Dude, Yer Like, So Busted News

5 Cuban soccer players left the team last night after their game against the USA are expected to seek political asylum.


MLS News

FIFA.com with a story on New England's two young Gambian players, Abdoulie Mansally & Sainey Nyassi.
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Steven Wells of the Philadelphia Weekly gives his view of the new MLS team and the supporters group Sons of Ben. Note: Swells has been one of my favorite writes on any topic going back to the early 80's.
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Real Salt Lake has launched their own official team blog - Behind the Shield
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MLS Stadium Talk

The San Jose Mercury News with the latest on stadium planning in that city.
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The Soccer Silicon Valley blog with more on the latest news from San Jose.
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MLS Expansion News

The Chicago Daily Herald pimps for a team in St Louis.
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MLS Preseason Friendlies

Matches & Scores:
-Tue Mar 11
CANCELED San Luis (Mexico) v Chicago in Mexicali - canceled due to poor field conditions
Platense (Argentina) 0-0 Kansas City in Buenos Aires
Central Cordoba (Argentina) 0-2 Salt Lake in Rosario
-Wed Mar 12
Rosario Central (Argentina) v Salt Lake in Rosario
San Lorenzo (Argentina) v Kansas City in Buenos Aires
-Thu Mar 13
Dallas v U Tulsa at PHP
Boca Juniors or Velez Sarsfield (Argentina) v Kansas City in Buenos Aires
-Fri Mar 14
New England v Marathon (Honduras) in New Orleans
Estudiantes (Argentina) v Kansas City in Buenos Aires
Bermuda (National team) v Colorado in Bermuda National Sports Center
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MLS Rumors - Don't Tease Me Bro

The word had been floating around the Liverpool would be the opponent for the MLS All Stars up in Toronto. But today the Toronto Star reports that it will be West Ham. Oh gee goody goody. Quick, name a player on West Ham!
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New England is all set to sign Argenis Fernandez, a forward from Costa Rica who last played for Santos in CR.
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Andrea Canales has this story on her Sideline Views blog, and it was so good I just had to steal it. David Beacham leaves a tip.
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USL First Division & PDL News

Vancouver re-signed centerback Adrian Cann, and signed 15 year J-League veteran midfielder Takashi Hirano.
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USA Olympic Team

Official team blog.
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CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying

Group A Matches & Scores (all games at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa FL):
-Tue Mar 11
Panama 0-1 Honduras -Hon goal by Hendry Thomas.
USA 1-1 Cuba - USA goal by Freddy Adu. Cuba goal by Roberto Linares.
Match report from US Soccer.
Match report by Michael Lewis of Big Apple Soccer.
Match report from the Bradenton Herald.
Match report from the New York Times.
Post game analysis by Ives Galarcep at Soccernet.
Post game analysis and USA player ratings from Goal.com
Post game analysis by Jeffrey Marcus of the New York Times Goal blog.
Player ratings from Ridge Mahoney at Soccer America.
Post game quotes from USA coach and players from US Soccer.
Game photos from US Soccer.
Post game video from US Soccer.
-Thu Mar 13
Honduras v Cuba
USA v Panama - live at 7pm central on Fox Soccer Channel
-Sat Mar 15
Cuba v Panama
USA v Honduras - live at 6pm central on Fox Soccer Channel
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Group B Matches & Scores (all games at Home Deport Center in Carson CA):
-Wed Mar 12
Haiti v Guatemala
Canada v Mexico
-Thu Mar 14
Canada v Haiti
Mexico v Guatemala
-Sun Mar 16
Guatemala v Canada
Mexico v Haiti
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The top 2 teams from each group will meet in the semifinals: A1 v B2 & B1 v A2.

Semifinal Matches & Scores (all games at LP Field in Nashville TN):
-Thu Mar 20

Final Matches & Scores (all games at LP Field in Nashville TN):
-Sun Mar 23
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My thoughts on the USA v Cuba game:
Klunker City! Our team came out of the gate on fire, hit the post, made the keeper make a good save, and then scored a goal all in the first 10 minutes or so. Then they moved to Klunker City. My guess is that they thought it was going to be just that easy and switched off. Cuba fought back, with not very much, but got a nice goal on some really slack defending. Then Cuba put everyone behind the ball, laid on the ground in agony for minutes on end every chance they got, and earned themselves a point. Good for Cuba. Pathetic for the USA. Only 2 USA players had good games, Freddy Adu was very good early, moving, passing, shooting and scoring, after that not much. Dax McCarty played great all 90 minutes, refusing to stop or ease up, he was impressive in the center of midfield. The rest of em, well, they better work on their egos. Another problem with this whole team for me is that too many guys are playing out of position. Let's start on the left. Two right footers playing left fullback and left wing. Why? At right fullback you have a newly converted striker. A guy who has never played this position in a real game in his life. Why? At right wing you have a forward. Why? And in the center of defense you have a defensive midfielder. Why? That is 5 guys starting an important game out of position. Who is in charge of this team? Seems like the coach is Dr Frankenstein - putting the monster together from spare parts. And finally, I asked this question 2 weeks ago and will ask it again - why didn't they play any warm up matches before a competition that they say is important. PS. Paging Stuart Holden, Please pick up the white courtesy telephone, and hit your coach over the head with it so he remembers that you are there. PPS. Chad Barrett was of a particularly strong brand of horribleness.
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The announced attendance was 4,359. I would believe it if they dropped the 4.
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Michael Lewis of Big Apple Soccer reports that Jozy Altidore was subbed out at halftime due to injury worries. Here is the quote from coach Nowak: "Jozy got knocked a couple of times, We talked to our doctor and talked to Jozy. We have another two games. Hopefully, he will be ready for Thursday."
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Morgan Campbell of the Toronto Star says Team Canada is not ready for the qualifiers.
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Mark Zeigler of the San Diego Union Tribune previews Mexico.
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Soccer In America

