EURO U/21 GROUP 5 QUALIFIER: SPAIN 2 - POLAND 0

SPANISH FOOTBALL: CONGRATULATIONS IKER CASILLAS - 100 INTERNATIONAL CAPS

WUSA 2008

"I hope it works out for them, but my suspicion is that it is still a money "down the drain" proposition. People barely care about the men's game, and I don't see a groundswell of demand for this entertainment product."

Naimo to lead Sky Blue Soccer

Sky Blue Soccer announced that Charlie Naimo will be the head coach for the W-League team and that Denise Reddy will be the team's assistant coach. Sky Blue Soccer will operate a women's soccer expansion franchise in the W-League – the highest level women's soccer league in North America and a division of the United Soccer Leagues.

USA opens residency with 25 players

U.S. RESIDENCY ROSTER:
GOALKEEPERS: Nicole Barnhart (Gilbertsville, Pa.), Jenni Branam (Placentia, Calif.), Briana Scurry (Dayton, Minn.), Hope Solo (Richland, Wash.);
DEFENDERS: Nancy Augustyniak (Peachtree City, Ga.), Lori Chalupny (St. Louis, Mo.), Tina Frimpong (Vancouver, Wash.), Amy LePeilbet (Reno, Nev.), Heather Mitts (Cincinnati, Ohio), Nandi Pryce (Casselberry, Fla.), Christie Rampone (Point Pleasant, N.J.), Cat Whitehill (Birmingham, Ala.);
MIDFIELDERS: Shannon Boxx (Redondo Beach, Calif.), Angela Hucles (Virginia Beach, Va.), Carli Lloyd (Delran, N.J.), Kristine Lilly (Wilton, Conn.), Marci Miller (St. Charles, Ill.), Leslie Osborne (Brookfield, Wis.), Lindsay Tarpley (Kalamazoo, Mich.), Aly Wagner (San Jose, Calif.);
FORWARDS: Danielle Fotopoulos (Altamonte Springs, Fla.), Natasha Kai (Kahuku, Hawaii), Heather O'Reilly (East Brunswick, N.J.), Abby Wambach (Rochester, N.Y.), Christie Welsh (Massapequa Park, N.Y.).

25 to attend camp

TRAINING CAMP ROSTER
The Home Depot Center – Carson, Calif.
Jan. 20-Feb. 4, 2008
GOALKEEPERS (2): Nicole Barnhart (Gilbertsville, Pa.), Hope Solo (Richland, Wash.)
DEFENDERS (8): Rachel Buehler (Del Mar, Calif.), Lori Chalupny (St. Louis, Mo.), Stephanie Cox (Elk Grove, Calif.), Marian Dalmy (Lakewood, Colo.), Kendall Fletcher (Cary, N.C.), Heather Mitts (Cincinnati, Ohio), Jill Oakes (West Hills, Calif.), Christie Rampone (Point Pleasant, N.J.)
MIDFIELDERS (8): Shannon Boxx (Redondo Beach, Calif.), Tina DiMartino (Massapequa Park, N.Y.), Tobin Heath (Basking Ridge, N.J.), Carli Lloyd (Delran, N.J.), Heather O'Reilly (East Brunswick, N.J.), Lindsay Tarpley (Kalamazoo, Mich.), Kacey White (Arlington, Texas), Angie Woznuk (El Cajon, Calif.)
FORWARDS (7): Lauren Cheney (Indianapolis, Ind.), Tina Ellertson (Vancouver, Wash.), Angela Hucles (Virginia Beach, Va.), Natasha Kai (Kahuku, Hawaii), Megan Rapinoe (Redding, Calif.), Amy Rodriguez (Lake Fores! t, Calif.), Abby Wambach (Rochester, N.Y.)

F1 : STOP PRESS: Mosley loses first court battle.

Wednesday, 9th April 2008

Max Mosley has lost the first round of his High Court battle against the News of the World, after a judge ruled against his bid to prevent the newspaper from showing a 90-second video clip of him with five prostitutes.

The Sunday tabloid published a front page exposé nine days ago, alleging the 67-year-old had been involved in a 'sick Nazi orgy with 5 hookers' near to his London home. Though Mosley does not deny the majority of the claims, he has vi! gorously rejected any suggestions of Nazi overtones to the five-hour, £2,500 experience, describing them as 'pure fabrication'.

Come on Granny Mosely... :-)

If, as he claims, this filmed orgy of sex and violence was not meant to be a sick fantasy based upon the brutalities of Nazi Germany, we must ask Mr Mosley the following questions:

1. Why are German military uniforms worn?
2. Why does he issue orders and threats in German to women who cannot speak German?
3. Why does he deliver and count out beatings in German to women who cannot understand German?
4. Why does he put on a German accent when speaking English?
5. Why are the victims of these beatings in German made to put on sinister striped uniforms?
6. Why the head lice inspections, the forced shaving of body hair and the sinister references to inmates being housed in 'facilities'?

Ajax on foreign turf

Ajax Cape Town take a break from their PSL title chase to travel to a popular holiday destination. The trip to the Seychelles however is all business as the Urban Warriors face the island's top club ANSE Reunion in the CAF Confederations Cup.

Kick-off is 17h00 on Sunday. Ajax beat ANSE Reunion 1-0 in the first leg at Athlone last Wednesday.

The match will be played on a synthetic pitch and Ajax have prepared by training on a hockey field at UCT. The bounce of the ball is probably the biggest difference when compared to grass surfaces.

Benni's absence an opportunity for Fanteni

Bafana Bafana striker Benni McCarthy's national commitments have again come into question after he failed to pitch for the training camp ahead of Sunday's 2010 African Nations Cup qualifier against Nigeria in Abuja.

All other players in the 25 man squad are present in Johannesburg, which makes Benni's absence even more glaring. It will be interesting to see how new coach Joel Santana deals with this level of indiscipline. It also leaves to door open for Maccabi Haifa's Thembinkosi Fanteni who could cement his place as South Africa's number one striker over the! next few months.

Breakfast Headlines

Spain are the only group winners through to the Euro Championship semi-finals after beating Italy in a penalty shootout.
They next take on Russia, while Germany face Turkey.

***

Back home, reports say Sibusiso Zuma has signed for Sundowns from German club Arminia Bielefeld, while Downs defender Benson Mhlongo could join goalkeeper Moeneeb Josephs at Pirates.

***

Bafana Bafana are on the road to disaster.
A goalless draw against Sierra Leone means it's highly unlikely they'll qualify for the 2010 African Nations Cup.

***

Springbok coach Peter de Villiers has hinted he's thinking about taking three specialist fly-halves to the Tri-Nations.
There has been mixed reaction to Francois Steyn's run at number ten, although he did score a brilliant opening try in the 26-0 win over Italy.
De Villiers will name his Tri-Nat! ions squad this week and Butch James and Peter Grant can also expect to make the final cut...
Meanwhile, Ryan Kankowski, who took a knock to the head, will definitely not be flying out this week.

***

Springbok prop Tendai Mtawarira says the Bok pack is ready to take on New Zealand in the Tri-Nations.
The Beast scored his first test try in the 26-0 win over an under-strength Italy on Saturday.
Mtawarira says he doesn't expect the crowds down under to shout his name everytime he touches the ball, the way fans did at Newlands...

