Bleacher Report - Soccer

Aston Villa V Tottenham Football Online Preview

Sports Betting Review — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 11:49:55 -0500

Aston Villa v Tottenham

28th November, 2009

Villa Park

Kick-Off: 17:30 GMT

Tottenham

Following their emphatic 9-1 victory over Wigan last weekend, Spurs will be keen to capitalise on current form in Saturday's Aston Villa - Tottenham football league match.

Leading Tottenham and Premier League goal scorer Jermaine Defoe is looking to be a dominant force up front and continue his form of last week. Netting five goals against hapless Wigan brought his season's tally to 11 altogether.

At the other end of the pitch, the Spurs back four looked solid and this weekend will be looking to shut out Villa's top scorer Gabriel Agbonlahor, as they seek to widen the gap between fourth and fifth place.

Aaron Lennon is expected to take his place in the starting eleven for this Aston Villa vs Tottenham meeting, after his incredble performance last weekend, in which he tallied three assists and one goal for himself.

Aston Villa

Martin O'Neill's men will be heading into this Aston Villa v Spurs battle, keen on improving on their 1-1 draw with Burnley last weekend.

Substitute Emile Heskey ended his goal drought by scoring in the 86th minute—his first goal since April—to rescue Villa and secure a point at Turf Moor.

Having finished the last two seasons in sixth position, Aston Villa have built up their squad and now have a team boasting both experience and ability. They now believe they can break into the top four.

Manager O’Neill will be willing his team on for a victory in this Aston Villa v Spurs match, which would put them on level points with fourth placed Tottenham were they to win.

Prediction

Since August 2000, Villa have won six meetings compared to Spurs' five, out of a total of 18 games.

Honours were even last season, with the Aston Villa v Tottenham match at Villa Park ending in a 2-1 Spurs victory, whilst the reverse fixture at White Hart Lane went Villa's way with the same scoreline.

If Spurs continue with the mentality they had against Wigan, Villa are in for a difficult 90 minutes.

Tottenham will hoping for an easy win over Villa, as doing so could allow them to overtake neighbouring rivals Arsenal, who are currently in third spot on equal points and face a difficult challenge against Chelsea on the weekend.

This is an eagerly awaited clash, and Spurs may nick it by a goal or two on current form. However, Villa will be intent on knocking them off their pedestal and so we should be in for a tight clash.

Aston Villa v Tottenham Prediction : Villa 1 - Spurs 3

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Plus, check out our Portsmouth vs Manchester United Betting Preview too.

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Will Spurs Challenge the Top Four?

Willie Gannon — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 10:41:40 -0500

As we head towards December, Spurs sit in the oxygen-thin heights of fourth, but will they last? Is Harry Redknapp the right man for the job? Where do Spurs need to improve if they are to stay in the Champions League positions? And what would be deemed a successful season at White Hart Lane?

Can Spurs Make the Top Four?

Both Spurs and Villa are in the same boat here, in that they will only make the Promised Land that is the Champions League if Liverpool and Manchester City continue to stumble.

While Spurs do have a healthy bank balance, unlike Liverpool, it is only pocket change compared to the resources that Mark Hughes can command in Manchester. It is also worth noting that even though Liverpool’s squad is not of title winning ability, they still possess two players that would be welcome in any team in the world, and that gives them a huge advantage over their three main rivals.

Where Do Spurs Need To Improve?

Spurs will not only have to rely on other teams continuing to stumble, but Harry will also have to continue his wise buying policy. Tottenham have always been the nearly-man team of the EPL, and that has not changed since Redknapp took over. However, there has been a massive change in attitude at White Hart Lane.

Having a good attitude is half the battle for any manager, and the other half is based on whom he brings in. So far, all of Redknapp’s signings have had a positive affect on the team, but the progress is far from being enough.

The two fullback positions remain problem areas. While Benoit Assou-Ekotto must be one of the most improved players in the EPL, he is still far from being the ideal. You only have to look at the likes of Patrice Evra, Ashley Cole, Gael Clichy, and Kieran Gibbs to see the height that is expected of a top four left full.

While Vedran Corluka may be hailed as “the best full back in the world” by Slaven Bilic, his international team manager, he is far from being the finished product.

It is no wonder that Spurs have signed both Kyle Walker and Kyle Naughton for these two positions, but they are young and it is hard to see them impacting upon the team over the next two years.

Assou-Ekotto may be kept for the time being, but Corluka’s days would appear to be numbered as Spurs ramp up their interest in Manchester City’s wayward Micah Richards.

Central midfield is another area that Tottenham lack quality and competitive edge. Wilson Palacios had undoubtedly bolstered what was a very tame, soft centred team. His strength and drive make Palacios one of the standout midfielders in the EPL today, but all too often he is fighting a lone battle.

Palacios' main partners are Tom Huddlestone and Jermaine Jenas, but in truth neither have the class of ability or character to bring Spurs to the next level. For all of Huddlestone’s improvements over the last year, he is still very immobile, while Jenas has never lived up to the potential that he threatened to deliver when he first burst onto the scene with Nottingham Forest.

Over the last couple of weeks, Tottenham have been heavily linked with a £15 million move for Brazil’s Sandro. The highly combative midfielder from Internacional has burst onto the domestic scene this season after a series of eye catching displays, so much so that Dunga has fast-tracked him into the National team for consideration as he picks his best 23 for South Africa next year.

There are, of course other areas that will need to be changed if Spurs progress any further, but these are the key areas for Tottenham regarding their challenge to the top four; obviously it will still depend on keeping the likes of Luka Modric and Aaron Lennon at White Hart Lane too.

Is Harry Redknapp the Right Manager?

At this stage of his tenure you would have to say yes.

As mentioned before, Spurs' progress has been dramatic.

While they may have always been regarded as outside contenders for a Champions League position challenge, they are now considered as being one of the main contenders to the old monopoly.

That can all be traced to one place, Harry Redknapp. He has taken on the task of changing a culture of under-achievement at Spurs, and without getting carried away; the results are there far all to see.

His simple style has been embraced by almost everyone at the club, and those who have decided to resist the culture change are being moved on.

When any manager takes over any team or organisation, the first item he must establish is the mood through out. At Spurs this was a relatively simple task for the veteran manager, but the next item on his agenda was in striving to change that mood, into one of wanting to achieve excellence.

Easier said than done in any organisation, but especially in football, where every manager is measured on the results he brings to the club, particularly when those measurements are revised every seven days, sometimes less.

Since starting his career with Bournemouth in 1984, Redknapp has shown an uncanny knack in judging player ability, but his real talent is in seeing potential.

This is probably where Daniel Levy, Tottenham’s Chairman, will want Redknapp and the club to really succeed. Harry has already gone on record as saying that the Spurs post will be his last in football, and having managed for over 1,000 games over 25 years, he has earned the right to retire a happy man.

However, his drive to accomplish that which no Spurs manager has achieved since before the Premier League’s advent in 1992 is evident to all. He also readily acknowledges that which he achieves at Spurs will set the foundations for whoever inherits his squad.

Do Spurs Have a Strong Squad?

Simply put, yes.

While many may point to Tottenham’s capitulation to the likes of Arsenal, Manchester United, and Chelsea, they are missing the point entirely.

Spurs first XI does not even come near the first teams of their illustrious rivals, but while those teams are severely weakened by missing key players, Spurs have, on paper at least, a very similar standard squad should players be lost to injury or suspension.

In other terms, Arsenal’s, United’s, and Chelsea’s first team all boast players that are of an extremely high level. If they are out they are replaced by inferior players.

At Spurs, their squad is built around many players of a similar level. There are no outstanding players on their books, so if one player is out, he is immediately replaced by another of similar quality.

This is where Tottenham’s challenge to the top four will flourish or fail.

At the moment, Spurs have a team that cannot match the first XI of any top four team when they are playing well, but they do possess a team and a squad that can expose any team outside the Champions League spaces.

Unlike most teams in the EPL, Spurs can now boast at least two players for every position in their starting lineup, so in theory, substitutions do not weaken them significantly.

The best example is the recent mini injury crisis that Spurs went through. They were missing Lennon, Modric, King, and Woodgate through injury, and Defoe was suspended. During that period, Spurs beat Everton and Sunderland but lost against Arsenal and Stoke, who were completely dominated during the game and managed only one shot on target.

Of course, spin can be attributed in any fashion, but looking at these results in the cold light of day, Spurs won two and lost two, one of which they were never going to win in the first place, and the other was a match where they were beaten by a late sucker punch after they failed to convert the abundance of chances they created.

What Would Be a Success for Spurs This Season?

These are always tough questions to ask, Spurs are in the beginning of a culture change (again) and it is easier to answer what would be considered failure.

Spurs must finish in the European positions. Anything less and progress will not have been made on last season, and it would almost be a case of having to go back to the drawing board.

There is an outside chance of another cup final, and Redknapp will fancy his chances when Tottenham travel to Old Trafford to take on what is expected to be a young Manchester United side in the Carling Cup.

But looking at the eight remaining teams in the “second” cup, it will be no easy task for any team to win. Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester United, Aston Villa, and Manchester City will all also be looking at this cup as being a “kicking off” point for their futures, while Blackburn and Portsmouth might not be fancied, but will be tough to beat.

The FA Cup is always somewhat of a lottery for teams outside the top four, and this year will be no different, so as usual, Spurs will be hoping for a home tie should they face one of the favourites.

One huge advantage that Spurs have, but don’t want, is no European football.

With no added distractions, Spurs will play a minimum of 10 fewer games this year, and won’t have to contend with having to travel around Europe for an extra game in between two crucial Premiership ties.

One item that is worth noting is Tottenham’s run in to the seasons end.

In Spurs’ final six games they take on: Sunderland (a), Arsenal (h), Chelsea (h), Manchester United (a), Bolton (h), and Burnley (a).

So conceivably, Spurs might only take three points from their last 18 available. Such a run of form would be catastrophic at such an important part of the season, so Spurs will have to factor that in now, and be prepared for such an eventuality.

The advantage of playing such heavyweights so close together and so late is that Spurs will only have to face Liverpool away between now and then, a game that Redknapp would have reckoned as a defeat when he studied the fixtures at the beginning of the season.

So all in all, Spurs face a destiny-shaping season. The manager is the right man at the right time, the club has resources available, there is a new stadium on the horizon, despite some Arsenal fans being mischievous, and their main rivals are struggling.

If Spurs don’t take advantage of all of these factors and reach Europe while showing progression, they will only have themselves to blame.

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Portsmouth v Manchester United Football Online Preview

Sports Betting Review — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 09:24:05 -0500

Portsmouth v Manchester United

28 November, 2009
Fratton Park
Kick-Off: 1500 GMT

Manchester United

The Red Devils travel south for this Portsmouth - Manchester United clash, having ended their 23 game unbeaten run at Old Trafford in the Champions League on Wednesday night, after a 1-0 loss to Besiktas.

The result came as a bit of a shock, but given the side Sir Alex Ferguson decided to field, it's hardly fair to expect Man Utd would have put up their normal figures against an in-form Besiktas side.

Danny Welbeck and Federico Macheda spearheaded the Manchester United attack, to give a good indication of the caliber of line-up Ferguson elected to go with. And in spite of the number of youths in the squad, Man U still looked the sharper of the two sides.

Despite the loss, Manchester United have their focus on the Premier League at present, including this Man Utd v Portsmouth tie, knowing that they have successfully qualified for the knockout stage of the Champions League.

In the Premiership, things have been going smoothly for the Red Devils as they carved up a poor Everton side on Saturday. Darren Fletcher's wondergoal set the pace as United won 3-0.

With Sir Alex Ferguson undoubtedly calling up his best squad for this Manchester United v Portsmouth match, the Red Devils will look to avoid any repeat of Wednesday night at Fratton Park.

Portsmouth

Portsmouth's inability to record wins is starting to put a real cloud of doubt over the clubs aspirations of maintaining their Premier League status.

The club sits dead last in the Premier League and has only won two matches this season Pompey is the first of the twenty Premier League sides to have recorded double digits in the loss column.

Still, ahead of this Portsmouth v Man Utd match, their play of late has been much improved given the club lost its first seven matches, although again, the club have been unable to rack up three points as they have lost their last two matches.

In their most recent match against Stoke, Portsmouth showed signs of life, but could not get on the score sheet as Stoke eventually won 1-0.

Ricardo Fuller got the only goal of the game for Stoke in the 74th minute, but Portsmouth blew a golden opportunity to take the lead only eight minutes into the match when Kevin-Prince Boateng failed to convert from the spot.

With Avram Grant replacing Paul Hart as new manager, the former Chelsea boss will look to turn the club's fate around having already been their technical director in the 2006/07 season.

