At One Time The 2nd Largest In The British Empire News

Philadelphia

MLS is proud to introduce to you, team #16, or 18 if you count the 2 that went bye bye, Philadelphia! They will begin play in 2010 (and boy will they stink that first year).
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The Philadelphia Inquirer on the build of to the big day.
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The Delco Times on the announcement.
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A Delco Times editorial on the new team and stadium.
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And Delco with reaction from local soccer fans.
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The Inquirer also has an article on a true American soccer legend and Pennsylvania native, Walter Bahr.
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The Inquirer's college sports blogger gives us his view on soccer.
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Here is the official press release from MLS.
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You can get season tickets at 1-877-MLS-2010.
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Home on the web.
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MLS News

The San Jose Mercury News with an article on new Earthquakes midfielder Ronnie O'Brien.
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Ben Knight of the Toronto Globe & Mail blog On Soccer checks in from TFC practice under the temporary dome/bubble at BMO Field.
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Sportsnet of Ontario with some thoughts on TFC dumping Ronnie O.
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Sportsnet also takes in a TFC practice session. With comments from coach John Carver and GM Mo Johnston.
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The San Francisco Chronicle with a story on two big time sports dudes just hangin out pickin each others nose, I mean brain - Billy Beane, Oakland A's GM & San Jose Earthquakes part owner AND the next Bayern Munich coach Juergen Klinsmann. Need I say more.
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Bernardo Fallas of the Houston Chronicle on the unveiling of a new forward for the Dynamo - Argentine Franco Caraccio. They got him on a loan deal from Arsenal de Sarandi. From everything you read this kid sounds green, not a veteran like the two forwards they lost.
-Fallas with a few more Caraccio & Dynamo notes on his Soccer y Futbol blog.
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John Connolly of the Boston Herald has an article on new Revolution defender Chris Albright.
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Scotland's Daily Record has an article and interview with new Salt Lake forward Kenny Deuchar. Article comes complete with inane British tabloid headline.
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The Times of London with an article on Deuchar's move to RSL.
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Steven Goff of the Washington Post did a heavy interview with Santino Quaranta for Friday's paper. He gives us a teaser of it on his Soccer Insider blog. At one time not long ago Quaranta was a prodigy. Now days he is a bust.
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Shawn Mitchell of the Columbus Dispatch on the newest Crew forward Nico Hernandez.
-Mitchell reports on his Covering The Crew blog that the team has released midfielder Ricardo Virtuoso.
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Grahame Jones of the LA Times with some updates on the Galaxy, plus other world soccer news.
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Martin Rogers of Yahoo Sports gave his list of the Top 20 MLS players a couple weeks back. Seems that he took quite a beating over it. Hahahaha (I am laughing with you Martin, not at you). Here is his reply.
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Tobias Xavier Lopez of the Fort Worth Star Telegram writes about Dallas's next training camp stop - Brazil.
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3rd Degree has a photo slideshow from the FC Dallas 2008 jersey unveiling.
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The Washington City Paper lays out the Pro's and Con's of building a soccer stadium in the District of Columbia.
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MLS Preseason Friendlies

Matches & Scores:
-Wed Feb 27
Dorados (Mexico) 1-1 Chicago in Sinaloa
-Fri Feb 29
Chivas USA v UC Riverside at HDC
-Sat Mar 1
FC Seoul (S Korea) v Los Angeles at World Cup Stadium in Seoul South Korea
Chivas USA v Fresno Fuego at TBD
Red Bull Salzburg Juniors v New York in Salzburg as part of a double header with the senior Salzburg teams regular home league match.
San Jose State U v San Jose
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Chicago match report from the Fires homepage.
-The stadium in Culiacan was SOLD OUT!
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Michael Lewis of Big Apple Soccer and Ives Galarcep of Soccer By Ives are going to Salzburg to cover the Red Bulls training camp.
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MLS Rumors - Don't Tease Me Bro

Luis Arroyave of the Red Card reports that the reason Chicago defender Wilman Conde is not with the team in Mexico is due to visa troubles.
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The rumor going around about why Kevin Harmse and Kelly Gray did not go to Asia with the LA Galaxy is that they, like Kyle Martino, are on the chopping block.
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USL First Division & PDL

Salt Lake no more than cut defender Willis Forko loose and Vancouver snap him up.
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Seattle have re-signed goalkeeper Chris Eylander.
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Portland may have lost goalkeeper Josh Wicks to Los Angeles.
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USA Olympic Team

Jozy Altidore checks in via the New York Times Goal blog to tell us about getting ready for Olympic qualifying.
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Americans In Europe

