The Monday Morning Drip grinds up the footy fare from the weekend into a blend of the choicest bits from leagues all over the world.  It’s also a weekly opportunity to appeal to footy bloggers out there, who are looking for a new forum in which to display their wares.  So, if you enjoy blogging, want to reach new readers and are available to cover your favourite league or team, then just click Write For WFC!  

Meanwhile, open your laptop wide and say Ahhh.

Here’s this week’s Drip…

If your Sunday Morning Hangover extended all the way through the train ride to work this morning, don’t worry, Premier League fans.  You didn’t miss much.  Less, in fact, than James Vaughn, who was caught looking the wrong way by Gabriel Tamas’elbow in Norwich’s 0-1 loss to West Brom.  Safe to say that the nasty blow, which naturally went unseen by the official, left Vaughn gaping at the pretty yellow canaries flying about his head in full song.  Unfortunately, it also left him with a gash that may require plastic surgery.  Oh well, can’t let the WAGs have all the fun, can we?

Nor will Vaughn have run into Tom Cleverley, as the United starlet received the comparatively good news that his foot injury, courtesy of Bolton captain Kevin Davies was ligament damage rather than a bone break.  As such, he’ll only miss three-four weeks, instead of the dreaded three-four months.

West Brom’s result, coupled with Fulham and Blackburn’s one-goal draw, meanwhile, had little effect on the table beyond pulling scoreless Swansea into the drop zone.

To wrap up the week’s matches, QPR will hand Joey Barton his Technicolor debut tonight, after several years of pulling on the black and white shirt at Newcastle.  Of course, he might still be at the head of the Toon Army if matters behind the scenes were as plain as the kit.  With Asamoah Gyan fleeing the Northeast as well, for the cash happy UAE, one has to wonder what the problem is on Wear and Tyneside?  Maybe it’s all the French players coming in.

The NFL season kicked off this weekend, so confused fans may be wondering who the quarterback is at Bayern Munich.  The Rekordmeister won by a touchdown over SC Freiburg on Saturday, with Mario Gomez hitting four in the 7-0 rout.  The Bundesliga giants have a record comparable to Man United, with twelve points and a plus fifteen goal difference.  However, they have conceded just the one goal, heading into their Champions League clash with Villareal at El Madrigal on Wednesday, whereas the Mancunians have permitted three.  Parity, it would seem, is out the window, this year, in the two leagues most famous for it.

Behind Bayern, Mainz’s fine early start was cut off abruptly by Hoffenheim, who overran the Coface Arena for a stunning 0-4 reversal.  Immediately after the match, Twitter suffered a nearly overwhelming rush themselves, as it was Ryan Babel‘s brace which killed off the match.  Elsewhere, Vfb Stuttgart cruised to a 3-0 home win over Hannover 96 at the Mercedes-Benz Arena and Werder Bremen consolidated their recently resumed place as official Bayern chasers, with Claudio Pizzaro taking two bites out of Hamburg.  Eat now, groan later.

It wasn’t as luxurious a ride at the Volkswagen arena, but after Raul put Schalke ahead before the quarter-hour, Mario Mandzukic took the wheel and delivered a double for Wolfsburg, driving home a little satisfaction for coach Felix Magath in a grudge match against his high-flying former side.

Roda JC delivered the upset of the week in Round 5 of the Eredivisie campaign.  The Kerkrade side upended the erstwhile table toppers 2-1.  Marc Janko’s thirty-fifth minute goal started Twente on the right foot but Ruud Vormer replied for Roda, just a minute later.  Then Mitchell Donald converted a cross just after the break.

The result tumbled the Enschede side all the way to third, as AZ Alkmaar continued to impress with a 4-0 first half romp over Vitesse.  Pontus Vernbloom had two before the half-hour and the match was killed off when Rasmus Elm converted a penalty just prior to the break.  With Wilfred Bony then being sent off with twenty minutes remaining, John van den Brom will not be happy with his club’s performance.

AZ hold an edge in goal difference over Twente but still trail champion Ajax by a point, as the Amsterdammers outwrestled Heracles on the strength of Siem de Jong‘s two goals.  Unlike Bayern, it looks to be a rough road ahead for Ajax, seeking to retain their title.

PSV failed to keep pace with the leaders, escaping with a 3-3 draw away to VVV Venlo, but Feyenoord, after consecutive draws of their own, moved ahead of the Eindhoven side, into fourth, with a solid 3-1 triumph over NAC Breda.

The money machine is starting to run smoothly at the Parc des Princes.  Five minutes after the hour, PSG gained a slight edge in the match, when Diego Lugano’s caution put the Parisiens in the book three times compared to just two for visiting Brest.  Three minutes after that, a little known player in Antoine Kombouare’s side, Argentine Javier Pastore, made good with fellow Serie A product, Jeremy Menez’s pass to score the only goal of the match.

The win was a positive step but probably didn’t seem so, with Lille, Lyon and Montpellier ahead of them, and Toulouse and Stade Rennes on their heels all collecting three points, themselves.

The one squad missing from the equation, Didier Deschamps’Marseille, suffered their second consecutive loss, after opening the competition with three draws.  Their setback before the international break, in the battle of the last two champions carried over to Sunday, when Rennes, so good defensively until the end of last season, returned to their former stingy form, stealing a 1-0 victory at the Velodrome.  With PSG beginning to flex their financial muscle, this might not be the season to get off to a sluggish start.

Well, La Primera Liga is off to another typical start.  Real Betis and Valencia are keeping pace with Real Madrid, Barcelona is struggling along in fourth place and Villareal are hovering just above the drop zone.

Pardon?  What do you mean that’s not typical, at all? How do you expect Barcelona to hold down the top spot if they concede two goals to Real Sociedad, on the road or not?  The Catalans began Saturday in style, with Cesc Fabregas, Alexis Sánchez and Xavi combining on a tenth minute goal so pretty that they tried it again a moment later.  Sociedad were a bit wiser on the redux, but couldn’t prevent the former Gunner from applying the coup de grâce.   From there, it all went wrong.  Sánchez was carted off at the half hour and the home side scored two goals within sixty seconds, themselves, on the hour.  Pep Guardiola, who had hoped to rest Lionel Messi and Andres Iniesta, threw them into the fray to no avail, as Sociedad hung on for a memorable point.

While Barça were taking Arsenal lessons from Cesc — dropping points needlessly — Jose Mourinho‘s Real Madrid were grinding out another of his patented 4-2 snoozers against a lightweight side.  Capital rivals Getafe gave Los Blancos a match, with Miku leveling Karim Benzema‘s opener, then pegging one back after Cristiano Ronaldo converted from the spot and Benzema contributed a second.  Then, Mourinho proved his tactical superiority over Guardiola by inserting Gonzalo Higuain with three minutes remaining and coolly examining his fingernails as the Argentine ran down the field and finished off the match.

In Serie A, powerhouses AC Milan and Lazio cranked up the star power in Friday’s opening match at San Siro.  The 2-2 draw saw Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Antonio Cassano reply to the questions asked by Miroslav Klose and Djibril ‘It’s Tuesday So It Must Be Orange’Cisse.  Napoli then took over the show, on Saturday, knocking off Cesena, with Marek Hamsik and Ezequiel Lavezzi on the sheet.

But, it was Inter who struggled at the outset of their season.  Giampiero Gasperini may  love his options in attack but its madness to expect to come away from a shootout in Sicily with fewer holes in your scoresheet than the home side.  Fabricio Miccoli and Abel Hernandez had offset Diego Milito‘s brace in the first hour, before both sides dug in until a last furious exchange in the final five minutes.  Miccoli then connected for his second and Mauricio Ferreira Pinilla made Diego Forlan’s goal in added time cosmetic.

In Roma, new boss Luis Enrique started disgruntled captain Francesco Totti but the result was still negative.  Visiting Cagliari came away with a 2-1 victory made easier by Jose Angel’s devilish behaviour drawing a red card.

Thus it was Juventus, who stole the Sunday limelight, using an attack by committee to overwhelm Parma, although Antonio di Natale led Udinese to victory, as well, with some help from Dusan Basta, who must really love to hear opponents mutter his name after he bulges the twine.

The top of the Russian Premier League table became much more crowded over the weekend.  Joint leaders Zenit St. Petersburg and CSKA went down hard against Lokomotiv and Dinamo Moscow, respectively.  Dinamo’s comprehensive 0-4 victory at the Luzhniki Stadium was accomplished with significant help from players imported from points west.  Liverpool afterthought Andriy Voronin began the rout and Kevin Kuranyi and Brazilian Leandro also took a hand.   Lokomotiv adopted a similar strategy with Victor Obinna, Felipe Caicedo and Manuel da Costa, with two, leading the underdogs to a 4-2 triumph over Luciano Spaletti’s side.

Anzhi Makhachkala took advantage of the double team to move within six points of the leaders, and, yes, Samuel Eto’o got things started in the Dagestani club’s victory over stragglers Volga Novgorod.  With all the Western capitalist influence permeating the league, Lenin must be spinning in his tomb.

Kashiwa Reysol have their groove back.  After a prolonged hiccup which saw them slide well down the table from their perch atop the J-League, the club is finding its stride again.  Matched against defending champion Nagoya Grampus Eight, Kashiwa fell behind when Leandro had to take treatment on the sidelines after colliding with Marcus Tulio Tanaka.  Yet Kashiwa had a Tanaka up their sleeves, as well, with Janya leveling for the former league leaders.  Finally, Masakatsu Sawa capitalised on a moment of Grampus confusion to put his team ahead in the match and, with the final whistle,  in the standings, assuming the third position which the holders had been occupying.

The two squads in front of them aren’t making a recovery easy, however.  Leaders Gamba Osaka made short work of Omiya Ardija and Yokohama F Marinos squeezed past relegation bound Avispa Fukuoka.

Sporting KC continued their improbable run to the top of the Eastern Conference table, with a 3-0 victory over Houston Dynamo.  Teal Bunbury‘s brace did most of the damage, with CJ Sapong finishing off the scoring.  After struggling out of the gate, with ten consecutive away matches, as the finishing touches on their new LiveStrong Stadium, SKC have made the wait worthwhile, as they enjoy a healthy eight goal difference over Columbus Crew, although the Ohioans do have a game in hand.

Elsewhere, Juan Agudelo rescued ten man New York, at Red Bull Arena, leveling on sixty-nine minutes after Jan Gunnar Solli had been sent off just before the half.  The draw, Red Bull’s fifteenth in twenty-seven matches wasn’t enough to keep them on the playoff bubble, as Charlie Davies ended his summer slump in style, with a hat trick against Chivas USA that lifted the inaugural league champions, DC United into the post-season picture.

Humberto Suazo’s tenth minute strike had Monterrey in front away to Puebla, on Sunday.  Unfortunately, the Rayados didn’t find a second goal and the home side woke up in the final half hour.  Isaac Romo and Roberto Juarez both hit doubles for La Franja, which would have been more impressive and earned maximum points had one of Juarez’s tallies not been into his own net.  The gaffe allowed Luis Perez to save Monterrey’s blushes with an added time spot kick.  The dropped points were accompanied by a slide to fifth place for the defending Apertura champion.

Elsewhere, Monarcas got their floundering Apertura campaign into calmer waters with a 0-1 upset at Cruz Azul and Tigres‘ 5-0 thumping of hapless Pachuca moved them within a point of leaders Chivas, who drew away at Santos Laguna.  Hector Mancilla doubled his goal total in the competition with a treble in the rout of Pachuca, with the best defensive side in the just concluded Clausura suddenly an offensive juggernaut.

Flamengo did not have a good week.  In their Thursday match against table topper Corinthians, the Paulista side’s young prodigy, Liedson outdueled the Rio sensation Deivid, 2-1.  They followed that up with an identical scoreline against Athletico Paranaense.  This time Welington had the lone goal, with Heracles and Guerron doing the damage for the lower half club.  The upshot, to be oxymoronic, is that Flamengo have dropped down to fifth after nipping at the leader’s heels since early doors.

Okay, it’s only round six of the Argentine Apertura, but I just can’t get enough of Atletico Rafaella.  The side who knocked River Plate out of the top flight have actually made that a notable accomplishment, rather than an act of spite, by hovering near the top of the table since their Primera Division adventure began.  A scoreless draw against Newell’s Old Boys on Friday allowed Boca Juniors to slip past them into the top spot, by defeating another promoted side, San Martin de San Juan.  It’s somehow fitting that Rafaella take the deposed River’s place as Boca’s nearest rival, isn’t it?

If you’re a cynic and only want to hear about goals, well, Godoy Cruz will be more to your liking.  They romped to a 6-1 victory over All Boys, on Saturday, helped along by Ruben Ramirez‘s double.  For all that, they’re still four points off the pace set by Boca, in seventh.  So there.  One-nil or six-one, it’s always going to be three points.

See you next Monday! 

The Monday Morning Drip is a new column at WFC, grinding up the footy fare from the weekend into a blend of the choicest bits from leagues all over the world.  It’s also a weekly opportunity to appeal to footy bloggers out there, who are looking for a new forum in which to display their wares.  So, if you enjoy blogging, want to reach new readers and are available to cover your favourite league or team, then just click Write For WFC!  Meanwhile, open your laptop wide and say Ahhh.  Here’s this week’s Drip…

Best league in the world?  More competitive than La Liga?  More physical than the Bundesliga?  More ruthless than Serie A?  More French than Ligue 1?  The early Premier League season is not living up to that reputation.

After three weeks, the English top flight has been distilled down to a Mancunian blend of Blue and Red.  Roberto Mancini has the team he wants: Samir Nasri and David Silva pulling the strings, Edin Dzeko, Sergio Kun Aguero and (soon) Carlos Tevez finishing off the plays; Yaya Toure and Nigel de Jong finishing off any resistance and a back line marshaled by England number one Joe Hart minding the store.  Who stands a chance against the best side money can buy?

Sir Alex Ferguson’s Fledgling v.2, that’s who.  Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic may be injured; Edwin van der Sar, Gary Neville and Paul Scholes retired; John O’Shea and Wes Brown sold to Sunderland; Ryan Giggs suddenly too slow to avoid the paparazzi and Dimitar Berbatov unhappily taking lessons in obsolescence from Michael Owen, but there’s a crop of youngsters surrounding Patrice Evra, Wayne Rooney, Nani and Anderson (?) who just reacted to City pounding Tottenham 5-1 at White Hart Lane by annihilating Arsenal 8-2.

The good news?  The Gunners scored their first two goals of the season and looked pretty decent offensively.  The fact that they had eight players missing from midfield and defence meant any points from this match were unlikely, but 8-2?  Holy shit is all that comes to mind.

The bad news?  United and City have a perfect record and a goal difference that matches or betters their point total, making Chelsea and Liverpool look like Toronto FC and River Plate (they’re relegated, don’t you know?).  Arsenal, meanwhile, are already seven points and eighteen goals behind.  But never fear, Arsene Wenger isn’t quitting!

Can you say Papiss Demba Cisse?  Wolfsburg players were repeating his name throughout their Sunday encounter, becoming so focused on the four-goal man that they allowed Oliver Barth, Erik Jendrisek and Cedric Makiadi to run up three goals against them.

Felix Magath’s second tenure at the Volkswagen Arena is not working out quite the same as the first, with a good deal of that down to the fact that Edin Dzeko is otherwise occupied — on Sunday he was busy knocking four goals into the Tottenham goal, in London.

If the stern tactician doesn’t right the ship quickly, he’ll be heading out of town.  A return to Schalke is out of the question, too.  Never mind that the Bundesliga isn’t a fancy version of Pong,  where a manager can bounce back and forth between clubs — that’s Serie A — Ralf Rangnick has the Gelsenkirchen side level on points with table topper Bayern Munich, thanks to an hour mark goal from the man who said no to Blackburn, Raul, which gave the Königsblauen a 1-0 victory over another fast starting squad, Borussia Mönchengladbach.

Bayern held on to first place thanks to a hat trick from Mario Gomez, which included a penalty miss, in a three-goal win over Kaiserslautern.  After the match, third time the charm coach Jupp Heynckes held forth that the Rekordmeister “would only get better.”  He’s obviously been dipping into the same sauce as Fergie and Mancini.

Gomez’Saturday romp was overshadowed, though, by the collective efforts of Hamburg and Köln, with the visitors winning a 4-3 shootout.  Lukas Podolski came on at the half to break the 1-1 deadlock, setting up Milivoje Novakovic less than five minutes after the restart.  Hamburg jumped back out in front, scoring on either side of the hour, only for Köln to rise up in the final ten minutes, stealing all the points on goals from Christian Clemens and Kevin McKenna.

Either Heerenveen have gotten their act together or Feyenoord aren’t quite back to the level of Ajax and Twente.  After Ron Jans’side dropped consecutive 5-1 decisions to the top pair, they escaped De Kuip with a 2-2 draw against Ronald Koeman’s young charges.  Bas Dost and Oussama Assaidi had the goals for the erstwhile bottom feeders.

Meanwhile, the yellow and black were put on their back both in Amsterdam and Enschede, as Ajax maintained pace with Twente, each running out 4-1 winners against Vitesse and VVV Venlo respectively.

PSV woke up, at last, after sleeping through their opening rounds.  A 6-1 mauling of new cellar dwellers Excelsior announced the Eindhoven club’s arrival in the title chase.  AZ Alkmaar are also still in the hunt, after a 3-0 victory over FC Groningen.

The madness may be coming to an end in France.  Seriously, Montpellier and Toulouse leading the pack?  It’s like Gordon Brown and George Bush in charge of Great Britain and the US; only bad things can happen.

Lyon took care of first place Montpellier, with a 2-1 victory on Saturday, bringing La Paillade back to the pack.  Miralem ‘No Need To’Pjanic and Jeremy ‘Murdoch Got’Pied put Les Gones in the driver’s seat, although Henri Bedimo pegged one back in added time, suggesting that the early league leaders still have some fight in them.

On Sunday, new money PSG toured the baronies, informing previously unbeaten Toulouse that it was time to take their name literally.  Kevin Gameiro had pegged back Etienne Capoue’s first half goal with a fifty-third minute tally, and the clubs seemed destined to split the points, only for Mevlut Erding and Jeremy Menez to both strike in time added on.  That’s the type of result that €100 million or so will buy you.

Apparently, Zaragoza is Spanish for ‘Madrid will kick our ass’.  Real took advantage of the fact that Barcelona were otherwise occupied in Monaco, knocking off Porto in the UEFA Super Cup, with Lionel Messi and Cesc Fabregas on the scoresheet, to open up a healthy lead in the table.  Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat trick but that was only half the story, as Marcelo, Xabi Alonso and Kaka also joined in the fun.

Five other sides also won in the opening matches, after a one-week wildcat strike over unpaid wages postponed the original opening week of the competition.  All of those results were of the one-goal variety, however, lending credence to the new theory that La Liga is just a poor imitation of the Premier League:  a two team competition without any tackling.

Speaking of poor imitations, Serie A players elected to strike, themselves, this week, over Lega Calcio’s attempt to force transfers upon players in the final year of their contracts and to ban them from training with the first team when they prefer to seek pastures new.

Of course, Samuel Eto’o wasn’t feeling any solidarity with his Italian brethren, as he negotiated a tidy arrangement for himself with Russian club Anzhi Makhachkala.  When you’re making €335,000 per week, the rest of your comrades can eat tiramisu.

Anzhi were muddling through a scoreless draw with FK Rostov on Saturday, when coach Ghadzi Ghadziev summoned Eto’o from his pitch side jacuzzi, on the hour mark.  While the Cameroonian was still towelling off, Timofey Kalachev put the hosts ahead.  Eto’o found his stride, though, and equalised with ten minutes remaining.  That’s one week’s pay in the bank.  Imagine what he might have done if Anzhi were paying him a cool half mil.

