Creepin Up On Em News

Eddie Johnson has signed his deal at Fulham and got his work permit!! He is all set to go. Official word from Fulham here. Let's all welcome the Grown Ass Man to Fulhamerica!

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What the hell is Beckman doing in Sierra Leone? From the looks of the first picture he appears to be starting a new Fight Club chapter. Oh, he's there for UNICEF, ok, cool. (thanks to Alex for this one)

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Former San Jose & Houston and now San Jose again defender Ryan Cochrane on his new and old team: "They're the Houston Dynamo now. As soon as everyone can come to grips with that the better."

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There is something very underhanded stated in the Q & A Kyle McCarthy does with Chris Albright (see below). LA went to Albright and said (these are my words paraphrasing the situation for dramatic effect, but the facts are correct), "Here is a new contract. It's not as much as we would like to give you, but we are on a very very tight budget here. Can you help us out." And to stay on the team he said "Yes". Then they turned right around and sold him to New England. And obviously it was easier to sell him at a lower salary. I have to call bullshit on that one. Maybe Mr Lalas can defend himself.


MLS News

Steven Goff of the Washington Post finally has some real news to report - DC United has signed Argentinos Juniors forward Franco Niell on a 1 year loan. John Haydon of the Washington Times on the signing too.
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Kyle McCarthy at Goal.com has a Q & A with brand new Revolution defender Chris Albright, just after the sale went down.
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The Salt Lake Tribune says Real Salt Lake has officially signed defender Ian Joy from St Pauli. RSL also finally officially cut Jaime Watson loose from their roster.
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Luis Arroyave of the Chicago Tribune with an article on former Fire player Chris Armas who has been hired as an assistant coach.
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The San Jose Mercury News with info on the first preseason games for the all new Earthquakes of San Jose. Of course the first will be against Houston (the old Earthquakes).
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Michael Lewis at Big Apple Soccer talks to NYRB defender Jeff Parke who has yet ANOTHER new head coach (#5 in New York alone). He goes through coaches like I go through Frisbee dogs.
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Metrofanatic has a Q & A with the Red Bulls other draft pick Luke Sassano. (we linked to others yesterday)
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FC Dallas Updates gives us a Q & A with the teams coach Steve Morrow and general manager Michael Hitchcock. (all questions supplied by fans)
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Jeff Bradley at MLSnet with the First XI - the off season player shuffle.
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Dean McNulty of the Toronto Sun with more on the idea of the elite soccer academy in Toronto. (see yesterday for another story)
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Jack Bell of the New York Times Goal blog wonders if the MLS Superdraft is all that super.
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Haiti has called New York Red Bulls forward Jerrod Laventure into their national team.
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The Washington Post with the latest on a possible stadium for DC United.
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MLS Rumor City

Pat Noonan is bolting MLS to go play in Norway at Aalesund. New England had cut him loose after last season, but I don't think they really thought he would leave. I bet the Rev's figured they could re-sign him on a cheaper deal. Aalesund is the same team that has former New England goalkeeper Aidn Brown as their shot stopper.
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DC United will soon announce that they have signed defender Gonzalo Martinez from Millonarios.
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"They" say that the Chicago brass are in France to see Sochaux's right midfielder Fabrice Pancrate. If they sign him, let's hope he pans out better than most (all?) the other French players that have tried MLS. (Would you consider Youri Djorkaeff a success? I would not.)
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Michael Lewis at Big Apple Soccer is reporting that all MLS teams will be able to use charter flights this season, as opposed to commercial flights.
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Looks like the LA Galaxy are about to add to their huge pile of frequent flier miles and play a preseason smash-and-grab-the-cash game in South Korea. March 1 maybe?
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USL - First Division

Our pal Brian Quarstad at Blue Sky Soccer has an audio Q & A with the Minnesota Thunder's new marketing director Peter Johns. Download or listen here.
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USL's First Division has announced that a new team from Austin Texas will join the league next season. They will be known as the Austin Aztex. And will be owned by one of the owners and directors of current English Championship division team Stoke City. Here is the official press release with logo and picture of their shirt, which is red & white striped.
-Can anyone tell me what Austin Texas has to do with the Aztecs?
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USA

The senior team will reconvene in Los Angeles on Thursday for more training, and then at some point will be joined by teammates from Europe before the Mexico match on Feb 6.
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Greg Lalas at Sports Illustrated looks ahead at 2008 for coach Bob Bradley.
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Pat Walsh at Goal.com thinks that Bob Bradley has found the perfect spot for Landon Donovan on the national team - right midfield. I politely disagree.
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USA U20 - Copa Chivas in Guadalajara Mexico
Matches & Scores:
Jan 26 v Club America
Jan 27 v UAG Tecos
Jan 28 v Locomotiv Moscow
Jan 29 v Estudiantes
Jan 30 v Santos
Jan 31 - Feb 2 - Quarters, Semis & Final
-The team is coached by Thomas Rongen. Here is the roster:
G:
Abdul Hamid
Josh Lambo
D:
Gale Agbossoumonde
Franklin Blaise
Nicholas Millington
Brek Shea
Sheanon Williams
Matthew Uy
M:
Bryan Arguez
Amobi Okugo
Pablo Punyed
F:
Hugh Dixon
Jorge Flores
Felix Garcia
Cristian Gonzales
Ellis McLoughlin
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Americans In Europe

