shot The Zlatan

The New York Derby is off and running...

Happy Monday! Club soccer is coming to a close across Europe, and the battles at this point are primarily for spots in the Champions League and Europa League...and to avoid the dreaded drop. The La Liga title looks to be Barcelona's to lose after Real Madrid could only salvage a draw with Valencia on Saturday, and, as you know, the Champions have already been crowned in England, Italy, and Germany. Let's get to it, beginning with the Premier League.

Crystal Palace 1 - 2 Manchester United: Three Things We Learned
Manchester City 6 - 0 QPR: Daniel Taylor at the Etihad Stadium
Manchester 6 - 0 QPR: A Trio of Thoughts
Chelsea 1 - 1 Liverpool: Dominic Fifield at Stamford Bridge

What else did we learn in Spain other than the fact that Real Madrid fans will boo Ronny when he misses a penalty? Here. And how about a nice little review of all of the matches in Spain's top division? Yes? Good. Here.

Down in Italy, Inter are suddenly up to seventh after their win at Lazio. Here's your Serie A Weekend Review.


We've got Champions League Semi-Final Second Leg action this week. How did those four teams fare in their domestic matches this weekend?

Back Stateside, the New York Derby was hyped aplenty. Apparently, it lived up to it! Here are Five Things We Learned in MLS this weekend. And here's a Weekend Review.

What the?! Some dude almost shot The Zlatan due to his crap parking. Based on his record, we don't doubt the intent.

Monday Night Football! Swansea have been quietly successful this season under the tutelage of Mr. Monk. Arsenal are hoping to make second place their own. Who will prevail? Check out the action this afternoon at 3:00 p.m. EDT on NBCSN. Here's a Preview. Here's another.

And finally...how cool is this?

Onward!!

-SSN

Posted by The Editor at 11:43 AM 0 comments

Friday, May 08, 2015

The Joy of Six, New York Derby, Championship Playoffs, Spanish Football Suspended

Griffin Park - Home of Brentford FC - West London
There goes another one, friends! The week has flown by and it's time to prepare for another weekend of action. There won't be many more, so enjoy it whilst you can! Before we get to previews, let's take a brief gander at last night's results from the Europa League. Sevilla cruised past Fiorentina at home, while Dnipro Dnipropeptreptakniptrovsk got a bullshit goal (two guys well offside - go to 1:31) to claim a draw in Naples. The second leg in the Ukraine will be very interesting. Now, then. Let's roll, beginning with the Premier League.


So, who is going down? Who will enjoy The Championship next season? Stuart James, Louise Taylor, David Hytner, and Paul Wilson examine all the contenders here. Meanwhile, who is coming up? We've already got Bournemouth and Watford set, but who amongst Norwich, Middlesbrough, Brentford, and Ipswich will join them? Indeed, who will prevail? Here's a Championship Playoff Preview. The action begins today with Boro at Brentford.


There will be matches in Spain this weekend. One of them is Barcelona vs. Real Socieded. That said, there might not be any matches in Spain next weekend. The season has been suspended due to a dispute over TV rights. Andy West brings us up to speed on the very real possibility of a truncated campaign in Spain.

Down in Italy, Juventus have the title done and dusted, so it's now all about the fight to stay up...and the fight for Europe. Roma, Lazio, and Napoli are all in the race. Here's a Weekend Preview for Serie A.

Woop! We've got a Joy of Six to enjoy this week. It's...Footballer Politicians!

There's a Derby in MLS this weekend. The Energy Drinks from New Jersey play host to NYCFCYFC in Harrison. He's a Weekend Preview for the North American league.

And finally...this asshole just keeps getting better and better.

Hey! That's gonna do it. Enjoy the weekend!

Onward!!

-SSN

Posted by The Editor at 11:37 AM 1 comments

Thursday, May 07, 2015

Mega Messi Masterclass, Manchester United Get Memphis, England Black Player Quota, Europa League Semis



How about that?! Those of us at SSN have been watching the footie for a long time, but we've only seen a performance like that of Lionel Messi's yesterday a handful of times. The Little Flea turned on the afterburners and propelled Barcelona to a 3-0 win over Bayern Munich. One of the greatest players ever (if not the greatest) somehow managed to take it to yet another level. Check it all out...


