The next 3 days soccer takes a break all around the world and then starts back up on December 26th other wise known as Boxing Day in the UK, so I to will take a break and start back up around the same time. In the mean time it was cup time in Europe which means second string players scoring lots of goals!

For those of you super soccer fans that have an iPhone there is a new app that will satisfy the need to see a goal. 101 GG App gives you goals and news from around the worlds leagues.




Real Madrid vs. Levante (Copa del Rey) 8-0 (Ronaldo & Benzema hattricks)


Pre-season schedules for the 2011 is already started to take shape, Manchester United, AC Milan, Barcelona, and Mexican team America will all be playing in America this coming summer. Could the Seattle Sounders play one of the 3 European teams as our "Big Friendly"?

He is all time leading goal scorer for the USA and he is 28, he is 40 games away from being the all time most capped USA player. Here are all 45 of his goals.


Americans have been going to Europe to play soccer for decades, so has many other foreigners so most of the leagues in Europe have created rules and standards the players must meet. Robbie Findley is going to sign with Nottingham Forest (Yes Robinhoods team) but a work permit is needed and in order to obtain a work permit a player must have played in 75% of his national teams games in the last 2 years. This one rule is a major reason we don't see more Americans in England.


Bayern Munich vs. Stuttgart (DFB Pokal Cup) 6-3


Money makes the world go round and Countries with the most tend to lead the way, Qatar has been one of those countries this year, World Cup, Shirt Sponsorship, Buying teams, and now news about a "Football Academy". What is telling about the academy is that they are calling it humanitarian, developmental yet they pluck talent from underprivileged parts of the world and take them to Qatar for training? What could they be preparing for? "could mask a talent search meant to boost the Qatari national soccer team, currently ranked 113th in the world. Simple math reveals that if the classes of 13-year-old to 15-year-old prospects pan out, those players would be in their primes come 2022"


Sevilla vs. Malaga (Copa del Rey) 5-3


He was born and raised in America to Italian parents at the age of 12 he traveled with his dad to Italy for tryout with a professional team that he made and 10 years later he has captained the Italian National Team, he was living his fathers dreams. I have a 10 year son who dreams of playing for AC Milan and Italy and as a father I encourage his dreams. Guiseppe Rossi's story is one that can make a father proud!



Some of the Best Goals of the Last 10 years.


He could be worn out because of his non-stop playing the last 2 years or he could be emotionally spent because of the difficulty he has had with his marriage. What ever the case Landon Donovan is home for the winter with no wife or soccer to worry about, I worry next year he will tear apart the league!



Energie Cottbus vs. Wolfsburg (DFB Pokal Cup) 3-1


Rafa Benitez has been Sacked at Inter and now the question remains who is next? Many names have popped up but 5 names continue to surface to the top of the list. Whoever takes over inherits a very successful and skilled team that can still win silverware this year!


Almeria vs. Mallorca (Copa del Rey) 4-3


The problem teams have found with having grass in their stadiums is keeping the grass growing and green. The Redbulls are experimenting with something that is suppose to fix both problems.


Stepovers, cutbacks, tricks, and Goals!


Some Seattle Sounders news and notes, first a look at off-season moves, second a look at how the sounders impact stretches around the sound,
and finally the Sounders weekly news and notes release.

Duisburg vs. Cologne (DFB Pokal Cup) 2-1



Landon Donovan is all over the media this week (or at least today in the blog) he has made the the cover of a national magazine and they did a pretty good article on him also.



Athletico vs. Espanyol (Copa del Rey) 1-0



A couple of days ago we read that Stuart Holden was rated as the best player so far this year in the EPL, now they have came out with the "Worst XI" so far in the EPL.

Besiktas vs. Konya Sekerspor (Turkiye Cup) 3-2


Big, Strong, Fast, and a national team player at the age of 17. Romelu Lukaku has it all and then some, the Belgium national team player is a boy amongst men when he plays.


Getafe vs. Real Betis (Copa del Rey) 2-1


If you go simpley on victories and trophies then over the last 2 years Barcelona are the best team on the planet. If you also go by esthetically pleasing soccer they are rivaled by no other, and if you go on players the top 3 nominations for the Balon d'Or all come from Barcelona. Are they the best team ever?


Panathinaikos vs. Trikala (Greek Cup) 3-2


Soccer tactics are always changing and evolving, it allows less skilled teams to compete with the likes of ManU or Barcelona. Lets look at how tactics have changed during 2010.


Skill of the Day