...off the post!

The Washington Post's Mike Wise notes trouble afoot in Freddyland.

Wise isn't a regular commentator on soccer, and it shows through in his piece. It's awkward and full of fluff. Still, it contains a few snippets that raise some eyebrows.

Adu apparently has had a falling out with DC United's coach, Peter Novak, who gave the teenage star a tongue lashing in front of the rest of the team following their loss to the Revolution two weeks ago. Adu hasn't spoken to Novak since.

To add to the sense of crisis, Wise indicates that Trevor Moawad, Freddy's mental-conditioning coach from Bradenton's IMG Academy, is "very worried about Freddy's state of mind." Moawad's gone so far as to line up "a bevy of IMG clients to speak on Freddy's behalf" with Novak in order to rectify the row.

American fans shouldn't panic yet. The situation Novak and Adu find themselves in is a sticky one. Wise floats the idea of trading Adu to the Metrostars and even having Freddy's mom sit down for a heart-to-heart with the DC coach. Both of those ideas are horrible. Just let this play itself out, for now. Freddy may be a teenager, but he needs to learn how to be a pro and deal with problems like this with little outside interference.

Unfortunately, I'll have to agree with Dominic Raynor:

With an absentee list that reads like the regular England line-up and a squad that can be only kindly termed 'experimental', just what does Sven-Goran Eriksson hope to achieve during England's current two-match tour of the USA?

According to the FA 'this tour has always been an opportunity for Sven and the coaching staff to look at some new players a year before the World Cup in Germany'.

Well at the risk of labouring a point, may I reiterate once more the suggestion that the England manager, and the FA, attempt to do that during the regular season friendlies that have been so devalued, undermined and misused.

And schedule the rare opportunities to play non-European sides at an appropriate time to further the experience of England's regulars.

No matter how the FA attempts to package this tour, it remains a waste of time. The Premiership managers know it, England's regulars know it and that's why every conceivable excuse for not travelling half-way around the world has been rolled out by the aforementioned parties.

It'll be nice to see England line up against the US, but the game serves no true purpose. I was willing to give it the benefit of the doubt when it was first announced, but the match makes little sense looking at the rosters now, particularly from England's point of view. Fans who are shelling out significant amounts of money for tix and/or travel arrangements to Chicago are likely to be disappointed, too.

Interesting note from the Guardian:

Fears that the Ataturk Olympic Stadium would prove unfit to stage a Champions League final appeared justified last night as the approach of the biggest game in European club football exposed the failings of the white elephant facility.

Built as part of Turkey's vain efforts to stage a convincing Olympic bid, the lack of adequate infrastructure and basic preparations left Uefa officials sweating as kick-off approached and privately embarrassed at the choice of venue, made two years ago by its executive board.

There are some great images from Istanbul, here.

Unbelievable. I was this close to turning off the TV at halftime, and I'm sure glad I didn't. I think Man U's victory over Bayern in '99 was more traumatic because of the bang-bang nature of the Sheringham and Solskjaer goals at the end of full time, but this was probably the more remarkable of the two Finals, overall.

I'll try to avoid hyperbole, and assume that most reports will express how different the two halves were, as well as the match's rollercoaster qualities. With that in mind, my quickly-jotted-down thoughts:

• Kewell's selection burned 'Pool in the first half. This was less because of the Australian's play or quick substitution due to injury, and more because of the sort of tactical decisions that flowed from his inclusion.


• For one, I didn't like the idea of leaving Baros up top alone against Stam and Nesta. The Czech did an admirable job trying to get some knock ons, but it's expecting too much of a single striker against those two mountains. Yes, 'Pool has been doing this throughout the CL, but it doesn't make sense to sacrifice a forward and still not beef up your defense. They needed Hamann or Biscan to slow down Kaka, who was given license to stroll through the center of the pitch in the first 45. Worse still, leaving the ball winning duties to Gerrard and Alonso only neutralized their creative play, and kept Liverpool on their back feet.


• Credit to Benitez who went to a back three at the break by throwing on Hamann for Finnan. Rafa could have just as easily kept the status quo in order to avoid embarrassment, which is precisely where the match seemed headed. I don't think anybody would have criticized him for it, either.


• Milan's counterattack looked potentially lethal throughout the game. They had something like 6 or 7 extremely dangerous chances in the first half that were either called back for offsides or barely defused by a dissheveled Liverpool back four. When the Rossoneri could get a break in the second half, which was far less often, they looked to be on the brink of pulling this one out.


• In the first half, Hyypia's organization was horrible. Finnan and Traore looked like scared rabbits running around in circles. Carragher was sluggish, but as far as I could tell not the weak link. To make up for it, he pushed himself to the limit in the second, and perhaps even beyond that.


• This may seem trite, but I thought the key point in the match was the way Gerrard reacted after his goal. He could have just went back to the center circle and calmly urged his mates to remain focused and plug on. Instead, he got physically riled up, which appeared to reignite everyone in Red -- from supporters to players -- when the game still looked far out of reach.


• Generally speaking, Stevie played his heart out, as usual. His defensive work on the right side during the game's last 50 minutes kept Liverpool in the game. Man of the match. He's going nowhere this summer.


• Milan has a gripe about Smicer's goal, which came in the run of play following an obvious offside that referee Mejuto González discounted. From the match commentary I've seen, I'm surprised more people aren't raising this issue.


