Soccerword's feature matches

Premier League: Fulham v. Portsmouth
Both of these teams are struggling to stay out of the relegation zone (bottom three). Here are the bottom six clubs in the EPL:
15. Portsmouth (31 points)
16. Fulham (30)
17. Southampton (27)
18. Crystal Palace (26)
19. West Brom (24)
20. Norwich (20)

A loss would put either Portsmouth or Fulham well within the sights of Southampton or Crystal Palace. What looked like a four team fight for relegation all season could now involve two more clubs. And it is a bitter irony to Pompey fans that their former boss Harry Redknapp could lead their hated rivals, Southampton, past them in the table, perhaps even sending Portsmouth down to the Championship. I expect the race to get even closer this weekend when Fulham win a close one at home.
Prediction: Fulham 2-1

Championship: Ipswich v. Derby County
A classic battle of two teams seeking promotion. Ipswich are still hopeful of automatic qualification, currently third in the standings. Derby County, in fifth place with 61 points, would be happy with a spot in the playoffs, as there are six teams within five points of them in the table. Derby have drawn four of their last five matches, and I don't see them winning at Ipswich who boast England under-21 star Darren Bent and Finnish striker Shefki Kuqi.
Prediction: Ipswich 2-0

League One: Sheffield Wednesday v. Tranmere
The third and fourth place teams collide in a battle of league one promotion candidates. The Owls are looking to return to the Championship league on the first try, while Tranmere seek a second successive promotion. Wednesday are winless in their last three matches, but Tranmere enter the match on the heels of a 2-4 loss to Doncaster. Look for Iain Hume (Tranmere) and Lee Peacock (Wednesday) to provide the goals.
Prediction: Draw 2-2

League Two: Scunthorpe v. Macclesfield
It's a tight battle for first place in League Two:
1. Yeovil (72 points)
2. Southend (71)
3. Scunthorpe (68)
4. Swansea (68)
5. Macclesfield (67)
6. Lincoln City (65)

Any of these clubs could still earn promotion to League One. Scunthorpe are winless in three, scoring only one goal in the process. Macclesfield, though a point behind, have a game in hand over the rest of the leading clubs. John Parkin has been one of the best goal scorers in the lower divisions, and I expect him to lead The Silkmen to victory over The Iron.
Prediction: Macclesfield 2-1

Mourinho given two-match ban
UEFA, the governing body of European football, has given Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho a two-match ban for his actions and comments following Chelsea's Champions League match in Barcelona. Mourinho did not show up for the post-match press conference and then claimed that Barcelona manager Frank Rijkaard went into the referee's dressing room at half time to influence Anders Frisk, who controversially showed Didier Drogba a red card in the second half. UEFA found Mourinho guilty of disrepute for "making false declarations." The ban means that Mourinho will miss both legs (home and away) of the Champions League quarterfinal against Bayern Munich.

The official UEFA statement: "Having listened to evidence presented by the disciplinary inspector and by Chelsea FC, the Control and Disciplinary Body decided to impose a two-match suspension and a fine of 20,000 Swiss Francs on Chelsea FC manager José Mourinho. Chelsea FC were fined 75,000 Swiss Francs. Les Miles and Steve Clarke were each reprimanded. The above decisions may be appealed against within three days of UEFA informing the club in writing of the reasoning."

Barcelona's post-match behavior at Stamford Bridge
While Mourinho's actions at Barcelona have dominated the headlines, relatively little has been written about how several Barcelona players conducted themselves after their defeat at Chelsea. Ronaldinho got into a shoving match with security personnel as he was leaving the pitch, and Samuel Eto'o made a false claim about being racially abused by a Chelsea official. And rumor has it that the Barcelona team smashed up the visitor's dressing room at Stamford Bridge.

Obviously, I don't know the truth about what happened in Barcelona or Chelsea. I can only rely on the statements of those involved and press accounts. What is most important is what happens on the pitch, and the game at Stamford Bridge was truly a brilliant, historic encounter. We can only hope that all parties involved will handle themselves better off the pitch as well.

Soccerword.com tries to cover all of the latest news from the world of soccer each day, but there are some weekly featuers that occur on the same day each week. Here's a schedule of our weekly features:

Sunday - Results from the weekend matches (includes the Scottish 3rd place update)

Monday - Weekly Awards

Tuesday/Wednesday - Wild Card
Content changes weekly and may include player profiles, European resluts and standings, top ten lists, commentary, wacky stories, and soccer jokes.
(click on the "soccer school" or the "Europe" tabs on the top of this page

Thursday - European Club Rankings (click on the "Europe" tab)

Friday - Predictions of English league matches
A featured match is chosen from each English league every Friday

Saturday - Match reports

England win despite missed opportunities
England continued their winning ways with a 2-0 victory over Azerbaijan in Newcastle. Owen, Rooney, Beckham, and Lampard all missed first half chances on goal, Lampard coming the closest with a shot off the goal post. So at the half, the game remained a scoreless draw, a result Azerbaijan would have taken in a second. But England finally broke through in the second half. Steven Gerrard netted the first goal, scoring from a Wayne Rooney cross. Gerrard's volley was hammered into the ground and then bounced off the underside of the crossbar into the goal.

Frank Lampard set up the second goal with a precise long pass from the other side of the center line. Lampard's pass found David Beckham streaking past the defense in a perfectly timed run to stay onside. Beckham chested the ball down, collected it in stride, and fired it just past the keeper inside the left post of the goal. England could have easily scored four or five more, but Owen continued to miss chances and the Azerbaijan keeper continued to make impressive saves.

In a bizarre post-match interview, the Azerbaijan coach harshly criticized Michael Owen. After reading pre-match comments from Owen that were perhaps translated incorrectly, Carlos Alberto mistakenly thought Owen had bragged that he would score 5 goals against Azerbaijan. After he went scoreless for the game, Alberto called him a "midget" and suggested that he was an insignificant footballer who should clean Beckham's boots. Owen's teammates and coaches insisted he made no such claim before the match.

Although England did not win as impressively as Poland's 8-0 victory over Azerbaijan, they remain in first place in their qualifying group. And their midfield looks to be one of the best in the world. Wayne Rooney was touted as England's best goal-scoring threat, but all four starting midfielders scored in the two qualifying games this week. Other countries should be warned. The quartet of Lampard, Beckham, Gerrard, and Cole might just be the key to England's World Cup triumph.

The English Premier League resumes this weekend as the national team players return to their professional clubs.

Wednesday's Results
Andorra 0 - 4 Czech Republic
Austria 1 - 0 Wales
Bosnia-Herzegovina 1 - 1 Lithuania
Croatia 3 - 0 Malta
England 2 - 0 Azerbaijan
Estonia 1 - 1 Russia
FYR Macedonia 1 - 2 Romania
Georgia 2 - 5 Turkey
Greece 2 - 0 Albania
Holland 2 - 0 Armenia
Hungary 1 - 1 Bulgaria
Israel 1 - 1 France
Latvia 4 - 0 Luxembourg
Moldova 0 - 0 Norway
Poland 1 - 0 Northern Ireland
San Marino 1 - 2 Belgium
Serbia & Montenegro 0 - 0 Spain
Slovakia 1 - 1 Portugal
Slovenia 1 - 1 Belarus
Switzerland 1 - 0 Cyprus
Ukraine 1 - 0 Denmark

England v Azerbaijan
England continue their World Cup qualifying campaign against Azerbaijan on Wednesday. Having lost to Poland 0-8 on Saturday, Azerbaijan are the heavy underdogs, especially as England come into the game full of confidence after beating Northern Ireland 4-0. Azerbaijan's coach, Carlos Alberto, fears his team could give up 10 goals to England if they play as poorly as they did against Poland.

England, however, would be pleased simply to win the match and earn three vital points to keep them in first place in their qualifying group. England coach Sven Goran Eriksson plans to use the same four midfielders (Frank Lampard, David Beckham, Steven Gerrard, and Joe Cole) that started on Saturday, with Cole occupying the left midfield position. After his impressive performance against Northern Ireland, Cole seems to have solidified his place in the starting eleven for England.

Click on "Europe" on the top of this page for a complete list of Wednesday's World Cup qualifying matches in Europe.

Here is a link to the complete World Cup qualifying standings:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/internationals/tables/default.stm

Top 10 Reasons to Love Soccer (Football)
10. You learn a lot about geography.
Virtually every city and town in Europe has a professional team, and top soccer players come from all over the globe. All the geography you learn will come in handy at trivia contests.

