While the Premier League continues to become more commercial with each passing year, there is I believe a resurgence in football supporters wanting to learn more about the history of this beautiful game (when it truly was beautiful and when corporations and television networks didn't own it). In the past few weeks, I've interviewed two […]

Chelsea is a machine. Indestructible. Precise. Physical. Flawless. Arsenal is the total opposite. They're more fluid, and play a beautiful brand of football that is easy on the eye. When the two opposing forces came together on Sunday afternoon, few would have predicted how Chelsea completely tore the Gunners apart, leaving behind an Arsenal side […]

I wanted to follow up Kartik’s excellent post on the nature of the MLS contract with a look at this situation from the MLS owner’s perspective. If there is one thing the owners fear and will try to avoid at all costs, it is having a situation like what exists in Europe where a player […]

What a difference a year makes. In 2009 the Merseyside derby represented emerging opportunities for both Liverpool clubs, and all four encounters (two in the league, two in the FA Cup) produced gritty football. Ultimately Liverpool drove deep into Europe and pushed Manchester United all the way to the Premier League finish line, while Everton […]

Watch the video of Jimmy Bullard and his Hull City teammates making fun of Phil Brown earlier today after Bullard scored a goal in the match against Manchester City at the City of Manchester Stadium. The incident made fun of Brown's lecture he gave Hull City almost a year ago on the same pitch when […]

Luke Wileman reports – Turf Removal Starts At BMO Field – New coach, new grass, different result for TFC in 2010? Late note: The CFL Argos are once again talking about playing at BMO. Uh Oh. My take: Unfortunately, TFC does not own BMO Field, but wouldn't it be terrible if they finally got grass […]

Not that it mattered much in the end, but Saturday in the Premier League saw Mike Dean (with the help of his linesman Richard West on one instance) award three penalties, one of which must have been one of, if not the most dubious penalty this season in the Premier League. Manchester United looked a bit sluggish in the first 15-20 […]

It can't be much fun to be a football fan in the city of Liverpool these days. With Sunday's Merseyside Derby approaching, the red side has fallen out of the Champions League and is slipping from its Top Four perch, while the blue side is so decimated by injuries that it's can't even stop Hull […]

I recently got the opportunity to sit down with Rob Smyth over electronic mail and ask him a few questions about how he got his start, what he's currently up to, and even get his pick on next summer's World Cup. Many of you will know Mr. Smyth from his appearances on the Guardian Podcast […]

Major League Soccer owns the registration of all its players excluding DPs. This has allowed MLS to maintain an (ostensibly) level playing field for many years within the league. From a competitive standpoint, MLS, due largely to this practice has become in the eyes of this writer, more compelling than the English Premier League which […]

Yes, international football is off the agenda for the time being as we dig in for the weekly grind of club football over the winter. I thought however, EplTalk readers would be interested in what Brazil's finest had to say about the current state of football. Pele was in Dublin on Thursday to raise money for […]

This weekend's round of fixtures is highlighted by El Clásico, the rivalry between Barcelona and Real Madrid. Not only are they the two most successful teams in the history of Spanish football, they occupy the top two spots in this season's table. Real Madrid has a one point lead over Barcelona heading into this pivotal […]

In our ongoing look back at Project 2010 as we enter 2010, this seemed an appropriate time to look back at Carlos Quieroz’s recommendations regarding the structure of club soccer in the United States. Given the labor troubles brewing in the top flight MLS, the possible complete collapse of USL-1 (which was called the USL […]

The government's rejection of Everton's plans to move the club from Goodison Park to a stadium outside Liverpool, in Kirkby, is the best thing that could have happened for Everton FC and its supporters. Financially speaking, the rejection of the Kirkby plans is a massive blow to Everton. The club has allegedly spent millions to […]

A lot has changed in the world since the FA Cup, the oldest football competition in the world, began in 1871. But the magic of the tournament still remains. The prospect of non-league minnows upsetting giants. And the nostalgia of seeing matches played in front of standing-room only crowds in the heart of the English […]