From Miami F.L.A. News

The CONCACAF Gold Cup Groups and Schedule has been announced! These are the 3 groups and initial USA games:
Group A
-Canada
-Costa Rica
-Guadeloupe
-Haiti
Group B
-El Salvador
-Guatemala
-Trinidad & Tobago
-USA
Group C
-Cuba
-Honduras
-Mexico
-Panama
USA group stage matches:
Thursday June 7 v Guatemala in Los Angeles at the Home Depot Center
Saturday June 9 v Trinidad & Tobago in Los Angeles at the Home Depot Center
Tuesday June 12 v El Salvador in Boston at Gillette Stadium
-The Quarterfinals are in Boston on June 16 and Houston on June 17, with the Semifinals & Finals in Chicago at Soldier Field on June 21 & 24.
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He is baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack. Jimmy Conrad, esteemed defender for Kansas City and the USA has finally found time to write a new column for Soccernet. Where the hell have you been Jimbo?
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Obviously Toronto FC reads du Nord as they picked up former Columbus goalkeeper Jon Busch off the waiver list yesterday just like I said they should!! Busch was the only players picked up by any team off that list (which as far as I know was never released to the public).
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Marketing Mag website has a feature article on the building and initial promoting of Toronto FC. Some interesting things in here.
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The entire Real Salt Lake team and staff were in attendance Sunday for the Real Madrid v Getafe match. That sounds like a very sweet deal.
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RSL has a young defender that they are all excited about. He is from the Ivory Coast and his name is Jean-Martial Kipre. The Salt Lake Tribune with an article on the prospect.
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Colorado has released young Haitian forward Fabrice Noel. I wonder what he will do now? Sad story on that kid. Look it up.
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Bernardo Fallas at the Houston Chronicle says the Dynamo are preparing for next weeks Champions Cup match v Pachuca. I really hope Houston are up for this big match.
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Fallas with another article in which he states that the Houston-Blanco connection rumors are NOT true. I have to admit that I have never heard this rumor at all. The Chicago-Blanco rumor is still in full force though. And I like it.
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The Mass Media has a Q & A with New England Revolution owner Jonathan Kraft.
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Frank Dell'apa of the Boston Globe tries to figure out how Becksypoo will travel around the country with his team. It probably won't be conventional. But I did read that MLS will not let the Red Bulls travel via a chartered plane (via Michael Lewis at Big Apple Soccer), so maybe DB will have to fly with the rubes too!
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Chuck Culpepper & Grahame Jones of the LA Times check in on David Beckham's knee.
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LA Galaxy fans are gonna wanna watch this and relive one of last seasons true bright spots. DC United fans are not gonna watch this at all. Brought to us by Sideline Views! Thanks to Andrea and Luis for digging it up. I love it personally. And Landycakes really gives it to the DC faithful.
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We have been told that Fox Soccer Channel will do their weekly MLS games the right way - pregame show, announcers live at the site, half time show, and post game show. All great things. Chris Webb at the Mid-Atlantic Soccer Report gives his feelings on how they can make this a massive success and things that they must avoid at all cost. I agree with him 100%! I even love Max Bretos and Christopher Sullivan calling the games.
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Frank Giase at the Newark Star Ledger with a story on Hugh MacDonald, an unknown central defender free agent that the New York Red Bulls have just signed. And he is from the nearby town of Kearny New Jersey, the same hometown as US soccer legends Tony Meola, Tab Ramos and John Harkes. Very cool.
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Adam Spangler at This Is American Soccer gives his opinion in response to the recent Andrea Canales & Jimmy Conrad MLS salary articles.
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An article at AllAfrica.com says MLS has started a youth training center in Uganda. I find this very hard to believe.
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The great website EPL Talk has an interview with Watford's American defender Jay DeMerit. You can listen on line or download the podcast here. Fantastic! Big thanks to the Gaffer for this.
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Copa Libertadores - here are the week's matches:
Tuesday March 6
Gimnasia - Deportivo Pasto
El Nacional - Libertad
LDU Quito - Colo Colo
Wednesday March 7
Deportes Tolima - Cerro Porteno
America - Banfield
Thursday March 8
River Plate - Caracas
Cienciano - Bolivar
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Champions League Matchday 8 today & tomorrow - with first leg scores included:
Tuesday March 6-
-Lyon v Roma (0-0)
-Liverpool v Barcelona (2-1)
-Chelsea v Porto (1-1)
-Valencia v Inter (2-2)
Wednesday March 7-
-Milan v Celtic (0-0)
-Arsenal v PSV (0-1)
-Man United v Lille (1-0)
-Bayern Munich v Real Madrid (2-3)
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Rob Hughes of the International Herald Tribune looks at Bayern Munich's chances of advancing v Real Madrid in the Champions League tomorrow. Personally I am betting on Lucas Podalski to get the job done for the Germans.
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Carlos Tevez told a radio show that he wants to leave West Ham and London and return to Brazil and play for Corinthians next season.
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The Observer interviews a very cool sounding guy - France & Barcelona defender Lillian Thuram. Thanks to Bryan for sending this our way.
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Portsmouth keeper David James pens his own column in the Observer. He ponders giving refunds on ticket money to fans after an awful game by his team. Great article.
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And a third and final article from the Observer - seems like more than just having a terrible team on the pitch is going down at West Ham United. What a mess.
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Rick Broadbent's third article for the Times of London in his series called The Rivals. This time he goes to Brazil for Corinthians v Palmeiras. Wow. This is a really great series.