Tonight Schalke started the post-Rutten era with a 2-0 win at the Schüco Arena against relegation threatened Arminia Bielefeld. The first half started the same way most games had during Rutten's reign, dreadful and boring. In fact Arminia were the better side in the first half and missed four clear cut opportunities. Unfortunately for the […]

It was a strange booking. Xabi Alonso stuck out a leg and caught Real Madrid's onrushing defender, Pepe, but Javier Mascherano took the booking. This may have been for kicking the ball away, but the Argentinian seemed to be clearing it in case play didn't stop. It didn't look a bookable offense. As Liverpool's midfield […]

Middlesbrough manager Gareth Southgate has the “it” quality as a manager. Not “it” in the genius sense like Arsene Wenger or Sir Alex Ferguson. Southgate has it in the Raymond Domenech sense where he could strip naked, smear himself with his own fecal matter and reenact the Monty Python Silly Walks skit down the touchline […]

If you consider yourself a political junkie on top of being an EPL newshound, then we certainly have quite the interview for you today. With FIFA’s proposed ‘6+5’ rule to place limits on the number of foreign-born players in domestic club teams rearing its ugly head in the press once again in recent weeks, we […]

Back on March 21, Fulham turned the race for the 2008-2009 Premiership title on its ear with a stunning 2-0 defeat of nine-man Manchester United at Craven Cottage. On Saturday, the Whites will take aim at another big four team when Liverpool comes calling. Before the win over the Red Devils, there wasn't much to […]

Since the turn of the year, Aaron Lennon has been in outstanding form. His club exploits have been rewarded with not just an international call up, but a place in the starting eleven in England’s last two matches, the latter being a competitive qualifier. This is just rewards for Lennon as he has been absolutely […]

Robbie Findley became the latest Alexi Lalas reject to scorch MLS with a hat trick last night at Rio Tinto Stadium in RSL's 4-1 win over Columbus. Findley has been capped once for the United States against Switzerland in a friendly back in October 2007. When I attempted to ask Findley last year at RSL […]

Why don't more managers come clean in the press about disruptive or unprofessional players? It seems that more and more in these sanitised and sponsorship heavy times that too many people keep quiet about the players who are taking the Michael. At least Steve Bruce has bucked the trend and come out in public with […]

Newcastle has been in a rudderless malaise for most of the season. Kevin Keegan resigned and nearly every potential replacement rejected the offer. The club pulled backdated Joe Kinnear out of retirement, gave him the full time job and then watched him succumb to heart trouble. Chris Hughton took over as a caretaker, and the […]

Well we said today was going to be busy. A source told me earlier today Sven Goran Eriksson would be sacked by Mexico at the next FMF Board meeting, April 27th, but it appears to have been done already according to Soccernet. Mexico was destroyed last night by Honduras, losing 3-1 in a match which […]

Well it's here yet again, that time of the season where supporters of clubs at both ends of the table are suffering 'twitchy-backside' syndrome (a genuine medical term). Naturally a popular subject of conversation now is 'who is going up'. Here are my thoughts. Wolves Mick Mcarthy's men appear to have overcome that dreadful run […]

I was fortunate to be invited on a conference call with FOX Sports International and Setanta Sports to discuss the new UEFA Champions League packages for the US market beginning next season. FOX takes over as the primary package from ESPN and Setanta has acquired a separate package which includes exclusive broadband rights. Here are […]

Fox Soccer Channel just completed a press conference to officially announce the acquisition of the Champions League TV coverage in the United States. Among some of the findings were that: Fox Soccer Channel will go ahead and do the highlight shows and pre-game shows with Fox talent, Fox is seriously considering using the international feed […]

The United States National Team faced three of its four easiest qualifying matches at the beginning of the Hexagonal schedule. The expectation that the United States would capture nine points from these three matches and have a security buffer against failures in the summer and the fall has not been achieved. Yet largely thanks to […]

We don't know what kind of team the US, Honduras, Costa Rica and Mexico the four leading CONCACAF nations are going to send to this tournament given the rigors of qualifying and in the case of the US the Confederations Cup. Thus we'll save analysis of the groups for a later date. Jamaica is the […]