“Why do I care about the Golden Boot? What does it matter to me as a lover of a club? The Golden Boot doesn’t guarantee titles (eh, Mr Anelka?) or even European placement (eh, Mr Phillips?) It is glory for the individual in a collective endeavor and should be a mere footnote to the supporter who hungers for team glory. ‘Should’ being the operative word. I’m desparate to see Fernando Torres make the Golden Boot his own.” (EPL Talk)

“WITH exactly 300 days to go before the first ball of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ is kicked, the City has made big strides to ensure the event is a big success – from building world-class stadiums to generating excitement. Signing the lease Today marks yet another milestone in the road to the World Cup, with less than a year to go to one of the most exciting World Cups ever.” (Joburg)

“With the new Premier League season underway tomorrow, numerous players will be making their debuts – and with it comes the chance to make a name for themselves.” (Independent)

Azteca Stadium
“A tense second half ends the way all but one previous U.S.-Mexico encounter at Azteca has ended. El Tri are victorious, giving Coach Javier Aguirre his second consecutive win over the United States and boosting the national morale.” (NYT)

A Line Was Drawn at Estadio Azteca
“They would not give up their domination of their region, not in their home, not to the Americans. To a sports fan, sitting back and watching, it was admirable, the way the Mexican team regrouped, facing the disaster of a loss in Estadio Azteca.” (NYT – George Vecsey)

Player Ratings: U.S. vs. Mexico
“What a difference two weeks made … until it didn’t. For 82 pressure-packed minutes at Azteca Stadium, the United States held Mexico at arms length in a critical Concacaf World Cup qualifier between the region’s two giants.” (NYT)

Mexico Restores Order to Its Universe
“The United States took its first lead in four decades of playing soccer at Estadio Azteca on Wednesday, but the advantage proved as thin and gasping as the air at high altitude. Meanwhile, Mexico played with great patience, controlling possession along with its emotions, remaining serene despite enormous pressure not to lose at home for the first time to the Americans and further jeopardize its ability to qualify for the 2010 World Cup.” (NYT)

USA falls at Azteca again as Mexico nets late winner
“The Americans almost escaped Estadio Azteca with a point, but Mexico kepts its cool and created the game-winning chance it needed. Miguel Sabah’s 82nd minute goal off a Jay DeMerit deflection gave Mexico a 2-1 victory against the United States and breathed some much-needed life in ‘El Tri’s’ World Cup qualifying hopes.” (Soccer By Ives – V)

USA vs. Mexico (Matchday Commentary)
“The time has finally arrived. The U.S. men’s national team is in Estadio Azteca today to take on Mexico in a crucial World Cup qualifier in Mexico City. The Americans have never beaten Mexico in Mexico, but come in riding the confidence of a strong showing in this summer’s Confederation’s Cup.” (Soccer By Ives)

Mexico – USA: We Are Quasi-Live-Blogging This
“Come and hang out around, say, 3:55 pm Eastern, for a sort of live blog of the USA-Mexico game. This isn’t going to be the kind of live blog where I print the team sheets and, you know, write a lot of “things” designed to “help” the fan who isn’t watching the match. This is going to be more like an occasionally-updating commentary track.” (Run of Play)

“Whether the northern heavyweights are successful will largely depend on who leaves the club before the transfer window closes. So far, they have lost top scorer Lisandro Lopez and versatile left-back Aly Cissokho to Lyon, while influential midfielder Lucho Gonzalez has joined Marseille. To soften the blow, Argentinian playmaker Fernando Belluschi from Olympiakos and Colombian striker Radamel Falcao (River Plate) have been brought in. The pressure will be on coach Jesualdo Ferreira to make those new pieces fit in his puzzle and keep the championship streak going.” (World Soccer)

“It is hard to imagine that Parma were once the cream of Serie A – hamming it up as part of the ‘seven sisters’ of top-flight Italian football and serving-up a veritable feast of exciting action across Europe. Fabio Cannavaro, Lillian Thuram, Gigi Buffon, Hernan Crespo and Juan Sebastian Veron were just some of the star names to wear the shirt in the mid-90s and early noughties.” (FourFourTwo)