On Sunday, Zenit St. Petersburg blasted five goals past an impotent Kuban Krasnodar squad to put some distance between themselves and CSKA, who survived a heated 2-2 Moscow derby with Spartak.  Alexander Kerzhakov joined the weekend hat trick club, powering the rout, with Roman Shirokov and Danny also smoking the Kubans.

Dinamo’s 2-0 home victory over Spartak Nalchik kept them in the title chase, as well, six points off the pace.

Two weeks ago I ended the J-League section of the Drip by asking selfish European players to take note of the tireless efforts of Keisuke Honda and Shinji Kagawa, who played matches for their European clubs on either side of a midweek commute to Sapporo for an international friendly against South Korea.  I’m not sure what to think about the possibility that Freddie Ljungberg was the only player who took heed.

The ex-Gunner, Seattle Sounder, Chicago Fire and Celtic winger will be plying his trade with mid-table side Shimizu S-Pulse.

“I am so excited about playing in Japan.  I was inspired by the way the Japanese people dealt with the tragedy of March 11 earthquake and I really want to show support for them by playing football in Japan and for S-Pulse in particular.”

The diabetically sugar-coated statement, while par for the course in the game, and especially in the endlessly courteous Land of the Rising Sun, likely has Sounders’fans choking on their Starbucks double latte ventes, given the Swede’s me-first attitude while in America.  It’s pleasant to think of how soon he’ll be heading back to the west if he tries that in Japan.

Meanwhile, season long leaders Kashiwa Reysol slipped to fourth after dropping a 2-0 decision to new table topper Gamba Osaka, in mid-week.  Champion Nagoya Grampus Eight are a point off the pace after picking up two wins during the week, as the J-League crams the matches in after a delayed start to the season caused by the tragic events in March.  Lundberg’s unsuspecting new teammates, S-Pulse, maintained their mid-table status by picking up a pair of draws.

Has Hell frozen over?  Major League Soccer wrapped up matches on Saturday, this weekend, permitting those players on international duty to get a jump on their European counterparts, as they jet out to link up with their national squads.  As well, the usually indifferent American league will only be playing two matches over the break.  Seriously, when did MLS start caring about international play?  I didn’t get the memo.

There were two matches of note over the weekend.  Jeff Cunningham converted a penalty as the hour approached in Seattle, making him the all-time MLS goal scorer, with one hundred and thirty-four tallies, surpassing Jaime Moreno.  Unfortunately, it was a bittersweet moment, as his Columbus Crew were already down four goals, at the time.  The final score was 6-2, and, yes, there was a hat trick, Lamar Neagle doing the honours.

In Kansas City, FC Dallas cooled off the hot Sporting KC, with a 3-2 road killing.  The home side was enjoying a two goal lead with twenty minutes remaining, when Ugo Ihemelu, Maicon Santos and Bobby Warshaw turned the match on its head.  As they have all season, the Hoops proved that losing a key player, such as the man who said yes to Blackburn, George John, is something they are prepared to handle.†

FCD and Sounders moved within range of the rampant but idle LA Galaxy with the wins.

†So, naturally, having written that, it is announced that Blackburn Rovers and John apparently cannot agree on terms, nixing the deal.  He’ll go back to an exciting FC Dallas club and Rovers will continue to lose.

Clausura champion UNAM Pumas continued their precipitous dip in form, with a 2-1 home defeat at the hands of crosstown rivals Cruz Azul.  Previously, the club had been stunned by mid-table Puebla and, in the CONCACAF Champions League, were held to a bore draw by Panamanians FC Tauro.  The slump sees Pumas in fifth place, still within the eight team playoff picture but hardly comfortable.

As Chivas also slipped to defeat at San Luis, on Saturday, the victory pushed Cruz Azul into the top spot in the league.  Monterrey corrected their own slide, with a 2-0 triumph over Santos, thanks to strikes from Luis Perez and bullet headed Chilean assassin Humberto Suarez.

In Brazil, there was a major upset, with Campeonato leaders Corinthians falling at Palmeiras, 2-1.  Emerson put the visitors up after eighteen minutes but Luan leveled ten minutes before the break and Fernandao put the hosts ahead just afterwards.

The damage wasn’t too severe, however, as closest rivals Flamengo, with Deivid and Ronaldhino both in the eleven, were held to a surprising goalless draw at home by Vasco de Gama.  Neymar, Ganso and their Santos teammates continued in their morass, falling in a Paulista derby, 0-1, to Sao Paolo.

River is dead, long live the new River!  Atletico Rafaella, the country bumpkins who consigned once mighty River Plate to the second division for the first time in their history, are now sitting atop the table in the Primera Division de Argentina. Leaving more pedigreed clubs, such as Boca Juniors, Racing Club and Velez Sarsfield in the blocks, the new boys have run off three victories in their first four matches to set the early pace.

The latest victim was a stunned Olimpo, who fell 3-1 on goals from Alexis Nicolas Castro, Dario Gaudin and Walter Omar Serrano.  Massive clubs with money to spare might have been the cream of this week’s Drip, but it’s a good feeling when the final sip at the bottom of the cup is just as sweet as the first, dregs or no.

See you next Monday! 

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It’s the silly season, so it shouldn’t be surprising that Friday’s headlines were much ado about nothing.  Or, to be more specific, much ado about players who have pretty much been doing nothing.

Owen Hargreaves, who is to match fitness what Diego Maradona is to managing, has apparently been invited by Sven-Goran Ericksson to drop his exercise video start-up and give footy one more try with Leicester City.  Ezequiel Garay, who spent 2010-11 sitting in the Santiago Bernabeu dugout guarding Jose Mourinho’s chewing gum, has apparently decided that Benfica would be more challenging.  Michael Essien, who, over the past eighteen months has morphed into the Ghanaian Owen Hargreaves has apparently done his knee once more and in serious fashion.  Lord Coe, who couldn’t get the 2018 England World Cup bid off the ground is now spending his time attempting to convince Britons that there will be a comprehensive UK team at the London Olympics.  Good luck with that.  Ryan Giggs is hardly comprehensive, unless you’re a female inlaw or into reality television.

Finally, as if Roberto Mancini didn’t have enough problems with vertically challenged footballers at Manchester City, Craig Bellamy has announced that he will not be going out on loan this season, not be training according to his manager’s wishes and not be conceding a single penny from his current £80,000/week wages to facilitate a move to another club.

At the writing, the Italian manager has not had a lot to say about that but whilst we wait on his considered opinion, here is a list of matches, all of which have something to offer on this weekend’s slate.

Women’s World Cup – Quarterfinals

England v France (Saturday) —  Sepp Blatter’s remarks about fashionable kits aside, football shows no distinction between the genders.  Thus, for England, Germany looms in the background whilst their immediate focus in the first knockout round is a strong French squad.  Les Bleus may have been unable to better the hosts in Group A but Hope Powell’s side did enough to top Group B.

The Three Lionesses’back line will focus on stopping the partnership of Gaëtane Thiney and Marie-Laure Delie, who each have two goals in the tournament.   They will have to mind their teammates, as well, considering that three other players have also found the target.

England began slowly with a draw against Mexico, improved by fighting back against the Kiwis for a 2-1 victory and then hit their stride, knocking off second-place finishers Japan 2-0.  Like Les Bleus, Hope Powell’s side spreads the scoring around but they’ve also shown a more resolute defence, to this point.

They will have to continue that discipline to get to the finals.

Brazil v USA (Sunday) — The Americans fell behind early in their final group match against Sweden.  Before they knew what had hit them they were down two goals.  In particular, Amy le Pelbeit will be feeling the anguish as she drew a penalty for tripping Lotta Schelin on the quarter-hour.  Twenty minutes later, her misfortune grew as Nilla Fischer’s free kick ricocheted wildly off her, much to the dismay of goalkeeper Hope Solo.  The US pegged one back but couldn’t find another.

As a result, they now face mighty Brazil in the quarterfinal.  Marta and Rosana lead a Lady Selecao squad that is becoming every bit as impressive as the men.  They swept through the group with seven goals and three clean sheets and fully deserve their role as favourites.  The US will have to hope that their opponents are taken in by their own hype.  Otherwise, it will be a long afternoon in Dresden.

Kashiwa Reysol v Vegalta Sendai (Saturday) – League leaders Kashiwa Reysol had an absolutely horrible day at the office last weekend, dropping a 5-0 decision to thirteenth-placed Cerezo Osaka.  There’s no time to dwell on that performance, however, as Vegalta Sendai, just three points behind them in third, are coming to town intent on adding to the top side’s misery.

Reysol’s tandem of Junya Tanaka and Jorge Wagner need to re-ignite the attack or their season could head south in a hurry.  Shingo Akamine and Naoke Sugai have ten goals between them, though, for the Vegalta club, and they will be well-rested, having not played in eight days, that match a one-goal draw against Nagoya Grampus Eight.

NY Red Bull v DC United (Saturday) — The Red Bulls don’t think much of my compatriot Dwayne de Rosario, and to be honest, I can see their point, but I’ll expound on that elsewhere, over the weekend.  With their squad revitalised by the return of their remaining Gold Cup participants, the Red Bulls traded de Rosario, only just added to the roster this season, to a squad they were scheduled to meet a week later, that being DC United.

Having sent him packing, the Red Bulls didn’t miss de Ro much, hammering yet another of the Canadian’s former employers, Toronto FC, 5-0.  Thierry Henry and the pleasantly surprising Luke Rodgers, who has a similar reputation but hasn’t exhibited the selfishness of de Ro, kick started the party just beyond the half-hour.  Joel Lindpere put the match on ice in the second half and then Juan Agudelo, on for Rodgers, added a late brace.

Meanwhile, de Rosario made a good impression with his newest club, setting up Josh Wolff for the first goal in a 2-2 draw with the Philadelphia Union, thus helping his latest old side move into the top spot in the East.  Charlie Davies started the match for United but his ankle was still a bit tender and he was brought off just before the hour.

The question is will Ben Olsen sit Davies and hope that the de Ro/Wolff partnership exploits the revenge factor to knock off a second table topper in the space of a week, or has the prolific Davies, with eight goals over eight starts and six relief stints, done enough to hold his spot in the starting XI?  Of course, there’s always the possibility that all three will be in the line-up, which could turn this match into an old-fashioned shootout.

Real Salt Lake v FC Dallas (Saturday) — RSL have games in hand over all three teams that they are chasing in the West, including the Hoops, but they need to start winning for that to be a meaningful statistic.  It pains me to say it, but they haven’t beaten a non-Canadian side since the first week of May when they came out on top against Chivas USA in a 1-0 snoozefest.  In the interim, there have been ten matches, featuring difficult losses on the road to Columbus, at home to Sounders FC, victories against the expansion Vancouver Whitecaps and everyone’s whipping boys, my hometown TFC (thank you very much!) and six uninspiring draws.

Admittedly they opened up in Monday’s Fourth of July match against the New England Revolution.  The 3-3 scoreline set the tone for the post-match fireworks display, but whilst it suggested that RSL were hitting their stride offensively, it was not the typical performance one expects from the league’s stingiest defence.

Normally, this match would represent a chance for payback, with FCD having knocked them out of the playoffs last season.  Instead, Jason Kreis must be more concerned with his side’s current lack of focus.

British Virgin Islands v US Virgin Islands (Sunday) – It’s been the same old story since 1776.  The English just can’t keep the Americans under their thumbs.

Last week, the Catch previewed the first match of this two-legged affair.  The US Virgins - I’ll wait for you to stop laughing – took advantage of their home ground to open a 2-0 lead in the tie, thanks to goals from Alderman Lesmond in the opening ten minutes and Reid Klopp – no relation to Bayer Leverkusen coach Juergen, I’m fairly certain –  just before the hour.

The Brits now have it all to do in the Road Town leg and whatever happens, they can’t afford to let the Americans score again.

Brazil v Paraguay (Saturday) — Speaking of virgins, this is an inviting early match-up in the South American championship, and one which holds an intriguing promise.  All four teams in Group C drew their opening matches without a single goal being scored.  Yet, both Brazil and Paraguay have the players up front to change that.  The Paraguayans came into the tournament confident that they could win it all and if that wasn’t enough, they now have added motivation.

Their number one World Cup fan, lingerie model Larissa Riquelme has promised to pose nude (again) should los Guaranies manage the feat.  The pressure is on Nelson Valdez, Roque Santa Cruz and Lucas Barrios to break through the Selecao back line, then.  It won’t be easy and worse, it will be more difficult still to keep Neymar, Robinho and Pato from ravaging keeper Justo Villar.

I think I need a cold shower.

Argentina v Costa Rica (Monday) – “¡Peligro, Guillermo de Petirrojos, peligro!”

The hosts are lost in space at the Copa America.  Despite possessing the offensive talents of Lionel Messi, Carlos Tevez, Ezequiel Lavezzi, Sergio Kun Aguero, Gonzalo Higuain, Diego Milito, Javier Pastore, Angel di Maria, Ever Banega and Esteban Cambiasso, manager Sergio Batista has seen his side collect just one goal in two matches against Bolivia and Colombia.

Where’s Dr. Smith when you need him?

The Albiceleste do have two points from two draws but that is only good enough for third place in the group.  If they do not win their final match against the Ticos, they will need a great deal of help from teams in the other two groups to reach the quarter-finals.  On the face of it, they obviously have the talent to do the job themselves.  All they need do is relax and let their ability flow freely.  Unfortunately, with the tournament on the line in front of their home support, tension seems to be ruling the day.

Fluminense v Flamengo (Sunday) — With their talented triumvirate of Neymar, Ganso and Elano all on Copa America duty, Libertadores champions Santos are near the bottom of the table, and when (if, in Neymar and Ganso’s case) the trio return, the focus will be merely in moving into the top half of the table.

Ronaldinho and his five goals, meanwhile, are not in Mano Manezes’squad and Flamengo is taking advantage by pressing Corinthians for the top spot in the Campeonato.  Fluminense, struggling to find goals in eighth place, is without Fred, leaving Deco one less target to pick out from his place at the heart of the offence.  Thus, it will be two old gunslingers who can still pull off some tricky shooting facing one another on a lonely street, sadly overshadowed by the spectacle of the Copa America.

That’s what happens, however, when it’s well past high noon in one’s career.

See you next week!

It’s going to be a bit of bare bones over the next few weeks, as most of Europe is idle, Mexico is on their summer break, Argentina is winding down and Australia has yet to kick in their new campaign.  Still, there is the Russian Premier League, the Campeonato Brasileiro, Major League Soccer, the Women’s World Cup, Copa America and the Gold Cup to keep us occupied until full football service is restored in late August.  So, if you’re really jonesing for some footy, WFC will point you in the right direction.

England v Switzerland (Saturday) – According to Fabio Capello and John Terry, the awkward transition from Rio Ferdinand’s tenure as captain of the Three Lions has been resolved to everyone’s satisfaction.  The Italian describes his relationship with Rio as “perfect” and Terry has said that the center back pairing had been in contact and cleared the air from the get-go, just as was the case when the captaincy was taken from the Chelsea defender, prior to the World Cup.  Ferdinand hasn’t confirmed the claims of his colleague and manager but his professional approach to England duty has long been exemplary.

With a dearth of options in attack, the Three Lions will need the back line to function at optimum levels in order to stay in front of second-placed Montenegro in Group G of Euro 2012 qualifying.  In attack, Wayne Rooney is suspended for an accumulation of yellow cards and Jermaine Defoe has pulled out.  That leaves Darren Bent to partner with either Bobby Zamora, who, as the season progressed, gradually approached the level of play he enjoyed under Roy Hodgson, or Peter Crouch, who, as the season progressed, began to approach the level of play I enjoy on weekends at the local park.

Luckily for Terry and Ferdinand, the Swiss have even less experience in stock on their forward shelf than England.  Veterans Alex Frei and Marco Streller have retired, leaving coach Ottmar Hitzfeld, the man who ironically criticised Jose Mourinho’s negative tactics at Real Madrid earlier in the spring, with a handful of fresh-faced young forwards to baptise in the fire of Wembley.

With the resources at hand, Hitzfeld would dearly love to play for a typical Swiss scoreless draw but his side are already six points behind their hosts and Montenegro, forcing them to open up if they are to make up ground with only four matches remaining.  Capello, meanwhile has a full complement of wingers to choose from, with some pairing from Ashley Young, Stewart Downing, Theo Walcott, James Milner and Adam Johnson surely looking to combine with the forwards, as well as Glen Johnson and Ashley Cole, to exploit the inexperienced but desperate Swiss attack.

Switzerland’s best hope might be a season-ending hangover from the English squad.

Brazil v Netherlands (Saturday) — You read the heading correctly.  This is a home game for Brazil; a true one, which will take place in Goiás, rather than Dubai, Qatar or Arsenal’s Emirate’s stadium, their home away from home in Europe.  Eschewing financial gain in favour of stoking home support ahead of the Copa America, the Selecao also have the added incentive of gaining a measure of revenge against the country which ended their South African World Cup dream, no matter how strongly keeper Julio Cesar may deny it.

“It’s not a rematch. The World Cup is a unique competition. I felt a lot that defeat – we all did [but] this is a valuable match for us. It’s good for the new coach to watch the team. We have the Copa America ahead and as we won’t have the qualifiers this time for the next World Cup, it’s more difficult for [him] to build the team.”

One area to which Mano Manezes may pay particular attention is the forward line.  Youthful sensation Neymar is expected to be rested, as he has exhausted himself leading Santos to the Copa Libertadores Final.  In his place, expect Robinho to be paired with another young gun, Internacional’s Leandro Damaio.

L’Oranje will not be so interested in the outcome of the match and, with Wesley Sneijder already ruled out, Bert van Marwijk may look to bleed some youngsters so far from home, giving tired, jet lagged veterans a rest.  Robin van Persie, however, is eager to do his bit, as he hopes to convince a reluctant van Marwijk to stay on with the national side beyond next summer’s Euros.

USA v Spain (Saturday) – I do not speak, let alone read, Spanish.  As it is Friday afternoon at the writing and I am unable to find any information in English, anywhere on-line, regarding the US team’s set-up for a game occurring in less than twenty-four hours, against the World Cup holders no less, I now feel far less guilty about neglecting my MLS column over the last few weeks.  [In fact, guess what the next one will be about!]

Every great champion has a nemesis it just can't seem to beat. The US would love to be the country which has Spain's number.

The Americans are tuning up for the Gold Cup, which kicks off this coming week, and while a defeat against the best side in the world might not reinforce their confidence, the workout that Xavi, Andres Iniesta and company will put them through, as they chase after whatever scraps of possession the Spaniards let drop by the wayside, should raise the level of their game heading into the CONCACAF championship.

Clint Dempsey may still be adjusting his body clock to US time but Landon Donovan has been in a nice run of form lately for MLS club LA Galaxy.  Tim Howard, who finished the Premier League season strongly, with a clean sheet against Chelsea, knows it’s going to be a long ninety minutes against La Furia.  Yet can the experienced trio truly relate what it will be like to face Spain to the newer members of Bob Bradley’s squad?

While Vicente del Bosque will likely limit his tired veterans to cameo appearances, Spain, like Brazil, may be looking to settle a score, this one dating back to the 2009 Confederations Cup where the Americans stunned the European champions.

The US will face my Canadians on Tuesday, opening their Gold Cup schedule and I’m afraid it will be the Canucks who will be experiencing a bit of wrathful vengeance in the wake of this friendly.

