Staying out of the Mainstream - Links

Starter Fun

• The latest episode of Special1 TV: Mid Table Madness

Not in the Mainstream

• Jonathan Wilson on Energy Cost of Playing on Artificial Turf 
• Intercontinental Club Football Calendar for 2011 - with link to 2011 National Team International Tournament calendar
• A working life: The football groundsman 
• Rob Hughes: In Soccer, Making It Look Easy Was Never So Hard
• Brian Quarsted: San Antonio: One Team, Two Teams, or No Teams? NASL or USL?
• Steve Davis: The high school soccer debate, and where we get it wrong

News and Views from Thurs May 20

MLS

• LA and Columbus remain undefeated despite missing top players.
• Ngwenya finally rejoins Houston.
• Rev U16 players honored by US Soccer.
• Union loan Zimmerman to Harrisburg.
• Red Bull Arena, will it matter?

The Business of Soccer

• Seattle Sounders named as 2010 pro sports team of the year.
• Richard Farley is reporting that NASL's AC St. Louis and WPS's St. Louis Athletica are on the brink of going out of business.
• Inside Minnesota Soccer with more on USL and NASL.

Interesting Reads

• Sir Alex Ferguson on American soccer and MLS.
• Steve Davis: Big media should cover soccer correctly or not at all.
• The worst job in soccer.
• Beau Dure: Why college still produces pro talent.

World Cup

• Goal.com debate: Who should start at the back for the US?
• A study in National team training techniques.
• The WC created this soccer fan.

Around the World

• Brasil's Internacional and Universidad de Chile join Sao Paulo and Chivas de Guadalajara in Copa Libertadores semifinals.
• Mexican Liguilla final - Toluca/Santos draw in first leg.
• Nepal league postponed indefinitely.

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After the Weekend Apr 10-11

Feeling pretty good. As I mentioned in an earlier post, this is the first year I've decided to root for a specific MLS team. It's the Union, since Philly was the last place I lived that has an MLS club. Am just over the moon with the way Philly fans turned out for the home opener. The win was just a bonus. Now I just hope the enthusiasm will remain as the team is likely to experience some difficulties with 7 of its next 8 games on the road as they wait for the completion of their new home, PPL Park. I'll also be watching closely once PPL Park opens to see if folks will make the short trek to Chester. Philly fans have grown accustomed to 'one-stop shopping' for their major teams, all located at the Sports Complex in South Philly. Meanwhile, Go Union!

MLS

• My weekly attendance report.
• A fan reacts to DC United's horrendous start.
• And a Philly fan reacts to the Union home opener.
• And Philly has a new fan.
• Jason Davis: For him, MLS trumps La Liga's El Clásico.
• Mike Jacobs: College soccer continues to feed MLS.
• Video: Q & A with The Don.
• MLS teams begin US Open Cup play-ins this week.

USSF D2 Play Begins

• NASL
• USL
• The Schedule at USSoccer.

Interesting Reads

• Keith Hickey: Has the US outgrown CONCACAF? Agree or disagree, it's a topic that pops up every now and again.

Around the World

• ESPNSoccernet: Guadalajara were knocked off the top of Mexico's Torneo Bicentario table
• Hexagonal Blog: Haitian football starts its revival.
• Panathinaikos are Greek League Champs.
• Jamaican Premier League update.

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Title and Champions League Races in Europe