***

All Black captain Richie Maccaw will miss most of the Tri-Nations with an ankle injury.

***

New Zealand have won the first Junior World Cup.
South Africa clinched third place after a 43-18 win over hosts, Wales.

***

Ferrari's Felipe Mas! sa has moved to the top of the world championship standings af! ter a wi n at the French Grand Prix.
His team-mate Kimi Raikkonen was setback by an exhaust problem, but held on for second, ahead of Toyota's Jarno Trulli...

***

Moto GP World Champion Casey Stoner led from Pole position to win the British Grand Prix at Donnington on his Ducati.
Valentino Rossi was second in his 200th race and Dani Pedrosa finished third.

***

Tennis's world number one Roger Federer believes he's still the big favourite to win his sixth Wimbledon title, despite critics questioning whether he's at his best.
Many believe this could be Rafael Nadal's year, but Federer says he's still the man...

Men's Olympics soccer begins

Gold-medal favourites Holland were held to a 1-1 draw against Nigeria at the Opening match of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Lionel Messi scored to give defending champions Argentina a victory against the Ivory Coast while World Champions Italy beat Honduras 3-0. Host nation China got a dissapointing 1-1 draw with minnos New Zealand. Brazil were victorious against Belgium with a 1-0 win. Austrailia were held to a 1-1 draw with Serbia. Japan lost 1-0 to the USA and South Korea and Cameroon finished all square after 1-1 draw.

Williams top of the world

Serena William's is back at number one on the WTA rankings.

Williams won the final of the US Open yesterday when she beat Serbia's Jelena Jankovic in straight sets. Ana Ivanovic who stormed to the top spot after the French Open earlier this year has dropped down to third. It has been five years since Williams topped the rankings.

Here are the Top 10 ranked players:

1. Serena Williams (USA) 4091 (+3)
2. Jelena Jankovic (SRB) 3965
3. Ana Ivanovic (SRB) 3532 (-2)
4. Elena Dementieva (RUS) 3430 (+2)
5. Dinara Safina (RUS) 3357 (+2)
6. Maria Sharapova (RUS) 3041 (-1)
7. Svetlana Kuznetzova (RUS) 2571 (-3)
8. Venus Williams (USA 2386
9. Vera Zvonavera (RUS) 2087 (+1)
10. Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) 2076 (+1)

Cost cuts for Formula One

Formula One bosses have apparently reached a deal to cut costs for smaller teams from next season.

FIA president Max Mosley and Ferrari chairman Luca di Montezemolo say the agreement will produce a significant cost saving, but no further details have been officially provided. Former Benetton F-1 marketing boss Brian Sims still has contacts in F-1 however, and he told us that the main issues discussed were around the engines -



Four major points were apparently agreed at the meeting, the first of which effected engine life. This season the teams have run two races with each engine, and a changed engine during those races results in a driver penalty of 10 grid places.

Next season, that is likely to change to 3 races. The 2nd point involves the engine manufacturers that supply the so called 'customer-teams'. In F-1, the top teams are provided engines by companies such as Ferrari and Mercedes, whereas the smaller ! operations such as Force India F-1 team are required to pay for their engines. This cost is around 30 million Euros. There is talk about the manufacturers having to supply about 10 million Euro of that cost next season.

The other points of discussion were around the KERS or 'Kinetic Energy Recovery System', which is an eviromentally linked programme that will be introduced.

The group have agreed to have a further meeting to discuss chassis development and a further reduction in the amount of testing milage permitted.

Honda to quit F1

Honda are going to pull out of F1 racing.

The team made the call due to the global financial crisis.

"Honda Motor Co. has come to the conclusion that we will withdraw
from all Formula One activities, making 2008 the last season for
participation," an emotional Honda Motor president Takeo Fukui told a
press conference.

"This difficult decision has been made in light of the quickly
deteriorating operating environment facing the global auto industry,
brought on by the subprime problem in! the United States, the deepening
credit crisis and the sudden contraction of the world economies," he
added.

Honda Motor also supplied engines and other technical support to
Formula One team Super Aguri, which called it quits due to financial
problems in May.

Duo sign for Ajax

Ajax Cape Town has made two new signing in an effort to bolster their squad for the rest of season.

Chad Harpur and Romain Carbonnier joined the club on two and a half year deals which means the pair will be at the club until 2011.

Harpur has been playing for Scottish club Kilmarnock where as Carbonnier comes from Ajaccio.

Goalkeeper Harper has also played for other English clubs like Leeds United and Millwall.He also had stints at local clubs Manning Rangers and Maritzburg United.




Ajax pro Shooz Mekuto said he hoped Harpur would take the team to new heights.

"With Sean Roberts out for possibly the rest of the season we thought that Chad Harpur who played for two different teams in the league would be able to fill the void and also take us to the next level," he said.

The 22-year-old French striker's addition to the side could be the boost they need up front and Mekuto has given Carbonnier his full backing.

"He is a striker by trade, he looked very promising. He has been with us for the last month doing trials and I think the club has made the right decision," he said.

Phil Hill: First American F1 Champion has died

Quoted and edited from Autosport.com:

"Motor racing legend and the only American-born Formula One world champion Phil Hill has died tonight in a California hospital due to complications from Parkinson's disease. He was 81 years old.

Phil Hill won the world championship driving for Ferrari in 1961, becoming the first American to do so, later to be followed only by Mario Andretti. But Hill remains to date the only native-born American to win the title."

Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo paid tribute to 1961 world champion Phil Hill saying he will miss the American's passion and love for the Italian marque. In a statement issued shortly after news broke of Hill's passing, di Montezemolo said: "I, as well as all employees of Ferrari, am extremely saddened by the news of the passing of Phil Hill, a man and a champion who gave so much to Ferrari and who has always greatly represented the company's values inside and outside the ! racing track."

http://www.philhill.com/

Rest in Peace.

Liverpool FC Owners Tom Hicks And George Gillett Looking For Outside Investors

Liverpool owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett have confirmed they are looking for investment in the club.

Following the appearance of Saudi Prince Faisal bin Fahd bin Abdullah al-Saud in the stands with the Americans at the weekend; the pair released a statement confirming they had retained Bank of America Merrill Lynch and Rothschild to evaluate the possibility of an outside injection of equity into the club.

It added: "However the process is at an early stage, there is no agreement with any party."

Sports investment fi! rm F6, chaired by the prince, had previously claimed an exclusivity deal with Gillett, and that he was in talks to buy his 50% stake.

Hicks is looking to raise £100m from investors in return for a 25% stake in a bid to turn around the club's debt.

Daniel Agger On German Radar As Borussia Moenchengladbach Weigh Up Loan Move For Liverpool Defender

Borussia Moenchengladbach are lining up a cheeky bid to take Liverpool defender Daniel Agger on loan.

The Bundesliga side's sporting director Max Eberl confirmed he had sent scouts to watch Denmark beat Sweden 1-0 on Saturday, but refused to confirm they were looking at the centre half.