This Portsmouth v Manchester United clash could be the perfect chance for Grant to show his aspirations for the side in the coming months.

Prediction

Portsmouth drew with United in the Community Shield last season, and beat them 1-0 in the Sixth Round of the 2008 FA Cup—the year that Portsmouth went on to win the competition.

However, both Man U v Portsmouth league matches last season ended with United victories; 2-0 at Old Trafford and 1-0 at Fratton Park.

All things considered, Manchester United should definitely be comfortable favourites to win on Saturday.

Portsmouth vs Man Utd Prediction: Portsmouth 0 - Man U 2

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Plus check out our Aston Villa - Tottenham Betting Preview too.

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Tottenham Hotspur On the Rise?

Matthew O'Connor — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 08:04:18 -0500

With Liverpool failing this season, many pundits and professionals alike are beginning to agree that they may not even reach the holy land of the Champions League once more.

Though they still have a chance, if any more injuries to Steven Gerrard or Fernando Torres and some may fear for their place in the Premier League, let alone their place in the Champions League.

This leaves other teams in a position they have longed for—to have the ability to control whether or not they are in the Champions League in their hands and and not one of the "Big Four."

The team who stands out is Tottenham. With one of the best English right wingers in Aaron Lennon, and possibly the most incisive and clinical forward in the league in Jermain Defoe, they are flying.

When you compare the amount of good players and good cover Spurs have compared to the other sides, they seem almost a certainty for fourth place at least.

For example, if they lost Defoe to injury or suspension, they have Robbie Keane, Peter Crouch and even the forgotten Roman Pavlyuchenko to call upon. If they lost Aaron Lennon, they have the imprisoned David Bentley to set free.

The list goes on. Go through the same process with Liverpool and there is a different story; if they lose Torres, who steps in? N'gog? He is a decent striker, but he's contemplating taking the Cameroonian FA up on their offer to go to the African Cup of nations, and if they lost Torres in January then they would no doubt suffer even more.

Without the money to buy another striker, and without players to sell, Liverpool are a bit stuck with what they have.

Man City, another team hoping to break into the top four, have limitless options up front, but the way they are playing is limiting these options. Tottenham are working on partnerships in the team.

In the Man City team, they are a team of individuals. The 4-4-2 system Tottenham use is far more team friendly than the 4-3-3 that Man City use, leaving their wingers isolated from both the forwards and the central midfielders.

The only realistic challengers to Tottenham at the moment are Aston Villa. They employ a similar system, are much more disciplined, yet they lack the depth of the Tottenham squad. However, they can make life difficult for Tottenham this weekend with a match at Villa park between the two sides.

If Tottenham can put Villa to the sword, then they may even find themselves third if Chelsea beat Arsenal.

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Sunderland on Course for Premier League Success Under Steve Bruce

Owen Watson — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 06:47:23 -0500

The euphoria of last weekend’s victory against Arsenal has yet to dwindle on Wearside. Sunderland’s win caps an impressive start to the season. The Black Cats currently lie in eighth position in the table, level on points with Liverpool.

Considering the club only avoided relegation on the last day of the previous campaign, the transformation under Steve Bruce has been magnificent.

In a league where the likes of Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur have thrown around mountains of money to reverse their fortunes, it is a credit to Sunderland’s manager that their turnabout has been achieved with a net spend of £15.25 million.

That would just about buy you a Kolo Toure, but would leave you half a million short of the sum paid to bring Jermain Defoe back to White Hart Lane.

Clearly the ex-Manchester United defender is savvy in the transfer market. Despite what his former chairman at Wigan Athletic, Dave Whelan, came out and said this week.

The question is now, can Sunderland sustain this success and challenge for a place in the Europa League at the end of the season?

In reality, the answer is: It’ll be tough.

Of those teams currently above them in the Premier League table, it is difficult to see them usurping any other club apart from Aston Villa.

Even that will be difficult. Martin O’Neill is a fantastic manager, and although his squad is comparatively weak on paper, the Northern Ireland native made some astute reinforcements in the summer.

They will also be welcoming Stewart Downing into the team very soon, making them an even sturdier outfit.

Sunderland, for their part, have shown some inconsistency in form, and beyond their starting 11, there is a worrying lack of quality needed to compete at the highest level.

The good news is that if the Black Cats can maintain their league position until January, then the club’s billionaire owner, Ellis Short, may be tempted to provide further backing to Bruce in the transfer market.

If the club aspires to bring European football to the Stadium of Light, then more signings may well be needed. Bruce received a stark reminder of the fragility of his success as Darren Bent limped off the pitch following the game against Arsenal.

Luckily, the damage done to his star striker seems to have been minimal, and Bent is expected to feature against Wigan this weekend.

If Sunderland are to continue their impressive start to the season, then Bruce will need Bent maintain his good form into January and beyond.

A result against Wigan on Saturday would go a long way to demonstrating the intentions of his side.

Sunderland have struggled at times away from home this season, and Wigan will be looking to respond to their 9-1 drubbing at the hands of Tottenham last week.

Avoid defeat and it could well be a sign that Sunderland are finding the consistency required to stake a legitimate claim to European football next season.

Lose, on the other hand, and Bruce will realise that his Black Cats still have a very long way to go.

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UEFA Europa League Has Hidden Blessing for Liverpool

Ayanle Ali — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 04:59:00 -0500

"We won it five times, We won it five times!" A famous chant sung across Anfield stretching from the Kop End all the way to Anfield Rd. But this season, Liverpool FC fans might have to change it to "We won it three times" instead as they are now in the UEFA Europa League ever since results did not go their way following week five of the UEFA Champions League Fixtures.

But not all hope is lost. This is a tournament where Liverpool have won the coveted trophy three times in the past, and if you're an optimistic Liverpool fan, you would love to know that the last time Liverpool were victorious in this tournament was on German soil, following that dramatic 5-4 victory over Alaves. This year's final will be placed on German soil for only the second time since the Reds last won it.

Now, I am sure most of you Liverpool fans are disgusted at the sheer idea of anyone saying UEFA Europa league (otherwise known as UEFA CL's ugly sister) is the best thing for the club right now, the Reds have not won a trophy since that emphatic come back in Istanbul.

We all know that the current DEPTH of the squad Liverpool has can't make it all the way in the Champions League, and it was only a matter of time, in my opinion, 'til we were shown the exit sign. So the sooner the better, because if not in the group stage, then exiting at any other stage just means no European football for you 'til the next season.

Liverpool fans must remember that they are all but out of the EPL title race and all they can hope for is a top four finish, but with the emerging forces of Man City, Tottenham, and even Aston Villa and Sunderland will surely push Liverpool to the end for that top four finish AND that is why Europa League football is important.

Win it, and get automatic Champions League birth AND win a title in the process without worrying too much about a English Premier League that, let's face it, Liverpool are not fit enough to compete in this season.

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Lionel Messi: Can He Make South Africa 2010 His World Cup?

Jack — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 00:41:15 -0500

Every great World Cup is synonymous with a great player, particularly Garrincha in 1962, Pele in 1970, and Diego Maradona in 1986.

Many losing finalists have also been able to stamp their authority over World Cup tournaments including Ferenc Puskas in 1954, Johan Cruyff in 1974, and Zinadine Zidane in 2006.

With less than 200 days before South Africa 2010 kicks off, speculation has arisen as to who will be the star to capture the world’s attention in June. At the moment, Lionel Messi seems the most likely to assume this mantle.

Messi is likely to win the 2009 FIFA World Player of the Year, after being the runner-up in 2007 and 2008. His young career also has many parallels to that of Maradona, the World Cup winner and Messi's current coach.

In 2007, Messi scored a goal reminiscent of Maradona's epic jaunt through the English defense in 1986, while playing for Barcelona in a Copa del Rey match against Getafe.

Shortly afterwards, Messi scored his own version of the "hand of god" against Espanyol in the Barcelona Derby.

The Barcelona and Argentina number ten has also proven he can take over an international tournament, albeit at the youth level.

La Pulga was the unquestioned star of the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship, picking up the Golden Ball as best player and Golden Boot as the top scorer along the way to victory.

In 2008, Messi was Argentina’s inspiration as they won the Gold Medal for the second consecutive Olympic Games. Although Messi only scored two goals in the competition, he was at the heart of most of Argentina’s best moves and made the game-winning assist to Angel Di Maria in the final.

Since the Olympics, Messi’s performances for Argentina have taken a turn for the worst. His dip in form has coincided with Juan Roman Riquelme’s retirement from international play.

It is well known in Argentina that Messi and Riquelme do not get along off the field, but when playing together they were like poetry in motion. During the 2007 Copa America in Venezuela, Roman and Messi carved apart the competition at will, only to fall to Brazil in the final.

During the early part of the qualifying process for South Africa 2010, Argentina was in good form and Messi and Riquelme were the two players leading the attack. But, after Roman retired and Diego Maradona took over as coach, Argentina’s fortunes have taken a turn for the worst.

If Messi is to lead Argentina all the way to the final in South Africa, he will have to prove that he can play well for Argentina without Riquelme. Messi played brilliantly for Argentina in a win over France in a friendly and a World Cup Qualifier against Venezuela, but he was completely invisible in matches against Bolivia, Brazil, and Paraguay.

Riquelme played a similar role as Xavi Hernandez, Barcelona’ playmaker during his days with Argentina, allowing Messi to play farther up the pitch as a forward. Without Riquelme in the line up, Messi has often dropped deeper and deeper into midfield to retrieve the ball, as Maradona has been unable to find a suitable replacement for the Boca Juniors star.

If Juan Sebastian Veron or Pablo Aimar are unable to bring the full repertoire of passes offered by Riquelme, Messi knows he will be expected to work wonders. He will likely have to put in a Maradona-like shift in order to gain the respect and love of the media and fans in Argentina.

While many of Argentina’s best players (such as Gonzalo Higuain, Javier Mascherano, and Sergio Aguero) have established fan bases from their days playing for big Argentine clubs, Messi never played a single match in Argentina Primera Division.

Even fans of Boca have respect and admiration for Higuain for his two goals in El Superclasico while playing for River Plate in 2006. Pipita made a name for himself for himself in Argentina, and fans of all teams (even River’s biggest rivals) will have learned more about Higuain as a player and person from watching him score goals on the field in Argentina than they would from watching Messi score at will for Barcelona, a club that means nothing to most fans in Argentina.

The fans' feelings toward Messi has also arisen due to his record at Barcelona and at the youth levels for Argentina. He has been unable to duplicate these performances for full national team, especially over the last six months.

Although it may be unfair to Messi, he understands his predicament. La Pulga has recently said he would trade all he has won at Barcelona for the World Cup, and he may well have to do just that in order to win over the hearts of the fans in his own country.

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Stars Set To Shine When Barcelona Faces Real Madrid

Jack — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 23:29:22 -0500

As soon as Cristiano Ronaldo signed for Real Madrid over the summer, neutrals and fans of both teams were ecstatic at the prospect of watching Ronaldo and Messi, the two best players in the world, go head to head twice a season.

As of the weekend, the dream match up appeared to be in doubt, but it now appears that both Messi and Ronaldo will be fit in time for the game even if they start the game on the bench.

2008 FIFA World Player of the Year Ronaldo has been out for well over a month and was involved in a severe club versus country row after aggravating his injury playing for Portugal in World Cup Qualifier against Hungary.

Despite playing in only seven games thus far, Ronaldo is Real Madrid’s top scorer with nine goals in all competitions. Manuel Pellegrini’s side have actually been able to overtake Barcelona in the league table, but the recent run of matches has been unconvincing.

Barcelona has not been clicking on all cylinders yet this season either but put in a superfluous performance against Inter in the Champions League without Messi and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Should both players be fit in time for El Gran Clasico , it will be a massive boost for Barcelona.

In his short but dazzling career, Messi has often been at his best against Los Merengues . In the 2006-2007 season, La Pulga scored a remarkable hat trick at the Camp Nou to salvage a three-three draw for Barcelona.

Last year, Messi was on target to seal victory in Camp Nou before running rampant last spring when Barcelona beat Real Madrid and the Santiago Bernabeu six-to-two.

Messi and Ronaldo are sure to be the main attractions Sunday, but there will be a plethora of stars on display for both teams.

Pep Guardiola will call on the dynamic duo of Xavi and Andres Iniesta, both of whom were at their best in ravaging Inter Tuesday. For Barcelona to win again, the two Spanish internationals will need to put in another solid shift.

At the back, left back Eric Abidal—who signed a contract extension with club Wednesday—will be joined by iconic captain Carles Puyol and the young Gerard Pique.

Pique, widely considered the best young defender in Europe, is hoping to see Ronaldo suit up saying, “Everybody, not just we players, wants to see the best players. Cristiano is one of the best and I’m sure he’ll play".

