Canada v. Jamaica: World Cup 2010 Qualifying Preview

Canada starts the next stage in its bid to earn a berth in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa with a match against the Reggae Boyz of Jamaica on Wednesday in Toronto.

The Canadian team, announced last week, is perhaps the strongest we've ever managed to assemble:

Goalkeepers: Pat Onstad (Houston Dynamo); Greg Sutton (Toronto FC)

Defenders: Paul Stalteri (Tottenham Hotspur); Jim Brennan (Toronto FC); Mike Klukowski (Club Brugge); Kevin McKenna (FC Koln); Richard Hastings (Inverness Caledonian Thistle); Adrian Serioux (FC Dallas)

Midfielders: Daniel Imhof (VfL Bochum); Julian de Guzman (Deportivo La Coruna); Issey Nakajima-Farran (FC Nordsjlland); Atiba Hutchinson (FC Copenhagen); Patrice Bernier (FC Nordsjlland); Tomasz Radzinski (Skoda Xanthi); Dwayne De Rosario (Houston Dynamo)

Forwards: Ali Gerba (MK Dons); Rob Friend (Borussia Moenchengladbach); Iain Hume (Barnsley)

Canada looks strongest in midfield, with the likes of De Rosario, De Guzman, Radzinski and Hutchinson. The forwards, particularly Gerba and Friend will also play a big factor in Canada's success. Defence is a weak spot with no true centre backs named in the squad.

For Jamaica:

Goalkeepers: Donovan Ricketts (Bradford City); Shawn Sawyers (Portmore United)

Defenders: Tyrone Marshall (Toronto FC); Ian Goodison (Tranmere Rovers); Keneil Moodie (Seba United); O'Brian Woodbine (Reno); Demar Stewart (Chengdu Blades); Jermaine Taylor (Harbour View); Demar Phillips (Stoke City)

Midfielders: Davion Thorpe (Reno); Evan Taylor (Reno); Rudolph Austin (Stoke City); Jevaughn Watson (Sporting Central); Jermaine Hue (Harbour View); Ricardo Gardner (Bolton Wanderers); Wolry Wolfe (Joe Public)

Forwards: Deon Burton (Sheffield Wednesday); Luton Shelton (Valerenga); Omar Cummings (Colorado Rapids); Andy Williams (Real Salt Lake)

The Jamaicans also look strong up front, with Shelton leading the team with five goals in the opening qualifying round. Their defence looks decent, with a couple England-based players and TFC's Tyrone Marshall (who is questionable for the match, having picked up a quadriceps injury). The midfield is mainly composed of domestic-based players and remains somewhat of an enigma for us non-Jamaicans. They will surely benefit from their familiarity with one another, but the star, Gardner, didn't feature for Bolton on the weekend.

Canada leads the series between the two nations with a record of 6 wins, 4 draws and only 2 losses over 12 games. Particularly telling is the Canadians' record at home, with 5 wins and a draw. The confines of BMO Field should only help with this fine home form.

The Jamaicans dominated their second round qualifier against the Bahamas, winning 13-0 on aggregate.

There will be no games in the so-called Group of Death (also including Honduras and Mexico) that Canada can take for granted. They should be looking for three points against Jamaica, but by no means should these points be considered automatic.

Rene Simoes, the Brazilian who had been in talks with the Canadian Soccer Association to take over after the departure of Frank Yallop last year, manages the Jamaicans and will certainly have the Reggae Boyz prepared for the match.

Canadian manager Dale Mitchell would be advised to make the best of his limited training time with the largely European-based side, to ensure the squad is organized and acclimatizing his players to the artificial pitch at BMO.

Canada's next match is in Montreal on Sept. 6, against Honduras.

Clubs within their rights to withhold players from Olympics

The fuss and furor surrounding Barcelona's demand that star forward Lionel Messi not attend the 2008 Olympic Games football tournament in China is far too overblown. That they have won an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport is vindication that the club has been right all along.

From the standpoint of the clubs and fans, the point should be moot: if a club wants to keep a player back, it should since it pays the player's wages. The fans pay to watch the best players, so the best players should be on display.

That FIFA has failed to ensure that the Olympic football tournament is on their official calendar is central to why they are at fault on this issue.

FIFA sanctions the Olympic tournament, but since it is in essence under the purview of the International Olympic Committee, the IOC determines the dates for the tournament. Since the Games run during the latter part of August, players who participate in the Games will miss the opening weeks of the new football season, as well as UEFA sanctioned club competition matches.

Generally, FIFA (and UEFA) schedule their international competitions in conjunction with the leagues, which are in turn partnered to a greater or lesser extent with the national footballing associations. This means tournaments take place in June and July, while qualification takes place in those months or during agreed upon international breaks during the season. These breaks are typically 14 days or so in length.

Since the Olympic tournament does not follow these guidelines, how can FIFA or the IOC expect the clubs to release their players for the Summer Games? If the Olympics want the best players available for their tournament, they should hold their competition at the appropriate time.

As far as I'm concerned, the Olympic games should be for amateur athletes anyway, given that the vast majority of the competitors are amateurs.

That professional footballers are expected to compete at an amateur event, especially when there are professional level competitions like the World Cup, is absurd.

Champions League third round qualifying draw: highlights

The draw for the third round of the Champions League was made today, and while the two English sides were able to avoid some of the better possible opponents, Schalke 04 v. Athletico Madrid offers the most attractive match to be played later this month.

In another intriguing twist, Arsenal have been paired with FC Twente of the Dutch league, managed by none other than former England boss Steve McClaren. Good luck, Steve.