Agger, who has been dogged by a back injury, played 90 minutes for the Danes, impressing against Barcelona star Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

But he has yet to play for Liverpool so far this season and the Germans are prepared to pay half his wages to take him on loan and nurture him back to! full fitness over the second half of the season, reports German newspaper Bild.

But Liverpool are themselves counting on the 24-year-old's return after an unconvincing start to the season that has seen them leak 12 goals in eight Premier League matches.

Mourinho Laughs Off Reds Link

Jose Mourinho has rubbished speculation suggesting he could replace Rafa Benitez at Liverpool.

Benitez has come under pressure following a dismal run of four straight defeats in all competitions that has hit their hopes of domestic and European success.

The Reds boss has insisted he feels safe in his job despite the poor results after receiving words of support from co-owner George Gillett.

There has still been plenty of conjecture about Benitez's future and several names have been mentioned in the media in connection with the club.

Inter Milan manager ! Jose Mourinho was quizzed on the subject during his pre-match press conference ahead of the Serie A clash with Catania.

But he closed the door on a possible return to the Premier League at the current time, saying simply: "It is impossible."

Mourinho preferred to focus on Inter but opted against heaping too much praise on young forward Mario Balotelli.

The 19-year-old produced a sensational performance in the 5-0 victory over Genoa last Saturday, scoring one of the goals, but Mourinho has not been too impressed with his attitude in recent days.

"This doesn't mean he's already a phenomenon only because he played a really good match with Genoa," said Mourinho.

"To tell the truth he played a really great game and then he had a really bad working week.

"I value a player for what he does on the pitch but also for the job he does during the week."

Aaliyah Haughton Sexy Teen Singer

Aaliyah Haughton sexy teen singer. This photos was taken from her gallery exclusive photo.

Carmichael sweeps Canada

From Clear Channel Entertainment
With files from Richmond Racing

VANCOUVER, BC -- Ricky Carmichael of Havana, FL took home his second THQ World Supercross GP win at B.C. Place Stadium on his Suzuki Saturday. Nathan Ramsey, who won last week's 125cc main event, earned another win.

Honda's Kyle Lewis grabbed the holeshot with Carmichael in third place on the opening lap. At the start of lap 2, Carmichael moved into the lead and rode to his second consecutive victory. Honda rider Nick Wey made his first podium of the season with a second place finish. Damon Huffman rode his Honda to third place, his first podium of the season.

"We've got one goal and that's to be supercross champion, and we have a long road ahead of us," said Carmichael. "I haven't felt this good in a long time. Canada has been really great, and hopefully we can come back."

Ramsey charged his KTM motorcycle into the lead on lap 3 after a mid-pack start.

Arenacross champion Darcy Lange was not able to finish the race despite a good effort and winning his heat race. Lange dropped to last in the feature field after stalling his bike early on, but had charged back to seventh before a crash in the whoops ended his night.

Kawasaki's Jeff Northrop won the holeshot.

"I've never felt this good going into the series," said Ramsey. "These last two races helped me out a lot."

250 cc Results
1. Ricky Carmichael, Suzuki; 2. Nick Wey, Honda; 3. Damon Huffman, Honda; 4. Mike LaRocco, Honda; 5. Heath Voss, Yamaha; 6. Jason Thomas, Honda; 7. Tyler Evans, Suzuki; 8. Kyle Lewis, Honda; 9. Josh Hansen, KTM; 10. Erick Vallejo, Yamaha

250cc Standings
1. Ricky Carmichael, Suzuki, 50; 2. Nick Wey, Honda, 40; 3. Mike LaRocco, Honda, 40; 4. Damon Huffman, Honda, 32; 5. Heath Voss, Yamaha, 32; 6. Tyler Evans, Suzuki, 29; 7. Jason Thomas, Honda, 28; 8. Tim Ferry, Yamaha, 24; 9. Erick Vallejo, Yamaha, 21; 10. Kyle Lewis, Honda, 20

125cc Results
1. Nathan Ramsey, KTM; 2. Jeff Northrop, Kawasaki; 3. Brad Hagseth, Honda; 4. Evan Laughridge, Kawasaki; 5. Ryan Lockhart, Yamaha; 6. Kyle Beaton, Yamaha; 7. G. Crater, Honda; 8. R. Sullivan, Honda; 9. D. Ewing, Honda; 10. Pierce Chamberlain, Yamaha

Inside Motorcycles // www.insidemotorcycles.com

SUPERSHOW welcomes all

From the North American International Motorcycle SUPERSHOW

TORONTO, ON – When Danica Patrick began to make a name in IndyCar racing, she proved that women also love fast toys. More and more women are joining the world of motorcycle enthusiasts and are being welcomed whole-heartedly, because any motorcyclist can tell you that once you move from passenger to rider, there is no turning back.

To see the best the motorcycle industry has to offer for men and women, North America's largest motorcycle show is the place to be. Set for Jan. 6-8, the 2006 edition of the North American International Motorcycle SUPERSHOW is celebrating 30th years of "Everything to do With Motorcycling".

When Speed Channel asked Michele Smith to host the popular American Thunder, no one knew what a true motorcycle enthusiast she would become. Loving every minute she is in the industry and all the great bikes that she gets to test! , Michele has been quoted as saying "just hearing the sound of a motorcycle gets me going, it's really a rush!" Michele can be seen all three days of the SUPERSHOW.

Humber College's motorcycle rider training program has added a new feature to their Rider Academy at the SUPERSHOW called "She Rides – Resources for Lady Riders." These free seminars are educational and a not-to-miss for all new female motorcycle enthusiasts.

Also designed to educate new female riders, WIMA (Women's International Motorcycle Association) will run demonstrations throughout the weekend on topics geared specifically to women such as "How to Pick up Your Fallen Bike."

Exclusive to SUPERSHOW 2006, a new Airbrush Body Painting feature, "The Human Canvas," will present airbrush artist De Anne Lamirande. From her booth, Airways Airbrushing, De Anne will paint onto live female and male models as show attendees watch her artistry come to life on living, breathing canvases. ! Themes include motorcycle riding gear, animal art and exhibito! r corpor ate identity themes.

De Anne is one of the few female airbrush artists in a field dominated by men. Look for her finished works of art on display and walking around the Show.

Inside Motorcycles // www.insidemotorcycles.com

Xavier Mens Basketball Recruiting Update: Adreian Payne, J.D. Weatherspoon and Darwin Davis

Adreian Payne, a Top 20 recruit and 4th best center according to scout.com for the Class of 2010 has kept Xavier at the top of his list despite Sean Miller leaving the program for Arizona. In a recent interview Payne said the reason for having Xavier at the top of his list is the location as he currently plays in Dayton, Ohio and would like to be close to home. Other teams Payne is interested in include Dayton, Cincinnati, West Virginia, Florida, Kentucky and Ohio State.

Like Kevin Parrom, J.D. Weatherspoon, a 6'6 forward out of Columbus, Ohio, was another player who opted out of his commitment upon hearing the Miller news. Although Xavier remains at the top of his list Ohio State has started to check out the 3-star recruit.