This Is American Soccer with another great interview. David Keyes of Culture of Soccer does the asking again, and gets answers from Luis Bueno, one of the great soccer writers in Southern California.
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The Oakland Tribune with a pretty cool story on a little know talent in American soccer history, and an early star of the San Jose Earthquakes.
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Dave Lifton of the US National Soccer Players Assoc does a Q & A with Jack Huckel, director of the National Soccer Hall of Fame.
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The Sports Business Journal is covering the World Congress of Sports. Guests include MLS top dog Donald Garber and Liverpool co-owner George Gillet. The event goes on all week.
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Americans In Europe

The Fulham website, fans pose questions and Clint Dempsey answers them. (thanks to Brian for this)
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Andrew Rogers at Soccer365 does a Q & A with Jonathan Spector.
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Tuesday games to keep an eye on:
-Jay Demerit - Watford - came on in the 63rd minute of a 0-0 tie game at Bristol City.
-Matt Pickens - Queens Park Rangers - parked on the bench and the team beat Blackpool 3-2 at home.
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CONCACAF Champions Cup

The action is underway!
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Quarterfinals - First Leg Matches & Scores:
-Tue Mar 11
Motagua 0-0 Pachuca
-Wed Mar 12
Harbour View v DC - 7pm central on FSC
Municipal v Houston - 9pm central on FSC
-Thu Mar 13
Atlante v Saprissa - 10pm central on FSC
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Last nights first game of the tournament ended in a scoreless draw down in Honduras.
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Steven Goff of the Washington Post says DC is all business in Jamaica.
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Match preview of Harbour View v DC from Goal.com
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The Jamaica Gleaner previews their local team Harbour View.
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Bernardo Fallas of the Houston Chronicle previews Houston's game in Guatemala.
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Ridge Mahoney of Soccer America previews the two MLS teams.
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John Haydon of the Washington Times and Craig Stouffer of the Washington Examiner preview DC United.
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SoccerLens previews the first round of the tournament.
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Copa Libertadores

Group Stage Matches & Scores:
-Mar 11
Chivas Guadalajara 0-1 Cucuta Deportivo - Cuc goal by Matias Urbano.
Cienciano 1-0 Coronel Bolognesi - Cien goal by Carlos Solis.
Bamin Real Potosi 2-3 San Lorenzo - Pot goals by Matias Loayza & Alvaro Pintos. San goals by Bernando Romeo, Cristian Chavez & Aureliano Torres(PK).
-Mar 12
Arsenal v Liga Universitaria Quito
Universidad Catolica v River Plate
Atlas v Maracaibo
-Mar 13
America v Dep Univ San Martin
Lanus v Deportivo Cuenca
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Group Stage Standings
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European News

At the post game press conference last night Inter Milan manager Roberto Mancini announced that he will leave the team at the end of the current season. Then this morning he went to speak with reporters again and said he had changed his mind, he is staying. Let the yo-yo begin!
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Manchester United assistant coach Carlos Quieroz is the man rumored to be taking over the head job at Benfica.
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Very interesting fact: Of the 92 teams in England Football League, only 2 of them have black managers.
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The Guardian with an article on highly regarded manager Martin O'Neill, and the job he is doing at Aston Villa.
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Jack Bell of the New York Times Goal blog takes us back to the days when Man U boss Alex Ferguson ruled Aberdeen.
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UEFA Champions League

Matches & Scores
Round of 16 - 2nd leg matches (with 1st leg scores included):
-Tue Mar 11
Inter 0-1 Liverpool - Liv adv 3-0 on agg. Liv goal by Fernando Torres.
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A Red Card to a centerback in each of the two games certainly didn't help Inter, but did they really deserve to win anyway? And what was the deal with Luis Figo refusing to come on as a sub? Did that really happen?
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Rob Hughes of the International Herald Tribune reviews last nights game and rounds up the final 8 teams.
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The Guardian with a fantastic look at Inter's San Siro stadium last night -what a scene that must have been.
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The final 8 teams:
Arsenal - England
Barcelona - Spain
Chelsea - England
Fenerbahce - Turkey
Liverpool - England
Manchester United - England
Roma - Italy
Schalke - Germany
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Four of the Quarterfinalists are from England, and the other 4 are from separate countries.
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The draw will be held on Friday.
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When Liverpool signed Fernando Torres last summer I questioned his toughness
when the games met something. He had not come through for Atletico
Madrid or Spain when he had the chance to. But I will admit my mistake
and say that he has become one hell of a striker. Great for him.
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UEFA Cup

Round of 16 - 2nd leg Matches & Scores (with first leg scores included):
-Wed Mar 12
Bayern 1-2 Anderlecht - Bay adv 6-2 on agg.
Hamburg 3-2 Leverkusen - series ends tied 3-3, with Lev adv on the away goals tie breaker.
Getafe 1-0 Benfica - Get adv 3-1 on agg.
Everton 2-0 Fiorentina - series ends tied 2-2, with Fior adv 4-2 on PK's.
PSV 0-1 Tottenham - series ends tied 1-1, with PSV adv 6-5 on PK's.
Zenit 2-0 Marseille - series ends tied 3-3, with Zen adv on the away goals tie breaker.
-Thu Mar 13
Sporting v Bolton (1-1)
Werder v Rangers (0-2)
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Euro League Cup Competitions

-FA Cup-
Luis Arroyave of the Chicago Tribune looks at the unlikely final 4.