As the calendar turns to 2015, things are not going as planned for Liverpool FC supporters.

Liverpool exited the Champions League after a series of poor performances in group play, Daniel Sturridge has been injured the majority of the season, the new arrivals – most notably Balotelli – have yet to find their form, and after a disappointing tie with bottom-of-the-table Leicester City on New Year’s Day, Liverpool finds itself in eighth place with 29 points.

Liverpool has reached the midway point of the Premier League season with plenty of questions, so we’ve brought together an esteemed panel of Liverpool supporters in an attempt to find some answers.

Stuart Fearon, a member of the Houston LFC supporter’s club, was born into a LFC family in Liverpool, “although I have plenty of blue-nosed cousins, but that’s their problem.” He’s lived stateside for 28 years. You can find him on Twitter @3lions1962 and can follow Houston LFC @HoustonLFC.

Scott Gregory is law student from North Central Ohio who’s closely followed LFC since discovering Steven Gerrard’s scoring abilities in FIFA ’06. Follow him on Twitter @ScjGreg.

William Bryson has been a Liverpool supporter since 1991, when the exploits of a young Macca first caught his eye via the family’s newly-installed satellite dish. He has 30 years and counting as player, ref or coach of the world’s greatest game. Follow him on Twitter @Bbo13.

Bryn Griffiths is a member of the LFC Madison supporter’s club and a lifelong Liverpool supporter. “While my Mum and Dad are both Liverpool supporters, the inspiration for my LFC love really came from my Dad.” He was the youngest of four brothers growing up in Liverpool in the ’50s and ’60s, playing footy in bombed-out churches and on cobbled streets and although his Dad was a Liverpool supporter, too, all of his older brothers were Evertonians (“Dad/Granddad – I am eternally grateful for your excellent taste in football teams!”). Follow the club on Twitter @LFCWisconsin.

Question 1: Of all the things that are currently wrong with the club, which one worries you the most?

Stuart: Off the field, I think the club has been making progress in improving the commercial side, which had long been neglected by former club chairman David Moores. We lost ground and are now trying to catch up. On the playing side, it’s the spine of the team, from center forward, center midfield, center of defense through to goalkeeper. There are too many question marks and weaknesses in these areas, whether that’s through injury, poor signings or loss of form, it doesn’t matter – we are just not solid in these key areas.

Scott: The defense. The stat that comes to mind has been floating around Twitter and involves LFC having only two clean sheets under Brendan Rodgers that didn’t have Daniel Agger in the starting XI. Dejan Lovren and Simon Mignolet in particular continue to be horribly mistake-prone, and none of the players look to have any trust in themselves or one another. Glen Johnson appears equally disinterested and inept from both sides of the pitch, and set pieces continue to be a glaring issue.

What worries me is these are problems that have been a part of the Rodgers package since day one. They don’t seem to be going anywhere, and I question whether the players available now have what it takes to turn the ship around. It’s like there’s a web of entangled problems.

William: Three words: defense, defense and defense. To be fair to the 2014-15 edition, this problem is not new. For all of the excitement surrounding the club’s performance a season ago, the defending third was rarely a place a Reds’ supporter could feel comfortable seeing the ball. And a more potent attack might allow these defensive deficiencies to continue to go overlooked. But with Luis Suárez gone, Mario Balotelli struggling to get acclimated, and Daniel Sturridge working to recover from injury, there is no consistent attack to cover up the blemishes.

So why not highlight the weakened attack as the issue? It is because goals rely on a good deal of chance, in addition to strategy and execution, whereas consistent, quality effort on defense is far more within the control of the players and manager. Provide a sturdy defense, and a team can get by on finding goals over time.

Bryn: The most worrying thing for me is the sheer scale of the demise from being arguably the best team in the league during the last six months of last season to one of the worst in mid-table. I understand we’ve lost Luis Suárez and Daniel Sturridge, who were our two best players and contributed 51 of our 101 goals last year, but the players brought in haven’t been able to improve us in the other areas of the pitch. Our wing backs are probably better, but the centre-backs have regressed, midfield looks disorganized, and the strikers brought in haven’t been able to hit the ground running.

Transfers aside, though, the lack of fight, passion, soul and a clear plan are what’s really troubling me. Brendan Rogers was able to get the best out of the team last year, but this time around he has been persisting with players out of position or out of their element, and has been unwilling to change the team based on form or performance.

Question 2: Of all the things that are currently wrong with the club, which one can be fixed this season?

Stuart: If Daniel Sturridge can come back then maybe he’ll form an effective partnership with Raheem Sterling and/or Mario Balotelli, and we might be more effective at the attacking end. Now having said that, I think it’s time for a new keeper. Simon Mignolet is a nervous wreck out there, and it’s certainly impacting the lads around him.

Scott: Tactics and player selection. Rodgers needs to get back to being the adaptable manager he was last year (I’ll address that further at the final question).

William: The current lack of offensive potency can (and I believe will) be resolved this season. Love him or hate him (and I have always found myself doing far more of the former than the latter), Luis Suárez is among the most creative and disruptive attacking forces in the game today (notice I didn’t include consistent, but that’s for another time). The idea that anyone, the ever mercurial Mario Balotelli included, could step in and immediately replicate what Suárez brought to the pitch each match was patently foolish, yet commonly held among fans.

The chemistry between Raheem Sterling and Suárez in the attack was the stuff of epic Greek poetry, their ability to riff off of one another in the moment akin to Coltrane and Monk playing Carnegie Hall. But as magical as such pairings are to behold, they also create unreasonable expectations. “Those two make it look so easy! Why can’t that happen all of the time?!” We fans – Reds’ and soccer in general – were spoiled by something unique last season. Expecting it again this year and beyond is entirely unreasonable.

But Sterling is still one of the best young footballers in the Premier League and beyond. Balotelli is, for all his idiosyncrasies, still a formidable talent. Daniel Sturridge will (hopefully) heal and return to form in time. The individual talent is still very much there for the Reds. With time, it seems inevitable that they will find harmony. We must simply be patient.

Bryn: Moving Steven Gerrard from defensive midfielder and playing Fabio Borini up front with Mario Balotelli or Rickie Lambert – Borini’s movement will help Philippe Coutinho, Raheem Sterling and Adam Lallana moving forward as he can find or create gaps with his constant running. I’d also play Alberto Moreno, Mamadou Sakho, Kolo Toure/Martin Skrtel and Javi Manquillo as much as possible to help them and Simon Mignolet foster some understanding, while giving them a proper defensive midfielder (Lucas Leiva/Emre Can) as protection ahead of them.

Question 3: What is up with Mario Balotelli? Is it possible he’s no longer a top-flight player at age 24?

Stuart: I think Mario can still play, but our team for years has been built around movement up top, which we saw to great effect last season. I don’t think he can play up top on his own, so if Sturridge gets back shortly maybe they can make it work together. They played together against Spurs (can we play them every week?) and it worked really well, so for me there is still hope.

Scott: I think Balotelli’s style of play just doesn’t match with the style Rodgers wants or needs the team to play. Being a Cavs fan, he reminds me of Dion Waiters in that the game and offensive movement seem to slow down when the ball gets to him. If the ball doesn’t get to him, he works hard to get involved further up the field, which is precisely what Rodgers doesn’t need with such few other options in the box.

I’d prefer to see Balotelli alongside Daniel Sturridge a few more times before being ready to call Balotelli a bust.

William: At my own ripe old age of 34, the idea of writing off an elite athlete a decade my junior seems laughable. I have every confidence that Balotelli is still the Super Mario fans the world over have marveled at since his arrival on the football scene. That said, he is still Mario Balotelli, and that has not been without its burdens and frustrations. Adjusting to a new side and a new style often necessitates changes to both your physical and mental approach, the latter of which the young man has repeatedly shown himself to be … hesitant to embrace.

As is the case with many great performers, Balotelli has a certain mindset as to what he is best suited for and how he should do it. The question is not if he can improve at Liverpool, but is he willing to do what is necessary to assimilate. Mario would not be the first incredible talent to fail to reach his enormous potential because his ego blocks the path.

Bryn: It’ll take him time to settle and he’s not benefitting at all from being played up front alone. Had Daniel Sturridge not have gotten, injured we’d be seeing a very different Mario and probably a very different league position. Give Mario time and I believe he’ll prove his value.

Question 4: What is Steven Gerrard’s best role with the club and does Brendan Rodgers have it in him to put Gerrard in that role?