Other highlights include:

Standard Liege (BEL) v. Liverpool
Barcelona v. Beitar Jerusalem (ISR) or Wisla Krakow (POL)
Juventus v. Tampere United (FIN) or Artmedia Petrzalka (SVK)
SK Brann (NOR) or FK Ventspils (LVA) v. Olympique Marseille
ACF Fiorentina v. SK Slavia Prague (CZE)
Aalborg BK (DEN) or FK Modriča (BIH) v. Rangers or FBK Kaunas (LTU)

Ronaldinho has met his match with AC Milan

I would like to take this time to personally congratulate both Brazilian international Ronaldinho and Italian Serie A side AC Milan. I feel this is "a really special moment" that could be the start of something big. It is only natural that "every player dreams of playing in a team as important as Milan, for this club's greatness and the importance of their players." This truly is "already a victory" for both club and player.

How curious it is the two biggest footballing names I've seen associated with weight problems have either signed or are linked with Milanese clubs (according to The H List, Frank Lampard is very fat indeed). Ronaldinho was at his chubby best for the Rossoneri media Wednesday, whipping out that Cheshire grin on cue and bowing politely to the 30,000 some-odd supporters (rubber-neckers maybe?) who turned up to support (or gawk at) the £16.7 million signing.

This really is a perfect match. Milan seem content to sign players creeping up on their thirties, while Ronaldinho seems content to continue his lazy ways in the slow-paced Serie A. Milan have some challenges ahead of them this season, like finishing in the top four, winning the UEFA Cup (an easy task for Bayern Munich last season, right?) and continuing the long process of replacing the geriatrics who make up a good chunk of their roster. Ronaldinho will help to be sure (he scored 89 goals in 190 appearances for Barcelona), but if things don't go swimmingly, don't wait for the former Big Barcelona Sulk to pitch in for the cause.

Frankly, I couldn't picture him trotting out for a Manchester derby for the blue half of the city. He'd be weeping by halftime after 11 Red Devils ran circles around him for 45 minutes. Manchester City were reported to have offered roughly £10 million more than Milan, but it likely would have been money wasted. Fancy footwork only flies in the Premier League when you've got the pace to back it up. Manchester's Mark Hughes may have saved himself some valuable cash when all is said and done.

Speaking of cash, according to a report on ESPN Soccernet, Milan fans "snapped up 5,230 season tickets out of a total of 18,518 sold during the whole of the close-season subscription period." Mr. Berlusconi is smiling, that's for sure.

Carson not really worth that much after all

After many reports earlier in the year had former Liverpool keeper Scott Carson valued near £10 million, he signed with West Bromwich Albion for a paltry £3.25 million, according to The Guardian. The England international, who played on loan at Aston Villa last season, had been linked with a move to Stoke City for around £3.5 million, but the Baggies move could be increased by another £500,000 based on "performance-related criteria," according to the Guardian.

Carson is not the first young English keeper of promise to play for West Brom after time at Liverpool -- Wigan goalkeeper Chris Kirkland played on at the Hawthorns during the 2005-2006 season.

Toronto FC miss out on Huckerby, Ronaldo doing his best to become most hated man in Manchester

Toronto FC target Darren Huckerby has signed for the San Jose Earthquakes. It had been hoped that former Norwich City teammate Carl Robinson and English coach John Carver might be able to sway the 32-year-old forward to sign for the Reds, but according to a story on ESPN Soccernet, Huckerby's agent said he "liked the idea of California."

The Reds will now pin their hopes on signing former Manchester City striker Paul Dickov.

Ronaldo thumbs his nose at Manchester

Cristiano Ronaldo seems to be doing his best to annoy everyone in the red half of Manchester these days. Not only has the Portugal winger essentially said his dream is to play for Real Madrid, he is now agreeing with the foggy commentary that spews from FIFA boss Sepp Blatter.

According to a story in The Guardian, on the topic of players and their public wishes to move from club to club, Blatter said there was "too much modern slavery" in football.

This was followed by Ronaldo agreeing with Blatter:

"It's true. I agree with what the president of FIFA said. I know what I want and what I would like. We have to see what happens. I do not know where I will begin next season."

Clearly, much like Gareth Barry of Aston Villa, a statement like this is crudely designed to force a club's hand. It is unfortunate for the fans of Manchester United, who generally recieve a reasonable amount of loyalty from their players, that someone of Ronaldo's stature needs to continue with his childish ways off the pitch, instead of restricting his tantrums to the field of play.

Other Transfer News

Manchester United have bid £20 million for Tottenham striker Dimitar Berbatov, according to a report in The Daily Mail. Spurs apparently will insist on £30 million. The article goes on to state Alex Ferguson is not looking to replace Cristiano Ronaldo, but "the manager is interested only in strengthening his side." Really...

The Times reports Tottenham Hotspur are looking to sign top Espanyol striker Luis Garcia (not to be confused with former Liverpool midfielder Luis Garcia, now of Athletico Madrid). The article suggests Spurs are looking to rid themselves of two of Robbie Keane (Liverpool?), Darren Bent (Wigan, possibly) or Berbatov. Garcia would apparently cost the north London club around £8 million.

Newcastle have signed Liverpool's Danny Guthrie for an undisclosed fee according to several sources. The 21-year-old midfielder impressed while on loan last season with Bolton enough that several clubs were interested in acquiring his services.

Things are getting strange at Blackburn. New manager Paul Ince apparently has no ambition of moving his side up the table, if his transfer dealings are any indication. It has been widely reported that former Cardiff City and Liverpool striker Robbie Fowler has joined Rovers and a report in The Daily Mail has Ince lining up current Liverpool winger Jermaine Pennant as a replacement for David Bentley, whom the former MK Dons manager has resigned himself to losing. Good luck with the new job, Gov.

