Due to the Thanksgiving holiday in the US this week, we will not be able to post a Matchday 5 preview show. However, look for our next episode to come out next week with a recap and review of the Matchday 5 encounters, who has qualified for the knockout stage and who still has work to do in Matchday 6. We may even throw in some Euro 2008 qualifying discussion.

So be on the lookout for MD5 commentary at the end of next week!

Scott and Bill discuss the standings in each Champions League group, and which should be most exciting down the stretch.

Also, which teams should you watch for in the UEFA Cup? The unusually competitive coaching market. And news from FIFA on how World Cup hosts are selected.

E-mail ?s or comments to scpodcast@gmail.com

So America's NFL will make its high-profile European debut with a regular season game at Wembley this Sunday. It remains to be seen how English fans will take to the "other football," though the league might've thought harder about picking teams more likely to be halfway decent than the 0-7 Dolphins. And what's with the giant animatronic Jason Taylor in Trafalgar Square!? This is supposed to convince people to watch?

In any case, what about soccer (or, to most Americans, "the other football") doing the reverse: playing regular season English Premier League matches in the US? It might happen in the not-to-distant future, according to some EPL execs.

What do you think about playing EPL games in America? Savvy promotional tool, or pointless publicity stunt? How about playing NFL games (and perhaps, as the commissioner has mentioned, the Super Bowl!!!) in Europe?

E-mail your thoughts to scpodcast@gmail.com!

 

Scott and Bill get you ready for the Matchday 3 encounters, plus our upset specials! Also we review recent goings on in Euro 2008 qualifying, and the sad situation facing the U.S. women's national team.

E-mail us with comments, questions or just to let us know where you're from and which team you support. Our e-mail address is scpodcast@gmail.com

Enjoy the games and Go Red Sox!!! (sorry, couldn't resist)

So have you heard? There's a new coach at Chelsea. Scott and Bill discuss the Mourinho fallout, and preview all of the Matchday 2 fixtures. [Not sure what a fixture is? Check out Episode 28!] Who should win? Who needs to win? Who will pull off the upset? We'll break it all down to get you ready for the games!

Questions? Comments? Fervent opinions? Send them to scpodcast@gmail.com.

Link:

Podcamp Boston 2

Here's a story that shows how critically important success in the Champions League can be.

Since become Chelsea manager, Jose Mourinho led the Blues to the Premiership title (in 2005) for the first time in 50 years, and only the second time in the history of the team (and they have a long history). Then the following season Chelsea won the Premiership again. He's also collected the FA Cup and the League Cup twice. Oh yeah, prior to Chelsea he led FC Porto to the UEFA Cup and Champions League titles in successive years, a very rare feat.

Probably 98% of soccer coaches worldwide go through their ENTIRE CAREERS without ever accomplishing what Mourinho has in the last 4 years alone. Most teams (and fans) would give anything to have a coach with that pedigree in charge of their club.

But apparantly, it was not enough. Following a disappointing draw at home to lowly Rosenborg in the Champions League, Mourinho suddenly resigned as Chelsea manager. While the timing was unexpected, the move itself was not, as it has long been suspected Mourinho has been at odds with Chelsea's Russian billionaire owner Roman Abramovich.

Supposedly, while the Premiership and Cup titles were nice, Abramovich above all wanted the Champions League trophy. And that was the one competition where Mourinho had failed to deliver at Chelsea, who reached the semifinals twice in the last three years before losing to Premiership rivals Liverpool each time. With Chelsea's deep well of talent--acquired largely through Abramovich's personal fortune--they should've dispatched Rosenborg with ease. But the draw in front of just a half full and apparantly apathetic Stamford Bridge crowd proved to be the final straw. Plus this weekend's huge Premier League showdown at Man United was looming over Mourinho, and some believe that would've put unbearable pressure on him.

Mourinho has developed a reputation for being a hothead, arrogant and stubborn. But on the other hand, you can't argue with his results at Chelsea and Porto. I think this is just a case of two "type A" personalities that could only co-exist for so long. In a sense Chelsea wasn't big enough for the both of them; since Abramovich owns the team, it was Mourinho who had to go. In the interim period,  Avram Grant will run the club with the help of assistant coach Steve Clarke.

What do you think about this development? Was the fallout inevitable, or did Abramovich (+ media, fans) put undue pressure on Mourinho? Since he won basically everything else he could besides the UCL (Uefa Champions League), should he have been given more leeway? Chelsea only played 1 UCL game this season! Maybe the draw against Rosenborg was a fluke.

Make your feelings known! E-mail us at scpodcast@gmail.com.

 

It's shaping up to be a great and compelling Champions League season, and the group stage starts tomorrow! So after you listen to Episode 29 to get ready for Tuesday's games, check out this one for Wednesday's matchups in Groups E-H. Also, we discuss UEFA President Michel Platini's trailblazing proposals to "spread the wealth" in the Champions League, literally and figuratively.