Darwin Davis, a 5'10 sophomore point guard out of Indianapolis, recently received a scholarship offer from Xavier. Davis has also received offers from New Mexico and Ohio University and has also received interest from Tennessee! , Indiana, Butler, Dayton, Virginia and Ohio State. Davis averaged 13.2 points per game during his sophomore season, helping lead his team to a perfect 26-0 record and the state championship.

Andre Smith out with Fractured Foot

I am sure that by now most of you have heard the news that first round selection Andre Smith has fractured his foot in a non contact drill in practice today. Only two days after signing his contract, which ended a 30 plus day holdout, Smith will be on the sideline for an unknown amount of time. Smith will not need surgery on the foot which will speed up the recovery process but for a player who is already very far behind from missing camp this will not help his chances. I think this will prove to us that Smith will not be ready to contribute at all this season.

The Good Sun

-Keefe

First off I have to say that I've been completely swept up in the Nellie ball, "We Believe" Bay Area hysteria that has surrounded the playoff run by the Warriors. They might be the most exciting team to watch to right now. For the record, I am a Celtics fan, but also an NBA fan. So when I realized the Celts wouldn't be making a playoff push, (this happened early in the season as you could imagine) I had to find another team(s) to follow to get me through the season. I still watched nearly every Celtics game all season long… long season long, but it was other players and teams that kept me loving NBA basketball. I guess this has happened more often than not in the past years cheering for Pierce and the C's. Between Gilbert Arenas and the Phoenix Suns, I was able to find a reason to follow the year in the NBA. The Warriors are dominating much of the talk after their first round upset over the Mavs, but let's not forget about the Suns.

Ever since St! eve Nash rejoined the Suns in '04-'05 I have made a point to watch their games. It's hard not to love the way they play, pushing the pace, "7 seconds or less." I don't consider myself a bandwagon jumper, because first off they play in the West, and I think it's ok to cheer for a team in both conferences, second: they've never won the title, not like I'm cheering for the Kobe/ Shaq's Lakers or Jordan's Bulls. Also if the Celtics ever played the Suns in the playoffs, (doesn't even feel like a remote possibility for the near future) there wouldn't be a question in my mind I'd be cheering hard for the Celtics.

It's favorite players and style of play that attracts you to teams other than those in your hometown. I love watching Chad Johnson, Gilbert Arenas, and Ken Griffey Jr., but none of them have played for New England or Boston. But when you combine the style of play with great and likeable stars you have something special. The Suns have that with Steve Nash, Shawn! Marion, and Amare Stoudemire. Even players like Barbosa and R! aja Bell offer certain skills that make watching them a must.

So after the Suns and Warriors both emerged from the first round of the Western Conference playoffs, the thought of them playing each other, in a 7 game series, made me as excited as Lattimer when he found out he'd be on the starting defense in The Program. The only things standing in the way of this dream match up are the Jazz and the Spurs. (Just think of all the showings of Barkley's 56 point game against Mullin, Spree, and C-Webb from the '94 playoffs leading up to this series). And let's be honest here, after Game 1 of both series, it was a long shot for the two most exciting teams in the league to face each other in the Western Finals. But I have faith in both of them. The Warriors could have and probably should have beaten the Jazz in Game 1. It was a great and close game, that the Jazz eeked out. That wouldn't have happened in Oakland, that's for sure. Baron Davis (one of many, extremely likeab! le/ must watch players on Golden State, you got to put Stephen Jackson, Jason Richardson, and even Matt Barnes on this list) will bounce back, and if they take Game 2, which is on in less than an hour, I can't see Utah winning a game in California.

It looks as though the Suns will have a much tougher time keeping up their end of the deal. They clearly don't match up well against San Antonio. Duncan has looked unguardable so far (33-16 in Game 1, 29-11 in Game 2.) I mean… come on. But I certainly wouldn't give the series to the Spurs just yet. Game 1 may have ended differently if Nash didn't get cut open like a dead body on CSI, and Game 2 was an impressive 20 point home victory. A lot of writers have harped on the importance of Kurt Thomas for this series (12 pts, 4 rebs in Game 2), because he is the best candidate to guard Duncan. I understand that of course, but the obvious difference between the first two games wasn't Duncan's performance, (both were ! dominant), but from the Spurs' second best player, Tony Parker! . And ma ybe I've become a bit of a Shawn Marion apologist, I agree he doesn't receive enough attention, and I think he's a top 15 player in the league, but you can not argue with his impact guarding Parker in Game 2. In Game 1 Parker shot 14-22 from the field for 32 pts and dropped 8 assists. In Game 2, not always guarded by Marion, but shot just 5-14, was 3-6 at the line and had only 13 pts and 3 assists. Ginobili also has not been effective, thanks to Bell.

Bottom line is the league's best offense will win this series because of their defense. Talk all you want about Kurt Thomas's impact, but Duncan can get his stats and the Suns can still win. If Parker and Ginobili play like All-Stars, Phoenix is in a lot of trouble. Nash and Amare have been the only consistent threats on offense so far, Marion won't have 5 points (like he did in Game 2) again this series, and I expect more from the 6th man of the year as well.

Ok the Warriors will be on shortly, trying to ! tie up the series with Utah. With each win by Golden State and Phoenix we are closer and closer to what could be the best NBA playoff match up in a long long time. A series that could make be forget that the most important future dates for my team are the Lottery (May 22) and the NBA Draft (June 28).

-Rich Keefe

Heisman Update (Week 2)

Week 2, how did they do?

Matthew Stafford, QB, Georgia, 2-0
18-28, 213 yards, 2 TDs in 56-17 win over Central Michigan
Total: 31-49, 488 yards, 4 TDs

Jeremy Maclin, WR, Missouri, 2-0
65 total yards, TD in 52-3 win over SE Missouri State
Total: 299 total yards, 2 TDs

Beanie Wells, RB, Ohio State, 2-0
DNP
Total: 13 rush, 111 yards, TD

Pat White, QB, West Virginia, 1-1
11-18, 72 yards, 20 rush, 97 yards in 24-3 loss to East Carolina
Total: 280 pass yards, 5 TDs, 160 rush yards

Knowshon Moreno, RB, Georiga, 2-0
18 rush, 168 yards, 3 TD, 3 rec., 30 yards in 56-17 win over Central Michigan
Total: 26 rush, 227 yards, 8.7 avg., 6 TDs, 5 rec., 83 yards

Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech, 2-0
7 receptions, 158 yards, TD, in 35-19 win over Nevada
Total: 16 rec., 2! 31 yards, 2 TDs

Tim Tebow, QB, Florida, 2-0
21-35, 256 yards, 2 TDs, 13 rush, 55 yards
Total: 393 pass yards, 3 TDs, 92 rush yards

Graham Harrell, QB, Texas Tech, 2-0
19-46, 297 yards, TD, 2 INTs in 35-19 win over Nevada
Total: 833 pass yards, 3 TDs, 3 INTs, rush TD

Where did they come from?

With the NBA Draft now just a few weeks away, I wanted to take a closer look at where these guys are coming from. It shows where the best NBA players were before getting drafted. Obviously now you can't jump from high school to the pros (that list is far and away the best), but check out the best 12 man rosters from the 6 major conferences, a mid-major squad, high school, and foreign. I would ask which team would win, but it's clearly the high school team. Some conferences, on the other hand, barely put out 12 quality players. Will these trends continue this year?