Stuart: I said at the end of last season that I expected Stevie to play a lot less, about 25-30 games, to keep him fresh for the big games. He hasn’t been managed well this season by Brendan Rodgers, however. Rodgers has been forced to play Gerrard because we don’t have anyone else who can do what he does in midfield, although Emre Can needs to be given the chance. I think Gerrard needs to play with a defensive midfielder alongside him as he’s not one. So for me, further up the field is where I see him and I think Rogers has realized that of late. Gerrard still has quality.

Scott: This is the question I hate because I think Gerrard’s best role at this point might be on the bench or, at the very least, not in his current defensive midfield role. He no longer has the dynamic movement of Luis Suárez and Daniel Sturridge to ping the ball up to, making Gerrard’s trademark long passes less effective. When the ball gets forward and then turned over, he struggles to break up counterattacks up the middle, leaving the center backs vulnerable. If not preferable, Lucas Leiva and Emre Can have at least shown enough to deserve a chance in the role instead.

For me, the best position for Gerrard is back in his forward center mid spot, which is where Rodgers had him against Ludogorets (in the Champions League). However, I don’t think he should be playing over Philippe Coutinho or Adam Lallana. Bring Gerrard on as a sub, just not in a position that forces him to be an anchor.

William: Make no mistake: Steven Gerrard is one of the true greats of his footballing generation, and belongs in the discussion of great English footballers of all time. Having watched the man’s ascension over a career of 17 years and counting with Liverpool, I thought it was almost impossible to think of a day when he was not or will not be a mandatory inclusion in the starting eleven. As someone of the same age who spent his playing career largely in the midfield, it is difficult for me to separate my admiration for the player from the realities of the current situation. But Steven Gerrard is not long for the starting duties at Anfield. Not because there is some young talent that he is blocking for the pitch, and not necessarily because he is unable to perform at the elite level. The problem Gerrard faces is that he appears to be a square peg in what has increasingly become a round hole in the current strategy.

For all of the successes the club experienced last season, one couldn’t help but note that Gerrard seemed … unsettled. He is still an absolute assassin from the penalty spot, and his leadership cannot possibly be overstated, but he has appeared to be contributing in spite of the team’s style of late, rather than within it. And while I feel he is capable of continuing to make his mark on this team as a starter this season (we have not seen the last of greatness from Stevie G), the time is coming when he might best be utilized in relief of younger legs.

Bryn: Gerrard should not be playing as the deepest lying midfielder now that we don’t have the movement of Suárez and Sturridge up front. Anything Gerrard can bring to the team is being nullified by the weaknesses he has in that role, and the sacrifices players around him have to make to cover for him defensively.

I want to see him as an attacking midfielder (No. 10) or even wide right, starting some games and coming off the bench in others when we need some spark or inspiration brought to the team. Sadly he didn’t do that recently against Stoke and we were arguably performing better in the second half without him.

Question 5: In Brendan We Trust, yes or no?

Stuart: Yes, in Brendan we trust. We can’t keep chopping and changing managers. I’m not sure all of the players we’ve bought were his first choice, but it is what it is and he can still improve this team. He has enough credit in the bank from last season. I think he needs some help on the defensive side of the game, sometimes the way we are set up, or our shape during the course of a game, shows me he needs some help in that department.

Scott: Yes for now, but the tides are turning fast. Even with Suárez to lean on last year, Rodgers still showed an ability to adapt well to situations as they arose, and I can’t count many other managers who I could see finishing better than second in the table. The switch to the diamond midfield got the most attention, but he also switched and used a classic 3-5-2 and 4-3-3 effectively earlier in the season.

What’s frustrating is seeing that adaptability seemingly vanish into thin air. He continues to talk about team selection based on merit, but practices the opposite. As Gerrard’s struggles drag out, Rodgers shows no willingness to even entertain the thought of giving him less than 90 minutes every match. He refuses to drop Dejan Lovren despite the latter’s desperate need to regroup. The latest shocker has been Glen Johnson over Alberto Moreno, and playing with a lone non-Sturridge striker up front still doesn’t work.

If this were Jose Mourinho’s squad, I think one would almost expect to see names of players from the academy making the team sheets at this stage. My point is, even if that’s a bit drastic, what do you have to lose in switching things up when things can’t get any worse? Some personnel changes will be necessary eventually anyway, and it could provide some of the young new players with a platform to actually justify their purchases.

So based on where Rodgers’ gotten us to previously, the answer’s still yes. But with that being said, if results don’t improve and changes aren’t made soon, I’ll be ready to give Jürgen Klopp a call before Arsenal get the chance to.

William: Yes. Solidly. While I join many (most) supporters in questioning some of the decisions I’ve seen this season (punting the match against Real Madrid, even at the Bernabeu? Embarrassing), I look at how this club has evolved since Rodgers’ arrival, and I like what I see. It has been an approach with its own growing pains to be sure, but it would be hard to say that LFC is not in a better place now than it was in the days of Kenny Dalglish or Roy Hodgson. There is an identifiable philosophy and coordinated approach at the top that has been previously lacking.

The question now becomes whether the confluence of events that brought us the 2013-14 season can be the new standard, or were simply an aberration. I only wish I could say for sure either way.

Bryn: Yes but it’s starting to fade with these poor results and performances. His stubbornness is very frustrating as many changes and substitutions to the team haven’t been made, though the performances seem to be crying out for it, e.g. two up front, Can or Lucas as defensive midfielders, Johnson in the starting XI, Lovren & Skrtel, etc.

However, losing Suárez and missing Sturridge through injury would be a huge blow to any manager, so by no means am I writing Rodgers or our season off just yet. Last year was too good to start calling for his head, though at times I do think that the rhetoric he spouts may be a little hollow sounding when the results aren’t matching the quotes.

***

Great work everyone. Now that you have seen what our panel thinks about the current situation at Anfield, have your say in the comments section below.

When a team enters into a tournament format like the World Cup knockout stage, you always know that the next game very well may be your last.

But that doesn’t mean it is any easier when the end finally comes.

Such is the case for the United States Men’s National team, which saw its World Cup run end on Tuesday in a 2-1 loss to Belgium.

“Thirty-one teams get their heart broken, and it has to end sometime,” goal keeper Tim Howard said after the match. “It ended a little bit early for us. We felt like it was a good Belgium team. Sometimes you give everything you have and do your absolute best, and it doesn’t stack up.”

This loss is particularly hard to take because it signals the likely end (or at least brings us very close to the end) of the international careers of players like Howard, Clint Dempsey, DeMarcus Beasley and Jermaine Jones. While they may not have been part of a “Golden Generation” in U.S. soccer, they were among a group of core players that made the national team relevant on the world stage. The day is coming soon when Dempsey will no longer be on the attack, nor will Howard be in the goal, and that is going to take some time getting used to.

While it is difficult to accept that we may never see several of the current players wear the jersey again in a significant international match (although it sounds like many of them will be there for next summer’s Gold Cup), there is plenty to be excited about with the next generation of players.

Despite not always playing at his best in this World Cup, Michael Bradley is in his prime and should continue to anchor the midfield during the next four years. The same can be said of forward Jozy Altidore, whose injury put a strain on the team’s offense.

While many questioned the inclusion of DeAndre Yedlin, Julian Green and John Brooks, among others on the roster, all three put up solid performances when called on. Green and Brooks both found the back of the net with important goals, and Yedlin’s nonstop energy (plus his cross that led to Dempsey’s goal against Portugal) certainly leaves fans wanting to see what this group (along with Mix Diskerud and Aron Johannsson) can do as they continue to grow together.

It also helps that the youngsters (save Diskerud) were able to participate, rather than just spectate from the bench. Throw in that the majority of the younger players are members of European club teams, and can only help down the road. (Someone needs to work on getting Yedlin overseas immediately, though, so he can develop against top competition.)

“We take a lot, a tremendous amount away from this experience. We grew a lot,” Jurgen Klinsmann said. “We now know that we can play eye-to-eye with the big nations. The teams that we faced here are favorites to win the World Cup and we’ve done tremendously well against them. We see a couple of young players coming through the ranks. To see Julian Green jumping on the field and scoring right away and DeAndre Yedlin, we have many other youngsters waiting. After you finish a World Cup, you discuss the future of it and that goes towards the young players that we have in our country and we build the next cycle.”