• Dudek was shaky throughout the game, but his Grobbelaar-esque performance in the shootout and his Herculean efforts to deny Shevchenko in extra time will put him in Anfield's Hall of Fame.


• Ironically, all of those players on the pitch for Liverpool who are leaving this offseason had exceptional games: Smicer, Hamann, and Dudek. Baros less so. Kewell? Eh, he doesn't count.


• Both sides were winded in extra time, but the Reds clearly looked the more desperate of the two. PKs couldn't come quick enough.


• As for Milan, Shevchenko's PK miss tips his performance from mediocre to poor. Kaka was awesome in the first half, nowhere to be seen in the second. Crespo looked consistently dangerous, and his second goal was pure class. Stam and Maldini were solid throughout. For better or worse, nobody else in white stood out to me.


• I think Ancelotti is gone. There already was griping going on before this game about his job performance. Milan's collapse in Serie A and the CL (remember they were lucky to get by PSV) will see him out the door.


• Liverpool has to be let into the CL next year. It would be criminal to keep them out.


• This game should have made every neutral smile. How could you not pull for the Merseysiders?

Earnie Stewart's hanging up his boots. He's been playing in Holland for the last year with VVV Venlo, and is set to take over as technical director there.

Saw something interesting in a backgrounder on Malcolm Glazer from the Tampa Bay Business Journal:

Sales of team jerseys tracked by SportScan Info show that fans in the United States have bought about 2,500 Man U jerseys so far this year -- more than all MLS teams combined, and even outselling baseball's Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

Ack. That can't be true, can it? That's pretty darn low.

Amazingly, nine Serie A clubs are still potential relegation victims going into the last matchday of the season.

• The countdown to the Champions League final has commenced. Check out UEFA.com for some features as Wednesday draws near.
• Man U played better football for 120 minutes, but Arsenal won the FA Cup on PKs Saturday. Tough luck for the Red Devils, who definitely need to work on their finishing in the offseason.
• The Glazers are set to start their "charm offensive" aimed towards disgruntled Man U supporters, says the London Times. Meanwhile, the Independent speculates about a potential "Man USA."
  
• Dramatically, Celtic lost its final match of the season to Motherwell. This handed the SPL title to Rangers, which has to sting like a f&^$er. Martin O'Neill is also rumored to be on his way out of Glasgow.
• Ruud Gullit's already out at Feyenoord.
• Milan handed Juventus the Scudetto by drawing with Palermo on Friday. Antonio Labbate looks back on the Old Lady's season. "All hail the Don," too.
• "Pathetico Madrid." Hehehe. That's catchy.
• Lyon's midfield dynamo Michael Essien won France's Player of the Year award, which is decided by the country's National Union of Professional Footballers. Like last year's winner, Didier Drogba, I expect Essien to be in England next season. Not necessarily at Chelsea, though.
• In upcoming-friendlies-in-the-US news: 1) the England roster has been substantially revised; 2) Intriguingly, David Beckham picked up a card this weekend that will rule him out for Real Madrid's last game of the season. Some thought this might free him up to play in Chicago, but Eriksson has since ruled that out; 3) The US squad has undergone a shake-up as well, with Zavagnin and Pope set to take the place of Mastroeni and Onyewu; 4) Colombia's roster for the England game at Giants Stadium has been announced.
• Look who's back from the dead: Diego Forlan. I can hear Man U fans grinding their teeth at the news that he's second in goals in La Liga with 23, just behind Eto'o.
  
• Another one back from the dead is John O'Brien, the former Ajax player and US international. Marc Connolly sat down for an interview with him.
• I didn't pay much attention to MLS this weekend. Here's the usual round-up and pointy observations from Footballs Are Round!
• US Soccer UK relays a couple of disparate items, including news that San Antonio's city council has given the thumbs up on $2.9M to improve the Alamodome for MLS. This prompted a positive, but nonetheless lukewarm response from Doug Garber, who stated, "The improvements should help make the venue more attractive for future events, whether or not an MLS team becomes a primary tenant." Check the link for other news about US players here and abroad.
• MLS in Milwaukee? Maybe...
• Looks like Mike Petke's going from DCU to the Rapids in a deal that will probably also include the Crew. This follows on last week's move by the Rapids that sent Mark Chung to San Jose.
  

Here's a good, extended profile of Clint Dempsey of the NE Revolution from the Boston Globe.

The Guardian has some nice pictures of the construction underway on the new Wembley Stadium.

It looks like the deal is almost finalized to turn over FC Barcelona's formerly unscathed jersey to a sponsor. Starting next season, the Catalans will be hawking the 2008 Olympics in Beijing across their chests.

The FA Cup Final pitting Manchester United against Arsenal is tomorrow. I don't think the game is on FSC, although I'm not 100% sure. It might be PPV.

In any case, I'll hopefully be listening in via the web broadcast on The FA's website. The game starts at 10AM EST.

With the end of the European footballing calendar nearly upon us, the silly season of transfer rumors, wanton speculation, and hopeless conjecture is starting to warm up.

Some people find this sort of stuff fun, perhaps because it fills the time until September. Unfortunately, I don't.

So I'm not sure what I'm going to do with the blog once the season is over. Yes, MLS continues and the summer features some highlights (Confederations Cup, WC qualifiers), but it's usually a pretty barren time for news and views. I suppose I could keep up with the major transfers and all, but that might become a bit tedious.

Just giving a heads up, that's all.