	GP	W	D	L	GD	Pts
EPL
Chelsea	33	23	5	5	54	74
Manchester Utd	34	23	4	7	50	73
Arsenal	33	22	5	6	41	71
Manchester City	33	17	11	5	28	62
Tottenham	32	17	7	8	26	58
Liverpool	34	16	8	10	21	56
Bundesliga
Bayern Munich	30	17	9	4	30	60
Schalke 04	30	17	7	6	21	58
Bayer Leverkusen	30	14	12	4	25	54
Dortmund	30	15	7	8	13	52
Werder Bremen	30	14	9	7	26	51
Hamburg SV	30	12	12	6	16	48
Ligue 1
Marseille	31	18	8	5	27	62
Auxerre	32	17	9	6	7	60
Lyon	32	16	10	6	19	58
Montpellier	32	17	7	8	7	58
Bordeaux	30	17	5	8	20	56
Lille	32	16	7	9	23	55
Serie A
AS Roma	33	20	8	5	23	68
Internazionale	33	19	10	4	33	67
AC Milan	33	18	10	5	21	64
Palermo	33	15	9	9	8	54
Sampdoria	33	15	9	9	3	54
Juventus	33	15	6	12	2	51
La Liga
Barcelona	31	25	5	1	58	80
Real Madrid	31	25	2	4	55	77
Valencia	31	16	8	7	15	56
Sevilla FC	31	15	6	10	9	51
Mallorca	31	15	6	10	13	51
Athletic Bilbao	31	14	6	11	3	48

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News and Views from Fri Apr 9

MLS

• Jeff Carlisle: Union fans prepping for home opener.
• Kyle McCarthy: The Revs defense.
• The folks at Down the Byline found this story about the Fire playing teams from 'sister cities'.

Player Moves

• Philadelphia signs former USL MVP Arrieta
• RailHawks sign former Crew member Elenio.
• Miami FC adds two players.
• Ibrahim signs with Red Bulls.

USSF D2

• USL Conference Preview
• NASL Conference Preview
• USSF preview radio show

Interesting Reads

• The Offside: Slavia Sofia President Saves Player’s Life
• Jakarta Casual: Swelling the coffers of the AFC

The Business of Soccer

• Kenn.com: The Business of Indoor Soccer c.1998
• Spain's footballers call strike for Apr 16-19

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News and Views from Thursday Mar 4

 Crew/Wizards action in Phoenix

A relatively slow day, especially since I'm not linking to the plethora of post international friendly stories.

MLS Preseason

• San Jose update.
• Wizards/Crew draw in Phoenix.

MLS

• LA Galaxy open tryouts this weekend.

Player Moves

• The Seattle Sounders have signed Swiss International forward Blaise Nkufo.He will join the club after the World Cup.

Interesting Reads

• Orlando will have a professional soccer team in 2011. The new team has aligned itself with the USL.

The Business of Soccer

• A peek at Liverpool's revenue streams. Making the quarterfinals of the '08-09 UEFA Champions League earned the club 23.2 million Euros. More in the article.

Soccer Bits, Player Moves, Tracking Your Team

Lower Division in the USA

• Wanna keep track of your favorite USSF D2 team? atlanticTFCfan has posted the Twitter and Facebook url's.
• OurSportsCentral's franchise report lays out the USL-2 and PDL landscape for 2011.

Young Yanks
The new USMNT U-17 residency class for the Bradenton Academy has been been selected.

For Your Viewing Pleasure
Johnathan Starling at Set Piece Analysts reports that mun2, an NBC Universal property, will broadcast Mexican First Division matches in English.

MLS Biz
Fake Sigi on the limitations of MLS's single entity structure.

More Post MLS SuperDraft Analysis
This time it comes from Ives.
And this one about the NE Revs defense.


MLS Pre-Season
RBNY will head to La Manga, Spain for two weeks from Wednesday, Jan. 20 to Feb. 4. After returning, the club will go to Florida to complete its pre-season.

Rumored Moves
Lee Nguyen is assessing the possibility of playing in MLS. Nguyen currently plays for Vietnamese team Hoàng Anh Gia La.
Reports from France has USMNT Defender Carlos Bocanegra moving from Renne to St. Etienne.
After Bolton passed, Ives is reporting that Dynamo midfielder Stuart Holden may be headed to Portugal to sign with 1st place Sporting Braga.

Confirmed Moves
DC United signs Aussie forward Danny Allsopp.

Good Reads
After a couple of good showings for Everton, Andrea Canales of Goal.com offers up her opinion on the likelihood that Landon Donovan's loan will be extended, or more.
Grant Wahl on his journey to cover the African Cup of Nations.

More Help for Haiti from the Soccer Community
Kaka, Zidane to Play in Game for Haiti Relief.
RBNY, SCF to benefit Haiti through RBA tours.