The U.S. also solidified its identity during this World Cup, showing that they are a squad that will never give up. They may have only won one of their four matches, but the team never stopped working, which helped overcome a gap in talent and made Ghana, Portugal and Belgium work for everything they got.

Finally, while he wasn’t perfect (and which manager is?), Klinsmann proved his worth during the tournament. The team may not have advanced any further that it did in South Africa in 2010, but Klinsmann’s enthusiasm clearly rubbed off on the players, and with his eye for talent and willingness to make the hard decisions, there is little doubt the U.S. soccer program is heading in the right direction.

“What you hope is that your team really takes this experience and understands now what this level means, what this intensity means, what the pace of the game means and the demands,” Klinsmann said. “It’s not only just going to training or to go play a game on the weekend. It’s about lifestyle. So much comes into this. The experience of the last seven weeks, every little piece plays a role in building a successful team for a World Cup. I think they learned a tremendous amount. I think they all went to their limits. They gave everything they had.

“I found ways to introduce new, young players into our program (over the past three years) and develop the game on every front of it. If it’s on the younger level, it’s on the senior level, on the organizational side, wherever it is, I think we’ve done a lot of work those couple years. Now it comes to a point where you have to swallow a game like this today and have to find a way to move on. We are excited with building a next Olympic team cycle which is huge for us going to Rio de Janeiro in two years. We have a very exciting competition two years from now with Copa America in the United States. I think there’s a lot to build on going forward.”

The U.S. captured the attention of a nation over the past two weeks, turning their games into a communal experience and drawing record numbers – 25 million viewers for the Portugal game, 21.6 million for Belgium (on a Tuesday afternoon, no less). They may even have picked up a new fan or two along the way.

And while their World Cup run came to a close earlier than many would have liked, we’re glad we were able to go along for the ride.

The USA received some good news on Monday, as forward Jozy Altidore has been cleared to play against Belgium in the round-of-16 game on Tuesday.

The question is how much will Altidore play, if he plays at all?

USA coach Jurgen Klinsmann faces a tough decision on how to work Altidore back into the lineup. Does he start him and risk having to use an early substitute if Altidore can’t go? Does he bring Altidore off the bench if things are not going well? Or does he save him, not wanting to risk further injury, knowing that there may not be a next game without Altidore?

“Jozy is available and this is what we hoped for,” is all that Klinsmann would say on Monday. “Just having him with us is huge. How many minutes can he play? We’ll see that during the game.”

The U.S. might need Altidore, even if he is limited, to get past a Belgium team that is 11th in the world rankings, won all three of their group stage games, and have not lost in their last 13 matches overall (11 wins and two draws). The U.S. looked a bit gassed against Germany (Clint Dempsey, especially) and having another option on offense can only help. Besides Altidore’s pace and physicality has been sorely lacking from the U.S, attack since he was injured against Ghana.

“Belgium is a country that doesn’t have the history of Germany or Italy or some of these countries, but when you look over the past few years, when you look at the quality of their players, it certainly has to be talked about as one of the best teams in Europe,” midfielder Michael Bradley said.

The U.S. could be catching a break, as Belgium will be without midfielder Steven Defour and left back Thomas Vermaelen, and may have to play without defender Vincent Kompany the team captain, who is battling a groin injury.

Belgium is a physical team that grinds it out, dominates possession and waits to pounce on a mistake (while trying to avoid making one of their own). If the U.S. falls behind early, they could be in serious trouble.

That style of play leaves Belgium susceptible to counter-attacks, though, so there may be opportunities for the U.S. to push the issue on offense if they can get possession of the ball. In other words, they look like a good opponent for a healthy Altidore and a rested Dempsey.

“Jozy’s a great striker, especially when he’s up there with Clint [Dempsey],” defender Omar Gonzalez said. “Both can create chances, and with Jozy going out early, it’s been a lot of work for Clint. He’s done a great job up there. Hopefully we can see Jozy come back pretty soon, and if that’s the case, it’s going to be a tough task for the defenders that have to mark them.”

The USA faces a tough task against Belgium, but with the success that CONCACAF teams have shown in this World Cup – Mexico had the Netherlands beat until losing the plot at the very end, and Costa Rica has already advanced – there is no reason for the Americans to feel like they don’t belong on the same pitch. Klinsmann said,

“We have no fear at all, We’re ready to go eye to eye with a very good team … ready for a real grind. Anything’s possible. Sky’s the limit, but we have to get over some hurdles and this is a very big hurdle, no doubt about it. We believe we have built the foundation to beat them, but every player needs to be willing to go 120 minutes, plus a penalty shootout if they have to.”

Given Belgium’s defensive tactics and shape in midfield, Altidore could be the difference between winning and losing for the United States. Matches at this stage often come down to fine margins. The lack of attacking quality from the U.S. was evident against Germany. Altidore’s return gives the United States the ability to have a go at Belgium even if it is late on.

England international Adam Lallana is reportedly in Liverpool for a medical ahead of a transfer from Southampton to Liverpool.

The 26-year-old Lallana has been a Liverpool target for weeks, and it looks like the Reds will bring him to Anfield for a reported £25 million transfer fee. If they do make a move, Lallana will join his former Southampton teammate Rickie Lambert and Emre Can (formerly of Bayer Leverkusen) as new additions to the club.

After struggling last summer to attract top players to the club, Liverpool’s return to UEFA Champions League play – and the money that goes along with it – have made things easier this year to lure players to Anfield.

In 242 appearances with Southampton, Lallana has scored 60 goals, including nine last season, earning him a place on the Professional Footballers Association Premier League team of the year. He was a second-half substitute for England in their World Cup games against Italy and Uruguay, and started the group stage finale against Costa Rica.

While Lallana looks likely to join Liverpool, Manchester United announced the signing of fellow teammate Luke Shaw today. The exodus from Southampton will be worrying for Saints fans despite the appointment of Ronald Koeman as manager.

Over the past two years, we’ve written more words about Luis Suárez than we ever imagined possible.

From suspensions to transfer rumors to key goals at the most opportune time, we thought we had seen it all and there was nothing left that could surprise us.

So you’ll understand our shock while watching Uruguay’s game on Monday when Suárez and Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini clashed in front of the Italian goal with just a few minutes left in the game. Suddenly, Suárez was on the ground holding his mouth, while Chiellini was chasing the ref, pulling at his shirt collar to show something on his shoulder, and we were left in disbelief.

Did Suárez really do what we think he just did? Did Suárez really just bite Chiellini during a win-or-go-home World Cup game?

On Thursday, FIFA came down on Suárez, banning him for four months from all soccer activities. Not only is he out of any remaining World Cup games for Uruguay (and nine international matches all together), the ban extends to Liverpool, meaning Suárez will miss nine Premier League games (including ones against Manchester City, Everton and Tottenham Hotspur) and the first three UEFA Champions League games.

“Such behaviour cannot be tolerated on any football pitch, and in particular not at a World Cup when the eyes of millions of people are on the stars on the field,” said Claudio Sulser, the chair of FIFA’s disciplinary committee. “The committee took into account all the factors of the case and the degree of Mr. Suárez’s guilt in accordance with the relevant provisions of the code. The decision comes into force as soon it is communicated.”

Unbelievable.

We spent the past Premier League season coming to terms with Suárez and his role with Liverpool. As he rang up goal after goal – a league-leading 31 in 33 games on the season – we talked ourselves into the possibility that Suárez had finally changed. After returning from his suspension he was on his best behavior for the most part, helping Liverpool challenge for the league title and cutting down on the diving and whining.

But during the season’s final games as Liverpool’s title hopes faded away, you could see the frustration creeping back into Suárez’ game, as the angst over non-calls and the falling down every time he was touched, made a return appearance to his game. It was somewhat understandable but, in hindsight, it was also a sign that the on-field demons were slowly creeping back into Suárez’ game.

In the days leading up to the start of the World Cup, Suárez was profiled by Grant Wahl in Sports Illustrated. Early in the article, Suárez is quoted as saying that “I want to change the bad boy image that has stuck for a bit because I don’t think I am at all how I have been portrayed. I would like that to change because it’s awful to hear and read what is said of you.”

We want to believe that Suárez was sincere in his desire to change his image, but if that is the case how do you explain what happened during the Italy game? Maybe the answer lies in a comment from Liverpool owner John Henry in that same Sports Illustrated article.

“He is a good person 99 percent of the time, and 1 percent of the time his desire to win overcomes everything else,” Henry said. “So he had moments where he made very high-profile mistakes. But those mistakes were always in the heat of competition. [They have] caused him problems, but [they’re] also a reason he is one of the best players we’ve ever seen.”