Scolari a boost to Premier League, TFC need win to avoid embarrassment

After watching clips of the initial news conference held by Luiz Felipe Scolari, the new manager of Chelsea, I couldn't help but smile. Seeing the Brazilian in action was like a breath of fresh air ... almost like, like something special?

He also appeared to have no fear of his new boss, Roman Abramovich. When asked what his relationship is like with the Russian owner, he replied that he had met Abramovich twice and they're getting along well. I believe he even said they're friends. Bold, very bold, I'd say.

No he's not the second coming of The Special One. When asked whether he was special, the former Portugal manager replied, in much better English than Fabio Capello can muster, that he is special: to his family and friends.

There is a boldness, a confidence about Scolari. He appears ready for the task at hand, perhaps much more ready than several other managers who have recently been appointed (not to point fingers, but Kevin Keegan hasn't really exuded too much confidence in his second spell at Newcastle).

He'll need every ounce of courage he can muster, since chief executive Peter Kenyon, in an article posted on ESPN Soccernet, suggested that along about mid-season Scolari will learn what it means to be the manager of one of the top four clubs in England.

I'm sure with the media circus surrounding the club Scolari has already figured that out. The transfer saga surrounding Frank Lampard and the possible departure of the club's top striker in Didier Drogba (Scolari says he's 200 per cent in his plans, however) has surely given the man known as Big Phil all the warning he needs as to what he's about to experience.

I'm prepared to tip Chelsea for some form of success this year, they have deep pockets and now have a manager who appears a match for the task at hand.

Toronto FC have work to do after draw

After drawing 2-2 with the Vancouver Whitecaps last night at Swangard Stadium, Toronto FC have their work cut out for them to avoid embarrassment in the Nutrilite Canadian Championships. The three team tournament determines Canada's entrant into the 32 team CONCACAF Champions League.

TFC currently have four points through three games: a victory over the Montreal Impact at Saputo Stadium, their first home defeat of the season against Vancouver at home and last night's draw.

It wouldn't look good at all for Canada's sole MLS side to bow out to a USL foe, which is what will happen if Toronto fail to beat Montreal on July 22 at BMO Field.

The Reds striking woes continue to haunt them with only the disappointing Jeff Cunningham available to lead the line with Danny Dichio out injured. Head coach John Carver and company better get things sorted out in a hurry if they want to be playing in the continent's top competition later this year.

Transfer News & Rumours

As I alluded to above, Frank Lampard is threatening to quit Chelsea after they turned down a £7.95 million transfer offer from Inter Milan, according to The Guardian. The article goes on to say that the 30-year-old Lampard is considering exploiting a rule whereby a player who signed a contract before he is 28 years of age can buy out that contract after three years have elapsed. Very heavy stuff indeed, things could get ugly for Mr. Lampard.

The Telegraph is that Barcelona has agreed to a fee for Arsenal's unsettled midfielder Alexander Hleb. The Catalan club will pay £11.9 million up front, with the fee rising to £13.3 million depending on how Hleb's new club performs.

Fans of Olympique Marseille are trying to muster up enough cash to help the club purchase Didier Drogba from Chelsea, according to a report on ESPN Soccernet. The group has already raised £4,000 of the £22 million they feel is required to prise the striker from the London club. If you want to contribute to the cause, go to www.doodle.ch, but I'm pretty sure the sum is a bridge two or three too far.

The Daily Mail is reporting that striker Andy Johnson could be moving to Wigan if Everton accepts a £10 million bid. Johnson, who moved to Everton from Crystal Palace for £8 million, has become unsettled in David Moyes side the story reports. I think a move away from Goodison could be positive for the England international, who could benefit from playing alongside target man Emile Heskey at the JJB.

Also on Soccernet, eight of the 17 directors of Barcelona have stepped down following the near successful vote to unseat club president Joan Laporta on Sunday. This surely makes Laporta's position untenable and his days at the club will be numbered.

What if ... Euro 2008 had 24 teams?

Spain had barely been crowned champions of Europe when the UEFA brain trust decided to crassly announce they had every intention of capitalizing on the success of Austria-Switzerland by bumping up the number of entrants to the final tournament in 2016 to 24 from the current 16.

I'd like to think that most everyone feels this is simply a boneheaded idea spawned from the mind of someone who routinely says boneheaded things, Michel Platini. Yes, it appears this will indeed become reality, thereby ruining the unique format of the Euro tournament: the top 16 teams from the deepest confederation in the world.

But let me play devil's advocate for a moment and paint a picture of what Euro 2008 might have looked like had 24 teams been part of the competition. We know who the top teams are, since they were in the actual field. The remaining teams would consist of the third place finishers in the seven qualifying groups, plus the top fourth place finisher:

Serbia, Scotland, Norway, Republic of Ireland, England, Northern Ireland, Bulgaria and Finland (24 pts.), who edge out Israel (23 pts.).

Initially, this looks like a fairly forlorn group, right? But Serbia and Finland (tied on 24 points) played well in Group A, only trailing Poland and Portugal by four and three points respectively. Remember the Portuguese were favourites at one point, right? Well, they only managed four points out of four games against these two sides.

Scotland of course caused France and Italy no end of trouble in qualifying, while Northern Ireland beat both Spain and Sweden at home and only lost 1-0 to the European champions in Las Palmas. Bulgaria meanwhile suffered its only loss away to the Dutch, 2-0.