“As a young star-struck kid, like most of my peers, my unswerving ambition was to meet some of my heroes (all footballers needless to say), get an autograph… a photograph even, and become the envy of my football crazy mates. It never actually happened though! My being in Dublin and my heroes hanging-out in Manchester didn’t help and, in truth, I never actually had a cohesive strategy…just a distant dream.” (SoccerLens)

“Note: After last week’s unplanned hiatus, it’s time to get this story moving. That’s right: we’re covering the entire 2020-2021 season in one day, in an epic, two-part update. The following is an excerpt from the bestselling Pro: How a Small-Town Team Defied the Odds and Conquered the World of Soccer, by an unnamed reporter from worldsoccer.com, which was recently published by the Jeeves imprint of Snirp WorldSports.” (Run of Play), Pro Vercelli: Stalking Catastrophe with Hardcover Nonfiction, Part II – (Run of Play)

Nicolas Poussin, Autumn
“Jermain Defoe struck twice as England came from two goals down at the interval against the Netherlands to earn a creditable draw in Amsterdam. Dirk Kuyt and Rafael Van der Vaart punished errors by Rio Ferdinand and Gareth Barry to give the Dutch control.” (BBC)
Capello in total control as England seek higher level (Independent)
Netherlands 2-2 England: Defoe’s deadly double (ESPN)
Holland 2 England 2: match report (Telegraph)
Football: Holland v England (Guardian)

Pedersen double helps Norway crush Scotland
“Gary Caldwell was sent off as Scotland’s World Cup hopes unravelled in spectacular fashion against Norway in the Ullevaal Stadium. The Celtic player picked up two yellow cards within a minute in the first half, the second of which allowed John Arne Riise to fire in the opener from the resultant free-kick.” (ESPN)
Norway 4-0 Scotland (BBC)

Russia 2-3 Argentina: Aguero & Lopez on target
“Inspired substitutions proved the difference as Diego Maradona’s Argentina came from behind to beat Guus Hiddink’s Russia in a friendly in Moscow. Lisandro Lopez and Jesus Datolo both scored within seconds of coming on to give Argentina a 3-1 lead before Russian substitute Roman Pavluchenko pulled one back for the home side with 10 minutes remaining.” (ESPN)
Argentina’s Favorite Sport in Trouble (NYT)

Wednesday, 12 August 2009 (espn)

Football tables(BBC)

“Soccer is as much a religion in Argentina as it is in arch rival Brazil. So it is almost beyond belief that Aug. 14, opening day of the main league competition, Primera A, will pass without a ball being kicked. The Argentine Football Association (AFA), the game’s governing body in the country, had postponed indefinitely all games in the Primera A, along with those in the second and regional divisions, because of the clubs’ estimated $300 million in debt, $180 million of which is thought to be owed by the 20 Primera A clubs.” (Forbes)

“We are all familiar with the feints, the look-away passes, the surgical free kicks that made the world’s football fans fall in love with Ronaldinho. Even those who were not Brazilian or Barcelona fans could not argue that “the force” was strong with this one.
Remember that game against Real Madrid (you know the one) where he scored two of the most amazing goals that will be forever imprinted in the memories of Real Madrid fans. The whole Bernabeu audience stood up in awe of this great athlete.” (Bleacher Report)

“Reports in Spain suggest Hull City have completed the signing of Algerian forward Kamel Ghilas from Celta Vigo.” (BBC)

“The massive bowl, Estadio Azteca, sits in the southern part of this sprawling metropolis like a concrete sombrero. The stadium’s mystique — especially its 105,000 spectators and its 7,200-foot altitude — will play an integral role Wednesday in a World Cup qualifying match between Mexico and the United States.” (NYT)

Mexico Tries to Reclaim Soccer Rivalry With U.S.
“When Mexico was a dominant regional soccer power, the 7,200-foot altitude of Estadio Azteca in Mexico City provided sufficient advantage to assure a home victory against the oxygen-starved United States.” (NYT)

U.S. Names Squad For Mexico Match
“With all the Premier League excitement going on lately, it’s easy to forget that there’s also an important World Cup qualifier on Wednesday. This game is, of course, Mexico vs. USA; it’s kind of a big deal for both teams. This time out, though, it’s a particularly interesting match. Mexico is sitting in fourth place in CONCACAF; they need a win just to keep their dreams of qualification alive and kicking.” (Avoiding the Drop)

