Soccer Mania

Tavriya 2 Sevastopol 1 (Ukrainian Premier League, October 31, 2010) Andriy Kornyev opened after four minutes for the hosts, but Mariush Levandovsky had Sevastopol level at the break with a thunderbolt from the edge of the box. Eventually an own goal settled the match as Oleh Shandruk put through his own net in the 72nd minute. *** Iraklis 0 Olympiakos Volou 0 (Greek Super League, October 31, 2010) The mid-table rivals cancelled each other out in the goalless encounter. English & European Football Clubs & Leagues News | Video | Commentary

Feyenoord conceded on the stroke of halftime at AZ when Brett Holman headed home a late first half free-kick at the back post. Willem Janssen had Roda flying out the traps when he opened nine minutes in, but Andreas Lasnik had Willem II level in the 21st minute with a ripping left-footed bullet into the top corner. ADO Den Haag 1 FC Utrecht 0 (Eredivisie, October 31, 2010) Den Haags superhero sounding midfielder Lex Immers notched the only goal of the game with a flick header on the stroke of halftime. World Soccer News | Video | Podcast | Gallery | Live Streaming

It was a packed Buck Shaw Stadium on the campus of Santa Clara. Not a single seat was empty in the college soccer stadium to see their beloved San Jose Earthquakes face the New York Red Bulls. It was a great atmosphere for such a fantastic playoff match and as the other two first leg matches showed plenty of excitement, this one was equal to the task. The Red Bulls would get on the board inside the first ten minutes of the second half when they had possession of the ball and made an attacking run. Roy Miller went down the far side and made a quick back heel pass to Juan Pablo Angel. He crossed the ball into the area that was cleared, but not enough as Joel Lindpere got the ball and ripped a low hard shot that beat Jon Busch and inside the near post; one goal to nil by the New York Red Bulls. Before Lindpere's goal counted on the score sheet, the Red Bulls had many chances early in the first half to score at least two to three goals on the Earthquakes. If it wasn't a save by Bus...

With around 24 hours to go until the Goal of the Week list, we like to take some reflection time to pinpoint some Golazos that have been scored on another busy Saturday of football. First we head to the early game in Holland. VVV Venlo may have been beaten at home 5-3 by Groningen but there fans did have something pretty spectacular to cheer early on. Hungarian midfielder BalazsToth isnt known for his goal scoring, but you have to be impressed with this hammer of aright foot shot that briefly made the score 1-1. A Brazilian goal usually features in these mini round-ups and this week is no different. Cruzeiro travelled to Gremio Prudente looking to keep pace with leaders Fluminense. They duly got off to a great start as right back Leo (pictured) smacked a cracker that whistled into the far post. The final goal was scored in Mexico at the end ofa crazy game. Queretaro were leading one-nil in the 90th minute at home to PUMAS Unam who duly scored a goal right out of the top draw Javier Co...

So much for the "World Cup Bounce" that Major League Soccer must have been hoping for in the form of higher TV ratings after the most watched World Cup tournament in the history of the United States concluded in July. The TV ratings for MLS games on ESPN2 are in, and it's more of a "World Cup Splat." Regular season ratings for MLS on ESPN2 dropped 12% compared to last season. According to Sports Business Daily, ESPN2 averaged 249,000 viewers for 25 MLS telecasts during the 2010 season, down 12% from last year (284,000, 24 telecasts), and down 2% from 2008 (253,000, 25 telecasts). To put the numbers in perspective, ESPN2 averaged 258,000 viewers for WNBA regular season games this year, and Versus averaged 366,000 viewers for IndyCar racing. According toSports Business Daily, the top match of the season on ESPN2 was Sounders/Galaxy on July 4 (391,000) -- meaning that not a single MLS telecast on ESPN2 this season drew over 400,000 viewers.To put that in perspectiv...

Francesco Totti doesnt do regular dismissals. Who can forget Tottis sending off in last seasons Coppa Italia final for a kick out at Mario Balotelli probably the most blatant red card in the history of Italian football. Last night, in Romas 2-0 win over Lecce, Totti was sent off in the build-up to the Giallarossis second goal scored by Mirko Vucinic, in an incident almost completely missed by television cameras. With all eyes focused on Montonegro striker Mirko Vucinic lashing the ball home, it was hugely difficult to spot Totti being tripped by Uruguay midfielder Ruben Olivera and subsequently pushing the Lecce man in full view of referee Andrea Gervasoni. Italian television only caught the incident with the aid of a camera behind the Roma goal and even then had to magnify the picture to have some idea of what happened. After the game, Roma coach Claudio Ranieri said:Olivera did the foul, tripping Totti up, and then they were discussing it. I think a booking each made more sense. Any...

