Great Uncle Gabby News

Are you a member of the 2 biggest USA supporters groups - Sam's Army - and - the American Outlaws? If so, then get your tickets through them for USA v Mexico in Columbus OH on Feb 11. Other wise, still no word on when tickets will go on sale to the public.

~and~

Sky Sports reports that Everton are trying very hard to get Jozy Altidore away from Villarreal. But the Yellow Submarine has given them a very strong Ted Stevens-ish "NO!"


MLS Team News

CD CHIVAS USA

Luis Bueno of The Touchline reports that Chivas Guadalajara coach Efrain Flores is planning on Panchito Mendoza being a part of the mothership roster this season.
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COLUMBUS CREW

EZ Ezra Hendrickson has retired from his professional career after 12 seasons in MLS. Not a bad way to go out - On Top! Congrats on a great career EZ, we always admired you.
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FC DALLAS

The team's official blog gives us lots of notes to get the year started.
-Midfielder Marcelo Saragosa receives his US Green Card today, so he is no longer considered an International player on the roster. Congrats to him.
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DC UNITED

The team's blog Behind the Badge does a short Q & A with newly re-signed Santino Quaranta.
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NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION

Matt Reis will be an in studio guest on Fox Soccer Channel's Fox Football Fone-In next Mon Jan 11.
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REAL SALT LAKE

The Greenock Telegraph in Scotland with an article on Kenny Deuchar who is home training with Morton (a 2nd tier team). He even played in a friendly against DaMarcus Beasley and Rangers.
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TORONTO FC

The team has hired Michael Toshack was hired as their new goalkeeper coach. He was with Houston the past 3 seasons.
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GENERAL

Steve Davis at MLSnet gives us a team-by-team winter check list.
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MLS Rumor City - Don't Tease Me Bro!

Ives Galarcep of Soccer By Ives has all kinds of pre-draft trade rumors to spread!
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MLS Expansion News

The Orlando Sentinel's blog The Other Football reports the latest word on Barcelona's bid for an MLS team in Miami.
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USL First Division News

The Carolina RailHawks announced that they will host the New England Revolution in a home preseason friendly on Sat Mar 14. The game will be called the Community Shield match. Isn't there a game called that in England already?
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Austin has announced the signing of English forward Gifton Noel-Williams, who had a great start to his career at Watford 12 years ago, but has played for 6 different teams in the past 7 years.
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Team USA

The team's official blog.
-The blog has a Q & A with Marvell Wynne.
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US Soccer gives us photos from training, and video of goalkeeper fashion.
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Andrew Hush of ESPN Soccernet tells us who he would like to see in the USA starting 11 in the two upcoming games against Sweden and then Mexico.
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Andrea Canales of Goal.com says the differences between current head coach Bob Bradley and former boss Bruce Arena are subtle.
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Americans In Europe

Goal.com has a Q & A with Charlie Davies.
-Some video too.
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TRANSFER RUMORS

The Sal Zizzo loan rumor from Hannover to Hansa Rostock is on again.
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Looks like Andrew Jacobson is already out the door at Lorient in France as he is reported to be getting a tryout with Esbjerg in Denmark.
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UPCOMING MATCHES

English Championship
Fri Jan 9
-Bobby Convey - Reading v Watford
-Jay DeMerit - Reading v Watford
-Marcus Hahnemann - Reading v Watford
Sat Jan 10
-Kyle Davies - Barnsley v Southampton
-Eddie Johnson - Cardiff City v Derby County
-Frank Simek - Ipswich Town v Sheffield Wednesday
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English League One
Sat Jan 10
-Zak Whitbread - Cheltenham Town v Millwall
Mon Jan 12
-Jemal Johnson - Milton Keynes v Colchester United
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English Premiership
Sat Jan 10
-Clint Dempsey - Fulham c Blackburn
-Brad Friedel - Aston Villa v West Brom
-Brad Guzan - Aston Villa v West Brom
-Tim Howard - Everton v Hull City
-Jonathan Spector - Newcastle v West Ham
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Spanish La Liga
Sat Jan 10
-Jozy Altidore - Valencia v Villarreal
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Italy Serie B
Fri Jan 9
-Danny Szetela - Sassuolo v Brescia
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French Ligue 2
Fri Jan 9
-Quentin Westburg - Sedan v Troyes
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French Ligue 1
Sat Jan 10
-Freddy Adu - Monaco v Nantes
-Carlos Bocanegra - Rennes v Grenoble
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CONCACAF News

FIFA.com with a nice article on Shalrie Joseph and his teammates from Grenada.
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Mexico & FMF News

Luis Bueno of The Touchline reports that former Dallas centerback Duilio Davino has signed with Puebla.
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InterLiga