Barcelona 3 - 0 Bayern Munich: Sid Lowe at Camp Nou
Barcelona 3 - 0 Bayern Munich: Messi's Two Goals (video)
Barcelona 3 - 0 Bayern Munich: Three Things We Learned
Guillem Balague: Messi Better Than Ever

Back in England, Manchester United have signed Memphis Depay from PSV Eindhoven. He's a good player. He's Dutch. LVG is Dutch. Makes sense to us. But is he the most exciting player to come out of Holland since Patrick Stewart Arjen Robben? We're not so sure about that. Also, what does it mean for the United futures of Angel Di Maria and Adnan Januzaj? They can't be too pleased with the move.

Also in England, here's a headline for you: "Ex-England manager Graham Taylor 'claimed FA tried to limit number of black footballers in the team', according to new book." It's a book, it's disputed, but you know what's sad? It's not surprising.

Sevilla vs. Fiorentina. Napoli vs. Dnipro Dnipropeptreptakniptrovsk. Yes, should you need a fix after all the Messimania, you've got the Europa League to get you through the afternoon. Here's what you need to know.


This summer might be bereft of a World Cup or a European Championship, but we do have Copa America to look forward to. Check out Brazil's squad. They'll be looking to redeem themselves after they shat the bed against Germany last summer.

Goalkeepers: Jefferson (Botafogo), Diego Alves (Valencia), Marcelo Grohe (Gremio)
Defenders: Fabinho (Monaco), Marcelo (Real Madrid), Filipe Luis (Chelsea), Danilo (Porto), David Luiz (PSG), Marquinhos (PSG), Thiago Silva (PSG), Miranda (Atletico Madrid)
Midfielders: Luiz Gustavo (Wolfsburg), Fernandinho (Manchester City), Elias (Corinthians), Casemiro (Porto)
Forwards: Everton Ribeiro (Al-Ahli), Douglas Costa (Shakhtar Donetsk), Willian (Chelsea), Philippe Coutinho (Liverpool), Robinho (Santos), Neymar (Barcelona), Diego Tardelli (Shandong Luneng), Roberto Firmino (Hoffenheim)

Orlando has an MLS team now. Did you know that? Apparently, Florida is not just a place where weird people live and weird things happen. It's also a hotbed for soccer. Jacksonville? Miami? Tampa? How many more clubs can the state support?

And finally...Newcastle gaffer John Carver claims he's the best coach in the Premier League. Really.

Onward!!

-SSN

Posted by The Editor at 10:55 AM 0 comments

Tuesday, May 05, 2015

Juventus vs. Real Madrid, Arsenal Beat Hull, Fabian Johnson Interview, Scribes

Well! Hello! There! Tons to get through today, including the onset of the Champions League Semi-Finals. Real Madrid travel up to Turin to face Juventus in today's affair. Too bad The Old Lady will be without Paul Pogba. Hopefully he'll be back for the second leg. Last night, Arsenal cantered to a 1-3 win at Hull, leaving the Tigers in the relegation battle. Louise Taylor was at the KC Stadium and filed this report, and here are Three Points. Oh, and we can't move on without a look at Ahmed Elmohamady's dive. OK, now we're ready.Your Premier League Table now looks like this.




Juventus vs. Real Madrid. Here we go...

Juventus vs. Real Madrid: Preview I
Juventus vs. Real Madrid: Preview II

It's Tuesday and that means it's time for Gabriele Marcotti to muse. This week, Gab's gabbing about Real Madrid's big win; Terry's message; credit to Allegri; Bayern concerns.

We never cared much for Steve McClaren. It turns out, he's wiser than we reckoned...


Now is the time on SSN when we Scribe. This week there are plenty of excellent articles. Italy gets a fair amount of attention for some reason...




Where? Germany. Who? Raphael Honigstein. What? Stuttgart hit rock bottom against Schalke yet look to be on the up

Where? South America. Who? Tim Vickery. What? Intriguing battle between north and south



Fabian Johnson. He's one of those German/Americans brought into the USA side by The Diving German himself. Let's learn more about Fabian, shall we?


Podcast! This week it's...Well folks, it's all over. Against all the odds, Chelsea have won the Premier League title for the first time in plucky José Mourinho's second spell in charge at the club, and on today's Football Weekly, AC Jimbo is joined by Rafa Honigstein, John Ashdown and Ian McCourt to celebrate their much predicted triumph. With the title race done and dusted, our attention thusly turns to the relegation battle and Newcastle's utter implosion under John Carver. Will they ever pick up a point again, and will anyone shed a tear if they do end up going down to the Championship? Speaking of the Championship, we run down the final tables in said division and Leagues One and Two, before hitting the big time and previewing the Champions League semi-finals between Barcelona and Bayern Munich and Real Madrid and Juventus.

We should also catch up on Major League Soccer before we call it a day. Here are your Power Rankings and here are Five Things We Learned from the weekend.

