Scott and Bill are back with their 50th episode! We get you ready for Matchday 5 in the Champions League, and update you on the surprising form of underdog teams in the group stage, the balance between talent and team cohesiveness, and Landon Donovan's move to Bayern Munich: pro or con?

E-mail scpodcast@gmail.com with any questions or comments, and if you're in the U.S., have a happy Thanksgiving!

No episode before MD4, but here are Bill and Scott's picks! Same matchups as MD3, but with home and visiting teams flipped (home team listed first). Our picks for UEFA Cup games to watch also included. Enjoy!

Bill's picks
Tuesday
Cluj-Bordeaux: Cluj
Roma-Chelsea: Chelsea
Anorthosis-Inter: Inter
Werder Bremen-Panathinaikos: Bremen
Sporting Lisbon-Shakhtar: Sporting
Liverpool-Atletico Madrid: Draw
Marseille-PSV: Draw
Barcelona-Basel: Barca

Wednesday
Aalborg-Villareal: Villareal
Celtic-Manchester Utd: Man U
Fiorentina-Bayern Munich: Draw
Lyon-Steaua Bucharest: Lyon
Arsenal-Fenerbache: Arsenal
Dynamo Kiev-Porto: Draw
Real Madrid-Juventus: Real
BATE Borisov-Zenit St. Pete: Draw

Marquis Mactchups for UEFA Cup Thursday
Manchester City-Twente: Steve McLaren leads Dutch side Twente into his home country.
Standard Liege-Sevilla: Belgian league champions Liege took Liverpool to the wire in Champs League qualifying and took out another Merseyside team, Everton, in the UEFA Cup first round. Can they continue their rousing start to the European campaign against the Spanish giants?

Scott's picks
Tuesday
Cluj-Bordeaux: Cluj
Roma-Chelsea: Draw
Anorthosis-Inter: Inter
Werder Bremen-Panathinaikos: Bremen
Sporting Lisbon-Shakhtar: Sporting
Liverpool-Atletico Madrid: Liverpool
Marseille-PSV: Draw
Barcelona-Basel: Barca

Wednesday
Aalborg-Villareal: Villareal
Celtic-Manchester Utd: Man U
Fiorentina-Bayern Munich: Bayern
Lyon-Steaua Bucharest: Lyon
Arsenal-Fenerbache: Draw
Dynamo Kiev-Porto: Kiev
Real Madrid-Juventus: Draw
BATE Borisov-Zenit St. Pete: Draw

Marquis Mactchups for UEFA Cup Thursday
AC Milan-Braga: Portuguese entrants Braga are coming off a group stage win over Portsmouth. Facing Milan in the San Siro will be their toughest challenge thus far, but if Milan's hearts (and heads) aren't really in it, Braga could pull the upset.
Tottenham-Dinamo Zagreb: Juande Ramos is out, Harry Redknapp is in, and Spurs are turning things around. After taking out first-place Liverpool in the EPL, Spurs welcome Croatia's Zagreb to White Hart Lane.

Scott and Bill review the controversial Barca goal against Shaktar from Matchday 2, and explore the issue of home field advantage. Also, a Matchday 3 preview and introduction to the group stage of the UEFA Cup.

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

Link:
Unshakable Home-Field Advantage in Soccer World

Due to scheduling conflicts, we will not be able to record an episode previewing Matchday 2, we're doing the next best thing: giving you our predictions for the matchups right now! We also tell you our suggestions for games to watch if you can. So here you go (home team listed first):

Bill's Picks
Tues. 9/30
Zenit St. Petersburg-Real Madrid: Draw
Aalborg-Manchester United: Man U
Villareal-Celtic: Villareal
Fiorentina-Steaua Bucharest: Fiorentina
Bayern Munich-Lyon: Draw
Arsenal-FC Porto: Arsenal
Fenerbache-Dynamo Kiev: Fenerbache
BATE Borisov-Juventus: Juventus

Wed. 10/1
CFR Cluj-Chelsea: Chelsea
Bordeaux-Roma: Draw
Anorthosis-Panathinaikos: Draw
Inter Milan-Werder Bremen: Inter
Shaktar Donetsk-Barcelona: Barcelona
Liverpool-PSV Eindhoven: Liverpool
Atletico Madrid-Marseille: Atletico
Sporting Lisbon-FC Basel: Sporting

Bill's Games to Watch: Zenit-Real Madrid, Bayern-Lyon, Atletico Madrid-Marseilles

Scott's Picks
Tues. 9/30
Zenit St. Petersburg-Real Madrid: Zenit
Aalborg-Manchester United: Man U
Villareal-Celtic: Villareal
Fiorentina-Steaua Bucharest: Fiorentina
Bayern Munich-Lyon: Lyon
Arsenal-FC Porto: Arsenal
Fenerbache-Dynamo Kiev: Fenerbache
BATE Borisov-Juventus: Juventus

Wed. 10/1
CFR Cluj-Chelsea: Chelsea
Bordeaux-Roma: Draw
Anorthosis-Panathinaikos: Panathinaikos
Inter Milan-Werder Bremen: Draw
Shaktar Donetsk-Barcelona: Barcelona
Liverpool-PSV Eindhoven: Draw
Atletico Madrid-Marseille: Atletico
Sporting Lisbon-FC Basel: Sporting

Scott's Games to Watch: Bayern-Lyon, Inter-Werder Bremen, Anorthosis-Panathinaikos (the Cyprus-Greece showdown!)