Colorado Rapids v Philadelphia Union (Saturday) — The sophomore Philadelphia Union are now holding down first place in Major League Soccer’s Eastern Conference, a point ahead of the New York Red Bulls with a game in hand.  Their twenty point output in eleven games is all the more surprising given that, until last week’s 6-0 drubbing of Toronto FC – Stanley Cup Finals aside, it’s not a good week to be Canadian – they had scored just eight goals and conceded nine.  For New York, who have lost five players to Gold Cup squads for several weeks, drawing half their matches to date may prove costly.

The Union encounter the altitude of DSG Park at perhaps just the right time.  Colorado, the MLS Cup holders are in what can only be described as a holding pattern.  The Rapids have drawn their last five matches and six of their last seven.  The match in between was a victory over Houston Dynamo but the indecisive run follows a three-game losing streak.  Several players have contributed goals, with Jamie Smith and Jeff Larentowicz on three and Omar Cummings and Irish international Caleb Folan on two.  No one has truly stepped up to lead the line, though, and the lack of a creative mid-fielder is being felt, especially as Gary Smith’s side is yielding an unspectacular goal per game behind the indifferent attack.

Philly have been stalwart on defence but that will be tested during the final thirty minutes in the Mile High City.  Offensively, Carlos Ruiz and Danny Mwanga lead the line and last year’s goal source, Sebastian LeToux has turned provider, with three assists thus far.

The Union will look to put some distance between themselves and the Red Bulls before the New Yorkers’stars return and Gary Smith will be demanding that his side shake off the doldrums and start racking up some points.  They are champions, after all.

Flamengo v Corinthians (Sunday) —  After an embarrassing failure for Corinthians in the qualifying stage of the Copa Libertadores, followed by a nasty demonstration from so-called supporters, two club legends have departed.  Ronaldo is in retirement, free to be as fat as he pleases.  Roberto Carlos is in Russia, captaining Anzhi Makhachkala to third place in the Premier League, level on points with leaders CSKA Moscow, as well as Zenit St. Petersburg and Dinamo Moscow in an incredibly tight race, featuring eight clubs all within a result of the top spot.  That leaves Portuguese International Liedson to lead the line.  Not a bad third option.

Flamengo are being captained, if you can believe it, by none other than Ronaldhino.  The hip-hop/Soca impresario has apparently put aside his musical aspirations to focus on leading the Rio de Janeiro side back to the fore of the national tournament.  It’s been an adventurous ride in the opening two matches, with seven goals scored and three conceded in a win and a draw.

The Paulista club haven’t been quite so prolific, managing a pair of 2-1 victories over Coritiba and Gremio. If, however, everyone desired style from our club rather than results, we’d all be Arsenal fans, wouldn’t we?

River Plate v Colon de Santa Fé (Sunday) – River are six points off the pace and Colon are nestled near the bottom of the table.  Yet, the young Millionaros are fighting a desperate battle against the relegation average.  The key for a River back line, which has conceded only eleven goals in the Clausura, will be to corral Colon’s dangerous Esteban Fuertes, third in the league with eight tallies.  Three points at home against a struggling club are absolutely vital towards staving off what would be an historic fall from grace.

Velez Sarsfield v Godoy Cruz (Monday) – With three games remaining in the Argentine Clausura – and no playoff, as in its Mexican counterpart – Velez are clinging to the lead by a single point over Lanus and two over Godoy.  The league title represents their lone hope for silverware on the year, after finishing second to Estudiantes in the Apertura and then conceding a fatal away goal to Penarol this week, in the second leg of the Copa Libertadores semi-final.

Smarting from the defeat, you can bet that Velez’prolific midfield, consisting of David Ramirez (6 goals), Maxi Moralez (4) and Augusto Fernandez and Ricardo Alvarez (both with 3) will be supporting line leader Santiago Silva (6 goals, as well) with an unmatched intensity, lest their season suddenly slip from their grasp.

Godoy’s attack is led by the partnership of Alvaro Navarro (5 goals) and Ruben Ramirez (4).  Both the midfield and defence have seen a high rate of turnover throughout the campaign, which has resulted in a much higher concession of goals than their counterparts.  It will be difficult for Godoy to hold off Velez’wide array of attacking weapons, especially at the Jose Amalfitani.

Independiente v Lanus (Monday) – Second-place side, Lanus, are on the road against the Copa Sud America champions.  Independiente must win all three of its final matches and pray for all sorts of help to make up their five-point deficit and pass four clubs.  This match, though, would be an excellent start.

Lanus have fought an amazing fight all season, thanks to the league’s third stingiest defence (behind Argentinos Juniors & River), just to keep rampant Velez within reach.  They will rely on their back four to hold off Independiente, so that seven-goal man Diego Valeri can strike at the opposite end.  It’s that time of year in Argentina, where victory is imperative and dropped points can prove deadly.

See you next week!

]]> http://worldfootballcolumns.com/2011/06/04/wfcs-weekend-catch-choice-fixtures-for-4-5-june-2011/feed/ 0 Bent & Rooney resulteditor Bent & Rooney World ball breakers uefa_logo World ball breakers FIFA logo Bradley, Onweyu, Bocanegra, Donovan US Ball Breakers MLS Logo Brazil Ball Breakers Brasileiro logo Argentina Ball Breakers Argentine FA logo World ball breakers http://worldfootballcolumns.com/2011/04/30/wfcs-weekend-catch-choice-fixtures-for-30-april-1-may-2011/ http://worldfootballcolumns.com/2011/04/30/wfcs-weekend-catch-choice-fixtures-for-30-april-1-may-2011/#comments Sat, 30 Apr 2011 01:57:30 +0000 The WFC Staff http://worldfootballcolumns.com/?p=16679 Continue reading »]]> The focus of football is on Europe as its various leagues head to the wire. There are some tasty matches, as well, including Manchester United’s trip to the Emirates to face Arsenal, with the Premier League title partially in the balance.  As well, Borussia Dortmund consider calling in Geoffrey Rush and Colin Firth as they look for a cure to their late season stutter, America try to get over on Mexico’s most dangerous cats, Pumas, and Neymar leads Santos against hated rivals Sao Paolo in the Paulista.  Keep the remote handy, you’ll need it!

Sunderland v Fulham (Saturday)– Since Christmas, Sunderland have one of the worst records in the league and thus they sit close to the foot of the table. The sale of Darren Bent in the January transfer window has well and truly taken the wind out of their sails just when they were becoming an entertaining top half team. On the other hand, Fulham are, for the first time in a while, in the top half of the Premiership with Mark Hughes exclaiming his delight expectations for 9th place. While ten points separate the club, almost impossibly, from a Europa League berth, Cottagers supporters are happy to see their club progressing back towards the competition which they fell in love with last season. Sparky and Steve Bruce, former United teammates will be looking to get one over on each other, in what should be a close game, but one from which I would expect Fulham to take all three points. – Steven Jones

Arsenal v Manchester United (Sunday) – Had this tie occurred a month ago, it could have been the defining game of the season for both teams. However, much has happened in the interim to change that. As we move into May, this encounter is now about consolidation for United and pride for the Gunners. Arsene Wenger, as always, will want to treat the Emirates crowd to an entertaining match and prove that they are just as capable of beating the potential EPL and CL titlists as they are Chelsea and Man City. Sir Alex Ferguson wants to win the match, wrap up the league as quickly as possible and prove to all the doubters that his side can close out Arsenal and Chelsea like champions. As well, with the Champions League still in the frame, the Scot must also have an eye for the fitness of his key players. Ferguson has deployed an excellent rotation system this season, much to the amusement of journalists and fans alike, but here we are at the end of the season, with United in the pole position. So, Arsenal will attack, United will counter and enjoy a dress rehearsal, minus the theatrics, for a likely clash with Barcelona at the end of May. The question is, if Wenger continues to resist a tactical shift, will the Emirates crowd find any enjoyment of their own on the afternoon? – S.J.

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Walsall v Charlton (Saturday) — While the Championship relegation scrap is all but decided, League One is anything but. Four teams are battling to finish in the safety of twentieth position. Unfortunately for me, this includes Walsall. My hometown club is threatened with relegation to England’s fourth tier. Former play-off hopefuls Charlton, who have suffered a dramatic fall down the table this calendar year, provide the opposition this weekend. This game is make-or-break for the Saddlers, especially since the next week’s conclusion to the season is against second placed Southampton, who will be looking to hold off Huddersfield Town for the final automatic promotion slot. Thankfully, Walsall are sitting in the one safe spot. A win this weekend might be enough to keep them in the third tier for another season but can they stand up to the challenge? — Tapesh Patel

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Celtic v Dundee United (Sunday) – League favourites Celtic will hope that they can overcome the visitors from Tayside but if Rangers win on Saturday, the pressure on Neil Lennon’s side will be doubled.  It will be a more challenging task with Joe Ledley missing the rest of the season due to a hamstring injury but Kris Commons will start again. Lennon just might start Gary Hooper and Anthony Stokes paired, in search of more goals.  Dundee United return to Glasgow, where they recently beat Rangers. David Goodwillie will be the main threat for the visitors and keen to add to his sixteen goals.  I cannot see any other result but a narrow win for Celtic. – Scott Johnston

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Borussia Dortmund v Nurnberg (Saturday) — Felix Magath’s Wolfsburg claimed a much needed 1-0 victory over Werder Bremen on Friday night, lifting themselves out of the relegation zone and putting pressure on Eintracht Frankfurt and Cologne, ahead of their respective matches against Mainz and Bayer Leverkusen.  Despite that, BVB’s stunning capitulation against then bottom side Borussia Moenchengladbach, last week, has made their match against a Nurnberg side still chasing Mainz for the final Europa League place, the key match in the Bundesliga.  That the championship is still up for grabs is something of a surprise, given Dortmund’s stranglehold on first place, after their epic victory over Bayern back in February.  Yet, anything but a win could see Leverkusen close to within a result of the leaders with two matches remaining in the season.  If Jurgen Klopp’s young chargers continue to stumble, it could lead to one of the most epic collapses in not just German but European football history – Martin Palazzotto

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Heerenveen v Ajax (Sunday) – Seeing that we are now entering the penultimate round of the Eredivisie campaign, all games will be played on Sunday and kick off at approximately the same time. It should make for exciting afternoon, especially if you have advanced picture-in-picture capability. This is a game Ajax simply must win if they are to end their seven-year title drought. The Amsterdammers are on a four game winning streak, whilst Heerenveen have only won once in their last nine attempts. That is the paper version of the match. Of course, such forecasts have an annoying habit of proving false on grass. – Mohamed Moallim

PSV Eindhoven v Vitesse (Sunday) – It may be harsh to say that PSV has blown their season but it is the truth of the matter. Since the agonising defeat away to FC Twente, PSV’s once imperious form subsided and despite victory over Heracles they’ve managed to see a six point lead over Ajax evaporate until, now, it is they who are two points adrift. Yet, despite their defeat at the hands of Feyenoord last Sunday, PSV still have a mathematical chance of ending the season as champions for the first time since 2008. However they can only do so on goal-difference and need results to go their way. The first step, naturally,is taking care of their own business, starting with struggling Vitesse. The youthful side has picked up two wins in their last five matches and are fairly safe. However, they have been woeful away from home, offering PSV an opportunity to right the ship with an easy victory. – M.M.

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Stade Rennes v Bordeaux (Saturday) — If you were wondering what has happened to Rennes over the past few weeks, you would be fully justified. A side which once prided itself on tight wins has loosened up in the run-in – so much so, that perhaps they should check to see if someone has spiked the Gatorade with prune juice. The club has lost four and drawn two of their last six matches. Goals have been a problem for Rennes all season, and with Victor Montano and John Verhoek unavailable for this game, the dilemma shows little sign of abating. Nevertheless, a win is needed against a Bordeaux side that, itself has only just won for the first time in five contests. For the Rouges-et-Noirs, the title may be gone but they still have a shot at the Champions League. — Tapesh Patel

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Deportivo de la Coruna v Atletico Madrid (Saturday) – Wednesday’s Champions League debacle between Barcelona and Real Madrid has La Liga down to the bottom of my list of football priorities.  Having found themselves in two consecutive competitive matches, Barcelona decided to abandon football in favour of cheap theatrics and lynch mob tactics.  Real Madrid weren’t far behind in their conduct.  At this point I’d rather watch the Papua new Guinea League, if it exists, than a Spanish match, to be honest, but Atletico are faced with a must-win road trip against Deportivo.  They are chasing Sevilla, who face bottom side Almeria on Sunday, for the final Europa League place.  Quique Sánchez Flores has benched the ineffective Diego Forlan, who must surely now be hoping to follow former partner in crime Simao out the Vicente Calderon door.  Even without their best player, the Rojiblancos are up against it.  What is left of their season is on the line. – Martin Palazzotto

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Napoli vs Genoa (Saturday) – As they are eight points clear with four games left, the Scudetto is almost certainly heading to Milan. Anything less than an Inter win, coupled with a Milan defeat will see the Rossoneri claim their first title in seven years. There are some key battles elsewhere, however.  It’s a case of what could have been for Napoli this season. Serie A’s nearly men have suffered key losses at inopportune times, derailing their Scudetto challenge in the process. Having picked up his men from last week’s defeat to Palermo, Napoli boss Walter Mazzarri is boosted by the returns of Paolo Cannavaro and Ezequiel Lavezzi from suspension, meaning he has a fully fit squad from which to choose. Marek Hamsik was the difference maker back in December as Napoli ran out 1-0 winners against the Rossoblu, though victory at the San Paolo is far from a given. You have to go back nine years, to Serie B, for the last time Napoli beat Genoa in a home league game. Back-to-back victories have taken Genoa into the top half of the table, and ten points clear of the drop zone. With their Serie A status all but secured for another season, and a derby with Sampdoria to look forward to next week, confidence has been restored to the Grifone camp. However, that could lead to complacency and a full-strength Napoli side should be too much for Davide Ballardini’s men to handle. Trailing second placed Inter by a point for an automatic Champions League place, Napoli host the Nerazzurri in a fortnight’s time. A win is crucial to keep up the pressure. – Shaun Best

Fiorentina v Udinese (Sunday) – Udinese continue to play hot potato with Lazio over the final Champions League place. Loss of form combined with just two wins from their last five games has amazingly kept Udinese in the mix. They remain a point behind the equally inconsistent Romans, with next week’s showdown between the two likely to be the deciding factor. Roma lie three points behind the Friuli club and will be looking to pounce on any further inconsistencies. Udinese make the trip to the Artemio Franchi without a host of key players. Gokhan Inler joins Armero and Maurizio Domizzi in the naughty corner following last week’s red card. In addition, Chilean marksman Alexis Sánchez misses out with a muscle strain, while Antonio Di Natale is only rated 50/50 to start. Despite being out of European contention, Fiorentina will still provide difficult opposition. As well as playing for pride, coach Sinisa Mihajlovic is still sweating his future. A solitary loss in their last five games (to champions-elect Milan) has steadied the ship and made the Viola a difficult proposition. Fiorentina romped home 4-1 in this fixture, last season, but Udinese took the more recent bragging rights 2-1, back in Week 16. – S.B.

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South America

On Saturday, River Plate‘s young studs, who are struggling to keep up with Velez Sarsfield and Olimpo, visit Racing Club.  The home side are mid-table but just three points behind their opponents.  Yet, in a campaign in which they must do well to stave off relegation, such a dip may break River’s fragile confidence.  For them, every match is critical.  On Monday, two other struggling giants meet when aging Boca Juniors square off against Copa Sud America champions Independiente.  The two sides are currently level on fourteen points and both need to put together some wins to get back into the top half of the table.

In Brazil, the various State Championships are winding down.  There are four matches this weekend, the juiciest of which is in the Paulista, where rivals Sao Paolo and Santos meet on Saturday.  Neymar picked up his game to get Santos into the final sixteen of the Libertadores.  Can he follow up by carrying them to a Paulista title?  On Sunday, Vasco de Gama host Flamengo, while a much younger Corinthians, finding their form without Ronaldo and Roberto Carlos, head off to Palmieras and defending Libertadores champions Internacional welcome Gremio. — Martin Palazzotto

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North America

It’s the final week of the Mexican Clausura and too many teams are still in the hunt for the opening, quarter-final round of the playoffs to mention all of their matches here.  The most intriguing matchup, however, is UNAM Pumas v América.  Pumas have locked up the top spot but the Millionaros are in desperate straits, as they look to claim a place in the post-season, as well.  Their form has been maddeningly inconsistent throughout the mini-season, leaving them having to win on the road against the league’s most potent attacking force.  Yet even that will not guarantee their fortunes.

The young MLS season is somewhat muddled at the moment.  Teams have played anywhere from four (Real Salt Lake) and eight (Los Angeles Galaxy) matches.  Unsurprisingly, the Galaxy are topping the table but RSL are just three points behind, with a one hundred percent record.  My pick for the match of the week is the Galaxy’s visit to FC Dallas.  The Texans, finalists in last year’s MLS Cup, are already one defeat away from matching last season’s thirty game total of just four losses, with only six contests under their belt.  LA will miss David Beckham, as Golden Balls is off to the Royal Wedding.  The League has announced that it will decide whether or not to renew his contract, which is up at season’s end, based upon his football ability rather than his celebrity value.  At least they are honest about their reasons for signing him initially.  Still, MLS will have an interesting indicator in making their choice, with this weekend’s contest.  When Landon Donovan was off playing for the US side against Argentina, Beckham and the Galaxy were demolished by Real Salt Lake.  This time, it will be Landon’s turn to man the fort.  Will the two results factor into the league’s ultimate choice on Beckham’s MLS future? 

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See you next week!

Enjoy!

Stoke v West Ham (Sunday) — While Stoke lost 2-0 to West Ham in the League just last weekend – a result which pulls them a little closer to the relegation zone, they will more than fancy their chances to extract their revenge on Sunday. Boosted by the return of Matthew Etherington, Stoke are unbeaten in their last six home games, winning 4 and they haven’t lost a home FA Cup tie since January 2006, an impressive feat by anyone’s standards. Yet, blocking the way to their first ever FA Cup final is the Cup wizard Avram Grant and his West Ham team, who have hit a rich vein of form, beating this self-same Stoke side and Liverpool in recent weeks. – Roger Domeneghetti

Manchester City v Reading (Sunday) – Manchester City are a shoe-in for the semi-finals, right?  Wrong. Firstly, let’s credit their opponents Reading who not only knocked out Everton at Goodison Park in the last round, and did the same to Liverpool in the third round of last season’s competition. Secondly, let’s not forget that City will be playing the game on the back of an arduous trip to the Ukraine on Thursday, where they lost to Dynamo Kiev 2-0. If there is to be a shock this weekend, it’ll come from Brian McDermott’s men at Eastlands. – R.D.