Norway and Finland are both plucky teams in the Scandinavian mold. The Republic of Ireland were the only side to finish third in their group with fewer than 20 points (they had 17) but even they would have been a match for the hapless hosts Austria.

And finally England. While they did seem to miss out in the most spectacular fashion, essentially sealing their own fate with a rare home loss to a very impressive Croatia, England rarely fail to compete at tournaments. They may make things hard on themselves, but aside from Euro 2000, they have made the knockout stage of each tournament since 1996. They would have been at least as good as the Czechs, who I think were the best team not to advance in this year's tournament.

The biggest fault I see with the 24 team format is that the number of games would make the proceedings drag on. Sixteen teams makes for a short, intense spectacle, which is what I think we all enjoy about the Euro.

Transfer News & Rumors

The Guardian reports Zenit St. Petersburg have rejected a £11.8 million bid from Barcelona for Andrei Arshavin. With Chelsea also in the hunt, Arshavin has been given two weeks off by the Russian club, in the midst of their season, to decide his future.

Chelsea are ready to break the world transfer fee record to secure the services of AC Milan's Kaka, according to The Times. This would mean an amount in excess of the £46 million paid by Real Madrid for Zinedine Zidane. Milan would prefer to not sell their Brazilian star, but the club is suffering financially after failing to qualify for the Champions League.

A report in The Mirror has Real Madrid President Ramon Calderon claiming the Spanish champions will back off on a bid for Cristiano Ronaldo until the Manchester United winger proves his fitness, but said his club is still interested:

"If they say sometime that they would like to sell we will be there and will ask."

And so the saga continues...

The Daily Mail is reporting that Liverpool has given striker Peter Crouch permission to speak with Portsmouth. The Merseyside club has accepted an offer for the England player, bringing one of Liverpool's transfer sideshows to an end.

Alan Shearer is getting ready to take over as manager of Championship side Southampton, according to The Daily Star. The former Newcastle striker turned down an offer from Toon boss Kevin Keegan to be the No. 2 at St. James Park earlier this year. Now, can he bring the fragile Saints back to the Premier League?

Finally, Joan Laporta was given somewhat of a reprieve yesterday when only 60.6 per cent of Barcelona club members gave him the thumbs down. The vote was six per cent short of the two-thirds required to oust the top man at the Nou Camp. Some 37,294 members turned up to vote, easily surpassing the 10 per cent of all members (15,184) needed to legitimize the vote. Laporta, according to a story on the ESPN Soccernet website, vowed to continue despite the apparent lack of support:

"It may seem contradictory, but in a few months time we will see that Barca is the real winner," he said. "It's a democratic exercise which could not possibly cause any social division. The Board should read into the results and analyse them profoundly as this is a really good result for us."

Good luck, Joan.

Barcelona's Laporta could pay the price lack of silverware

A number of reports today appear to leave the future of Barcelona President Joan Laporta up in the air. According to the Barcelona website, the club reported the club is in an excellent financial situation, but a Reuters story on ESPN Soccernet suggests Laporta, who faces a club confidence vote on Sunday, could get the axe after the team's disappointing results since winning the League and the European Championship in 2006.

While the club has increased its revenues by $29.9 million Cdn over last year and by $296 million over the past five years. The club also reported net income of $16.1 million in the past year.

With a healthy balance sheet, why would Barcelona consider sacking Laporta? I would suggest with that Barcelona club members demand more that just money in the bank. Yes Laporta has replaced manager Frank Rijkaard with popular former player Pep Guardiola, who has in turn pledged to ship Ronaldinho and Samuel Eto'o out for next season. Recent purchases like Daniel Alves and sales such as Deco moving to Chelsea are also a sign things are changing in Barcelona.

But La Liga is changing and Barcelona may not be adapting quickly enough. Many top players are choosing to play in England, rival Real Madrid has abandoned its Galactico policy and won two titles running as a result, while teams like Athletico Madrid, Sevilla and Villarreal have become genuine contenders in a league that is much more competitive than when Barca last hoisted a cup.

Even in Europe, where Barcelona have remained competitive, they have fared poorly against the top English opposition. In order for Laporta to be voted out on Sunday, 10 per cent of voting club members must turn out and vote two-thirds in favour of dumping the boss. If Laporta does indeed take the fall, recent changes in Catalonia could just be the beginning of a larger revolution at the club.

Transfer Rumours

Despite leaving England and flourishing in Turkey at Fenerbahce last year, Colin Kazim-Richards, otherwise known as Kazim-Kazim on the Turkish national side, may be headed to Manchester City, reports The Telegraph. The article suggests a bid of 4 million pounds may be required to lure the player back to Britain.

Wigan manager Steve Bruce wants to reunite with Birmingham City midfielder Olivier Kapo, according to The Mirror, in a deal that could cost 3.5 million pounds along with defender Ryan Taylor heading to St. Andrews in a part exchange.

Several sources are reporting that Arsenal are interested in acquiring the services of Obafemi Maritins from Newcastle United. Martins told The Sun:

“Is Arsenal a good club? Yes. Would I love to play there? Probably, if Newcastle are ready to listen to them. But if Newcastle says no then it’ll be no.”

With Adebayor rumoured to be on the way out, Martins could be had for less than half the 30 million pounds Arsenal have set as the value for their prolific striker.

And finally, multiple sources have disgruntled Liverpool striker Peter Crouch moving to Portsmouth for a fee of 10 million pounds. The lanky England international played 37 games for Pompey between July 2001 and March 2002, when he was sold to Aston Villa by Harry Redknapp, who was just starting his first stint at Fratton Park. According to an article in The Guardian, Crouch prefers Portsmouth to Tottenham, who were looking for Crouch to be a makeweight in a potential swap for Robbie Keane.

