OF This World News

The volume on the speculation of David Beckham staying at AC Milan has reached supersonic levels. It's like a parana feeding frenzy. One headline caught my attention as the most clever: "Defaulting on a loan" from the Philadelphia Daily News. Bravo!


MLS Team News

CD CHIVAS USA

Mark Zeigler of the San Diego Union Tribune with an article on midfielder and SoCal native Sacha Kljestan.
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The team has re-signed newly acquired left fullback Ante Jazic. I assume this move will push Jonathan Bornstein up into the left midfield spot left vacant when Pancho Mendoza left the Amerigoats for the Mexigoats.
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The team has also hired their former defender, and former USA International, Carlos Llamosa as a new assistant coach! Cool.
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SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES

Ann Killion of the Mercury News feels that the Quakes landing a major sponsor in this economic climate is very big news.
-Here are several pictures of the new shirts and a giant blow up version.
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SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC

Don Ruiz of the Tacoma News Tribune and Gary Washburn of the Post Intelligencer both with a articles on newly signed midfielder Osvaldo Alonso.
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TORONTO FC

Gareth Wheeler of The Sun knows that TFC still has a long way to go to be a true contender. And I completely agree with his assessment of the teams lack of improvement on defense. They have done almost nothing since day 1 to improve their biggest weakness.
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MLS Rumor City - Don't Tease Me Bro!

The Orlando Sentinel says that RSL is looking at Liga de Quito striker Luis Miguel Escalada. He is a very talented player, but has a highly questionable personality (6 teams in 5 years speaks volumes). The good news is that he is young.
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MLS Stadium Talk

Jay Hipps of Center Line Soccer has a Q & A with San Jose Earthquakes owner Lew Wolff on team and stadium progress.
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The Harrisburg Patriot News with the latest on the stadium financing arrangements for Philadelphia.
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MLS Expansion News

Slams Sports describes the MLS Honcho's meeting with potential new franchise owners in Ottawa.
-Slam also looks at what it would take to build a stadium in Ottawa.
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Team USA

Coach Bob Bradley plans to continue training sessions with players who were on the team for the Sweden friendly, with some of them ending up on the roster for the World Cup qualifier against Mexico on Feb 11. The list of those players for the extended January camp is expected to be announced shortly.
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Americans In Europe

Landon Donovan at Bayern Munich

Here is what is on the docket for Landon Donovan and Bayern Munich over the next 2 weeks:
-Friendlies:
Bayern Munich 3-0 Bamberg -Sat Jan 17 - the game was played on a snow covered pitch with an orange ball. LD came on at half time already up 2-0 and did not figure in the last goal.
Kaiserslautern 0-2 Bayern Munich - Mon Jan 19 - LD came on as a sub in the 62nd minute and scored on a great glancing header to seal the win.
Bayern Munich 5-0 Mainz - Thu Jan 22 - Came on in the 60th minute and this time Landon bags 2!
-DFB Pokal Round of 16:
Stuttgart 1-5 Bayern Munich - Tue Jan 27 - LD came on as a sub in the 67th minute with the score already 0-5.
-Bundesliga:
Hamburger v Bayern Munich - Fri Jan 30 - live at 1:30pm Central on GolTV.
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Most Recent Matches
(only players who saw the field are listed)
All games on Wed Jan 28:

England Premiership
-Tim Howard - Everton - v Arsenal
-Jonathan Spector - West Ham - v Hull
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England Championship
-Eddie Johnson - Cardiff - at Coventry
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German DFB Pokal
-Heath Pearce - Hansa Rostock - at Wolfsburg
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Americans In Mexico

Luis Bueno of the Touchline has a recap of how our players did last weekend.
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UNCAF Championship

Central American Championship website
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This 7 team tournament, being hosted by Honduras, will qualify 5 teams for next summers CONCACAF Gold Cup. The top 5 are the ones who will advance.
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Group A
*9 Honduras +6
*4 El Salvador +3
2 Nicaragua -3
1 Belize -4
Group B
*6 Costa Rica +5
*3 Panama -3
0 Guatemala -3
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So Honduras, Costa Rica, Panama & El Salvador advance to the Gold Cup, with the 5th place game winner joining them.
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Group Stage Matches & Scores:
-Tue Jan 27
Panama 1-0 Guatemala - Pana goal by Alberto Zapata.
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5th Place Match & Score:
-Thu Jan 29
Nicaragua v Guatemala
Semifinal Matches & Scores:
-Fri Jan 30
Costa Rica v El Salvador
Honduras v Panama
3rd Place Match & Score:
-Sun Feb 1
Loser SF1 v Loser SF2
Final Match & Score:
-Sun Feb 1
Winner SF1 v Winner SF2
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Mexico & FMF News

National Team Match & Score:
-Wed Jan 28
Mexico v Sweden - in Oakland CA at McAfee Stadium
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Copa Libertadores

The final play-in round of the Libertadores starts on Tuesday. 6 teams will advance to the group stage which begins on Tue Feb 10.
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Pre-Round 1st leg Matches & Scores:
-Tue Jan 27
El Nacional (Ecuador) 0-5 Nacional (Paraguay)
-Wed Jan 28
Independiente Medellin (Colombia) v Penarol (Uruguay)
Universidad de Chile (Chile) v Pachuca (Mexico)
-Thu Jan 29
Sporting Cristal (Peru) v Estudiantes (Argentina)
Deportivo Anzoategui (Venezuela) v Deportivo Cuenca (Ecuador)
Palmeiras (Brazil) v Real Potosi (Bolivia)
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European News

FRANCE

Coupe de France
15 teams have advanced to the Round of 16, with one game yet to be played in this round. Here are the teams who advanced: En Avant Guingamp, AC Ajaccio, Lille, Toulouse, Dijon FCO, Lorient, US Boulogne, Rodez AF, AS Vitre, CS Sedan Ardennes, Stade Rennes, Le Mans, Grenoble, Paris St Germain & Monaco.
Round of 32 Match & Score:
-Wed Jan 28
Lyon v Marseille
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GERMANY

DFB Pokal
Round of 16 Matches & Scores:
-Tue Jan 27
Freiburg 1-3 Mainz
Stuttgart 1-5 Bayern Munich
Hamburg 3-1 1860 Munich
Carl Zeiss Jena 1-4 Schalke
-Wed Feb 28
Bayer Leverkusen v Energie Cottbus
Karlsruher v Wehen Wiesbaden
Wolfsburg v Hansa Rostock
Borussia Dortmund v Werder Bremen
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SPAIN

Copa Del Rey
Quarterfinal 2nd leg Matches & Scores (with 1st leg scores included):
-Wed Jan 28
Sporting Gijon v Athletic Bilbao (0-0)
Barcelona v Espanyol (0-0)
Real Betis v Mallorca (0-1)
Sevilla v Valencia (2-3)
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Important Podcast

Glenn Davis on his radio show Houston Dynamo All Access had interesting interviews with Marcelo Claure (teaming with Barcelona to bring MLS back to South Florida), Brian Ching (Houston and USA forward) and Dwayne DeRosario (new in Toronto) on Tuesday night. Download or listen here. (NOTE: podcast in .wav format, not .mp3)