Landon Donovan appeared in a chat on the USA Today website and the transcript makes for an interesting read.

I'll refrain from commenting on it, but it's always fun to see the contradictory interpretations flow over at Big Soccer.

Hehehe. "Maximum Don."

Real Madrid won't be releasing Beckham and Owen early so they can play against the US in Chicago.

This is not what I expected and, frankly, I don't think it makes a lot of sense for any of the parties involved.

RM may not want to risk their assets, but I think the ancillary benefits of having their stars suit up against the US would be worth it. Unless, that is, Perez and company would rather save up the media exposure for the US exhibitions RM is looking to play in July.

Congratulations to CSKA Moscow, which became the first Russian club to lift European silverware with its 3-1 victory over Sporting Lisbon in the UEFA Cup final. Here's the match report from UEFA.com.

Here's an AFP story on it.

FSC's Bobby McMahon isn't too optimistic about Glazer's prospects in Manchester:

Doubtless Malcolm Glazer has a business plan for Manchester United but without major trophies being lofted at Old Trafford on a regular basis the plan will be as much use as screen doors on a submarine. The Glazer family's sport experience is in the socialist environment of North America where failure isn't punished but actually rewarded.

Failure doesn't cut it in the shark-invested waters of top-class European football where you are only as good as your last season. If United win successive FA Cups on Saturday the truth is still that the last two seasons have not been very good.

The Toronto Maple Leaf business model of gouging fans while showing no ambition to win the Stanley Cup will not work at United or any another self-respecting European football team.

Malcolm Glazer has vastly overpaid for a team that needs investment, not debt in order to compete with the likes of Chelsea, Milan, Juventus, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Barcelona.

The move to buy Manchester United doesn't make financial sense and it doesn't make football sense. It will turn into a disaster.

Denis Campbell strikes a similar, ominous note in the Guardian.

Here's an interview Sports Illustrated's Grant Wahl conducted with Tim Howard on the heels of his recently signed extension with Man U.

The excerpts I found most interesting:

SI.com: Is there any chance you might be loaned somewhere else next season, and would you be open to that if United brought it up?

Howard: When you're talking about Sir Alex Ferguson, the manager knows best. He's been in the game such a long time, and he's such an intelligent manager. I don't think that's the case, but if that were brought up and that was something he thought was necessary, I'd completely trust his judgment. But I don't think that's the case at this point in time. The club and I are well aware that as long as I put things right, we'll go forward and I can be where I want to be.

So no on a loan move, then.

SI.com: Switching gears to the U.S. national team, what's your status these days, and have you spoken recently to head coach Bruce Arena?

Howard: I'm certainly in the mix, battling and competing. Bruce and I have spoken about my current situation. I've been dealing with some shoulder injuries. Predominantly my left shoulder, but it's actually both. I saw a specialist, and there's bone rubbing on bone causing pain. So much so that I've had trouble sleeping, and it causes pain in training and matches. So I need to get those rested and sorted out, because if not then I'll need surgery, and that's the last thing I want. We're going to try rest and maybe an anti-inflammatory injection, so that puts me out of the next three U.S. matches [a friendly against England on May 28 and upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Costa Rica and Panama].

Otherwise I would have been involved for those three matches. In terms of my status as a starter or not, I don't know. I know for certain I'd be involved. Then going forward to the Gold Cup [July 7-24], we are back in preseason training with Man United on June 25. So that puts me out of the Gold Cup.

Out for the summer. This won't help his bid to overtake Keller or hold off Marcus Hahnemann. Then again...

SI.com: I know you want to be the No. 1 U.S. 'keeper at the World Cup one year from now. Hypothetically, what would need to happen between now and then in your mind to get in that position?

Howard: When it comes to positions with the national team, particularly in the World Cup, it's about who's playing on a regular basis and who's in form. I hope that that's the way it plays out -- because politics does play a part, and there's no sense in hiding that. Yet I'm hopeful politics won't play a part and the best goalkeeper playing at the time will play. But I don't make the decisions, I just try and help them along.

I'm not sure how to interpet this. The "politics" bit sounds more like something Friedel would have said.

All in all, a good interview by Wahl. He asked the important questions and Howard handled them well.

Jack Bell reports in the NY Times:

Major League Soccer's marketing company, Soccer United Marketing, yesterday completed the acquisition of the name, logo, Web site and contracts of ChampionsWorld, a bankrupt outfit based in New Jersey that promoted North American tours of European clubs the past two summers.

MLS supporters who were frustrated with ChampionsWorld's apparent lack of respect for the league will probably find this a welcome development.

What it means long term, though, I'm not sure. Past history suggests more exhibitions featuring foreign clubs in the US...

Inter vs. the Zapatistas? It could happen, if Javier Zanetti gets his way.

What next for the three relegated Premiership sides? The BBC peers into the future.

James Richardson reports on happenings in Italy, where Juve's on the brink of capturing the league, Milan looks exhausted ahead of the CL Final, and an amazing 11 clubs are still candidates for relegation with two weeks to go in the season. He also narrates the apparently miserable Roma-Lazio derby:

Sunday's meeting of these two Roman sides - who between them have mustered a terrific one victory in the last two-and-a-half months - was billed in the capital as the Derby of Fear. Frightening it certainly turned out to be; the kick-off saw Roma's stand-in captain Antonio Cassano stun Lazio with a crafty flick to release Mancini, who fired on goal - only for Angelo Peruzzi to tip it wide. And that was it. Twenty-three seconds in, the only shot of the entire match. Roma and Lazio spent the entire remaining 89 minutes and 37 seconds (plus stoppage time) huffing and puffing but doing absolutely nothing to win the game, as the clock wound down and the fans wound up. It finished with the teams' sharing the points, 0-0.