We'll try to recap MD2 with the MD3 preview!

 Fall is upon us, and it's time for Champions League! Scott and Bill review all eight groups and who we think will advance to the next round, plus Matchday 1 showdowns you should see.

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

It's time for the Summer Games in China, and that means Olympic soccer! Scott speaks with Soccernet.com writer Jeff Carlisle, who's in Tianjin with the U.S. men's team. Scott and Jeff discuss how the U.S. team may fare, players on other teams to watch out for, which U.S. players you may see in the 2010 World Cup, who will win the gold, and more.

Questions or comments? E-mail scpodcast@gmail.com, and enjoy the Olympics!

Spanish athletes have been doing pretty well lately: Rafael Nadal finally beat Roger Federer at Wimbledon, and the Spain national soccer team won Euro 2008! It was a thoroughly dominating performance by Iker Casillas and co., and they proved themselves deserving winners. Scott and Bill recap the final and the tournament.

Send questions and comments to scpodcast@gmail.com

Champions League and UEFA Cup qualifying begin soon. Which means the group stages are coming up sooner than you think!

Scott and Bill look back on Euro 2008 so far, and look ahead to the semifinals. Does Turkey has a chance to take down Germany? Will Spain finally make a final? Stay tuned!

Also we answer a listener e-mail.

Cheers to Dan on Tap on his marriage! And check out his brew-related podcast, Life on Tap, at http://lifeontap.net.

Scott and Bill look back one last time on the Champions League season with a recap of the Final, then it's on to Euro 2008! What should you watch for? Which teams can go far? Who could be this year's Greece? Tune in for our thoughts.

Questions or comments? E-mail scpodcast@gmail.com, and let us know who you're rooting for in Euro '08.

We also want to give a shout out to Dan on Tap. Dan's a Chelsea fan, and he's therefore likely still trying to recover from the Champs League Final. So be nice to him and check out his web site and podcast, Life on Tap, at http://lifeontap.net!

It's all down to this. Chelsea. Manchester United. For the championship of European club soccer. Scott and Bill break down the showdown and predict who will win it all in Moscow.

We also look back at the UEFA Cup final and Zenit St. Petersburg's triumph.

Thoughts on the end of the European club season? E-mail scpodcast@gmail.com. Also stay tuned to Soccer Champions through the summer for updates on Euro 2008 and the Olympic soccer tournament.

It'll be an all-English final in Russia for the Champions League, and a Russian team in England vs. a Scottish one in the UEFA Cup. We look back at how: Avram Grant lead Chelsea where Jose Mourinho could not, Manchester United cooly and calmly took out Barca, Zenit St. Petersburg steamrolled Bayern Munich, and Rangers squeaked by Fiorentina.

Plus what to keep in mind as we move towards the Champs League final, and Scott and Bill's predictions for the UEFA Cup title!

Soccer opinions or questions? You should send them to scpodcast@gmail.com!

Less than a week after Getafe's gut-wrenching defeat to Bayern Munich in the UEFA Cup quarterfinals--in which the Spanish Cinderella side were within a minute (give or take) of taking down the German giants not once, but TWICE--they had a chance at redemption in the Spanish domestic cup final (aka Copa del Rey).

Getafe faced Valencia with a UEFA Cup spot next season on the line. Sadly this was not to be Getafe's day either: they fell behind 2 early goals, though pulled one back with a penalty just before the half. But a late header by sub Fernando Morientes sealed it for Valencia, who secured the domestic cup and UEFA Cup birth with a 3-1 victory.

And how was Valencia coach Ronald Koeman rewarded for this impressive achievement? The team fired him a few days later! Granted Valencia's La Liga form left a lot to be desired, as the team currently stands 4 points above the relegation zone with 4 games to go. Koeman also did not make many friends in Spain by ostracizing several of Valencia's most popular players, David Albelda, Santiago Canizares, and Miguel Angel Angulo. Within the first few days of taking over, new appointee Salvador "Voro" Gonzalez reinstated all three. The soccer soap opera continues...

Meanwhile Getafe have yet another tough battle ahead, as they are also just 4 points removed from relegation. Here's hoping they can pull it together and salvage a season they should be very proud of. In the meantime, enjoy the Champs League and UEFA Cup semifinals this week!!