Thanks to Joe Gerakines for Soccer Champions' first anthems!

Links:
Podcamp Boston 2: Oct. 26-28, 2007, a free new media conference open to the public
Life on Tap, Dan's podcast

Welcome to the 2007-08 Champions League campaign! Scott and Bill get you ready for all the action with our look at Groups A-D. Which teams will advance to the knockout stages, who might make a surprising run, and which teams need to get a good result on Matchday 1.

Also, we answer a listener e-mail and discuss the meaning of the terms fixture, tie, pitch, matchday, cap, and the origin of the most important term of all: soccer. You might be surprised by the result.

Please e-mail us with comments or questions at scpodcast@gmail.com.

For fantasy (American) football insights and commentary, check out the Extra Points Podcast.

The UEFA Super Cup will take place later today in the glitzy principality of Monaco. Typically seen as inaugurating a new European soccer season, it is an exhibition--though a trophy is awarded--featuring the defending Champions League (AC Milan) and UEFA Cup (Sevilla) champions.

A showcase of European soccer's best teams, the Super Cup is usually played in a jovial and celebratory atmosphere, but this time will be different. The thoughts of all are with Sevilla, who somehow have to deal with the shocking, tragic death of one of their own. Midfielder Antonio Puerta, just 22 years old and a rising star not just with his club but with the Spanish national side as well, collapsed on the field during Sevilla's first La Liga match last weekend, and died a few days later.

Sevilla coach Juande Ramos has said his team is in a "trance-like state." While it must be incredibly difficult for anyone on the team to maintain focus on soccer in such a situation, perhaps the best way Sevilla players can honor their fallen teammate is to redouble their efforts on the field and perform to the very best of their abilities. They have a strong squad, and are certainly capable of achieving great results both in Spain's La Liga and the Champions League, assuming they can see off AEK Athens in the second leg of their qualifying match to be played on Monday. Assuredly Puerta will be in Sevilla's hearts and minds throughout the season, and I think all fans, no matter who they support, would like to see the team triumph over this terrible adversity.

--Scott

Interested in learning more about the Champions League and European soccer, but a little unclear as to what's going on? This is the episode for you! Bill and Scott discuss the major aspects of Euro soccer, to help explain how it works. After listening to this episode, you should (hopefully) be ready to dive in to the excitement and drama that is the Champions League, just before the 07-08 season really gets going.

Have a friend, co-worker, relative, etc. that you've been trying to get involved in soccer? Please recommend this episode to them, and then have them tune in throughout the season!

Web sites/cable channels mentioned in the episode:
Uefa.com
Soccernet.com
Fox Soccer Channel
ESPN Deportes
Gol TV
101greatgoals.com
The Guardian (newspaper)

As we prepare for the start of a new Champions League season, Bill and I are working on a special episode. As we get great enjoyment out of following the Champions League, we want to help introduce others to the competition, and to European soccer in general.

In our next episode, to be posted this week (assuming no technical difficulties), we're going to talk about the main concepts and structure of European soccer and the Champions League, in a way that will hopefully allow new fans to better understand what's going during the season, and in later podcast episodes!

So if you know anyone--friends, co-workers, neighbors, relatives, spouses, friends of neighbors, neighbors of friends, etc. etc.--who's been trying to follow the Champs League but isn't sure how things work, or who is curious about Euro soccer and looking to learn more about it, this is the episode for them! But we think seasoned fans will have something to listen to as well, as we will discuss some of the more interesting questions/issues brought up by our overview of the Champs League. Stay tuned...

...and after Labor Day, Bill and I will break down all of the Champions League groups to get you ready for Matchday 1 on Sept. 18. Finally, our e-mail box is always open, so get in touch with us at scpodcast@gmail.com.

 

While rumors have persisted for a while that Chelsea is interested in up-and-coming Sevilla defender Daniel Alves, the Blues instead acquired Brazilian Juliano Belletti from Barcelona.

And just in case you thought Real Madrid hasn't spent enough money this offseason, the Spanish league defending champions made two more significant additions today. They picked up veteran Man United defender Gabriel Heinze and young Dutch star Arjen Robben (from Chelsea). Concurrently Real announced its Brazilian defender Cicinho has signed a contract with AS Roma.

In case you've lost track, that brings Real Madrid's summer spending to 120 mil euros, or about $167 mil. But as we've seen in the past, just paying the most for the best players doesn't necessarily guarantee wins, in soccer or baseball or any other sport. Real's former coach Fabio Capello has criticized the team for waiting too long in the summer transfer window to start making moves, and the club's preseason form has ownership and fans quite worried: most recently Real Madrid got battered 6-3 on aggregate by Sevilla in the Spanish Super Cup (an exhibition mind you, but one featuring the previous season's league and domestic cup winners). Consensus is that Real has looked disjointed and sluggish throughout the preseason.