Not surprisingly, the 70,000 crowd - who'd turned up expecting a real Derby, like the 3-1 back in January - took a dim view of this, uniting as the second half wore on in chants of 'idiots, idiots', 'what are we doing here', and 'can this game be suspended too?'. Eventually Lazio's Curva Nord (whose banner midweek at training had read 'there are two ways to return from battle; with your enemies head or without your own') simply turned their backs on the spectacle en masse.

Ah, the Roman faithful. Even when they're not battling the police outside Stadio Olimpico, assaulting Totti on the pitch, giving Fascist salutes to Di Canio, or hitting referees in the head with missiles, they can be counted on to provide some kind of colorful display.

• Tim Howard has signed an extension at Man U that will keep him there until 2009.
• WBA escaped EPL relegation at the weekend, while Norwich, Crystal Palace, and Southampton are set to go down next season.
• Nick Webster wraps up the concluded EPL season.
• Bruce Arena has named his squad for the England friendly. Surprise call-ups include the oft-injured John O'Brien, DC United midfielder Clyde Simms, and Zach Thornton of the Fire.
• Barca has won La Liga for the first time in six years. Phil Ball revisits their marvellous season.
• US Soccer UK summarizes week 7 of MLS, while Footballs Are Round! serves up some additional thoughts.

Soccernet's Norman Hubbard offers his list of the best and worst transfers in the EPL this season.

I thought this post over at blogfc.com hit pretty close to the mark:

There seems to be a large amount of schadenfreude regarding the takeover of Manchester United by Malcom Glazer, but I can’t take any pleasure in it myself because this is just the latest chapter in the corporatisation of the sport.

The Manchester United supporters groups are doing all they can to resist, but their claims that football is a special case have no grounds; once a company becomes a PLC, as United did, the only legal obligation they have is to their shareholders. Morality is actively prohibited by the charter of incorporation if it means reduced profit.

United are a victim of their own success; now a global brand, they are big money - and big money attracts predators like Glazer. And in order to recoup his investment, money will have to be squeezed from the externalities of the business - mainly, the fans. Ticket prices were already set to rise by around 25% in some cases next season, and you can expect to see that continue. If the original fanbase can’t pay it, there are plenty who will.

...PLCs don’t care about customers (much less fans), they care about keeping the numbers up. McDonalds don’t make most of their profit selling hamburgers, they make it buying property and leasing it to franchisers, who are also locked into an exclusive provision deal for food and equipment; hamburgers are just a way for the franchiser to afford his rent. Similarly, Football Club PLC makes its money from TV, merchandising and investment - the 40-50,000 fans in the stadium just facilitate those transactions.

So what’s the way to defeat a PLC? Take away its profit. Don’t go to games, don’t watch on Sky, don’t buy merchandise. Do that for a whole season and you’ll see how fast changes get made. But it takes a concerted effort from everyone to make it work; you have to make a big dent in revenue to get a corporation to hear you.

I wish the Manchester United fans all the best in their fight, and will give my support if I can. And anyone who laughs at them now, let’s see how hard you’re laughing five years down the line.

What began in most places around the world as a working class game that fostered communal bonds and, at times, a blinding tribalism is quickly turning into one more manifestation of late capitalism. All of the big boys now view themselves less as clubs and more as brands eager to penetrate untapped markets in Asia and the US. To them, the action on the pitch is becoming relevant so much as it keeps worldwide interest and profits high.

Am I exaggerating? Yeah, a bit. But if the elites of football view their game as just another entertainment product to be marketed and distributed around the globe, that is precisely what it will become. And in that case it won't matter too much if local support erodes or the traditional fanbase loses touch with the club. Yes, the stands need to be kept full, but this will be important mostly to maintain the quality of the "product" inside the stadium (what's traditionally been called "atmosphere"). The old supporters may stay home, but an adequate expansion of the fanbase will more than make up for it.

Glazer may deserve the ire of Man U supporters, but it's important to keep his actions in context. What's going on at Old Trafford is a window into a larger phenomenon that's shaping our world, spinning old institutions into unrecognizable ones with a speed and furor that hasn't been seen before.

Fans need to realize that with the glamour and glitz of a media-saturated, globalized game comes tradeoffs. And those tradeoffs include an erosion of a club's local bonds, along with an explosion of inequality and instability in the sport as a whole. They also threaten to make football less a participatory experience that expresses some kind of collective spirit and more an object of passive consumption. Some cynics will say it's always been this way, and supporters have always mistaken their club's gratitude for their money as their hearts. I disagree.

What made football so special to so many people has been undergoing a rapid transformation in the last decade plus. The oft-invoked "passion" of the game is being replaced by "brand loyalty," a fitting metaphor for the times. It's yet to be seen whether this sort of sentiment can propel the sport through the 21st century with a comparable amount of meaning and vitality that we witnessed in the last one. At this point, I wouldn't bet on it.

