Soccer Mania

AZ Alkmaar 6 VVV Venlo 1 (Eredivisie, January 29, 2011) Kolbeinn Sightorsson scored a hat-trick within 26 minutes. Ahmed Musa pulled a goal back for VVV before the break. But a further brace from Sigthorsson and another from Johann Gudmundsson completed the rout. All 5 Kolbeinn Sigthorsson goals are on this video .

Lille 1 Lens 0 (Ligue 1, January 29, 2011) Midway through the second half a quick fire-passing move was expertly flicked into the net by Tulio De Melo to send Lille four points clear of PSG in Ligue 1.

Catania 0 AC Milan 2 (Serie A, January 29, 2011) The Serie A leaders looked up against it when Mark van Bommel was sent off on his league debut for two bookable offences but just before the hour Robinho opened the scoring after a Zlatan free-kick had been parried out. The win was completed with five minutes left, Zlatan Ibrahimovic tapping home number two from a Robinho cross.

Arles-Avignon 1 PSG 2 (Ligue 1, January 29, 2011) Mevlut Erdinc chipped home the opener on 18. Erdinc added the second four minutes after the break after a fine breakaway involving Giuly. Deme NDiaye reduced the deficit with a sensational volley into the top corner. Caen 2 Auxerre 0 (Ligue 1, January 29, 2011) Benjamin Nivet and Kandia Traore were on the scoresheet in the second half.

Levante 2 Getafe 0 (La Liga, January 29, 2011) Valdo (47) and Felipe Caicedo (54 clever chip) pushed Levante off the bottom of La Liga and up to 18th.

A cupset looked on the cards on the stroke of half-time when Richard Chaplow burst into the Manchester United box and hammered a shot past Lindegaard to put Southampton 1-up. Southampton: Bialkowski, Butterfield, Fonte, Seaborne, Harding, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Schneiderlin, Chaplow, Do Prado, Lambert, Barnard. Subs: Davis, Richardson, Dickson, Martin, Gobern, Doble, NGuessan. Man Utd: Lindegaard, OShea, Evans, Smalling, Fabio Da Silva, Gibson, Anderson, Scholes, Obertan, Hernandez, Owen. Subs: Kuszczak, Brown, Berbatov, Rooney, Giggs, Nani, Bebe.

Malmo 1 Spartak Moscow 2 (Friendly, January 29, 2011) Molins opener for Malmo was cancelled out by an og by Halsti and a second from Dzubya .

Got to love the bow to the crowd after the prank !

Struggling Wolfsburg were carved out like a chicken after just two minutes by Borussia Dortmund, the runaway leaders played a series of passed before Lucas Barrios volleyed home a cross from close range. Five minutes from the break Dortmund went 2-up all-too-easily as a cross from the right picked out two unmarked Borussia players in the box and Nuri Sahin knocked in the second. Hoffenheim got off to a great start at Schalke scoring after four minutes, Isaac Vorsah headed in a corner to give the visitors an early lead. A wonderful half-volley from Ghanaian Charles Takyi from 30-yards fired St Pauli ahead against Cologne. Ten minutes from the break St Pauli doubled their lead when Charles Takyi claimed his second from a rebound.

After an average first half which Chelsea arguably shaded, Everton was far spunkier after the break and they capitalised on the bright sunlight in Cechs face as a Baines corner was headed home by Louis Saha . It looked like Everton would press on and claim a second, but then in the 74th minute Anelka freed Salomon Kalou on the right and the sub drilled a low shot in the far corner. Everton: Howard, Neville, Heitinga, Distin, Baines, Coleman, Arteta, Fellaini, Rodwell, Bilyaletdinov, Saha. Subs: Mucha, Hibbert, Jagielka, Beckford, Gueye, Osman, Baxter. Chelsea: Cech, Bosingwa, Ivanovic, Terry, Cole, Ramires, Lampard, Essien, Malouda, Drogba, Anelka. Subs: Hilario, Mikel, Ferreira, Kalou, Bruma, McEachran, Sala. Referee: Howard Webb