Onward!!

-SSN

Posted by The Editor at 11:47 AM 0 comments

Monday, May 04, 2015

Chelsea Win Title, Juventus Win Title, Monday Night Football

It's a wonderful world...
Happy Monday! As expected, Chelsea and Juventus wrapped up their championships in the Premier League and Serie A, respectively. Elsewhere, Barcelona scored eight goals, West Brom beat Manchester United, Real Madrid edged Sevilla, Man City beat Spurs, Napoli crushed Milan, and Newcastle continue to implode. Let's get to it, beginning with Chelsea...


And...everything else in the Premier League...

Tottenham 0 - 1 Manchester City: Three Points
Manchester United 0 - 1 West Brom: Paul Wilson at Old Trafford

Right, so, Italy. Carlos Tevez, Patrice Evra, Arturo Vidal, and Co. have led Juventus to the Serie A title. That's FOUR-IN-A-ROW for the Turin giants. James Horncastle is on hand to say that it's a vindication of sorts for Max Allegri. Kirsten Schlewitz says, well, much of the same. Oh, and legendary keeper Alice Cooper Gigi Buffon is also on hand to talk about all the good times for The Old Lady.

NYCFCNYCFFC Songs...

Down in Spain, what exactly did we learn? That Barcelona can score eight goals in a game? Already knew that. Ronaldo scores loads of hat-tricks? Yeah, knew that, too. More tomorrow with El Sid.


Monday Night Football, friends! Hull City welcome Arsenal to the KC Stadium in hopes of a third consecutive win and a bit more distance from the relegation zone. Here's a Preview.

And finally...Chelsea were the best, but the rest were rubbish.

Onward!!

-SSN

Posted by The Editor at 11:10 AM 0 comments

Friday, May 01, 2015

Barney Ronay on Sergio Ramos, Newcastle Crisis, New TV Deal For Spain, Chelsea & Juventus On The Brink

Milan fans spell it out for Inzaghi BEFORE the loss to Genoa...

There goes another one, folks. Happy Friday. Do you know what happens when every SSN Staffer has to take his/her kids to the dentist on the same day? Nothing gets done. We're ready to remedy that, however, with today's post. What did we miss? Chelsea beat Leicester, Club America beat Montreal, both Madrid biggies won, Juventus beat Fiorentina, and AC Milan were defeated at home.


Things are dicey at the bottom of the Premier League title. Let's take a gander at the relegation battle.

It's been a while since we've heard from Jeff Carlisle. He's got something today, though. It's something about some guy in Chicago named David Accam. We're game. Sticking Stateside, here's your MLS Weekend Preview.


SSN Regulars will know that we love us some Barney Ronay. Dude can write. Today, he's gracing us with a piece on Sergio Ramos, and, as you would expect, it's fantastic.

The inequitable TV money situation in Spain is finally being addressed. That's good news for clubs not named Real Madrid or Barcelona.

More Spain? How about actual matches? This is your La Liga weekend preview. Real Madrid have a difficult trip to Sevilla to worry about...

Down in Italy, all Juventus need is one solitary point from their match against Sampdoria to claim their 563rd Serie A title. We're going to bet that it'll happen. Here's a preview for all of the weekend fun in Italy.

Hey! That's really about it. Enjoy.

Onward!!

-SSN

Posted by The Editor at 11:32 AM 0 comments

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Liverpool Lose At Hull, Barcelona Crush Getafe, Bayern Munich Miss Four Penalties, Podolski Goal Wins It For Inter, Montreal vs. Club América


Hump Day! Holla! Mid-week action is in full effect, thankfully for us fans. Not thankful, however, is Brendan Rogers after his Liverpool side succumbed to Hull City. Ouch. Mrs. Doubtfire's club are now four points clear of the drop. James McMath was at the KC Stadium and filed this report. And here are Three Quick Thoughts from the match. As for Liverpool going forward? Jim White thinks the misery will continue.

Down in Spain, Messi and The Cannibal each had two as Barcelona dispatched of Getafe to the tune of 6-0. Damn. Barcelona now lead Real Madrid by five points, although Madrid have a game in hand (to be played today - see below).


If you watched the video above, you saw Bayern Munich's players shitting the bed in their penalty shootout with Borussia Dortmund. No Treble for you! Raphael Honigstein is on hand to take a look at the fallout from the action at the the Allianz Arena.

Pep is not pleased with Klopp...