I feel great, really. Scoring goals is never easy, but now everything is going well Im happy for him [Karim Benzema] his substitutionwas very important. Cristiano Ronaldo. Real Madrid remain top of the SpanishPrimera Division table thanks to their 3-1 win at Hercules last night. Once again Cristiano Ronaldo was the main man scoring the second and third goals in the final eight minutes. The Portuguese forward is having an incredibletime of things at the moment. The brace at Hercules marked his 13th goal in 12 games this season and 11th in the past five matches. David Trezeguets early opener put Real Madrid on the back footbut Ronaldo, starting nominally on the left, was a threat with some dangerous pot shots from outside the box. The second half was where the former Manchester United forward came into his own, first setting up the opener for Angel Di Maria as his shot was parried. And in the final minutes Ronaldo tapped home the second and then side footed home the second after great ...

Comment & analysis round-up Quote of the day : We appealed for a penalty, didnt get it and the ball hit Nanis hand. But the referee didnt blow his whistle and the linesman didnt flag until after the goal was scored, so the ball was still in play. Nani looked at the referee, saw nothing had been given so what could he do? He put the ball in the net. Gomes is an experienced goalkeeper and should know better. He made a mess of it. He thought it was a free-kick and made an error. It was bizarre. Sir Alex Ferguson. Runner-up : What a farcical way to finish a game. It was deliberate handball. The referee obviously didnt see Nani handball it, so thats why he let play go on. The assistant has seen it, thats why he flagged. So the referee should disallow the goal. How can he give a goal? If Nani has put his hands on the ball, he should be booked, to start with then its a free-kick. If you look at [Darren] Fletcher, he is telling Nani to get back into position, because he thinks were ...

The New York Red Bulls defeated the San Jose Earthquakes, 1-0 in front of 10,525 at Buck Shaw Stadium on Saturday night. Joel Lindpere was the goalscorer in a match that Red Bulls dominated throughout. Lindpere put the Red Bulls on top in the 55th minute of play. Off a deflection, the ball fell to Lindpere, who buried his chance to the right of Jon Busch. The Red Bulls are 15-0-1 when scoring first in 2010. The Earthquakes had their best chance of the night in the 83rd minute, when Wondolowski fired a shot off the cross bar, which fell to Eduardo. The Brazilian striker's effort hit the post and the Earthquakes were held scoreless on the night. The match heads to Red Bull Arena on Thursday, November 4th for the return leg. More on the match momentarily. English & European Football Clubs & Leagues News | Video | Commentary

The defending MLS champions were out-coached and outplayed in today's first round matchup between the two Western Conference clubs, as FC Dallas got a late goal from Eric Avila to beat Real Salt Lake 2-1. The match saw FC Dallas frantically try and win outright as they knew winning in Salt Lake City was something no club had done all season. Schellas Hyndman made some great tactical decisions throughout the match that ensured Dallas would go to Utah with an aggregate lead. David Ferreira, while he did not notch a goal or assist, helped set-up both goals and was the main cog in the Dallas offense. The first half was Hyndman's argument on why he should be the manager of the year. Salt Lake struck first in the fourth minute as Fabian Espindola took a pass over the top, fought off his defender and fired his shot past Kevin Hartman for the early 1-0 lead. And FC Dallas struggled early to equalize as RSL applied pressure on 3/4th of the pitch, harassing Dallas as soon as the defender...

BY ADAM SERRANO The New York Red Bulls begin their MLS Playoffs campaign tonight as they travel west to Buck Shaw Stadium to face the San Jose Earthquakes (10pm, Telefutura). The Red Bulls completed a run from worst to first to make the playoffs for the first time since their MLS Cup appearance in 2008. However, the injury bug as put a damper on the celebrations as Thierry Henry, Ibrahim Salou, and Tony Tchani will be unavailable tonight. For the Earthquakes, the conversation begins with their white-hot forward Chris Wondolowski. The MLS Golden Boot winner has scored the last ten goals for San Jose and will need to put in a big performance if the Earthquakes are going to have a chance in the series. I will be providing commentary throughout the match, live from Buck Shaw Stadium so please feel free to follow along here. As always, feel free to share your thoughts and opinions in the comments section below. Enjoy the action (Commentary is after the jump): PREGAME: The deciding facto...