Hamburg is said to be the most interested in buying American midfielder Michael Bradley from his current club Heerenveen. When that might happen, who knows. But probably not right now.
-Bradley & Heerenvenn have a Eredivisie league match tonight at home v Venlo.
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USA & Reading goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann has a column in the Daily Mail. Yes, he is funny. Who knew he had a column? (Thanks to BQ for this one)
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Kasey Keller is back from injury and played the full 90 in the Fulham reserve match today.
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The Daily Mail with words on the potential move of USA & Chivas USA goalkeeper Brad Guzan to Celtic. Comes complete with lots of quotes from none other than John Spencer.
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CONCACAF

Did you know that the team from St Kitts & Nevis is know are the Sugar Boyz?
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El Salvador went to Belize and won 0-1 in a CONCACAF Friendly. Both teams begin World Cup qualifying in 2 weeks.
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English FA Cup - 3rd Round Replays. Americans involved:
Matches & Scores:
-Tue Jan 22
Bristol Rovers 0-0 Fulham - Rovers win it 5-3 on Penalties.
Clint Dempsey - Fulham - played the full 90 plus the extra 30, did not take a PK
Carlos Bocanegra - Fulham - played the full 90 plus the extra 30, did not take a PK
Sheffield Wednesday 1-1 Derby County - Derby win 4-2 on Penalties.
Frank Simek - Sheffield Wed - out with ankle injury
Benny Feilhaber - Derby - did not dress, on the transfer block
Eddie Lewis - Derby - came on as a 42nd minute sub, and hit the 2nd of the 4 PK's
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English League/Carling Cup - Semifinals
2nd Leg Matches & Scores (with 1st leg scores included):
-Tue Jan 22
Tottenham 5-1 Arsenal - Tottenham advance to final 6-2 on aggregate.
-Wed Jan 23
Everton v Chelsea (1-2)
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The Guardian with an article on the Carling Cup. The hope is that someone other than Man U, Liverpeople, Arse & Chelski win it.
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Copa Italia - Quarterfinals
1st leg Matches & Scores:
-Wed Jan 23
Udinese v Catania
Sampdoria v Roma
Inter v Juventus
-Thu Jan 24
Lazio v Fiorentina
-2nd leg matches next week.
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Spanish Copa del Rey - Quarterfinals
1st leg Matches & Scores:
-Wed Jan 23
Getafe v Mallorca
Valencia v Atletico Madrid
-Thu Jan 24
Racing Santander v Athletic Bilbao
Villareal v Barcelona
-2nd leg matches next week.
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Ravi Ubha of the Seattle Press catches us up on the some of the lesser known world soccer news. Always good.
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Grahame Jones of the LA Times with his own version of world soccer news roundup. Usually more obvious stuff.
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The Telegraph says that the best scouts in world football are all headed to Sao Paolo for a youth tournament hoping to find the next Kaka.
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The Guardian with an article on the Iranian government getting involved and ruining that country's shot at some great football.
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Looks like George Burley will be the new Scotland manager. He has been the manager at Southampton, and will be replaced their by Glenn Hoddle.
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Fulham defender Moritz Volz with his latest article for the Times. It's all about the cops. As always a fantastic read from Volzy!
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Espanyol lost their inspirational leader in forward Raul Tamudo when he broke his arm at training today. He will be out 2 months.
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Striker Rolando Bianchi has left Manchester City after just one half season and signed with Lazio.
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You think the rumors in MLS are silly - in the past 24 hours Inter has been said to be signing Diego from Werder Bremen, Ronaldinho from Barca & Kun Aguero from Atletico Madrid. And they all play generally the same position!
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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 - Tun goals by Issam Jemaa & Majdi Traoui. Sen goals by Bayal Sall & Diomansy Kamara.
South Africa 1-1 Angola - SA goal by Elrio van Heerden. Angola goal by Manucho.
-Thu Jan 24
Guinea v Morocco
Ghana v Namibia
-Fri Jan 25
Cote D’Ivoire v Benin
Nigeria v Mali
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Brian Oliver of the Guardian sees the goals pouring in.
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News24 in South Africa reports that things behind the scenes at the ACN are quite chaotic.
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News24 also reports that partying has been so intense that someone died.
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News24 has a positive article too - Chelsea teammates Michael Essien of Ghana and Didier Drogba & Salomon Kalou of Ivory Coast want to play against each other for the championship.
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Lagos Nigeria newspaper This Day says the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon were humiliated by Egypt.
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This Day also reports that Nigerian players had a war of words on the team bus following their loss to Cote d'Ivoire.
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Ugandan newspaper New Vision has an article on Angola's new star Manucho, who was recently signed by Manchester United. I also think that Angola are one of the darkhorses that could win it all.
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Zimbabwe paper The Herald has an article on another surprisingly good looking team - Guinea.
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Business Day of Johannesburg says that all South African eyes will be watching and all minds will be thinking ahead to 2010 when South Africa plays Angola today.
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All Africa has a translation from French of the Cameroon Tribune article calling their teams performance v Egypt a disgrace.
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Reuters says Ghana has centerback injury troubles.
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The Reuters Soccer Blog wonders how Cameroon rebounds from the beating Egypt put on them.