There is no doubt that Suárez is currently one of the game’s best goal scorers, but how much longer can Liverpool put up with him? They did everything they could this past season to support him and, while it was enough to get him through the season, it wasn’t enough to make a permanent change. How can they trust that the “1 percent” won’t come out at the most inopportune time?

Suárez hasn’t been helped by the fact that the Uruguayan Football Association is blaming everyone but Suárez for the incident, claiming everything from Photoshopped images to a conspiracy by a cabal of English, Italian and Brazilian media.

“We don’t have any doubts that this has happened because it’s Suárez involved and secondly because Italy have been eliminated,” association member Alejandro Balbi said. “There’s a lot of pressure from England and Italy. We’re convinced that it was an absolutely casual play, because if Chiellini can show a scratch on one shoulder, Suárez can show a bruised and an almost closed eye.”

Everyone else’s fault but Suárez, of course.

Liverpool officials also have to factor in that they are shouldering a large part of the punishment handed out to Suárez, even though they played no role in the latest incident. Suárez was going to be a transfer target this summer, with the annual move to Spain already hitting the media; could this be the tipping point where the club decides that Suárez is no longer worth the trouble?

For now, team officials are being quiet, only saying in a statement that “Liverpool Football Club will wait until we have seen and had time to review the FIFA Disciplinary Committee report before making any further comment.”

While it is probably a prudent course of action, that statement doesn’t necessarily scream out “we stand behind our player.”

Suárez has an uncanny ability to surprise us when he is on the pitch.

We just wish those surprises were limited to his goal scoring, rather than everything else.

The USA and Germany face off today at Noon ET/9am PT in the final game for each side in Group G. A win by either team wins the group, but both teams only need to walk out of the Arena Pernambuco in Recife with a single point to ensure advancement into the next round.

The teams have reached this point after opening wins followed by shocking draws in their respective second games – Germany coming back against Ghana, while the U.S. gave up a game-tying goal with just 30 seconds left against Portugal.

For Germany, the historic numbers are on their side. They have advanced out of group play in every World Cup since 1954, have won at least two games in group play in every World Cup since 1990, they haven’t lost their third game of group play since 1986, and have won the third game in five consecutive World Cups.

The Germans are also 2-1 all-time against the Americans, including a 1-0 victory in the 2002 World Cup.

US Head Coach Klinsmann said:

“I think one of the strengths of the German side has been consistency. Consistency and performing at the highest level or on the biggest stage, which is every two years in a European Championship or a World Cup, and (the ability ) to find ways to make it to the end of the tournaments. The expectations in Germany are very simple; they’ve always got to win it. Otherwise, they are disappointed. That’s just how it is. Third place or second place doesn’t mean much to the fans and the people there. Obviously their spirit is always going into the last second of the game, to turn things around, fighting until the last moment.”

It’s all part of what makes Germany, well, Germany. There are no surprises with this team and if you want to beat them you will have to get the job done – they are not beating themselves.

The Americans will once again be without Jozy Altidore, who remains out with a hamstring injury, but that is not as disconcerting as it was going into the Portugal game. In Altidore’s absence, the U.S. has picked up goals from captain Clint Dempsey, Jermaine Jones and John Brooks as the team concept remains strong on the pitch.

Despite the disappointing end to the Portugal game, the U.S. was the better team for all but a couple of minutes against Portugal, and that confidence should help them against Germany.

“I think we had one foot in the door, so there’s a small bit of disappointment,” goalkeeper Tim Howard said. “Realistically, we have given ourselves every chance to advance. We are optimistic; we are pretty much where we wanted to be when we started this whole process. We wanted to be going into this last game feeling like we have a chance, and we do.”

A subplot to watch in the game will be how the German-American players on the U.S. roster, most notably Jermaine Jones and Fabian Johnson, fare against a team of players that they are familiar with.

And while he may say this is just another game on the way to the knockout stage, there’s little doubt that Klinsmann has had this game circled on his personal calendar ever since the draw back in December.

“It’s very special, it’s something that doesn’t happen every year and probably not anymore in the lifetime, so you try to enjoy this moment,” he said. “We are very ambitious. We did so much work, and we were almost there already to be qualified for the knockout stage, we have to do it now with this game and there is no doubt that it’s a special moment because it’s the team that you start building, the group of people that you got around and they are all in place still, so I will give them big hugs before the game and then leave to the side. We’re gonna get the job done and we’re gonna give a farewell hug again after the game.”

The U.S. certainly has what it takes to possibly win against Germany, and certainly enough to come away with a tie and the much-needed point. While both teams will want to win, Germany is in a safer position that the U.S. thanks to their better goal differential.

“Who would have thought that after the two games, we were right there with four points, we need one more point and we are through so we will take it that way very positively,” Klinsmann said. “We are going to play this game to win it.  We are not made for going into a game to end with a tie, that’s just not in our DNA and it’s not even in the DNA of the German side so they are both teams that want to get the results, both teams want to win the group. You’ll see that yourselves but we are definitely going in there with the approach that we want to push it and we want to go for gold and we want to get three points and this is really what we are driving for.”

The U.S. has to be careful, though. If they push too hard for the win, they could make that one crucial mistake that hands Germany a goal and puts their dreams advancing in jeopardy.

If the U.S. can get through the first 15 to 20 minutes of the game in good shape, things should settle down and the result will be that will make fans of both teams happy.

Predicted score: Germany 1, USA 1

Predicted Germany starting XI:

Predicted USA starting XI:

SEE MORE — 5 key matchups to watch in USA-Germany game.

The more I look at it, the more I like the move by Liverpool to acquire striker Rickie Lambert from Southampton.

“I’ve seen Rickie Lambert over the years and he’s one of those players that probably never got the recognition for what a really good footballer he is,” Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers told Sky Sports News. “It’s only late on in his career … that people are really starting to focus on his qualities. He was probably seen as the traditional big number nine, a British striker that is good in the air. But he’s one of the most accomplished footballers I’ve seen.”

A one time member of Liverpool’s youth team, Lambert is looking forward to returning to play for the club he dreamt about as a child.

“I have always dreamt of playing for Liverpool, but I did kind of think the chance of playing for them had gone. I didn’t think the chance would come. It was a shock when I heard Liverpool were in for me,” Lambert said on the club’s website. “I know how big Liverpool are – and it means everything to me – but I know what is important; I know it’s what I do on the pitch and the minutes I play. I know that’s what matters, and that’s what I’ll be focused on.”

Here are five things to like about the signing:

1) Lambert knows how to score. At Southampton, he was the club’s top scorer every year since joining the team in 2009. All told, he scored 117 goals in 235 appearances for Southampton, and scored or assisted on 23 of their 54 league goals this past season, making him the fourth-highest scoring English player in the Premier League.

2) He knows what it takes to help push a team to the next level. When he joined Southampton, the club was in League One and he helped lead them all the way to the Premier League.

3) He provides depth, which is important as Liverpool will make its return to Champions League play next season. A big part of their success this past season was the fact that Rodgers could put all his focus onto the next league game without having to worry about how his decision would impact European games. Having Lambert on board gives Rodgers more options and, hopefully, doesn’t result in a drop off in goals if the club sits Luis Suárez or Daniel Sturridge.

4) At a cost of just £4.5 million plus add-ons, Lambert doesn’t break the bank.

5) He brings experience to the club. Lambert will spend the summer in Brazil with the England national team – one of six current Liverpool players on the national team – giving him an opportunity to get comfortable with a large number of his new club teammates.

“I think I am prepared mentally now for almost anything,” Lambert told The Guardian. “I’ve had a long career, I’ve experienced a lot – a lot of ups and downs – and I believe I am at a time in my life now where anything that happens, I can enjoy, get the most out of it and adapt to it.

“[Brendan] knows what the club means to me. I think he sees what he can benefit from by signing me and he knows I’ll be trying my best every minute I play for this club. I’m not sure what role he has for me – he hasn’t gone into great detail right now – but I will be speaking to him very shortly.”

Lambert may not be the type of headline-grabbing signing that pushes Liverpool over the top, but he should turn into the kind of quiet transaction that helps the club keep pace with the other top Premier League teams.

With the Premier League season now past the halfway mark, Liverpool has transitioned from early season surprise to what appears to be a solid squad that finds itself in the thick of the title race.