Scott and Bill relive all the drama (and there was a lot!) from the Getafe-Munich UEFA Cup quarterfinal, the Liverpool-Arsenal Champs League quarterfinal, and more.

Plus, how the semis shape up in both competitions. Will Liverpool have Chelsea's number again? How about the Rangers-Fiorentina UEFA Cup matchup?

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

Scott and Bill preview the quarterfinals for the Champions League and UEFA Cup. Which favorites should advance? Who could become an upset victim? Plus both of us highlight one game to watch in each competition in the next round.

Questions, comments, suggestions? Send 'em to scpodcast@gmail.com.

Scott and Bill discuss a troubling situation regarding a vicious tackle in an English Premier League game, plus Bill weighs in on the EPL's plan to go international.

Also we update you on the Champions League Round of 16, and look ahead to the UEFA Cup Round of 16 (go Getafe!).

E-mail questions, comments, suggestions to scpodcast@gmail.com.

The Champions League is back! Scott previews the Round of 16 of the Champions League, and looks at first leg results from the UEFA Cup Round of 32.

Also, a look at the English Premier League's proposal to play regular season games outside of England. Good idea or bad idea? Where will games be played? Will it ever actually happen?

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

Remember back in the fall when we posted about talk of playing English Premier League games in the US, or elsewhere outside of England? Thought it was just a wild rumor? Think again: this week the EPL introduced a plan to add 1 game to its schedule starting in 2011, with teams travelling to 5 cities outside of England to play that game. All EPL teams would participate, and cities would put in bids to host matches, similarly to how host cities are chosen for the Olympics.

Now this is just a proposal, which will be debated for quite some time, but just the fact that it is being considered at all is a major development. Even the Prime Minister has weighed in!

In voicing the proposal the EPL referenced the need to raise its global profile in an increasingly crowded sports landscape (case in point: the NFL returning to England for a regular season game this year), and that money generated from this int'l fixture will go to the EPL teams, who won't be ones to turn away more money. Whenever money is involved in any sport, it usually wins out, which is what some expect will happen here.

What do you think? Smart move? Not needed? Is it a big deal that it will upset the balance of the current "1 home, 1 away" against every team format? Will it really happen? E-mail your opinions to us at scpodcast@gmail.com, and don't be surprised to see this topic pop up in a future podcast!

Three--count 'em 3--stories discussed on episode 37 of Soccer Champions (posted this past Sat. Jan. 26) have made headlines this week.

As Bill had suspected, FIFA rejected the transfer of Daniel Cousin from Rangers to Fulham. Soccer's governing body cited its rule that a player cannot play for more than 2 teams in a season. Since Cousin played 20 mins. as a sub for Lens before his move to Rangers, he cannot switch teams again. Pretty ridiculous!

EPL side Middlesbrough are closing in on completing a transfer for Brazilian playmaker Afonso Alves. A hearing has been set to approve a work visa for Alves, which according to this article is not a done deal yet.

Finally, Germany legend Franz Beckenbauer has expressed doubt that Jurgen Klinsmann can succeed as coach of Bayern Munich. Beckenbauer said he "can only hope" Klinsmann makes it to the end of his 2-year contract. Wow. Why he would say that publicly, and put even more pressure on Klinsmann, is beyond my comprehension.

Keep listening to Soccer Champions for more high-profile soccer discussion! You can also e-mail us at scpodcast@gmail.com with questions, opinions, or suggestions.

 

It's the first Soccer Champions of 2008, and Bill and Scott catchup on a big player move (Nicolas Anelka) and coaching move (Jurgen Klinsmann settles on Bayern Munich). Plus the pros and cons of Arsenal using young players in certain tournaments, how some American players are doing abroad, and more!

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

The Round of 16 matchups for the Champions League are out, and we discuss our first impressions. Plus a look at the UEFA Cup 1st knockout round and teams to watch for.

And did England get the right man for the job (i.e., nat'l team head coach) in Fabio Capello?

Questions or comments? Send them to scpodcast@gmail.com.

In this special episode Scott catches up with Soccernet.com columnist Jeff Carlisle. They discuss the late '07 friendlies for the US national team, and how the team looks heading into World Cup qualifying next year. Also the impact of Damarcus Beasley's injury on the national team, prospects for the US U-23 team in Olympic qualifying, and how Freddy Adu and Clint Dempsey are faring in Europe.

Have a comment or opinion on the show? Send it to scpodcast@gmail.com! Also stay tuned for Scott and Bill's take on the Champions League Round of 16 matchups, coming soon...

Scott and Bill look back at the drama of Euro 2008 qualifying, and preview the final tournament. Plus the England debacle, and who should be their next coach?

Also discussed is the current standings in the Champions League, a recap of Matchday 5 and look ahead to Matchday 6. There's still plenty to be decided in the final games of the group phase! Finally, is rotating players a good strategy?

E-mail us your thoughts on soccer to scpodcast@gmail.com