The former Manchester United man helped shut down Ronaldo in last season's Champions League Final.

Up front, Guardiola will have difficult decisions to make. If Messi and Ibrahimovic are unable to play from the start, Thierry Henry could be handed a starting role. Although the France captain has only scored once this season, his class and experience would benefit Barcelona’s side.

For Real Madrid, 2007 FIFA World Player of the Year Kaka is finally settling into his new role at the Bernabeu, but the Madrid’s hero this season has been Gonzalo Higuain.

El Pipita rescued Real Madrid numerous times last season, netting 22 times in La Liga, but Florentino Perez was set on spending money and brought in Karim Benzema from Lyon. After being shelved on the bench at the beginning of the season, Pellegrini finally gave in and began starting Higuain, and his decision, as obvious as it may have been, has paid off.

With so many stars on the pitch, El Gran Clasico will surely produce another epic match.

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Liverpool's Champions' League Exodus: The Aftermath and the Road Ahead

raam shanker — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 18:11:59 -0500

From this juncture, one of two things can happen. Liverpool can either go down in the dumps and lose morale, their manager and their key players, wandering aimlessly for a couple of seasons before they regroup; or they can use this as a spring-board, focus solely on The Premiership, and get a Top-Four finish. If not better.

After Tuesday’s cataclysmic defeat emotions are likely running high in the Liverpool camp. However, great teams respond, they don’t react. Liverpool’s situation has the potential to rock the Top-Four boat yet again this season. There are, however, a number of variables in the Liverpool equation, which need to be solved sooner rather than later.

Ryan Babel’s outcry about lack of opportunities and the fact that he is looking for a new club might be a reflection of an ongoing civil war in a dressing room full of disgruntled players. Is Babel the only one, or are there potential departures waiting for the New Year?

Speaking of departures I am sure Benitez would love to offload some underachievers; however, will he be able to get a good price for them? The fact that they’re enduring a difficult domestic season combined with their exit from Europe is likely to put doubts in the minds of potential suitors as to whether the players are worth Liverpool’s evaluation. The players’ frustration and eagerness to move is likely to add to Benitez’s misery over sale proceeds.

Step into the Liverpool board-room and it was not so long ago when Hicks and Gillett had the huge public fall-out. Relations have become “better”, but it appears to be more of a media-centric gesture than genuine warmth.

There have also been rumors of potential buyers for Liverpool for the last few seasons. If Hicks and Gillett want to get rid of 50 percent of the club to a new buyer for a good price, it’s imperative that they show a unified stand and smile for the public. The emergence of a new owner brings another factor into play. How much money will Benitez get to spend on new talent?

That question, however, will only matter if Benitez is still retained at the helm. For a few years now the fans have been frustrated. When he came in as Houllier’s replacement in 2004-05 he won the Champions’ League with a stylish second half comeback in Istanbul. It was a great season for Liverpool, who were on the verge of being relegated to UEFA Cup.

Since then they have won The FA Cup, UEFA Super Cup, and The Community Shield. One trophy that has dodged Liverpool for a painfully long period is The Premiership. Despite having 18 titles to their credit, they’re yet to win the rebranded first division, which has been dominated by their bitter rivals Manchester United. For Liverpool players and fans alike, this has become the equivalent of The Holy Grail.

Their best chance came last season when they got 14 out of a possible 18 points against fellow Top-Four finishers, and won the double-header against United and Chelsea in convincing fashion. They were the only team in the Top Four who did not lose to the other three. Despite being in top shape for most of the season, they bottled it when it mattered most, and lost to United by four points. Could the title win last season have ensured a smoother state of play this season?

So, looking back at Rafael Benitez’s time at Liverpool I am tempted to say he had his best chance last season and did not take it. Whether he gets another opportunity, let alone such a golden one, is yet to be seen. Despite assurances of job safety, his future at Merseyside remains in question.

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Yoann Gourcuff, Bordeaux Emerge From Group of Death

Nathan Lowe — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 16:40:27 -0500

Prevailing media will usually cling to its most profitable darlings. They supply what is demanded: the what's-what on Man United, the latest bickering between managers, polls about Ronaldo, anything to breed divide between Barcelona and Real Madrid. What Rafa said, arguing if Arsenal can win with youth, and occasionally even talking about Inter.

As the group stages for the 2010 Champions League season were announced back in August, few gave Bordeaux any mention, much less a chance to progress from their group.

France's Ligue 1 may be unfashionable to the more centrist sensationalists, but the presence of Yoann Gourcuff alone at Bordeaux should bring relevance to a group not even on English media's radar. Not to mention the in-form French side were matched up against European super-clubs Bayern and Juventus, creating what you'd assume the arbitrators of news content would have loved to label and fantasize as a "Group of Death."

However, both Goal.com and ESPN's soccernet.com perfunctorily reported on the English teams' matchups and promoted the grudge match between Barcelona and Inter.

Goal.com made no mention of Bayern, Juventus, and Bordeaux.

The pick of the ties sees Barcelona face Inter in Group F, where Samuel Eto'o and Zlatan Ibrahimovic are set for immediate returns to their former clubs. Elsewhere, Manchester United face some long away trips while AC Milan and Real Madrid will tangle in a glamour tie [in Group C].

ESPN followed suit, preferring to feature their own EPL teams and the melodrama between Barca and Inter.

Samuel Eto'o and Zlatan Ibrahimovic will be back at their old clubs as Inter and Barcelona were drawn together in the Champions League...The other big draw is Real Madrid, many people's favourites for the title, against AC Milan... Manchester Utd face tough trips...with Liverpool also given a tough test..Chelsea will be happy with their draw...while Arsenal are also sitting pretty as they face Dutch champions AZ Alkmaar, Olympiakos and Belgian side Standard Liege.

It's bewildering that a group containing Bordeaux by itself doesn't get any play online. Laurent Blanc's side were barnstorming into the new season, winning 14 matches in a row, a Ligue 1 record.

Twenty-three-year-old playmaker Gourcuff led Bordeaux last season to end Lyon's eight-year monopoly on the French trophy, being rightly named Ligue 1 Player of the Year in the process, and yet, he's still one of the most underrated players in Europe.

Four-time European champion Bayern have the two best wingers in the world and one of the very best attacks in Europe. Two-time champ Juventus have Del Piero.

In other words: WTF?

ESPN may get a pass. They broadcast Spanish and English Premier League games. It's cynical—isn't it?—to begrudge a broadcasting conglomerate promoting its own interests first?

Goal.com simply panders to the come-lately fans who want to debate Messi v. Ronaldo ad infintum and are so subjectively linked to their favorite and most fashionable club, their view of the broader game itself is obfuscated through bifocals tinted in the club's colors.

Was each synopsis derived from the same associated press release? Why the omission of Group A in both Goal.com and Soccernet?

Fast forward to November, and Bordeaux have topped their group undefeated. Either Juvetus or likely Bayern Munich will be relegated to the Europa League. At least with Liverpool joining them there, one possible glamour tie awaits.

Now Gourcuff and Bordaeux continue their ascent into the knockout stages, still a dark horse, as the playmaker finishes his own evolution into the fine, finite group of footballing elite.

The liberty to make such a declaration is afforded to those above the knowledge gap in European football consumption, while most web sites will cater to the majority below it.

Drowned out by plebeian forum trolls and Man Yoo fanboys in the short term, those of us that care enough about the game to be informed can only hope substance prevails in the long term.

From one fan whose passion borders on addiction, which manifested itself in hundreds of match videos a year, and thousands of articles read, heed this advice:

Watch Gourcuff this season. YouTube is only a click away. He will rival Messi to be the greatest player of his generation.

You might not know otherwise, but it's not your fault.

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Manchester City Need Emmanuel Adebayor to Learn from Didier Drogba

Alex Dimond — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 11:27:32 -0500

As far as starts go, perhaps few can have too many complaints about Emmanuel Adebayor’s early career at Manchester City.

In the nine Premier League games in which Adebayor has featured this season, the striker has scored five goals, and laid on a further three assists for his teammates.

On paper, then, it is a solid return from the 25-year-old after joining the Eastlands outfit from Arsenal for £25 million during the summer.

As has often been the case with Adebayor in England, however, the positives have been offset by a number of negatives. In no game was that better encapsulated than when he faced his former club earlier in the season.

Throughout the game against his old team-mates, the Togolese international was often at his blistering best.

He tormented the Arsenal players—taking advantage of their seemingly reckless desire to clatter him—but then proceeded to torment their fans after his well-taken goal.
That celebration, running a full 90 yards to gloat in front of those who had spent much of the game abusing him, earned him a three-game suspension after a review by the Football Association.

City, without their leading scorer, subsequently lost their next league game against arch-rivals Manchester United, in a cruel 4-3 thriller.

"I had a bad afternoon against Manchester United because I am sure that if I had played that day then I would have scored a goal,” Adebayor said.

"It was a shame that we lost in added time. United did not deserve to win—a fair result would have been a draw."

Rather than bemoaning missing out on a chance to add to his goal tally, however, Adebayor should perhaps have been reflecting on his own conduct. His performance against Arsenal helped the team, but his subsequent conduct certainly didn’t.

That just isn’t good enough for a top striker.

Take Didier Drogba, for example.

Chelsea’s last game, against FC Porto, was yet another example of Drogba’s all-round contribution. Despite being kept relatively quiet in attack, the Ivorian did not let frustration get the better of him and continued to contribute in any way he could.

In the first half, there was Drogba, deep in his own box determined to get up and clear the ball for his team. For his troubles, he caught a blow to the head from an equally determined John Terry.

The 31-year-old seems to make such contributions every game. He perceives defending set-pieces as a crucial part of his duty to the team, despite providing nine goals and five assists in his 12 league games this season.

Drogba has had his outbursts in the past—for example in the 2008 Champions League final, or after elimination in the semi-finals of the same competition last season—but now he seems to have matured and those around him at the west London club are only too aware of his value:

"We have seen what Didier brings to this team in the first games of our season and this is why I said he was irreplaceable when I came to Chelsea," said manager Carlo Ancelotti, who has admitted he wouldn’t swap Drogba for any other striker.

“His love for this club and the passion he shows is unbelievable," club captain John Terry agreed.

"When we lose a game there is no one more disappointed than him. He shows his frustration, because he cares.

"You see him in the dressing room, in training motivating the players. He really cares.”

Adebayor has still to show that he cares that deeply. Last weekend, he was clearly at fault as Martin Skrtel nipped in ahead of him to open the scoring in the game against Liverpool. The Togolese forward had switched off, allowing the Liverpool defender in and letting his own side down.

In fairness, he made amends minutes later by scoring the equalizer for his side—his first goal for the club since that strike against Arsenal in September.

Drogba, however, is happy not to score if can make a telling defensive contribution.

“I often sacrifice myself for the good of the team,” said the former Olympique Marseille hitman.

“I don’t look at my scoring statistics. Have you ever seen any other great striker do as much defending as I do?”

That is the difference between the truly world-class strikers and the rest. Jermain Defoe, Darren Bent, and Adebayor can all score goals for fun, but the likes of Drogba, Torres, and Rooney elevate their contribution into a different dimension by tracking back and contributing to their side’s defensive play.

Adebayor still needs to make that step, to take on that mantel. He has done it infrequently, when the occasion (e.g. playing against your former team) suits him, but never week-in and week-out.

Arsene Wenger, a formidable judge of player, clearly got tired of waiting for that to happen at the Emirates.

But on arriving at City, the former Monaco man seemed to suggest everything would now be different.

"This is a team, maybe in one year or two years, that will be one of the best in the world," he said.

"I had a good discussion with the coach, Mark Hughes, and he told me that here he wants to be in the top four.

"We know it's not going to be easy at all. But we are going to fight for it. I think the players are here for that.”

"As you can see, the fans believe in us that we can bring them something. That's what we're going to fight for now."

So far, evidence of such commitment has been fleeting. Manchester City has failed to take advantage of Liverpool's early troubles to bolster their claim for Champions League football, a situation they might regret come May and one Adebayor must partly take the blame for.

History has been littered with expensive signings failing to cope with the pressure suddenly put on them—it took a while for Drogba to embrace such responsibilities, too.

But, Adebayor cannot hide behind that excuse.

After all, he has chosen to be constantly reminded of the price tag that weighs heavily around his neck—he wears it on his back.

Perhaps City’s No. 25 now sees the number he has long worn as a badge of honour, a status symbol.

But if he is to lead his team to all the places he seems to believe they can go, he needs to start viewing it as a responsibility to be lived up to instead.

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Bayern Grasp Lifeline in Champions League Amidst Internal Problems

Samrin Hasib — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 11:26:07 -0500

On Tuesday night, the world witnessed a scene few would have predicted before the European season kicked off: Liverpool had been knocked out of the Champions League in the group stages.