After sitting in first place on Christmas Day, the Reds dropped down in the table following consecutive losses to Manchester City and Chelsea before rebounding with wins against Hull City and Stoke City. Liverpool currently sits in the all-important fourth-place slot heading into this weekend’s match with Aston Villa.

But while they are only six points off the pace set by league-leaders Arsenal, it may be time for Liverpool to readjust their focus away from claiming the league crown and zero in instead on securing a Champions League slot for next season.

Liverpool is 11 points better than they were after 21 games last season, but they have still struggled against the three teams above them in the table, losing to Arsenal, Manchester City and Chelsea so far this season. They have fared better against the three teams directly below them, defeating Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, while drawing with Everton.

The Reds squad is also starting to get healthy again, welcoming Steven Gerrard and Daniel Sturridge back to the lineup in the past week. Sturridge’s return is a key to the club’s success, as he is still the team’s second-leading goal scorer despite missing almost two months of action. As the club showed on Sunday against Stoke City, having Sturridge on the pitch with Luis Suarez can be too much for an opposing defense to handle.

But we still can’t shake those results against the top three clubs, games which may have revealed that while Liverpool has improved under second-year manager Brendan Rodgers, they are still not quite ready to make a serious run at the top spot.

Rodgers’ comments after Sunday’s win against Stoke City echo those thoughts:

“We entered the game today, 18 games to go, nine at home, nine away, knowing that seven of those nine were against teams in the bottom half.

“That doesn’t mean they are gimmes by any mean – it is a tough league – but certainly we have shown enough that we are going to be challenging and that is all we ever wanted to be. We never stated we are going to win the league, to jump from where we have been at, we just needed to be in the conversation.”

In addition to having seven games against teams currently in the bottom half of the table, Liverpool has only one road match – at Manchester United – among their games against the other top six clubs. Everyone else had to make the trip to Anfield, where Liverpool has only lost once and has outscored the opposition 27-6.

Rodgers comes across as very pragmatic; he knows his team is good, but it’s just not that good – yet. With a full lineup, Liverpool can match up with any team in the league offensively, although their defense still needs some work.

While you obviously play to win the game, Liverpool probably doesn’t have the talent to make a serious push for the top spot over the season’s final games. And no matter how hard they try, it may not be enough with three teams ahead of them.

In addition, there is not that large of a gap between Liverpool and the teams trailing them – Everton is just one point back, Spurs are just two and Manchester United is five behind. And no matter how much David Moyes’ team is struggling, is anyone really comfortable writing off Manchester United until the very end?

For now, focusing on that Champions League spot may be the best course of action and, if one or two of the teams ahead of them slip up and the Reds can move up a spot, then that’s a bonus. But they have to be careful not to slip up themselves.

The disappointment of going another year without a league title would certainly be softened by the money a Champions League spot would bring, money that could help the club add to what is becoming a talented core group of players.

And if they do that, then next year could be the season that Liverpool becomes more than just a talking point in the conversation about the league title.

Editor’s note: For the latest Liverpool news, analysis and opinion, visit the Liverpool team page.

Liverpool took a big hit on Sunday when manager Brendan Rodgers confirmed that forward Daniel Sturridge will miss six to eight weeks with an ankle injury.

Sturridge suffered a ligament strain in his left ankle while training on Friday for today’s match against Hull City. The Liverpool striker suffered a similar injury to his right ankle in May while playing for England and that injury left him sidelined for three months.

The loss of Sturridge, who has scored 11 goals in 14 games this season, leaves a hole that will be tough for Rodgers to fill. Sturridge kept the Reds going while Luis Suarez served his suspension earlier in the year and has combined with Suarez to make a potent offensive punch.

With three games over the next 11 days, Rodgers will have to adjust on the fly if Liverpool can continue its strong play that has seen them at or near the top of the Premier League table through the season’s first 12 games.

Luis Suárez makes his Premier League return today when Liverpool takes on Sunderland at the Stadium of Light. And with him could come a boost to Liverpool’s chances to stay in the title race this season.

Liverpool got off to a quick start to the season without Suárez thanks to some solid defense and the goal scoring of Daniel Sturridge. But after picking up nine points in their first three games, the squad has cooled off, adding just a single point in a tie against Swansea City before losing a lackluster effort against Southampton.

For all the success that Liverpool has had in the opening stages of the season, they have still struggled to score goals – the one thing that Suárez does as well as anyone. Having another player that can find the back of the net will take some of the pressure off Sturridge and give manager Brendan Rodgers some more options to create mismatches and confusion for the defense on the pitch.

But Rodgers has to be careful, because it’s not as simple as dropping Suárez into the lineup.

“It will be interesting to see whether (Rodgers) puts Suárez or Sturridge in a wide position,” former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher told ESPN recently. “I don’t think either Sturridge or Suárez are really comfortable in the No. 10 role, because if you are that you’ve got to put a defensive shift in.”

In addition to figuring out the best way to use Suárez and Sturridge in the lineup, Rodgers has to always deal with the possibility that the mercurial Suárez will decide to do something stupid on the pitch.

For now, Rodgers has Suárez’ back.

“He is one of the most determined people I have ever met in my life,” Rodgers said of Suárez. “When you have been out for so long, he was never going to be fazed by it. This is such a unique club where they support the players who wear the shirt.”

And, it turns out, it is not just Suárez that Rodgers has to worry about; he also has to deal with managing director Ian Ayre, who earlier this week talked about how Suárez has damaged the Liverpool brand.

As for Suárez, he is contrite as ever for his past transgressions.

“I know it was a difficult moment, but for myself and for the team it’s very important that I’m back because I can help the team,” Suárez said earlier in the week. “All the time I try my best on the pitch. I’m here to help the team and help Liverpool and I’ll try my best.”

All that aside, it is what happens on the pitch that matters the most and Liverpool is getting Suárez back at a very opportune time.

The Premier League is a bit of a jumble right now, with no one outside of Arsenal (and possibly Tottenham Hotspur) playing anything resembling dominant football. Adding a player as talented as Suárez could potentially make Liverpool the envy of the league.

If they can take care of business against Sunderland, a club that currently sits at the bottom of the table with just one point and does not have a permanent manger, then the Reds would wake up Monday morning just two points back of Arsenal. (And six points clear of the floundering Manchester United, it needs to be pointed out.)

Get by Sunderland, and Liverpool faces Crystal Palace (currently 19th with three points), Newcastle United (currently 15th with seven points) and West Bromwich Albion (currently in the middle of the table).

Suárez’ return should give the Reds the kind of boost that could propel them through that stretch in fine form, setting up a major showdown on Nov. 2 against Arsenal at the Emirates.

Welcome back, Luis.

Liverpool supporters never thought they’d be so happy to see you again.

The United States Men’s National Team climbed six spots in the latest FIFA world rankings, coming in at No. 13 in the world rankings that were released on Thursday.

It is the highest ranking for the U.S. since July 2010 and has been built on a run that has seen the Americans win 13 of their last 14 matches. The latest win came on Tuesday against Mexico, with the 2-0 victory helping the U.S. secure its seventh consecutive World Cup berth.

The USA’s current run has seen it post victories against Germany, go undefeated in winning the Gold Cup, and winning four of its last five World Cup qualifying matches.

The ranking highlights the improvement the squad has made under coach Jurgen Klinsmann, who has taken the team from its No. 36 ranking in the summer of 2012 to its current position.

The U.S. has two qualifying matches remaining before the World Cup draw on Dec. 6.

Spain retained the top spot for the 25th consecutive month. Argentina moved up to No. 2 after clinching a spot in its 11th straight World Cup with a 5-2 win at Paraguay on Tuesday. Germany dropped a spot to third, Italy remained fourth and Colombia fell two places to No. 5. England fell to number 17.

Mexico fell one spot, to No. 21, following Tuesday’s loss to the USA.

The U.S. men’s national team will take the pitch tonight in Columbus, Ohio, with a chance to make it a very special night.

Jurgen Klinsmann’s team is currently in second place in the CONCACAF Hexagonal, one point back of Costa Rica. The Ticos defeated the Americans on Friday night to break their 12-match winning streak. A win by the U.S. tonight at Columbus Crew Stadium, combined with a Honduras win or tie against visiting Panama, means the Americans can punch their ticket to next summer’s World Cup in Brazil.

Sounds easy, right?

Well, there is one thing standing in the way of the celebration – arch-rival Mexico.