FSC's Sean Wheelock sat down for an interview with potential MLS owner Andrew Murstein. Main points:

• Murstein's interest in MLS is very recent. Dave Checketts really sold him on MLS as, above all, a sound business opportunity
• Buying KC is still an option, but he seems to be warming to the idea of an expansion team. He drops New York, Houston, San Antonio, and Rochester as potential locales. It's interesting to see Rochester back in the mix.
• Still trying to pry the Cosmos name from Peppe Pinton...
• Claims to be interested in MLS for the long haul ("I hope to be involved in the sport for the next 30 years")
• Actually says he likes MLS' single-entity format

The British media, predictably, is going apeshit over Malcolm Glazer's seizure of Man United.

A sampling of some of the coverage:

• Sir Alex may retire (the stock story everytime anything of import happens at Old Trafford)
• Glazer's "not the disease but an extremely unedifying symptom," says the Independent's James Lawton
• "Glazer is a predator that all of English football must resist. This man will damage our national game," says the Telegraph's Henry Winter
• Amusingly, the Tampa Bay Bucs have turned into a crystal ball of sorts for Man U analysts
• In what is the odds on favorite for biggest-move-to-come for Glazer, the EPL's existing TV deal could be attacked to drum up new funds
• Red Devil supporters will likely have to pay more out of pocket in the future, while facing what the BBC calls other "nightmare" scenarios

This is new. Sven-Goran Eriksson held a conference call with the American media today and left open the door for Beckham and Owen to play in Chicago against the US:

Real Madrid midfielder David Beckham and forward Michael Owen will be available for the second match but might miss the first because the final games of the Spanish league season are that weekend.

"I might try if I see that Real Madrid is out of winning the league, try to take them for both games," Eriksson said. "But that's nothing I can do anything about today. I have to wait at least one week to do that."

So if Barça wraps up La Liga this week, I'll go out on a limb and predict Real Madrid will let Beckham and Owen go. Presuming he's healthy, it just makes too much business sense for Beckham, in particular, to be on the field in Chicago. Adidas and all of his sponsors have to be clamoring for that to happen.

Real Madrid could even justify an early release for the England stars as helping to boost their own "brand" in the US, however indirectly. After all, that seems to be Florentino Perez's central concern of late.

Not soccer-specific news, but interesting nonetheless: baseball's getting its own version of the World Cup, an 18-day tournament being branded the "World Baseball Classic."

The NY Times sketches out the proposal:

[Next] March, by invitation, 16 teams will play four-team round-robin tournaments at four sites. Although details were not announced yesterday, one group is expected to play in Japan, one perhaps in Puerto Rico and two in the United States, one in Florida, one in Arizona.

The top two teams in each group will advance to the next round of eight teams, which will also be a round-robin and played in major league parks at warm-weather sites. The top four teams will play single-elimination semifinals in the United States, and the final will follow. The date being contemplated for the final is March 20.

The most attractive feature of the World Baseball Classic is that major leaguers will play to determine which of their homelands, not which team, is best.

I'm not sure what it means for MLB's spring training, but this is a pretty significant development. It could be a major shot in the arm for baseball's flagging prospects, particularly at the international level.

The soccer and, more recently, basketball elites have learned of the enormous revenue potentials of a thoroughly globalized sport, something that MLB's brass has been extremely slow to pick up on. This tournament could change that for good.

Malcolm Glazer's started his takeover of Manchester United.

This should make for an interesting few weeks, as the American tycoon is opposed rather vociferously by many supporters of the Red Devils.

Two stories from the SA Express-News worth mentioning today: one deals with Garza's revised (and paired down) MLS proposal, the other with the absurdity of the potential Saints relocation.

According to the first, Garza proposes that the city now spends only $2.74 million on improvements to the Alamodome and scuttles the related youth-development and field construction projects. This is likely to be met with scorn from MLS, and I suspect it will kill the league's interest in SA.

Even Garza appears to see the writing on the wall. "While this new plan is politically acceptable [for San Antonio], it may not be acceptable to the MLS," he said.

The second piece more or less reiterates what I said yesterday: the Saints ain't coming to Texas and the suggestion they might is a calculated political ploy by Hardberger and McCombs.

England's announced their squad for the tour of the US later this month:

GK
Green (Norwich)
Carson (Liverpool)
James (Manchester City)
DF
Campbell (Arsenal)
Upson (Birmingham)
Brown (Manchester United)
G. Neville (Manchester United)
A. Cole (Arsenal)
P. Neville (Manchester United)
Johnson (Chelsea)
MF
Jenas (Newcastle)
Downing (Middlesbrough)
Beckham (Real Madrid) [COL only]
Carrick (Tottenham)
J. Cole (Chelsea)
Hargreaves (Bayern Munich) [COL only]
Wright-Phillips (Manchester City)
FW
Smith (Manchester United)
Owen (Real Madrid) [COL only]
Crouch (Southampton)
A. Johnson (Crystal Palace)
Defoe (Tottenham)

Ticket holders will no doubt be disappointed that several big names are not on the list, but this is still a squad with quality talent and, most importantly, youth. Many of these players are top flight performers in the EPL who will be looking to impress Eriksson and get a leg up on selection for the WC06 squad. Several will also be making moves up the food chain this summer to bigger clubs.

I'll be at the England-Colombia match at Giants Stadium. This means that I'll catch Becks and Owen, but I'm most looking forward to seeing Defoe, Carrick, Downing, Wright-Phillips, and the Cole boys.

Here's an interesting piece on what Julie Foudy's been up to since her retirement from soccer. She's becoming quite the power broker.