That's what happens when a team depends on another team for a result.

The big question on Wednesday night: Will FC Bayern Munchen follow suit?

Luca Toni was suspended for the match apparently for his comments midweek about the breakdown of his relationship with Louis Van Gaal. According to the Bayern website, he is carrying a minor injury.

Lady luck once again failed to smile at Bayern on the days building up to the match as Hamit Altintop got injured in a warmup on Sunday. A list of the substitutes will tell you the actual story behind Van Gaal's "starting" XI:

Thomas Kraft, Breno, Christian Lell, Andreas Ottl, Alex Baumjohann, Anatoliy Tymoschuk, and Edson Braafheid.

Miroslav Klose was out with an elbow problem and thus Ivica Olic, who just recovered from an injury, partnered Mario Gomez upfront. The entire team otherwise remained the same with one other exception; Daniel Pranjic joined Mark Van Bommel in midfield.

The FCB faithful received the news of Bordeaux's first goal against Juve. The celebrations had already begun. However, within a few minutes their own players managed to score—this time the scorer was not Daniel van Buyten, but rather an actual striker.

A Mario Gomez shot, palmed away by Haifa's keeper, was sent flying in by Ivica Olic. Who would have thought that Olic would be the man to rescue FCB?

Juventus conceded another goal to Bordeaux in the dying seconds of their clash. Thus, Bayern knew that a 1-0 win in Turin two weeks later would send them through to the round of 16. This is probably the morale-boosting win that Bayern needed to kickstart their season.

Now, the big question: Can Bayern beat Juventus come Match Day Six?

Bayern, to me, deserved the lifeline after all the internal turmoil in the club. It seems the players are falling one by one to injuries.

Yet, the Bayern supporters must be happy at the moment with the return of Ivica Olic, the unexpected, and the rather unsung hero.

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Rangers' "Father and Son" Have Premier League Scouts Swarming Around Club

Andrew McNair — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 10:54:39 -0500

Rangers may well be one of the worst teams in the UEFA Champions League this season, but the club's financial woes and injury crisis have resulted in one highlight—possibly the oddest partnership in the competition.

David Weir (39) and Danny Wilson (17) could be father and son, but in reality they are Rangers' new centre back pairing.

The golden boy

Wilson was thrust into first team affairs earlier less than a month ago in a Cup tie against Dundee, but the absence of the much lauded Madjid Bougherra and Rangers' lack of senior cover—as well as his own performances—meant the youngster was asked to step up to the CL.

And step up he did—Rangers' best outfield player in both his CL starts is already attracting interest from down south with Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United, and just about every other English Premier League club starting to circle due to the financial status of the Ibrox outfit.

The tall youngster had been championed by many fans at the start of the season as a potential starter, but no one would have dreamt of him stepping up and mixing it with the stars on Europe’s greatest stage. However, Wilson is a solid uncompromising centre half with confidence on the ball and the eye for a long-range pass and has not looked at all out of place amongst the very best.

The perfect partner for his could be Dad

Weir is a veteran of World Cups, European finals, and has seen it all in his 20-year career. The 65 times capped Scotland international may have expected his career would end alongside a 17-year-old, but not in the Champions League—in the Ibrox reserves.

But the former Everton star is still fitter than most and is closing in on 150 appearances for the Scottish champions despite moving north at 36, playing 60 games in his first full season aged 37.

Weir, who will be 40 before this season is out, is now club Captain following the departure of Barry Ferguson to Birmingham City and leads an undefeated Rangers in domestic competition with little difficulty despite his aging legs.

Other aging stars

Paolo Maldini played on into his 40s at AC Milan at the highest level, but did he ever play alongside a boy 22 years his junior in the biggest club competition on the planet?

Can you think of any other "father and son" type pairings in world football?

Wilson’s pace may well be aiding Weir at the back for Rangers, but my bet is it is Wilson who appreciates the partnership more and will never forget his days playing next to his senior partner, soaking up as much of those 22 years of experience as is humanly possible.

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Rafa Benitez Must Show His Quality to Avert Liverpool's Possible Crisis

Nabeel Khokhar — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 09:34:34 -0500

What a difference a month makes. It's four weeks, or 31 days, or 744 hours, or 44,640 minutes, or even 2,678,400 seconds. Measure it anyway you like, but for Rafa Benitez and Liverpool Football Club the last month must feel like an eternity.

Is it really only just over a month ago when Anfield was basking in the glory of a fabulous victory over the champions, Manchester United, and life on Merseyside seemed to be all rosy again?

What should have been a springboard that propelled Liverpool up the table, solidifying their credentials as serious challengers for this year’s Premier League title and reigniting their faltering Champions League campaign, has proved to be nothing more than a bright spot in an otherwise dreadful season so far.

Since that glorious triumph, Liverpool’s only victory in any match has been an unconvincing, and ultimately, meaningless victory over the minnows of their Champions League Group a few days ago.

The Reds’ home win was by virtue of only their second goal against Debrecen, whereas Fiorentina has scored nine times in their two games against the Hungarians and Lyon four times, with their second game still to come.

Liverpool’s performances in their Premier League games have been even more disastrous. Two home draws against Birmingham and Manchester City and an away loss to Fulham have resulted in a measly two points from a possible nine. This has all but ended Liverpool's title challenge for this season and left them in a real fight for fourth place, which, realistically, is the highest position they can achieve, barring a miracle.

To top off a miserable month, Rafa’s men were also knocked out of the Carling Cup by Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.

Does this spell C-R-I-S-I-S in the corridors of Anfield?

There certainly seems to be signs that all is not well in the dressing room. Certain media outlets have carried stories of players’ unrest in the camp with quotes from "an agent of one of the Liverpool superstars" being alleged to have made statements such as, “the atmosphere is really bad,” and, “there are a lot of unhappy players around.”

Well, following the devastating exit from the Champions League, it is quite understandable that the atmosphere is not fantastic, and it is very likely that there are a lot of players that are unhappy.

When such comments are taken in context, they should not be alarming, as they seem very appropriate and in line with what must be a body blow to the club.

Even seemly disturbing quotes such as, “I am sure that there will be some players who would like to move on now, that’s for sure” when taken in context should also not be too distressing.

There have been players who have been looking for the exit. Most notably, Ryan Babel has made clear what has been evident for quite some time now, that he is not happy and wants to leave.

Andrea Dossena being another that has publicly expressed his desire to move on.

Criticism and denigration will come from pundits, commentators, and even current players. Manchester United’s Gary Neville, never one to shy away from a disparaging comment or action towards Liverpool, has already made it clear that he has no sympathy for the Reds.

Not that any is wanted or deserved. Sadly, the Reds have not performed well enough and have made their own bed and now have to lie in it.

What is needed now from Rafa Benitez is to show true management quality. This awful run of form and early exit from Europe’s premier club competition is quite possibly the most difficult situation that he has had to face in his managerial career.

Many of the core members of the squad have come out with encouraging and positive statements of intent. Steven Gerrard, Pepe Reina, and Javier Mascherano have all pledged to bring the Europa League (UEFA Cup) back to Anfield.

This is by no means a formality or a foregone conclusion with Liverpool possibly facing the likes of Ajax, Anderlecht, Valencia, Hamburg, Sporting Lisbon, Roma, Galatasaray, Fenerbahce, Villarreal, Benfica, PSV Eindhoven, Werder Bremen, the holders Shakhtar Donetsk, or even neighbours Everton in the next round.

Rafa Benitez needs to show real leadership and rally his troops, provide motivation, inspiration, make the right team selections and decisions during games. Above all, he needs to demonstrate to the players and fans that he still has what it takes to lead Liverpool out of these difficult times.

There is still plenty of football to be played this season. What is required from Rafa is a shift in the emphasis. The title may be beyond the Reds now, but there is still a top four finish and cup silverware to play for.

Although there is no question that Liverpool is under a really dark cloud right now, come the end of the season, if they finish in the Champions League places and bring a cup (or two) into the Anfield trophy cabinet, it may yet have a silver lining.

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Real Madrid Cantera Update: 26 November 2009

Deepak Israni — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 06:00:06 -0500

I know the Google Translate can be frustrating at times and the news about Real Madrid Cantera isn't that easily available on the Internet in English, so I have come up with the "Real Madrid Cantera Update," for those non-Spanish speaking Madridistas interested in knowing what all is happening in our academy. I hope to continue this series if I get positive response from the readers.

Real Madrid Interested In Racing Santander's Midfielder Sergio Canales

The 18 year old Sergio Canales—product of the Racing academy, who played brilliantly and even scored against Real Madrid at the weekend (but had his goal disallowed), is an object of desire for Real Madrid.

Canales made six substitute appearances for the first team of Racing last season, and 3 this season. It is believed that Real Madrid will most likely sign him in the summer and then loan him out to Racing Santander like they did with Ezequiel Garay last season and this summer with Celta Vigo's Joselu or they might even consider him to strengthen the Castilla.

It is also believed that FC Barcelona and Sevilla are also interested in signing the pearl of the Racing academy.

Pablo Sarabia Is Still In The Eyes Of Monsieur Wenger

The player instrumental in Spain U-17's road to the bronze medal in the U-17 World Cup and the most exciting prospect of the Real Madrid academy—Pablo Sarabia is still being monitored by the scouts of Arsenal. Pablo has already declined two offers from Arsene Wenger to join Arsenal, this is the third time in two years that Arsenal have come back for Pablo Sarabia.

Although I find it as a compliment that Arsene Wenger is tracking Pablo Sarabia, but this has to stop, don't know how long can we resist the advances of Arsenal, we want to keep Pablo Sarabia!

And in other Pablo Sarabia related news, the left sided winger is suffering with a sprained ankle and will miss a few games for the Juvenil A.

Robert Martinez Wants To Sign Filipe Ramos

The 21-year-old goalkeeper of the Real Madrid Castilla is a winter target for the Wigan's manager Robert Martinez. Filipe Ramos is the reserve goalkeeper for the Castilla, Filipe used to play before, when Antonio Adan was injured, but since Antonio's return Filipe has seen his chances limited. There is a high possibility that Filipe Ramos might leave in the winter.

Feyenoord Looking For A Collaboration With Real Madrid

The former Real Madrid coach and the current technical director of Feyenoord—Leo Beenhakker has revealed in an interview to Algemeen Dagblad that he contacted with Jorge Valdano to form a collaboration with Real Madrid.

If the collaboration is completed both the teams can exchange players from their academies. Real Madrid also have a similar collaboration with Standard Liege of Belgium.

Hoping that Real Madrid Castilla will soon climb way above the relegation zone (currently 16) and that Alejandro Menendez (coach of Real Madrid Castilla) instead of giving excuses like "our problem is lack of scoring!" will call up Pablo Sarabia, Alipio Duarte or Samuel Alonso Saiz or anyone else from our lower teams. Till next time then, Hala Madrid!

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The Thanksgiving Turkey Hunt

J. Andrew Lockwood — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 00:43:53 -0500

Growing up in the south, I always felt a little out of place when the topic of hunting or fishing was breached. I had caught my fair share of sunfish on my Grandfather’s dock growing up, but I never shot a gun until my sophomore year in college. And even then, it was only for a skeet shooting contest with a few buddies.

So, when I had the opportunity to hunt turkeys the day before Thanksgiving with my girlfriend’s father, I knew it would be the experience of a lifetime.

I don’t pretend to really know too much about hunting. I had never been before—never had the opportunity. It was a new world to me. It reminded me in some ways of making my first tackle in a football game, riding my first mile on a road bike, and making my first big hit in little league. I was…beside myself.

It turned out to be a rather rainy Wednesday morning in central Florida. I was supposed to meet Mike at noon in order to head 20 miles south of St. Cloud to hunt for the different varmints on the property. And the weather, by all accounts, didn’t look too promising.

The deluge of rain was much needed in the usual dry fall and winters in that part of Florida. However, I was more caught up in my thoughts of what animals do in the rain. Do turkeys walk around in the rain and dig for grubs? What would I do if I were a turkey in the rain?

I asked a lot of questions on the way about the guns, the ammunition, the animals, where to shoot them and how to shoot them. After all, I was a hunting greenhorn. I even packed a peanut butter sandwich even though turkey and cheese was an option. I figured it to be a good hunting omen. I’d bring home the bacon then, right?

The forty-five minute drive with Mike was full of plenty of conversation. From life to work to what shotgun shells are made of, we didn’t stop talking until the scenery started to abruptly change. Fewer and fewer signs of civilization were around as the light grey skies met with green pastures and small groves of trees at the horizon.