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QPR v Crystal Palace (Saturday) – QPR’s PR department will be getting a lot of attention this weekend, possibly more so than the 11 players that will take the field for Neil Warnock’s side. Well, maybe one will garner some annoyed stares from the Loftus Road faithful.  I’m talking, of course, about the ongoing case of Alejandro Faurlin, the Argentinian midfielder who allegedly was signed from third parties. The FA are keen to move quickly – mainly because of the furore that surrounded the case of his compatriot Carlos Tevez – but won’t take action before this weekend.  Reports of possible point deductions would be harsh on Warnock. As unspectacular as they have been, Rangers have clearly been the best side in the league, meriting their now-comfortable seat at the top of the table and Faurlin’s part in that has been far less than Tevez’was at West ham, where no such penalty was levied.  Still, the whole affair, which has to be a major distraction, gives Palace a chance to take something this weekend, especially coming off the back of a win against Cardiff. They need points, too, to stave off the threat of relegation – which ironically has loomed over them ever since former manager Warnock left. – Tapesh Patel

Scunthorpe v Leicester (Saturday) — After going the first eight League games of the year unbeaten (and winning seven of them) Leicester have hit a wall, losing three of their last four. This has seen them cut adrift from the top six when a play-off place seemed theirs for the taking. Relegation threatened Scunthorpe would seem like the perfect team for Leicester to play to get their season back on track, but they have won three and drawn one of their last four. The Sventertainers will have to turn on the style if they are to get a result. – Roger Domeneghetti

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Rangers v Kilmarnock (Sunday) – Well, it’s the only SPL game on this weekend, so an easy choice. Rangers come into the game after drawing in Holland on Thursday against PSV.  The Glasgow side will want to close the gap on Celtic to just two points, which will put them in an excellent position, still having another game in hand. Killie has been impressive this season under Mixu Paatelainen & sit fourth in the table but will be without influential midfielder Alexei Eremenko, who is suspended. Rangers will be favourites but will need to work hard for any victory! – Scott Johnston

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Lokomotiv v Dinamo (Saturday) – This weekends sees the inaugural round of fixtures in the 2011 Russian Premier League with two of the more prominent clubs, in terms of the off-season transfer market, Dinamo Moskva and Lokomotiv Moskva, meeting each other.  Dinamo, in addition to the attacking talents of Kevin Kuranyi and Andri Voronin have made an astute signing in Zvjezdan Misimović, from Turkish giants Galatasary. It will be interesting to see whether the former Bundesliga winner will be able to recapture his delicate touch and colourful passing in the Russian capital. Lokomotiv, meanwhile, are bare to major losses in their squad as the 2011 season begins. Celebrated manager Yuri Semin, the man who managed to unravel Spartak Moskva’s Russian Premier League clutches, has departed for Dynamo Kyiv and taken his star player, the egocentric and attitude ridden, Oleksandr Aliyev back to the Ukrainian club. Replacing the outgoing Semin is the former Spartak Nalchik manager Yuri Krasnozhan, who successfully managed to push his former side up the table, against the expectations of fans and experts alike. Whilst both clubs have experienced vastly different fortunes in the off-season, they will both be aiming to get the new campaign up and running with all three points. – Eliot Rothwell

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Bayern Munich v Hamburg (Sunday) – It hasn’t been the best of times for Bayern Munich or Louis van Gaal.  Back-to-back defeats in the league have left his position near untenable and, with it being announced he will be relieved of all duties at the end of the season, his final task will be making sure Bayern finish in a Champions League spot, that being imperative. An inconsistent Hamburg side will be the visitors to the Allianz Arena and with 2 wins from their last 5 visits versus only the one defeat, Armin Veh, another manager leaving at the end of the season, might just fancy his chances. – Mohamed Moallim

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De Graafschap v ADO Den Haag (Sunday) — ADO Den Haag is fourth in the table. I’ll repeat, fourth in the table. Their mesmeric rise has defied all expectations and John van den Brom surely is the shoe-in for manager of the year. With only one defeat in their last 9 games, they sit second in the form table, just a point behind Ajax. As for their hosts, it’s been a mixed season for De Graafschap.  Their inconsistency finds them hovering just above the relegation zone, yet the deficiencies of those below them should keep the Superboeren from the relegation play-offs. – Mohamed Moallim

Feyenoord v NAC (Sunday) — Feyenoord’s slow and steady rise up the table has been going under the radar.  Running silently unbeaten in their last 5 league outings sees them sitting in 13th spot just two points behind Sunday’s visitors to De Kuip, NAC Breda. Much of the recent resurgence in form has been attributed to the feel good factor that 18-year-old Japanese wunderkind Ryo Miyaichi has brought. Yet, if Feyenoord’s form has been going in the right direction, then NAC Breda has passed them headed down the opposite path. One win in their last 5 league matches – albeit against champions FC Twente – must surely worry interim managers John Karelse, Gert Aandewiel and Arno van Zwam and having three men in charge where one is needed must surely worry the supporters. – M.M.

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AS Eupen v Anderlecht (Saturday) – For long, Anderlecht has been the dominant power in Belgian football.  A brief hiatus from being league champions in 2008 and 2009 was corrected the following season and it seemed claiming back-to-back championships was on the cards this season. But it looks like there’s suddenly competition afoot in the shape of Genk, who last were crowned champions in 2002.  With near identical records it’s looking more and more likely the league will go down to the wire. Anderlecht will need to navigate past lowly Eupen, which they should do comfortably, but this is football and we are entering squeaky-bum time. – Mohamed Moallim

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Bordeaux v AS Monaco (Sunday) — Both of these sides have vastly underachieved so far this season but a win would go some way towards removing the sting. Jean Tigana, whose Les Girondins resignation was rejected a couple of weeks ago, has seen his side display an overdue run of form since the 5-1 hammering against Lorient which precipitated his attempted abdication.  As Bordeaux attempt to extend their run of wins to three, Monaco will try to snap their run of draws – but in a positive manner.  The principality club are currently three points from safety and would like to widen the margin and avoid the drop in the season of their Prince’s royal nuptials.  It may be down to Korean striker Park Chu-Young to fire them to safety. – Tapesh Patel

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Sevilla v Barcelona (Sunday) — Gregory Manzano is sharing Jose Mourinho’s pain.  The Portuguese has made a great deal of noise in the press this week regarding the uneven scheduling in La Liga, which sees his side play next Saturday, on two days rest, after a Wednesday Champions League decider, while Barça, who secured a place in the quarter-finals on Tuesday, have twice as much recovery time before their away clash with the Rojiblancos this weekend at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán.  Manzano’s squad face the well-rested champions in the middle game of a tough 3-game stretch which began badly with a loss at the San Mamés to Bilbao.  Worse, they will be without striker Luis Fabiano, out for six weeks with a knee injury.  Sevilla need to take points from the match to stay within reach of Espanyol in the final European place in the table but with 4 defeats already at home and the Blaugrana undefeated on the road, the stars in the Andalusian night are not aligning for them. – Martin Palazzotto

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Cagliari v Udinese (Sunday) — Roberto Donadoni has quietly transformed the Sardinians into an effective squad since assuming command in mid-November.  During his time, the club has won 9 of their 16 league matches, with last week’s Rossoblu derby against Bologna, their first draw during his tenure.  That has translated into 28 of the club’s 39 points and a steady rise to 9th place.  With Palermo, Juve and Roma, all in free fall just above them, there is real opportunity to make further inroads.   Yet, containing the potent Udinese attack is a difficult task.  After a horrible start to their campaign, the Bianconeri have been one of Serie A’s most dangerous sides, going toe to toe with Milan in a 4-4 draw at the San Siro, easing past Napoli and Inter 3-1 and most recently euthanising Delio Rossi’s living hell as Palermo boss, under Maurizio Zamparini, with a 7-0 thrashing at the Renzo Barberi.  The prime threats are, of course, Antonio di Natale and Alexis Sánchez, who have 22 and 11 goals, respectively, but a half-dozen other players have struck at least twice, levelling the Little Zebras with Milan for second most league goals behind only Inter and bringing them to the cusp of the Champions League.  This one should be a cracker. – Martin Palazzotto

Roma v Lazio (Sunday) — The last time these two met, Lazio were top, Roma were struggling and Olimpia the Eagle, Lazio’s mascot was grounded from her talismanic circuit of her namesake stadium over safety concerns.  To that point, the Aguiles had not tasted defeat at home but Roma force-fed them a  2-0 loss before returning to more moribund form.   This time around, Lazio are clinging to the erstwhile final Serie A Champions League place – which next year will be transferred to the Bundesliga – and Roma are doing well in the league under caretaker boss Vincenzo Montella, having taken 7 of a possible 9 points for him.  Edy Reja’s side are coming off a 2-0 victory over Palermo, which saw the return of keeper Fernando Muslera, from an ankle knock, and Mauro Zarate, from a 3-game suspension for an end-of-match tantrum against Bologna.  The match also featured a brace from Giuseppe Sculli.  A win for the Lupi may rekindle hope in an heretofore lost season, yet Lazio cannot afford to lose with Udinese hot on their heels.  Both teams’seasons are at stake in the second half of this campaign’s Derby della Capitale. – M.P.

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Campeonato Paulista  13th round

Mirassol v Corinthians (Sunday) — This game deserves a little explanation. In our regular state championships, some unusual clubs seem to pop up once in a while to challenge the big leagues teams. In São Paulo we have 20 clubs participating and less than half are in national leagues (top 4 divisions). So huge clubs like Corinthians have to make trips to minnows, like Mirassol. However, this unknown team is the bright star of the small clubs this year, with good results that have pretty much assured them being amongst the quarter-finalists. Corinthians is still rebounding after losing so many key players (Elias, Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos, Jucilei and William), and is relying on some good performances by Liedson. – Fab Presilli

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Campeonato Carioca

Flamengo v Fluminense (Sunday) — In my point of view, this is  the first real test for Flamengo’s Ronaldinho in his quest to re-conquer Brazil. Fluminense has a very good team but has not fulfilled its potential in the Liberadores or the Rio state championship, as yet. In support of Ronaldinho, Flamengo have some impressive new players up from the youth squad, in Negueba and Diego Mauricio, not to mention the threat of Thiago Neves in the midfield, whose threat will provide some room on the flank for his more famous partner. – F.P.

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Argentinian Clausura Round 5

River Plate v Velez Sarsfield (Sunday) — This is an interesting match as River has are enjoying a good momentum, powered by some key players from their youth squad. The Gallinas seem to be following Barcelona’s influence by seeking success in home-grown players. Velez was one of the early favorites, after finishing second to Estudiantes in the Apertura, but are failing to impress over this season.  Certainly, they’ll be looking to rebound into their better form. — F.P.

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Copa Libertadores

Colo Colo v Santos (Wednesday) – Paulo Henrique Ganso is probably going to be back as the maestro for Santos after a knee surgery. Neymar is all fired up and Elano is the same impressive midfielder that somehow failed to deliver at so many European clubs. Both the Paulistas and the Chilean side will be playing for their continental lives after two rounds without a clear favorite in the group. – F.P.

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Monarcas Morelia v UNAM Pumas (Sunday) — Monarcas have been the surprise side entering round 10 in the Mexican Primera División Clausura.  Their play has relegated the Apertura’s dominant side, Cruz Azul, to 3rd place in Group 3 heading into round 10 of 17.  The potent attack team of Rafael Marquéz Lugo and Miguel Sabah have struck for 10 goals between them.  Pumas have a trio leading the way for them, with Juan Cacho, Martin Bravo and Javier Cortés Granado combining for a dozen strikes, but also have a second group of three with a pair of goals each.  UNAM are the group and the competition’s best side but if Monarcas can defend well enough, they can level terms with a victory. – Martin Palazzotto

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See you next week!

Chelsea v Everton (Saturday) — It has just occurred to me that Chelsea is a lot like Toy Story.  Seriously.  Roman Abramovich is Andy, although he doesn’t have to wait for Christmas or his birthday for his parents to buy him new playthings.  He has his own money and his favourite holidays are the summer and winter transfer windows.  This year, he was his own secret Santa, splurging £50 million on his version of Buzz Lightyear, Fernando Torres.  It follows, then, that Didier Drogba must be Woody, as he suddenly knows what it’s like not to be Roman’s favourite toy anymore.  Although, Woody is expected to start this weekend, at least according to Mr. Potato Head –  and who else would Carlo Ancelotti be with that eyebrow?   With Louis Saha and Jack Rodwell both unavailable, expect Zurg – aka David Moyes – and his minions to be vanquished.  John Terry, who is morphing into a hapless T-Rex, badly wants in on the fun but he may find himself left on the shelf, in favour of David Luiz when playtime rolls around. – Martin Palazzotto

Manchester United v Crawley Town (Saturday) – This is what it’s all about, right? The magic of the Cup – David versus Goliath. Well, yes, but let’s face it, the likelihood of Crawley Town winning at Old Trafford is slim to non-existent, although, interestingly, the last three non-League teams to play at Old Trafford have all earned replays. If the Red Devils (that’s Crawley by the way) were to progress to the last eight, they’d be the first non-League side to do so since before World War II so you can see the size of the task at hand for Steve Evans’ team even if, as seems likely, United are not at full strength. – Roger Domeneghetti

Birmingham City v Sheffield Wednesday (Saturday) – Decisions, decisions; Alex McLeish has got a lot to make before his side hosts Sheffield Wednesday. On one hand, he’ll want to rest players ahead of next weekend’s Carling Cup final, where his side have the chance to win their first silverware since 1963. On the other, he’ll want to get through this tie with the minimum of effort so he can focus on the Blues’relegation battle – one thing he won’t want is a replay clogging up the fixture list in future.  Sheffield Wednesday will be something of an unknown quantity – their only two wins this year have come in the FA Cup, whereas they’ve lost three of four League games. The Blues should be favourites, but fielding a weakened side could be their undoing. – R.D.

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Leeds United v Norwich City (Saturday) – The promotion battle in the npower Championship heats up when sixth-placed Leeds United welcome third-placed Norwich to Elland Road. Norwich comfortably beat Leeds United to the League One crown last season but the Canaries haven’t won at Elland Road for almost two decades. Whites manager Simon Grayson has almost a full squad to choose from with only fullback Paul Connolly unavailable through injury. Loanee Eric Lichaj will cover. Norwich, meanwhile, lost Leon Barnett for the rest of the season with Zak Whitbread stepping into central defence. Both teams are in impressive form but United’s free scoring attacking line backed by a fired-up 30,000+ crowd should hand the tie to Leeds. – Kristian Anker-Møller

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Celtic v Rangers (Sunday) –While these two teams seem to be playing one another every two weeks, there is no hiding the fact that the Old Firm remains one of the most important derbies on the planet. As the home team, Celtic will fancy their chances, especially since their form has been so good since the turn of the year. Yet, as with all derbies, match form counts for little and  Rangers will want to prove themselves ready for the title challenge. It is also a game that can provide more red cards than goals, watch for the Scott Brown/El Hadji Diouf feud to continue. I predict a draw for what will be Walter Smith’s last SPL match at Parkhead as Rangers boss. – Scott Johnston

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Mainz v Bayern Munich (Saturday) — Ouch. A game against Bayern rarely comes at a good time, and, for Mainz, certainly not now. Last weekend, Mainz delivered their poorest performance of the season in the 4-2 loss to Cologne and Thomas Tuchel’s charges have recorded only two wins in the last eight league games. Bayern, on the other hand, were firing on all cylinders against Hoffenheim, with Robben back in form and Gomez finding the goal: Tuchel jokingly proposed playing an unorthodox 4-1-4-2 system to counter the Bavaria threat. The only factor that might play to Mainz’ advantage is if the Bavarians are already focusing on next week’s Champions League clash with Inter. That’s unlikely, though, so expect Bayern to come out on top. — Kristian Anker-Moeller

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FC Groningen v Roda JC (Saturday) — Say it quietly, but FC Groningen have an outside chance of winning the league.  In what has been a consistent season for Pieter Huistra’s side, they are only 6 points behind the league leaders, a much better standing than last season. Last week’s 1-1 draw at De Graafschap halted any momentum and cost them a chance to close the gap to 4 points. This weekend, they entertain a Roda side who are winless in their last 3 games but still managed a good comeback at home to Ajax last week. Roda might find turning the trick twice difficult, as Groningen have picked up more home wins than any other side in the league. – Mohamed Moallim

ADO Den Haag v Feyenoord (Sunday) — Nothing beats a good derby. After their much needed return to winning ways, Feyenoord face a difficult trip to high-flying Den Haag. With new Japanese sensation Ryo Miyaichi the talk of the town, after his impressive debut, he might again be needed to make the difference and with a possible loan extension to 2012 being talked about, Feyenoord fans could expect more excitement. What a season it has been for John van den Brom’s men, after finishing 15th last season ADO lie in 5th place,  not far from a Champions League spot.   His side will be looking to avenge the 2-1 defeat at De Kuip earlier in the league campaign. It what should be a close game, the numbers point to a home victory; Feyenoord have only won twice on the road whilst Den Haag have lost twice at home all season. – M.M.

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Lens v Sochaux (Saturday) — There is nothing worse than hyping a game up beyond all proportion but this is a huge game down at the bottom of Ligue 1.  Lens has improved under new boss Laszlo Boloni.   After a tough defeat against Lille, they have had an encouraging draw with Valenciennes and a superb 0-0 away at the Parc de Princes, so spirits will be high at the Stade Felix Bollaert this week.  Coming to town are Ligue 1’s second top scorers, Sochaux.  Unfortunately, les Lionceaux do not defend nearly as well as they attack and find themselves close to the relegation zone.  Francis Gillot’s men will hope to pick up at least a point to maintain their four point gap on the bottom three. — Andrew Gibney

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Villarreal v Malaga (Sunday) — It’s the battle of the Yellow Submarines and the Qatari-funded Andalusians. And what an interesting battle it will be. Villarreal, less than fresh from a hard-fought goalless draw in the Europa League clash at Napoli, struggled without their influential striker Giuseppe Rossi. In this instance, the mercurial Brazilian Nilmar was unable to fill the void and find himself a goal. Key for Juan Carlos Garrido’s men will be defensive solidity and the creativity in midfield that former West Brom flop Borja Valero is no doubt able to produce. The Yellow Submarines have been noted this season as the best of the rest, behind Madrid and Barcelona, that is, but to keep up with the two giants, Garrido’s men will have to come up with the goods against the free spending south coasters Malaga. Under the new ownership of rich Qataris and the leadership of Chilean boss Manuel Pellegrini, the club have been making strides forward, no better illustrated than with the impressive double acquisition of Julio Baptista, a man once known as “the beast” and the highly tipped Spanish under-21 goalkeeper Sergio Asenjo. The beast and the backstopper will have to be on top form, however, to overcome the impressive flurry of attacking football from the men in yellow. — Eliot Rothwell

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Bologna v Palermo (Saturday) – Had a bad day at the office? Try walking a mile in Abel Hernandez’s shoes. The 20-year-old Uruguayan was robbed at gunpoint on Wednesday after a Rosaneri training session. After having said gun placed in his mouth, the Palermo frontman was forced to hand over his wallet and jewellery. Having just battled back from injury, his family and the local community have rallied around him in support and the youngster has replied by pledging his future to the club. On the pitch, the lunchtime curse struck Palermo for the fourth time, last week, in a 4-2 reversal to Fiorentina. Bologna fared no better as they went down 3-1 at Sampdoria, conceding all three within the opening 15 minutes. The Rossoblu are currently seven points clear of the drop zone, while Palermo coincidentally find themselves occupying the seventh position in the table. In the weekly Maurizio Zamparini watch, the eccentric president has blamed all the failings on coach Delio Rossi, and jokingly offered Javier Pastore to Juventus in exchange for Claudio Marchisio and Giorgio Chiellini. That actually works out to a 15% mark-down from the chairman’s original 100 million valuation. Time for a piggy bank pool! – Shaun Best

Genoa vs Roma (Sunday) – It’s been a tale of two contrasting weeks. Coming off the Inter thrashing, the last thing Roma and under-fire Claudio Ranieri needed was two crushing home defeats – but that’s exactly what they got. While Shakhtar Donetsk were running riot in Rome, in the second of the Giallorossi’s setbacks, Genoa were putting city rivals Sampdoria to the sword in a re-arranged midweek derby. It was only the Grifone’s second win in 2011. Roma have recently lost at the Marassi, to Sampdoria, and another defeat could see former player Vincenzo Montella take over the reigns on a caretaker basis. Slovakian midfielder Juraj Kucka will look to pull the strings for the home side and dictate the play. Jeremy Menez and/or Francesco Totti will be the obvious threats for the visitors. – S.B.