Meanwhile, across town, Atletico Madrid spent sparingly in the summer and by accounts are looking in fine form. While the departure of Fernando Torres to Liverpool was certainly a blow, the striker pairing of experienced new arrival Diego Forlan with young Argentinian Sergio Aguero worked out beautifully in Atletico's 3-0 win in UEFA Cup qualifying last week in which both scored. The third goal was scored by Aguero's countryman Maxi Rodriguez, who scored that incredible volley goal vs. Mexico in last year's World Cup.

So who does Atletico play in their first La Liga game of the season this Saturday? Real, in a Madrid derby at the Bernabeu. Should be quite an interesting matchup.

The 2007-08 campaign is underway in several European countries, including England, Scotland, Germany, and France among others. Sadly, early action has brought serious injuries to two powerhouses of note. Lyon lost captain and defender Cris for six months due to a torn ligament in his knee. The French champions are also without keeper Gregory Coupet for four months. In England defending champs Man United will be without Wayne Rooney, who has a fractured foot, for about 2 months. Keep these developments in mind if you're going to be playing Champions League fantasy football.

One new signing of note: Real Madrid continued their busy summer by grabbing young Dutch international Wesley Sneijder from Ajax.

Speaking of new signings, Bill and I talked in our last episode of how we were impressed with Bayern Munich's recent moves. Well, their new additions paid immediate dividends over the weekend in the first Bundesliga match of the new season: granted it was against newly promoted Hansa Rostock, but new arrival Miroslav Klose netted 2 goals, and fellow summer signing Luca Toni added a third as Bayern cruised to a 3-0 victory. Hopes are certainly high this year in Munich...

In addition to domestic leagues, the third round of Champions League qualifying starts this week. It features: last year's finalist Liverpool along with Arsenal; 2-time defending UEFA Cup champs Sevilla and fellow Spanish side Valencia; Scotland's 2 entrants (and usual suspects) Celtic and Rangers; Freddy Adu's new team, Benfica; and the now Klose-less Werder Bremen.

Who are you rooting for to make the group stage? Let us know at scpodcast@gmail.com, and you'll have a good chance of hearing your message read on a future episode!

Bill and Scott discuss a litany of summer transfers, from Germany to Spain to England and beyond. Which teams fared the best, which teams did well to get rid of players, and which players you should look for to make an impact in their new homes.

Have an opinion on transfers? E-mail scpodcast@gmail.com

On Episode 26, Jeff Carlisle said it would be interesting to see how Freddy Adu would fare in Europe, and it looks like we'll be able to find out. It has been reported that Adu is on the verge of signing a 5-year deal with Portuguese club Benfica.

My off-the-cuff reaction: this has the potential to be a great move for Adu. He will get to play (assuming, of course, he actually plays and doesn't just ride the bench) on one of the elite teams in Portugal, against generally good quality competition. But, Portugal doesn't have as intense a league as England or Italy. So the pressure on him to perform should be tolerable, which bodes well for his development.

We've seen what Adu can...uhh, do...for the US U-20 team. How will he play against some of Europe's best? Benfica will play in the Champions League 3rd qualifying round on Aug. 14/15 and 28/29, so if his deal goes through in time we could get an idea pretty soon.

--Scott

In this special episode, Scott speaks with ESPNsoccernet.com columnist Jeff Carlisle. They discuss the US national team's experience at Copa America, which players from that tournament you should watch for, why playing in Europe may not be the best move for up-and-coming players, and more!

Questions or comments? E-mail scpodcast@gmail.com.

Scott and Bill are back with Soccer Champions! We discuss what is likely to be the transfer of the summer: Thierry Henry to Barca. Is it for the best? And how is Arsenal coping?

Also, Real Madrid's remarkable turnaround, and how much their coach Fabio Capello had to do with it. Did he deserve being fired after leading them to the La Liga title in his first year? (answer: probably not)

Also discussion of Copa America and the US's participation in it, a different kind of football in Europe, and a listener e-mail.

Want to get your soccer opinion heard? Our e-mail box is always open! Write us at scpodcast@gmail.com.

The Champions League may be on summer break, but they're still playing in La Liga Primera! And Spain's top league is coming down to the wire. With 2 games remaining, Real Madrid tops the table with 72 points. Barcelona is even with their fierce rivals at 72 points, but Real leads due to their head-to-head advantage. Last month's UEFA Cup champions Sevilla are just 2 points behind the leaders.

Thiscoming weekend Real travels to Real Zaragoza--who is trying to cling to a UEFA Cup place--while Barca hosts the city derby against this year's UEFA Cup finalists Espanyol. For next week's finale, Real hosts Mallorca while Barca plays at relegation-bound Gimnastic.

Can Real cap a remarkable rebound this season with the Primera crown? Or will Barca repeat as champions? Should be a great finish!

Goalkeeper Jose "Pepe" Reina will remain in Liverpool Red after signing a 5-year contract extension with the English club.