Results are below: (I based it off of what conference the schools are in now, maybe not when these players were there, example; Marquette in Big East not Conf. USA, etc.)

ACC

Chris Paul, Wake Forest

Vince Carter, North Carolina

Antawn Jamison, North Carolina

Tim Duncan, Wake Forest

Chris Bosh, Georgia Tech

Carlos Boozer, Duke

Al Thornton, Florida State

John Salmons, Miami!

Grant Hill, Duke

Mike Dunleavy, Duke

Raymond Felton, North Carolina

Rasheed Wallace, North Carolina

Note: Good mix of veterans and young players. I'd put the ACC agai! nst any other conference, no surprise.

Big 10

Deron Williams, Illinois

Jason Richardson, Michigan State

Michael Redd, Ohio State

Zac! h Randolph, Michigan! State

Joel Przybilla, Minnesota

Devin Harris, Wisconsin

Brad Miller, Purdue

Jamal Crawford, Michigan

Eric Gordon, ! Indiana

Greg Oden, Ohio State

Mike Conley, Ohio State

Carl Landry, Purdue

Note: Not that impressive. Deron Williams, Michael Redd, and Devis Harris far and away the best players here. Randolph can fill up a box score, but he may tare the All- Big 10 team apart.

Big 12

Chauncey Billups, Colorado

Paul Pierce, Kansas

Kevin Durant, Texas

Michael Beasley, Kansas State

LaMarcus Aldridge, Texas

Mario Chalmers, Kansas

T.J. Ford, Texas

D.J. Augustin, Texas

Kirk Hinrich, Kansas

Nick Collison, Kansas!

Antoine Wright, Texas A&M

Linas Kleiza, Missouri

Note: Very solid starting 5, but then the talent completely falls off. A lot of young guys on there, might as well put Blake Griffin on the list too.

Big East!

Allen Iverson, Georgetown

Dwyane Wade, Marquette

Carmelo Anthony, Syracuse

Caron Butler, UConn

Emeka Okafor, UConn

Ron Artest, St. John's

Ben Gordon, UConn

Rudy Gay, UConn

Richard Hamilton, UConn

Ray Allen, UConn

Troy Murphy, Notre Dame

Kyle Lowry, Villanova

Note: Not as good as I expected. Plus I gave them a gift in D-Wade who actually played in Confe! rence USA, Marquette joined the Big East in 2005, 2 years post Wade. Their 2 best players (Wade and Carmelo) played a combined 1 year in the Big East... I'm still going to count it. (Side note: a team like Pitt makes the Big East look good in college, but does not pump out pros like UConn. Will DeJuan Blair and Sam Young be different?)

Pac-10

Jason Kidd, California

Gilbert Arenas, Arizona

Brandon Roy, Washington

Richard Jefferson, Arizona

Brook Lopez, Stanford

Jason Terry, Arizona

Mike Bibby, Arizona

Andre Iguodala, Arizona

O.J. Mayo, USC

Kevin Love, UCLA

Aaron Brooks, Oregon

Baron Davis, UCLA

Note: Anyone need a point guard? If this team was coached by Don Nelson or Mike D'Antoni they'd be a lot of fun to watch. Zona keeps turning out the pros. And Arizona States James Harden could crack this tough list before long.

SEC

!

Rajon Rondo, Kentucky

Joe Johnson, Arkansas

Gerald Wallace, Alabama

David Lee, Florida

Shaquille O'Neal, LSU

! Mike Miller, Florida

Mo Williams, Alabama

Al Horford, Florida

Tyrus Thomas, LSU

Udonis Haslem, Florida

Tayshaun Prince, Kentucky

Ronnie Brewer, Arkansas

Note: A conference that really struggled last year, really much more of a football conference then hoops. I left Jo Noah off, he could be there. Coach Cal will help the SEC's NBA Alumni in the near future. He could have 4 lottery picks in 2010, if Jodie Meeks comes back, Patrick Patterson, John Wall, and DeMarcus Cousins. Look out!

Mid-Major

Steve Nash, Santa Clara

Danny Granger, New Mexico

Lamar Odom, Rhode Island

David West, Xavier

Marcus Camby, UMass

Derrick Rose, Memphis

Shawn Marion, UNLV

! A ndre Miller, Utah

Paul Millsap, Louisiana Tech

Kevin Martin, Western Carolina

Rafer Alston, Fresno State

Andrew Bogut, Utah

Note: No Adam Morrison? Way more schools to choose from, but of the smaller variety. Pretty good group here that includes a lot of big men.

High School

Kobe Bryant

Tracy McGrady

LeBron James

Kevin Garnett

Dwight Howard

Amare Stoudemire

Al Jefferson

Josh Smith

Rashard Lewis

J.R. Smith

Al Harrington

Monta! Ellis

Note: Some of the high school point guards, (Sebastian Telfair and Shaun Livingston) have not panned out, so I'll throw out a bigger lineup with Kobe and T-Mac handling the ball. Just an insane team. Why 18 year old's can fight wars for America but not play in the NBA is beyond me, but not the point of this article.

International

Tony Parker, France

Manu Ginobili, Argentina

Dirk Nowitzki, Germany

Pau Gasol, Spain

Yao Ming, China

Mehmet Okur, Turkey

Hedo Turkoglu, Turkey

Nene, Brazil

Rudy Fernandez, Spain

Boris Diaw, France

Andrei Kirilenko, Russia

Jose Calderon, Spain

Note: The best from around the world should make up a good 12 man roster, and they do. If the NBA ever went to a USA vs. the World All-Star game gimmick like the NHL did (North America vs. the World), then this is what you'd be looking at. Really only half or so of those guys would be deserving, making it even more important they never use that idea. Don't think they would borrow ideas from the NHL anyway.

If I forgot anyone, and I'm sure I did, feel free to leave a comment.

-Keefe

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has granted Chelsea's request to suspend their transfer ban.

Fifa ruled against Chelsea in August when they deemed that the English club had induced teenager Gael Kakuta to break his contract with Lens.
As punishment for this, the world's governing body imposed a transfer ban on Chelsea and stated they could not register new players for two transfer windows.
This meant Chelsea would not be able to sign a new player until 2011. However the Blues have successfully lobbied CAS that their ban should be suspended until their full appeal against Fifa's decision is heard by the Swiss-based court.
This now means that Chelsea will be in a position to buy players in January, if they wish.
CAS also ruled that Gael Kakuta - who was banned from playing for four months - has also had his suspension 'stayed' making him available for selection.
The CAS statement read: "The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has granted the request for a stay filed by Chelsea Football Club Ltd and Mr Gaël Kakuta in relation to the decision taken by the Fifa Dispute Resolution Chamber on 27 August 2009.
"The Fifa Dispute Resolution Chamber imposed, inter alia, a restriction of four months' ineligibility on Mr Gael Kakuta, and Chelsea Football Club Ltd was banned from registering any new players, either nationally or internationally, for the next two complete, consecutive registration periods.
"Such sanctions are now stayed until the CAS renders its final decision in this matter."
As of yet, Chelsea are yet to receive a date from CAS for their appeal - although this is not now expected until after January.