The MLS Cup holders are in danger of being shown an early exit from the playoffs. Substitute Eric Avila's goal on a nifty 18-yard strike in the 88th minute helped FC Dallas overcome Real Salt Lake, 2-1, at Pizza Hut Park Saturday night. Even more menacing for RSL, though, is that it will have to play the home leg next weekend without its playmaking central midfielder. Javier Morales received two yellow cards, thus suspending him for the second leg of the series at Rio Tinto. FC Dallas' Atiba Harris was also ejected and will be forced to miss the second leg. Fabian Espindola opened the scoring for the visitors in the fifth minute to give RSL an early lead, but Jeff Cunningham, who came on in the 32nd minute for an injured Milton Rodriguez, tallied the equalizer just before halftime. Highlights from the match are after the jump: -------------- What did you think of the match? Do you think Real Salt Lake can overcome the deficit and loss of Morales in the second leg? Impressed wi...

During half-time of the MLS Playoff match between FC Dallas and Real Salt Lake, Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber appeared on Fox Soccer Channel for a few minutes to discuss developments in the league. Two topics of note was whether MLS is considering combining the conferences into one league and what his thoughts were about New York Cosmos becoming the 20th team in Major League Soccer. First, Garber said that MLS has no intention on combining the conferences into a single table. His reasoning was that he wants to keep rivalries between local teams. Second, Garber said that he was impressed by what the Cosmos has been doing and that they've been doing a good job thus far in their pursuit of becoming a Major League Soccer team. Based on Garber's enthusiasm, it looks like the Cosmos deal is practically a given. But as for Garber's comments about not wanting a single table, I believe his thinking is flawed. There are tons of single table leagues around the world that...

PSV 0 FC Twente 1 (Eredivisie, October 30, 2010) Twentes excellent win at PSV means they go top of the Dutch table, one point clear of their hosts and Ajax. The only goal of the game came on the hour, Nacer Chadli firing home. Heracles 1 Ajax 4 (Eredivisie, October 30, 2010) Mounir El Hamdaoui continued his incredible goal scoring form since joining Ajax with the opener just after 15 minutes, rounding the keeper and finishing from a tight angle. The home side went in level at the break thanks to a fine goal by Willy Overtoom. But in the second half Ajax won the match thanks to goals by Rasmus Lindgren (cracking strike into the top corner), Andre Ooijer and Miralem Sulejmani. English & European Football Clubs & Leagues News | Video | Commentary

Real Salt Lake embarks on its MLS Cup title defense in a place it has never won, facing FC Dallas at Pizza Hut Park in the first leg of their highly anticipated playoff series (5 p.m., Fox Soccer Channel). These teams proved to be evenly matched in the regular season, with each posting a 2-0 result at its respective home park in their two meetings. If you haven't gotten a chance to read SBI's preview of the series, check it out here. If you will be watching the match, please feel free to share any thoughts, opinions and play-by-play in the comments section below. Enjoy the action! World Soccer News | Video | Podcast | Gallery | Live Streaming

It was very muchdj vu for Tottenham at Manchester United this evening. Without a win against the Red Devils since May 2001 and having failed to take all three points from Old Trafford since December 1989, a 2-0 defeat was business as usual. The victory for Sir Alex Fergusons side was though clouded in uncertainty and the game will be remembered for many years following Nanis controversial second goal with five minutes to go. Of course, Tottenham have been down this road before at Old Trafford, coming away disappointed with the decision of the linesman and referee. The most recent example was in April 2009. Spurs were two-up at half-time and looking good value to halt the Manchester United title charge. Howard Webb ruled incorrectly that Heurelho Gomes had fouled Michael Carrick and with Ronaldo, Rooney andBerbatov also on the score sheet the home side romped to a 5-2 home win. (Highlights here.) But the most oft talked about incident between these two sides is Pedro Mendes incredible l...