At first glance, it may seem as if the U.S. has a major advantage heading into the game, especially when you consider that:

• This will be the fourth consecutive home qualifying match the U.S. will play against Mexico in Columbus. The U.S. has won the previous three, all by the score of 2-0.
• The U.S. is unbeaten in nine games at Columbus Crew Stadium, posting a 6-0-3 record.
• The U.S. has not lost a home qualifier against Mexico since 1972, posting a record of 4-0-2 since then.

But things are never that simple in sports. For starters, the U.S. will be without four key players.

Central midfielder Michael Bradley will miss the game with an ankle sprain suffered during warm-ups for the Costa Rica game. They will also be without defenders Geoff Cameron and Matt Besler, along with forward Jozy Altidore, who are all suspended after receiving their second yellow cards during the game against Costa Rica. In their place are midfielders Joe Corona, Brad Davis and Jose Torres and defender Clarence Goodson.

For their part, the U.S. team is not panicking about facing its biggest rival with a short-handed roster.

“I think there are things we look at (from the Costa Rica loss) and think we can get those right and we’ll be a heck of a lot more solid,” goalkeeper Tim Howard told Sports Illustrated. “At the same time, we’ve been playing well. That happens. Sometimes, you get your butt kicked. That’s part of it. You just have to shake it off and move on. I think this group has the resilience to move on.”

If the Americans are to move on, they will have to get past an El Tri squad that may currently appear broken, they are still a dangerous squad – especially if with Gio Dos Santos, who always seems to give the Americans problems, and Javier Hernandez on the roster.

Mexico lost at home on Friday against Honduras – only the second home loss in a World Cup qualifier ever. Over the weekend, the team told manager Jose Manuel de la Torre that his services were no longer needed, replacing him with Luis Fernando Tena.

The Mexican squad currently sits in fourth place in the Hexagonal, two points behind Honduras for third place and a guaranteed spot in Brazil. But they are just one point ahead of Panama and, with only two games remaining after their match with the U.S., need to start taking points if they hope to make it into a play-in game against New Zealand.

No matter how much they may be struggling right now, the Mexicans want to do everything they can to avoid seeing the U.S. celebrate at their expense and avoid the pressure of having to win the final two games just to have a chance to make the World Cup.

With a roster that will rely on call-ups in some important roles, the biggest advantage the Americans have going for them is manager Jürgen Klinsmann.

A little more than six months ago, Klinsmann was dealing with stories about the players questioning his tactics and his lineups, most notably that, because he is German, he was showing favoritism to Jermaine Jones, Danny Williams, Fabian Johnson and Timmy Chandler – all German-born players of American servicemen.

But since then, Klinsmann has settled the team down – did we mention the 12-game winning streak? One that was just three games shy of Spain’s all-time record? – and, the loss to Costa Rica notwithstanding, has the Americans playing at a high level at just the right time.

If Klinsmann can guide the team to a win on Tuesday, he achieves the double goal of all but assuring a place in the World Cup for Team USA while also putting a big dent in Mexico’s travel plans to Brazil.

But simply qualifying for the World Cup is just another step on what Klinsmann and the Americans hope is a bigger and longer journey.

“Jürgen Klinsmann was not hired to qualify for the World Cup,” former U.S. national team player Alexi Lalas told The Telegraph. “Jürgen Klinsmann was hired to make sure that when that moment comes and we reach the rarefied air (of the knockout stages), the players are prepared.”

The opportunity to take that next step to Brazil is there for the Americans tonight in Columbus. What they do with it, is entirely up to them.

Editor’s note: After tonight’s USA vs Mexico game, be sure to log on to WorldSoccerTalk.com to watch the live post-match reaction with Kartik Krishnaiyer, Kris Heneage and Dave Denholm.

Two games into the season, Liverpool finds itself tied for second place near the top of the Premier League table with Tottenham Hotspur. It’s the first time the Red have won their first two games of the season since 2008-09, a campaign that saw them finish in second place with 86 points.

More importantly, the club is now 5-0-1 during the first six games they have played without Luis Suárez, who has four more matches left on his suspension for biting Branislav Ivanovic.

It would be a bit daft to try and use Liverpool’s short-term run of success to build an argument that they are better off without the talented but mercurial Suárez. After all, the quality of the opposition has played a significant role in Liverpool’s success. Newcastle United, Fulham, Queens Park Rangers, Stoke City and Aston Villa are the five teams the Reds have beaten, and they certainly do not fall into the category of a murder’s row of opponents.

Be that as it may, Liverpool is winning and, in the process, is learning a valuable lesson – how to win without Suárez. And if they can remember that lesson, it just may carry them throughout the upcoming season and make it an unexpected success.

The biggest beneficiary of Suárez’ absence has been striker Daniel Sturridge. In the four games he has appeared in since the suspension, Sturridge has scored seven goals – including the game winners in both matches so far this season.

You can see Sturridge’s confidence grow every time walks onto the pitch without Suárez, and that confidence was on full display against Aston Villa when he scored a goal on a shot that he probably would not have even attempted at this time last season.

Manager Brendan Rodgers sees it, too.

“Firstly, it’s opportunity and confidence,” Rodgers told ESNFC.com. “He’s a player who thrives on confidence. He’s come into a really special football club where the supporters have made him feel really welcome and he’s thriving on that. He’s a number nine, he can move, he can spring, he’s a really good footballer as well, he’s not just a goal scorer. You see his movement, his touch, and he’s thrived on the confidence of his teammates and the people around the club.”

Overall, Sturridge has scored 12 goals in his 13 starts since joining Liverpool in January from Chelsea on a £12 million transfer – and is only scratching the surface of his talent, according to Rodgers.

“The frightening thing is that he has still got a bit to go in terms of his fitness,” Rodgers told The Daily Mail. “I think once he is fully fit then he will be even better. If you assess the world’s great strikers – the pace and power they have, the touch, good in the air, two good feet, super quick – then he possesses all of that.

“All we demand is he works his socks off. When he does that all his natural talent comes out, and when that comes out there are not too many better.”

If Sturridge can keep that form once Suárez returns to the lineup – and if Rodgers can effectively work both of them into the lineup – then this season may turn into something special.

Make no mistake about it. Liverpool needs Suárez. No matter how maddening he can be – and he can be quite maddening – Liverpool needs him on the pitch if they want to continue to entertain notions of challenging for a Champions League slot.

Liverpool is a club that is too big to worry about falling into the relegation zone, but not talented enough to worry the teams in front of them.

But if they have both Sturridge and Suárez playing at a high level, then all of sudden the equation starts to change in Liverpool’s favor.

Consider that since bringing Suárez to the club on a transfer from Ajax midway through the 2010-11 season, Liverpool has lost just twice when Suárez scores a goal. The Reds have posted a record of 18 wins and nine draws against those two losses (last season to Manchester United and Wigan) when Suárez finds the back of the net.*

The problem is that on too many occasions, especially last season, it was Suárez or nothing. Now, if Sturridge can play at a consistent level, and if Liverpool can get the good Suárez instead of the knucklehead Suárez, then there is a real chance that they can start taking back some of the points they left on the pitch last season.

Part of making that happen falls on Rodgers’s shoulders, but the largest part resides with Suárez. He made it known at every opportunity during the summer that he wanted out of Anfield. The only problem was that no was willing to come calling, at least not at Liverpool’s price.

Now that Suárez is back training with the club, it is up to him to put this summer behind him and be the best he can be on the pitch. Can he do that, though? Only time will tell.

So far, Liverpool has made the most of their time without Suárez. They have four more games to hone their game before he returns. What they do after that is up to them.

And what it means for the rest of the Premier League is up to Sturridge and Suárez.

*That is probably the type of statistic that needs some context. We’re sure that most teams win, or are at least competitive, when their top strikers score. But it is still a relevant fact to point out.

Liverpool opens the 2013-14 Premier League season – and Brendan Rodgers’ second season in charge – on Saturday when they host Stoke City.

After finishing in seventh place last season, the Reds are going on their fourth consecutive season without Champions League football, something that once seemed unfathomable for a club that is synonymous with European football.

The thought of returning to Europe seems far away, especially when you consider that when we last left Liverpool, they were finishing off a Premier League season that saw the team bring home just one win (Tottenham Hotspur) and one clean sheet (Everton) in 12 meetings against the six teams ahead of them in the standings – Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Everton.

Following his debut season in charge of the club, Rodgers called the task of bringing the Reds back to prominence a “monumental challenge.”