Are players running (or ruining) the transfer market?

Almost since the end of the European club season, there has been rampant speculation about the status of several top players from top clubs in England. Now I'm not naive enough to suggest this is a new phenomenon, or that it doesn't make for fine summer reading, but several of these situations strike me as being a bit odd.

The three I players I have in mind are Cristiano Ronaldo, Emmanuel Adebayor and Gareth Barry. All three were integral to the success of their teams, Manchester United, Arsenal and Aston Villa, respectively, in the past season. Under normal circumstances, you might think that as players employed by successful clubs, they would be reasonably happy and would look forward to leading their teams out come August for another year in what is arguably the best league in the world.

Yet all three look poised to move to clubs that have through various means cast them a means of escape from such success. Real Madrid has done little to hide their adoration of Ronaldo, Barcelona have been bleating about Adebayor and Liverpool harbour ambitions of acquiring Barry. These are players under contract, but it appears under no circumstances were the clubs approached prior to it becoming public knowledge that suitors did indeed exist.

The strict definition of "tapping up" escapes me, but I'm sure a clever lawyer would be able to prove it has occurred in some form in each instance. Unfortunately for the fans of these clubs, even FIFA and UEFA have said little about these less than straightforward approaches.

What makes matters worse, is that none of the players in question have made even the most amateur attempt to remain loyal to their employers. Barry went so far as to lash out at his boss Martin O'Neill, trying to blame the manager for his new found desire to flee the club he captains.

If the clubs and the parent associations are unwilling to impose some form of policing on the transfer system, it appears as though players are simply free agents year round, with the lack of a fat salary from a huge club the only reason for them to stay where they are.

TFC looking at Dickov, Huckerby

According to a story published today in the National Post, former Manchester City striker Paul Dickov and former Norwich City forward Darren Huckerby are in talks with the MLS club.

The story indicated that the 35-year-old Dickov is the more likely to sign, with the oft injured Huckerby, 32, reluctant to play on BMO Field's artificial turf (still look like a good idea to put that stuff in?). At any rate, TFC owns the MLS rights to both players (and U.S. international Brian McBride, who is looking to finish his career in hometown Chicago), so if another team wants to sign them, TFC will be owed compensation.

Either man would be a bonus for TFC, who are once again struggling up front. The signing of a new striker would open the door for inconsistent Jeff Cunningham to be moved, which has been a long time coming.

Today's Transfers

Middlesbrough have completed the signing of Sparta Rotterdam forward Marvin Emnes. The Dutch under-21 international signed with the Teeside club for 3.2 million pounds.

Liverpool completed the signing of Italian full back Andrea Dossena from Udinese for an undisclosed fee. Dossena will play down the left, replacing Norwegian John Arne Riise who was sold to Roma earlier this week.

West Ham have signed 17-year-old defender Holmar Orn Eyjolfsson from HK Kopavogur for an undisclosed fee. According to the club's website, the Icelandic under-21 spent a week on trial at West Ham in February.

Daily Rumors

Barcelona's Ronaldinho is "80-90 per cent" certain to move to Italian giants AC Milan, according to The Times.

Former Liverpool and Leeds United midfielder Harry Kewell's agent denies his client has signed for Turkish side Galatasaray, The Guardian reports.

Tottenham are on the trail of Russia's Euro 2008 star forward Roman Pavlyuchenko, who plays at Spartak Moscow, according to The Telegraph.

Champions League Quarterfinal Draw

Here's the draw for the UEFA Champions League Quarterfinal:

Arsenal v. Liverpool
Roma v. Manchester United
Schalke v. Barcelona
Fenerbahce v. Chelsea

The first legs will be played April 1/2 and the second legs will go April 8/9.

I got my wish, and there will be no Premier League domination of the continent this season. The last thing football needs is giant English teams with even more money at the expense of the rest of Europe.

Champions League quarterfinal draw needs an all-English tie

The draw for the quarterfinals of this season's Champions League takes place in Nyon, Switzerland tomorrow with four Premier League sides having qualified in the previous round.

This presents a possibility, albeit somewhat remote, that four English clubs could qualify for the semi-finals. Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United each have a shot at avoiding one another, but this would prove to be a disaster for the competition and UEFA in general.

The best case scenario would see at least one match-up involving the top four teams in England. A rematch of Chelsea-Liverpool or a London derby would make for a fascinating storyline in the next round.

The sentiment among the players is that they would like to meet another English side later in the competition, but can anyone truly imagine an all-English competition? What sort of mockery would be made of the European club championship if it were contested by English sides alone?

Naturally this assumes the four Premier League teams win in the quarterfinal round, but this is not an impossibility by any stretch of the imagination.

The strongest side on paper appears to be Barcelona, but they have been inconsistent in La Liga this season, allowing an equally inconsistent Real Madrid side to waltz along in first place for most of the year.

Roma has been impressive, beating the aforementioned Madrid side in the round of 16. They've managed to keep pace with Inter in Italy, but who can forget the quarterfinal debacle last year that saw them bow out to Man United, conceding seven goals at home?

As for Fenerbahce and Schalke, certainly anything can happen over two legs, but for either of these teams to defeat any of the other six would make for a David and Goliath epic.

The Premier League has come a long way in the past 15 years or so. The 1990s were a relatively barren time for English clubs in Europe. Now they are regular contenders for continental silverware. For the powerhouse sides of England to so utterly dominate the continent, so that the four clubs that qualify are the only ones left in April, will distort the competition in ways that may permanently impact European competitions.