Five factors favor the U.S. as it looks to break curse in Azteca
“The U.S. has been in Azteca before with the chance to make history and beat Mexico, but each and every time has fallen short. However, that could all change on Wednesday. A closer look at the two teams reveals a few factors that could tilt the result of the crucial World Cup qualifier in favor of the Americans. (SI)

Whoa Mexico
“Depending how you slice it, Wednesday’s U.S./Mexico game at the Azteca is either the biggest game in the history of mankind … or the sixth match of ten in CONCACAF World Cup 2010 qualifying. Is it the last relevant game for the U.S. ahead of South Africa? Probably.” (That’s on point)

“You’ll know that most of the Edwardian film footage of football that we still possess was the work of the northern firm Mitchell and Kenyon, and that they also produced travelling panoramas. … I came across a more modern equivalent during an idle surfing session yesterday. Three films, on Youtube, taken from the window of a car in 1985 as it drove through Bedford, the town in which I had the indubitable privilege of growing up.” (More Than Mind Games)

“Chelsea and Manchester United set the tone for the battle at the top of the Premier League in a Community Shield encounter liberally sprinkled with spice and confrontation. The traditional quartet will jostle at the sharp end of the table – but can anyone break up the cartel of the so-called ‘Big Four’?Can Liverpool end a 20-year wait to bring the title back to Anfield? Who will emerge from the pack? Who will consolidate? Who will be condemned to a season fighting for survival? It will all unfold once the top-flight campaign commences next Saturday.” (BBC – Phil McNulty)

Arsenal gunning for glory (BBC)

Far more to Premier League than Fergie vs Rafa (ESPN)

“A gnawing and suspicious paradox lies at the heart of African national team experiences in world competition: African teams tend to do much better at the youth level than they do at the senior level. Take the fact, for example, that African teams have won 5 of the 12 FIFA U17 World Cups (with the 2009 version scheduled to be hosted by Nigeria in October and November), but not a single African team has ever made it as far as the semi-finals of a full World Cup.” (Pitch Invasion)

“Regaining the SPL title will be the minimum requirement for Tony Mowbray in his first season in charge of Celtic, but he will also need to improve on the team’s patchy Champions League record. Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink and Paul Hartley have been replaced by a pair of Nancy boys: £3.8million forward Marc-Antoine Fortune (who Mowbray had on loan at West Brom last season) and Cameroon international Landry N’Guemo, who will slot into a midfield that will be without Shunsuke Nakamura this season after he left for Spanish side Espanyol.” (World Soccer)

Scottish Premier League preview (ESPN)

“Twenty years ago the idea that a top flight English club’s record signing coming from Ecuador would have been utterly inconceivable. Two decades ago there was hardly a foreigner to be found. These days – thanks to the extraordinary globalisation of the game – supporters of even lesser Premier League clubs can receive a global geography lesson merely by plotting the birth places of the first team squad.” (BBC – Tim Vickery)

“Liverpool: the latest news, rumours and gossip, plus all the done deals, for the Premier League summer transfer window.” (Telegraph)

“Generally speaking, I’m on three different co-ed soccer teams. My outdoor team, however, plays only in the spring and fall; because of this, I’m forced to sometimes supplement my two-game-a-week habit with the occasional pick-up game. Tuesday was one such night, and it occured to me while running around that, well, not everyone was on the same page.” (Avoiding the Drop)

“Finally granted an occasion to show off their replica-jersey collections, soccer-deprived Atlantans took advantage Jul 22 at a friendly between Club América and AC Milan. Yellow América shirts, featuring the Bimbo Bakeries sponsorship logo that never fails to raise eyebrows among English-speakers, predominated in the Georgia Dome, an American football stadium that had never hosted a professional soccer match.” (The Global Game)

Washerwomen below a Bridge, Hubert Robert
“Apart from transfer rumours, commentary on managers probably forms the bulk of football chatter. Before, during and after every game, every decision is scrutinised; every minute move debated; tactics, strategy, man-management, motivation, appearance — all feed into an endless discourse debating whether any given manager is succeeding or not. Protest and praise come by the truckload, and managers end up prematurely grey from it in every country.” (pitch invasion)

Simon Kuper on Money (More Than Mind Games)

The 8% (Left back in the changing room)

