Joe Walsh For Ex-Vice-President News

The derby du Nord was played in France today, delayed from mid-December when the field was in too poor of a condition to be used. Lille the away team won 1-2 at Lens. Vive la Lille.

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US Soccer has put together a very comprehensive look at Landon Donovan's 35 career goals for Team USA. The have the goals broken down into very detailed categories, and a video reel of the whole batch! Fantastic! Do you know who he scored his first goal against?


MLS News

Jack Bell of the New York Times with an article on the new season for Claudio Reyna and the Red Bulls.
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Bob Luder of the Kansas City Star on the Wizards signing of Claudio Lopez.
-The paper also has a graphic comparing Lopez to other designated players in the league.
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Glenn Davis of the Houston Chronicle with an article on the Dynamo's new Argentine forward Franco Caraccio.
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The Crewture blog has an interview with the head of ticket sales for the Columbus Crew. Some interesting stuff here.
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Frank Dell'apa of the Boston Globe looks at how New England have built their team - by being frugal. Just like their cousins the Patriots.
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Pat Walsh at Goal.com calls out the clubs he feels don't try real hard to win. I want to say I love the win at all cost attitude. Just as long as it's not my money.
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Brandweek reports on the MLS overall league marketing strategy for the 2008 season: Football.Futbol.Soccer.MLS
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Dan Freedman writing on the Huffington Post tells Americans its time to join in the worlds game, and start by embracing your own national league, MLS. Here here. (I would seriously doubt if anyone has ever written about soccer on the Huffington Post before.)
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MLS Preseason Friendlies

Matches & Scores:
-Mon Mar 10
River Plate (Argentina) 1-2 Kansas City in Buenos Aires
-Tue Mar 11
CANCELED San Luis (Mexico) v Chicago in Mexicali - canceled due to poor field conditions
Platense (Argentina) v Kansas City in Buenos Aires
Central Cordoba (Argentina) v 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
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MLS Rumors - Don't Tease Me Bro

Is Chivas USA serious about bringing Adolfo "Bozo" Bautista in from the mothership in Guadalajara? I think it's a great idea. But didn't we hear this about Omar Bravo a month or so ago?
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Another Scottish forward is in for a try out with Toronto - Dean McDonald of Inverness Caley.
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USL First Division & PDL News

Vancouver has given new contracts to 2 of their defenders - Adrian Cann & Diaz Kambere.
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USA Olympic Team

Contrary to previous reports, Maurice Edu has been named captain of the USA team.
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Official team blog.
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US Soccer gives us photos from yesterdays training session.
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Steven Goff of the Washington Post looks at how USA coaches put together their national teams when the players are scattered amongst so many clubs.
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US Soccer has audio from players Jozy Altidore, Maurice Edu & Sacha Kljestan previewing the qualifiers.
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CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying

Group A Matches & Scores (all games at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa FL):
-Tue Mar 11
Panama v Honduras
USA v Cuba - live at 7pm central on Fox Soccer Channel
-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

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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By far the most familiar name from the USA's group stage opponents is Ramon Nunez who played in Dallas for several years, Chivas USA last season and has now transferred to Olimpia in Honduras.
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The Tampa Tribune gives us a preview of Cuba, Honduras & Panama.
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Luis Bueno at the Press Enterprise says the USA has what it takes to advance out of this tournament to the big time in late summer.
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Ives Galarcep at the Herald News previews the USA.
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John Smallwood of the Philadelphia Daily News says the USA needs to succeed in this here tourney.
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The Bradenton Herald previews the USA team. This paper has seen many of these players grow up as they went through the USA Residency Academy in that town.
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The Yuma Sun with an article on their sort-of-son, USA striker Chad Barrett.
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St Petersburg Times on Jozy Altidore.
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Michelle Kaufman of the Miami Herald with a story on the Cuban team.
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Nick Green of the LA Daily News previews the USA and the tournament.
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A crusty old dude at the Tampa Tribune tries to write about the Olympic qualifiers, but after only 86 words it just turns into another article by a guy who knows nothing at all about soccer, pining away for the good old days of the NASL. The Tampa Bay Rowdies. Oh what grand time it was. When soccer was manly. Blah-dy frickin da.
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Soccer In America

Bernardo Fallas of the Houston Chronicle says that there are way to few places for the people of Houston to play some soccer. This needs fixing. Now.
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Andrew Dixon of the US National Soccer Players Assoc ponders this - what's next for Bruce Arena?
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Americans In Europe