9. Beer
Whether it's an English Ale or a German Lager, soccer fans around the world enjoy a pint (or two, or eight) of their favorite beer before, during, and after the big game.

8. Goals
Because they don't come easily, a beautifully scored goal is a moment to savor. Whether it's a blast from a 25-yard free kick or a tap-in after faking out the defense, an important goal in a big match sends the fans into a frenzy.

7. Players with unusual names
Impress your friends with your knowledge of players from around the world like Gilles Yapi Yapo (Ivory Coast), Shefki Kuqi (Finland), Zinedine Zidane (France), and Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink (Holland).
click on "soccer school" at the top of the page for player profiles

6. Relegation & Promotion
Instead of having the same teams in the top league year after year, the bottom three teams in the English Premier League are sent down to the next lowest division for the following season. Likewise, the top three teams from the lower division are promoted into the Premier League. This process of promotion and relegation occurs at all four divisions of league football, meaning even the smallest lower division club can dream of moving up to bigger and better competitions.

5. The Champions League
The premier club competition in Europe features the best teams from the greatest leagues in Europe. Every year, teams like Chelsea (England), Bayern Munich (Germany), Real Madrid (Spain), AC Milan (Italy), and Juventus (Italy) battle for the title of the best club in Europe.
click on "Europe" above for the latest Champions League news

4. Rabid Fans
No sport can claim to have more passionate fans than soccer. Sometimes fans get out of control and resort to hooligan behavior, but most of the time they express their passion in appropriate ways like singing, chanting, or cursing at the opposing fans and players. You'll find sold out stadiums with deafening noise all over the world, from Scotland to Turkey to Uruguay and Nigeria.

3. Taunting Chants/Songs in Local Derbies
Nothing enhances the atmosphere at a soccer match like a good old-fashioned derogatory chant/song about the opposing team. Hearing 40,000 fans sing "Same old Arsenal, always cheating" after Robert Pires dives to draw a free kick makes the game even more entertaining, especially in a fierce local derby when hated rivals from the same city face off (such as Liverpool/Everton, Rangers/Celtic, or AC Milan/Inter Milan).

2. The World Cup
The greatest, most watched sporting event in the world takes place every four years. Germany hosts the next World Cup in 2006. Favorites include the host country, defending champions Brazil, England, Portugal, and Italy.

1. No Commercials
Tired of a four-hour baseball game or a football game being interrupted by commercial breaks every five minutes? Soccer has two 45 minutes halves of continuous action with only a 15 minute break for half-time - just enough time to take a bathroom break and grab another pint. And even when there aren't any goals, you'll see bone-crunching tackles, sublime passes, flying headers, great saves, overhead kicks, outrageous referee decisions, brilliant footwork, out-of-control managers, passionate fans, and some of the greatest athletes in the world.

If this list hasn't convinced you, please experience the beautiful game for yourself, either in person or on TV. ESPN2 broadcasts the Champions League games and Fox Soccer Channel shows games from England, Germany, and France every weekend.

Armenia 2 - 1 Andorra
Belgium 4 - 1 Bosnia-Herzegovina
Bulgaria 0 - 3 Sweden
Croatia 4 - 0 Iceland
Czech Republic 4 - 3 Finland
Denmark 3 - 0 Kazakhstan
England 4 - 0 N Ireland
Estonia 1 - 2 Slovakia
France 0 - 0 Switzerland
Georgia 1 - 3 Greece
Israel 1 - 1 Ireland
Italy 2 - 0 Scotland
Liechtenstein 1 - 2 Russia
Poland 8 - 0 Azerbaijan
Romania 2 - 0 Netherland
Turkey 2 - 0 Albania
Wales 0 - 2 Austria

Soccerword.com's favorite club nicknames
With fewer league games than normal due to world cup qualifying, soccerword.com is proud to fill the void by presenting our favorite nicknames from the lower divisions of English football.

1. Tractor Boys, Ipswich Town (Championship)
2. The Iron, Scunthorpe United (League Two)
3. Shakers, Bury (League Two)
4. Cobblers, Northampton Town(League Two)
5. Railwaymen, Crewe Alexandra (Championship)
6. Silkmen, Macclesfield Town (League Two)
7. Spireites, Chesterfield (League One)
8. Hatters, Luton Town (League One)
9. Red Imps, Lincoln City (League Two)
10. Quakers, Darlington (League Two)

While we're on the topic of nicknames, here is a list of the most obvious, unimaginative team nicknames.

1. Gillingham: Gills
2. Middlesbrough: Boro
3. West Ham: Hammers
4. Tottenham Hotspur: Spurs
5. Rochdale: The Dale

Editor's note: Swansea, known as the Swans, would have also made this list, but the antics of Swansea's crazy mascot, Cyril the Swan, are anything but unimaginative and obvious. Cyril is #5 on FourFourTwo's list of the 100 Biggest Football Nutters. That's got to count for something.

England 4 - 0 Northern Ireland
Joe Cole made an impressive debut in England's starting eleven as his goal two minutes into the second half opened the scoring. Moments later, Michael Owen scored after a great passing sequence from Rooney and Lampard. England's third goal in a nine minute span came as a Northern Ireland defender turned a Wayne Rooney pass into an own goal to give England a 3-0 lead. Frank Lampard completed the scoring when his shot deflected off the head of Colin Murdock and into the Northern Ireland goal. Although the victory was important for England, what may prove to be even more vital for their World Cup aspirations is the emergence of Joe Cole as the solution to England's left midfield problem.

England's World Cup Qualifying Campaign

The Premier League goes on vacation this week to clear the schedule for World Cup qualifying. England play Northern Ireland on Saturday and Azerbaijan on Wednesday. Both matches should be easy wins for the English team, and two victories would make England the heavy favorites to win their qualifying group.

Here is the likely starting eleven for England with each player's professional team in parentheses:

Goalkeeper
Paul Robinson (Tottenham)

Defenders
Gary Neville (Man United), John Terry (Chelsea), Rio Ferdinand (Man United), Ashley Cole (Arsenal)

Midfielders
David Beckham (Real Madrid), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Joe Cole (Chelsea)

Strikers
Wayne Rooney (Man United), Michael Owen (Real Madrid)

In the past, England coach Sven Goran Eriksson has favored a 4-4-2 formation with a diamond midfield (one defensive midfielder in front of the four defenders and one attacking midfielder just behind the two strikers), but the inclusion of Joe Cole suggests a more conventional 4-4-2 with two central midfielders (Lampard and Gerrard) with Beckham on the right flank and Cole on the left. Eriksson had struggled to find a left-side midfielder, using a variety of players (including Chelsea left-back Wayne Bridge) in that position. Joe Cole's recent form for Chelsea has apparently earned him a chance to state his case for the left midfield position.

Chelsea face disciplinary proceedings
In what's shaping up to be an historic season of league and cup triumphs, Chelsea's seemingly smooth path to the championship has hit a couple of serious roadblocks. First, the club and manager Jose Mourinho are charged by the English Football Associatino with making an illegal approach to Arsenal left back Ashley Cole. The charge stems from a meeting Cole had at a London hotel with Mourinho, Chelsea officials, and agents. Under league rules, such a meeting, without the approval of the player's current club, is illegal and amounts to "tapping up." While Chelsea and Cole do not deny the meeting, their defense seems to be that it was a chance encounter and not a planned meeting to discuss the player's transfer to Stamford Bridge. Although this defense sounds dubious, it must be admitted that this kind of thing happens all the time. But when the team and player are caught, especially in such a public place, it is embarrasing for both parties. If found guilty, Chelsea will probably escape with a fine rather than a deduction in league points.

Chelsea are also in trouble with UEFA (the governing body of European footbal) for a series of infractions during the team's Champions League match at Barcelona. After referee Anders Frisk sent off Didier Drogba in the second half, Jose Mourinho first missed the post-match press conference and then suggested that Frisk's decision was influenced by Barcelona manager Frank Rijkaard. Mourinho claimed that he saw Rijkaard speak with Frisk during half-time and enter the referee's dressing room, suggesting that Drogba's red card was the result of pressure Rijkaard put on Frisk during the half-time encounter.