France World Cup star Franck Ribery will attempt to return Bayern Munich to the Champions League next season, after confiriming a move from Marseille. Bayern will fork over 26 million Euros (about $35 million) for Ribery's services, plus an extra 4 mil Euros if they do indeed qualify for the 08-09 Champions League.

Will there be a Galacticos reunion in LA? Galaxy GM (and former US international) Alexi Lalas has expressed interest in bringing Luis Figo to California, now that the Portuguese star has rejected an offer from a Saudi club and is a free agent. Newly restored English international David Beckham joins the Galaxy in July after his Real Madrid contract expires.

AC Milan are the champions of Europe! We look back on their victory over Liverpool and discuss all of the noteworthy talking points: should Inzagi's first goal have been disallowed since it seemed to be an obvious handball? Would additional refs watching the goallines have made a difference? What was up with ref not giving a full 3 minutes of extra time? How did Liverpool do in efforts to keep Kaka in check? Who should be the man of the match (if anyone)?

Also, has the Champions League gotten too big? Plus a discussion
of European teams playing preseason warmups abroad, and a potential new home for US midfielder DaMarcus Beasley.

A big thank you from us to our listeners for supporting us in our first Champions League season on air. We hope you will continue to listen in over the summer, send in e-mails with your opinions/questions/suggestions to scpodcast@gmail.com, and please join us in the fall for Champions League 2007-08!

Cheers,
Scott and Bill

It's all come down to this. AC Milan. Liverpool. The brilliant Olympic Stadium in Athens. One will leave as UEFA Champions League champions for 2006-07. Who will it be? Scott and Bill go over final pointers and analysis to get you set for the big game.

If the Champions League final is as good as the UEFA Cup final last week, then we are in for a treat. The Sevilla-Espanyol clash in rainy Glasgow provided high drama, great goals, stellar saves, an extra time comeback, and the nailbiting event that is penalty kicks. We review all the action.

Also: a listener e-mail about the Brazilian nat'l team; adding referees to watch the goallines; Bob Bradley becoming permanent head coach of US national team: good or bad?; the turnover at Newcastle United, including US defender Oguchi Onyewu.

Links
-The 4 thrilling goals from the UEFA Cup final with English commentary (links for all goals are at the right side of this page)
-EPL Talk podcast

US Soccer announced today that Bob Bradley has been named coach of the national team on a permanent basis.

This fan's opinion? Ehh. Disappointing they couldn't get someone with international experience, but not unexpected. We'll see how the team does in the upcoming CONCACAF Gold Cup and Copa America tournaments.

Perpsective on this decision, as well as a recap of the all-Spanish UEFA Cup final, and of course a preview of the Liverpool-AC Milan Champions League final grudge match, on our next episode, to come out May 20 or 21.

--Scott

Heerenveen's Afonso Alves, who we profiled in Episode 22, set up the only goal as the Frisians beat Ajax today in the first leg of their Champions League qualification playoff semi-final.  The Brazilian also hit the cross-bar with a 30 meter free kick.

Soccer Champions' listener Tom Lewis e-mailed us with a link to Alves' stats.  Perhaps the folks at UEFA were also listening to Soccer Champions Episode 22, as they published a story today on UEFA.com regarding the Eredivisie's top scorer.

It looks like we'll be hearing Afonso's name (as well as his namesake,  Sevilla's Daniel Alves) linked with many clubs during the summer.

   -  Bill

While Manchester United clinched the English Premier League title in effect yesterday, and Inter Milan and Lyon will become Italian and French domestic league winners (respectively) with ease, the Spanish and German league titles are still up for grabs.

In Spain, Barcelona hold a two point advantage over Real Madrid, with Sevilla in third place 4 points behind the leaders, followed by Valencia 6 points out with 5 games to go. Yesterday surging Real Madrid--winners of 6 of their last 7 La Liga matches--overcame a 1-0 deficit to Sevilla and then outlasted the UEFA Cup Final contenders to win 3-2. This game not only featured entertaining play (including a beautifully struck goal off a volley by Sevilla's Enzo Moresca) and a riveting, tense atmosphere, but the bizarre occasion of a Sevilla substitute getting a red card...while on the bench, and a Real player getting a red card purely for excessive celebration! A second Sevilla player was actually sent off for an on-field incident for good measure. :) Sounds like a great game!

In Germany's Bundesliga, Schalke is hanging onto first place by a thread, with Stuttgart just 1 point back, and Werder Bremen hanging around in third place only 2 points out of first with only 2 games remaining. Now that Bremen are out of the UEFA Cup, can they make a run at the title?

Should be some great contests in these leagues down the stretch. Hopefully you'll get a chance to see some of them. And let us know your thoughts! Who do you think will come out on top in Spain and Germany? Who are you pulling for? E-mail scpodcast@gmail.com.