“Good day Ladies and Gentleman, and welcome to the first part of my Premier League Preview. Over the next few days I’ll be looking in detail at all of the twenty teams that will compete in the Premier League this season, with a view to providing a comprehensive preview to what should be an exciting season.” (they think its all over…), 2, 3, 4

“His players had barely begun pre-season training before Bordeaux coach Laurent Blanc started the psychological battle. According to Le President, his target for the forthcoming campaign is exactly the same as it was last time out: to finish in the top four. Pull the other one, Laurent. Having finally broken the Lyon hegemony there’s no way Bordeaux will be happy with anything less than another championship triumph and Blanc’s comments surely have more to do with keeping the pressure off his own side than any genuine targets. So is it possible Bordeaux could chalk up back-to-back league titles? Possible, yes; probable, maybe not.” (World Soccer)

Ligue 1 Preview – Bordeaux, Marseille and Lyon’s Summer of Love
“What a difference a year makes. Against odds, FC Bordeaux dethroned Ligue 1’s 7 time consecutive champions Lyon to lift the Ligue 1 trophy. With 12 wins on the trot at the tail end of the season, FC Bordeaux secured a top dog status with its first league title in a decade. Along with the Coupe De La Ligue crown to secure a league and cup double, les Girodins wagged its tail at fellow title hopefuls Marseille and Lyon – leaving the former chasing tails and the latter stuck with its tail between its legs.” (SoccerLens)

Turkey: new season previewed by Mehmet Demircan (World Soccer)
Czech Republic: new season previewed by Sam Beckwith (World Soccer)
Belgium: new season previewed by Nicholas Harling (World Soccer)
Holland: new season previewed by Klaas-Jan Droppert (World Soccer)
Denmark: Superliga new season previewed by Jim Holden (World Soccer)
Austria: new season previewed by Harry Miltner (World Soccer)
Switzerland: new season previewed by Nick Bidwell (World Soccer)

“The Argentine first division was supposed to start on the same weekend as England’s Premier League this year, but to those who pay attention to the goings on in Buenos Aires, Wednesday’s announcement that the Apertura championship probably wouldn’t start as scheduled came as no surprise.” (WSC)

“Chelsea will be the team to beat this year. The partnership of Drogba and Anelka looked irresistible towards the end of last season, and if they carry that form into this season they will dominate almost any defence they come up against. I can see Ancelotti coping very well in his first season, and they are surely the favourites for the league and will almost certainly get to the CL final.” (Times)

“It was in early 2007 that opportunity knocked for Argentinian goalkeeper Marcelo Ramon Elizaga and, true to form, he grasped it firmly with both hands. Having spent the previous two seasons in Ecuador with Emelec, Elizaga was approached by then Tricolor coach Luis Fernandez Suarez, who offered the custodian the chance to join the national-team set-up should he take Ecuadorian nationality.” (FIFA)

“The list was not exhaustive but it could exhaust all hope. Mark Venus, the Celtic assistant manager, was asked yesterday about the players side would have to watch in their Champions League play-off tie against Arsenal. ‘Fabregas, Arshavin, Nasri, Rosicky, Diaby, Sagnol, Eboue, Van Persie, Clichy they are a good team,’ he said. But if this seemed like a litany of despair, then fear not. Venus and Tony Mowbray are the Chuckle Brothers of European football. Their optimism knows no bounds.” (The Herald)

Bolton, Burnden Park
“That’s Widnes there, the chemical town where I was born. There are several versions of this photograph in circulation, and this is the mildest. The others have had additional smoke added: perhaps the photographer knew of worse places, and wished to compete. I came along some 12 years after the Clean Air Acts, and still had acute bronchities and asthma throughout my childhood. Football training in the Victorian and Edwardian periods is subject to an urban myth, one you’ll recognise straightaway: starve the players of the ball during the week, coaches are meant to have said, and they’ll be all the hungrier for it on Saturday afternoon.” (More Than Mind Games)

“Football supporters thrive on animosity. We need to be able to shake our fists in the air and yell all the bad words at our hated teams and players. When Jose Mourinho left Chelsea, I had mixed feelings. On one hand, a gifted manager of a rival team was out the door. I wouldn’t have that same level of dread when Liverpool faced Chelsea.” (EPS Talk)