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Olympiakos v Panathinaikos (Saturday) — A derby clash between first and second in Greece’s top division. A seven point gap separates the two fierce rivals. Olympiakos have won ten league games in a row, Ernesto Valverde’s men are on a tear so far this season. Panathinaikos will be pinning their hopes on the goals of Djibril Cisse and why not? Eighteen tallies in twenty games is a superb record in any league. The Tryfilli are not on too bad a run themselves unbeaten in seven. This one is building up to be a classic. — Andrew Gibney

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Central Coast vs Brisbane Roar (Saturday) – The first leg of the playoff tie between the A-League’s top two sides is the highlight of the first week of finals action. First placed Brisbane Roar travel to Gosford to take on the Central Coast Mariners. The overall winner gains the right to host the Grand Final so this clash is critical for both sides. The Roar who are on the longest winning streak ever seen in Australian football will be keen to consolidate their regular season form with a good result. The Mariners will be looking to spring one of the biggest upsets in A-League history. However, Matt Simon, the Mariners’star striker, is under an injury cloud and is likely to miss the clash while Brisbane can name a largely unchanged side from the one that demolished Gold Coast 4-0 in the final week of league action. It’s difficult to imagine the Roar’s impressive unbeaten streak ending here and I expect they’ll hold a narrow advantage when the two sides face up for the return leg. – Tom Pollock

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Flamengo v Botafogo, Carioca Taça Guarabana Semi-Final 1st Leg (Sunday) — After a handful of games, Ronaldinho has yet to show his best moves in Brazil.  Maybe its time in a derby match that gives a place in the final of the Rio State First Round (of two) Championship for the winner. Flamengo has other good players, with Thiago Neves in the middle and the young forward Negueba, eager to help their new pal.  Botafogo is flying under the radar, with a remarkably good goalie in Jeferson and some key goals by Loco Abreu, the team is not the favourite but will be difficult to beat. – Fab Presilli

Corinthians v Santos, São Paulo State Championship (Sunday) — It’s Corinthians first big game without power duo Roberto Carlos and Ronaldo. The former has moved to Anzhi, in Russia and the latter retired after being especially targeted for abuse and vandalism from fans in the wake of the club’s early ouster from the Copa Libertadores, a match for which Roberto Carlos was not even available due to injury.  Liedson is the key player for them now and began on a high, with two goals in the first match. Santos have Neymar back from the U20 National Squad, although Paulo Henrique Ganso is still sidelined. Elano is their maestro and has to be watched as he is creating plays from all over the pitch. – F.P.

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River Plate v Huracan (Sunday) — A head-to-head to relegation clash right at the start of the tournament. River is a little above Huracan in the average points table but too many defeats would put them in a dangerous spot at the end of the season. The main player for River is Mariano Pavone, on loan from Real Betis but watch for U20 forward Funes Mori, as well. – Fab  Presilli

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Once Caldas v Libertad (Wednesday) — A very difficult game for the Paraguayans as Manizales is at the top of an unreachable mountain in Colombia, guarded by a passionate crowd, which can cause some problems for the players on the pitch. However Libertad has already won their first game away, at San Luis Potosí in Mexico, and is favoured to earn at least a draw and keep the group lead. – Fab Presilli

Argentinos Juniors v Club América (Thursday) — A decisive game in a close group that also features Fluminense of Brazil and Nacional from Uruguay. América won their first game and another win would put them in the driver seat the rest all the way. Argentinos impressed with a draw in Brazil and hope to milk the home field advantage in Buenos Aires. – F.P.

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Monterrey v UANL Tigres (Saturday) — The Nueva León Derby is a huge match in Group 1 of the Mexican Clausura.  Tigres have opened a surprise lead, being the only team, after six rounds, to have won four matches.  Monterrey are the Apertura champions and had their way in this group in the autumn.  Trailing their local rivals doesn’t sit well with el Rayados and their shiny pated striker, Humberto Suarez, will be looking to further mine his rich vein of form and close the gap on Tigres. — Martin Palazzotto

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Enjoy the matches!

Enjoy!

Southampton v Manchester United (Saturday) — Despite having lost just once this season, in the League Cup, you still get the feeling Manchester United are running on empty and Nigel Adkins’ Southampton side will be desperate to claim their scalp in this televised fixture.  Not only did United concede twice from corners in midweek against Blackpool, their line will be tested further with the likely absences of both Rio Ferdinand and Rafael.  The Saints, who lie fourth in League One and have lost just once in their last 14 home games, will look to take advantage of United’s brittleness at the back. – Roger Domeneghetti

Watford v Brighton (Saturday) — Like a retro reunion gig, this tie sees the FA Cup runners-up of 1983 and 1984 face each other for a place in the fifth round.  While it might not have any big names on show, this tilt should be an intriguing game nonetheless.  The Hornets are in the play-off pack, having rediscovered their sting, with 24 goals in eight games since the turn of the year.  Yet, Brighton are rock solid in defence, conceding less than a goal per game in all competitions.  Gus Poyet’s men, who have won five of six in 2011 and sit six points clear at the top of League One, will want to maintain their momentum. – R.D.

Arsenal v Huddersfield Town (Sunday) — The last time these two teams played in the FA Cup, they were both titans of the game. But then, that was nearly 80 years ago and things are a little different now.  The Gunners, determined to end their trophy hoodoo, should be merciless but Arsene Wenger’s habit of fielding weaker sides in the cup competitions has seen the Gunners already struggle against lower league opposition.  Can you say Ipswich Town?  Meanwhile, the Terriers are unbeaten in eight games this year and the Frenchman will underestimate them at his peril. Having said all that, Arsenal haven’t lost at home since November and their talent, plus the restored confidence gained from the second leg League Cup victory over Ipswich, should see them safe. – R.D.

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Scunthorpe United v Preston North End (Saturday) — With not many games in the Championship this Saturday, this relegation dog fight might be the stand out game. With two draws and a loss under his belt as Preston manager, Phil Brown will be after his first win, to lift Preston off the bottom of the table.  It’s a surprise to all that Preston are cellar dwellers, especially considering their play-off credentials over the last couple of years. Scunthorpe are no mugs either, yet are only 3 points from safety themselves.   The Lily Whites arguably have the better squad, with experienced Championship players such as Paul Parry, Sean St. Ledger and Iain Hume, but it will be no easy task overcoming the Iron, with this 6 pointer probably key to both teams’season. –Scott Salter

Norwich City v Millwall (Tuesday) — Despite one fan’s drunken and rather disturbing sermon to the contrary, neither Norwich nor owner Delia Smith will likely be following Dante into the Inferno anytime soon.  Nor will they be dragged into the pit of a relegation fire. In fact, the newly promoted Canaries have a much better chance of reaching new heights in 2012, having defied all logic to go joint second with Welsh duo Cardiff and Swansea.  Apparently, being at the top of the Championship is for the birds, this season.  On the other hand, the Lions of Millwall have also clawed their way up, since being promoted, and will attempt to build on their 8th place standing. Despite the fans’cries to the contrary, I’m sure more than a few people will admire  manager Kenny Jackett, even if they don’t like the club. Then again, Millwall’s fans really don’t care what anyone else likes! – Tapesh Patel

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Dundee United v Hibs (Sunday) — It’s catch-up weekend in the SPL, meaning that it’s time for Dundee United to give their season the kick-start it desperately needs. In doing so, however, they’d also be kicking Colin Calderwood and Hibs while they’re down. The Arabs can’t be bothered about that, though.  With a ridiculous five games in hand over Inverness, a good run of wins could see them jump up to fourth. Yet, as Craig Burley keeps telling us “it’s better to have the points on the board.”  Hibs need a win as much as Andy Gray needs sensitivity training.   They’re only three points ahead of rock bottom Hamilton but the Accies – are you ready for it? – have two games in hand. Both teams need the points desperately, if for different reasons. The Arabs’quality should prove too strong but isn’t an animal more dangerous when wounded? – Andrew Gibney

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Lille v Lens (Saturday) — The Derby du Nord will play out between two in-form sides with completely different aims. Lille, now 4 points clear of the pack, will want to keep that cushion with a win. They should be favourites, having gone 10 matches unbeaten.  The fiercely contested derby may prove tight, however, especially against a resurgent Lens side who come into the game off back-to-back wins under their new manager Laszlo Boloni.  – Tapesh Patel

The Derby du Nord is a fierce rivalry but before we toss the form book out the window, let me mention that Lens are beginning to roll, having won two games in a row, while the league leaders are, of course, flying high. As a member of the Lillois fan club, I’ll be looking for Rudi Garcia’s men to pick up all three points.  This is what derbies are for, though; there is a small doubt in my mind, where I can see Lille taking their foot off the gas and looking past Lens to tougher opponents down the road. Lens is without winger Razak Boukari, who left for Rennes, but do have new manager Laszlo Boloni in charge and what better way to endear yourself than by stopping your bitter rivals title charge. Everything to play for. – Andrew Gibney

Valenciennes v Lyon (Saturday) — With Lille stretching their lead to four points at the top of the league, this is a must win for Les Gones. Travelling north to Valenciennes is never an easy task. Only one defeat in seven home games for Phillipe Montanier’s side. VAFC’s only chance of success will be to shut Lyon out, since goals have been at a premium for the home side, counting only five in the last six.  OL will be hoping Bafetimbi Gomis’run of good form continues this weekend, after two superb strikes from the big forward last week.  With large and in charge Lisandro Lopez beside the Senegalese, Claude Puel’s men will hope to bounce back from the extra-time Coupe de France defeat to Nice and return to the form which saw them beat Lorient 3-0 at the Stade Gerland. – A.G.

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Werder Bremen v Bayern Munich — Bayern Munich embark on the post-Mark Van Bommel (if it can be called that) era with a league clash against the hapless northerners Werder Bremen. The team from the Weserstadion has plumbed to uncharted depths, putting enormous pressure on the dynamic duo of Thomas Schaaf and Klaus Allofs. A win against Bayern would go a long way towards salvaging a season that otherwise could end in relegation. Bayern, though, are hitting their stride and with Arjen Robben back they should roll over Werder. Van Gaal will be confident of a victory even though he is still keeping everyone guessing about the goalkeeper position. On form, this should be Bayern’s but as they say, the most dangerous are those who have nothing to lose. – Quazi Zulquarnain

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PSV Eindhoven v Willem II (Saturday) — The ultimate top versus bottom clash. PSV go into the game on the back of elimination, on penalties, from the KNVB Beker (Dutch Cup) at the hands of FC Twente.  If Fred Rutten wanted a game where his side could bounce back, nothing could suit his needs better than welcoming Willem to the Philips Stadion. The visitors should be buoyed by their first league victory, against Vitesse, but they know they’re entering the den of a bear already enraged at being stung.  Thoughts of Feyenoord’s treatment at PSV’s hands may sober Willem’s euphoria. – Mohamed Moallim

FC Twente v Feyenoord (Sunday) — After the emotional defeat to De Graafschap last weekend, Mario Been needs to rally his troops for the trip to the champions, FC Twente. Another defeat could leave Feyenoord facing certain relegation. Twente, on the other hand, are still looking to close the gap on league leaders PSV, aware that any slip could leave them far behind, especially with PSV enjoying a relatively comfortable fixture (on paper at least). — M.M.

NAC Breda v Ajax (Sunday) – NAC Breda and Ajax meet on Sunday lunchtime, a rematch coming just three days after Ajax’s 4-1 home win in the KNVB Cup quarter-final. Breda’s interim manager, Gert Aandewiel, does not believe the league game will have any similarities with the cup match, though.

“Instinctively, I don’t like playing the same opponent twice in such a short period.  But it is like it is. One the other hand, you have an advantage when it comes to preparing for the second game.”

Frank de Boer, on the other hand, will be expecting a better away performance than last weekend’s 3-0 league defeat at the hands of FC Utrecht, if Ajax is to push for the title.  Nor can Luis Suarez’absence, now permanent,  be offered as an excuse for the side’s malaise. – M.M.

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Lazio v Fiorentina (Saturday) — Free-falling Lazio welcome Fiorentina and some old friends to the Stadio Olimpico, in Rome.  Viola coach Sinisa Mihajlovic will be looking to heap further misery on his former club but both his former and current sides have only won once in the league thus far in 2011.  Lorenzo Di Silvestri and Cristian Brocchi are expected to face their former employers but new Fiorentina signing and Lazio old boy Valon Behrami, just off the plane after his long-sought move from West Ham, is more likely to start on the bench.  Peace talks between Adrian Mutu and the Fiorentina hierarchy have re-opened, after the troubled Romanian apologised for walking out of training. Yet, Despite sacking the agents who “badly advised” him and pledging his future to the club, it could be a while before fans see Mutu in a purple shirt again.  Lazio, away winners in the first leg of the season tie, must do without Mauro Zarate, who serves the first of a three match ban, following a violent outburst towards the end of last week’s loss in Bologna. With Tommaso Rocchi still out injured, Giuseppe Sculli may get the nod, ahead of Pasquale Foggia. to partner Sergio Floccari in the Eagles attack.  Both sides are expected to play an open game and chase three precious points, so expect a flowing game of Calcio. – Shaun Best

Catania v AC Milan (Saturday) – League leaders Milan travel to struggling Catania after bolstering their ranks with two flying Dutchmen.  Mark van Bommel and Urby Emanuelson joined this week. Both midfielders made their bow in the midweek Coppa Italia success over Sampdoria. Two goal hero Pato will also be pushing for a start.  With Gianluca Zambrotta adding to a growing injury list, Emanuelson is expected to slot in at left back.  Despite the injuries, the Rossoneri will be brimming with confidence, rejoicing that their Coppa semi-final berth is booked and that Cesare Prandelli plans to recall Antonio Cassano into his next national squad.  Diego Simeone’s new-look Catania side lost 2-0 in the Argentine’s first outing last week. No fewer than eight of the tactician’s countrymen were fielded in the starting lineup.  A positive:  all five of Catania’s victories this season have come at home. Only Inter and Juventus have emerged from the Stadio Angelo Massimino with victories. Top scorer Maxi Lopez is the most obvious threat Milan will need to guard against. – S.B.

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Hercules v Barcelona (Saturday) – It’s finally here!  La Liga’s version of Rocky II, where the retread stumble-bums from Alicante take on the smooth, polished champions.  Only, in the Spanish original, Rocky won and it’s Apollo Creed (or Lionel Messi and crew) who have something to prove.  Hercules have been shut out in 3 of 4  2011 matches but the 4th was a stunning 4-1 demolition of Atletico Madrid.  Like the iconic Rocky Balboa, the Valencians can soak up incredible punishment and then deliver a knockout blow out of nowhere.  One thing is certain, for one side or the other, this bout won’t be pretty. – Martin Palazzotto

Espanyol v Villareal (Sunday) — A clash between the 5th and 3rd placed sides, separated by 5 points, Espanyol has given up much of the advantage they would have enjoyed, selling two key defenders to Italian clubs.  Victor Ruiz, 21, in line for the Spanish National team and with 15 starts this season is off to Napoli, while left back Didac Vila has been scooped up for €3 milion by AC Milan.  Usually, clubs in Espanyol’s position, vying for Europe, are buyers rather than sellers but apparently old habits die hard for the less successful Barcelona club.   With Nilmar, Marcos Senna and now Angel Lopez out with injury, the Yellow Submarine were sorely undermanned and the opportunity was there for the Periquitos to close to within 2 points of  their visitors.  Now, however, 11-goal man Giuseppe Rossi must be licking his chops at the thought of the home side’s depleted back line. – M.P.

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Santos v São Paulo (Sunday) — The first big derby of the year, in the Sao Paolo Paulistao, or state championship. Being played in the neutral Barueri Stadium, both teams are still trying to get the best from their available players, with some important ones still missing. Santos might have Elano, the midfielder is their best player so far, and will be at least until the return of Ganso and Neymar. The absence of Zé Love maybe felt as Keirrison is not as good at the box. São Paulo’s coach Paulo Cesar Carpegiani is in the same boat, especially with Rivaldo not set to play yet. – Fab Presilli

Vasco v Flamengo (Sunday) – Rio has its first derby too, in the Carioca.  However, Vasco have lost all their three matches so far and Flamengo is flying high ahead of the debut of Ronaldinho, not expected until next week. This game could very well be the final nail in the coach’s PC Gusmão’s coffin. The early star in Flamengo’s squad is Wanderley, a young forward who is scoring goals and making headlines. – F.P.

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Adelaide United vs Central Coast Mariners (Saturday) — The clash between the 2nd and 3rd placed teams is the highlight of week 25 in the A-League. This battle will be a great preview of what can be expected in the upcoming finals series, due to start in three weeks. Adelaide, despite being lower on the ladder, will be considered favourites, largely due to their impressive record at home (the Reds have won 9 from 12 at Hindmarsh Stadium). Striker Sergio van Dijk has been in hot form this season and is currently the A-League’s leading scorer. He looms at the game breaker and the Central Coast must shut him down if they want to extend their five game unbeaten run. – Tom Pollock

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This Weekend’s Catch was brought to you by:

<<Roger Domeneghetti is a professional sports journalist who can’t get enough and blogs on his own, at Who Ate All The Goals.  His first full-length contribution to WFC is a review of the football treatise Pay As You Play.

>>Scott Salter is a new writer on WFC, whose weekly take on the npower Championship, A Grain of Salt, will debut this Tuesday.  And yes, his girlfriend does have two eyes.

<<Tapesh Patel writes WFC’s Ligue 1 column, Channel Surfing and Small Town Dreams, on his hometown club Walsall.  A championship fan moving to Sheffield, Tapesh’s loyalties will be tested by the Owls and Blades.

>>Andrew Gibney covers the SPL for WFC and has his own blog, The Gib Football Show. His new mission in life is to be the Angelina Jolie of footy bloggers, adopting one club from every league on the planet.

<< Mohamed Moallim pens The Low Country, WFC’s Eredivisie column.  A huge Ajax fan, he has just reviewed Brilliant Orange and is sweating the departure of Luis Suarez and Urby Emmanuelson.

>> Shaun Best, a dyed-in-the-wool Lazio fan, is still trying to bring himself to write about something other than Serie A.  As he’s quite knowledgeable regarding Calcio, we’re happy to give him as much time as he requires.

<<Quazi Zulquarnain, from Dakha, is nonetheless mad for the Bundesliga.  He writes on football at It’s In The Game and, when football doesn’t get the juices flowing, follows his native tradition and enjoys a good 3-day wedding.

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>> Fab Presilli mans the WFC Brazil desk.  Also a television writer in Sao Paolo, he secretly harbours a passion for the NFL.

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<<Tom Pollock is the freakishly tall author of The Oz Files and is rooting for the Socceroos to win Saturday’s Asian Cup Final.  He stubbornly insists that his outfit is the latest fashion in Australian graduation gowns.

>>Martin Palazzotto is the editor of WFC and is currently writing weekly columns on Serie A (Spaghetti Western Theatre) and Manchester United’s unbeaten run (Tales of the Almost Beatables).  He usually smiles when photographed but is beginning to take himself too seriously.

See you next week!

In Belo Horizonte, we have two major players.