 

It's setting up to be a fantastic final in Athens, with a rematch of the unforgettable '05 affair from Istanbul, with Liverpool once again the underdog facing Italian giants AC Milan. But before we get to the championship festivities, it's time to look back on the semifinals, and see how the Reds outlasted Chelsea, and the Rossoneri soundly dispatched Manchester United.

Also, a preview of the all-Spanish UEFA Cup final, with David-like Espanyol matched with the Goliath of Sevilla, this competition's defending champions.

Plus a listener e-mail concerning young Brazilian phenom Afonso Alves, who tore up the Dutch Eredivisie this season.

Want to have your question or opinion read on a future episode? E-mail us at scpodcast@gmail.com

Links
Here's a compilation of Afonso Alves goals from the 06-07 campaign, set to some funky music!

Add Andriy Shevchenko to Chelsea's injury list.  The Ukrainian's groin strain means that the Blues will likely go with an all-Ivory Coast front line of Didier Drogba and Salomon Kalou. 

So this is the moment (err, matchday) of truth: who will advance to the championship, and the chance for Champions League or UEFA Cup glory, and who will come up just one game short? Scott and Bill get you caught up for the semifinal second legs, and we'll discuss whether or not the first leg results changed our minds about the overall outcomes of the UCL and UC.

Also, turmoil at Bayern Munich; where should the World Cup be held in 2018 and why this discussion should sound familiar; and the exciting conclusion to the Dutch Eredivisie season. Plus a listener e-mail!

Want to have your e-mail discussed on the show? All you have to do is send us your opinion, suggestion, question, or just which team you want to see get to Athens or Glasgow, to scpodcast@gmail.com.

In Episode 20, we incorrectly referred to Colorado's MLS franchise as the Avalanche. The Avalanche is in fact an ice hockey team; we meant to say the Rapids, the Colorado soccer team. Sorry about that.

Manchester United's injury list grew this past weekend as Rio Ferdinand and Kieran Richardson were both injured in the 1-1 draw with Middlesbrough.  Ferdinand will likely miss both legs with a groin strain. 

Park Ji-Sung and Louis Saha are also out while Gary Neville, Mikael Silvestre and Nemanja Vidic are struggling with injuries.

Milan's main injury concern is GK Dida's shoulder.  Zeljko Kalac would deputise if Dida misses out.

In this episode Scott and Bill preview the semifinals of the Champions League and UEFA Cup, and who we think will reach the final in each.

In addition, UEFA this past week selected Poland and the Ukraine as cohosts of the Euro 2012 tournament. We give our impressions of this decision. Also, we discuss the pros and cons of European soccer teams forming partnerships with MLS teams, and Sir Alex's actions in the Roma tie in the quarterfinals.

Agree or disagree with an aspect of our discussions? Let us know by e-mailing scpodcast@gmail.com.

Get Scott and Bill's take on the quarterfinal second legs for the Champions League and UEFA Cup, and a first look at the semifinal matchups. Plus we read listener e-mails.

Want to get your message read on our show? Just send us your soccer thoughts at scpodcast@gmail.com.

We had some great goals, close games, and spirited comebacks in the quarterfinal first legs of the Champions League and UEFA Cup. Scott and Bill go over all of the action, and what you need to know heading into the second legs this week. Are we sticking with our original predictions, or have the first legs led us to consider new outcomes?

Also, we review the little covered, yet intriguing situation of young American prospect Greg Dalby.

As always, e-mail us at scpodcast@gmail.com with any questions or comments, and we'll mention your message on the show.

Links:
David Silva's laser shot for Valencia against Chelsea

Are you ready for the quarterfinals of the Champions League and UEFA Cup!? Bill and Scott discuss what to keep in mind for the games this week.

Also in this episode, a look back at last week's Euro 2008 qualifiers, who's unexpectedly at the top, and which names should be there but aren't. And should Steve McLaren be worried about his job security with England?

Finally, the debacle that is the US national team coaching situation is revisited.

E-mail us with questions or comments at scpodcast@gmail.com

Scott and Bill recap the round of 16 second legs from the Champs League and UEFA Cup. Plus, listen in for a first look at the quarterfinal matchups.

And will English leagues institute penalty kick shootouts to break a tie in any game? Is this a good idea (our view- no)?

What's on your mind regarding European soccer? E-mail us at scpodcast@gmail.com.

P.S. Click here to see a clip of Mancini's wonder-goal from the Roma-Lyon second leg, along with some great Italian play-by-play!!

Scott and Bill review the Matchday 7 results, including Liverpool's statement at the Nou Camp and the controversial clash between Man United and Lille.

Also, we ponder who is in the best position as we head towards Matchday 8, and who has the toughest task in front of them to advance?

Plus transfer rumors and a UEFA Cup update!

Please e-mail opinions or suggestions to scpodcast@gmail.com.