American Soccer Daily talks to Cory Gibbs about his return from yet another injury.
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Monday night games:
-Greg Berhalter - Munich 1860 - suspended due to Yellow Card accumulation, as the team drew 0-0 on the road at St Pauli.
-Josh Wolff - Munich 1860 - came on at half time of a 0-0 draw on the road at St Pauli.
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Tuesday games to keep an eye on:
-Jay Demerit - Watford - at Bristol City
-Cory Gibbs - Charlton - at Burnley
-Matt Pickens - Queens Park Rangers - v Blackpool
-Frank Simek - Sheffield Wednesday - at Colchester
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CONCACAF Champions Cup

The action kicks off tonight!
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Quarterfinals - First Leg Matches & Scores:
-Tue Mar 11
Motagua v Pachuca - 11pm central delayed on FSC
-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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Jeff Carlisle of Soccernet previews both DC & Houston.
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The Jamaica Gleaner & Jamaica Observer both have previews of Harbour View & DC.
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Here are the names of some Municipal players you might recognize: Freddy Garcia, Pando Ramirez, Mario Rodriguez & Freddy Thompson.
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FMF News

Graciela Resendiz of ESPN Deportes with a round of news from the Mexican league.
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Copa Libertadores

Group Stage Matches & Scores:
-Mar 11
Chivas Guadalajara v Cucuta Deportivo
Cienciano v Coronel Bolognesi
Bamin Real Potosi v San Lorenzo
-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

Parma has hired Hector Cuper as their new coach. There is a guy who has been around the block a few times. Hey Hector, enjoy some of that delicious ham for me, won't you.
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Football Italia has pictures from Inter's 100th Anniversary celebration last Saturday. Lots of big name former players in the stands.
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Rob Hughes of the International Herald Tribune writes about bitter rivals Sheffield United & Wednesday laying down their grudges for a few minutes to honor a great one from the 50's.
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Raphael Honigstein of the Guardian says Bayern Munich usually just buy their way out of troubling spots.
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Ben Lyttleton of the Guardian sees Lyon beat their closest competitors Bordeaux and all but clinch their 7th league title in a row.
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And Jonathan Wilson of the Guardian with an incredible article on a "death match" staged in 1942 by the German Nazi Luftwaffe. What a story.
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Nick Townsend of the Independent marvels at the talent of the young Arsenal team.
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Gavin Hamilton of Sports Illustrated says the recurring injuries of Lionel Messi are potentially very disturbing. Questions need to be asked about his health as a young boy and how he was treated. I have heard whispers of the "S" word - steroids.
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UEFA Champions League

Matches & Scores
Round of 16 - 2nd leg matches (with 1st leg scores included):
-Tue Mar 11
Inter v Liverpool (0-2)
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Euro League Cup Competitions

The Independent with a look at Barnsley's improbable run to the English FA Cup semifinals. Beating Liverpool & Chelsea back to back is something very few teams can ever brag of doing.
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FIFA Scandal News

Reuters with a story on the trial of 6 executives of a company called ISL. They were closely tied in to FIFA for a long time, as their TV marketing partner. But they went belly up owing over $300million. The review of their finances turned up a whole lot of irregularities, and a lot of missing money. This is one of FIFA Pres Sepp Blatters deepest darkest corners (among many).
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Reuters also reports that the trial will look to tie in a FIFA official to ISL and their missing money.
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Andrew Jennings has been hot on the trail of FIFA, Sepp Blatter & Jack Warner for years. His story for the Sunday Herald on the ISL debacle.
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World News

Reuters Soccer Blog with a story on another of the worlds great but little known derby's - Al Ahli v Zamalek - the Cairo derby. Great story.
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As a follow up to yesterdays story from Cali Colombia where local derby between America & Deportivo exploded into violence that started on the field. The coach of America, Diego Umana, has been suspended for 11 months for punching the Cali coach during an argument over a Penalty call. It escalated all the to riots outside the stadium and 80 people being injured.
-America's main supporters group The Red Baron have been banned from the stadium for 10 games after their part in the fighting. 10 games huh? That's it? Banned for life is the only way I see it working.
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This Is The End

A video clip from the Fox Soccer Report featuring a scarf from the soccer team of a Minneapolis college - Augsburg. That's my town! Most Excellent!