The England FA Cup football match between Aston Villa and Blackburn Rovers kicks off at 13:00 GMT. Aston Villa and Blackburn Rovers will play in fourth round of the English FA Cup on Saturday 29th January 2011 at Villa Park Birmingham. Aston Villa is now up to 13th position in the table and holds a six point lead over Wigan in 18th position and the final relegation spot. The two recent League wins have pushed Villa up the table and given them some breathing space from the relegation zone. Aston Villa has played twelve English Premier League matches this season on Villa Park. On home ground, Villa has W5, D4 and L3 matches, scoring 16 goals and conceding 13 this season. In the English Premier League, Villas is ranked #11th in the home team performance. The Villa manager has no fresh injury fears following Tuesday nights 2-1 win over Wigan Athletic but are still without Fabian Delph and Stephen Ireland who both have knee injuries. Currently, Blackburn Rovers stands at 8th position in t...

Showing the confidence of the biggest showboat on the planet, Palmeiras keeper Marcos humiliated Paulista by saving a 35-yard shot on his goal with just his chest. *** On a slightly different footing, Bayern Munichs Thomas Muller almost pulled off the individual skill of the week against Aachen when the German sensation saw his rabona cross blocked by a terrific sliding tackle from a defender.

Comment & analysis round-up Quote of the day : Fernando Torres tonight submitted a written transfer request, which has been rejected by Liverpool. Fernando is under long-term contract and the club expect him to honour the commitment he made to Liverpool FC and its supporters when he signed the agreement. Liverpool FC. Runner-up : Blackpool are such a cheap-skate club. I dont even think this is about money. Its because Charlie took them to a tribunal over the bonus they owed him. This is their pay-back. They are saying you wont make anything out of this, we have got you under contract. Liverpools offer is THIRTEEN times what Blackpool paid for Charles. And they are turning it down? They have been more than compensated for him already. Mr Oyston has got to realise it is somebodys life and future that he is dealing with here. I think it is petty. This should be a time for common sense to prevail. Charlie Adams dad. Tapping-up quote of the day : Stekelenburg is the keeper who is at t...

Call it a Winter Cup Weekend, with the FA Cup and Asian Cup grabbing the headlines and dominating the weekend TV schedule. Australia and Japan will face off on Saturday in an Asian Cup Final in the best match of the weekend. The match isn't being shown on the traditional American soccer channels, but there are cable networks and internet options for fans eager to see what should be an exciting final. The FA Cup features a pair of Premier League clashes, with Fulham taking on Tottenham and Everton meeting Chelsea. If you like seeing the underdog against the favorite, then Southampton vs. Manchester United could be your cup of team. Mexican soccer boasts some quality tilts as well, with Jonathan Bornstein's Tigres takes on fellow unbeaten Toluca while Herculez Gomez, Jose Torres and Pachuca meet Cruz Azul. 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. Australia vs. Japan . Figure out a w...

Call it a Winter Cup Weekend, with the FA Cup and Asian Cup grabbing the headlines and dominating the weekend TV schedule. Australia and Japan will face off on Saturday in an Asian Cup Final in the best match of the weekend. The match isn't being shown on the traditional American soccer channels, but there are cable networks and internet options for fans eager to see what should be an exciting final. The FA Cup features a pair of Premier League clashes, with Fulham taking on Tottenham and Everton meeting Chelsea. If you like seeing the underdog against the favorite, then Southampton vs. Manchester United could be your cup of team. Mexican soccer boasts some quality tilts as well, with Jonathan Bornstein's Tigres takes on fellow unbeaten Toluca while Herculez Gomez, Jose Torres and Pachuca meet Cruz Azul. 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. Australia vs. Japan . Figure out a w...

Academica Coimbra 3 Vitoria Setubal 2 (Liga Sagres, January 28, 2011) Brasao gave Vitoria the early advantage, but by halftime the match had swung in the hosts favour as Eder and Modou Sougou scored in quick succession. An AmauryBischoff in the final ten minutes sealed the points for Academica, renderingAurelien Collins late goal mere consolation.