“I have needed this year to learn the real depths of this club, everything that needs to be done, and I think, come the summer, we will be in a much better place to put in a sustainable challenge at the top of the table,” Rodgers told The Independent.

Despite their troubles against the top teams, Liverpool finished with its highest point total in three years.

So the question now becomes, did the club do enough over the summer to pull off the sustainable challenge that Rodgers is looking for?

At least early on in the season, Liverpool will be more conspicuous by who is not on the pitch than who is. For the first time since 2004-05, Pepe Reina will not be in goal for Liverpool. Reina is off to Napoli on loan and in his place is Simon Mignolet, who comes over from Sunderland in a £9million transfer.

While it may not have been his best year in a Liverpool kit, Reina was still good enough to play 31 Premier League games and post 14 clean sheets. Mignolet, who is five years younger than Reina, posted 11 clean sheets for Sunderland and while his goals against average was slightly higher than Reina’s (1.42 vs. 1.10), it is worth noting that he faced almost 100 more shots on goal than Reina.

The club will also start the first six games of the season without striker Luis Suárez, who will serve out the remaining six games of his suspension for biting Branislav Ivanovic. Suárez also spent the majority of the summer clamoring for a transfer out of Anfield.

Rodgers and team owner John Henry maintained that Suárez is not for sale and stuck to their guns. Suárez remains on the club even if his is not available for the opening stretch of the season.

While it is hard to see how Liverpool would replace the 23 goals that Suárez scored in 33 league games last season (Daniel Sturridge was the only other player to hit double-figures in goals and he only had 10), in the four games the Reds played without the suspended Suárez at the end of the season, the club was 3-0-1.

Liverpool may have caught a break with the schedule. In addition to the game against Stoke, the six fixtures that Suárez will not be available for include Aston Villa (15th place  last year), League One-side Notts County in the Capital One Cup, Swansea City (ninth place) and Southampton (14th place). The only real test comes on Sept. 1 when they host Manchester United, but the defending champs will still be getting used to new manager David Moyes, so catching them early is not a bad idea.

There is always the risk, though, that the absence of Suárez could lead to the club dropping what looks like, on paper, a winnable game.

The bigger challenge is going to be how Rodgers works Suárez back into the team once his suspension is over.

“There’s too much good work gone on here for it to be overtaken by anything else,” Rodgers told The Guardian. “The players have worked so hard, their concentration has been brilliant and we are all very determined this year. I can’t let anything detract from that. Nothing can sabotage what we are trying to do. I don’t really want to go on about it. It’s just something we cannot afford to happen.”

Earlier this week Rodgers put a moratorium on Suárez talk until his suspension is over, basically taking the Norman Dale approach of “I would hope you would support who we are. Not, who we are not.”

“There’s nothing to be said that hasn’t already been said,” Rodgers told The Daily Mail. “I’m sure people are fed up listening and reading about it. My only concentration is the players who are available. They’ve worked tirelessly and purely out of respect for them and the work that has gone on, I only want to talk about them.”

To help take some of the goal-scoring pressure off Suárez and Sturridge, Liverpool brought in striker Iago Aspas from Celta Vigo. Aspas may fill in for the hot-headed Suárez in more ways than one, as Aspas served his own four-game ban last season for head butting an opposing player, has received four red cards in four years, and was suspended for almost a third of his final season with Celta’s youth club.

“Sometimes he’s not always easy on the eye, but when you actually monitor how efficient Iago is, he’s an incredibly effective player,” Rodgers said in published reports. “The idea was that Aspas would give another dimension to our attacking play, and he’s done that. He creates goals and scores goals … we now have some outstanding talent who can make a difference in the final third – and that has been the most encouraging thing, that we have real quality in that final third where it matters.”

In the midfield, Luis Alberto, a member of Spain’s Under-21 squad, comes over from Barcelona’s B team where he spent the year on loan from Sevilla. Alberto scored 11 goals and added 17 assists in 38 games and will provide support for 33-year-old Steven Gerrard (and Gerrard’s 80-year-old groin). According to Goal.com, Alberto’s “technical ability and creative flair make him an ideal fit for (the) Reds and his versatility will also be a big boost.”

Hmm, maybe that Champions League slot is not so far out of reach after all. (OK, let’s take a deep breath and calm down.)

On the backline, 32-year-old Kolo Touré takes over the veteran defender role from the retired Jamie Carragher (who the team is going to miss in the locker room more than on the pitch). Liverpool picked up Touré on a free from Manchester City, which is either a savvy financial move or a sign that something may be amiss if Manchester City was willing to just let him walk away.

If nothing else, Touré will provide competition for Martin Skrtel, who lost his starting spot in the second half of last season to Carragher, and competition is never a bad thing.

Liverpool was able to bring in the new players thanks in part to the transfer fees they received for Andy Carroll, now permanently moved to West Ham, and Jonjo Shelvey to Swansea.

So what will this season bring for Liverpool?

At this time a year ago Rodgers was preaching patience as he was just starting to rebuild the club. Plus, it takes time to install the type of football that Rodgers wants the team to play, a style that emphasizes the passing game and fluid movement among the players.

The club improved during the second half of the season (33 points in the season’s final 18 games) and we finally saw the team play the Rodgers way in the final four matches of the campaign.

It should not be unreasonable to expect the squad to pick up where it left off when the season opens on Saturday. Rather than spending the summer installing his system, Rodgers and the players should have been able to spend their time building on what they learned last year. That should help the team start the season in better form than they did last year.

Is that enough to make up the 12 points that separated Liverpool from fourth-place Arsenal at the end of last season? If Suárez grows up and accepts that he is a member of the squad for the rest of the season, and if the new arrivals all hit their potential, then maybe.

But how often in sports does everything break right for a team?

Fourth-place and a Champions League spot may be too much to ask of this team this year. But if they can somehow find a way to pick up an additional six points from that 12 games against the teams in front of them, then the Reds would at least be able to put a little more pressure on the front runners and make them take notice.

It may not be the level of glory that the club and its fans once assumed was their birthright, but for this year it may not be all that bad.

Let the games begin.

The U.S. Men’s National Team moved up three spots to No. 19 in the FIFA world rankings, which were released on Thursday.

It is the first time the U.S. has made an appearance in the Top 20 since March 2011. They also moved ahead of rival Mexico, ranked No. 20, to become the highest ranked team in CONCACAF, also for the first time since 2011.

The move culminates a successful summer for the squad and coach Jurgen Klinsmann.

The U.S. went a perfect 3-0-0 in June in World Cup qualifying to move to the top of their qualifying group, and then won the Gold Cup tournament in July to run their unbeaten streak to 11 games.

The next FIFA rankings will be released on Sept. 12 – just two days after the U.S. faces Mexico in a World Cup qualifying match at a sold-out Columbus Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio.

In an exclusive interview with The Guardian newspaper, Luis Suárez has asked to leave Liverpool, claiming that the club promised him he could go if they failed to qualify for a spot in the Champions League.

Suárez said he will take the issue to the Premier League to try and force a move before the league’s transfer window closes on Sept. 2.

“Last year I had the opportunity to move to a big European club and I stayed on the understanding that if we failed to qualify for the Champions League the following season I’d be allowed to go,” he told The Guardian. “I gave absolutely everything last season but it was not enough to give us a top-four finish – now all I want is for Liverpool to honour our agreement.”

Suárez is apparently okay with making a move to Arsenal, even though the Gunners play in England, home of the media that Suárez has blamed for his problems on the pitch, which have included a racial incident with Patrice Evra and a 10-game ban for biting Branislav Ivanovic (of which Suárez still has six games to serve.)

That is all water under the bridge, it seems, to Suárez, who is acting like a petulant child who is not getting his way. By going public with his demands he runs the risk of alienating a fan base that has stood behind him since his arrival with the club in 2011.

We get that the club will be weaker without Suárez on the pitch, but it is getting to the point where Liverpool may be better off just moving on from Suárez. As talented as he is, eventually you reach a point where his off-field baggage outweighs his production on the pitch.

There is also the little matter of Liverpool may need the money they would get in a transfer for Suárez.

Manager Brendan Rodgers has spent the past year cleaning out the mistakes left behind by the previous regime. He has already moved on from Andy Carroll and Charlie Adam at a combined loss of £23 million. Now with the reports that the club will allow Stewart Downing to go to Newcastle for £5 million – after the club paid £20 million for him – that would mean that Liverpool would have seen losses of £38 million on those three players.