Hercules raced into a third minute lead at home to Jose Mourinhos side. David Trezeguet looping a header into the far post. Watch Free Live Soccer Football Matches Online Here

Roma 2 Lecce 0 (Serie A, October 30, 2010) Nicolas Burdisso headed the home side in front on 62, Mirko Vucinic doubled the lead on 76with both sidesgoing down to 10-men in the build-up to the goal, Francesco Totti seeing red for the home side and Ruben Olivera for Lecce. Watch Free Live Soccer Football Matches Online Here

By FRANCO PANIZO Maurice Edu netted his first goal of the season on Saturday, scoring in Rangers' 1-1 draw with Inverness Caledonian Thistle. Edu finished a nice passing sequence in the first half by blasting a left-footed volley to the far post.The goal was not enough to keep Rangers' unblemished SPL record intact as the club surrendered an equalizer in the 81st minute. Edu was subbed off at halftime. Here's the goal: What do you think of Edu's goal? Like his facial expression on the celebration more? Think his goal is better than both of Clint Dempsey's finishes from today? Share your thoughts below. Watch Free Live Soccer Football Matches Online Here

Zaragoza, who have started the season disastrously in Spain, stunned Valencia when defender Maurizio Lanzaro scored his first goal for his new employers when he controlled a ball expertly in the box and converted with aplomb. Football Betting Tips, Odds, Asian Handicap, Oicks, Preview & Prediction

By FRANCO PANIZO Fulham snapped its five-game winless streak on Saturday, and Clint Dempsey was the player to lift the club to victory. Fulham defeated Wigan Athletic, 2-0, through two first-half goals from Dempsey. The U.S. international, who played all 90 minutes in the win, headed home a Carlos Salcido cross in the 30th minute before knocking another in just before halftime. The two goals bring Dempsey's total to four in the Premiership campaign. Fellow American striker Eddie Johnson did not dress for the match. What did you think of Dempsey's brace? Share your thoughts below. World Soccer News | Video | Podcast | Gallery | Live Streaming

After their win at Celtic last Sunday, it took Rangers just 11 minutes to break the deadlock, American Maurice Edu smashing a volley into the far corner after initially missing the ball completely. Football Betting Tips, Odds, Asian Handicap, Oicks, Preview & Prediction

Rovers defied the odds to strike first against league leaders Chelsea in the 21st minute, the Pensioners could only clear their lines as far as Diouf and the Blackburn bad-boy whipped in a cross that Benjani Mwaruwari steered into Cechs far post. Chelsea levelled in the 39th minute as Cech pinged along ball to Malouda down the left, the Frenchman picked out Drogba in the box and the Ivorian cushioned a header down for Nicolas Anelka who stab the ball home on the run. Blackburn: Robinson, Salgado, Samba, Nelsen, Givet, Jones, Mame Diouf, Emerton, Pedersen, El-Hadji Diouf, Mwaruwari. Subs: Bunn, Olsson, Dunn, Kalinic, Grella, Hoilett, Roberts. Chelsea: Cech, Ivanovic, Alex, Terry, Cole, Essien, Mikel, Zhirkov, Anelka, Drogba, Malouda. Subs: Turnbull, Bosingwa, Ferreira, Kalou, Sturridge, Kakuta, McEachran. World Soccer News | Video | Podcast | Gallery | Live Streaming

Steve McClarens Wolfsburg got off to a perfect start at home to Stuttgart as much-hyped centre half Simon Kjaer headed home his first goal for the club in the sixth minute. Hugo Almeida got Werder off to a rip-roaring start against Nurnberg opening the scoring after just five minutes. Peruvian defender Carlos Zambrano netted his first goal for St Pauli after only six minutes against Frankfurt as the hosts raced into an early advantage. Lukas Podolski teed up Cologne forward Milivoje Novakovic to give the hosts an 11th minute lead over Hamburg. The lead lasted just a few minutes before Mladen Petric pulled the visitors level. Watch Free Live Soccer Football Matches Online Here

Before the Major League Soccer playoffs continue, some high-profile teams overseas will be in action. Premier League title chasers Chelsea and Arsenal each look to avoid being tripped up in their respective matches, setting the table for the key Tottenham-Manchester United battle at Old Trafford. Over in Italy, AC Milan and Juventus square off in a battle of traditional powers, and a little to the west, upstart Hercules will try to slay La Liga leader Real Madrid after already beating Barcelona earlier in the season. If you will be watching any or all of Saturday's action, please feel free to share any thoughts, opinions and play-by-play in the comments section below. Enjoy the action (TV schedule is after the jump): SATURDAY'S SOCCER ON TV 9:30am - GolTV- Wolfsburg vs. Stuttgart 10:00am - Fox Soccer Channel- Arsenal vs. West Ham 10:00am - ESPN2/ESPN3.com- Blackburn vs. Chelsea 10:00am - FoxSoccer.tv- Everton vs. Stoke City 10:00am - FoxSoccer.tv- Fulham vs. Wigan Athletic 10:...