UEFA has charged Chelsea, and Jose Mourinho in particular, with failing to show up for the post-match press conference, returning to the field late for the second half, and making false claims about the referee. The fact that Frisk received death threats after the game and was forced to retire from football complicates the matter. UEFA specifically absolved Mourinho of blame in causing Frisk to retire and Chelsea vehemently denounced the death threats. But UEFA has researched Mourinho's allegation about the half-time meeting between Frisk and Rijkaard and concluded that it was false. Mourinho may have been simply trying to take the heat off his players after their defeat in Spain or trying to distract Rijkaard and the Barcelona players before the second leg (which Chelsea won, eliminating Barcelona), but UEFA has made it perfectly clear that any false allegations about their referees' integrity will not be tolerated.

Chelsea director Peter Kenyon, however, firmly denies UEFA's charges and has accused the governing body of convicting the club before any hearing has taken place. Kenyon stands by Mourinho's statements and suggests that it is inappropriate for UEFA to issue public statements branding Mourinho a liar and questioning the integrity of the club. Mourinho even suggested that the chrages would be dropped.

If found guilty, punishment for Chelsea's misdeeds could range from an official reprimand to being kicked out of the Champions League. The most likely consequence is a hefty fine and a suspension for Jose Mourinho, a punishment endorsed even by Frank Rijkaard, who belives that it is the manager, rather than the Chelsea players, who deserve punishment. If Chelsea go on to win the Champions League, Mourinho may not care what his punishment is, but one thing is clear. Frank Rijkaard has been more gracious in defeat than Jose Mourinho was after the first match in Barcelona. But in defense of Mourinho, if he honestly thought there was foul play going on between the referee and his opposition manager, then didn't he owe it to his club and their fans to report what he saw?

It's Monday again and that means it's time to hand out awards

Goal of the Week: Frank Lampard, Chelsea
Lampard received a pass from Joe Cole in the center of the pitch about thirty yards from goal. With no defenders closing him down, Lampard had time to tee up a trademark blast. His shot curved slightly away from the keeper as it shot into the net just inside the right post.

Howler of the Week: Gabor Kiraly, Crystal Palace
The Palace keeper was in perfect position to catch Mateja Kezman’s rather weak shot from a tight angle. But Kiraly somehow managed to let the ball slip through his arms and between his legs into the goal to give Chelsea a 3-1 lead in the game. His technique was all wrong as he fell to his knees to catch the low shot. As he fell forward onto his elbows, the ball squirted between his arms and, because his legs were apart, it rolled through his legs and into the net. Surely, this will be a candidate for Howler of the Year.

Quote of the Week: David Moyes, manager of Everton
After Liverpool pulled to within four points of Everton in the league table: “Four points is a decent number, we'd like more but we’re hanging in there."

Remember to check out player profiles by clicking on "Soccer School" at the top of this page. New players are added frequently.

Liverpool Close the Gap
Liverpool's 2-1 win over their city rivals brought them within four points of fourth place Everton with only eight games left. Finishing fourth is vital for both clubs because the top four teams in the English Premier League qualify for next season's Eurpean Champions League. Steven Gerrard and Luis Garcia got the goals for Liverpool before Milan Baros was shown a red card. Despite being reduced to 10 men, Liverpool held on for the victory, conceding only a consolation goal to Everton's Tim Cahill in the 82nd minute. With only four points separating the clubs, the race for fourth should continue until the season's last day. Should the two teams finish in a tie, Liverpool hold the edge in goal difference, currently with +12 compared to Everton's +4.

Southampton Move out of Relegation Zone
Southampton's 3-1 win at Middlesbrough move them up to 17th place, one point ahead of Crystal Palace. The bottom three clubs in teh English Premier League are relegated down to the Championship League, so it was a vital win for the Saints. Peter Crouch scored twice and Andreas Jakobsson added a goal for Southampton to continue their improved form under new manager Harry Redknapp.

Birmingham Win Local Derby
In the other derby of the day, Birmingham city won 2-0 at home against Aston Villa. Thomas Sorenson, the Villa keeper, allowed an Emile Heskey shot to slip under his body and into the goal. Sorenson's blunder will compete with Gabor Kiraly's (Cystal Palace) error for Howler of the Week in Soccerword's weekly awards (announced every Monday here on soccerword.com). Julian Gray added a second goal to kill the match. It was a good day for Emile Heskey as he was recalled to the England squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifying matches.

Premier League
Chelsea 4 - 1 Crystal Palace
Man Utd 1 - 0 Fulham
Blackburn 0 - 1 Arsenal
Portsmouth 1 - 1 Newcastle
Tottenham 2 - 1 Man City
Bolton 1 - 0 Norwich
Charlton 1 - 4 West Brom

Championship League
Cardiff 1 - 1 Crewe
Gillingham 0 - 0 Ipswich
Nottingham Forest 1 - 1 Wigan
Rotherham 0 - 1 Queens Park Rangers
Sheffield United 2 - 1 Burnley
Sunderland 1 - 0 Coventry City
Watford 0 - 2 Preston
Wolverhampton 1 - 1 Stoke

League One
Barnsley 1 - 1 Milton Keynes Dons
Blackpool 1 - 1 Doncaster
Bournemouth 0 - 4 Hull City
Bradford 1 - 2 Hartlepool
Brentford 2 - 2 Chesterfield
Colchester 1 - 1 Sheffield Wednesday
Huddersfield 5 - 3 Stockport
Oldham 2 - 2 Luton
Port Vale 2 - 0 Walsall
Swindon 4 - 2 Wrexham
Torquay 0 - 4 Bristol City

League Two
Bristol Rovers 4 - 4 Mansfield
Cambridge 2 - 1 Wycombe
Cheltenham 0 - 3 Southend
Chester 3 - 2 Notts County
Grimsby 0 - 1 Darlington
Kidderminster 0 - 0 Rushden & Diamonds
Lincoln City 2 - 0 Shrewsbury
Macclesfield 3 - 1 Leyton Orient
Northampton 2 - 2 Swansea
Oxford 2 - 0 Boston United
Rochdale 0 - 0 Scunthorpe
Yeovil 0 - 1 Bury

What does it mean to be a bigger club?
Sir Alex Ferguson recently claimed that Manchester United were still a bigger club than Chelsea. Perhaps he was trying to give his fans some consolation as Chelsea are running away with the Premier League title, have already won the Carling Cup, and have advanced to the quarterfinals of the Champions League. Man United find themselves eliminated from European play, 11 points behind Chelsea in the league, and with the FA Cup as their only hope for silverware. Whatever happens in the FA Cup and Champions League, Manchester United will have to settle for being the second best club in England. So it is only natural that their boss tries to cling to the notion that they are still the biggest team in the land.

I'm just guessing, but I'm willing to bet that any manager in England would rather be in Chelsea's position than Man United's. It's nice to be a big club, but winning is the ultimate prize, and Chelsea are clearly the big winners. And they're gaining on Manchester United in terms of the size of the clubs too.

What exactly makes a club a big club? Is it the number of supporters, how much money they make, or media attention? I'm not sure, but in the latest earnings reports, Manchester United came in first in terms of revenue, but Chelsea had climbed to second. Clearly Roman Abramovich's cash has reduced the gap between the teams.

And media attention, at least here in America, is shifting towards the Blues. Alex Ferguson claimed that when Chelsea played Barcelona in the Champions League, all the attention was on United's match with AC Milan. Not here. I watched the Chelsea game live on ESPN2, and it was widely hailed as the best game of the year. You could have watched Man United's game in Spanish, but only if your cable service included ESPN Deportes (which mine did not). Over the course of the season, there have been more Chelsea games broadcast on Fox Soccer Channel than United games. Clearly, winning breeds media attention, and most likely generates more money and more supporters too. So while Sir Alex may cling to the belief that Man United are bigger than Chelsea, it's starting to sound more and more like sour grapes. I'd rather be better than bigger any day. But it doesn't really matter because it looks like Chelsea will be both in the near future.

