Credit To The Thinker News

According to Fulham, the USA will NOT call Eddie Johnson in for the game next week v Mexico

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Juergen Klinsmann has chosen for LA Galaxy & Chivas USA assistant coach Martin Vasquez as his assistant at Bayern Munich. What an awesome thing for Vaquez!

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Luis Arroyave of the Chicago Tribune on his Red Card blog explains his displeasure in trying to cover the Chicago Fire, where the team doesn't seem interested in cooperating. Note to FIRE HQ: It's a two way street, and the Tribune is only the 3rd or 4th biggest newspaper in the country!


MLS News

Frank Dell'apa at Soccernet thinks the MLS transfer attitude is in need of an overhaul.
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Steven Goff of the Washington Post on DC United's new #10, Marcello Gallardo.
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Gregory Sica of Sports Illustrated likes the moves DC is making, and hopes all of MLS follows.
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The Washington Examiner looks at RFK Stadium now that DC United is the only tenant again.
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The first 2008 edition of Dave Lifton's Screaming Eagles podcast. Listen or download here. Not tooooooo much to discuss in United land.
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Chicago's Daily Herald with a story on new Fire coach Denis Hamlett. Some good stuff here.
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We heard offseason rumblings that Kenny Cooper was not happy in Dallas, but this article on Cooper at MLSnet couldn't sound more different to that. He sounds ready to go.
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Shawn Mitchell of the Columbus Dispatch says the Crew are trying to negotiate a fee with Celtic for striker Maciej Zurawski. But it is far from a done deal.
-The Glasgow Evening News says the asking price has dropped to $600,00.
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Billy Witz of the Daily Breeze says LA forward Carlos Ruiz is having problems with his knee, the same one he had surgery on last November.
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The awesome crew at AYL Soccer have a new audio edition of the RSL Show on line, and its a chat with Salt Lake's newest defender Ian Joy. All the way from St Pauli to us! Download or listen here.
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James Edwards of the Deseret Morning News looks to see who is going to step up early at RSL training camp.
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Michael C Lewis of the Salt Lake Tribune looks at RSL's preseason travel plans.
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Bernardo Fallas of the Houston Chronicle on new Dynamo backup goalkeeper Tony Caig.
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Emlyn Lewis of Soccer-New England says the Revs never seem to care what the rest of the leagues teams are doing, they got their own thing going on.
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Mark Zeigler of the San Diego Union Tribune with his weekly soccer notes: Trophies & Red Cards.
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Grahame Jones of the LA Times with his weekly world soccer news roundup - Corner Kicks.
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Ravi Ubha of the Seattle Post Intelligencer with his weekly world soccer news wrap.
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Ridge Mahoney at Soccer America's MLS Confidential blog has a Q & A with one of Seattle's owners - it's just Drew Carey.
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PDL team Ventura County Fusion will play exhibitions against 2 MLS teams. The Ventura County Star with details.
-Fri Feb 8
v Real Salt Lake
Mon Feb 25
v Columbus Crew
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The Centre Daily Times and the St Louis Business Journal both have the latest stadium details for a potential MLS team in St Louis.
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The Granite City Press Record of southeastern Illinois on the St Louis stadium prospects.
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The Miami Herald with the latest on potential MLS stadium building in that city.
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MLS Rumor City

My guess is that the only thing holding up Brad Guzan from transferring to Aston Villa is a work permit. He does not meet the requirements to automatically get one, so I would assume the team has applied for a hearing. The USA Men's team blog says Guzan has been given permission to leave the current training camp.
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If I were a betting man, which I am not, I would say that Matt Pickens will be back in a Chicago Fire uniform. The main reason I feel that was is because I seriously doubt he could get an English work permit, unlike Guzan.
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USL First Division

The Rochester Democrat & Chronicle says the Rhinos may have a new investor to save the club.
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USA

Training in Carson CA in preparation for next weeks match v Mexico - Wed Feb 6 at 8pm central from Houston TX on ESPN2.
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Official blog.
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US Soccer gives us training photos from Sunday and Monday this week.
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USA Olympic Team

The team is training in Bradenton FL as they prepare for Olympic qualifying in March.
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Official team blog.
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US Soccer gives us a closer look at KC's #1 overall draft pick, centerback Chance Myers, who is in Florida training with the Olympic team.
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USA U20's

Copa Chivas in Guadalajara Mexico
Matches & Scores:
-Sat Jan 26
USA 2-2 Club America
-Sun Jan 27
USA 1-1 UAG Tecos
-Mon Jan 28
USA 0-1 Locomotiv Moscow
-Tue Jan 29
USA 1-1 Estudiantes USA goal by Alex Nimo(PK). Estu goal by unknown player.
-Wed Jan 30
USA v Santos
-Jan 31 - Feb 2 - Quarters, Semis & Final
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US Soccer News

The new shirts are here. To be debuted next Wed v Mexico.
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CONCACAF

FIFA.com talks to San Jose forward Gavin Glinton about his national team - Turks & Caicos - as they prepare for World Cup qualifying. They also touch on the upcoming MLS season.
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Ben Knight of the Toronto Globe & Mail address the on going troubles of the Canadian Soccer Assoc. But maybe there is some light ahead.
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Copa Libertadores