Both Celtic and AC Milan have striker injury concerns heading into their Champions League encounter today. For the home side, Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink, Craig Beattie, and Maciej Zurawski all missed practice yesterday, though coach Gordon Strachan is hoping (praying?) at least one of them will be able to join Kenny Miller, who was pronounced fit and should be in the lineup.

Clarence Seedorf and Alberto Gilardino will both be gametime decisions for visiting Milan.

PSV and Arsenal have striker worries of their own. PSV will likely not have the services of Jefferson Farfan, who picked up a foot injury in an Eredivisie game over the weekend. Visiting Arsenal will be without Robin van Persie, out with a metatarsal injury, and William Gallas is expected to take the place of Emmanuel Eboue in defense.

Only a couple hours to go! Enjoy the games!

It's time we welcome back the Champions League, as Scott and Bill preview all of the Matchday 7 encounters. Who needs to do the most in the first leg? Who might be able to pull an upset?

Plus we look at some noteworthy results from this past week's UEFA Cup Round of 32.

Also, be sure to check out the EPL Talk podcast.

As the Champions League winter break comes to a close, we take a look at recent news of note:

Match suspensions in Italy
Prominent transfers within Europe, and moves from Europe to the US
Americans sweep in to become new owners of Liverpool FC

Plus we discuss whether increasing foreign ownership of European soccer teams is a good thing or a bad thing, and how far will it go?

The long wait is almost over- be sure to catch our next episode, when we'll preview Matchday 7 of the Champions League, which starts on Feb. 20!! As always, e-mail any questions or suggestions to scpodcast@gmail.com.

 

Don't get me wrong, I'm pleased that the US was able to beat Mexico last night, and keep a clean sheet to boot.  Some of the US squad will gain confidence from their ability to hang with our biggest competitors in CONCACAF.  On the other hand, the over zealous spin that some of the ESPN-US crew were spouting, made me want to turn the sound off the TV.

For starters, Mexico demonstrated superiority for long stretches and I'm sure that Bob Bradley would have accepted a nil-nil draw up until the first goal was scored.  That goal was well-taken by Jimmy Conrad but had more to do with very poor marking than great US tactics.  Conrad didn't even have to jump, let alone fend off an opposing player.  After the goal, the dynamics of the game changed and the US found more space for counter attacks. 

The US created very little in the final third of the field until after the first goal was scored.  The Americans seemed to have great difficulty maintaining possession and creating real danger for Mexico.  The second goal probably wouldn't have happened without a big assist from the referee.

So what is ESPN's message?  Essentially, that the US maintains its dominance over Mexico and should remove the 'interim' part of Bob Bradley's title.  As I said on Podcast Episode  #9, the decision on a permanent coach for the MNT should be based on the candidates' total body of work, not the team's performance in a couple of friendlies.  If Sunil Gulati didn't think that Bradley was the right man to take the US team to a higher level, then the feel-good effect of a fortunate victory over Mexico is virtually irrelevant.  Honestly, would it be any more fair to call for Bradley's dismissal if we had lost both friendlies? 

Rob Stone in particular made me shake my head.  He has been working US MNT games for years but his post-game comments made him seem like a cheerleader, not a journalist.  I won't get too riled about Dave O'Brien, but virtually everyone agrees that he should learn more about soccer and soccer play-by-play before being given responsibility for marquee games.  If the Mouseketeers demand an American accent, I'm sure that the very underrated Howard David is available.  (Husker du, Cosmos fans?)

What do you think?  Send your thoughts to scpodcast@gmail.com.

 - Bill

All Felix Magath has done recently as coach of Bayern Munich is finish first in the Bundesliga, and win the German Cup, for 2 years running. So what does that get him? The pink slip apparantly, as today Bayern fired Magath and replaced him with the man Magath had replaced in 2004, Ottmar Hitzfeld.

Bayern is currently struggling, in fifth place in the Bundesliga and in danger of missing out on the Champions League next season (where they have, admittedly, struggled under Magath's reign). But shouldn't Magath's recent track record at least allow him the opportunity to turn things around!? Seems to me that Bayern was a little trigger-happy with this move, unless there are other things going on behind the scenes that the public doesn't know about.

However, Hitzfeld has a pretty decent pedigree as well, guiding Bayern to the 2001 Champs League title in his last stint there (after doing the same for Borussia Dortmund 4 years prior).

-Scott

It's just as well that we didn't post the 'near-certain' rumor that Oguchi Onyewu was about to sign a deal with Olympique Marseilles.  As it turns out, Onyewu has decided to go on loan with Newcastle United for the remainder of the year, rather than returning to France.  He had played for Metz in 2002.

Newcastle has negotiated an option to make the transfer permanent over the summer.  Onyewu should have an opportunity to play as the Magpies have battled injuries and an overall lack of quality in their defensive ranks.

Do you think this was the best availabe option for Gooch?  Did the Chelsea and AC Milan rumors ever make sense?  Send us your thoughts at scpodcast@gmail.com.