The tournament that sends Mexican teams to South America's Copa Libertadores tournament.
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Official website
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Matches & Scores:
-Fri Jan 2
Venue: Pizza Hut Park - Dallas TX
Toluca 1-1 Morelia - Tol goal by Sergio Santana. Mor goal by Fernando Salazar.
UAG Tecos 0-4 Pachuca - Pach goals by Edgar Benitez, Marco Ivan Perez, Edy Brambila & Victor Omar Manon.
-Sat Jan 3
Venue: Robertson Stadium - Houston TX
UANL Tigres 0-0 Atlas
Guadalajara 1-1 America - Guad goal by Sergio Amaury Ponce. Amer goal by Jean Beausejour.
-Mon Jan 5
Venue Robertson Stadium - Houston TX
Pachuca 1-0 Toluca - Pach goal by Edgar Benitez.
UAG Tecos Morelia - UAG goal by Diego Jimenez.
-Tue Jan 6
Venue: Pizza Hut Park - Frisco TX
UANL Tigres 1-3 America - UANL goal by Guillermo Marino. Amer goals by Enrique Vera, Salvador Cabanas & Robert de Pinho(PK).
Guadalajara 3-1 Atlas - Guad goals by Ramon Morales(PK) & Carlos Ochoa(2). Atl goal by Bruno Marioni.
-Thu Jan 8
Venue: Home Depot Center - Carson CA
Morelia v Pachuca
Toluca v UAG Tecos
-Fri Jan 9
Venue: Home Depot Center - Carson CA
Atlas v America
UANL Tigres v Guadalajara
-Sun Jan 11
Finals
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The Friday night doubler header is already sold out!
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England News

The BBC reports that Cristiano Ronaldo totaled his Ferrari in a single car accident. Luckily he was unhurt.
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Arsenal will be without defenders William Gallas & Mikael Silvestre for at least 3 weeks due to thigh muscle injuries.
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Ollie Irish who blogs for Big Soccer links us to video of Channel Four's documentary on the awful state of Paul Gascoigne, and his family. Heavy stuff.
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The Guardian with an article on the youngsters at Man U, who will not have an easy time breaking into the first team.
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European News

Martin Rogers of Yahoo Sports on the challenges of this years January transfer period.
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ITALY

Reuters reports that former Juventus executive Luciano Moggi who was at the heart of the calciopoli scandal 3 years ago has been sentenced to 18 months in prison on another corruption charge. Could not happen to a bigger weasel.
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Genoa striker Diego Milito will miss the next 3 weeks with an abdominal injury.
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There is talk that Juve keeper Gianluigi Buffon suffered a recurrence of his back injury in training yesterday.
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SPAIN

UEFA has told Real Madrid that both Klaas Jan Huntelaar & Lassana Diarra are NOT eligible for the team's Champions League roster because they played for Ajax & Portsmouth respectively in the UEFA Cup already this season.
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COPA DEL REY
Round of 16 First leg Matches & Scores:
-Tue Jan 6
Atletico Madrid 1-3 Barcelona
-Wed Jan 7
Polideportivo Ejido 3-2 Espanyol
Racing Santander 1-1 Valencia
Sporting Gijon 3-1 Real Valladolid
Real Union Club du Irun 0-1 Real Betis
Sevilla 2-1 Deportivo La Coruna
-Thu Jan 8
Osasuna v Athletic Bilbao
Mallorca v Almeria

Round of 16 Second leg Matches & Scores (with First leg scores included):
-Wed Jan 14
Barcelona v Atletico Madrid (3-1)
Espanyol v Polideportivo Ejido (2-3)
Valencia v Racing Santander (1-1)
Real Valladolid v Sporting Gijon (1-3)
Real Betis v Real Union Club du Irun (1-0)
Deportivo La Coruna v Sevilla (1-2)
Athletic Bilbao v Osasuna (-)
Almeria v Mallorca (-)
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The Weekends Biggest Club Matches From Around The World

England
-Sat Jan 10
Aston Villa v West Brom - a lesser Birmingham derby
-Sun Jan 11
Man United v Chelsea - a massive encounter!
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Spain
-Sat Jan 10
Valencia v Villarreal - the Valencian derby where Val are trying to keep up with Barca, while Vil are trying to keep in touch with the top teams.
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Italy
-Sun Jan 11
Roma v Milan - big time rivals, both hoping to stay in contention for European spots.
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France
-Sun jan 11
Bordeaux v Paris Saint-Germain - #2 v #4
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World News

Jonah Freedman of Sports Illustrated with his latest World Club Soccer Power Rankings. And a player to watch from each of the top ten.
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FIFA.com gives us their list of young players to watch for 09 - including our very own Jozy!
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The Road To World Cup 2010 - South Africa News

All Africa links us to a story in South Africa's Business Day about a man who was murdered on Sunday after uncovering corruption in the building of a new World Cup stadium in Mpumalanga. Not good.