Down in Italy, Lukas Podolski scored a goal for Inter Milan. Yup. We said it. It's true. Matches in Serie A today include AC Milan vs. Genoa, Roma at Sassuolo, and Fiorentina at Juventus. Here's a Preview.

Also this evening, Real Madrid host Almería in a match they must win to keep pace with Barca. At the other end of the table, it's rather chaotic. Let's just say that it's complicated.

There is one more match of note tonight. It's the CONCACAF Champions League Final Second-Leg between Montreal Impact and Club América. Check it out on Fox Sports 2 at 8:00 p.m. EDT. There's been some trash talking so it could be juicy.

Hey! That'll do it for today. Keep it tite.

Onward!!

-SSN

Posted by The Editor at 11:54 AM 0 comments

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Bournemouth Practically Promoted, Scribes, Monday Night Football, Klopp's last Klassiker, Goals of the Week

Hey Hey Hey! How goes it? For Bournemouth, it goes quite well. Seven years ago they were way, way down at the bottom of League Two with financial problems and the prospect of liquidation. Today? They're (basically) in the Premier League. Way to go, Cherries! Here are Five Reasons for their meteoric rise.

It worked!

It's Tuesday, so we're going to jump right in with Scribes. There's a lot of good stuff today - particularly Sid Lowe's look at the language issues in Spain.


Where? Germany. Who? Uli Hesse. What? The story of Germany's legendary 1984 DFB-Pokal semifinals

Where? Germany. Who? Raphael Honigstein. What? Bayern Munich charge ahead to leave their German rivals playing catch-up

Where? France. Who? Julien Laurens. What? Lacazette facing tough choice over future


Where? South America. Who? Tim Vickery. What? Breaking the Argentina-Brazil stranglehold on the Copa Libertadores



Monday Night Football! Liverpool host Hull in a big match for both clubs. The Reds are still clinging to faint Champions League hopes, while The Tigers remain one point above the relegation zone. Here's a Preview. Here's another. Also today? Inter vs. Udinese in Serie A and Bayern Munich vs. Borussia Dortmund in the German Cup. Not bad!

It's tight in Spain, amigos. Real Madrid and Barcelona are separated by two points. Here's a look at the run-in for both clubs. Meanwhile, Spanish Footie Expert Guillem Balague claims it'll be Barcelona hoisting the trophy at season's end. Barcelona host Getafe this afternoon. 


Major League Soccer! Bird's got all you need to know right here, including Power Rankings (Seattle!), who's hot (Jozy!), and Mix Diskerud!

Backheel Breakfast

Did you know that Liverpool have made 190 signings and spent almost £800m since they last won the title 25 years ago? No? Neither did we. 

And finally...how about a European Team of the Week?

Onward!!

 -SSN
Posted by The Editor at 10:47 AM 0 comments

Monday, April 27, 2015

Chelsea Hold Arsenal, Watford Promoted, Torino Defeat Juventus, Everton Beat Manchester United, Bayern Munich Win the Bundesliga

The Lazio eagle is attacked by a crow...

And a very pleasant beginning of the week to you and yours! Bayern Munich got a little help from Borrussia Mönchengladbach and claimed their 254th Bundesliga title. In England, Chelsea got the result the needed (0-0) at Arsenal to almost claim the Premier League crown. And in Italy, Torino won the Turin Derby for the first time in 20 years amidst crown trouble. Let's get to it, beginning in the UK...

Manchester City 3 - 2 Aston Villa: Paul Wilson at the Etihad Stadium
Manchester City 3 - 2 Aston Villa: Three Observations
Southampton 2 - 2 Tottenham: Paul Doyle at St. Mary's
West Brom 0 - 0 Liverpool: Stuart James at The Hawthorns
Everton 3 - 0 Manchester United: Andy Hunter at Goodison Park
Everton 3 - 0 Manchester United: Three Things We Learned
Arsenal 0 - 0 Chelsea: Phil McNulty at the Emirates Stadium
Arsenal 0 - 0 Chelsea: Three Quick Thoughts

Down in Spain, Chicharito scored again, Messi and Neymar scored again, and all the top teams were victorious. Here are Five Things We Learned in La Liga, along with a Weekend Review.

Hey! Watford have returned to the Premier League! Welcome back, Hornets. Let's see how it was accomplished. More? Here are Five Things to Know about the Premier League newbies.


Over in Italy, as noted above, Torino defeated leaders Juventus to claim their first derby win since 1995. Here's a Weekend Review for Serie A. Sadly, however, only a madman would bring children to a Serie A match...

What did we learned this weekend in Major League Soccer? Good question. Here are Five Things, just to get us started.