Top Ten - Utd v Chelsea

Chris Burton takes a look at some of the most entertaining meetings between Man Utd and Chelsea from the Premier League era

The race for the 2009/10 Premier League title looks set to be one of the most intriguing in recent memory, with a number of clubs harbouring realistic ambitions of taking the crown.
The smart money, though, would appear to be on either Manchester United or Chelsea continuing their recent dominance of English football's top prize.
Between them, the Red Devils and the Blues have ended the season in pole position in each of the last five seasons.
Chelsea enjoyed back-to-back triumphs under the guidance of Jose Mourinho, while United have now taken the prize three years on the bounce.
With that in mind, this season's sprint to the finish could be decided by results when these two heavyweights go head-to-head.
Forget David Haye against Nikolai Valuev in Nuremberg, the sporting world will be setting their sights on Stamford Bridge this weekend when United roll into the capital.
The Community Shield back in August whet the appetite for what is come, as Chelsea took the first piece of silverware of the season with a penalty shootout success after 120 minutes of action saw the two sides locked together at two apiece.
There promises to be more of the same in West London on Sunday, with precious points up for grabs and neither team wanting to surrender an inch to their arch enemies.
History also dictates that the Sky Sports cameras could be set to capture a titanic tussle between two old foes, with United and Chelsea having produced more than their fair share of memorable encounters during the Premier League era.
Here skysports.com takes a trip down memory lane and looks at some of those fixtures which have captured the imagination.
Chelsea 3 Manchester United 0 - 2006
Chelsea last took the Premier League crown back in 2006, crossing the line in style with a comprehensive victory over their closest challengers. Their 3-0 victory on home soil is perhaps more notable for a broken metatarsal suffered by Wayne Rooney, which threatened to keep him out of the impending World Cup finals, but the manner in which the Blues ruthlessly disposed of United served to underline their domestic dominance at the time. Mourinho's men took just five minutes to break the deadlock, as William Gallas notched a rare goal, and the only surprise there after was how long it took them to build on that lead. In the end a spectacular effort from Joe Cole helped to etch their name on the top-flight trophy, while a typically buccaneering burst and finish from Ricardo Carvalho with 17 minutes remaining put the seal on a memorable stroll in the summer sunshine.
Manchester United 1 Chelsea 3 - 2005
There have not been too many occasions down the years when Manchester United have had to form a guard of honour for the visitors to Old Trafford, but that is precisely what was expected of them when championship-winning Chelsea strolled into the Theatre of Dreams at the end of the 2004/05 season. With the title already wrapped up, the sight of Sir Alex Ferguson's troops welcoming his side to the field will have warmed the cockles of Mourinho. A slow start to the game will have quickly wiped that smile from his face, though, as Ruud van Nistelrooy found the target just seven minutes in. The Blues proved just why they were the finest side in the Premier League that season, though, as they responded in style. Tiago restored parity just 10 minutes after United had edged in front and Eidur Gudjohnsen handed them the lead on 61 minutes. Joe Cole put the seal on a comprehensive success eight minutes from time, securing an impressive success for the Blues behind enemy lines.
Chelsea 2 Manchester United 2 - 2002
When Chelsea and United go head-to-head there tends to be goals aplenty, with only three goalless draws played out during their league meetings over the past 17 years. There have only been five occasions in all competitions during that time in which they have failed to trouble the scorers, over the course of 48 fixtures. One of those which did catch the eye came early on in the 2002/03 campaign, with a four-goal thriller on show at the Bridge. A topsy-turvy encounter ebbed and flowed from one end to the other, with it apparent from the off that defences were in for a difficult evening. Once again it was Gallas who struck first, with only three minutes on the clock. David Beckham hauled the Red Devils level midway through the first half, but Boudewijn Zenden restored the Blues' advantage on the stroke of half-time. United were not to be denied, though, and stole a second equaliser shortly after the hour mark through the ever-reliable Ryan Giggs.
Manchester United 3 Chelsea 3 - 2000
Another early meeting between these old adversaries occurred in September 2000, with both sides seemingly struggling to come to terms with the art of defence. In fairness the attacking talent on display that day was a sight to behold, with the big guns firing on all cylinders at Old Trafford. Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink set the tone for what was to follow, with an absolute thunderbolt after eight minutes threatening to remove the net from its hinges. If the Blues thought they were set for a comfortable afternoon they had another thing coming, though, as United hit back in clinical fashion. In times of crisis it is imperative that star men shine, and Paul Scholes, Teddy Sheringham and Beckham - England internationals one and all - had the Red Devils 3-1 up at the break. Chelsea needed something special if they were to avoid leaving empty-handed and Norwegian hit-man Tore Andre Flo came to their rescue as he bagged a second-half brace to claim a share of the spoils.
Manchester United 3 Chelsea 2 - 2000
The appetiser for the autumn thriller at Old Trafford had been dished out just five months previous, as United and Chelsea conjured up five goals between them towards the end of the 1999/00 campaign. The Red Devils ran out as convincing champions that season, blitzing all before them. They were pushed all the way by the Blues during a classic match-up on home soil, but displayed commendable resolve to come out on top. Dwight Yorke got the goal-fest up and running after 10 minutes, but Dan Petrescu and Gianfranco Zola soon silenced the vast majority of those in attendance. United fans need not have feared, as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer levelled just three minutes after Zola had turned the tie on its head. Chelsea then saw two points slip through their grasp in the second half as the Red Devils upped the tempo and Yorke plundered a 69th-minute winner.
Chelsea 5 Manchester United 0 - 1999
Manchester United travelled to Stamford Bridge in October 1999 with their Treble-winning heroics still fresh in the mind. As the holders of the Premier League, FA Cup and UEFA Champions League crowns, they were once again the team to beat in England. As previously mentioned they would go on to retain their domestic title, but they were given an early wake-up call at Stamford Bridge in October as they slipped to a crushing defeat. Often just scoring one against the Red Devils is regarded as quite an achievement, so to score five without reply left Chelsea supporters in dreamland. Gustavo Poyet took less than 60 seconds to breach the United defence, while a second from Chris Sutton after 16 minutes had Sir Alex Ferguson's men on the ropes. Dazed and confused, another effort from Poyet, an own goal from Henning Berg and a late strike from Jody Morris completed a miserable day for the visitors and had the Blues believing their time had finally come - it hadn't.
Chelsea 3 Manchester 5 - 1998
Chelsea's five-star showing against United in 1999 will have helped to erase some of the painful memories still lingering in the back of their mind following a disastrous showing in the FA Cup against the same opponents in January 1998. The Blues looked to be heading towards a painful spanking in front of their own supporters until a late charge some them claw back an ounce of dignity. United, in full flight during what would become an historic season for the club, controlled proceedings from the off and gave a masterclass in attacking football. A brace apiece from Beckham and Andy Cole had United well in control, while Sheringham also got in on the act to hand Ferguson's men a 5-0 lead with 15 minutes remaining. Graeme Le Saux pulled one back for the Blues on 78 minutes and two quickfire strikes from Gianluca Vialli helped to restore some respectability to the final scoreline, but Ruud Gullitt's side still crashed out of the cup at the first hurdle.
Manchester United 2 Chelsea 2 - 1997
Anyone who thinks Manchester United's ability to snatch something from nothing late on is a skill they have only recently mastered needs to think again. The Red Devils have made a habit of bailing themselves out of trouble in the dying moments of games, and have been doing so for longer than most people care to remember. Solskjaer's heroics in the 1999 Champions League final may have confirmed his super-sub status, but any avid follower of United will tell you that was not the first time the baby-faced assassin had rescued the club from the jaws of despair. In fact, the Norwegian striker reduced Chelsea to their knees in September 1997 when he snatched a dramatic point for United at Old Trafford. A Henning Berg own goal - another one - and an effort from former Red Devils favourite Mark Hughes had sandwiched an equaliser from Scholes. The Blues appeared destined to claim maximum points, but Solskjaer broke their hearts four minutes from time when he put the seal on a memorable 2-2 draw.
Chelsea 1 Manchester 4 - 1995
Another glut of goals at Stamford Bridge in October 1995, with the customary early strike and big-name scorers making an appearance. Clashes of this sort often flatter to deceive, with two evenly-matched sides prone to cancelling each other out. That trend appears to be bucked though whenever United and Chelsea go toe-to-toe, with five-goal thrillers the order of the day. On this occasion United burst out of the blocks in customary style and never looked back. Scholes did the damage inside the opening 10 minutes, helping to further his blossoming reputation with a deadly double. Mark Hughes offered Chelsea hope when he handed the Blues a route back into the game 12 minutes from time, but they were unable to build on that platform. Further efforts from Giggs and Brian McClair saw United comfortably home, helping to pave the way for Ferguson's men to reclaim the top-flight crown they had surrendered to Blackburn in May.
Chelsea 2 Manchester United 3 - 1994
Manchester United had soundly beaten Chelsea 4-0 in the 1994 FA Cup final and piled further misery on the Blues in December of the same year when they edged out a nail-biter at the Bridge. Chelsea, although not title contenders at this time, had claimed a memorable double over the Red Devils in the previous campaign, but saw any hopes they had of repeating that feat go up in smoke on Boxing Day. Eddie Newton and John Spencer were on target for the hosts, but their efforts were ultimately in vain. Eric Cantona, Hughes and McClair bagged for United, seeing them to a morale-boosting success. Chelsea were therefore left to contemplate what might have been as they munched their way through leftover Turkey sandwiches - probably.