The final qualifying round begins this week.
1st leg Matches & Scores:
-Tue Jan 29
Arsenal 2-0 Mineros - goals by Jose Luis Calderon & Luciano Leguizamon,
-Wed Jan 30
Cruzeiro v Cerro Porteno
Atlas v La Paz
-Thu Jan 31
Olmedo v Lanus
Ciencciano v Montevideo Wanderers
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Americans In Europe

The Fulham website an article on American forward Brian McBride's return to the field - he played the full 90 in a reserve match!!!! And more on Eddie Johnsons arrival at the club.
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Eddie Lewis of Derby County tweaked his knee early in last weekends FA Cup match, and now will need surgery to repair torn cartilage. He is expected to miss 4-5 weeks.
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It's official, Bryan Arguez has been sold by DC United to Hertha Berlin.
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Andrew Rogers at Soccer365 with Part 2 of his Q & A with USA & Sheffield Wednesday defender Frank Simek.
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In game action:
-Carlos Bocanegra - Fulham - came on as a 83rd minute sub in a 0-0 road draw at Bolton.
-Clint Dempsey - Fulham - went all 90 as usual in a 0-0 road draw at Bolton.
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European Cup Competitions

Copa Del Rey
2nd leg Matches & Scores (with first leg scores included):
-Wed Jan 30
Atlectico Madrid v Valencia (0-1)
Mallorca v Getafe (0-1)
-Thu Jan 31
Athletic Bilbao v Racing Santander (0-2)
Barcelona v Villareal (0-0)
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Copa Italia
2nd leg Matches & Scores (with first leg scores included):
-Tue Jan 29
Roma 1-0 Sampdoria - Roma advance 2-1 on aggregate.
-Wed Jan 30
Catania v Udinese (2-3)
Fiorentina v Lazio (1-1)
Juventus v Inter (2-2)
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Big Euro Match This Week
-Wed Jan 30
Ajax v PSV - the perennial Dutch powerhouses battle it out.
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European News

Soccernet talk to Everton coach David Moyes, who is clearly smarter than most. He says that instead of making the African Nations Cup move to a European Summer date, why not close down the European leagues for a month every two years.
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Reuters with a story on the absolute disaster going down at Valencia. How can a team with that many quality players be so damn bad?
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Reuters also examines the first year in the UEFA Presidential reign of Michel Platini.
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Luis Arroyave of the Chicago Tribune wonders how Barcelona try to catch Real Madrid.
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The Independent talks to Beckman about his desire to play for Fabio Capello.
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Lyon has signed French defender Jean-Alain Boumsong from Juventus.
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The rumor is again growing that the Kraft family in New England are considering trying to buy Liverpool. We have heard this story before. The are the people who own the Revolution soccer team, and Patriots American football team.
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African Cup of Nations

Group Stage Matches & Scores:
-Sun Jan 20
Ghana 2-1 Guinea
-Mon Jan 21
Namibia 1-5 Morocco
Nigeria 0-1 Cote D’Ivoire
Mali 1-0 Benin
-Tue Jan 22
Cameroon 2-4 Egypt
Zambia 3-0 Sudan
-Wed Jan 23
Tunisia 2-2 Senegal
South Africa 1-1 Angola
-Thu Jan 24
Guinea 3-2 Morocco
Ghana 1-0 Namibia
-Fri Jan 25
Cote D’Ivoire 4-1 Benin
Nigeria 0-0 Mali
-Sat Jan 26
Cameroon 5-1 Zambia
Egypt 3-0 Sudan
-Sun Jan 27
Senegal 1-3 Angola
Tunisia 3-1 South Africa
-Mon Jan 28
Ghana 2-0 Morocco
Guinea 1-1 Namibia
-Tue Jan 29
Nigeria 2-0 Benin
Cote D’Ivoire 3-0 Mali
-Wed Jan 30
Egypt 1-1 Zambia - Egy goal by Amr Zaki. Zam goal by Chris Katongo.
Cameroon 3-0 Sudan - 2 goals by Samuel Eto'o (one on PK) & an own goal.
-Thu Jan 31
Tunisia v Angola
Senegal v South Africa
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So Cameroon and Egypt have advanced. Tomorrow we will get our last 2 quarterfinalists.
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Knock Out Stage - Quarterfinals
-Sun Feb 3
Ghana v Nigeria 11am central time
Ivory Coast v Guinea 230pm central time
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You can watch all the games for a fee or see video highlights for free at Telesud.
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Samuel Eto'o scored 2 goals today giving him 15 in his African Cup of Nations appearances, which makes him the top goal scorer of all time in the tournament. The old record was 14 held by Laurent Pokou of Ivory Coast.
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Andrew Hush at Soccernet writes that even though Nigeria have advanced they still have a long way to go if they want to win it all.
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Mark Zeigler of the San Diego Union Tribune loves the surprises of the ACN.
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Brian Oliver of the Guardian signs off from Ghana. Too bad. I was loving his stories.