And finally...Is Jose Mourinho really a boring manager?

Onward!!

-SSN

Posted by The Editor at 11:18 AM 0 comments

Friday, April 24, 2015

Barcelona To Face Bayern, Real Get Juve, Arsenal vs. Chelsea, The Joy of Six, Croatian Racism


Woop! There goes another week in the book, kids. The Champions League draw just went down and it'll be Barcelona vs. Bayern Munich (juicy!) and Real Madrid vs. Juventus. Pretty damn good, we must say. You get a week off and then the matches commence in the first week of May. Now, then. This weekend. What have we got? In the Premier League, Chelsea go to Arsenal, and while the result won't have any impact on the title race, it's an intriguing match nonetheless. Elsewhere, Tottenham go to Southampton, and Everton host Manchester United. In Spain, it's the Catalan Derby as Espanyol host Barcelona, and in Italy, it's the Turin Derby as Torino welcome neighbors Juventus, Inter host Roma, and Napoli and Sampdoria clash. Let's hit some previews!

Arsenal vs. Chelsea: Key Battles 

Thierry Henry is on TV. Apparently, he's unpopular and terrible. Barney Ronay is on hand to tell us why.

Major League Soccer has matches this weekend, including the always spicy Portland vs. Seattle clash. Here's a weekend preview for the top North American league.

Serie A Preview? Done. La Liga Preview? Done. Bam!

Racism in Croatia. Not good. Aleksandar Holiga reports from Zagreb on how Croatia turned on an activist accused of reporting fans’ racism.


The Joy of Six! Scott Murray's leading the charge this week and it's...Everton vs. Manchester United! Splendid.

That...is quite a photograph.
The Europa League quarters were yesterday. Who made the semis? Well, it'll be Sevilla vs. Fiorentina and Napoli vs. Dnipro Dnipronitropetropsckovsksksksk. Good.

And finally...The Zlatan Suite.

Onward!!

-SSN

Posted by The Editor at 11:23 AM 0 comments

Thursday, April 23, 2015

Real Edge Atlético, Juventus Advance, Adam Johnson Charged, More Milan, Montreal Draw at The Azteca, Soccer in New York


Well, hello there. The Final Four of the Champions League is set. Real Madrid, Barcelona, Juventus, and Bayern Munich are the last clubs standing. The draw is tomorrow, with the first legs set to go down on May 5 and 6. Let's do it:

Real Madrid 1 - 0 Atlético Madrid: Sid Lowe at the Bernabéu
Real Madrid 1 - 0 Atlético Madrid: Sid Lowe at the Bernabéu II
Real Madrid 1 - 0 Atlético Madrid: Three Things We Learned
Monaco 0 - 0 Juventus: Dominic Fifield at Stade Louis II
Monaco 0 - 0 Juventus: Three Thoughts
Monaco 0 - 0 Juventus: Three Things We Learned

They are also attempting to narrow the field in the Europa League down to four today. Here's what to watch for in Europe's second-best club competition.

AC Milan. Internazionale Milan. Two powerhouses not competing in the Champions League. Two powerhouses who will not compete in the Champions League next season, either. Here's the question: With the Milan clubs stranded in Serie A’s unfashionable midriff, will the derby take on added meaning, turn nastier and leave fans fighting for city pride?

Neymar & Nadal

How about this for MLS? Frankie Klopas and his boys from Montreal went down to the Azteca for the first leg of the CONCACAF Champions League Final and left with an away goal and a 1-1 draw. They could've won it, too. The return leg is next Wednesday in Montreal at the Olympic Stadium. The match is already sold out. Impact de Montréal, indeed!

Oh, dear. Adam Johnson was arrested back in March, and he's now been charged. Three counts of sexual activity with a 15-year-old girl. Not good. Not good at all.


New York. The center of the Free World. And now home to tons and tons of soccer. The Guardian's Graham Parker attempted to get a handle on things this past weekend. Here's his take: The glut of live soccer options is a recent phenomenon, and this past weekend Graham Parker waded into the city’s most crowded schedule yet – four days, three teams, four matches. His takeaway? The competing visions for the future of the New York soccer scene still need to coalesce into something more substantial.

Listen. It's difficult to defend. We get that. Here's an excellent piece on why that's the case, featuring...Porto!

 The Special One. José Mourinho. Jonathan Wilson takes a look at the man who learned his craft at Barcelona, but sets his sides up to play in a far different manner.

And finally...Tottenham are considering building a stadium that they can share with an NFL team.

Onward!!

-SSN

Posted by The Editor at 11:55 AM 0 comments
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