Weve grown sadly accustomed to seeing players all over the planet trying to con referees into sending off their opponents or awarding decisions in their favour by employing faking tactics. This week alone the situation has received new attention following Milos Krasics dive for Juventus in the Bianconeris match with Bologna last weekend. On that occasion the Serb winger tumbled in the box without contact, and was duly rewarded as the referee pointed to the spot. But with the dive so high-profile, the Italian FA chose to issue a suspension for Krasic after video evidence proved the Nevded lookalike cheated. Krasic, though, wasnt alone in cheating in the last seven days. Panathinaikos star Giorgos Karagounis received a death star in Greece last weekend after faking an injury under the referees nose, while Sante Fes Cristian Gaitan mirrored the events in Serie A as he won his side a penalty against Almirante Brown with another ridiculous dive in the box which the officials bought wholehea...

Nagoya Grampus Eight 1 Cerezo Osaka 0 (J-League, October 30, 2010) Josh Kennedy was brought down in the area and cashed in with a penalty in the 28th minute as Nagoya stretched their lead at the top of the Japanese table. Football Betting Tips, Odds, Asian Handicap, Oicks, Preview & Prediction

Today is Diego Maradonas 50th birthday so in a tribute to arguably the greatest player that ever graced the planet, here are his top 10 goals (in chronological order). 1. Diego Maradona vRiver Plate, 1981. Despite starting his career with Argentinos Juniors, Maradona is probably most identified with Boca Juniors in Argentina. This goal in the Superclasico in 1981 was typical Diego, showing incredible nonchalance to waltz round the keeper before finishing past the defender on the line. 2. Diego Maradona vReal Madrid, 1983. The ultimate big game player, theArgentinean forward scored a very similar goal to the one above in another huge derby match. He may not have been the success expected at the Nou Camp, but this goal against Real Madrid lives long in the memory. 3. Diego Maradona v Lazio, 1985. It is quite incredible how many quality goals Maradona scored whilst at Napoli, undoubtedly where he played his best club football. El Diego seemed to have an uncanny knowledge for where the goa...

Recreativo Huelva 1 Celta Vigo 1 (Segunda Division, October 29, 2010) A fantastic 25-yard volley from Manuel Martinez put the hosts 1-up but Michu equalised after the break to earn Celta a share of the spoils. Football Betting Tips, Odds, Asian Handicap, Oicks, Preview & Prediction

Samara 0 Rubin Kazan 2 (Russian Premier League, October 29, 2010) Belarusian striker Sergei Kornilenko scored both goals as defending Russian champions Rubin Kazan closed to within three points of league leaders Zenit. English & European Football Clubs & Leagues News | Video | Commentary

By TRAVIS CLARK The 2010 MLS Playoffs are off the mark. After Thursday night's Colorado-Columbus opener, three more first legs highlight the slate of action. All three MLS matches should provide an entertaining spectacle, with the strong crowd out in Seattle providing reason to tune in Sunday night. Across the Atlantic, top of the table clashes in France and Germany should provide an entertaining spectacle -- surprise Rennes takes on Marseille, while in Germany, Mainz and Borussia Dortmund square off, while fourth place Hoffenheim hosts third place Hannover 96. Italy and England action gives ample reason for attention as well, with AC Milan going up against Juventus, and Tottenham heading up to Old Trafford. Here is a rundown of this weekend's soccer on TV, as well as SBI's Top Ten Matches to Watch: SBI's Top Ten Matches to Watch 1. Los Angeles Galaxy vs. Seattle Sounders FC. A must-watch matchup, as the Galaxy take the trip to Qwest Field and open up the playoff seri...

By JOHN BOSCHINI Its a weekend on the road for many of the nations top teams as college soccer enters its penultimate weekend before conference tournaments begin. The game of the week kicks off tonight as No. 3 Maryland travels to No. 11 Virginia in an explosive ACC matchup. Maryland is looking to secure the second seed in the upcoming ACC tournament against the defending national champions. The Terps are riding a seven-game winning streak, averaging three goals a game during that span. The Cavaliers are looking to rebound after dropping out of the top 10 for the first time this season. On Saturday, five of the top nine schools are on the road against unranked opposition. On the west coast, No. 7 UC-Irvine face a tough visit from No. 19 UC-Santa Barbara. The Gauchos are 3-1 against ranked opponents this season but are coming off a nationally-televised loss to Cal Poly on Wednesday. UC-Irvine is undefeated since Sept. 19 thanks in large part to Amani Walker, who has racked up 22 points ...