The quarterfinal matchups of the Champions League were announced this morning:
Chelsea v. Bayern Munich
Liverpool v. Juventus
AC Milan v. Inter Milan
Lyon v. PSV Eindhoven

Premier League
With Chelsea 11 points clear in first place, the only drama left near the top of the Premier League table is the race for fourth place (and a spot in next year's Champions League). Everton currently occupy fourth place, seven points ahead of their city rivals, Liverpool. And the two teams meet in what is sure to be a cracking Liverpool Derby on Sunday. Everton won the previous match between the two clubs, but they must travel to Anfield where Liverpool enjoy a strong home record. Liverpool's success in the Champions League, advancing to the quarterfinals, has not been matched in the Premier League, and a loss to Everton would put them 10 points behind the Toffees with only eight to play. Defeat would surely end Liverpool's Champions League hopes. But Everton have struggled of late, winning only two of their last seven league matches. I expect a low-scoring, hard-fought contest, but I pick Liverpool to win and keep the pressure on Everton for that last Champions League spot.
Prediction: Liverpool 1-0

Championship League
It's the Haves against the Have-Nots in the Championship as the three top teams fighting for the two automatic promotion places face three of the bottom clubs fighting to avoid relegation. First place Wigan travel to next-to-last Nottingham Forest. Sunderland, in second place, host 21st place Coventry City, and third place Ipswich play 22nd place Gillingham. The top three clubs will desperately want to finish in first or second place to avoid having to go through the play-offs to advance to the Premier League. But their opponents may be even more desperate to avoid the drop down to League One. The scenario should make for three very interesting encounters.
Predictions: Wigan 1-0, Sunderland 2-0, and a 1-1 draw between Ipswich and Gillingham

League One
Walsall and Port Vale find themselves in 17th and 18th place in the league, just above the relegation zone. Although neither is in danger yet, a loss this week could draw either club into a relegation dogfight. A win, however, would make feel fairly secure in League One. Walsall have a poor record away from home, having won only twice in 18 tries. I expect the Valiants will win this one at Vale Park with Billy Paynter scoring a goal or two.
Prediction: Port Vale 2-1

League Two
Bristol Rovers host Mansfield Town in a battle of mid-table teams. Mansfield, in 17th place, are only 8 points behind seventh place Lincoln City, but only 10 points ahead of 21st place Chester in the tightly packed League Two. Bristol Rovers are only two places behind Mansfield. So the rest of the season will determine if either team moves up near the playoff race or drops near the relegation zone. Bristol Rovers have lost only once at home, but they have set a club record with 18 draws this season. Junior Agogo of Ghana leads the club with 18 goals and should pick up another as Rovers will end their string of draws.
Prediction: Bristol Rovers 2-1

Auxerre 0
Lille 0
Auxerre advance to quarterfinals 1-0 on aggregate

CSKA Moscow 2
Partizan Belgrade 0
CSKA Moscow advance 3-1

Parma 1
Sevilla 0
Parma advance 1-0

Real Zaragoza 2
Austria Vienna 2
Austria Vienna advance on away goals rule 2-1 (3-3 aggregate)

Sporting Lisbon 1
Middlesbrough 0
Sporting advance 4-2

Click on the "Soccer School" tab at the top of this page for player profiles.

New profiles are added frequently. Recommendations are welcome. To suggest a player to profile, click on the "leave a comment" or "comments" link.

Newcastle and AZ Alkmaar advance to quarterfinals
Newcastle 4
Olympiakos 0

Newcastle easily booked their place in the quarterfinals with a convincing win over Greek leaders Olympiakos. Alan Shearer scored twice as Newcastle won 7-1 on aggregate. Keiren Dyer and Lee Bowyer also scored for the Magpies.

AZ Alkmaar 2
Shakhtar Donetsk 1

AZ Alkmaar, currently second in the Dutch Eredivisie (1st division), continued their impressive season with a 2-1 win against Ukraine's Shakhtar Donetsk. Van Galen and Meerdink scored the goals as Alkmaar advanced 5-2 on aggregate. Alkmaar are four points ahead of traditional Dutch powerhouse Ajax of Amsterdam in the Dutch Eredivisie table, and have now advanced further in Europe than their Amsterdam rivals.

Chelsea Win Again
Chelsea's 1-0 win over West Brom puts them 11 points ahead of second place Manchester United with only 9 games left to play. Didier Drogba scored the only goal in the 26th minute, tapping in a perfect cross from Damien Duff. Frank Lampard started the play with a great long pass from the center circle that found Duff streaking down the right flank. The Irish winger raced past the defense and saw his cross land right in the path of Drogba who finished well. It was the only time the Ivory Coast striker finished well. Twice he shot wide with only the keeper to beat, and he missed a headed shot from point blank range.

Despite the misses, Drogba's lone goal held up as the Chelsea defense once again proved to be the best in the Premier League. The strength and courage of the Blues defenders was epitomized by Robert Huth, a backup central defender who was filling in for Ricardo Carvalho. West Brom's Kanu fired a shot that appeared to be heading past the keeper and into the goal. But Huth jumped into the ball's path and blocked the hard shot with his face. Chelsea keeper Petr Cech may have been able to save the blast, but thanks to Huth's heroics, he didn't have to. Huth was promptly congratulated by Chelsea captain John Terry for his efforts.

The win was Chelsea's 23rd in 29 league matches, with five draws and only one defeat. They have outscored their opponents 54 to 9 league games, and appear set to break Liverpools record of 16 goals allowed in a top flight campaign. And unlike Arsenal who rely on Thierry Henry's goals, Chelsea have a variety of goal scoring threats.

Here's a link to the BBC's Premier League Table:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/table/default.stm

Didier Drogba's goal against West Brom was his 13th of the season, but three other players have also reached double figures in goals: Eidur Gudjohnsen with 12, and Frank Lampard and Damien Duff with 10 each. Despite missing time due to injury, Dutch winger Arjen Robben has scored 9 goals, and defender John Terry has added 8, four of which were scored in Champions League games, the most of any Chelsea player in the European competition. Although not regular starters, Joe Cole and Mateja Kezman have each scored five goals as well. The bottom line is that Chelsea's depth of talent is unmatched in the Premier League.

Because it is such a rare accomplishment, here are the eight players who have scored against Chelsea in this season's Premier League:

James Beattie, Southampton
Nicloas Anelka, Manchester City (penalty)
Zoltan Gera, West Brom
Papa Bouba Diop, Fulham
Kevin Davies, Bolton
Radhi Jaidi, Bolton
Thierry Henry (2), Arsenal
Leon McKenzie, Norwich

It's Monday and that means it's time to hand out the weekly awards.

Goal of the Week: Ronaldinho, Barcelona
Normally, these awards are limited to English league or cup matches, but Ronaldinho's second goal against Chelsea was so great that it deserves the award.

After scoring once from the penalty spot to cut Chelsea's lead to 3-1, Ronaldinho added an extraordinary second goal. Receiving the ball just outside the penalty area, Ronaldinho faked a couple of passes, swiveling his hips side to side and leaving two Chelsea defenders completely frozen in front of him. Then, from a flat-footed stance, he struck the ball with the outside of his foot, curling the ball around the defenders and inside the left post of the goal. Chelsea keeper Petr Cech stood motionless in goal, unable to attempt a save as the ball hit the back of the net. Chelsea went on the win the match 4-2 and advance to the Champions League quarterfinals, but Ronalinho's goal was the most sublime moment in the best game of the season so far.

Miss of the Week: Freddie Ljungberg, Arsenal
With Arsenal leading 1-0 with only seconds left in the game, Ljungberg was set up for one of the easiest goals imaginable. The Bolton keeper and a defender converged on Flamini near the left edge of the goal box. Flamini passed the ball through both Bolton players to Ljungberg, right in front of the empty net. Somehow, Freddie managed to chip the ball over the bar from only a few yards away and no one between him and the goal. It didn't matter as the final whistle blew seconds later, but it was an embarrassing miss for Ljungberg.

Quote of the Week: Harry Redknapp, Southampton
With the Premier League on hold for the FA Cup quarterfinals, there weren't as many high profile matches this weekend as usual. But you can always count on Harry for a quote. After seeing his injury-depleted side lose 0-4 to Manchester City, the Southampton boss reflected on the game: "The main thought in my mind was hoping my team wouldn't get smashed up."

Blow-Out of the Week:
Ipswich Town 6
Nottingham Forest 0

After losing three league games in a row, Championship title hopefuls Ipswich Town took out their frustration on Nottingham Forest. Tommy Miller scored twice for the Tractor Boys, and Shefqi Kuqi, Richard Naylor, Darren Bent, and Ian Westlake added a goal apiece. The win leaves Ipswich only three points behind leaders Wigan, while Nottingham Forest remain in the relegation zone in 23rd place.