As we entered the property, I knew I would exit with either a turkey, smaller varmint, or a slight bit of disappointment. Mike was driving and knew the spread well. He’d been hunting this property for years and seemingly knew all the nooks and crannies of the place. He killed his first turkey when he was 13. He knew how to hunt.

We stopped as we pulled in and he pulled out his two shotguns, a pair of 12 gauges. “Remember how to shoot it?” he asked. The last time I had shot a gun had been a good few months ago at the same place. He had tossed an old plastic bottle in the air a few times for me to shoot that first time since we couldn’t find any varmints on the property in the middle of the summer time.

“I remember most of it,” I answered.

“How about hitting that bean then,” as he pointed to two beans dangling down from a plant a few yards away.

Ka-pow! “I didn’t hit…did I?” I muttered. I had aimed a little south of the actual bean by lining up the top of the notch on the end of the barrel with the center of my target. A rookie mistake I suppose.

“Yeah…you missed it,” he laughed. Oh boy, I was thinking. How could I ever hit a turkey if I couldn’t even hit the stinkin’ bean plant?

I really wasn’t dressed for the occasion as I guess I should’ve been. Mike let me borrow his camouflage rain jacket to conceal my light blue shirt and we pulled up on the property looking for the small critters that run around on the large piece of land. For acres and acres heads of cattle sat on the ground or stood in small droves watching us move by with a puzzled look on their face. After all, from their point of view I guess we humans seemed a bit silly making this "hunting" thing harder than it had to be. If it was food we were looking for, they were seemingly big targets.

But hunting isn’t just about the food. Food is a part of it, but the art of hunting seems to tap into the primal instincts of every man. Maybe it’s the sneaking up on the prey part that we like, or outsmarting the critters. It could even be that we like to test our accuracy and the steadiness of our hands. For me, it was all of the above.

I’ve always loved the outdoors. I go hiking for the smell of the woods just as much as for the visual appeal. And, there was a certain smell to the place. A smell that penetrated and that was foreign to the civilized world.

I followed Mike into the slough of trees that surrounded a feeder. The property had multiple feeders on its hundreds of acres and the animals had grown accustomed to knowing the exact time of day when the food would be dispensed. Dinnertime for the critters was at 5pm every day…and it was only 1 o’clock.

We waded through the brush, aiming to make as little noise as possible when Mike turned around at the edge of the tree line and motioned to get lower to the ground. As I looked through the palm fronds, I could see two large sand hill cranes socializing next to the feeder.

“Do you see it?” he asked.

“Turkeys?” I responded.

Then he pointed straight off in the distance to the tall grass about twenty yards away.

“Hens,” he spoke softly, “about four of them.”

As I lowered my body to get a better look I had cracked a dried out palm frond on the ground making a louder noise than I had expected. I slowly lowered myself to see the hens turn about face and slowly jog off into the tall grass.

Crap! I just blew my opportunity. The sand hill cranes started squawking as we walked parallel to the tree line and exited back to the vehicle.

“Don’t worry, there will be plenty more opportunities later,” he replied as we stepped back in and drove away.

Driving across the property seemed to be the most logical thing to do, especially considering that the terrain was vast and rugged and the land so spread out. We continued to take small sand paths through the fields that connected the lines of trees and brush. In places, there was little underbrush while it appeared rather swampy in other locales.

The drizzle continued from the sky as we looked through binoculars from the left to the right. Then, straight ahead, we spotted a pack of ten or twelve hens walking in the middle of the sand path like a group of kids walking home from school. As we approached, the large birds took to the air and flew over the trees to our right.

“We’ll catch ‘em on the back side. Don’t worry, we’ll see them again later today,” replied Mike.

We continued to drive in the gentle drizzle until we saw a flock of doves congregating on some power lines above. It was target practice time.

Doves, as I quickly found out, are much harder to kill than your average animal. It not only flies left and right, but also up and down and in and out. Target practice was harder than I thought. Three shots and nothing to show for it. Mike even went behind the birds in one drove of trees in an attempt to flush them out for me to take a few good shots. They flew the opposite way and he nailed two as a clump of feathers slowly fell to the ground.

He’s a good shot and it showed. On my first trip to the property he had shot a dove driving along a path near the tree line. He was driving and the dove was flying the other way. And he still hit it square enough to drop it out of the sky.

I was able to see my first hog, though. It was a medium sized, stubby little critter with coarse, black hair. It ran off before Mike had a chance to bring his shotgun up, but he estimated it to weight about 130 lbs.

We kept traveling to different areas on the property but no to avail. No animals anywhere. As we entered a field about three hours into our ordeal we saw a pack of hens off in the distance. There were about 15 or 20. They were hard to count through the lens of the binoculars, but they were congregating and having a big party. Maybe it was a rainy day grub party.

Whatever the case, we edged closer and closer to get a peak. All hens. This was the opportunity.

“We’re going to corral them,” he said as we approached from the left. We did a semicircle until we got within about 40 yards of the hens. They were loud and having a big time.

“Your shot,” he added. “Pick one out and aim for its head.”

I looked down the barrel of the 12 gauge, slick and wet from the constant rain. I looked up as I took the safety off. There’s so many! Which one do I shoot?

I paused for a brief second before I shut my left eye and peered down the barrel again. I turned to the left as I found a group of hens mingling. All of a sudden, one hen extended its neck as if to say to its neighbor, “Hey! Stay out of my space! This is my ground to roost and dig for grubs!”

That’s the one! I waited until the hen brought its extended neck back up before I fired.

Ka-pow! Feathers flew up into the air, the flock of hens scattered off in all directions. Some flew and some bolted across the pasture like Olympic sprinters. I followed the trail of smoke and found not one but two hens ruffling their feathers and sprawled out on the backs on the ground.

TWO TURKEYS! I was beside myself. Mike finished off the paralyzed turkeys for good measure and then I let out some sort of yell. I don’t exactly remember how it went, but I can only imagine it was the type of yell that comes with killing one’s first turkey…or two in my case.

Upon further examination, I had nicked them both in the neck, right on target. Mike and I gutted the birds and cut off the legs and necks. It was a different experience, but I really didn’t mind the warm entrails of the hens I had just killed. I had just killed a Thanksgiving turkey after all. And two at that.

We drove home and shared our story with everyone else as we de-feathered the fowls and prepared them for the deep fryer the next day. It was an un-paralleled experience. As we enjoyed dinner, I then remembered my peanut butter sandwich in the car. It had been hours since breakfast, but in our pursuit for a turkey I had didn’t eat a thing. I wasn’t really that hungry, though, for lunch.

Looking back though, I didn’t have time nor a need for a sandwich. The hunt for a Thanksgiving turkey requires too much attention for one to get caught up in the details of what’s for lunch. Although I had never been hunting before, I felt like a forager of food that day before Thanksgiving.

And every time I will tell the story, I’ll make sure to say, “Not one turkey…TWO turkeys with the same shot!” A Thanksgiving to remember for sure.

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Can Manchester United Succeed Without New Signings?

Nathan Lowe — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 23:46:28 -0500

United manager Alex Ferguson recently ruled out any new signings this year for Manchester United because of a bloated transfer market.

It's a slightly ironic stance from a manager who profited $80m from selling Cristiano Ronaldo high and buying only Antonio Valencia as cover.

But the surplus in United's transfer kitty doesn't alone justify splashing cash in a transfer market exaggerated by Real Madrid's spending surfeit.

However, without seeking cover for his squad this season, does Ferguson sell short on United's chances for silverware this year?

The Red Devils in lying in reserve were showcased Wednesday at Old Trafford.

Despite earning some clear chances, it was same old, same new for United. Gibson and Anderson, like Fletcher and Carrick, generally controlled the midfield and passed the ball around the edges of Besiktas' half. When Obertan or Macheda went past a defender, the end result was a cross knifing across the box.

While that type of inside-out, horizontal play is United's hallmark over the current generation, there are no Beckhams to cross unerringly or Van Nistelrooys to finish decisively.

Though Valencia and Obertan have the pace and ability, respectively, to occasionally beat their full-back and cross, with Rooney or Owen in the middle ultimately fighting for headers, a hit-and-hope approach, when you truly need a goal, doesn't suffice.

Their most creative player, sorcerer Dmitar Berbatov, despite having the class to produce something from nothing, hasn't yet found the consistency or health to be that guy all the time. If they do trump Chelsea domestically and many more sides abroad, he'd have definitely had a good year.

So far, there's no doubt United are competing in Europe and domestically. But they don't have to look further than London to see a more well-rounded team, balanced with steel and liquidity.

United have the steel in defense, midfield, and with Rooney, in attack. But without Scholes time-travelling back eight years, the cut and counter of United's attacks are often replaced by security, control, and deliberation.

The difference from United's last three winning seasons and now is simply Ronaldo. In the past, he bailed United out with scorchers, parried or otherwise, from open play and free kicks. He'd earn them penalties too several times a year.

Other times a timely Vidic header, or a masterful Macheda debut sufficed to vent the most pressurized ties and add gloss to the table.

And it took a low probability, yet technically brilliant Darren Fletcher strike to breakthrough and open up Everton at the weekend.

Against Besiktas midweek, such fortune was lacking, and when it does, the weakness in United's 2009 squad is punctuated.

The time is probably not right to buy in January. Come May, Ferguson will have one of the few summers left in his reign to add the final, ineffable attribute to his incomplete squad after they likely finish without major silverware this year.

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“MLS Team America” Could It Work?

Bob Madaio — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 22:14:44 -0500

Yanks-Abroad is a great site. I read it near religiously. You should too.

The name alone, however, suggests its latent bias—one toward a preference for US players that are playing abroad, and a (general) disinterest in MLS. That made Brent Latham’s new Yanks Abroad piece “PHILLY..GO AMERICAN!” such a peculiar and interesting one. It is a worthy read, so I won’t recap it here, but needless to say he makes an interesting argument that the Philadelphia Union has a unique opportunity to go 100 percent American with its roster—and that it might actually be a good idea.

A thought provoking idea, for sure, but I am struggling with some of the surrounding analysis. Here are some themes or points Brent made that trouble me a bit.

The fact that more US players leading the scoring charts would “…fight a trend that threatens to make it less relevant on the international soccer scene.”

This depends on how you define international soccer “relevance”. I could see a few ways to build “relevance”:

A) MLS clubs start beating International club teams from top-leagues in something that matters,

B) MLS clubs compete for, or sign players who are respected/desired by European clubs or

C) MLS provides talent to International clubs that succeed in the best leagues.

MLS Clubs do not do “A” very frequently. Superliga—though entertaining—is a weak competition in terms of international respect—at least outside of Mexico. Well, perhaps within Mexico too... The MLS All Star Game? Good fun. But not “real” by any stretch of the imagination.

I would say that “B” almost REQUIRES the player to be an International, since any American player “coming home” provides a built-in excuse for the Euro’s to say he’s headed to MLS for “non-sporting reasons”. And for relevance, to me it is hard to name four bigger things MLS has done lately than the additions of David Beckham, Freddie Ljungberg, Cuauhtemoc Blanco, and perhaps Guillermo Barros Schelotto (Blanco might only add Mexican respect, and GBS may only add South American credibility, but still...). These players came and played hard, but they were not able to dominate the league.

The “C” option is likely where we have more chance and history of “relevance” in the international soccer community. Providing talent to European or other top-tier international teams. However, I think it matters little to the “international soccer scene” if the players we are growing, showcasing and/or selling come from the USA, New Zealand, Trinidad and Tobago, or anywhere else.

MLS will be relevant if it is successful as a feeder system to them, not for where those players come from. There is a difference between US Soccer relevance and MLS relevance.

Another general theme is: While Europe is probably the best place for a young American creative talent to develop, they might be well served with more options in the USA.

I generally agree—the more options for American players, the better. I think the evidence is out on if/when there is a right time to jump to Europe—especially for “creative” players. So many of our promising US Players end up floundering post transfer (Eddie Johnson and Freddy Adu are easy examples.). Would Landon Donovan be better if he stayed in (or went back to) to Europe? Maybe.

The interesting thing I struggle with here though, isn’t that more MLS options for creative/offensive American players in MLS is a bad thing—surely not—but the suggestion that including international players alongside them stunts their growth. Yes, there are only so many positions on the field, thus limiting overall chances when there’s an experienced foreign international player.

However, I’d be curious to measure (impossible, of course) what difference Carlos Valderamma made on Steve Ralston’s game. Or what effect Guillermo Barros Schelotto is having on Eddie Gaven, or Robbie Rodgers? Etc. Etc.

Hey, there are other successful clubs that do this, why not in Philly?