Aldo: Rafa's the man

Despite Liverpool's desperate start to the season John Aldridge still believes manager Rafa Benitez is the right man for the job.
The Reds' hopes of qualifying for the knockout stages of the Champions League are now out of their hands following Lyon's late leveller on Wednesday night. They now have to hope Lyon do them a favour and come away from Florence with at least a point.
Having already suffered eight defeats this campaign the knives are out for Benitez. However, Liverpool legend Aldridge still supports the Spaniard, and insists that a change of manager would destabilise the club even further.
Speaking to Sky Sports News, Aldridge stated that the fans are still behind Benitez. "Liverpool fans aren't as fickle as most," he said. "They don't press the panic button. There's enough uncertainty around the club with the owner, the debt and the new stadium. The last thing you need is to be going out looking for a new manager.
"Rafa Benitez hasn't turned into a bad manager overnight. The pressure is on, but I'm fairly confident that when they get the likes of Steven Gerrard back after the international break, they have a squad good enough to go on a good run and move into the top four, and hopefully get six points in the Champions League and progress."
Lopez late show
Liverpool only came away with a point from their trip to France, despite dominating proceedings. Substitute Ryan Babel's long range stunner looked to have secured a vital victory for the visitors, only for Lisandro Lopez to strike seconds from the final whistle.
"It went to plan brilliantly until the 90th minute," said Aldridge, who scored 63 goals for the club. "They played well, defended well, there was no real threat apart from when they scored. To drop their guard and concede so soon after scoring was very disappointing.
"The door was open for Liverpool to progress and then all of a sudden it was slammed in their face. It was strange the way it happened. Fernando Torres goes off, which takes away a bit of attacking threat. That gives Cris the licence to go forward and all of a sudden you've a different threat; he's very good in the air.
"Kyrgiakos got a little too close, Cris got a flick on and it was a tremendous finish. Liverpool just got caught out. That can happen because the lads put a lot of effort into it. A lack of concentration just caught them out. You have to give Lyon credit for that."
Hope
Liverpool now need to win their final two group games, starting at home to Debrecen, and hope that Lyon can get a result away to Fiorentina. It's a big ask, but it's a situation they're familiar with in this competition.
"It happened in 2005 and 2007; is a hat trick asking too much?" asked Aldridge. "Law of averages says you can't keep going to the well. Lyon will go to Fiorentina looking to win the group, as it gives them a favourable draw in the knockout stages. If they can do so it's in Liverpool's own hands.
"They should been Debrecen as they're the whipping boys, which would leave them needing to beat Fiorentina by more than two goals. They'd settle for that at the moment."

Fantasy preview

Another weekend of Premier League action looms large and Fantasy Football enthusiasts will be studying the fixture list to identify who might be the best transfer options.
High-flying Aston Villa will fancy their chances of a home victory against a Bolton side still reeling from back-to-back defeats by Chelsea, while Arsenal also start as firm favourites for their away clash with promoted Wolves.
Hull City will hope the appointment of Adam Pearson as chairman has a galvanising effect on the players for their KC Stadium encounter against a Stoke team that has become increasingly difficult to beat on their travels.
Everton and Fulham are both on the road following midweek Europa League games as they visit West Ham and Wigan respectively, but there can be no doubts about which is the biggest game of the weekend.
The top two do battle at Stamford Bridge as Chelsea and Manchester United return to domestic action after high-scoring draws in the UEFA Champions League, and we should be in for another exciting contest.
The likes of Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard, Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov can almost be guaranteed upon to provide plenty of points in Fantasy Football over the course of a campaign but selecting such stars does not leave much room to manoeuvre in terms of budget.
Trio of tips
It is therefore important to look out for bargain buys to complement the heavy scorers and, with this in mind, skysports.com's latest trio of transfer tips are cheaper alternatives who can still do a job, namely Craig Bellamy, Kevin-Prince Boateng and Benoit Assou-Ekotto.
Bellamy (£6.0m) has been one of the players of the season so far and has established himself as an integral member of the Manchester City side when perhaps some thought his place could be under threat.
The Welshman has scored a number of crucial goals already and set up several more for his team-mates, while he is such a willing runner that it is difficult not to consider him when it comes to adjudicating Man of the Match awards.
Man City will be determined to return to winning ways after a run of draws when they entertain a Burnley side that has still not picked up a point away from home and has been on the receiving end of several drubbings.
Boateng may seem a bit of a long shot but he is good value at £3.4million and playing regularly at Portsmouth following his summer move from Tottenham.
Pompey have suddenly found their form in front of goal and the creativity of midfielder Boateng might help them to build more momentum with a good result at struggling Blackburn this Saturday.
Assou-Ekotto (£3.9m) is one of Tottenham's unsung heroes at left-back and has consistently impressed this season with his dynamism and ability to get forward.
Spurs' defensive unit has looked vulnerable so it is a gamble to include any member of their backline at this stage but the loss to North London rivals Arsenal last weekend could end up being a turning point.
Harry Redknapp will have demanded an improved performance against Sunderland and they are probably due a clean sheet after just one in 11 games to date.
Bans and injuries
Last weekend saw a staggering nine red cards in the Premier League and seven remain banned for the latest round of fixtures after Villa's Carlos Cuellar and Radoslav Kovac of West Ham served their suspensions in the midweek match between the sides.
Jlloyd Samuel (Bolton), Diniyar Bilyaletdinov (Everton), Geovanni (Hull) and Kenwyne Jones (Sunderland) are all missing for their sides, while Liverpool duo Philipp Degen and Jamie Carragher sit out Monday's match against Birmingham, who are missing Barry Ferguson.
Gael Clichy is set to be sidelined for a month after suffering a suspected stress fracture of the back and his Arsenal team-mate Nicklas Bendtner will be out for a similar period due to a groin strain.
Tottenham's Sebastien Bassong may take a few weeks to recover from a hamstring problem, while anyone looking forward to the return of Everton playmaker Mikel Arteta should be aware he has had a setback following knee surgery.