After running Europe's soccer governing body for 16 years, Lennart Johansson will make way for former France captain and star Michel Platini, who was elected UEFA President today.

One of the more controversial tenets of Platini's campaign is his desire to limit the number of Champions League births for any country to 3. While probably not a very popular policy in England, Spain, Germany, and Italy--who now have 4 spots each--it will make more entries available to smaller countries, and give more teams the chance to experience the grandeur and spectacle that is the Champions League.

So just who is Michel Platini? If you don't know or need a refresher, check out this BBC profile.

Comments or opinions on his selection as President? scpodact@gmail.com is the place to send them!

UEFA has awarded Tottenham Hotspur automatic passage into the last 16 of the UEFA Cup, due to the banishment of their scheduled Round of 32 opponent, Feyenoord, from the competition. Spurs will play the winner of the SC Braga-Parma tilt.

The Oguchi Onyewu transfer saga continues.  England's Daily Star Sunday and News of the World are reporting that Chelsea will make a deal to sign Onyewu from Belgium's Standard Liege for approximately 3 million GBP.

The Sunday Mirror notes that Liverpool striker Robbie Fowler will follow David Beckham to MLS.  DC United is rumored to be Fowler's destination.

Would these be good moves for the players and teams involved?  Send us your thoughts at scpodcast@gmail.com.

Bill and Scott weigh in on the decision to boot Feyenoord from the UEFA Cup due to the actions of their fans. Is UEFA sending the right message? Will it work?

Be sure to send your opinions to scpodcast@gmail.com.

On a more uplifting note, more good news for Cesc Fabregas (after being spotlighted in our up-and-coming players segment on Episode 11, of course): he has been chosen by uefa.com readers to be on the Team of the Year 2006!

Almost 400,000 fans voted for the best starting 11 from European club teams, based on performance in the last year. Congratulations Cesc!

Rotterdam, Holland-based club Feyenoord, who won the UEFA Cup in 2002, have been evicted from the competition by Europe's soccer governing body. The punishment results from riotous behavior on the part of Feyenoord fans at a UEFA Cup group stage match in France against Nancy-Lorraine last Nov. 30. The situation devolved to the point where tear gas canisters spilled onto the field, delaying the game by 30 minutes.

A horrid, shameful incident to be sure, but it brings up some very interesting questions. 1) Is kicking the team out of the competition an appropriate punishment? After all, it was the fans, not the players, whose behavior led to the punishment, so why should the players have to suffer as a result by being removed from a competition? (you could make the same argument regarding the Italian teams involved in the match-fixing scandal, and question why players were punished with relegation or point removals for actions they had nothing to do with. But I have a little easier time buying into the punishments here because at least the offenders had official ties to the teams)

2) Is this type of punishment effective? Will taking a team out of a competition really cause fans to change their behavior?

3) If UEFA's course of action wasn't the best one, what is?

E-mail us your thoughts at scpodcast@gmail.com. Plus stay tuned to the podcast, this topic could very well come up on a future episode... :)

P.S. This situation also puts Feyenoord's scheduled opponent for the round of 32 in February--England's Tottenham Hotspur--in a precarious position. UEFA officials are trying to decide whether to give Spurs a "bye," and a free pass to the last 16, or have them play Wisla Krakow, the 4th place finisher from Feyenoord's group in the group stage. And it might not be as clear cut as you think- while I'm sure Spurs would love to be automatically qualified for the next round and alleviate their busy schedule by removing 2 games--the home and away legs of the matchup they would've had with Feyenoord--it also means they'd miss out on the ticket and TV rights proceeds from that home leg. We'll see what happens.

After we recorded episode 11, Paul le Guen decided to return to his home country, signing on to be head coach of a team he used to play for, Paris St. Germain. PSG played to a 0-0 draw in its first game under their new coach. Rangers brought in Scottish national team coach Walter Smith to replace the Frenchman, leaving an opening at the national team post.

And for what it's worth, since the announcement of the Beckham signing, the LA Galaxy have sold 5000 season tickets. Even the expansion Toronto FC have sold 2600.

So David Beckham is coming to the LA Galaxy. Good thing or bad thing? And how about American players going to Europe? What will get MLS into the upper echelons of domestic leagues? Answers to these questions and more as we discuss this major MLS news.

Also, what's going on with Jose Mourinho? Plus what Chelsea has in common with baseball's New York Yankees, and Paul le Guen's ouster at Rangers.

Finally, we shine our up-and-coming player spotlight on Arsenal's Cesc Fabregas.

Links:
Soccernet profile of Cesc Fabregas

Podcast Pickle stats have been reset for the new year, so please make your way over to the PP site and add us as a favorite! You can use the handy link on the right-hand side of this page.

We welcome any avenues to spread the word about our show, and we appreciate your help!

--Scott and Bill

As you may recall, we discussed WPOY contenders in Episode 5.  FIFA selected Fabio Cannavaro as its Men's POY in December.  Brazil's Marta won the Women's POY.