UEFA likes to tinker with their toys, I can only imagine how they'd respond were England to bully everyone else off their playground.

Worth A Look: Madrid Derby, Kevin Keegan Part III and FA Cup revisited

This weekend is particularly sparse when it comes to marquee footballing match ups. England this weekend features three matches between the top three and teams in the bottom quarter of the table. Lambs to the slaughter, says I. That being said, a trio of matches stand to draw deserved attention from the more discerning, perhaps neutrally inclined footballing fan. And Toon fanatics.

Saturday January 19

Newcastle vs. Bolton, 12:15 p.m. ET

With the circus back in town, everyone in the Northeast of England will be forgetting that this was actually supposed to be Big Sam vs. Little Sam, part II. And now for something completely different.

Yes, King Kev is back in charge; we haven't seen times like these since the heady days of '96 when the Keegan led Newcastle managed to cough the league title up to Manchester United. Newcastle will be a different team, one filled with a new spirit, a new belief and if the mid-week FA Cup tie is any indication, the people of Newcastle will be looking for some place beyond the sky.

Bolton will be looking to mitigate the overwhelming emotion this fixture will elucidate amongst the crowd at St. James Park. The job got a little harder with the departure of Nicolas Anelka, but the team is playing better under Gary Megson. They'll make Newcastle earn their points, but I get the feeling that fate is against the Trotters this weekend.

Sunday January 20

Manchester City v. West Ham United, 11:00 a.m. ET

Deja vu, anyone? Four days after clashing in the FA Cup at the City of Manchester Stadium, these two clubs meet up again in the Premier League. City won the first encounter 1 - 0 and with their stellar 9 - 2 - 0 home record this season, West Ham will be in tough again.

The one thing I'll say about the Hammers this season is that they are anything but predictable. They've never looked horrible, and in fact looked to be quite a fashionable side at times. Despite a rash of injuries to many key squad members, Alan Curbishley's men have managed to maintain a respectable 10th, only 7 points back of City with a game in hand. Their road record has been surprising as well, winning 5 of 10 on their travels this season.

A quick rematch is sure to keep the passion high, so look for a quality fixture here.

Athletico Madrid v. Real Madrid, 1:00 p.m. ET

More than a few TVs in North America will be tuned to the other football around this time to catch some over hyped playoff clash, but the best bet for your Sunday afternoon viewing pleasure is surely taking place at the Vincente Calderon.

Athletico have only managed to beat their cross-town rivals once in ten meetings, but the Torres-less side of Madrid is turning up the heat this season, sitting third on 37 points. The emergence of Sergio Aguero and the continuation of stellar play, post-Man United, by Diego Forlan have helped contribute to an improved team approach at Athletico following the departure of their talismanic captain.

Real have been perhaps the only consistent side in Spain this season, building upon their championship form of last season. The Vincente Calderon Stadium is a tough place to play on the best of Sundays, it will be a true test of Real's ambition against their local rival.

Worth A Look

Here's four games that I'm sure Big Sam, now with time on his hands, will want to check out around Europe this weekend:

Saturday

Everton v. Manchester City, 10:00 a.m. ET

Resting in fourth place after the Christmas test, this is a chance for City to show they can win on the road. They've only managed this feat once in the past five games away from the City of Manchester stadium and they come up against a tough Everton squad. This will be a good litmus test for City and should give Sven-Goran Eriksson a good idea where he should spent his shady Thai cash this month.

For Everton, they were unfortunate to not come away from Chelsea in midweek with a draw in the Carling Cup and they'll be out for blood. I've seen a fair bit of Everton in the past month, and they look every bit the part of a team destined to return to the UEFA Cup again next season. Throughout the squad they have quality; with some luck they'll go a ways in Europe this season, providing more funds for Moyes to invest in the off-season. Watch for young Victor Anichebe to feature more now that Yakubu has left for the African Nations Cup.

Chelsea v. Tottenham, 10:00 a.m. ET

Of all the teams who should have been looking ahead to the African Nations Cup, Chelsea should have seen this January coming. No less than their two top strikers in Didier Drogba and Solomon Kalou along with all-World midfielder Michael Essien are now off for about six weeks at the competition.

Fortunately, the money pit that is Chelsea rolls on. Enter Nicholas Anelka for 15-million pounds to stave off a goal drought at Stamford Bridge. Anelka is about as proven a Premier League commodity as they come, so it's unlikely to be money wasted. And not a moment too late, for enter Tottenham.

The Spurs have played league leaders Arsenal very well twice in the past month as Juande Ramos is living up to the hype, lifting his team to 12th place in the table. Tottenham are less porous at the back while keeping the net bulging at the other end of the pitch. Dimitar Berbatov in particular has woken up from an early season malaise to show up on the score sheet with startling consistency. This will be a contest to test Chelsea's mettle and Spur's confidence in this new year of 2008.

Sunday

AC Milan v. Napoli, 2:30 p.m. ET

If only to see the debut of the young Brazilian Pato. Milan, as I have noted previously, are woeful. Pato should provide them with a shot in the arm, particularly if he is able to work well with his compatriot Kaka (who wouldn't, really?).

After starting well, Napoli have cooled off in the past couple months. They still sit five places ahead of Milan and can take comfort in Milan's poor home form this season.

Athletico Madrid v. Valencia, 3:00 p.m. ET

Valencia manager Ronald Koeman has ended fun time, dropping many of the under performing, overpaid whiners who have accomplished little or nothing so far this season. Santiago Canizares, David Albelda and Miguel Angel Angulo have been sat, while the Dutchman has brought in the young Argentine Ever Banega from Boca Juniors to start anew at the Mestalla.