Schalke Defeat Bayern Munich
In an electric environment in Gelsenkirchen, home side Schalke recorded a huge win over their championship rivals, Bayern Munich. The two clubs entered the match tied with 50 points atop the Bundesliga. Bayern were looking to avenge their home loss to Schalke in week eight of the season. It was a heated contest from the beginning with Bayern's Michael Ballack and Schalke's Levan Kobiashvili exchanging hard tackles. Each player was shown a yellow card.

Bayern keeper Oliver Kahn made two fine saves in succession to deny Ailton and then Altintop from close range. Altintop had come on in place of injured Gerald Asamoah after only nine minutes of play. And he had an immediate impact, streaking down the right wing and pulling a cross back for Ailton. The Brazillian striker's shot was stopped by a kick save from Kahn who reacted quickly. The rebound fell right to Altintop, but his shot bounced off Kahn who was still lying on the ground in front of goal. Ailton had one more crack at it, as the deflected shot bounced to him, but his hard volley sailed over the goal.

The only goal of the match was the result of a free kick. Schalke's Lincoln fired a curling shot over the defensive wall and into the top left corner of the net. Oliver Kahn made a fine effort to save the shot, flying across the goal line, but he could not reach Lincoln's brilliant strike.

The game ended controversially. First, Bayern Munich were denied a penalty when it looked like Jose Guerrero was pushed down in the area. The referee waved play on, and then blew the final whistle at the 90 minute mark without playing any stoppage time. Several Bayern players crowded around the referee to protest, but to no avail. The win moves Schalke into sole possession of first place, three points ahead of Bayern.

Newcastle and Blackburn Advance
Patrick Kluivert scored the only goal of the game as Newcastle defeated Spurs to advance to the semi-finals. It was the second consecutive cup win against a London club for Newcastle, and they could face a third if they are drawn against Arsenal in the next round.

In Blackburn, Paul Dickov scored from the penalty spot to send his team through to the semis. Leicester City, the last non-Premier League club left in the competition, made it difficult for Blackburn, but they could not create many chances of their own. Morten Pedersen was brought down inside the penalty area to set up Dickov's winner.

It's an all-Premier League semi-finals with Manchester United, Arsenal, Newcastle, and Blackburn waiting to see who they will play in the next round.

2004-05 English Premier League Clubs

Arsenal
Nickname: Gunners
Founded: 1886
In top division since: 1915
Stadium: Highbury
Location: North London

Aston Villa
Nickname: Villans
Founded: 1874
In top division since: 1988
Stadium: Villa Park
Location: Birmingham

Birmingham City
Nickname: Blues
Founded: 1875
In top division since: 2002
Stadium: St. Andrew’s
Location: Birmingham

Blackburn
Nickname: Rovers
Founded: 1875
In top division since: 2001
Stadium: Ewood Park
Location: Blackburn

Bolton Wanderers
Nickname: Trotters
Founded: 1874
In top division since: 2001
Stadium: Reebok Stadium
Location: Bolton

Charlton Athletic
Nickname: Addicks
Founded: 1905
In top division since: 2000
Stadium: The Valley
Location: East London (near Greenwich)

Chelsea
Nickname: The Blues
Founded: 1905
In top division since: 1989
Stadium: Stamford Bridge
Location: Southwest London

Crystal Palace
Nickname: Eagles
Founded: 1905
In top division since: 2004
Stadium: Selhurst Park
Location: South London

Everton
Nickname: The Toffees
Founded: 1884
In top division since: 1954
Stadium: Goodison Park
Location: Liverpool

Fulham
Nickname: Cottagers
Founded: 1879
In top division since: 2001
Stadium: Craven Cottage
Location: Southwest London

Liverpool
Nickname: Reds
Founded: 1892
In top division since: 1962
Stadium: Anfield
Location: Liverpool

Manchester City
Nickname: City, Blues
Founded: 1887
In top division since: 2002
Stadium: City of Manchester Stadium
Location: Manchester

Manchester United
Nickname: Red Devils
Founded: 1878
In top division since: 1975
Stadium: Old Trafford
Location: Manchester

Middlesbrough
Nickname: Boro
Founded: 1876
In top division since: 1998
Stadium: Riverside Stadium
Location: Middlesbrough

Newcastle
Nickname: Magpies
Founded: 1882
In top division since: 1993
Stadium: St. James’ Park
Location: Newcastle

Norwich City
Nickname: Canaries
Founded: 1902
In top division since: 2004
Stadium: Carrow Road
Location: Norwich

Portsmouth
Nickname: Pompey
Founded: 1898
In top division since: 2003
Stadium: Fratton Park
Location: Portsmouth (south coast)

Southampton
Nickname: Saints
Founded: 1885
In top division since: 1978
Stadium: St. Mary’s
Location: Southampton (south coast)

Tottenham Hotspur
Nickname: Spurs
Founded: 1882
In top division since: 1978
Stadium: White Hart Lane
Location: North London

West Bromwich Albion
Nickname: Baggies, Albion
Founded: 1879
In top division since: 2004
Stadium: The Hawthorns
Location: West Bromwich (Greater Birmingham)

Diouf Dooms Bolton
By the time I woke up this morning and tuned in to Fox Soccer Channel at 7:30am, the game had already been decided. Arsenal were leading 1-0 and Bolton had been reduced to 10 men. Apparently, the game began at 7:15 EST, not 7:30 as I had thought. And despite still getting up awfully early on a Saturday morning, I had missed the most important action.

In the 9th minute of play El Hadji Diouf was shown the red card after elbowing Arsenal keeper Jens Lehman. Nine minutes later, Freddie Ljungberg scored the only goal of the match, steering the ball past the charging Bolton keeper. And that's when I tuned into the game. Despite being a man down, Bolton created a few chances but could not convert them. Near the end of the match, Arsenal controlled possession and should have doubled their lead. Ljungberg received a pass unmarked four yards in front of an open net, but his attempt sailed over the bar when only a simple tap-in was required to score.

Man United Cruise Past Southampton
I figured this would be an easy win for United, so I didn't bother to order the game on pay-per-view. It was a wise decision as Manchester United won 4-0. Paul Scholes scored twice after Roy Keane and Ronaldo had opened the scoring.

If they are not paired together in the semifinals, Man United and Arsenal will be the favorites to make the cup final in Cardiff. But I expect we just might see a repeat of last year's semifinal matchup between the Premier League giants. The other two quarterfinal matches will be played tomorrow.

First Leg Results from the Round of 16
(home teams are listed first)

Austria Vienna 1
Real Zaragoza 1

Lille 0
Auxerre 1

Middlesbrough 2
Sporting Lisbon 3

Olympiakos 1
Newcastle 3

Partizan Belgrade 1
CSKA Moscow 1

Sevilla 0
Parma 0

Shakhtar Donetsk 1
AZ Alkmaar 3

The Premier League takes the weekend off as the FA Cup Quarterfinals take center stage.

Aresnal and Manchester United face tough away matches in the FA Cup after being elimiated from the Champions League in mid-week. Man United will play at Southampton, and Arsenal face Bolton at the Reebok Stadium. I look for United to bounce back from their defeat in Milan and advance to the semis with a comfortable away win. Southampton have enjoyed a nice cup run after Harry Redknapp's arrival from south coast rivals Portsmouth, but it will come to an end on Saturday.
Prediction: Man United 2-0.

Arsenal face a much tougher task. Bolton have lost only once in their last 12 matches, and that includes a 1-0 home victory against the Gunners. To make matters worse for Arsenal, Thierry Henry is out for three weeks after injuring his calf against Bayern Munich. At least that's what Arsenal are reporting. Gunners' boss Arsene Wenger has a history of declaring his top striker out for weeks, only to see him in the starting lineup for the next game. With or without Henry, Arsenal face a physical Bolton squad who are excellent in the air. Even though midfielder Jay-Jay Okocha is out with a hamstring injury, I still think Bolton are in a great position to win. Last year Arsenal looked invincible, but this year they have been anything but unbeatable.

Prediction: Bolton 2-1

On Sunday, Leicester City, the only non-Premiership team left in the cup, travel to Ewood Park to play Blackburn. The FA Cup always seems to have one surprise semi-finalist and this year I think it will be the Foxes. Blackburn are still in danger of dropping into the relegation zone, and I expect their attention may be focused on their remaining league matches. Leicester City have already claimed one Premier League scalp when they beat Charlton at the Valley thanks to Dion Dublin's 90th minute goal. The momentum of a last minute winner can spill over to the next game, and I expect Leicester's luck to last one more match.

Prediction: Leicester City 2-1.