Italy's Captain benefitted from the Azzurri's surprising success at the World Cup.  Interestingly, the scandal which caused Cannavaro's former club Juventus to be relegated to Serie B did not derail the defender's candidacy.

The selection of Cannavaro, with Zinedine Zidane a close second, highlights the over-weighting of World Cup performance in the voting.  Do you agree with the selection?  Should a player's club performance (2/3 of the year) be more influential?

E-mail your opinions to scpodcast@gmail.com, and we'll discuss them on an upcoming episode!


 

Fulham has been pretty busy in the opening days of the winter transfer window. The Premiership side, already home to Americans Brian McBride and Carlos Bocanegra, should soon be adding New England Revolution striker Clint Dempsey. Dempsey can be streaky, but has the potential to be a big impact player. He scored USA's only goal at the World Cup this past summer.

The Dempsey deal now hinges on him getting a British work visa. The transfer fee could reach upwards of $4 million, which would make it the largest in the history of MLS, the US's professional league (in the US, the league owns players' contracts, not individual teams).

In other Fulham-USA-related news, the club could not come to terms with central defender Oguchi Onyewu. According to the article, Onyewu--who is also negotiating with AC Milan--rejected Fulham's offer of $2 million.

For my mind he's absolutely nuts to turn down that kind of money, and the chance to play in the spotlight of the English Premier League. He would get a chance to play in one of the top-quality leagues in the world, and by doing so could hopefully raise his level of play, which would in turn benefit the US national team. It's gotta be better than playing in Belgium (though no offense to any Zulte Waregem fans out there), where he's been with Standard de Liege since 2004. And you'd think that with Fulham he'd have a good shot at being a starter, whereas I can't imagine he'd see much playing time with AC Milan. Oh well...

--Scott

Can't wait until the knockout rounds of the Champions League and UEFA Cup in February? Preview them now with Scott and Bill! For our last show of 2006, we look at upcoming matchups in both competitions.

Also, how will Euro 2012 look different from the '08 version? And we answer some questions about classic matches and up-and-coming players from Dan on Tap. Happy Holidays!

Dan on Tap's podcast:
Life on Tap

Time to take stock of the Champions League, and review the final group stage matches. We discuss a brilliant Ronaldinho strike, a particularly exciting match between Hamburg and CSKA Moscow, Manchester United getting a sense of deja vu vs. Benfica, and a famous win for little Lille against the goliath known as AC Milan.

Also, what happened in the search for the next coach of the US men's national team!?! It seemed as if Jurgen Klinsmann was signed, sealed, and delivered, and then out of the blue, the new coach is introduced, and it's...Bob Bradley!?!? Scott and Bill dissect the decision.

Well, unfortunately, for Bill and Scott, our national team coach for US men's soccer dream is over. Yesterday it came to light that Jurgen Klinsmann would not, in fact, be named as the coach after failing to agree on terms with the US Soccer Federation.  :-(

Later yesterday, an unnamed source commented to ESPN.com that Bob Bradley, currently the manager of MLS squad Chivas USA, will be officially named the nat'l team coach today. But the appointment is only an interim one--apparantly ANOTHER search for a permanent coach will resume next summer. So it's unclear whether or not Bradley will be coach of the team at either the Gold Cup or Copa America, though he could be considered a candidate for the permanent post. Confusing enough!?

So where did this choice come from? Bradley wasn't even considered a likely candidate for head coach by the popular press. Sometimes the ineptitude of our soccer federation is startling. You better believe we'll be talking about this on an upcoming show!!

Will Bill and Scott's prayers be answered!? According to multiple reports from both sides of the Atlantic, Jurgen Klinsmann is set to become the next head coach of the US national team.

The only problem? A US Soccer Federation source told ESPN today that no decision has been made and no deal has been reached as of yet.

US national team defender Steve Cherundolo is among those saying that it's a done deal, and Klinsmann is the choice. He is certainly our choice. Heck, the German maestro even has Pele's seal of approval!

But adding further intrigue to this situation, a Spanish language newspaper based in Los Angeles ran a story in mid-November stating that former Argentina manager Jose Pekerman had already signed a contract, and would soon be introduced as the coach.

In any case, Team USA has already scheduled a friendly against Denmark on Jan. 20, so let's just hope they have it figured out by then.

Scott and Bill look at every Champions League group as we head into the last matchday of the group stage! Who will advance? Who will reach the UEFA Cup? And whose European season is over? Tune in to find out!

Plus, we review where things stand in the UEFA Cup, discuss a startling incident from Paris, look back at the MLS Cup--the USA domestic league championship game--and, finally, dole out some career advice for Freddy Adu.

This week is the last we'll see of the Champions League until February, so enjoy it while it lasts!

Any suggestions for topics you want us to cover during the winter break? E-mail them to scpodcast@gmail.com.

Links:
Life on Tap