If you haven't already, check out this interview with MetroStars GM Nick Sakiewicz.

Several of his responses provide ample reminder why MLS' "cornerstone" franchise is in shambles.

It looks like the MLS' too-good-to-be-true deal is evaporating in San Antonio. The media there has not taken well to Garza's plans, to say the least, and today comes a curiously timed story about a potential relocation of the NFL's New Orleans Saints to the Alamodome.

The article in question is sourced almost entirely through figures in San Antonio that are against MLS and Garza, to the extent that it's reasonable to view it as a plant meant to derail MLS for good.

Dangling the prospects of an NFL franchise has been a recurring theme in recent San Antonio politics, and this story is meant to keep that hope alive in the city. Reading between the lines, it reduces to this: pick up MLS now and you have no chance whatsoever of landing a NFL team down the road, no matter how unlikely that may be.

To add further insult, it comes through relatively clearly that the Saints are simply using San Antonio for leverage in their own negotiations with New Orleans. Moreover, there is every indication from the NFL that Los Angeles would beat out any competitor for the Saints if they decide to pack things up.

Then there is this:

Before any team seriously considers relocating to San Antonio, several hurdles would have to be overcome. The biggest obstacle would be bringing the Alamodome up to NFL standards, a project likely to cost close to $200 million.

Sure, the NFL is light years ahead of MLS in terms of prestige and brings certain benefits to its host cities that Garber & Co. can only dream of at this point. But if it was hard to swallow MLS' asking price, I wonder how folks will react to this comparably astronomical cost. I hope, for the sake of consistency, that the media responds with at least equal amounts of skepticism.

I personally don't care whether MLS goes to SA. I don't like the idea of having a team under a dome and on FieldTurf, but the deal initially offered to MLS was incredibly attractive. I couldn't blame MLS for being interested, and for putting aside its now standard demands for new cities (SSS, most notably).

San Antonio residents and their media have every right to object to such a deal if it is not in the best interests of the city, but the impression I get from reading the media coverage is that certain vested interests (McCombs, Clear Channel; now Hardberger) have attempted to sabotage MLS from the outset, whether for their own personal gain or because of a latent bias against soccer. A story like today's only makes me believe this more.

It's been 20 years since the horrific fire at Bradford City that killed 56 and injured some 200 spectators.

Read retrospectives from the Guardian, Independent, and the BBC.

Bruce Arena drops several interesting comments in a USA Today interview a little more than a year ahead of the World Cup.

Pulling no punches, the US national team coach states that players in their 30s are going to find themselves "on the fence" for Germany, the door is open for Adu, and a European club pedigree could be detrimental for aspiring nationals if they play for a losing side.

Freddy Adu won this week's MLS' Player of the Week award following his goal and two assists against the Crew last Saturday.

This has kick started the predictable "will he be on the WC06 squad?" thread over at Big Soccer, which, surprisingly, is a pretty good read.

Antonio Labbate wonders what's next for Inter's struggling Uruguayan, Alvaro Recoba, who seems a shell of the player who stole the spotlight from Ronaldo during his first season in Milan.

FSC's Bobby McMahon looks forward to the playoffs for promotion to the EPL. Ipswich, Derby County, Preston North End, and West Ham duke it out beginning this weekend to determine who'll join Wigan and Sunderland up with the Big Boys next season.

Meanwhile, Norwich, Southampton, Crystal Palace and WBA remain embroiled in a very close battle to stave off relegation.

Interesting bit from SI's Grant Wahl:

Landon Donovan has replaced Freddy Adu as the highest-paid player in MLS. Donovan's deal will pay him a guaranteed $4.5 million over the next five years and includes several lucrative performance incentives. The league also holds three additional one-year options, which means Donovan should be in MLS through the end of 2012 (averaging seven figures annually over the full term) unless he discovers an urge to return to Europe full-time or makes like Bison Dele and goes sailing in the South Pacific.

We'll have to see if Landon grows soft living out his dream in southern California. All of the pieces are falling into place for him, at least at a personal level.

Next year's World Cup is going to be a major test. It will either vindicate Donovan's elevation of "happiness" above all else, or prove that his unwillingness to pursue a European career has stunted his development on the field.

I gave props to Bayern and Chelsea, so I guess I need to do the same with Lyon. With a victory over AC Ajaccio this past weekend, they've captured Le Championnat for the fourth straight year. Only St. Etienne in the late '60s and the notorious l'OM sides of the early '90s have matched such a feat.

There hasn't been too much time to celebrate, though. Already, boss Paul le Guen has left for greener pastures, possibly to serve as Wenger's right hand man at Arsenal. And raids on the Stade Gerland are likely to continue throughout the summer, with the core of Lyon's midfield and attack -- Essien, Malouda, Juninho, and Govou -- all potential departures.

I find this story from the San Antonio Business Journal about Ed Garza's troubled plans for MLS in the Alamodome interesting for two reasons: 1) Andrew Murstein's name is mentioned nowhere in the piece and 2) Garza seems particularly enthusiastic about having at least partial Mexican investment in San Antonio.

This OSM profile of Patrick Vieira is a good read.

Here's UEFA.com's brief preview of the crucial AC Milan-Juventus tie on Sunday. The outcome of this match could very well determine who wins the Scudetto this year.

I'm pleasantly surprised that this game will be carried by RAI International, which means I'll probably get a chance to see it on the local public TV station that features each Sunday's RAI broadcast. This might be the case for you, too, so check your listings.