Examples of Chivas Guadalajara and Athletic Bilbao are given to prove that an “all local” team can survive, or even thrive. The problem I see is that both Chivas and Athletic have a terrific feeder system, and development capability (or at least, I suspect so) by which they can source (grow? groom?) local talent. (Especially Athletic, since Chivas can “buy” good Mexican talent more easily than Athletic can “buy” good Basque talent.) MLS clubs' development and youth programs are nascent, to be kind, and far from reliable. This presents a significant hurdle since one American-only club will have trouble out-bidding others for American talent in MLS.

So I’m against this “All American Team” thing, right?

No, not at all. In fact, in “What is a ‘Chivas’ anyway?” I suggested that—in a very different direction than the go-America theme—maybe Chivas USA blew it when they gave up their ambitious All-Latino goal. Why not have a themed team?

Brent rightly calls out some risks—but leans heavily on the “marketing value” associated with “Team USA” as a saving grace. That, however, might be the biggest risk. Do US fans still need some convincing that American players are the headliners? David Beckham isn’t here just because he hits good crosses and free-kicks, now is he?

Marketability—as well as capability—would be key to building such a team. I suspect Freddy Adu (“Wunderkind comes Home”) is looking for playing time. Maybe Jermaine Jones (“Loves the USA so much he Dumped Germany!”) is interested?

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Cristiano Ronaldo: Looking Strong After Ankle Injury

Sudip Bagui — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 21:53:11 -0500

Cristiano Ronaldo finally made his return for Real Madrid against Swiss team FC Zurich after 55 days of injury sustained against Marseille.

He came on for club captain Raul in the 70th minute, much to the delight of the Real Madrid supporters at the Santiago Bernabeu. In the 20 minutes that he played, he was able to display many of his mind-boggling tricks and even some goalscoring chances, and despite not playing for 6 weeks, he did not show any sign of rustiness.

Ronaldo's first touches were simple passes to other teammates. Later on, he was able to embark on some fantastic runs that caused a certain amount of panic in the Zurich backline.

Ronaldo was also able to show that he still hadn't lost his trickery by displaying a couple of stepovers and other tricks. Ronaldo was also able to shoot from about 20 yards out at one point. The shot was blocked and CR9 had another chance which he shot just wide.

Later on, Ronaldo passed to Granero for a give and go which Granero followed through on. Ronaldo was able to get a well placed shot but the keeper made a fine save to deny the world's most expensive player a goal on his return.

In the end, Ronaldo had a thoroughly satisfying performance in his return.

Rating: 7.2

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Arsenal vs. Chelsea: Pensioners to End Gunners Slim Hopes?

Willie Gannon — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 19:29:52 -0500

There are a couple of massive matches in the Premiership this weekend, Liverpool take on Everton, Spurs travel to Villa, but most eyes will be on the Emirates as Chelsea seek to extend their grip on the EPL title, and end Arsenal's slims hopes into the bargain.

So far this season the Pensioners have been the team to beat, bar two strangely muted performances that resulted in defeat against Aston Villa and Wigan, who were beaten by Spurs 9-1 last week.

There have been minor changes in the set-up at Chelsea since Carlo Ancellotti took over, but their 442-Diamond style formation has managed to bring the best out of a number of players whose days looked to be numbered at Stamford Bridge.

Didier Drogba's exploits last season have been well documented, but his change in temperament and high level of performance have marked him out as one of the EPL's top players so far this year. An added bonus for Drogba, is that Ancellotti is the first manager to have successfully paired him with Nicolas Anelka, and their combined attack has put the frighteners on all and sundry this term.

Add that to the re-emergence of Michael Ballack as a force to be reckoned with, Deco's return to form, Michael Essien's added penetration, and Frank Lampard's phenomenal consistency, and Chelsea easily have the best midfield and attack in the league.

Their defense is also quite brilliant too, lest we forget John Terry, Ashley Cole and Ricardo Carvalho.

In short, the Gunners will have it all to do if they are to stop this blue machine this weekend.

Frank Lampard is definitely out, while both Didier Drogba and Ballack returned to action in the Champions League win over Porto after missing the 4-0 win over Wolves.

The win over Mick McCarthy's newcomers was a real paint by the numbers affair. A Chelsea win was never in doubt, and a Florent Malouda wonder-goal after five minutes set up what turned out to be a very easy victory.

The key to Chelsea's domination of the EPL this season can be traced to a number of areas.

They always boasted the two of the best attacking full-backs in the league in Cole and Bosingwa, but whereas both Hiddink and Scolari based their teams on these players attacking prowess, Ancellotti has installed a little Italian steel. It is now unusual to see both players leave the back four at the same time.

If they do, then one of the midfielders slot right in to give the defence a solid three man base.

It is in midfield that Chelsea is better than any club in the EPL at the moment. While they start in a four man diamond formation, all four players are usually comfortable central midfielders and fluidly rotate positions with each other, giving the Pensioners a solid shape throughout the game.

Ballack, Essien, Lampard, and Deco, are all specialist central midfield players, so the narrow style adopted by Ancellotti suits them all perfectly, and if they swap position, they are still playing a very similar role for the team.

For Arsenal to win this match they will have to keep Chelsea's midfield occupied, and move them around the pitch, thus eliminating their ability to rotate so freely. While the Gunners wide players push right up onto the Blues marauding full-backs.

As mentioned before, Chelsea's forward line is formidable. And it will be very interesting to see how they get on against the Gunners smaller but more mobile defensive unit. However, if Chelsea do decide to go long, Drogba's physical presence would be almost too much for either Gallas or Vermaelan to handle.

For Arsenal to win this game, they will have to deal with Chelsea first, something Arsene Wenger does not usually ask his team to do.

So confident is the eminent Frenchman in his team's ability, he rarely changes his fluid system to suit his opponents.

But Chelsea are no mere team, and if Wenger wants to come out of this game with the three points he so desperately needs to keep Arsenal in touch for a title challenge, he will have to change some things around.

For a start, the Gunners wide players will need to push up and suffocate both of Chelsea's full backs, who so often begin many of the Blues attacks.

Andrei Arshavin has produced nothing like the mesmeric form that he is capable of this season, and it might come as a surprise to many, but he has only played the full 90 minutes twice this season.

His form has been patchy at best since mid-October and it still remains to be seen how he deals with Russia's elimination from the World Cup, and his row with three of his countrymen on the eve of the second leg.

On the right, Theo Walcott has returned to first team action just in time, but it is hard to see him play any more than a bit part come Sunday, so perhaps Emmanuel Eboue will be handed the dreaded task of keeping ex-Gunner Ashley Cole quiet.

Arsenal's only definite starter in midfield is Cesc Fabregas. Their young Spanish captain has been nothing short of phenomenal this season, and has easily been the best player the league has to show after its first 13 games.

Although Chelsea's great strength is midfield, it is somewhat ironic that it is here that Arsenal can do most damage.

This season, the Gunners have used a three man midfield with two wider supporting players for a lone striker.

With three in the middle, Arsenal has been able to out-man almost every opposition team they have come across. Even their bitter rivals, Spurs, changed their system to combat Arsenal's strength.

It worked as a stifling tactic for almost the entire first half, but once Arsenal went in front Spurs had to resort to a traditional 442 to chase the game, and then the Gunners took over and moved into cruise control as they ran out 3-0 winners.

The key for the Gunners will be who Wenger plays in the middle with Fabregas and Song.

Nasri and Denilson are only coming back to full fitness, Diaby is definitely out, Rosicky has not been able to retain his same level of fitness as from before his injury, and Ramsey is unlikely to be thrown in against Chelsea, at this stage of his development.

It would seem that Wenger will probably start with Rosicky, but replace him with either Nasri or Denilson, but in truth there is little to separate all three in the run up to the match.

Up front is where Arsenal's problems lie.

Robin Van Persie will be badly missed, the Dutchman has been in splendid form this year, but he only averages around 25 EPL games a year, so Wenger must have always factored losing him at some stage of the season.

His replacements are Niklas Bendtner, who has been struggling with a groin injury since September, and has only played 60 minutes of football since their 1-0 win over Fulham, and Eduardo.

The Croatian/Brazilian is another player who has struggled to reach his old fitness levels since returning from injury, and has only played a bit part this season, and most importantly he has yet to play more than 70 minutes in a single game.

If Arsenal do go 451 as expected, Eduardo will be expected to keep Terry and either Alex or Carvalho occupied all afternoon, and stop them from over loading the midfield in Chelsea's favour. Likewise, the Gunners wide players.

On paper it is hard to see Chelsea losing this game. While both teams are suffering from the loss of key personnel, the Pensioners have far more depth on the bench and thus the losses are more easily absorbed.

While it must be said that Arsenal do lack options on the bench when Van Persie is absent, so it is no wonder that rumours have begun to emerge regarding Arsene Wenger signing another forward in January.

If Chelsea win, then Arsenal will become embroiled in a five way tussle for third and fourth, and they will have slipped too far behind the Blues to be even considered challengers.

The win is not as essential to Carlo Ancellotti's as it is to Arsene Wenger's young guns, but you get the feeling that this Chelsea side want to make a statement of intent regarding their title credentials, and Arsenal could be right team in the wrong place at the wrong time.

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Juventus-Bordeaux: Juve Fail To Do Anything Right, Lose 2-0 In France

Danny Penza — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 18:04:14 -0500

With Juventus needing just a win against Bordeaux to advance to the Champions League knockout round, they might have laid their biggest egg of the entire season.

When the two teams faced off in Turin two months ago, it was a night full of frustration. The strikers couldn't finish, the midfield was dominated, and the defense had to rely on the best goalkeeper in the world to prevent the scoreline from being completely lopsided.

It was even worse Wednesday night.

Juve were dominated and dominated by a good amount in their 2-0 loss to the French champions. If you try and find positives about how the Old Lady played, good luck with that. It was just a terrible showing.

And that kind of dismal showing seemed to start right off the bat. Within minutes, Bordeaux were already putting pressure on the Juve backline. Just three minutes in, Gianluigi Buffon got his first singal that tonight was again going to be a busy one when he had to palm away a Jaroslov Plasil free kick.

Bordeaux kept coming from all angles and the Juve defense were clearly on their heels. They were not only dominating the possession, but dictating the pace of the game.

Plasil again came close to opening the scoring 10 minutes later, but shot his volley over the goal.

For Juventus, the opportunities were few and far between in the first half. Their first chance came midway through the first half when Giorgio Chiellini's downward header bounced inches over the crossbar.

However, Bordeaux was on the attack yet again. Marouane Chamakh, who was an injury doubt before the game, sprung the offsides trap and went in one-on-one against Buffon. Much like their first meeting, Buffon came up huge at the perfect time and denied Chamakh by beating away his close-range effort.

Buffon was again needed in stoppages. This time it was Yoan Gouffran with the effort trying one from long range and again Buffon keeping the game scoreless.

The second half started much like the first. Juve manager changed up his tactics, moving Alessandro Del Piero from the left flank to a more natural spot up top with Amauri. But it wasn't working, Juve were clearly struggling against Bordeaux and themselves.

Bordeaux got the much-deserved opener 10 minutes into the second half. It was again Plasil on the end of a free kick, Fernando on the end of it, and this time Buffon couldn't do anything about it. Chalk that up as another goal from a set piece for Laurent Blanc's boys.

No fault to Buffon as both Amauri and Felipe Melo made absolutely no effort to try and head the ball out of the box before it found Fernando.

Juve did fight back and had two chances to level the score within minutes of one another. First it was Felipe Melo trying to recreate the goal he scored against Atalanta three weeks ago with a screamer from long-range—but this time it went over the bar. Diego did get a fierce strike on target, stinging Bordeaux keeper Cedric Carrasso's palms.

And then it was the chance that summed up the night for Juventus.

After Del Piero somehow managed to chip the ball through two defenders, both Amauri and Diego were waiting for it inside the six-yard box. The problem was, neither of them put it away, with the ball bouncing off Diego's thigh and out for a goal kick.

Minutes later, Ferrara introduced primavera striker Ciro Immobile for Del Piero. With Amauri struggling mightily to get involved in the game, you would have thought it would be him that Immobile replaced, but it was the captain making way for the youngster.

Bordeaux came right back and nearly made it 2-0. Benoit Tremoulinas took rip at one that bounced off a Juve defender, leaving Buffon for dead. Luckily for Juve, the ball trickled wide of goal and out for a corner.

Ferrara continued his strange string of subs with 13 minutes to go—this time bringing on Sebastian Giovinco for Amauri and leaving Immobile as the lone striker up top.

Bordeaux again came close to doubling their lead and again it was Buffon denying the effort. This time it was defender Marc Planus trying to get one past the Italian wall in goal with a blast towards the back post. Buffon had it covered and parried it away.

Then in stoppages Bordeaux did get their second goal of the night. And what a surprise, it was on a set piece with blown marking. This time it was Martin Caceres letting Chamakh get free and finsh a convincing win with beast of a header.