Another London club travels north as Tottenham Hotspur take on Newcastle at St. James' park on Sunday. After watching their club end Chelsea's FA Cup run, the Toon Army must believe this is their year to finally lift a major trophy. And their Champions League win over Olympiakos in Greece will surely give them plenty of confidence. With disgruntled Craig Bellamy off-loaded to Celtic and a series of impressive cup wins behind them, all looks well for Newcastle. The good feeling will continue as they advance to the semi-finals.

Prediction: Newcastle 2-0.

End of the Keegan Era in Manchester
Kevin Keegan's reign as manager of Manchester City will not continue until his contract runs out at the end of next season. The BBC reports that Keegan will leave the club, to be replaced, at least temporarily, by Stuart "Psycho" Pearce. Keegan led the Sky Blues to the First Division (now known as the Championship) title in the 2001-02 season and a respectable 9th place finish their first season back in the Premier League.

But it all went downhill from there. The club slipped to 16th place last year, finishing only two places above the relegation zone. Hopes were high coming into this season, with Shaun Wright-Phillips regarded as one of the most exciting players emerging in England. Despite being the only club to beat Chelsea in the league this year, Manchester City struggled to maintain consistent form. An away draw at Chelsea was another bright moment this season, but their latest defeat to Bolton saw City drop to 12th place in the Premier League and lose all hope of qualifying for Europe.

Last year's 4-1 win over rivals Manchester United, featuring a brilliant Shaun Wright-Phillips strike, and their 4-3 comeback win over Spurs after trailing 0-3 were two of the highlights of the Keegan era. No doubt, City have had moments of glory, but their lack of consistent league form was their undoing. Kevin Keegan certainly leaves Man City in much better shape than he found them, but I'm sure it's not as good as he, or the fans, would have expected.

A great source of current and historical statistics, club rankings, league tables, attendance, and much more.

Liverpool, Bayern Munich, Juventus, PSV Eindhoven Advance
Four more teams booked their place in the Champions League quarterfinals, as the teams holding the first leg advantage all held on to their leads.

Liverpool, leading 3-1 after the first leg at Anfield , duplicated the result, winning 3-1 in Germany to advance 6-2 on aggregate. Two goals by Luis Garcia and one by Milan Baros sealed victory for the Reds.

Arsenal needed to win 2-0 at home to advance after losing 1-3 in Munich, but the Gunners could only manage a single goal from Thierry Henry. Despite winning the match 1-0, Arsenal are eliminated by Bayern Munich. Oliver Kahn made several fine saves to secure a 3-2 win on aggregate.

After losing 0-1 in Madrid, Juventus needed to score to force the game into extra time, and David Trezeguet provided the goal in the 75th minute. Level on 1-1 after 90 minutes, the deadlock continued well into extra time. With moments to go before the contest would be decided by penalty kicks, Zayaleta found the net to give Juventus a 2-1 over both legs of the tie. Madrid's loss means that there will be no Spanish clubs in the final eight of the competiton, and there will be at least two Italian teams. Inter Milan could be the third after next week's match against reigning champions FC Porto.

PSV Eindhoven continued their impressive defensive form to record their second consecutive clean sheet against Monaco, last year's runners up. After winning 1-0 at home, PSV won 2-0 today at the Stade Louis II. Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink, the Dutch striker with the funny name, scored the opening goal, and American DaMarcus Beasley added a second to secure the Dutch club's spot in the quarterfinals. PSV advance 3-0 on aggregate.

Bayer Leverkusen v. Liverpool
Liverpool take a 3-1 advantage after the first leg at Anfield into this matchup, meaning that Leverkusen must win 2-0 or by more than 2 goals to advance. I don't expect a lot of goals in this match though. Rafael Benetiz will likely employ defensive tactics to limit Leverkusen's opportunities. I expect either a draw or a one goal Bayer Leverkusen win. Either way, Liverpool will go through.
Prediction: Liverpool 4-2 on aggregate.

Arsenal v. Bayern Munich
The Gunners return to Highbury trailing 1-3 after the first leg in Munich. By scoring an away goal, Arsenal can advance with a 2-0 win at home. With their fire power, it is certainly possible that the Gunners will score twice, but their defense has been suspect in league and European matches all year. I think Arsenal will score two, but they will give up one as well.
Prediction: Bayern Munich 4-3 on aggregate.

Monaco v. PSV Eindhoven
Monaco failed to score an away goal in the first leg in Holland, so PSV hold a strong advantage in this matchup. If PSV score, then Monaco would have to score three goals to advance. I don't see that happening. PSV have been the class of the Dutch League this year, far out-performing rivals Ajax. I think they will win this match outright and advance to the quarterfinals.
Prediction: PSV Eindhoven 3-1 on aggregate.

Juventus v. Real Madrid
In a matchup of European heavy weights, Juventus face an uphill climb after losing 0-1 in Spain. If Real Madrid can score a goal, and I think they can, then the Italian leaders would have to score three goals to advance. Real's defense has been suspect this year, but I don't see them conceding three in this big match. Juventus will win the match 2-1 but lose out on the away goals rule.
Prediction: Real Madrid will advance on away goals after drawing on aggregate 2-2.

Chelsea, Chelsea, Chelsea!!!
Chelsea advanced to the quarterfinals of the Champions League with an impressive 4-2 victory over Barcelona at Stamford Bridge. After losing the first leg 0-1 in Spain, Chelsea stormed to a 3-0 lead within the first 20 minutes of this match. The first goal was set up by a long pass forward by Frank Lampard that found Mateja Kezman in stride on the right wing. Kezman crossed a perfect ball for Gudjohnsen to run onto inside the penalty area. The Icelandic striker cut inside the defender and got down to fire a sliding blast past the Barcelona keeper.

Joe Cole was the play maker on the second goal. After receiving a Paulo Ferreira pass on the right flank, Cole cut inside his defender and dribbled to the edge of the penalty area. His shot was deflected on goal, but the keeper could only direct the rebound into the path of Frank Lampard. The Chelsea midfielder kept his cool and found the net from a sharp angle to the right of the goal.

On 19 minutes, Damien Duff scored Chelsea's third, which seemed to send the Blues into the quarterfinals. Kezman controlled a long pass and one-touched it back for Cole in the center of the field. Cole fed a brilliant ball through to Damien Duff breaking in on goal. With the keeper coming out to cut off the angle, Duff slotted a left-footed shot into the center of the goal. Chelsea were firmly in control of the game, but it wouldn't last for long.

After a seemingly innocuous cross into the area, Paulo Ferreira jumped to head the ball away. Instead, the ball deflected off his hand, and a penalty was awarded by Italian referee Pierluigi Collina. Although it looked unintentional, the letter of the law mandated a penalty. Ronaldinho beat Petr Cech, sending a low drive inside the left post despite the Chelsea keeper guessing right and diving to his right. Suddenly, Barca were right back in the match, knowing a second goal would give them the away goal tiebreaker.

And it was the Brazillian phenom Ronaldinho who scored the second goal on a brilliant effort. Receiving the ball just outside the penalty area, Ronaldinho faced two defenders. From a flat-footed position, he faked out the defenders with a swivel of his hips, and then fired an incredible swerving drive with the outside of his right boot. The shot swung out wide and then curled just inside the left post to give Barcelona a vital second road goal.

It remained 3-2 to Chelsea well into the second half, but the Blues needed to win by two to advance. Barcelona tested the Chelsea keeper on many occasions, but Cech made several fine saves to preserve Chelsea's chance of going through. Jose Mourinho made an unusual substitution early on in the second half, bringing on the young Glen Johnson to replace the veteran Paulo Ferreira at right back. After giving up the penalty kick, Ferreira looked a bit tentative marking Ronaldinho. Johnson, perhaps because of his size and athleticism, came on with the task of marking Ronaldinho. Although there were some touchy moments, Barcelona could not find a third goal which would have put the game away. Samuel Eto'o wasted their best chance, firing over the bar from close range.

Just when it looked like Barcelona would advance on the away goal rule, despite trailing 2-3 in the second leg, Chelsea earned a corner kick with 15 minutes to go. Damien Duff's corner found Terry in front of goal, and the Chelsea captain headed the ball inside the right post to give Chelsea a 5-4 lead on aggregate.