Photo by ISIphotos.com By AVI CREDITOR Jeff Cunningham is returning to Columbus after all. Cunningham, the second-leading goal scorer in Major League Soccer history, and the Crew agreed on a multi-year contract on Friday, more than a month after Columbus secured the striker's MLS rights in the Re-Entry Draft. The 34-year-old Cunningham, who spent the first seven years of his MLS career with the Crew, had trialed overseas with clubs in Scandinavia but ultimately elected to stay in the United States. After his first go-around with Columbus, Cunningham played for the Colorado Rapids, Real Salt Lake, Toronto FC and FC Dallas. He's now returning to the franchise that drafted him with the ninth overall pick of the 1998 MLS College Draft. With 132 career goals, Cunningham trails Jaime Moreno by one on the league's all-time list. The Crew opens the 2011 season against D.C. United, Moreno's former team, at RFK Stadium on March 19. Here are a few more items from around the leagu...

American midfielder Ricardo Clark finally broke through in recent weeks at German club Eintracht Frankfurt, earning quality minutes and impressing at multiple positions. Clark's renaissance has been on hold after suffering a fractured cheekbone during a training session on Friday. He is set to have surgery on the injury on Monday and is expected to be sidelined for up to four weeks. The injury rules Clark out of the U.S. national team's upcoming friendly vs. Egypt. He has not played for the national team since being replaced as a first-half substitute in the United States World Cup loss to Ghana last June.

Photo by ISIPhotos.com In the same month that the New York Red Bulls signed Maryland standout Matt Kassel to a Homegrown Player contract, the club has now added the first defender from its academy to the senior team. The Red Bulls have signed U.S. Under-20 national team defender Sacir Hot to a Homegrown Player contract, sources told SBI on Friday. Hot becomes the fourth Homegrown Player signed by New York since the Homegrown Player system was started by Major League Soccer. Hot was regarded as one of the top defensive prospects in college soccer, and left Boston College after two seasons. He had recently been on trials in Germany with Borussia Moenchengladbach and Borussia Dortmund, but the 19-year-old Fair Lawn, New Jerseynative ultimately settled on the club who's academy he had developed in. What do you think of this development? Excited to see a talented young defender added to the squad? Share your thoughts below.

With the Vancouver Whitecaps and Portland Timbers joining Major League Soccer in 2011 the league had to make some changes to conference alignment. As it turns out, MLS made just one change. The Houston Dynamo will be playing in the Eastern Conference in 2011, a move that is more cosmetic than anything since the league will play a balanced schedule in 2011. With Montreal joining MLS in 2012, Houston very well could return to the West next season. Houston failed to make the playoffs in 2010, but looks like a good bet to enjoy a rebound season, which should help make the Eastern Conference a bit tougher in 2011. What do you think of this development? Share your thoughts below.

By JOSE M. ROMERO PHOENIX -- The Sounders are one of the teams that trained at Grande Sports World in Casa Grande, Ariz., last offseason. They're repeat customers in 2011, hoping the preseason will be the springboard to a third playoff berth in three seasons of existence. Seattle, two-time defending U.S. Open Cup champion, has largely the same cast of character in place for 2011 sprinkled with some youth. Scorer Fredy Montero, goalkeeper Kasey Keller, veteran presence Blaise N'Kufo, 2009 All-Star defender Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, improving wing Steve Zakuani and constants James Riley, Osvaldo Alonso and Leo Gonzalez. Hurtado and midfielder Brad Evans, who both dealt with major injury last season, are back hoping to be important pieces for coach Sigi Schmid. Seattle's mission in 2011? The Sounders like to talk in terms of an MLS Cup. But getting out of the first round of the playoffs has to come first. With the team's offseason moves and a deeper and younger roster, they mi...

Photo by ISIPhotos.com Michael Bradley appears to have played his last game for Borussia Moenchengladbach, with a transfer expected to be completed before the close of the current transfer window. Bradley has been linked with a handful of clubs in recent weeks, and Moenchengladbach's signing of Michael Fink on Thursday set the wheels in motion for a winter transfer for the 23-year-old Americans. Galatasaray has emerged on Friday morning as the favorite, with multiple reports from Germany suggesting Moenchengladbach has already accepted an offer from the Turkish club. Other clubs linked to Bradley include Sunderland, Palermo and Spartak Moscow. Here is my Fox Soccer take on Bradley's unsettled club situation , a situation that could be cleared up as soon as this afternoon. An announcement could come as soon as later today, and a move for Bradley will likely mean a return to regular playing time after his recent two-match stint on the bench for Moenchengladbach. What's my tak...