This is amusing:

Under pressure to make a decision before the end of the season, the FA finally ruled yesterday that the team finishing fourth in the Premiership would be given the chance to play in the Champions' League next season. However within hours, The Independent discovered a page on the FA's official website, thefa.com, that ruled that the winners of the European Cup would take the qualifying place even if they finished outside the top four.

The page, that was dated 10 March, 2004, is likely to cause great frustration at the FA who had made every effort to be as fair as possible after both Uefa and the Premier League handed them such a difficult decision. The website explanation which is headed "The Road to Europe: we clear up for you how the European places are awarded" refers to Arsenal and Chelsea's meeting in the semi-final last year.

The page reads: "Should Arsenal or Chelsea win the Champions' League they will automatically qualify for next season's competition but England will not get an extra Champions' League place even if they finish outside the top four in the Premiership. In that scenario the fourth placed team in the Premiership will play in next season's Uefa Cup."

Can Klinsmann and the DFB get away with this?!

Sporting Lisbon and CSKA Moscow have booked their places in the final of the UEFA Cup, to be played at Sporting’s own Jose Alvalade Stadium on May 18. The Portuguese side advanced on the away goals rule against AZ, while the Russians eliminated Parma 3-0 in Moscow.

The latter match was marred by yet another keeper, Parma's Luca Bucci, getting injured by a flare. Expect another tepid response from UEFA to match the slap on the wrist Inter received last month.

I'm sure both sides are ecstatic to go through, particularly CSKA. The Moscow club became only the second Russian side -- the first in 33 years -- to reach the final of a major European tournament.

I must say, however, that I find it hard to get excited about this competition. Notwithstanding the need to generate revenue and provide a goal for the second tier teams in Europe, I struggle to see its relevance. As it exists now, the UEFA Cup just seems like the Champions League's ugly step sister and I don't think that is the healthiest of situations.

UEFA increasingly seems to conflate the needs of European football with those of the G14 clubs that frequent the CL. One way of reassuring its lesser-endowed constituency would be to rebrand the UEFA Cup and throw a little more attention and energy its way. If the status quo remains, this Cup will only slip further down the prestige scale.

Here.

Apparently only 42 season tickets have been sold in San Antonio thus far.

I know tickets haven't been on sale for even a week yet, but part of me is surprised that number isn't in the hundreds.

Via Du Nord comes a list of the highest paid players in the world. The rankings were published by France Football and factor in endorsement deals.

Not surprisingly, a certain English midfielder who plays in Spain sits at the top. Brand Becks rakes in $37.4 million per year, of which only $6.4m comes from his Real Madrid wages.

Of course, that's still a far cry from what most MLS players make...

Poor PSV. I wasn't able to catch their second leg tie (thanks, ESPN), but most reports indicate that they outplayed Milan and were unlucky not to go through to the CL final against Liverpool.

Coincidentally, UEFA is not going to punch Liverpool's ticket to next year's tournament if they win on May 25 in Istanbul. Unless the FA intervenes, the Reds will have to overtake Everton for 4th place in the Premiership in order to qualify, which seems unlikely at this point.

From the London Times:

It was said that the debate over the authenticity of Liverpool’s historic goal against Chelsea at Anfield on Tuesday would rage for years. In fact, it lasted less than 24 hours.

Computer pictures prove that Luis García’s shot, which will be worth around £28 million to the club if they win the European Cup on May 25, was nowhere near to crossing the goalline when William Gallas, the Chelsea defender, hooked the ball away.

I don't think this is worth making a fuss about, particularly considering that Chelsea likely would have been worse off if the goal wasn't counted. A PK and a red card for Cech at such an early point in the match would have been very difficult to recover from.

Way to go, 'pool! Like most neutrals, I have to admit that I was pulling for the Reds to topple Ambramovich's army this evening. Not the most elegant of performances from either side, but the Merseysiders fully deserved to go through.

Luis Garcia's goal was indeed questionable, despite Tommy Smyth's repeated (and annoying) assurances to the contrary on ESPN. Still, Chelsea cannot complain too much. If the Spaniard didn't score, Liverpool would have been awarded a PK. Plus, the Blues had 85+ minutes to respond. They couldn't.

Some other random comments:

• I understand Glen Johnson is in Mourinho's doghouse, but I was very surprised to see Geremi pencilled in at right back. In any case, the Cameroonian international played rather well, particularly going forward.

• Jamie Carragher. Wow. From "utility man" to top flight defender. His transformation is complete. Considering the stage, this was probably his best performance of the season. Who'd a thunk that Carragher-Hyypia would emerge as the dominant defensive partnership in Europe this year? The native Scouser gets extra props for avoiding a yellow card, which would have ruled him out for the final.

• Igor Biscan didn't have a great game, but, again, considering the stage, he more than held his own. Could anyone imagine him putting in this type of run in the CL last year? He's definitely not the sort of demoralized mess he was under Houllier.

• I rate Djibril Cisse highly, but I was going to strangle him late in the game. He squandered several quality chances, and his ball control was atrocious. One can only wonder if he's yet match fit following his broken leg.

• Drogba phoned this one in. Any doubt that Chelsea is going to make a striker their top priority in the offseason was dispelled tonight. I have a feeling Ambramovich's yacht is going to be moored off the coast of Italy all summer, waiting for Inter to relent to whatever absurd amount the Russian throws at them for Adriano (already a reported €100m).