Chelsea defended a fierce Barcelona onslaught over the last 15 minutes to preserve the victory. In the best football match of the year so far, Chelsea took revenge on Barcelona, the team that sent them out of the Champions League quarterfinals five years ago. Chelsea now enter the quarterfinals as one of the favorites to lift the Champions League trophy.
Chelsea 4
Barcelona 2

visit the BBC website for post-match interviews with Jose Mourinho, Frank Lampard, and Eidur Gudjohnsen:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/europe/4321491.stm

Click on the "Europe" tab above for Champions League previews, results, and match reports.

Chelsea, Chelsea, Chelsea!!!
Chelsea advanced to the quarterfinals of the Champions League with an impressive 4-2 victory over Barcelona at Stamford Bridge. After losing the first leg 0-1 in Spain, Chelsea stormed to a 3-0 lead within the first 20 minutes of this match. The first goal was set up by a long pass forward by Frank Lampard that found Mateja Kezman in stride on the right wing. Kezman crossed a perfect ball for Gudjohnsen to run onto inside the penalty area. The Icelandic striker cut inside the defender and got down to fire a sliding blast past the Barcelona keeper.

Joe Cole was the play maker on the second goal. After receiving a Paulo Ferreira pass on the right flank, Cole cut inside his defender and dribbled to the edge of the penalty area. His shot was deflected on goal, but the keeper could only direct the rebound into the path of Frank Lampard. The Chelsea midfielder kept his cool and found the net from a sharp angle to the right of the goal.

On 19 minutes, Damien Duff scored Chelsea's third, which seemed to send the Blues into the quarterfinals. Kezman controlled a long pass and one-touched it back for Cole in the center of the field. Cole fed a brilliant ball through to Damien Duff breaking in on goal. With the keeper coming out to cut off the angle, Duff slotted a left-footed shot into the center of the goal. Chelsea were firmly in control of the game, but it wouldn't last for long.

After a seemingly innocuous cross into the area, Paulo Ferreira jumped to head the ball away. Instead, the ball deflected off his hand, and a penalty was awarded by Italian referee Pierluigi Collina. Although it looked unintentional, the letter of the law mandated a penalty. Ronaldinho beat Petr Cech, sending a low drive inside the left post despite the Chelsea keeper guessing right and diving to his right. Suddenly, Barca were right back in the match, knowing a second goal would give them the away goal tiebreaker.

And it was the Brazillian phenom Ronaldinho who scored the second goal on a brilliant effort. Receiving the ball just outside the penalty area, Ronaldinho faced two defenders. From a flat-footed position, he faked out the defenders with a swivel of his hips, and then fired an incredible swerving drive with the outside of his right boot. The shot swung out wide and then curled just inside the left post to give Barcelona a vital second road goal.

It remained 3-2 to Chelsea well into the second half, but the Blues needed to win by two to advance. Barcelona tested the Chelsea keeper on many occasions, but Cech made several fine saves to preserve Chelsea's chance of going through. Jose Mourinho made an unusual substitution early on in the second half, bringing on the young Glen Johnson to replace the veteran Paulo Ferreira at right back. After giving up the penalty kick, Ferreira looked a bit tentative marking Ronaldinho. Johnson, perhaps because of his size and athleticism, came on with the task of marking Ronaldinho. Although there were some touchy moments, Barcelona could not find a third goal which would have put the game away. Samuel Eto'o wasted their best chance, firing over the bar from close range.

Just when it looked like Barcelona would advance on the away goal rule, despite trailing 2-3 in the second leg, Chelsea earned a corner kick with 15 minutes to go. Damien Duff's corner found Terry in front of goal, and the Chelsea captain headed the ball inside the right post to give Chelsea a 5-4 lead on aggregate.

Chelsea defended a fierce Barcelona onslaught over the last 15 minutes to preserve the victory. In the best football match of the year so far, Chelsea took revenge on Barcelona, the team that sent them out of the Champions League quarterfinals five years ago. Chelsea now enter the quarterfinals as one of the favorites to lift the Champions League trophy.
Chelsea 4
Barcelona 2

visit the BBC website for post-match interviews with Jose Mourinho, Frank Lampard, and Eidur Gudjohnsen:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/europe/4321491.stm

AC Milan Eliminate Manchester United
With Premier League rivals Chelsea advancing to the quarterfinals, it was ironic that former Chelsea striker Hernan Crespo scored the goal that sent Manchester United crashing out of Europe. After losing 0-1 at home, Man United needed to win in Milan to advance. But the likes of Ruud van Nistlerooy and Wayne Rooney could not breach the Milan defense. The only goal of the game was scored by Crespo in the 61st minute, forcing United to score two goals to advance. But the Milan defense held firm to preserve their victory.
AC Milan 1
Manchester United 0

Lyon Overwhelm Werder Bremen
Carrying a 3-0 advantage into this match, Lyon looked certain to advance, and they did with style. Lyon thrashed their German opponents 7-2, winning 10-2 on aggregate. Werder Bremen seemed ready to concede defeat from the outset as the French champions poured in the goals. Sylvain Wiltord recorded a hat trick, and Essien added two more as Lyon cruised into the quarterfinals.
Lyon 7
Werder Bremen 2

Although the score lines were not as I predicted, I was 3-0 in predicting the teams to advance to the next round.

Chelsea v. Barcelona
After losing 2-1 in Barcelona, Chelsea can advance by winning at home by 2 goals or more, or by winning 1-0 and thus advancing on the away goals tie-breaker. Arjen Robben is still out with a foot injury, and Didier Drogba is suspended for this match after picking up a red card in Barcelona. Despite Chelsea's record-breaking defense, I can't see them keeping a clean sheet against high-powered Barcelona. But I expect to Chelsea to mount a more potent attack than they showed in Spain. Look for Chelsea to force extra time by reversing the 2-1 scoreline from the first game and advance with a game winner in extra time.
Prediction: Chelsea 4-3 on aggregate after extra time.

AC Milan v. Manchester United
After winning 1-0 at Old Trafford, Milan just need a draw to advance. The Red Devils will be looking for goals, and lots of them, to take advantage of the road goal tie-breaker. Man United would advance with a one-goal victory provided they score at least 2 goals. That's a tall order against a Milan team that has given up less than a goal a game at home in Serie A. United may score, but I don't see them winning the game at the famous San Siro Stadium.
Prediction: Milan 2-1 on aggregate.

Lyon v. Werder Bremen
This game is almost academic as Lyon carry a 3-0 advantage and are at home against last season's Bundesliga champions. Werder Bremen may get a result from the match, but Lyon will advance to the quarterfinals.
Prediction: Lyon 4-1 on aggregate

Note: The Inter Milan v. FC Porto match has been postponed a week until March 15 as both Milan clubs share the San Siro stadium.

Check here every Monday for the best and worst from the weekend's matches.

Goal of the Week: Laurent Robert, Newcastle
The French winger scored from a free kick for the only goal in Newcastle's 1-0 win over Liverpool. From outside the right corner of the penalty area, Robert fired one of his trademark curling, left-footed drives into the top left corner of the goal.

Howler of the Week: Kostas Chalkias, Portsmouth
Chalkias was in position to stop Thierry Henry's free kick, but instead, he let the ball slip through his grasp and into the net for Henry's third goal of the game. Arsenal were already leadin 2-0, so the Portsmouth goalkeeper's mistake did not affect the result of the game.

Miss of the Week: Robbie Fowler, Manchester City
With the Bolton keeper lying on the ground, Fowler chipped the ball over the bar from only a few yards out. Bolton went on to win the game 1-0.

Quote of the Week: Steve Bruce, Birmingham
After losing 0-2 to city rivals West Brom, the Birmingham manager evaluates his team's performance: "I can offer no excuses and I don't want to be associated with a team that plays like that."

Streak-buster of the Week: Leon McKenzie, Norwich
McKenzie's second half header was the first goal to be scored against Chelsea in the Premier League in over 1,000 minutes of football. Chelsea had recorded clean sheets (shut-outs) in the previous 11 matches.

Barcelona Lead La Liga, Ranieri Fired Again
Barcelona continued their pursuit of the League Championship with a 1-0 win at Osasuna. Samuel Eto'o provided the only goal in the 39th minute. Meanwhile, Real Madrid could only manage a draw at Valencia. Aimar put Valencia ahead in the 13th minutes, but Ronalda equalized for Madrid after 27 minutes. The draw virtually ends any hope Real Madrid may have had of catching first place Barcelona. The fact that David Beckham had to leave the game due to back pain adds to Real Madrid's problems.