All but one of their goals this year in the Champions League have come from set pieces. You would think Juve would know how dangerous they are in those kinds of situations.

With the loss and Bayern Munich's win against Maccabi Haifa, Juve have to beat or draw against their German counterpart in two weeks in Turin—something every person was hoping wouldn't be the case.

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When the Reds Go Marching Out; Now Who Are We to Blame, Liverpool?

Michelle Alves — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 15:00:40 -0500

An unconvincing victory after a long spell of bad luck proved to be insignificant for Liverpool FC, and instead of a miraculous lifeline into the Champions League, they were faced with elimination and a lot of ridicule.

Not only are they now left to deal with not being in the top four of the premier league, injuries, and a manager under scrutiny, Liverpool are also facing financial issues that seem to be getting worse.

As a Liverpool fan, what follows this defeat is embarrassment. It’s not fun to be mocked and to picture Sir Alex Ferguson’s delighted sneer at the final whistle of last night’s game. We all know of his attempt at working his mind games on Rafael and it might be believed that he had some effect in leading Liverpool's downfall. However, all that is left to happen now is the blame game.

Who are we going to blame now? Ferguson? Benitez? The players? The physiotherapist?? Every time something goes wrong, people look for someone to turn the blame to. It can’t always work this way. Global warming isn’t the result of one factory’s pollution, but a combined effort in destroying planet earth.

How long will this continue? Maybe someone needs to get to the bottom of this, but what we really don’t need right now is someone to point fingers at.

If you look into it one person at a time, you’ll realise that no person single-handedly led Liverpool to its sad fate.

Rafael Benitez

Quite a few people have been saying that the manager is to blame. I don’t think so. This is still the same manager we had back in 2005 when we won the Champions League, made the finals back in 2007, and when we reached the quater’s the following year. He hasn’t changed, so one season with no Champions League success and suddenly all fingers are pointed at him?

Admittedly, he has had no luck with the Premier League, but so far in the last 19 years, no one has. Wenger hasn’t won a single Champions League trophy and made the finals only once, yet he’s still a top manager and it can’t be denied. He’s had a few bad signings, but hasn’t Ferguson, too? But so far he’s been one of the most successful managers.

Last-minute goals conceded also aren’t Benitez’ fault. If a team is playing well for the first 80 minutes and concedes two goals in 10 minutes, how can you turn the blame onto the manager? Was it Benitez’ fault that some fan threw that beach ball on to the field? He is a smart man that’s previously been very successful in the Champions League; sure he’s made a few very weird substitutions, but it seemed more like a desperate attempt to revive a semi-injured team.

Injuries

Every team faces injuries and we had our share of them last season. Torres was missing for quite a while, as well as Steven Gerrard for games against Chelsea and United. Even with injuries, they managed to make it to second place as well as make it to the quarter finals last year; but yes, this year was much worse.

More than 10 injuries since the start of the season? That can’t be of any help; and yes, it could be the reason why Liverpool isn’t working, too many injuries lead to too many changes, but you can blame no one for injuries. Their training will always be spot on and diets perfect. If someone takes a bad knock at the game, it’s all part of football.

Financial Issues

Although lack of proper financial support is another addition to the list of reasons why Liverpool has faltered this season, it cannot be completely because of it. It’s not as if Liverpool were mighty rich before this season and suddenly couldn’t afford anything, even proper shoes and shirts.

Sure, we could have used a new striker and some proper help in defence, but minus Alonso and Arbeloa, we had the same team the previous seasons and it didn’t go too badly. We can blame the owners for not being supportive enough, but blaming them isn’t going to make them drop a pool of cash on the team. If only it would....

Alonso

Yes, I’ll admit that in my head his departure is probably the biggest reason why Liverpool have not been performing up to par. It’s like a puzzle; you remove the centre piece and no matter how much you try to cover it up, unless you find a piece of an equal fit, things will seem incomplete. This is exactly the case for Liverpool; players like Lucas can never be the right fit, but this cannot be used as an excuse.

United lost a key player in Cristiano Ronaldo at the same time, yet are performing much better in both the Premier and Champions League. Liverpool are not a one-man team, how many times has it been said? We cannot leave all our blame on the departure of one player and then claim not to be a one-man team.

Maybe all of these factors put together have led Liverpool to their breakdown, but it certainly isn’t just one of them. Winning is a collective effort and losing can’t just be the work of one person. By blaming Rafael Benitez, or individual players, we’re not standing together. “You’ll Never Walk Alone” isn’t only for the good times. Supporting Liverpool is like being in a relationship, you can’t stick by them through the good days when there are the bad days to handle too.

Here’s a great team, with a truly magnificent history, but it can’t always be perfect. I’m sure Shankly, Paisley, and Houllier had their bad days, too, and had times where things seemed impossible at that moment, but they slowly built Liverpool as a team, making them a feared name till date.

Players have come and gone, great players like Rush, Dalglish, and even Robbie Fowler, but things didn’t deteriorate once they left. Like any great club, Liverpool will continue to improve through the season and hopefully learn from their mistakes in the next; till then it’s only right to avoid the blame game and enjoy the football.

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Why Landon Donovan Going to Mexico's Club América Makes Sense

Eric Gomez — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 14:56:29 -0500

Cocky. Arrogant. Despicable.

Just a few of the choice words that Mexican fans have thrown Landon Donovan's way in the past decade.

Ever since the American's first experience against Mexico—an October 25, 2000 match in which he scored a goal—Donovan has been a perennial thorn in El Tri's side.

Despite only scoring four of his 42 international goals against them, they've all seemingly come at the worst possible times.

Case in point, his goal in 2002 was on the biggest possible stage, a World Cup. Donovan's header put the Americans up 2-0 and essentially deflated Mexico from any comeback.

The loss eliminated Mexico from the World Cup.

With Donovan being too good for MLS and yet failing in his attempts to excel in Europe, the 27-year-old midfielder's last chance at international relevance could very well come from the same country that professes a blatant hatred for him.

The perfect fit?

A team described as cocky, arrogant and despicable, among other things.

Club América of Mexico is a perennially polarizing figure.

Either completely adored or completely reviled, the yellow-clad Mexico City squad is one of the country's most successful.

Since the professional league was founded in 1943, the América Eagles have won a total of 21 domestic titles including league and cup championships, as well as eight international conquests.

They are one half of the country's most heated rivalry along with Chivas de Guadalajara, and are a common fixture in the Mexican postseason.

América, owned by Mexican television giant Televisa, also has a liberal spending policy able to attract the likes of Dirceu, Claudio López, Oscar Ruggeri, Iván Zamorano, Ilie Dumitrescu, Djalminha and Hugo Sánchez over the course of their history.

Thus, Donovan would be able to make a large sum of money without venturing too far out from his home country.

With the loss of Cuauhtémoc Blanco to the MLS and now to Veracruz, América are in search of a fiery leader with oodles of talent to direct the midfield. Donovan fits the bill.

Despite being a midfielder by trade, Donovan has more than 100 goals in his career, and is multi-functional, being equally adept to playing on the wing or towards the middle.

With a top striker like Salvador Cabañas prowling opposing boxes, Donovan would be a perfect addition to a midfield that already boasts Argentine international Daniel Montenegro.

The move would also benefit the U.S. men's national team, too.

Donovan's stellar record against Mexico has been tarnished somewhat by his inability to beat them at Estadio Azteca, El Tri's home stadium and a place where they've lost only once in a World Cup qualifying competition.

The Los Angeles Galaxy star has yet to score there.

By continually exposing Donovan to the harsh conditions that Azteca serves up (altitude and air contamination leading to extreme fatigue), Landon would no longer be a stranger to atmospheric adversity when playing against Mexico in future matches.

Finally, a move like this would revitalize Donovan's career, which has become stagnant. Even by losing the MLS Cup against Real Salt Lake this season, Landon has conquered the American scene.

With three league championships, six Player of the Year awards and being named to the All-Time MLS Best XI, Donovan has thoroughly conquered the league.

While former American stars such as Tab Ramos, Eric Wynalda and Marcelo Balboa have tried their luck in Mexico, none have left a truly lasting mark.

The possibility of adding to Mexico's most powerful club's trophy case, while making millions of dollars and winning some of the sport's most difficult fans?

Well, it wouldn't make Landon Donovan any less cocky.

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Theo Walcott Returns With Plenty To Prove For Arsenal and England

Alex Stamp — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:26:26 -0500

With his rivals for a World Cup spot advancing their case in his absence, and his club team mates once more proving that there is life without him despite Saturday's 1-0 loss away to Sunderland, the next eight months could be crucial in the young career of Theo Walcott.

Just over a year, Walcott finally began to emerge from his chrysalis with some starring roles for Arsenal and most famously a hat-trick for England in Zagreb as Croatia were put to the sword.

All of a sudden, Theo Walcott's star was firmly in the ascendant.

Unfortunately, sustaining such heights was never likely to happen. His tough luck with injuries caught up with him, and when he returned, he has struggled with his form. Towards the end of the season, as expectations were naturally inflated, bar the odd flashes of brilliance—especially a neat lob against Villarreal, Walcott struggled.

In two matches against Manchester United in the Champions League Semi-Final, he barely had a kick as Patrice Evra utterly dominated their much anticipated duel.

Then, much to Wenger's chagrin, he was whisked off to the European Under 21 Championships, where he appeared well off the pace and in the final looked a little boy lost as Germany and their wonderboy Mezut Ozil ran riot.

Now, after an injury-hit start to the season, Walcott now must face up to the reality of his situation that after a fallow year, the time has come for the real Theo Walcott to stand up.

For England, the resurgence of Aaron Lennon—whose end product has improved considerably, and is probably England's best hope to run at a full back, has placed his starting berth for the World Cup in real doubt. Plus with the options of the versatile James Milner and the perennial squad man David Beckham, Walcott finds his case for inclusion is far weaker than before.

Meanwhile Arsenal's return to form this season, has been largely without Walcott, as Arsene Wenger has seemingly discovered a wealth of young, attacking players. The onus is on Walcott himself to prove his worth for both his country and his club.

When he is on form, and free of injury there is little doubt what an asset he can be. A coruscating runner, and perhaps one of the quickest players England has produced since Michael Owen was in his prime, his ability to provide a cutting edge for his side makes him such an asset.

Even at Arsenal, hardly a team of slouches, Walcott's pace and ability to break with speed is an enviable quality to have, and will boost a team whose attacking ranks have taken blows because of injuries to Van Persie and Bendtner. With his contemporaries at Arsenal clearly making significant strides, Walcott must prove his own development has made similar progress.

Meanwhile for England, a team whose midfield lacks mobility even at full strength, he could potentially be even more key. Pace, as has forever been reported, is a quality the top international teams have.

Brazil has Kaka, Robinho, Nilmar and Ramires, Spain has Silva, Iniesta, Villa and Torres. Even France, whose place is so contentiously debate, has the likes of Ribery, Malouda, Henry and Benzema.

Hence why, in a team lacking in speedsters, Capello is so keen to accommodate Walcott. Yet for a man whose mantra for selection is based on form and fitness, Walcott's absence has been inevitable through all his struggles.

Yet now, with fitness no longer an issue, Walcott must step up and prove his form after months of fallow. Should he recapture that scintillating form which so marked the productive purple patch of his career then he could be a real asset for both club and country, but now is the time to prove it.

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Philadelphia Independence Names Louise Waxler as Associate GM

Kat Galsim — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 12:17:05 -0500

The Philadelphia Independence is proud to announce that Louise Waxler is joining its front office on Dec. 1 as its Associate General Manager and Director of Operations.

Louise is recognized as one of the bedrock pioneers that has brought women’s professional soccer to the forefront of sports in the United States. Her credentials span executive leadership, operational planning and execution, and corporate construction, as well as sports PR and events management.

Team President/CEO David Halstead stated, “Louise brings to our organization a maturity in thinking about how to become fully integrated into the Philadelphia communities. She has successfully directed numerous women’s and youth soccer initiatives and understands all the key components required to deliver a superior fan experience to everyone following the Independence.

"She is well-known throughout the mid-Atlantic soccer world and strengthens our credibility in the areas of operations, venue management, player services, outreach programs, and youth development.”

Says team GM Terry Foley, “When we began advertising this position, we were hoping to find someone with Louise’s knowledge, expertise, reputation, established working relationships, and commitment to the success of women’s professional soccer. We could not have found a better candidate to fulfill these roles for our franchise. I have known and worked with Louise for many years, and there is no question that our staff, our fans, and the league will grow to appreciate Louise and what she does for us.”

For more than 20 years, Louise has served in key roles of professional and amateur sports management within the Maryland, DC, and Virginia soccer communities, as well as on the national and international levels for soccer expansion and governance. Most recently, she served as the Director of Operations for the WPS Washington Freedom where she managed all team, venue, and game day operations for the franchise.