“For football, summer used to be the close season – or perhaps that should have been the closed season. Either way the game more or less shut down for three months and was pushed to the back of the nation’s mind while cricket, Wimbledon, the Open and the big race days took centre stage.” (Guardian)

Lincolnshire, England
“Awaking from our slumber after one of those tedious biennial summers without a showpiece international tournament, it slowly dawned on us: the Premier League is back at last! With only one week before the world’s pre-eminent league kicks off, we headed for Castle Limey to dust down the dungeon-sized supercomputer responsible for our EPL predictions.” (SI)

“It’s easy to climb a tree and fling shit at the vehicles of innocent safari park patrons when you’re talking about someone on a team you don’t support. But sometimes one must retreat to the makeshift, galvanise-roofed hut provided and cogitate on some home truths. So let’s provide some basic materials and see if any monkey fashions some rudimentary ant-harvesting implements from them.” (sport is a tv show – 1, 2

“So here we are less than five days away from the last relevant (hopefully) U.S. national team match before the 2010 World Cup and we’re still waiting on Bob Bradley to name a squad for the match at Azteca Stadium against Mexico. Perhaps Bradley the Elder is waiting so long to name a squad, while his Mexican non-union equivalent Steven Speilbergo, err, Javier Aquirre picked his team last week, is because the final outcome of this match will lead to direct second-guessing of Bradley.” (That’s On Point)

“In a summer when many of the Bundesliga’s leading lights have opted for a change of coach, what happens pre-season might go a long way to determining the identity of the next champions. For incoming bosses such as Louis Van Gaal (Bayern Munich), Felix Magath (Schalke), Armin Veh (Wolfsburg), Bruno Labbadia (Hamburg) and Jupp Heynckes (Leverkusen) time is uncomfortably tight. With just five or six weeks to find their bearings, lay down the law, sift the playing gold from the base metal and work on tactical variations, it is no job for the faint-hearted.” (World Soccer)

Germany’s crazy coaches
“If the surveys are anything to go by, there’s no point in speculating on the outcome of this season’s Bundesliga. Bayern for the title, Bremen for the cup, Wolfsburg and Stuttgart in the Champions League. However, pre-season pontificating about the first managerial dismissal has been conspicuous by its absence. And no wonder: not since the heady days of the bellicose Werner Lorant and lachrymose Frank Pagelsdorf a decade ago has the league had so many headcases in its coaching ranks. Anyone foolish enough to suggest a potential sacking would be well advised to go ex-directory or put on rubber gloves before opening their morning post.” (WSC)

“We’re already counted down 60 days so far in our 100 Days We’ll Remember All Our Lives countdown, with only 40 days remaining, here is your chance to catch up on the countdown so far….. This summer we look back at 100 Days We’ll Remember all our Lives; from the the 1989 Title Decider to the unforgettable 1977 European Cup Final, to Grobbelaar’s ’spaghetti legs’ in 1984 to the miracle of Istanbul in 2005.” (This is Anfield)

“The new FIFA World Rankings are out. Well, I say new, they’re actually very very similar to the July 2009 rankings, with just Germany and Italy switching places in the top 10. The way this usually works: We publish the rankings here on WCB, and then everyone complains in the comments about how inaccurate they are. And with good reason. Russia probably shouldn’t be two places above Argentina for example.” (World Cup Blog)

“This is, plain and simple, one of the best goals you will ever see. Not that every own-half goal isn’t brilliant, it’s just the pace, accuracy and trajectory with which this ball left from the boot of Kazumasa Uesato is beyond perfect. Floating with such harmless intent until landing casually in the goal, almost as though the ball was carried on a cloud steered by baby angels.” (The Offside)

Tiziano Vecellio (Titien): Le Concert Champêtre, 1509-10
“Fasten your seatbelts and set phasers to stun because Football Weekly is back! After dragging in the pod crew in at an ungodly hour, James Richardson is joined by Barry Glendenning, Sean Ingle and Kevin McCarra to ask the big questions. Can Manchester City break into the Big Four after their extravagant summer spending? Who will win the Premier League? And will AC Jimbo’s young lad have to go without shoes now Setanta has gone bust?” (Guardian)

Premier League preview No8: Liverpool
“Nineteen years have passed without league title No19 and still the prediction is that this could be Liverpool’s year. But now the expectation is justified at Anfield and so high, so unforgiving, that not even Xabi Alonso’s departure diminishes the demand on Rafael Benítez. Regaining the mantle of England’s most decorated champions from Manchester United is imperative.” (Guardian)