Having seen Banega in the summer at the FIFA U-20 Championship, I have to say that he was at least as important to the Argentine side that won the tournament as was Sergio Aguero, who will line up for Athletico on Sunday. The transfer has yet to be completed, so there won't be a debut, but after a win against Betis in the Copa del Rey in midweek, it should be interesting to see how Koeman's new-look squad does in the volatile atmosphere that is the Vicente Calderon Stadium in Madrid.

Ligue 1

I've really tried to get into watching the French first division this year. Setanta broadcasts a couple games every Sunday, but when I sit down to watch, I often move on an look for some better way to spend my afternoon. So if anyone is wondering why I don't often mention Ligue 1, it's because it kinda sucks. Sorry France, but you've got a long way to go to hold my interest. Try getting some players I've heard of before, like England, Germany, Spain and Italy do. Even the Dutch league has more familiar faces, for me at least.

Goodbye 2007, Hello 2008

The holiday season being what it is, I haven't spent much time in front of a computer screen over the past two weeks, and I hope most people have done the same. Visit with your family, for crying out loud.

2007 is gone, along with all of its miserable baggage. England, the L.A. Galaxy, Leeds United, Tottenham and a host of other miserable footballing entities will be glad to see the end of last year.

On the other hand, I'm sure Alex Ferguson and Manchester United will look back on the past twelve months fondly, much to the chagrin of many.

I've managed to catch a good many games over the past days, during the English silly season. On Friday, I plan to recap the Christmas period in the Premier League and give my thoughts on the implications of four games in the space of 12 days.

On Thursday, I plan a proper recap of 2007. It was a big year, as always, for football and I want to highlight some of the juicer bits.

For any out there who haven't heard the saddening news, 35-year-old Motherwell captain Phil O'Donnell died after collapsing on the pitch Saturday in Scotland. Along with the passing of the young Sevilla player Antonio Puerta, 2007 was a tragic year for footballers and fans.

Watching the Aston Villa v. Tottenham game today, I thought the hosts did well to honour O'Donnell in a touching pre-match tribute. It was the second time in the past few days I'd watched a club do the proper thing by respecting those who have gone before.

At the Sunderland v. Bolton game on Saturday, the Black Cats continued a tradition of observing a moment of silence to honour former players and fans who've passed away during the year. Taking place before their last home match of the year, I thought it was an excellent salute to the people who make football part of the fabric of life around the world.

Happy New Year all and take a moment to remember those who have made the game great over the years, fans and players alike.

Big Games, as per usual

One of the things that attracts me to football over most North American sports is that hardly a week goes by without top rate games being played somewhere in Europe (or the world, for that matter). Many sports on this continent have top calibre games sporadically, but certainly not on the consistent basis they are in football. It could have something to do with 82 or 162 game seasons, but I digress...

Saturday

Arsenal v. Tottenham (7:45 a.m. ET)

Usual derby fare should be on display. Yet a predictable result I don't expect. One team, Arsenal, has looked vulnerable of late and the other, Spurs, have played consistently better since Juande Ramos arrived from Spain.

Arsenal have not lost a North London derby for ages, winning 5 of the last 10 matches between the sides and drawing 5. But based on the football Ramos has Spurs playing right now, I don't see an Arsenal blowout. It will be tightly contested, like the match against Chelsea last weekend, and a 1 - 1 draw or a 1 goal Arsenal win will be the likely result.

Robin Van Persie, who put in a cameo appearance at the end of last Sunday's match, should be available again. He looked menacing in the few minutes he did play against Chelsea, look for more of the same tomorrow.

Bolton Wanderers v. Birmingham City (10 a.m. ET)

No, I'm not crazy. This match will be worth a watch. Since the arrivals of Gary Megson and Alex McLeish, both sides have seen their form improve. Bolton have qualified for the last 32 of the UEFA Cup (they'll face Athletico Madrid in the next round) while Birmingham have picked up points in 2 of McLeish's 3 games in charge and pushed Newcastle effectively in a 2 - 1 loss on the road. Each manager will understand the importance of these bottom-half clashes, so look for a rousing match of English football on display at the Reebok. A 2 - 2 draw, or even more goals could be in store.

Liverpool v. Portsmouth (10 a.m. ET)

After running out the reserves at Stamford Bridge mid-week, Liverpool will be in tough against Portsmouth at home. Pompey are much better on the road (6-1-2) than they are at Fratton Park (2-5-1), while Liverpool's home form is a disappointing 3-4-1 in the league this season.

The pressure is on for Liverpool, as it has been for most of the season. Another loss at home will bring calls for Rafa Benitez head (again), while a draw will be little more consolation. Xabi Alonso should start, allowing Steven Gerrard more opportunity to roam forward. He's played much too deep lately; when Gerrard plays deep, Liverpool play poorly.

Unlike Liverpool's September trip to Portsmouth which ended 0 - 0, Fernando Torres should start in this game. That should be good for at least a goal, one would think.

Peter Crouch will be looking on, wondering why he tried to break both of John Obi Mikel's legs on Wednesday. Not smart, Peter, not smart.

Sunday

Manchester United v. Everton (7 a.m. ET)

The titleholders are playing well right now, but I think no team is playing better than Everton in the Premier League right now. Yakubu can't stop scoring right now, Cahill is back to his best after coming back from injury and Arteta still can't get a cap with Spain despite his outstanding play. If any team outside Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool were to take 3 points from Manchester United this season, I suspect Everton might be up to the task this weekend.