Cruzeiro is going to play the Libertadores at the first semester, and they made some improvements to the squad that finished second in last year’s Campeonato, bringing in seven new players. Midfielder Leandro Guerreiro and Paraguayan forward Ortigoza are the key newcomers and should make the starting XI. The main player here is the aging Gilberto.  The former left back is now playing in the midfield and very well, I may say. However, his contract expires in mid-season and has not been renewed yet, leaving the team with a major hole to fill if they do not re-sign their elder statesman. Forward Thiago Ribeiro and goalie Fabio are the other notables. Cruzeiro are favorites to win the Minas Gerais State Championship and have a tough group at the Libertadores, with Estudiantes and possibly Corinthians.

The state’s other big club, Atlético Mineiro, is rebuilding and has signed a lot of players over the past few years without much success. This season’s most promising new player is Richarlyson (the spelling of some names in Brazil….). After many years in São Paulo, the do-it-all midfielder will try to win the hearth of the fans in Belo Horizonte. Other major players there are midfielder Ricardinho and power forward Diego Tardelli. Coach Dorival Júnior will have to work hard to improve the squad sufficiently to compete against rivals Cruzeiro. Still, Atlético has enough to reach the latter stages of the Brazilian Cup and possibly the top 8 of the Campeonato.

Going down south we reach Porto Alegre, a city divided by red and blue.

Gremio couldn't get their heads straight and native son Ronaldhino went to Flamengo.

The blue side belongs to Grêmio. The most improving team in the last semester of 2010, Gremio managed to escape from relegation to climb all the way up to the top 4 at the end. I don’t believe they will repeat such success because of a lack of new players, having concentrated their efforts and lost the Ronaldinho Gaucho sweepstakes to Flamengo, and my complete lack of faith in the coaching abilities of Renato Portaluppi, aka Renato Gaúcho. The boss’best eleven features goalkeeper Victor and midfielder Douglas. Left back Lúcio and forward Borges, if they choose to stay, are also worth mentioning. A good draw in the Libertadores could help Gremio’s chances but I don’t consider them favorites for any trophy this year.

The red of Porto Alegre is the home of Internacional.  After the shocking Club World Cup loss to African side Mazembe, in Abu Dhabi, some changes were made to the staff and the starting lineup of Inter. The team doesn’t need many new players but Bordeaux’s Fernando Cavenaghi is being shopped there and may turn this side into an even better one. Midfielders Andres d’Alessandro and Giuliano lead the way with Guiñazu, Alecsssandro and Rafael Sóbis a superb supporting cast. Inter will contend heavily for a new Libertadores title and are favorites for the State and National Championships.

São Paulo is the biggest city in the nation, but the 4 big teams that are based here didn’t made only small changes.

The  club which shares the city’s name, São Paulo, is in a bit of a hangover.  After so many titles over the past years, 2010 was a dry year and the first time in almost a decade that the team couldn’t qualify for the Libertadores. The lack of turnover in the team, albeit with the best defenders of the country, Alex Silva and Miranda, is a headline here. São Paulo will try to win the Brazilian Cup or the Sul-Americana to get back to the Libertadores in 2012. Keeper Rogério Ceni is close in his quest to reach 100 goals (scored, yes, you read that correctly) and may very well do so in the next months.

News maker Corinthians also didn’t made many changes to the lineup. Club and World Cup icon Ronaldo’s last year begins with a new quest to win the Libertadores, an obsession for the team. The side lost Elias to Atlético Madrid but still has one of the best squads in the country, with former Galactico Roberto Carlos an ageless force in the back. Ronaldo has the company of Dentinho at the front and midfielder Bruno César is the playmaker. Corinthians are favorites to the São Paulo State and Libertadores titles, and if they can keep their players, the National one also.

Conversely, Palmeiras has only one name attached, coach Luiz Felipe Scolari. The additions of last year, midfielder Valdivia and forward Kleber, might be crowds favorites but never made a big impact on the pitch. Cash poor and having lost bids they could afford due to a lack of perspective, this team seem lost, although a place in the 2012 Libertadores would be a reachable goal. The club will need to improve its recruiting with goalkeeper Marcos, having dealt with injuries for the last couple of years, deciding to abandon the game after 2011. His will be a tough loss because he is one of the best guys out there.

Santos' biggest challenge may come from within. Will they be able to keep teenaged talisman Neymar from heading off to Europe?

The main favorites here are Santos. With a stellar cast led by Neymar, the guys from Vila Belmiro can win it all, Libertadores, State Championship and National title. Midfielder Elano is back after many years of being underused in Europe and Paulo Henrique Ganso is coming back from a surgery. Santos also found, in goalie Rafael, another good addition from their youth squad. When Adilson Batista sends out his best eleven, the spectacle is a must see for all football lovers.

Finally, it was Rio de Janeiro where the biggest impact of the offseason was made.

Fluminense has to be dealt with because the National Champions haven’t changed much from 2010. A healthy Fred and the nice touches of Conca make the difference here. Coach Muricy Ramalho will have to overcome his Libertadores drought in the latter stages.

The most improving team of all has to be Flamengo. Not only Ronaldinho Gaúcho but Thiago Neves, as well, was hired to improve the midfield. Coach Vanderlei Luxemburgo has to fix a defense with a lot of holes. New goalkeeper Felipe will be hard pressed until he does. Anything less than a State and National title will be considered a failure, so Luxemburgo had better start winning good and fast. The addition of Ronaldinho may improve also the attendance at the  Engenhão in Rio, a stadium that is not easy to reach for most of the people who live there.  The club’s usual stomping ground, the Maracanã, is closed for renovations ahead of the 2014 World Cup.

Botafogo and Vasco de Gama are the underdogs here. Botafogo hired Uruguayan Arevalo Rios and Vasco’s top name still is Carlos Alberto. Both teams might make good runs in the Brazilian Cup but , unfortunately, not much more can be expected of them.

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Fab Presilli is WFC’s Brazilian correspondent.  His day job is as a television script writer but his passion is football.  he’ll keep you updated on the best matches from Brasil, all season long, in the Weekend Catch and will also pop up every now and again with a feature on big stories coming out of the land of Carnival.

Arjen does his best impression of Homer Simpson, ignoring Mila Jovovic and Katy Perry in favour of what's really attractive. Ahhhhhh, Beeer!

In Germany, Bayern have learned the immediate ramifications for falling into the bottom half of the Bundesliga table, 13 points off the perfect pace of Mainz.  As punishment for their woeful start, the defending champs will miss out on their traditional Oktoberfest visit and instead endure double training sessions, over the international break.  That ought to motivate Arjen Robben, at least, who is a famous lover of the mead.

Bert van Marwijk surprised many fans, not just in the Netherlands and England, but everywhere else, when he left Nigel de Jong off his Euro qualifying roster, this week.  The leader of the Dutch band of guerilla fighters, which couldn’t hold off Spain in the World Cup Final, apparently has his limits and, having seen replays of de Jong’s legbuster on Hatem Ben Arfa, decided he’d reached his.  Saying that the midfielder had “left him no option,” he made the surprising decision to drop him and then issued the following explanation:

It is unfortunate, especially since he does not need to do it. The funny thing is that the referee did not even show a yellow card for it. Apparently, there are other standards. But I have a problem with the way Nigel needlessly looks to push the limit. I am going to speak to him. – Bert van Marwijk, on Nigel deJong making rash tackles while not playing for the national team.

The most surprising detail to emerge from the incident, however, is the lack of expected outrage from Arsene Wenger.  Perhaps, he was distracted by events at Stamford Bridge.

In Scotland, Jim Hughes stepped down as Hibernian manager, after a disastrous start to the campaign.  At Leicester City, word is that the entire board of directors is running interference to keep the news from Sven-Goran Ericksson, who has developed a penchant for snapping up the next available job, even though he just took the last one, not that long ago.  As the Foxes sweat it out, peals of laughter can be heard from Riyadh, Abidjan and Notts County.

One of the new rules, which Goodluck was trying to foist on the national team, was that, even during games, everyone must wear a big hat with a brim.

Also, in the news, Goodluck Jonathan has found that his name affords him no exemption from the wrath of Sepp Blatter and FIFA.  Fed up with the Nigerian government’s interference with the NFF, Blatter has put his foot down and suspended Nigeria from participating in or receiving support from any FIFA or CAF programmes.  Rumour has it that Nigerian president Jonathan remains undeterred in his plans to reshape the national football program.  Despite the possibility of being disqualified from the African Cup of Nations, Goodluck has hatched a Plan B.  As a fallback, he has opened the treasury to pay off a high ranking official, said to be willing to arrange a friendly against the Togo national team.

As Nigeria looks for a game, the WFC gang is here to catch you up on all the best of those which took place over the weekend.

Andrew Gibney

Andrew Gibney

Scottish Premier League

Hearts 1 – 2 Rangers

Naismith steps up again.

Rangers made it seven wins from seven, although they were made to work for it.  Returning Hearts favorite, Rudi Skacel, put the home side one up, after only 12 minutes.  Controlling Kevin Kyle’s flick, the Czech midfielder shrugged off two challenges to bundle the ball past Allan McGregor. Only ten minutes remained when Kyle Lafferty’s low-struck free kick caught out Hearts keeper Marian Kello and squeezed inside the post. Kello redeemed himself with two world class saves, to keep the score at 1-1. Five minutes of injury times were announced and for the second time this season Rangers took advantage.  James Naismith, with a darting run, linked well with Lafferty and Kello couldn’t stop his shot.  The champions again left it late but claimed all three points.

St. Johnstone 2 – o Hibernian

Under Hughes, Hibs were out of the picture.

It is never nice to see someone out of a job.  However, as predicted, defeat for Hibs meant the end of John Hughes’reign at Easter Road, leaving the role by “mutual” consent. It was an inevitable move after another poor performance from the Edinburgh club.   St. Johnstone were the much better team, peppering the Hibs box with crosses and knowing it was eventually going to pay off. Danny Grainger whipped in his cross and substitute Liam Craig angled the header past Mark Brown and into the net. While not the best of game,  the score remained the same until injury time.  Finally, substitute Marcus Haber took advantage of a Hibs’lapse in defence and ran through on goal, making no mistake in sealing Hibs’and John Hughes’fate.

Chris Mann

Chris Mann

Southampton 2 – 0 Bournemouth, League One

It wasn’t a classic derby by any stretch of the imagination but Nigel Adkins’team ran out winners, with a brace of penalties from Rickie Lambert, as Southampton stretched their unbeaten run to four games. This was a blow to the progress of Eddie Howe’s Bournemouth, who had begun their first season back in the third tier in impressive fashion.  With a tricky run of games coming up, the Cherries will need to keep improving, if they are to maintain their lofty league position.

Real Madrid 6-1 Deportivo La Coruna, La Liga

Real Madrid were always the favourites to beat a Deportivo team firmly locked in the grip of an on-field crisis but the way in which Los Blancos achieved the result was emphatic and eased the modicum of pressure that had begun to build up around Jose Mourinho. There were goals from Cristiano Ronaldo (2), Angel Di Maria, Gonzalo Higuain, Mesut Ozil and an own goal from Ze Castro, as the home side eased to an impressive victory.  The style in which they did so impressed the Bernabeu crowd, which had been initially sceptical of ‘the Mourinho way.’ This could be the result that launches Madrid’s season.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qijWG6O6A1o

Fabricio Presilli

Fab Presilli

Brasileiro Campeonato

Cruzeiro 0 – 0 Atletico Paranaense

Saturday was unispiring, in Brazil, as most of the games were draws. Cruzeiro and Atético Paranaense remained in the zeros.  The big news from this game was coach Paulo Cesar Carpegiani, who had been doing a great job in Atlético, putting them in a position to reach the top 3. Yesterday, he accepted an offer from struggling giants São Paulo and left Atlético.  There is no word on a permanent replacement, as yet.  Meanwhile, Cruzeiro’s steady run has put them third in the table and they should remain a contender until the end.

Botafogo 1 -1 Flamengo

Again, the biggest event occurred off the pitch, as Zico was forced to surrender, Friday, resigning as managing director of his beloved Flamengo. He was taking heat from all quarters, with many accusations of wrongdoing, which I firmly don’t believe. Now Flamengo have also sacked Silas and hired Wanderley Luxemburgo, in a desperate attempt to surge back from near the relegation zone.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXMJkKTs39k

Argentina Apertura

San Lorenzo 0 – 1 Estudiantes

Estudiantes won away at San Lorenzo, to open a confortable 5 point lead in the Apertura. With Boca and River out of the picture, this one seems already in the bag for Juan Sebastian Veron’s team.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIYNzjctajU

Geoff Edwards

Geoff Edwards

Borussia Dortmund 2 – 0 Bayern Munich, Bundesliga

Karl-Heinz Rummenigge is not happy.

It was a case of ‘more of the same’for Bayern at the Westfalenstadion. The Bavarians dominated possession, missed several gilt-edged chances, and then shot themselves in the foot defensively, first gifting a goal to Lucas Barrios, then giving away a soft free-kick, which Nuri Sahin, my player of the season so far, dispatched into the top corner.

Bayern now lie 13 points off top spot, seemingly making a mockery of those (not me, honest) who predicted them to win the title at a canter. Meanwhile, the big yellow machine marches on, showing they have what it takes to make a serious title challenge. With 8 players under the age of 22, surely this team is only going to get better.

Martin Palazzotto

Martin Palazzotto

The MLS Weekend

The Red Bulls took care of business in the Eastern Conference, their 1-0 home victory over the Kansas City Wizards guaranteeing them a place in the playoffs, come month’s end.  Dane Richards, for the second week running, struck early and, Despite wasting a number of chances, were kept in the match by the athleticism of their adventurous keeper, Bouna Coundoul.  At Crew Stadium, Columbus was unable to keep pace, stumbling to a listless nil-nil draw with the San Jose Earthquakes, very much down to the profligacy of forward Steven Lenhart.

In the west, both FC Dallas and champions Real Salt Lake put pressure on the LA Galaxy, ahead of that club’s Super Clasico confrontation with Chivas USA.  The Hoops doused the Chicago Fire, 3-0, with Jeff Cunningham’s penalty giving him shared billing with Jaime Moreno as the all time MLS goal scorer.  RSL traveled cross-country to put down the new England Revolution 2-1.

On Sunday evening, the Galaxy answered the challenges of RSL and FC Dallas.  They came roaring out of the gate, in the Super Clasico, putting up two first half goals against Chivas USA.  Edson Buddle struck for his league leading 15th, first, and then from a free kick, it was none other than David Beckham, with a sharply struck bender that found the top corner.

In the second 45, Chivas were much more into the match and, luckily for them, the linesman were suddenly out of it.  Alan Gordon’s header was allowed to stand, despite the forward being visibly offside, and two earlier phantom calls having nullified Galaxy chances.  The Galaxy would hold on despite sub Eddie Lewis seeing a very dubious red card for stomping Rodolfo Espinoza.  In fact, Lewis had leapt into the air, to avoid Espinoza’s studs up tackle, and landed on him as he slid under.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9juJk-y_g8

Mexican Apertura

South of the border, two of the three clubs fighting for one playoff position in Group 2 were faced with daunting tasks in Mexico City.  Toluca was in town to face Group 1 contenders Santos Laguna.  Club America, whose home ground is the Azteca, journeyed cross town to face Group 3 and overall leaders Cruz Azul.  Neither side found much joy on the day, Toluca going down 2-0 and America finishing on the wrong end of a 1-0 result.

That meant that San Luis, who had defeated Tigres, on Saturday, on Othoniel Arce’s header just after the restart, have leapfrogged from 3rd to 1st in the group and now control their own destiny in the chase for a berth in the Apertura championship.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfZusPUk9bM

Serie A

Inter 0 – 0 Juventus

Despite seats remaining empty at most venues, the quality of play in the Serie A has been ratcheted up, this season.  Goals have been coming from all sides.  So, much was expected from the Derby d’Italia p.1, at the Giuseppe Meazza.  Both sides did go for the win, throughout the match but it still ended in a more traditionally scoreless draw.

Instead it turned out to be the other Milan club and Andrea Pirlo who provided the electricity for Calcio fans this season.  As the announcer in our clip points out, Pirlo went goalless in the last campaign but this strike harkened back to days gone by, when this was just the type of magic you’d expect from the tiny wizard.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tj2owLbB7nA

Tapesh Patel

Tapesh Patel

Chelsea 2-0 Arsenal, Premier League

Arsenal put in a good shift at Stamford Bridge and, while they may have strengthened this summer, on this evidence they still need another dimension to contend for the title. New signings Marouane Chamakh, Laurent Koscielny and Sebastien Squillaci displayed the same weakness (literally) that has plagued the Gunners in recent years.

Squillaci was unable to prevent the first strike, as Didier Drogba combined strength with finesse, to reach and deftly finish an Ashley Cole cross.  That’s 13 goals in 13 games for the Ivorian, against the Gunners.  No-one could have stop the second goal, though, as defender Alex thumped home a curling free-kick from 25 yards. Chelsea’s campaign is going ominously well, and the engine of this team, Ramires and Michael Essien, were perfectly tuned in this match.

West Bromwich Albion 1 – 1 Bolton, Premier League

In the contest between in-form strikers Johan Elmander and Peter Odemwingie, the Swede made the first impact upon the match, latching onto a volleyed pass from Kevin Davies to guide the ball home. Player Of The Month Odemwingie also made his mark, however.  It was his cross that found the head of James Morrison for the equaliser. Both sides will be happy with the point, sitting together safely in mid-table at this point. Only 3 points separate 4th from 14th, though, so neither can get too comfortable.

Preston 1 – 1 Reading, The Championship

Preston took a valuable point from this match, which has taken them out of the relegation zone after a torrid start to the season. In an even match at Deepdale, the Lilywhites took the lead after good work from Iain Hume allowed Keith Treacy to convert. Jem Karacan levelled just after half-time, smashing in a half-volley from 25 yards.

St. Etienne 1 – 1 Marseille, Ligue 1

At first, it appeared that Dmitri Payet’s luck had finally come to an end, as his attempted clearance cannoned off the referee, leading to an easy finish for Andre-Pierre Gignac, his first for Marseille. However, there is a reason that the in-form winger has been called up to the French national squad, along with colleague Blaise Matuid. The two combined for the equaliser, eventually setting up veteran midfielder Laurent Batlles.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOnDHGfNnKg

Les Verts later dropped into second in Ligue 1, after Rennes beat Toulouse on Sunday, but seven points in the last three matches, against Lyon, OM and Toulouse, is an impressive return.

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Before we go, we’d like to offer a hearty congratulations to 33 year old Kevin Davies on receiving his first call up for England.  With Fabio Capello’s strike force severely depleted through injury and the in form Emile Heskey not feeling very masochistic, these days, the England manager has turned to the Bolton veteran.  Word is that Capello was impressed by some scout footage of Davies and teammate Lee Chung Yong, showing off their moves.  When it was explained that Yong was already capped for South Korea, the Italian reluctantly settled on Davies, noting that he was, at least, “in surprisingly healthy condition for his age.”

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jY1lAQeAcEU

Seriously though, here’s hoping the duty, which is likely to be a one off, results in a cap for the long serving Trotter.

On Tuesday, the most brilliant performances came from a pair of Eastern European sides but the two English clubs also shone.  Others of the big boys found the going a bit tougher, however.

For Luiz Adriano and Shakhtar, there may be a rock but they've yet to be stuck in a hard place.

Groups G & H find Chelsea, 2-0 winners over Olympique de Marseille, and Arsenal, 3-1 victors at Partizan Belgrade, atop their respective tables but neither is alone in their perfection.  Shakhtar Donetsk traveled cross-continent, with their 3-0 manhandling of Braga making the trip worthwhile.  Luiz Adriano doubled for the Ukrainians.  Meanwhile, Spartak Moscow defended Luzhniki Stadium against the invasion of MSK Zilina, again by a 3-0 count.  It was Ari who had the brace in this one.  Who says Brazilians can’t play in the cold weather?