“Is German soccer in trouble? A German club hasn’t won the Champions League in eight years, and success in the UEFA Cup (now the Europa League) has been few and far between as well. World Soccer chats with German national-team coach Joachim Löw, who explains the need for speed at the top level, not just in the legs, but in the mind, too.” (SI)

“As the only white player in South Africa’s starting line-up, Matthew Booth accepts he “sticks out like a sore thumb” every time they play. This led some foreign observers to assume he was being booed by the predominantly black crowds at this summer’s Confederations Cup, when in fact the complete opposite was the case. The 6ft 6in central defender is a firm favourite with the fans of Bafana Bafana, who greet his every touch with loud cries of ‘Booooth!'” (BBC)

“Every football season begins with a ‘clampdown’. Traditionally this involves referees acting on new directives to punish foul play. The result is a spate of bookings and dismissals in the early months of the season, accompanied by an outcry from managers. Referees then loosen their interpretation of the rules a little – often after a meeting with managers at which ‘robust views’ are exchanged – and we end up roughly back to how things were before, except that at least one match official will have been maligned in highly personal terms.” (WSC)

“The world’s biggest party is fast approaching. In less than 12 months, throngs of joyous fans will journey to South Africa, bringing the World Cup to Africa for the first time. Aficionados without tickets will snuggle up to the TV: More than 715 million viewers watched Italy’s dramatic win over France in the 2006 final in Germany. To put that into perspective for U.S. fans, about 151 million took in this year’s Super Bowl.” (ESPN)

“The news that Tomas Rosicky is out for six weeks comes as little surprise yet is still saddening nonetheless. The Czech international tweaked a hamstring in training yesterday, another aspect which is totally unsurprising having been out for so long. Echoes of Eduardo’s recovery resound around this incident. As far as the squad goes, it is obviously a blow when combined with the absence of Samir Nasri yet it would have been surprising if Rosicky had reclaimed a place in the starting XI immediately having been out for so long.” (A Cultured Left Foot)

“If Steven Gerrard is the heart of Liverpool then Xabi Alonso was one of the lungs. So Liverpool just lost a lung. It’s lung-wrenching. I know they have a potential organ donor lined up (AS Roma) and that a new lung (Alberto Aquilani) could be on the way already, but what if the operation doesn’t take? They won’t know until the season gets going.” (EPL Talk)

Liverpool agree fee for Aquilani
“Liverpool have confirmed they have agreed a fee with Roma for Italian midfielder Alberto Aquilani. The transfer is reported to be worth £20m and is subject to a medical being completed later in the week. ‘Alberto has a winning mentality and great experience in both Serie A and the Champions League,’ said Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez.” (BBC)

Alonso saga? Done
“Another morning, another celebration in soccernet towers that we can put another drawn out transfer saga to bed. The Telegraph pitch it right by declaring we can all ‘move on’ now Xabi Alonso is about to become a Real Madrid player, for the princely sum of £30m.” (ESPN)

“The itch, the burn, the fire, nothing has stirred the pot like the exorbitant City sums in this summer’s transfer market. A club outside the top 4 has a wealthy, solvent, and interested investor. He has purchased several quality players. What’s the problem?” (futfanatico)

“There’s a dark cloud hanging over Scottish football right now. It’s a bit grim up north and that’s before the domestic action has even started. Budgets have been slashed and squads have been severely cut as the credit crunch really starts to bite. Celtic, Aberdeen, Motherwell and Falkirk all appointed new bosses during the close season only for all three to suffer disappointing European defeats to further increase the doom and gloom.” (ESPN)

“I really tried to care about the Gold Cup. After the group stages, I got pumped up; I told myself I was going to have the best Gold Cup commentary on the Internet. Then the United States played Panama in the quarterfinals and I fell asleep in about the 20th minute. Then the U.S. played Honduras is the semifinals and I fell asleep in about the 30th minute. Gold Cup matches were like taking NyQuil is visual form.” (Intelligent Soccer)