By FRANCO PANIZO Clint Dempsey and Fulham may have had a flat showing against Liverpool on Wednesday, but they'll have a chance to quickly erase that from their memories in FA Cup action this weekend. Fulham hosts Tottenham on Sunday, and Dempsey will look to spark the Cottagers' attack against the likes of Ledley King and Michael Dawson after failing to find the back of the net against Liverpool. Nearly a week removed from recording a career-high in goals scored in a Premier League season, Dempsey might be able to carry over the confidence gained as he aims to score his first goal in the FA Cup. Tim Howard and Everton also have a big FA Cup match looming as they square off against Chelsea. A win could do wonders for Everton as it is coming off a 2-2 draw against lowly West Ham United, but Howard will likely need to muster some magic to give the Toffees any chance to defeat Didier Drogba and co. Looking for a battle of Americans this weekend? The FA Cup could potentially provid...

This is simply ridiculous. RIDICULOUS!!!!!

After week of voting has come to a close, so its time to reveal who the 101 audience believed scored the best goal of the week. In third place, scooping 14% of the vote, was Arsenals Robin van Persie for his sublime volley from Cescs raking 30-yard pass against Wigan last weekend in the Premier League. Shifting attention over to Turkey we find Fenerbahces Gokhan Gonul in the runners-up spot with a healthy 16% of the vote for his amazing slalom run and chipped finish against Antalyaspor last Saturday in the Super Lig. Liverpools Raul Meireles though, with a massive 35% of the votes, scooped the top honours. Not only did the Portuguese midfielder have arguably his best Liverpool performance against Wolves last weekend (highlights here ), Meireles announced his goalscoring ability to the Premier League at large with a tremendous volley at Molineux. Aside from just delivering last weeks voting results, we also use this post to flag up some goals which could likely comprise next Mondays ...

Chelsea bid for Spanish striker Fernando Torres in the first place with 35m and then 60m but the bid may vary. The offer was dismissed out of hand by Liverpools new Blues owner Roman Abramovich. This alarm story came out in the early hours of Friday morning, Liverpools owner attempted to revive Chelseas undecided Premier League title defence last night with an audacious 35m bid for the Liverpool striker Fernando Torres by the end of the transfer window on Monday. Fernando Torres (26-year-old) Spanish striker won the World Cup with Spain last year, tied Liverpool for a club record fee of 20 million in July 2007 from Atletico Madrid where he was idolised.Torres struggled to find on the top form this season, scoring 9 league goals in 22 appearances as Liverpool has laboured after a poor start under former manager Roy Hodgson. However, a Liverpool source said: Chelsea have made a bid for Fernando, which has been turned down. The player is not for sale. Chelsea is now attempting to sign Be...

There are many claims as to the which is the biggest club game in world football. The Milan derby is always a passionate affair between two of Europes most famous clubs. Galatasaray versus Fenerbahce is not one for the faint-hearted while the Superclasico between Boca Juniors and River Plate in Argentina probably boasts the most hostile atmosphere of any match in the world. Over in Scotland, fans of Celtic and Rangers will tell you that the Old Firm matches have the weight of history, politics and religion on their side. However, the one fixture that can cast all those clashes into the shade is Real Madrid v Barcelona otherwise known as El Clasico. Between them, the two clubs have won 12 European Cups and 51 La Liga titles making them not only the most successful teams in Spain but two of the most prolific on the planet. But it is not just their on-pitch rivalry that creates the antipathy between the two powerhouses. With Real Madrid the favourite team of King Juan Carlos and formerly...

Camp Cupcake is over. What ever are we doing to do? Talk about the match against Chile, for one. That's the main dish in this meal, being served-up by myself and co-host Christopher Riordan on this edition of the Major League Soccer Talk podcast. The U.S. drew Chile 1-1 at Home Depot, a series of new or fresh faces go playing time, but what's it all mean? Does it matter? Can we even must the passion to consider our passion? Things we are passionate about: Clint Dempsey - under-appreciated! We adopt Dempsey's spectacular season for Fulham as our first cause of 2011 and consider why Dempsey is continuously overlooked. Also, the USSF's decision to revoke NASL's sanction. We get me started. Related posts: Major League Soccer Week 28, USMNT Review: MLS Talk Podcast There were three big matches this weekend in our soccer... USMNT Review, MLS Cup Preview: Major League Soccer Talk Podcast Co-host Christopher Riordan returns to the show just in time... SuperDraft Review, U...