Spartak’s 6 point lead over OM may not be as healthy as it looks, however.  The Russians face back to back encounters with Chelsea, while the French champions will look to take out their early frustrations on the lowly Slovakians.  Spartak will find it much more difficult to steal a result at Stamford Bridge than they did at the Velodrome.

The good side and the bad, for Bayern. (You can tell who's who by the shoes)

In Group E, Bayern remained perfect, with a 2-1 victory over FC Basel.  The Bavarians did have to come from behind, on the back of Bastian Schweinsteiger’s brace, after Alexander Frei had put the Swiss champs in front, early in the match.  Roma, fresh from their win over Inter, handled CFR-Cluj by the same 2-1 score.  They left it late, though, peppering the Cluj goal but unable to break through until Phillipe Mexes finally beat a stalwart Nuno Claro, on 69 minutes.  Super-sub Marco Borrielo, then struck, just 2 minutes after Mexes, but Ionut Rada pegged one back, with a 12 minutes still on the clock, to make it a nervous finish for the Italians.

The Group of Legends, aka G, is promising to be one of intrigue.  Real Madrid have staked an early claim to the top place but still struggled to find the goal, on this particular night against AJ Auxerre.  Cristiano Ronaldo was denied twice and Gonzalo Higuain saw a defender  turn back his close range effort, which had a beleaguered Olivier Sorin beaten.  Finally, with less than 10 minutes remaining, Angel di Maria struck a left footed volley which, mercifully for the Spaniards, found the far corner, beyond Sorin’s reach.  Until Los Meringues begin to finish with regularity, however, questions will continue to be asked of them.

Perspective is a funny thing. Ibra didn't look such a giant with Barca.

The other match in the group was played out at the Amsterdam Arena.  Luis Suarez gave the AC Milan defence fits all evening but his wonderful play, splitting Alessandro Nesta’s wickets and then laying off for Mounir al Hamdaoui to finish, gave Ajax the early lead.  Robinho had two chances to put the Rossonerri on the board but failed to finish both times.  It was Zlatan Ibrahimovic, proving with every match that last year’s struggles at Barca weren’t down to him, who brought Milan even.  His finish was pure and graceful power, as he chested a wild Clarence Seedorf delivery and, when the ball refused to settle, leapt into the air, to thunder it home.

In the late going, Robinho would again misfire, denying his club what would have been an important victory.  Unlike Ibra, it’s beginning to look like the Brazilians problems at previous clubs are solely of his own making.

On Wednesday the fireworks went off in Group A, while in Group D, Barca fizzled.

The other half of that famous deal has stepped up, as well.

Earlier in the week, Rafa Benitez found himself assuring the panicky Italian media that there was no crisis at Inter, after the club lost to Roma.  For once, Rafa didn’t cite facts.  Had he done so, he’d have simply pointed out that last year he was plying his trade in Liverpool, so if you want to talk crisis, well, there’s a way to go yet at the Giuseppe Meazza. (Just give him time.) After Samuel Eto’o had bagged himself a hat trick and set up Wesley Sneijder, with a perfect through ball, for another in a 4-0 pasting of visiting Werder Bremen, the managerial deathwatch in the Serie A was forced to look elsewhere for a potential victim.

Tottenham had an equally prolific evening, although the wealth was spread around a bit more judiciously.  Harry Redknapp played it wide open from the start and after some early threats, FC Twente proved unable to take advantage of a loose Spurs defence.  Rafael van der Vaart had a rather schizophrenic evening, missing an early penalty, one of three on the night gifted to the home club, then making amends with a splendid left footed volley to put his side ahead, before taking a second yellow, after arriving late to a mid-air collision with Rosales Roberto.  Even a man down, however, Spurs were not to be denied, with Roman Pavlyuchenko making good on his pair of PKs, on either side of a Nacer Chadii strike for the visitors.  Gareth Bale would wrap things up, charging in from the left, on 85 minutes to blaze one past Nikolay Mihaylov.

Enyeama does a lot of this for both club and country. Oh, and did I mention he takes PK's as well as stopping them?

In Group B, Schalke took their time in breaking down Benfica, at the Veltins-Arena.  Raul was running rampant all evening but couldn’t find the finishing touch.  Finally, Jefferson Farfan did.  To the right of goal, in the 73rd minute, he buried his chance to put the Germans on top.  Unrelenting, Raul would lead one more charge, sending Klass-Jan Huntelaar in alone to insure the victory.  In Israel, Vincent Enyeami, the Nigerian keeper put in another yeoman effort but was unable to stem the tide for an overmatched Hapoel Tel-Aviv.   The 3-1 defeat to Lyon belied his efforts, especially considering one of his own defenders clattered into him as he came out to smother a loose ball, leading to the final French tally.  Whatever his contract status, if he continues this display throughout the group stage, after a splendid World Cup, he may find himself the subject of much courting in the January window.  Rumours have it Arsenal are looking for an alternative to Manuel Almunia.

Just in case 6 officials aren't sufficient, Little Pea indicates where he has placed the ball.

As the Spanish night wore on, it looked as though neither Valencia nor Manchester United would capitalise on any of a handful of chances and United would continue on their run of scoreless draws.  Then, in the late going substitutes Federico Macheda and Javier Hernandez combined.  Macheda driving from the right sent a pass skittering across the top of the box, which Chicharito ran onto and lashed back against the grain, to give United all three points and a share of the group lead.  Rangers struck much earlier at the Ibrox, with James Naismith running in to flick in a stunning half volley on 18 minutes.  Although, they never looked to be in much danger, the Glaswegians wasted too many chances to put the game beyond doubt.  Still, they share top billing in the group with United ahead of a home and home with the Spaniards.

In the biggest surprise of the competition, it’s FC Copenhagen who find themselves atop Group D, with a perfect record.  After sneaking by Rubin Kazan, in Denmark, the Danes came to Athens, unintimidated by the big names their opponents could boast.

Tzorvas' tirade against his line translates into "pot, kettle, black."

Dame N’Doye, not to be confused with Dames Helen Mirren or Judi Doench, chased down a long ball, just before the half hour, arriving well before an adventurous but misguided Alexandros Tzorvas, the Panathanaikos net-minder, who, for some reason, thought he could get there first.  A well struck chip, from N’Doye, curled over the sliding keeper and bounced happily into goal.  Not ten minutes had passed when Martin Vingaard scorched the turf with his free kick.  Somehow, it found its way under the wall and past a surprised Tzorvas.  His angry remonstrations brought him some cold looks from his defenders; no wonder, given his own gaffe, earlier.

Noboa and Rubin Kazan have the Catalans' number

Barcelona, meanwhile, will have work to do against the Danish champs, having once again failed to deal with Russian holders, Rubin Kazan.  Each side converted a penalty, like clockwork, Christian Noboa on the half hour and David Villa on the hour but no one stepped up at the death to decide this one.  Every Goliath has a David and for Barca it would seem to be Rubin Kazan.

Once again, time and space demand that we give the Europa League results the Siskel & Ebert treatment.  So without further ado…

Thumbs up to Lech Poznan (2-0 Red Bull Salzburg), topping Group A with 6 points, Juventus (1-1 at Man City), Sporting Lisbon (5-0 Levski Sofia), BATE Borisov (4-1 AZ Alkmaar), Zenit St. Petersburg (4-2 AEK Athens) and CSKA Moscow (3-0 Sparta Praha).

Thumbs down to Atletico Madrid (1-1 Bayer Leverkusen), a tough match to be sure but the holders needed to take all 3 points at home to get out of the cellar.  Also, were Liverpool (0-0 at FC Utrecht), Napoli (3-3 at Steaua Bucuresti), Getafe (0-2 at Young Boys) and Dynamo Kiev (0-2 at Sheriff Tirsapol).

And with that, on to the weekend fare:

Andrew Gibney

Andrew Gibney

Scottish Premier League

Hearts v Rangers

After a great European result midweek Rangers will look to continue their run when they visit Tynecastle for this weekend’s early kick-off. A win for Hearts could give their inconsistent season the kick start it needs. It’s been wo years since Hearts last routed an Edinburgh invasion by the Glasgow giants.  To do so, on Saturday, stopping Kenny Miller from adding to his ten league goals must be their priority.

St. Johnstone v Hibernian

John Hughes’Hibs side travel to Perth, in what is a must win game for the underachieving Edinburgh side.  Anything but a win could see Hughes out of a job and his team languishing dangerously near the foot of the table. A decent performance against Celtic last week will give the Hibees hope.  St. Johnstone sit 11th in the league and in need of some hope of their own.  Three points would give them a healthy dose.  Last week’s defeat, to Dundee United, had followed a good run of two wins, both at McDiarmid Park, so the home crowd will be in full throat, to restore their side’s momentum.  English forward Sam Parkin will be looking to add to his two league goals and pile the pressure on John Hughes and the Hibernian board.

Chris Mann

Chris Mann

League One

Southampton v Bournemouth…Saturday

An underrated rivalry, passions will be running high when Southampton and Bournemouth meet at St Mary’s Stadium this weekend. Although Nigel Adkins’side will start the game as favourites, The Saints have had an indifferent start to the campaign and, should Eddie Howe’s high-flying Bournemouth continue in the excellent fashion in which they’ve been playing, there’s no reason why they can’t take all three points. It will be a highly-charged game on the South Coast.

La Liga

Real Madrid v Deportivo La Coruna…Sunday

The pressure on Jose Mourinho has been ramped up in the last few days with a lacklustre 0-0 draw with Levante last weekend, a shaky 1-0 win over Auxerre in mid-week and an ugly spat with midfielder Pedro Leon, so the onus is on Madrid to produce a good performance against Deportivo on Sunday night. Depor, however, are in an even stickier situation than their illustrious opponents, languishing in 19th place and yet to register a win in the league despite a smattering of quality throughout the squad. Madrid should win this game, particularly at the Bernabeu, but should they somehow contrive to miss out on victory the pressure on their coach will reach torturous levels.

Fabricio Presilli

Fab Presilli

Campeonato Brasileiro 27th round

In Brazil most of the games will be played Saturday because we will have presidential elections Sunday.

Cruzeiro v Atlético Paranaense

Two smoking hot teams. Cruzeiro are trying to keep pace with leaders Fluminense and Corinthians, while Atlético needs a win to get closer to a top three spot.

Botafogo v Flamengo

A derby in Rio. Champion Flamengo is dangeroulsy close to the relegation zone, not a good season for them.  All year, they’ve struggled to find forwards. Botafogo is favoured but history shows they don’t usually deliver against rivals.

Argentina Apertura 9th Round

San Lorenzo v Estudiantes…Sunday

Estudiantes took the lead, in the table, with a win this week.  San Lorenzo are sitting third. If Juan Sebastian Veron’s club get the win they’ll be a confortable distance ahead of chasers Velez and River. At stake are places in the next Copa Libertadores.

Geoff Edwards

Geoff Edwards

Bundesliga

Borussia Dortmund v Bayern Munich…Sunday

At times, during their midweek Champions League victory at Basel, Bayern were unplayable, a shining example of high class, possession football. But the problem remains, Bayern are struggling to create enough chances to see off more limited opponents, and, when you have defenders prone to mishaps, that can prove very costly. It will be interesting to see how Louis van Gaal approaches the game. Will he stick with his trusted 4-2-3-1, or go with the 4-4-2 that brought about victory in Switzerland?

There are no such problems for van Gaal’s opposite number Juergen Klopp. Dortmund are settled in their system and personnel and are in top form. They will not be downhearted by their unlucky midweek defeat to Sevilla and, roared on as always by the ‘Yellow Wall,’ will prove a stern test for Bayern.

Martin Palazzotto

Martin Palazzotto

The MLS Weekend

As the US top flight enters the final month of the regular season, the top spots, in both the Eastern and Western Conferences are up for grabs.

In the east, on Sunday, the Red Bulls host the Kansas City Wizards.  KC, even if they can pull off the improbable, will need some help from Columbus, who welcome the San Jose Earthquakes to Crew Stadium.  The ‘Quakes sit in the last playoff spot, 6 points ahead of the Wizards but, more importantly, the home side are just 1 point ahead of the Red Bulls for the top seed in the east and can’t afford to slip up.  These two matches have the potential for being defining moments in the season for each of the clubs involved.

Champions Real Salt Lake journey to the Atlantic coast, on Sunday, to take on New England.  The down and out Revs’pride might motivate them to put a dent in RSL’s plans for overtaking the Galaxy.  FC Dallas, still very much in the frame for top honours, host the slumping Chicago Fire.  The big money moves (by MLS standards) for Freddie Ljungberg and Nery Castillo haven’t paid immediate dividends and the Fire’s playoff aspirations have been smothered.  The Hoops aren’t the type to take wounded prey too lightly, however.

On Monday, it’s the Super Clasico.  The front running LA Galaxy are technically visitors, in their own stadium, as they take on Home Depot Center tenants, Chivas USA.  The Goats, in the ersatz relegation zone, will definitely be up to playing the spoiler role.

Mexican Apertura

Group 2 remains the main battleground in the Primera Division.  With one playoff berth available to three teams, there are no off weeks for the sides involved.

Santos Laguna v Toluca…Sunday

Los Diablos Rojos top the group but face a tough test against Santos, who have fallen into the wildcard spot, one point behind Monterrey.

Cruz Azul v Club America…Sunday

A capital city derby.  America will have an even larger challenge than Toluca, as Cruz Azul are running away with Group 3.  already a point behind their rivals, the Blue and Gold absolutely must get a result.

San Luis v Tigres…Sunday

The Gladiadores are hanging around, just two points behind Toluca, and have the easiest of the three matches this weekend.  As well, they’re the only ones at home.  Tigres may be out of the race in Group 1 but they aren’t pushovers, having 12 points to San Luis’13.

Serie A

Internazionale v Juventus…Sunday

Could there be any other match to highlight the Italian top flight this weekend?  Not only is this a fierce rivalry, furthered by the continuing investigation into the influencing of match officials, now focused on the Nerrazzurri.  Both sides are coming off big results in Europe, Juve drawing at Man City and Samuel Eto’o, enjoying the purest of form, personally dismantling Werder Bremen.  As well, Inter will be intent on returning to winning ways on the domestic front, after their Roman holiday, last week, turned sour.

Tapesh Patel

Tapesh Patel

The Premiership

Chelsea v Arsenal…Sunday

This one’s the pick of the bunch this weekend. Both sides have made solid starts to the season, and although the Chelsea bandwagon had more momentum a week ago, the brakes have been applied after defeats to Manchester City and Newcastle were followed by a stuttering win over a struggling Marseille outfit. The Gunners have also suffered in the league of late, having failed to complete a seemingly impossible comeback against West Brom.

Although it’s still early days, both sides know the importance of this one and, as such, this will be a tightly contested affair.  These two have scored 37 league goals between them this season, however, and with so much talent on show, it’s a match that shouldn’t be missed.

West Bromwich Albion v Bolton…Saturday

Strange things are happening at West Brom. Those in the know are mentioning the Midlands club in the same breath as ‘survival hopefuls.’Manager Roberto di Matteo seems to have brought out the best in his squad at the moment, and striker Peter Odemwingie currently looks to be the Premiership goal-scorer that the Baggies have lacked in recent years.

Up at Bolton, Owen Coyle has changed the mentality of his side, and boasts a surprise striker himself, with Johan Elmander starting to justify his hefty transfer fee. The Trotters like to please the fans,  too, which should make this a good spectacle.

The Championship

Preston v Reading…Saturday

Preston have struggled mightily this season, but followed up a win against Coventry City, last weekend, with a remarkable 6-4 fight back against Leeds, on Tuesday, having been 4-1 down. North End will hope to maintain their goal-scoring threat against an in-form Reading side possessing a miserly defence; the Royals have kept four clean sheets in their last five games.

Ligue 1

St. Etienne v Marseille…Saturday

Marseille, having won the Ligue 1 title last season, are looking to repeat this time around. After a poor start to the season, they’ve managed to recover and are now unbeaten in five matches. Didier Deschamps takes the plaudits for this but, now, must attempt to reverse Tuesday’s poor display against Chelsea.

OM are up against a Saint-Etienne side sitting proudly atop the league, fresh off defeating local rivals Lyon, last weekend. They will certainly be a tough nut to crack if that match was anything to go by.  Dmitri Payet, whose stock is quickly rising in French football with seven goals in the first seven games, leads the way for Les Verts.

…

It’s certainly going to be a busy weekend, so catch what you can and join us back here on Tuesday to review whatever you missed.  In the meantime, here’s another quick lesson for the kids.  Soccer is played with a big round ball.  Keep your eye on it.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjvYj56JLow

And there’s a lesson for Alex Tzorvas.  Your teammates are your friends.  Sometimes an apology and a high five are more effective than screaming at them.

See you on Tuesday!

We’ll start off with some quick injury updates.

No, Arsene, we don't care what Pep says, they're not holding hands.

In the Premier League, Cesc Fabregas placed his shin directly in front of an attempted Sunderland clearance.  The good news: the ball caromed off the Catalan’s leg and into the goal to give the Gunners a temporary lead.  The bad news:  the impact caused a mild twinge in Cesc’s hammy, which will see him miss the next three matches.  First van Persie, now Fabregas… another Arsenal season following the usual script.

In Spain, a tense battle between Barcelona and Atleti almost turned ugly when los Colchoneros midfielder Tomas Ujfalusi stomped on Lionel Messi’s ankle.  That drew the offender a second yellow and an early trip into the bowels of the Vicente Calderon.  Reports out of Barcelona, today, are saying that it’s merely a light sprain and the Argentine will only miss two games.  Like as not, Pep Guardiola will be sending Messi back to London, to play a little backgammon with Cesc and remind him, for the 7,931st time, how he really should be playing at the Nou Camp.

Well, &%$@ing himself was an apt description.

Thankfully, Arsene Wenger has been distracted from losing his star player yet again, having been charged by the FA for spewing vitriol at the fourth official when Kenwyne Jones equalised at the death.  The Frenchman was incensed that the match was still running at 94:15 when only 4 minutes had been put up by Martin (don’t call me Bean) Atkinson.  On the one hand, it seems silly to quibble about 15 seconds but when you consider that United escaped a final attack-in-progress against the Toffees last week, when the ref , to the fury of David Moyes, blew his whistle exactly on the mark despite 2 goals having been scored in added time, Wenger does seem to have cause.  Ultimately though, the Gunners’boss has been around long enough to know that Premier League referees have always applied the rules of the game with the consistency of a David Beckham hairstyle.

Bouncing back to Spain again, it turns out that Jose Mourinho will be devoting his full concentration to Real Madrid.  While FPF president Gilberto Madail did feel out the Special One, to see whether he’d be interested in helping out the national cause until a permanent replacement for the sacked Carlos Queiroz is found, he seemed unwilling to follow up with Real president Florentino Perez.  Mourinho was quoted as being honoured to be asked and willing to help out but morally incapable of asking the Real board for permission to moonlight, even temporarily.  Madrid, for its part released a statement indicating that, as neither the FPF nor Mourinho had approached them, as far as they were concerned the matter was closed.

So, if all accounts are to be believed, the Madail/Mourinho meeting went something like this:

Gilberto Madail:  I’m so glad you’re willing to help.  Do you think Senor Florentino Perez, your president,  will accommodate us?

The Special One:  I can’t say for certain, my friend.  You will have to ask him and get back to me.