Regardless, this should be a great match, likely producing more entertainment than the Liverpool/Man United match last Sunday.

Finally...

Barcelona v. Real Madrid (1 p.m. ET)

The pride of Catalonia versus the Evil Empire, some would say. This game should be really, really good, since the top Spanish sides don't seem to go into these games looking to nullify one another. 3 - 2 or 2 - 1 at least would be a reasonable result. For whom, you ask? At home, for a team that needs no better reasons to get up for a game, I think Barcelona will take the points. Madrid is playing very well right now, but Barca will want the first chance at revenge for losing out last season. They're also four points behind Madrid this year and Spanish title races are usually close. This will be good fun...

Only two more spots up for grabs

With today's Champions League action over, there remains only two spots left in the knockout round.

Real Madrid, Olympiacos, Porto, Liverpool and Schalke joined the ranks of the qualified, each by winning their final matches. They join Chelsea, AC Milan, Celtic, Barcelona, Manchester United, Roma, Inter Milan, Sevilla and Arsenal, who had already qualified.

Tomorrow, Rangers host Lyon, with the home side only needing a draw to advance, courtesy of a better goal difference.

In Group G, Fenerbahce advance if they beat CSKA Moscow at home. The Turkish side can also advance if PSV lose their match at home against Inter. PSV need to hope Fenerbahce slip up and they can beat the odds against the Italians to move on.

Chelsea, after losing Didier Drogba for several months due to injury, look to have their work cut out for them in the League and in Europe. The Blues only managed a 0 - 0 draw at home against Valencia. Drogba is the key to the Chelsea attack, which looks impotent when he's not in the lineup.

Valencia are a side in disarray, not having won since Nov. 10. Even without Drogba, Chelsea should have picked up three points at home. Avram Grant surely must be counting the days until the transfer window opens and he can raid Roman's piggy bank to cover off Drogba and his other African Nations' Cup-bound players. Arsenal v. Chelsea on Sunday could be even more interesting with the two sides sputtering at the moment.

Liverpool are through, pulling off their third consecutive victory in the Champions League, beating Marseilles 4 - 0. With 16 goals in the past three European games, it's much more painful to remember they lost to Reading on the weekend. The match on Sunday against Man United will be a better litmus test of the Reds quality.

And finally, Ryan Babel of the aforementioned Liverpool, is becoming the Garbage time King of the World. The young Dutchman scored a meaningless (but well-taken nonetheless) goal in the game in France today. By my count, he's now scored five goals in the final thirty minutes when his team has been up by two goals or more. He does well to score them, but it would be nice to see the talented youngster score when it matters.

Weekend Preview

Here are a smattering of matches to look for over the weekend:

Saturday

Blackburn v. Newcastle

Blackburn went winless for the month of November and will like their chances against a Newcastle team that has also performed poorly as of late. Rovers will be without captain Ryan Nelson after he was sent-off in a mid-week loss to Aston Villa. According to ESPN Soccernet, right back Andre Ooijer will move into the center of defense, with Brett Emerton sliding to full-back and Morten Gamst Pederson being recalled to the starting eleven. Newcastle's Sam Alardyce will hope to turn his side's fortunes around against their struggling hosts with his position under increasing scrutiny.

Aston Villa v. Arsenal, Saturday

Arsenal, coming off a 3 - 1 defeat at the hands of Sevilla in the Champions League, are up against tough opposition at Villa Park. The home side have won four games in a row, including the aforementioned 4 - 0 drubbing of Blackburn. Now that the weather has turned, miserable conditions on the road may well go against the Gunners. Heavy rain today will make for a soggy pitch tomorrow, putting a damper on Arsenal's sublime passing game. This could be the match of the weekend in the Premier League. Gabriel Agbonlahor's fitness is in doubt for the home side, while Gael Clichy and Alexander Hleb are questionable for Arsenal. Villa midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker is suspended.

Werder Bremen v. Hamburg SV

It's a clash of the second and third placed teams in the Bundesliga. Bremen come into this match on the back of a 3 - 2 win over Real Madrid in the Champions League. The hosts Bremen are undefeated in nine league matches and have scored a league leading 22 goals at home. Hamburg were also on the winning side in the UEFA Cup, downing French side Rennes 3 - 0 at the HSH Nordbank Arena. The visitors have only allowed a miserly 5 goals in seven away matches so far, so this will be a stern test for Bremen.

Espanyol v. Barcelona

The fourth placed hosts will seek to thwart their local rivals again after they drew with Barcelona 2 - 2 on the second last day of the 06/07 season, helping to ruin Barca's attempt to win three consecutive championships. Barcelona sit in third place, but only managed a draw during the week against Lyon. Ernesto Valverde, the Espanyol manager, said controlling possession is the key to beating Barcelona:

"If we want to beat them, we must make Barca suffer and the best way to do that is by taking away their essence." (ESPN Soccernet)

Barca are easily frustrated and this match could get scrappy if Espanyol are on their game.

Sunday

Fiorentina v. Inter Milan

Milan play Juventus on Saturday, but I feel the game of the week in Serie A has to be Fiorentina facing the league leaders at home. Inter continue to cruise past their opposition, logging a 3 - 0 victory in mid-week away to Turkish side Fenerbahce. The hosts, who harbour Champions League aspirations, have slipped in recent weeks, going winless since their 6 -1 flogging of Elfsborg in the UEFA Cup on Oct. 8. Led by leading scorer Adrian Mutu (6 goals), the Florence side will look to halt Inter's 13 game unbeaten streak in all competitions.