By JOHN BOSCHINI After a tumultous reign as the head coach of D.C. United, Curt Onalfo is headed back to work. The Los Angeles Galaxy announced that Onalfo, 41, will join the club as an assistant where he will be reunited with Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena, under whom he served as an assistant for the U.S. National team. Onalfo spent two and half seasons as the manager of the Kansas City Wizards (now known as Sporting Kansas City) before being dismissed. He was then hired as the head coach at D.C. but was let go after only eight months in August of last year. Onalfo, who will also become the head coach of the reserve team, will replace Cobi Jones, who left earlier this month to join the New York Cosmos. Here are some more stories to wrap up your Thursday. VAN DER SAR RETIRING AT THE END OF THE SEASON Just a few days after aging Manchester United stars Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs made announcements about their futures with the Red Devils, long-time goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar said tha...

Juventus 0 Roma 2 (Coppa Italia quarter-final, January 27, 2011) A poor Coppa Italia match between Roma and Juventus, full of niggly fouls, came to life in the 65th minute when Mirko Vucinic chested down a long ball and curled a beauty past Storari. Rodrigo Taddei added the second in injury time with an acrobatic effort.

A poor Coppa Italia match between Roma and Juventus, full of niggly fouls, came to life in the 65th minute when Mirko Vucinic chested down a long ball and curled a beauty past Storari.

Fouad Idabdelhay rounded Stekelenburg and gave NAC a surprise lead at Ajax with just eight minutes on the clock.

By JOSE M. ROMERO PHOENIX -- As training convenes in Phoenix for the Columbus Crew, there are plenty of unanswered questions. Most of the questions surround the team's roster, which has undergone a major overhaul, making it easy to wonder just who are all of these guys. There's a core group of players that have remained, holdovers from the 2008 MLS Cup championship season -- Wil Hesmer, Chad Marshall, Eddie Gaven, Robbie Rogers and Danny O'Rourke. But it seems clear that a lot of new faces will have to step forward and contribute for the Crew to make a fourth straight trip to the MLS playoffs. Add to all of that the fact that coach Robert Waryzycha has less than a month to get his team ready for the first leg of the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals against Real Salt Lake. Here's a closer look at the Crew's pre-season in Arizona: COLUMBUS CREW Length of stay: Jan. 29-Feb. 18 at Reach 11 complex, Phoenix. Training game/scrimmage schedule: Feb. 5 vs. Sporting K...

The Dutch trickster is going to have a tough time breaking into the Barcelona team but this should endear him to the Nou Camp .

Photo by ISIPhotos.com It wasn't too long ago that Jonathan Spector and Ricardo Clark were among the list of American players struggling for minutes in Europe, but they each have seen their fortunes change over the past month. Spector has seen a position change from fullback to central midfield spark a renaissance, with Spector scoring goals and earning regular starts for West Ham United. Clark had managed just 16 minutes of playing time through the first four months of the Bundesliga season, but he has now started two of three matches and has made the most of the opportunity. He also saw a position changing, doing extremely well in central defense in Eintracht Frankfurt's 1-0 loss to Hamburg. Here is my Fox Soccer piece on Spector and Clark , who have turned their seasons around and have American fans wondering what roles they will play on the national team going forward. Give my story a read and share your own thoughts on Spector and Clark's recent success. Surprise by ho...

By abdallah Amidst our discussions over USL-PRO and the USSF soccer pyramid, the NASL released some good news this week and announced its 2011 season schedule. The NASL, now composed of eight clubs, will have each club play 28 games and face each opponent four times. The season runs from April 9 through September 24, with the top six teams making the playoffs. The top two seeds will receive a bye, and seeds 3-6 will face-off in a one game quarterfinal round. The winners will then advance to face the top two seeds in a home-and-home semifinal round, before the two finalists play a home-and-home championship the weekends of October 22 and 29. You can read the press release here . The teams composing the 2011 NASL are the Atlanta Silverbacks, Carolina (formerly the Carolina Redhawks), FC Edmonton, FC Tampa Bay, Miami FC, NSC Minnesota Stars, Montreal Impact, and Puerto Rico Islanders. In 2012, NASL hopes to add a San Antonio franchise and will lose Montreal to MLS, while Miami will become...