GM (swallowing nervously):  Umm…. well, yes.  I was sorta, kinda, really hoping you would ask him.  He’s a very scary person.

The S1:  Well, I would really like to do that for you but it might undermine my position here, very badly.

The 300lb gorilla in the room.

GM: Yes, I can see that…( looks over his shoulder at a rather cross looking 300lb gorilla, standing there silently, wearing a sports coat with a Real crest and a name tag which reads El Prez)…but he really is very, very frightening.

The S1:  I’m am sorry you feel that way, my friend, but there is nothing I can do.

GM:  Yes, yes, I understand. Well I guess I should get back to Lisbon.   Thank you anyway.

Madail gets up and makes for the door, which the gorilla, now smiling, opens for him and then offers…

FP:  Let us get you a taxi, Senor.  Please come back to visit us any time, once you have found a new coach, of course.

And while a disappointed FPF president, still without a manager, makes his way home, let us fill you in on the best matches of the week.

We're happy Geoff is back from holiday but we hear he's already planning his next trip!

Geoff Edwards

Schalke 1 – 3 Borussia Dortmund — Bundesliga

Schalke were soundly beaten by a well organised and youthful Dortmund team, on Sunday, to heap even more pressure on boss Felix Magath. With Shinji Kagawa and Mario Goetze excellent in the 1st half, Dortmund dominated proceedings and cut open the Schalke defence at will. If it wasn’t for a Sven Bender goal incorrectly disallowed for offside, some poor finishing and a couple of good saves by Manuel Neuer, BvB could have gone in 5 or 6 goals to the good at half time.

As it was, Dortmund took just a 1 goal lead (through Kagawa) into the dressing room, leaving the door slightly ajar for Schalke to find a way back into the game. It was not to be however. They made a better fist of things in the second half, but the sending off of centre-back Nicolas Plestan and the concession of two more criminally soft goals meant Klaas-Jan Huntelaar’s first goal for the club was in vain.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LlTjtrpLZKk

Has Felix Magath bitten off more than he can chew with his ‘revolving door’summer transfer policy?

Eliot Rothwell

Eliot Rothwell

Everton 0 – 1 Newcastle — Premier League

The match itself was the usual high tempo, hot tempered affair that typifies northern Premier League football. The one moment of magic (on the pitch, anyway) came from Toon debutant Hatem Ben Arfa. The Frenchman collected the ball, around 30 yards out, and proceeded to unleash a devilish whack in the way of Tim Howard’s top right corner. Everton then spent the majority of the game contriving to either miss fantastic opportunities (I’m looking at you Mr. Fellaini) or squander countless percentages of possession (step forward Leon Osman.)

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikTF_65rdbU

I must admit, the main attraction for me came, not on the pitch, but in the press lounge and the press box. I found myself, on my debut as a Premier League journalist, conversing with the likes of Phil McNulty, chief football writer for the BBC and Tony Barrett, The Times’man on Merseyside.  The subject of conversation? Anything from the attacking credentials of Yakubu to the excellent food available in the Goodison Park press lounge. Full time brought the mad rush back into the press lounge to await the arrival of the managers, David Moyes and Chris Hughton. As people plugged in their notebooks and collected yet another complimentary bottle of diet coke, Moyes walked in. Needless to say he was not happy with his team’s performance and left quite sharpish. Hughton, however, stayed a tad longer to offer us some soundbites, although his imagination didn’t exactly stretch far, repeatedly praising the “team performance” when asked about golden boy Ben Arfa.

Onwards and (sort of) upwards to Bloomfield Road for Blackpool v Blackburn next week. Expect more of the same.

Fabricio Presilli

Fab Presilli

Campeonato Brasileiro- 23rd round

Botafogo 2 – 2 Cruzeiro

Maybe the best game of the season so far, with both teams searching for the goal and a great display by Argentinian Walter Montillo, who has increased his bid to run for best player of the Championship. Uruguayan Sebastian “Loco” Abreu also gave a good effort, scoring a penalty kick goal.

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httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtDrHPFC7xo

São Paulo 2 – 0 Palmeiras

A cold Pacaembu saw the tricolor winning their first game after two losses.  Newcomer Lucas shone with a goal. Big Phil’s work might not be yielding points or wins but he is sure making headlines, after arguing with the refs and being expelled once again.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgROxLCCCDI

Another great game on Sunday was the Fla Flu in Rio, a 3 goal draw which allowed Corinthians (having beaten Prudente 3-0, on Saturday) to take over first place from Fluminense.  Flamengo, well out of the running, will take satisfaction from having a hand in unseating their rivals.

Tapesh Patel

Tapesh Patel

St. Etienne 3-0 Montpellier — Ligue 1

St. Etienne winger and Ligue 1 top scorer Dmitri Payet grabbed two goals to propel his team to victory, with promising youngster Emmanuel Riviere heading in the other. Les Verts now sit happily atop the table, which really just shows how bonkers French football can be sometimes!

Bordeaux 2-0 Lyon — Ligue 1

Yoann who?

Gourcuff, the former poster boy of Bordeaux, had little to no impact on this one and it showed on the scoresheet. Lyon never truly got themselves into the contest and duly paid the price. A glancing header from captain Alou Diarra gave Les Girondins a deserved advantage, and Jussie wrapped it up in stoppage time with a superb solo effort.

Ipswich 2-0 Cardiff — The Championship

This was a good win for Ipswich against a depleted Cardiff outfit. The first goal will be the subject of nightmares for Cardiff’s Adam Matthews, who headed the ball clinically into his own net under no pressure. Despite all of the attacking talent boasted by the Welsh side, Town’s Connor Wickham (of England Under-17 fame) was the real star of the show and a constant thorn in the Bluebirds side. His fellow striker Jason Scotland sealed the three points, and the Tractor Boys move above Cardiff, into second place.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNbg2F4VRvQ

props out to Samuel DeCoy for the great highlight reel!

Martin Palazzotto

Martin Palazzotto

Toluca 2 – 1 America — Mexican Apertura

For a match with such a huge impact on the table (a win for Toluca would thrust them into the Apertura playoff picture atop Group B and knock America off that same perch, while a loss would put their season very much in doubt), neither side really seemed interested in getting after it.  Hector Raul Mancilla got Los Diablos off the mark on 24 minutes, turning and firing from just outside the box.  Lackadaisical marking, with the defender just waving a foot at Mancilla, rather than closing him down, was the primary reason for the goal, although it was the sort of powerful and accurate strike any forward would love to make when afforded time and space.  Just after the restart, Vicente Vuoso equalised for the Super Eagles, running under a perfectly lobbed cross and heading back it into the far corner.  Again, poor defending was to blame as his marker simply ran alongside, content to just admire the skill on display, rather than do anything about it.

The decider, from Zinha in the 76th minute, was a well struck set piece, it’s trajectory just too high for his forward to redirect, although the effort likely froze the keeper long enough for the ball to find the twine.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1jwJPYhKVs

Bari 0 – 0 Cagliari — Serie A

As well as Bari have been playing to begin the new campaign, this was just not their day.  They dominated possession and had many chances but simply couldn’t hit the target.  It’s a result but Giampiero Ventura is more likely to view this as two points lost than one gained.

Saturday’s 1-1 draw between AC Milan and Catania saw an absolutely brilliant strike, putting to shame Hatem Ben Arfa’s Newcastle winner, which required  several touches to get off, as Ciro Capuano‘s opener, from a similar distance was struck in mid-air.   Have a look!

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ae7ApKgvW-Y

Whether or not Inzhagi was onside for the equaliser, is debatable but there’s no good angle on offer, proving the trap was sprung properly.

Unfortunately, our own Chris Mann is one of those unfortunates who has found himself temporarily cut off from all satellite communication.  So, while he gets settled into his new flat and waits for the cable guy to show up, I’ll fill you in on the results of his weekend picks.

West Bromwich Albion 3 – 1 Birmingham City — Premier League

Chris was dead on with his assessment of the match.  While the Hawthorns’crowd was mostly silent after the first 45, due to a Cameron Jerome goal which put the visitors ahead, they found their voice in the second stanza.  Under pressure, Blues defender Scott Dan conceded an own goal and then Peter Odemwengie, feeling much more at home in the Midlands than the Motherland, put the Baggies on top.  Jonas Olsson would seal the deal minutes later and, with the ink not yet dry on a contract extension for manager McLeish, Birmingham chairman Carson Yeung must be reaching for the antacid.

Elsewhere in England, there was apparently a rather heated and supposedly historic rivalry being played out once more at Old Trafford.  Dimitar Berbatov was the hero on the day, doubling his goal total for United, this season, with a hat trick.  The second middle goal of the trio was a sensational overhead bicycle thingy, which kicked Sir Alex Ferguson into full gloating mode.  Fergie was almost forced to eat crow when a penalty and then a free kick, both taken by Steven Gerrard drew the Reds level.  But Berbatov, apparently mindful of his final year at White Hart Lane, was not going to let glory slip him by on this day.  In very un-Berbic fashion, exhibiting unexpected grit, power and hustle, he rose up over Jamie Carragher and headed home a John O’Shea.  The result kept United within reach of still perfect Chelsea, who had themselves dispatched Ian Holloway’s Blackpool 4-0.

Atletico Madrid 1 -2 Barcelona

As easily as Barca have handled Real in the past two seasons, the have truly struggled at the Vicente Calderon, losing their last three matches there.  With their frorm on the rise and Atleti’s on the wane, based on their midweek continental adventures, this seemed the perfect time to rid themselves of that particular monkey.  Lionel Messi saw to that rather quickly, beating David de Gea in the 12th minute.  Raul Garcia’s header, from a Simao corner,  equalised for the Rojiblancos on 25 minutes but the Catalans were undeterred.  It was Messi again, delivering a perfect corner for Gerard Pique to chest down and smash home, at the far post.  Barca dominated the play from there, although they could not get past a fiercely determined de Gea from that point onward.  Ujfalusi’s frustration at the death may have dampened Pep Guardiola’s enthusiasm for the result, temporarily, but with Little Leo only out for two matches, Pep must be whistling while he works, today.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFhYWGj42iI

Elsewhere in La Liga, Michael Laudrup earned his first victory as manager of Real Mallorca, when the islanders dropped Osasuna 2-0, and in a Real battle, Madrid held off Sociedad, 2-1, during which Jose Mourinho had a small tantrum and chewed a large amount of gum.

Congratulations, Eliot!

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Before we leave, we have to admit that we gave a lot of stick to Eliot Rothwell, on Friday,over his ascendance into (possibly) paying journalism.  Still, he took it very well and his spirit remains unbounded.  We hope his fortunes and enthusiasm stay on the rise, even though that means we’ll be losing his services someday.

Before that happens, though, we’re happy to post a snapshot of his first Premier League press credential, a souvenir that he should hang onto for a long time, no matter how many more come his way over the years.

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See you on Friday!

Fluminense is considered the club of aristocracy in Rio, mainly because some big shots that rule the game in Brazil are supporters of the “Tricolor”, including João Havelange. The club from Rio was having a bad season, with a last place stand on the table. When October came, Fred’s game started to show up in Maracanã, and Fluminense is now two points behind rival Botafogo, in a fight against relegation, with consecutive wins, some of them against some top placers like Cruzeiro, Atlético Mineiro and Palmeiras.

As far as Palmeiras is concerned, they also are having a year to remember. During half the championship they held on to the first place, and as a consequence, looked like an easy pick to win it all at the end. However, a single win out of the last seven games, plus losses to all four teams currently at the bottom of the table, simply shattered the dream of the “palestrinos” that now have got to see São Paulo and Flamengo battle for the title, with just three rounds before a champion is crowned.

In the same manner that Fred is currently one of the main reasons for Fluminense’s surge, Vágner Love’s poor performance is always mentioned by Palmeiras fans. Midfielders Diego Souza and Cleiton Xavier are being accused by teammates of focusing exclusively upon transfers to European clubs by the end of the year. Nonetheless, Palmeiras’ bad moment can be credited mainly to the defensive players’ performance. Also, the inconsistency of the team managed by Muricy Ramalho hurt their chances beyond recovery. At the other end, Fluminense’s sub-20 star Maicon is proving he is worth all the hype and talented midfielder Dario Conca is the ‘maestro’ of this year’s cast.

In common, these teams have only one thing: ups and downs. This means that now Palmeiras has to pick up the pieces and try to stay among the top four by the end of the Championship to get a place in next years’ Copa Libertadores. Meanwhile, Fluminense is still battling relegation; they will play the finals of the Copa Sudamericana, on a vengeful match against Ecuatorians’ LDU, which beat Fluminense last year in a thrilling Libertadores’ final at Maracanã.

2009’s Campeonato Brasileiro has been an emotional roller coaster ride. Some fans are disappointed, some are relieved, some are hoping for the best: São Paulo’s fans are pretty chatty these days as they look forward to getting one more trophy added to their gallery. Or not. Adriano’s Flamengo may grab the title after all. As someone else has already said, “The game isn’t over until it’s over”.

Photo by www.fluminensefc.com.br.

A couple of reasons “helped” the competition along the way. São Paulo’s change in management and slow start gave the chance that rivals were waiting for over the last three years to finally end their winning streak.

Almost all teams changed coaches during the competition, giving some clubs the opportunity to regroup halfway through the tournament. Some clubs, like Palmeiras, Internacional and Grêmio learned São Paulos’s lesson and maintained the majority of their players from last year, with some important arrivals such as Vágner Love and D´Alessandro.

Palmeiras is at the top of the table. They hired Muricy after his dismissal from São Paulo, they have the best midfielders in Brazil (Cleiton Xavier and Diego Souza), a fierce defense and a couple of good strikers, not to mention their captain and most important player of all time protecting the goal: Marcos. Palmeiras is managing to get points even through the most difficult games, like some weeks ago when they got a victory in Santos and at Mineirão, over Cruzeiro.

Internacional had great expectations for this year. The Colorado side is having a season to forget though. And yet, they managed to hold a top 5 place at the table all year long.
This season surprises are Goiás and Atlético Mineiro (from the state of Minas Gerais), both teams were considered candidates for relegation and are fighting for a top 4 spot, a place that could give the club the classification to Libertadores next year.

Last decade’s downside has got to be the clubs from Rio de Janeiro. Fluminense and Botafogo are in the relegation zone, or real close to it, with Vasco already in the second division, comfortable to come back next year, and Flamengo always struggling politically. Maybe we will never see again rooters like the ones they had in the 80s, competing head to head with the greatest clubs in the country.

Nonetheless, this year’s championship remains one of the all-time greatest. Some intense rivalries, rallies for all important places and a fair amount of good players in the league.
Here are some games to keep an eye on, should you be able to catch them on TV or over the internet be aware that those dates can change:
17/10 – São Paulo x Atlético Mineiro
18/10 – Palmeiras x Flamengo
25/10 – Santos x São Paulo
25/10 – Internacional x Grêmio
25/10 – Botafogo x Flamengo
28/10 – São Paulo x Internacional
29/10 – Palmeiras x Goiás
31/10 – Flamengo x Santos
01/11 – Palmeiras x Corinthians
01/11 – Náutico x Sport
04/11 – Grêmio x São Paulo
08/11 – Atlético Mineiro x Flamengo
08/11 – Fluminense x Palmeiras
14/11 – Cruzeiro x Grêmio
14/11 – São Paulo x Vitória
22/11 – Grêmio x Palmeiras
22/11 – Flamengo x Goiás
22/11 – Botafogo x São Paulo
22/11 – Flamengo x Goiás
29/11 – Corinthians x Flamengo
29/11 – Palmeiras x Atlético Mineiro
29/11 – Goiás x São Paulo
06/12 – Flamengo x Grêmio

Picture by Rubens Chiri

Falling from grace and coming back, just like the Phoenix; One could certainly say these words describe the trajectory of a player that has again reborn to football, now in his native land: Ronaldo.

Ronaldo’s history is well known worldwide: the great football player that Cruzeiro introduced to the world as well as the man with many injuries and controversial headlines.

After almost 15 years playing in Dutch, Spanish and Italian leagues – and three severe knee injuries, he came back to Brazil in 2008 to treat his knee, be with his family and, maybe, put an end to his career, that made him a global superstar and and an idol in Brazil, where he is a role model for those young football players. At first, he was training at Flamengo’s facilities (his favourite club) and they thought of siginig him, but never made an offer.

That’s when a club came up with a plan to have a strong performance in 2009, and prepare for its centennial celebration, in 2010. Corinthians signed Ronaldo with a salary that no other club in Brazil could match. Revenues also come from the sponsors advertising on the team’s shirt: 80% of such revenues go to Ronaldo. All added up, he makes as much money as he would in a top European club, and made Corinthians’ shirt look like a billboard.

Presented with a hype that the Brazilian football doesn’t see very often, soon enough all things related to Ronaldo were in the news, and yet, Brazilians seem not to get enough of him. Everything became a headline: his home, his new-born daughter, the women that keep him company, and – most of all – his weight. Ronaldo clearly has been having weight issues for a long time now. Whenever he’s not playing constantly, he puts on more weight. He reached a reportedly maximum of 105kg in the beginning of this year, and lost a portion of that in training with Corinthians.

Completing his recovery from a banged up knee and getting a place on the squad would be the next logical moves. However, Ronaldo’s weight proved again to be a serious problem, affecting his mobility on the pitch. Corinthians’ coach Mano Menezes had to even pull togheter a physical department that the club had never had, and a plan to make Ronaldo play an incresingly number of minutes at each match, so that he could be in his prime at the end of the regional “Paulistão” (São Paulo State Championship) and the “Copa do Brasil” (Brazilian Cup).

The plan worked well and Ronaldo scored his first goal with Corinthians in the last minutes of a derby against Palmeiras, equalising that game in its very final minutes. Bear in mind that Palmeiras versus Corinthians is one of the most fierce rivalries in Brazilian football and for the fans of Corinthians, having a goal scored by Ronaldo to avoid losing to its rival was like an honorable act performed by a martyr. That goal was the single most showed one of all time on Brazilian TV to the date.

Following some routine muscular stress-related injuries, Ronaldo proved his importance with an astonishing rate of shoots and goals, scoring in almost every match and being key on the winnings of both championships: Brazilian Cup and São Paulo State.

Coach Menezes’ efforts to make Ronaldo play also include different tactics scheme; different from all other clubs in Brazil. Corinthians plays with two midfielders marking, one loose to make the plays and one forward open on each side, with Ronaldo in the middle, always the last touch in front of the goal, so that he doesn´t need to move that much. Besides, he is the only one on the team that does not have a defensive role. It’s safe to say that Ronaldo’s role in the team has been so key that without him, the team is kind of lost all over the pitch, mainly because Corinthians does not have a forward that can replace Ronaldo with his level of quality: hold the ball and kick it to the goal.

What’s going on with him at the moment? Just a little while ago, in another match against Palmeiras, Ronaldo fell over his own hand, breaking some hand bones. After getting a prognosis for recovery, he chose to put pins in his hand so that the healing process could be faster. Since he was already going to undergo a procedure, he also got a cosmectical liposuction surgery, to get rid of some extra weigth he could not lose with hard work.

After some weeks celebrating the titles, and with the team having to sell some important players to pay its debts, Corinthians is curently midtable in the Brazilian Championship. Current games will probably be used to form a squad for “Copa Libertadores” next year, with Ronaldo, Corinthians’ biggest dream, as they are the only big club in São Paulo that has never won this Continental trophy.

His playing style had to be changed because of his figure, but he is still a great player. No matter where he is, he gets to keep crowds entertained: either with his talent in the fields or his own life.