Here is some great news - Soccer By Ives reports that Cory Gibbs played in Charlton's reserve match!!! Do you realize that Gibbs signed with Charlton nearly 2 years ago, but has still never played a real match for them??? Staggering.
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Wednesday games:
-Freddy Adu - Benfica - started and went 55 minutes in a 2-0 home win over Moreirense in the Taca de Portugal.
-Greg Berhalter - Munich 1860 - played all 120 minutes, yes regular time + extra time, in the Pokal semifinals, but lost 1-0 to city rivals Bayern Munich on a PK in the dying seconds.
-Nate Jaqua - Rheindorf Altach - played all 90 minutes but were thumped 4-0 at Red Bull Salzburg.
-Danny Szetela - Brescia - came on as a 74th minute sub in his teams 0-1 road win at Ascoli.
-Josh Wolff - Munich 1860 - was on the bench but did not play in the 1-0 loss to Bayern Munich in the Pokal semifinals.
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That must have been a very painful loss for 1860. Losing in the last seconds of extra time on a Penalty. 120 minutes of scoreless soccer against your most bitter rivals - that's no way to go out.
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Copa Libertadores

Group Stage Matches & Scores:
-Tue Feb 26
Dep Univ San Martin 0-1 Universidad Catolica - goal by Dario Botinelli.
Estudiantes 0-0 Lanus
Caracas 2-1 Bamin Real Potosi - Car goals by Emilio Renteria & Ronald Vargas. Bam goal by Gonzal Galindo.
-Wed Feb 27
Atletico Nacional 1-1 Sao Paulo - Nac goal by David cordoba. SP goal by Miranda.
River Plate 2-1 America - RP goal by Radamel Falcao Garcia. Amer goal by Salvador Cabanas.
Flamengo 2-1 Cienciano - Flam goal by Suazo & Marcinho. Cien goal by Gustavo Vasallo.
-Thu Feb 28
Cucuta Deportivo v San Jose
Maracaibo v Colo Colo
Cruzeiro v Caracas
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Group Stage Standings
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Gregory Sica of Sports Illustrated writes about Argentine teams getting off to a bad start in Libertadores. But dude, we're just getting going man, give em some room to breathe.
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European News

The loudest and most frenzifying rumor in England today is that Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard will take over as Chelsea coach after this season.
-Dr Sid Lowe of the Guardian pours fuel on that fire.
-Many other reports say no, no, no. Not so fast tough guy.
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Rikki Kaka has signed a contract extension at AC Milan through the 2013 season.
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Matches & Scores:
-Tue Feb 26
Juventus 0-0 Torino - the Turin derby ends goalless.
-Wed Feb 27
Inter 1-1 Roma
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Rob Hughes of the International Herald Tribune with an article on one of the unsung heroes of world football - Inter's Javier Zanetti.
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Paolo Bandini of the Guardian gives us the low down on Inter's come back last night.
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The Times has the story of Queens Park Rangers slithery looking owner Flavio Briatore. The first part of the story is all Formula 1, but then they get to QPR.
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World Soccer has a Q & A with Sevilla & Brazil forward Luis Fabiano, who is having a breakout season. Via Sports Illustrated.
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The Telegraph with an article on Tottenham's wishes to build themselves a new home stadium.
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Euro League Cup Competitions

-French Coupe de la Ligue-
Semifinal Matches & Scores:
-Tue Feb 26
Paris Saint Germain 3-2 Auxerre
-Wed Feb 27
Le Mans 4-5 Lens
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-German DFB Pokal-
Quarterfinal Matches & Scores:
-Tue Feb 26
Borussia Dortmund 3-1 Hoffenheim
Stuttgart 2-2 Carl Zeiss Jena Jena adv 5-4 on PK's.
-Wed Feb 27
Bayern Munchen 1-0 1860 Munchen
Wolfsburg 2-1 Hamburger
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-Copa Del Rey-
Semifinal 1st leg Matches & Scores:
-Wed Feb 27
Barcelona 1-1 Valencia
-Thu Feb 28
Getafe v Racing Santander
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-English FA Cup-
Quarterfinal Replay Matches & Scores:
Middlesbrough 1-0 Sheffield United
-The Quarterfinal round will be played the weekend of Mar 8 & 9.
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World News

Liberia has named German Antoine Hey as the new national team coach.
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Marina Hyde of the Guardian seems as sick of FIFA as the rest of us.
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This Is The End

"Ma'am, I am going to have to ask you to please step away from the Chenoweth."