Louise has been a member of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) since 1991 and served in several distinctive positions within that organization, including President, Women’s Committee Chairperson, Youth Representative, and Board of Directors.

She was Maryland’s FIFA Women’s World Cup National Coalition Chair and currently serves as Executive Vice President of the Maryland State Youth Soccer Association Board of Directors.

Louise is widely recognized and respected for her experience running youth and professional sports and soccer events. She served as Director of the Washington Area Girls Soccer Tournament, RFK Stadium Director for Women’s World Cup Tournament, was a member of the staff at the Adidas/Disney International Youth Soccer Tournament, and served as Director of Discovery Cup Soccer Tournament and Columbia Invitational Soccer Tournament.

The previous story is excerpted from a press release by the Philadelphia Independence of the WPS. Kat Galsim is a freelance writer for Bleacher Report and Sports, Then and Now and serves as the beat writer for the Washington Freedom. PHOTO CREDIT: www.womensprosoccer.com

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Lilly's Views On Unsportswomanlike Conduct During "Greater Boston" Show

Todd Civin — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 11:59:57 -0500

Boston Breaker and US National Team star Kristine Lilly appeared last night on "Greater Boston", a Boston based talk show on WGBH Channel 2 Boston, and spoke in detail about the recent violent incidents in woman's high school and collegiate soccer.

Appearing with Dan Lebowitz, Executive Director of Sport in Society at Northeastern University, Lilly spoke candidly with show host Jared Bowen about the well publicized incidents that happened recently at a high school in Woonsocket, Rhode Island and a college game in New Mexico. In each of these incidents video footage has been blasted across the Internet showing the violent actions of women players during soccer games.

"I think it's an incident that you don't see frequently," explained Lilly, who sees the incidents as isolated and made more newsworthy by Youtube. "The part for me that's hard is the game of soccer is so great and then it's focused on that. That's the part we need to bring back and show the great game of soccer."

"That's what Women's Professional Soccer and the Boston Breakers is trying to show."

Lebowitz agreed with Lilly that if the events had happened 20 years ago before the advent of Youtube, the incidents wouldn't have received national attention.

"For that to become the face of New England women's soccer, or for the New Mexico incident to become the face of women's collegiate soccer is just wrong," explained Lebowitz. "When you really look at the growth of women's sports, it's a beautiful growth.

He continued, "It's a growth about healthy development of young women. It's about cognitive development and conflict resolution. It's about competitive spirit and cooperative spirit and working together."

Lebowitz explained that through the media glamorization of incidents like these it "takes away from what sport really is."

Lilly has quickly become the face of Women's Soccer in Boston after starring for the Breakers in their maiden season in the WPS last season. Together with stars Kelly Smith and Alex Scott, Lilly led the Breakers to a 5-7-4 record last season, their first in the newly reformed WPS.

Greater Boston is aired nightly at 7 P.M. on Boston's WGBH Channel 2.

WGBH is PBS’s single largest producer of content for television (prime-time and children’s programs) and the Web. WGBH also is a major supplier of programs heard nationally on public radio. And is a pioneer in educational multimedia and in media access technologies for people with hearing or vision loss.

The previous story is excerpted from a press release by WGBH TV and is reprinted by Bleacher Report writer Todd Civin. Civin is a freelance writer who works as part of the coverage team for the Boston Breakers of the WPS.

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Liverpool's Embarassing Europe Failure Brings Back Memories of UEFA Cup

Sam Dalton — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 10:27:17 -0500

Remember the time when Gerard Houllier was leading Liverpool into the UEFA Cup almost every year? Remember the time when Djimi Traore and Igor Biscan were in Liverpool’s starting line-up? Remember the time when Steven Gerrard was sliding into advertising hoardings on muddy pitches in tiny East-European countries?

Following their embarrassing exit from the Champions League on Tuesday night, this is the standard Liverpool must return to.

After Rafa Benitez’s transformation of Liverpool since 2004, Reds fans have not had to experience the lowly UEFA Cup, or the Europa League as it is now called, since Houllier was manager. They thought those days were over.

A return to the Europa League also means a return to Channel Five or ITV4 for Liverpool. Second-rate competition, second-rate coverage. Move over Richard Keys and Andy Gray, Colin Murray and Pat Nevin are about to analyse Liverpool’s European adventure.

Unfortunately that adventure will now take place along the B roads of Europe, in stadiums occupied by Heerenveen and Hapoel Tel-Aviv rather than Real Madrid and Barcelona. Big European nights will no longer have that special underdog atmosphere to them, when the Kop has previously roared for their team to defeat giants like Inter Milan and Chelsea.

Liverpool will now be expected to coast through the Europa League and to lift the trophy in May after seeing off the main challenges of Shakhtar Donetsk, Valencia and Roma. While there are other good teams in the competition like Werder Bremen, Hamburg, Benfica and Villarreal, Liverpool still undoubtedly have the strongest team in the Europa League. Who else has a Steven Gerrard or a Fernando Torres?

Even if Liverpool do lift the Europa League at the Volksparkstadion in Hamburg on May 12, their European season will still be considered a failure. Though he won the UEFA Cup with Valencia, Benitez has been used to Champions League football with Liverpool, qualifying for the tournament in every season he has been at the club, though they only qualified in 2005 due to winning the competition.

Liverpool have also always made it through the group stage under the Spaniard’s stewardship, though they have had some memorable scares, most notably in Benitez’s first season when Steven Gerrard scored a dramatic late goal to see off Olympiakos with Liverpool minutes from exit.

Once past the group stages, Liverpool have enjoyed some truly magnificent occasions in the later rounds of the Champions League under Benitez. There were spectacular European nights at Anfield against Bayern Leverkusen, Juventus and Chelsea in Benitez’s first season alone.

Then there was Istanbul, when a squad put together by Houllier was directed by Benitez to European glory in the most astonishing circumstances.

Benitez also guided Liverpool to the Champions League final in 2007, when AC Milan were fortunate to win 2-1 in Athens. Countless other European scalps have been pulled against the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid, Inter Milan and Arsenal. Who could forget those remarkable victories at the San Siro, the Nou Camp, and the Bernabeu?

But Benitez will no longer be taking part in the Champions League this season, the competition he has made his speciality at Liverpool. Injuries, last-minute goals and bad defending have contributed to Liverpool’s condemnation to the Europa League this season, the competition that Gerard Houllier made his speciality. Remember the time?

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Liverpool Out of Champions League

David Wilson — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 09:06:18 -0500

Rafa Benitez’s miserable season at Liverpool continues as they were knocked out of the Champions League despite winning 1-0 in Hungary.

Liverpool players and fans will talk about the Europa Cup and how they look forward to playing in that tournament next year. That is all talk. This is a huge blow to Liverpool, and not just because of the financial implications.

The Champions League is the best club tournament in the world. Teams are able to attract and sign stars by offering them a chance to play against the best in the CL. With Liverpool not making the knockout stages, and in serious difficulties of even qualifying next season, Rafa is going to have a lot of trouble not only attracting the best players to Liverpool, but also keeping the ones he has.

Winning the Europa League is a nice, but at the end of the day, the kop doesn’t care. Liverpool is all about winning Championships and European Cups. Anything else is a disappointment.

Elsewhere on Tuesday, Barcelona showed why they are still the best team in Europe as they took apart Jose Mourinho’s Inter Milan 2-0 at the Nou Camp without Messi and Ibrahamovic. Inter need to a point at home to Russian Champions Rubin Kazan to go through to the knockout stages. If Inter don’t qualify, the Special One will be looking for a new job next season.

Two teams that did reach the knockout stages were Arsenal , who beat Standard Liege 2-0 at home, and Fiorentina, who beat Olympique Lyon 1-0.

These two teams join Bordeaux, Manchester United , Chelsea , Porto, Olympique Lyon, and Sevilla in the next round.

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Ten Greatest Comebacks Wins in European Football History

Andrew Jordan — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 07:58:07 -0500

Throughout the history of european football, there have been many great comebacks that have changed seasons, careers, and the fate of clubs and/or countries in the process. From a multiple goal comeback to a comeback in stoppage time, these moments are incredible for the fan who is watching the game, and is always a great moment whenever your team wins. With this in mind, I created a list of the ten greatest comebacks in european football history, all of which were incredible wins and will be remembered by fans everywhere for years to come.

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Sky Blue FC Coach Pauliina Miettinen Answers a Few Before Leaving Home

Todd Civin — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 07:34:03 -0500

On the eve of her departure from her native Finland and to the shores of the East Coast and New Jersey, Sky Blue FC had a chance to catch up with Head Coach Pauliina Miettinen.

Q: How is it going with your player acquisitions and preparation for the draft?

A: I think it is going very well. We're just about done with internationals, and we're preparing for the (college) draft. I'm excited for both the draft and the Open Tryouts, and to get the best we can. I believe we need the best possible 22 players, and that includes developmental, and for all of them to be high quality.

Q: What is process of building a team like?

A: Because I'm currently in Europe, I've had more activity here, and less contact on the U.S. side. Here in Europe, I've seen as many national team games as I can. I travel to Sweden and Iceland to see teams train. It's a lot of traveling.

And that's exciting—always to see players in a new environment, and in different leagues. My U.S. connection will be increasing when I move there next week. Then, I'll place all my efforts there. I feel all the international players and issues need to be settled before I leave though.

Q: What are, in fact, the advantages or disadvantages of being in Europe?

A: I think it's an advantage to be here. A lot of countries are very close together. It is easy to fly, or drive, to see a game. I can talk to a lot of players, and talk to others about them and their personalities. A lot of Finns are playing in Norway and Sweden, and I get a lot of insight and help from them.

Q: So you see them in the game, and then you further "network" to research them?

A: Yes, you talk a lot, and not only about them playing-wise. And you also want to know about their play over the long term. You might see them once or twice, say in the Euros (Championships). In that time, they may have a good or bad game. You also want to talk to others about how they play on a regular basis. I also want to know what they are really like, day-to-day, and also about their personality.

Q: What would you say to those players eligible for the team's open tryouts in December?

A: If I were at this stage of my career, and hoping to play in a pro league, it's a one-time possibility, and a chance of a lifetime. A player can really be sharp one or two times, such as in these tryouts, and that might be enough to convince a coach.

She might play very well and be successful. And this is also a chance to play against the competition you've always wanted to.

It's a chance for the players to shine at the right time. For those who are ready, it's a great time to be a star and make their dream come true.

I just hope were going to see the best people at the tryouts. If your dream is still alive, give us a chance to see you play. You're not going to get seen if you don't show up! I want to see a lot of people, and see how many of them want to put their whole heart into it.

Q: What will you do first when you get here?

A: After I settle in, I'll be traveling to Texas for the women's college Final Four. I love watching the top teams play. It's been interesting following the college results. I've seen the tournaments and other games online. Then, we are on to the open tryouts, the WinterFest and all the other clinics and activities. I'm anxious to get to work!

OPEN TRYOUTS: Sky Blue FC recently announced a pair of open tryouts that will take place on December 15-16th and January 5-6th at Robbinsville Field House at 153 Manor Way in Robbinsville, New Jersey. Registration for each player combine is $75 and must be paid through the Sky Blue FC online registration that is listed below.

The registration deadline for the December tryout is Thursday, December 10th, and the deadline for the January combine is Tuesday, December 29th. Hotel and additional information is also available on the online registration page.

December 15-16: Click here to register! January 5-6: Click here to register!

Each session of the open tryouts will run from 1-5:30 pm, and the combines will include both tactical and technical training that will be led by the Sky Blue FC coaching staff. Players must arrive game-ready (cleats, no screw-ins) and be prepared to participate on both days of their respective combine.

ABOUT SKY BLUE FC
Operated by Sky Blue Soccer, Sky Blue FC is the New Jersey/New York franchise in Women's Professional Soccer. In 2009, Sky Blue FC captured the inaugural WPS Championship presented by MedImmune with an inspirational run through the playoffs.

Sky Blue FC plays its home matches at Yurcak Field on the campus of Rutgers University in Piscataway, New Jersey. For season ticket information, visit www.SkyBlueFC.com

ABOUT WOMEN'S PROFESSIONAL SOCCER (WPS)
Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) is the premier women's soccer league in the world and the global standard by which women's professional sports are measured. The Inaugural Season kicked off in March 2009 with seven WPS teams based in the Bay Area, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New Jersey/New York, St. Louis, and Washington, D.C.

The league's eighth and ninth franchises, Philadelphia and Atlanta, will begin play in the 2010 WPS Season, which kicks-off March 2010. For more information and tickets, visit www.womensprosoccer.com.

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