“In the fashion of a heavyweight champion from the time when boxing fans cared about multiple titles, FC Barcelona flashed the hardware of its fearsomeness. Arrayed below the news conference podium Monday at a downtown Seattle hotel were trophies representing the 2008-09 championships of Spain’s first division, the nation’s Copa del Rey tournament and the European Champions League — the first Spanish team to win all three in a single season.” (SeattlePI)

“Jozy Altidore seems to be handling this Twitter thing a little better than Darren Bent. While Bent tossed his toys out of the pram in 140 characters or less, the teenage American striker calmly tweeted to his followers: England early in the morning so im going to get some sleep ill tweet all day tomorrow on my bb and let you guys know whats going on! He then thanked his followers for their support. I would check to see if Bent has ever done.” (EPL Talk)

“Fifteen years ago last month, the U.S. played host to an important moment in soccer history. Of all five of Brazil’s World Cup wins, USA 1994 was probably the least glamorous. The team didn’t play with the style and swagger of 1958 or ’70, and for all the superb strike combinations of Bebeto and Romário, there was no one to touch the heights of Garrincha in ’62, or to match Ronaldo’s magnificent and touching comeback 40 years later.” (SI – Tim Vickery)

“It’s all in the timing. The BBC couldn’t have chosen a better time to run a special report on the state of finances in English football. The eve of the new English season is a time of optimism at most clubs, but in an interview with Radio5’s Dan Road, the UEFA general secretary David Taylor expressed concerns about many aspects of the way that Premier League clubs in particular are running themselves, singling out the saddling of clubs with debt and the transfer activity of some (hello, Manchester City) as having a destabilising effect on the health of the transfer market.” (twohundredpercent)

“With less than a year to go until the World Cup, England are sitting pretty in their World Cup qualification group. With qualification all but assured, now attentions will turn to who could be in England’s plans for South Africa. English World Cup squads have a history of featuring late-comers to their squad who go on to play starring roles in their respective tournaments.” (Soccer Lens)

“The 2009-10 German Bundesliga season is set to begin on Friday August 7, 2009 as Wolfsburg look to defend the league trophy. The Bundesliga was very competitive last season with the gap between the top 6 teams at only 10 points. Bayern Munich finished a disappointing 2nd but will be looking to regain the league trophy as they have retained most of their top players. Here’s a preview of the upcoming season along with predictions (which will likely be wrong but its worth a shot to try).” (The 90th Minute)

“At the beginning of every season, as the kick-off edges ever closer, my anticipation of the excitement to come can rarely be contained and I am compelled to make my predictions for the coming season, in the vain hope that it will bring the start just a little bit closer.” (Three Match Ban)

“After all, Burley was the last player to score for Scotland in the finals of a major tournament – in the 1-1 draw against Norway at France 98 – and, on top of having been enlisted by ESPN as a match analyst for their SPL coverage next season, he is also the nephew of Scotland’s current manager, George Burley.” (Telegraph)

“Roy Hodgson discusses the most popular of formations.” (uefa 4-4-2), (uefa 4-4-2 Diamond), (uefa 5-3-2), (uefa 4-3-3), (uefa 3-4-3), (uefa 3-5-2), (uefa 4-5-1)

“Roughly two years ago, Alessandro Rosina was all the rage on the peninsula. His dribbling, running, tenacity, circus midget size and male-pattern baldness endeared him to men, women and children alike. His nickname, Rosinaldo, was both self-explanatory and deserved. Any team would’ve been chuffed to bits to have him. The lone star on a once-great team which had few reasons for optimism in its stable, shone brightly across the Italian sky.” (The Offside)

“With five days left until the start of the new season, at least some of the television schedule still seems to be in a state of flux. The Football Conference is reported to still be in negotiation with a broadcaster (rumoured to be Eurosport) regarding a package that is said to be worth £70,000 per club, although Blue Square North and South clubs are now likely to be missing out on the £15,000 that they had been receiving from Setanta. More significant, however, is the final unveiling of the coverage that the BBC will be giving The Football League, as they take over from ITV as the secondary broadcasters of the world’s oldest league competition.” (twohundredpercent)

“It has been a rollercoaster week in Irish football, a week of spectacular highs and incredible lows. But yesterday Cork City FC lived up to their nickname of the ‘rebels’ by winning their battle against the Revenue Commission to avoid a winding up order, which would have relegated the club from the League of Ireland after a 25 year exsistance.” (Two Footed Tackle)