MLS Playoffs: Friday MLS Forecast: Conference Semifinals, Second Leg

Fortune favored the brave last night as Real Salt Lake ousted defending MLS Cup champions Columbus with a 3-2 victory (4-2 on aggregate) over the Crew in Columbus.In contrast to Columbus' conservative approach in RSL's 1-0 opening leg victory at Rio Tinto Stadium, RSL wanted to obtain possession and get numbers forward when possible at Crew Stadium. Javier Morales' excellent night sparked RSL going forward, allowing Jason Kreis' side to combine smoothly in the attacking third and create enough chances to yield surprisingly effective results. All of that endeavor wouldn't have mattered a bit without the character to respond in the face of adversity. RSL arguably had the better of the play in the first 35 minutes, yet found itself down two goals after Guillermo Barros Schelotto bounced home a free kick and sliced inside to fire home at the far post. Instead of folding up shop or dropping their heads, RSL struck back twice before the break through Morales (who capped off a stellar bit of combination work by poking home) and a Robbie Findley penalty (after Frankie Hejduk needlessly dragged Fabian Espindola to the ground) to reclaim the momentum and enter the break on level terms. Andy Williams' opportunistic second half strike from Morales' short corner provided the reward after a couple of good chances went begging and ultimately sealed the series victory.A bit of luck certainly helped RSL's cause. RSL rode through several nervous moments from Jamison Olave, a couple of legitimate penalty shouts for the home side (Olave bundling over Moreno after eight minutes and Andy Williams' apparent handball on 55 minutes) and a decent but impotent Columbus push during the second half.Then again, it's also about making your own luck at this point in the season. By stepping on the field with belief and displaying that confidence in its play, Real Salt Lake condemned Columbus to the world of wondering what could and should have been and advanced to its second consecutive conference final. On the balance of play over the two legs, RSL earned it.Real Salt Lake isn't the only entity to cast an indifferent regular season off to side to ramp up its game for the playoffs. The Forecast responded to the playoff pressure by posting an unblemished record last week. Will the Forecast's purple patch continue as the conference semifinals wind to a close?Last week: 3/3 (100%) Playoffs: 3/3 (100%)Final tally for the season: 88/195 (45%)SaturdayNew England @ Chicago – 8:30p.m. (Fox Soccer Channel) New England leads 2-1 after first legShalrie Joseph handed the Revs a narrow advantage to take back to Toyota Park. Can they make it hold up as both sides tussle for the right to host RSL next Saturday? Much will depend on the health of striker Edgaras Jankauskas (bronchitis), who trained intermittently this week but should probably be able to go. Joseph will be needed in midfield in this one to help gum up the works for Cuauhtemoc Blanco, so the Lithuanian striker needs to find a way to drag himself onto the pitch. As for the home side, the Fire certainly showed in the first leg that there will be goals for the taking, but are the cards cast against them once again? Wilman Conde (hip) hasn't trained this week, Gonzalo Segares (knee) ruled himself out before Fire coach Denis Hamlett ruled him in (maybe) and Tim Ward (foot) still looks unlikely to play. Chicago could really use at least two of those three players in the lineup to strength a defense that conceded too many free kicks in and around the penalty area last week and struggled to contain New England's speedy wingers. At least John Thorrington (athletic pubalgia) should be back to add some range and bite in central midfield. The chalk and the history (6-0-0 in home playoff games v. N.E.) says Chicago, but something – a mixture of the injuries, the lack of match fitness for the returning walking wounded and the Fire's indifferent home form during the regular season, perhaps – feels just a bit off kilter for the Fire in this one. An upset then, perhaps with the Revs grabbing a goal off a set piece.Prediction: Draw, New England to advance.SundaySeattle @ Houston – 3:00p.m. (Telefutura)0-0 after first legThe best of the first legs (at least from a neutral's perspective) ended scoreless at Qwest Field, setting the stage for an enticing second leg at a packed Robertson Stadium. The bumper crowd should give Houston an added push, but there are several causes for concern for the Dynamo. As the home team, Houston will have to grasp the initiative from the outset, but too much aggressiveness in the attacking third could leave the Dynamo susceptible to Freddie Ljungberg and Steve Zakuani heading the other way with ample room to roam. Houston also marked shoddily on its set pieces in the first leg, a flaw that may not go unpunished the second time around. Perhaps the biggest hurdle will be the mental one. New York came into Robertson Stadium and thrashed the Dynamo at this stage last season by using its pace to tear them apart on the counter. Combine those mental scars with a similarly constructed (but superior) Seattle team boasting an impressive record on the road recently and the sum total may be too much for the Dynamo to overcome. I pegged Houston to win it all prior to the season, but the road may just end for the Dynamo at this stage even with its considerable experience and the home field advantage.Prediction: Seattle win, Seattle to advance.Los Angeles @ Chivas USA – 7:30p.m. (ESPN2)2-2 after first legExpect a considerably different second leg than the error-riddled, tactically-astute first leg played out at the Home Depot Center last Sunday. That isn't to say that the things that worked last week won't work again – Chivas USA's pace over the top and Los Angeles' ability to dominate in possession and work the ball around despite the Red-and-White's pressure – but that the match should be somewhat cleaner in the second leg, In a match with more rhythm, the balance swings towards Los Angeles. Given the performance displayed in the first leg, the Galaxy should express delight at the thought of entering the second leg on level terms and with little possibility of handing in a similarly off-key performance. In order to emerge with the victory, L.A. will have to keep Sacha Kljestan (a significant factor in the first leg) in check and find ways to get David Beckham and Landon Donovan into space. A Galaxy loss at this stage would prove quite the anticlimax. Fortunately for those who favor the Hollywood ending, L.A. should have enough to exploit Chivas USA's rickety play at the back and progress onwards to the Western Conference final..Prediction: Los Angeles win, Los Angeles to advance.