• The most significant missing piece tonight wasn't Xabi Alonso, as I expected. It was Damien Duff. Chelsea had hardly any penetration down the left. Arjen Robben was a wee bit of a spark when he came on, but clearly nowhere near 100%. The Dutchman's game lacked the polish and flair Blues supporters fell in love with during November.

• What was up with Mourinho's appearance? It looked like he just fell out of bed and threw on a track suit. Whither the hitman?

The worst part of Chelsea's defeat is that it will kick into high gear the speculation about who's coming to Stamford Bridge next. Much ink to be a wasted in the coming months. As for Liverpool, well, remarkably, they're on to Istanbul!

Jack Bell of the NY Times reports that Andrew Murstein, the NY businessman and president of Medallion Financial Corporation, is negotiating to buy and move the KC Wizards.

I think Bell's story is the first confirmation that Murstein is gunning for the Wizards specifically and not an expansion franchise. Assuming the acquisition goes according to plan, San Antonio is the obvious destination for the team, although Murstein seems to have his heart set on NYC:

Murstein said he would meet with New York City officials this week and would propose building a soccer stadium near Shea Stadium in Queens. He also said he had offered more than $1 million and other incentives to purchase the Cosmos name from Peppe Pinton, who holds the rights to the recognizable team from the North American Soccer League that has not played in more than 20 years. "I like to think I made a realistic offer, but the owner of the trademark has his own idea of what it's worth," Murstein said.

MLS' lack of enthusiasm for the project and AEG's grip on the NYC area (they have exclusive rights to a "70-mile radius" around the Big Apple, according to Bell) makes it highly unlikely that anyone will be able to plant a team across the Hudson from the Metrostars in the forseeable future.

Here's a roundup of week five of the MLS season.

As things sit right now, I agree with ESPN's "Power Rankings." The Revs, Galaxy, and FC Dallas top the league, by a substantial margin. Chivas USA brings up the rear, also by a substantial margin. The teams in between aren't separated by much, from my vantage point. I expect each to have their ups and downs throughout the season, with DC United, Columbus, and KC showing the most potential to do damage in the playoffs.

Plaudits are especially reserved this week for Clint Dempsey of the Revolution, who continues his marvellous form and scoring run; Amado Guevara for his hattrick against the Rapids (take that, Ives!); and the Galaxy, which beat down the insurgent FC Dallas with a strong, measured performance at the HDC.

After further probing and a MRI by PSV's medical staff, it appears that DaMarcus Beasley sustained more than just cuts and bruises from FC Twente defender Daniel Majstorovic's horrific challenge last week.

The American winger is now slated to be out of commission for "between three and five weeks" due to a knee strain. No Milan, and quite possibly no more appearances in the Eredivisie this year.

The Guardian's Simon Hattenstone wishes Becks a happy birthday. Well, sort of...

Manchester United beat Charlton today 4-0 to keep the pressure on Arsenal. The London club maintains a tenuous grip on second place in the Premiership and the precious automatic qualification for next year's Champions League going into their match against WBA tomorrow night.

Intriguingly, Roy Carroll got the nod ahead of Tim Howard in goal at the Valley. Howard had been the first choice keeper since Carroll's blunder against Milan in the Champions League, but the American's failure to exude confidence on the pitch and his miscue against Newcastle has again seen him relegated to the bench.

Moreover, according to Sky Sports, it looks likely that Howard will not get a chance to play in the upcoming FA Cup final against Arsenal, the make-or-break moment for United's season:

Carroll is now expected to retain the keeper's spot for the FA Cup final although Ferguson refused to confirm that the Northern Ireland international will definitely make up for the disappointment of not starting last year's final win over Millwall.

With Howard's poor clearance contributing to Newcastle United's goal last weekend, through Darren Ambrose, the United manager has suggested that the American still needs to learn to keep his concentration during long periods of inactivity in games.

[...]

"For Tim, it's really about experience. He plays in games for us every week and sometimes only has one save in a game to make, and that's the difficult part of being a keeper at our club.

"So, therefore, Roy's experience today comes on top of Tim's lack of experience. He needs more and more games, more to do, more action, to bring him on that step because Tim is a tremendously technically gifted keeper.

"He is lightning quick, his distribution is terrific and there are lots of good parts to Tim that will come on in the years ahead."

A couple of comments. For one, Ferguson needs to stop jerking his keepers around. He showed a lot of confidence in Howard even after his screwups last year, but this season he has not been nearly as forgiving. To his credit, Sir Alex rarely offers critical comments about his keepers in the press, but his fickleness is more manifest where it counts most: squad selection.

Nevertheless, Timmy should take some solace in the fact that Ferguson isn't giving up on him. With Man U tipped to enter the transfer market this summer for a net minder, it's been unclear where the United manager felt Howard fit into future plans at Old Trafford, if at all. Today's comments suggest that he does indeed see a place for him.

My best guess right now is that United will still move for a keeper in the offseason, but someone older, and more experienced, with about two seasons left of top flight football (Cudicini?). The Red Devils won't try to bring in someone young like Kameni or Frey, and instead opt for a short term solution. This will let Howard gain some experience and mature without the pressure of being in-and-out of the first team. I could even see Ferguson farming Howard out on loan, presuming Carroll re-signs or they get a decent backup so that Timmy isn't needed to ride the pine.