It seems likely that principal owner John Henry will eventually decide enough is enough and look to recoup some of that lost cash.

And with the start of the season less than two weeks away, the club doesn’t need the daily distraction of dealing with questions about Suárez and his future.

Time for the club to say, “thanks for the memories” and book Suárez on the first train out of town.

What’s  your opinion? How will this transfer saga be resolved? Will it go to the PFA for resolution, or will Liverpool work out a deal with Arsenal?

Another day, another twist in the ongoing saga of whether or not Liverpool will part ways with striker Luis Suárez. Just two weeks ago, it seemed as if the Reds had missed their best chance to move on from the talented but troubled Suárez after the team turned down a £30 million offer from Arsenal.

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers’ resolve was tested again last week when Arsenal came back with a transfer bid of £40 million plus £1. But the Reds still said no.

Now, with the start of the Premier League season less than three weeks away, it is looking at least possible that Arsenal may need to acquire Suárez and that it may come at Liverpool’s asking price of more than £50 million.

The Gunners find themselves in this position after seeing Real Madrid’s Gonzalo Higuain change his mind about coming to London, instead opting to move to Napoli (who needed to fill a hole left by the departure of Edinson Cavani to Paris Saint-Germain).

As Greg Howard pointed out at Deadspin, this leaves Arsenal in a tough position. After watching Neymar sign with Barcelona, Radamel Falcao move to AS Monaco, Zlatan Ibrahimović sign with Paris Saint-Germain, and Stevan Jovetić join Manchester City, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger looks to be left with just one option to improve the club.

That’s where Liverpool and Suárez come in, as Suárez is the only big-talent striker (potentially) on the market. That means Rodgers and Liverpool might have Arsenal right where they want them.

As the days count down to the start of the season, if Wenger and Arsenal start to get desperate and continue to up their offer, it may become a moot point whether or not Liverpool wants to sell – every player can be had at a certain price.

For his part, Wenger said that he does not expect to be making any announcements soon about acquiring any new players.

“There is nothing to say (on the Suárez deal),” Wenger told ESPN. “I have been away now for two or the weeks and it’s hard to see how things are advanced because everyone is on tour at the moment and it’s very difficult to get in touch with people.

“We are ready to do quick deals but all the transfers do not depend only on us. We are prepared to wait. It looks unlikely before the Emirates Cup (next weekend), but we still have a strong squad.”

It seems unlikely that Arsenal, which has spent just £9 million NET, taking into consideration sales,total on transfers in the past 10 years, would be willing to come up with more than £50 million for a single player, but we could have said the same thing when they offered £30 million and they came back with a higher bid.

It appears that Liverpool is playing this one smart. The Reds don’t have to sell Suárez; he may not like it if he opens the season at Anfield (after he serves the rest of his suspension for biting Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic, of course), but there are ways around that.

Rodgers can tell Suárez to suck it up, reminding him that the club has stood behind him to a fault for his on-field shenanigans. Or they could give him a bump in pay, which, surprisingly, can often go a long way in soothing a player’s hurt feelings.

Club officials are sticking to the position that they have no intention of selling Suárez, with managing director Ian Ayre telling The Guardian that, “The situation with Luis Suárez remains the same. It’s never been our intention to sell Luis.”

If Liverpool sticks to its guns and Arsenal walks away, then worst-case is the Reds hold on to a player who scored 23 goals in 33 games last season. If Arsenal meets their price, then they can move on and have the funds needed to improve the club.

The flipside, though, is if Liverpool were to let Suárez go, they would then be in the same boat the Arsenal currently finds themselves in as there would not be anyone out there worth buying who could make up for the loss of Suárez on the offensive end.

Suárez brings so much nonsense to the pitch with him that it has become easy to overlook just how talented he can be. If he goes, it may be better for the team long-term, as long as they don’t squander the money like they did when they sold Fernando Torres, but the short-term could be pretty ugly.

Whichever way this story goes, there’s no doubt the next few weeks should be very interesting.

CONCACAF officials will rule in the next 24-48 hours whether or not US Men’s National Team coach Jurgen Klinsmann will be able to coach in Sunday’s Gold Cup Final.

Klinsmann was ejected during the USMNT’s semifinal win over Honduras on Wednesday night for being overly demonstrative while protesting a non-call on what Klinsmann believed was a foul on DaMarcus Beasley.

“It was just a reaction out of frustration,” Klinsmann said after the game. “One really, really bad [one] right before our third goal, and then came this foul on Beaz with two guys going into him from behind. And I just kind of overboiled it.

“Obviously you shouldn’t then throw the ball or hit it on the ground. I apologize for that reaction. It was not meant against the referee or anybody. It was just frustration, because you feel the health of your player in that moment.”

CONCACAF’s Disciplinary Committee will make a ruling on Klinsmann after reviewing the match report submitted by referee Wálter Quesada.

The U.S. team is in the Gold Cup final for the fifth consecutive time and is currently riding a 10-match winning streak. During their run to the finals, the team has gone 5-0-0 and scored 16 goals while allowing just three.

As for the team, they are hopeful that Klinsmann is on the sidelines – and not in a luxury box – for Sunday’s final.

“That would not be good for us. We’re very hopeful that that’s not the case,” Landon Donovan said. “It’s not automatic that he’s out for the final, so we’ll hope that (he’s not suspended). You never want to see a player or coach suspended for a final. Hopefully whoever reviews that takes that into consideration. I’m sure he’s remorseful for what he did. Sometimes that happens in a game. We’ve all made those decisions at times. Hopefully it doesn’t affect us.”

At this stage, the U.S. should be fine even without Klinsmann for Sunday’s game. But they are on a strong roll after moving to the top of their World Cup qualifying group in June and the team doesn’t need any distractions or bumps as they prepare for the final four-game stretch of qualifying matches starting on Sept. 6 against Costa Rica.

Liverpool striker Luis Suárez has made it known once again this week that he is eager and willing to leave Anfield.

On Monday, Suárez’ agent, Pere Guardiola, reportedly visited Merseyside and told Brendan Rodgers and managing director Ian Ayre that Suárez wants the opportunity to participate in the Champions League, the implication being that is not something that will not occur if he remains at Liverpool.

Suárez is right; Liverpool is currently not in a position to challenge for a Champions League spot, even though the team did play better in the second half of Rodgers first season in charge. After earning just 28 points in the season’s first 20 games, including just two in the first five games, the Reds tallied 33 points out of their final 18 games.

The team only finished in seventh place, however, and against the six teams ahead of them in the table – Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Everton – Liverpool could only manage one win in the 12 matches.

But Suárez also has it within his power to help the team improve (see his 23 goals in 33 games last season), especially if he would stop doing stupid things, such as receiving a 10-game ban for biting Branislav Ivanovic during a game against Chelsea.

Of course, it’s easier to just throw your hands up and say “not my problem” than it is to actually try and make things better at your current club. And it is just as easy for Liverpool officials to point out that they’re already not winning with Suárez, they can just as easily finish in the middle of the table without him.

The question now becomes, what is the club waiting for?

Well, for starters, they need someone willing to take on Suárez at a price that would help Rodgers and Ayre improve the club. Despite what Suárez and his agent may think, those offers are not currently pouring in, although Liverpool did turn down a £30 million offer from Arsenal last weekend.

Knowing that there is at least one other club who is interested in him seems to have helped soothe Suárez’ fragile ego for the moment.

“I have to value that, despite everything that’s happened, [English] clubs still value players for what they can do on the field,” he told The Guardian. “That makes me think that I can come back and do well over there. It’s good that the English clubs still want me.”

It’s odd, though, that Suárez would be interested in Arsenal when he has repeatedly claimed that the English media treats him unfairly. We’re a little fuzzy on how a move to a club that is based in London would solve that problem.

Even though the Arsenal bid may have been a bit undervalued, it also may have been in Liverpool’s best interest to accept it. Other clubs know that Suárez wants to leave, with Real Madrid being his stated preference. But the Spanish club has not publicly expressed a desire for Suárez and could be waiting in the hopes that Suárez will finally become enough of a distraction that they can move in and pick him up on the cheap. Other teams know that as well, so it is hard to see how his transfer price will go up.

Much like last summer, when they finally moved Andy Carroll to West Ham, it may be time for the club to take what it can and just move on.

Because if Suárez doesn’t want to be at Anfield, what good is he?