The draw against Madrid can be viewed as a bit of good news in a bizarre season for Valencia. After winning the UEFA Cup last year, Valencia saw their manager, Rafael Benetiz, leave to take the vacant coaching job in Liverpool. His replacement was ex-Chelsea manager Claudio Ranieri, who was fired at the end of last season despite leading the Blues to second place in the Premier League and to the Champions League semi-finals. Ranieri quickly won a trophy at Valencia, defeating FC Porto in the European Super Cup to start the season. The cup features the winners of the previous season's Champions League and UEFA Cup.

But Valencia's league form soon deteriorated and they were eliminated from the Champions League in the group stage. Ranieri was once again the scapegoat and was not allowed to finish the season. Such is the state of affairs in European football. Although widely considered a gentleman and competent professional, the self-proclaimed Tinkerman has twice fallen victim to the curse of high expectations. At Chelsea, second place was not good enough for Roman Abramovich. And back at Valencia for a second spell in charge, being knocked out of European play before the final 16 was a big disappointment. Now, Valencia are in the mix of five teams (separated by only two points) competing for third place and a Champions League spot. Barcelona appear to be certain champions, and Real Madrid are secure in second place. After that, it's wide open.

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Chelsea Extend Their Lead
Most pundits predicted that a Manchester United win over Crystal Palace would cut Chelsea's lead to three points and put the pressure on the Blues to keep pace later in the afternoon. Instead, Man United looked like they felt the pressure, failing to score in a 0-0 draw with Palace. The draw opened the door for Chelsea to go 8 points clear in first place, and they did just that in Norwich. Joe Cole put Chelsea ahead 1-0 with a left footed blast from just outside the penalty area. Cole had driven through two attempted tackles before firing the ball into the net. With few chances for Norwich, Chelsea seemed to be on track for another shutout (clean sheet as the Brits call it). But Norwich grabbed an equalizer when MacKenzie headed into goal from a Huckerby cross. It was the first goal given up by Chelsea in over 1,000 minutes of Premier League football.

It wasn't tied for long, as Chelsea responded almost immediately. Joe Cole's attempted cross was deflected to Eidur Gudjohnsen just outside the penalty area. The Icelandic striker lobbed a brilliant pass over the Norwich defense. Frank Lampard beat the goalkeeper to the pass, and with a lunging right foot, touched the ball past the keeper into the path of Mateja Kezman who tapped the ball into the open net. Lampard recorded another assist moments later. His corner kick curled right to Ricardo Carvalho who headed the ball into the top right corner of the net for his first Chelsea goal.

The victory puts Chelsea eight points ahead of Man United and ten ahead of Arsenal who enjoyed a comfortable 3-0 win over Portsmouth thanks to a Thierry Henry hattrick. With a game in hand and a substantial lead with only 10 matches remaining, the Premier League Title surely belongs to the Blues.

Click on the link below for the current Premier League Standings.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/table/default.stm

Other Featured Matches
Newcastle 1
Liverpool 0
Newcastle dealt Liverpool's Champions League hopes a severe blow with a 1-0 win at St. James' park. Laurent Robert scored one of his trademark left-footed free kicks from 20 yards to give Newcastle the win.

Wigan 1
Ipswich 0
In a battle of promotion contenders in the Championship League, Wigan recorded a 1-0 win over Ipswich Town. The only goal was scored from the penalty spot by Nathan Ellington.

Tranmere 1
Hull City 3
In League One, Hull City recorded an impressive 3-1 win at Tranmere. Despite falling behind 0-1, the Tigers came back strong with goals from Ellison, Price, and Fagan. The win puts Hull seven points ahead of Tranmere in second place and makes them a strong candidate for automatic promotion.

Northampton 1
Macclesfield 0
Northampton's 1-0 home win against Macclesfield moves them into sixth place in League Two, only four points behind fourth place Macclesfield. Danny Crow, on loan from Norwich, scored the only goal of the game.

In terms of my predictions, it was another sub-par performance. I was only 1-3 on the day, correctly predicting Newcastle's win over Liverpool, but picking the wrong outcome in all of the lower division games.

It's Friday again, and that means it's time to make predictions about the weekend's matches. As usual, I will predict the results of one featured match in League Two, League One, and the Championship, and give my picks on the most meaningful games in the Premier League.

Premier League
Leaders Chelsea and second-place Manchester United should record easy away wins against Norwich and Crystal Palace respectively. Both home teams are in the bottom four and lack the quality to compete with the Premier League's best. Although facing a tougher opponent, Arsenal are at home and are likely to win a close match with Portsmouth.

The most intriguing matchup of the weekend takes place in Newcastle, where Liverpool will look to close in on fourth-place rivals Everton. Liverpool are seven places above Newcastle, but they are probably still reeling from their extra time defeat to Chelsea in the Carling Cup final. The Reds have also struggled on the road this year, winning only four league games away from Anfield. Liverpool did record a solid 3-1 win over Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League, but they face a Newcastle team on a roll. The Toons beat Bolton in the Premier League last weekend, and advanced to the final 16 of the UEFA cup after winning 2-1 against Heerenveen of Holland. Knocking Chelsea out of the FA Cup could only have added to the confidence of the Newcastle players. I expect a tight match, but I think Newcastle will continue their impressive run.

Prediction: Newcastle 2-1.

Championship
Sunderland won on Friday to go top of the table with 69 points. Right behind them are Ipswich Town and Wigan, and guess who they play on Saturday? You guessed it, each other. A few weeks ago, Ipswich were alone in first place and seemed a lock for automatic promotion. But then, after losing top striker Shefqi Kuqi to injury, they began dropping points and positions in the table. Kuqi is back in training and may be available for this crucial match. Wigan can counter with Nathan Ellington, one of the best strikers in the league and a probable off-season target of many Premier League teams. This one looks like a dead heat to me. Prediction: Draw 2-2.

League One
Just as in the Championship, the second and third place teams square off as Hull City travel to Tranmere. Tranmere have only lost twice at home this season, but Hull have one of the better road records in the league. Look for Stuart Elliott (Hull) and Iain Hume (Tranmere) to grab the goals in another draw.
Prediction: Draw 1-1.

League Two
Northampton are at home against Macclesfield in a battle of teams fighting for promotion. While Northampton are looking to secure a spot in the playoffs, Macclesfield can still hope for automatic promotion. They are currently tied with three other teams for 2nd through 5th place, a with a game in hand. Although Northampton have done well at home, I think the Silkmen will prevail over the Cobblers. This may not be the best game of the week, but it features two of the best nicknames in English football.
Prediction: Macclesfield 2-1

Click on the "Soccer School" link at the top of this page for a list of recommended books on soccer. Topics include hooligan violence, Italian and English teams, globalization and soccer, the Dutch game, memoirs, and trivia.

All three premier league clubs won their 5th round replays today against opponents from the lower divisions, but it wasn't easy for any of them.

Gunners Advance on Penalty Kicks 4-2
Arsenal and Sheffield United were still scoreless after extra time, but the Gunners prevailed by making four consecutive penalty kicks, while the Blades missed two of four. Arsenal advance 4-2 on penalty kicks and will travel to Bolton in the next round.

Saints Knock Out League One Brentford
League One Brentford's cup run is over after losing 1-3 at home to Southampton. After surviving three replays in the previous rounds, the Bees got off to a great start when Eddie Hutchison scored within the first five minutes. But Southampton equalized almost immediately on a Peter Crouch goal in the 11th minute. Although Brentford dominated much of the game, they could not score despite several opportunities. Kevin Phillips scored the go ahead goal for the Saints against the run of play in the 67th minute, and Crouch added another just before the final whistle. Their reward: a home game against Manchester United in the quarterfinals.

Blackburn Extinguish Burnley's FA Cup Dream
In a hotly contested Lancashire derby, Blackburn edged local rivals Burnley 2-1 thanks to an 86th minute goal from Morten Pedersen. Turkish midfielder Kerimoglu Tugay opened the scoring in the 31st minute when his shot deflected into the goal off Burnley's Micah Hyde. But Hyde bounced back to tie the game just before half time. The match appeared to be headed to extra time, but Pedersen fired a shot into the roof of the net with under five minutes remaining. Blackburn will host Leicester City in the next round.

Spurs win 3-0
Tottenham Hotspur defeated Nottingham Forest to book their place in the next round of the FA cup. Goals from Pamarot, Keane, and Mido sealed victory for the Spurs. They will pllay at Newcastle in the quarterfinals.