Tonight will be a special night for US fans.  The USMNT will take on Jamaica at Crew Stadium, in what some are saying is a must-win World Cup qualifier.  However, today of all days we are reminded of what is really important.

Tonight, the men who will take the field to represent our country will not simply be aiming to qualify for another World Cup.  Tonight they will no doubt carry with them the remembrance of the those who fell on that fateful day 11 years ago.  Tonight will be a night to play in honor of the real heroes, those who have sacrificed and continue to sacrifice so much to preserve our way of life.

Here are just a few examples of the remembrances coming from around the US soccer world.

Let’s join them in remembering today!

Image courtesy of mlssoccer.com

Hey all!  We’ve got some USMNT for you (including high school Clint Dempsey!) and World Cup 2014 qualifier results.  It’s Monday’s DKA!

USMNT

The US Men’s National Team played their final friendly before WC qualifying starts.  This game, played in Toronto against rivals Canada, left me almost speechless.  And not in a good way.  Our own Trista Lutgring has the recap here.  Let’s just say it was less than thrilling.  In fact, I would say it barely crossed the threshold of watchable.

We’re not the only ones who felt that way.  The Best Soccer Show tried to get #betterthanUSCanada trending, and they came up with some good results.  Here are a few of my favorites:

The anthem at USA-Scotland (@bearintheburgh)

16^th century French Diplomatic theory (@Benrobles)

Whitney on NBC (@BestSoccerShow)

DEFINITELY better than US/Canada is this yearbook photo of Clint Dempsey.  It turns out he predicted his future pretty well.  Check out that smug smile, it’s as if he already knew!

MLS

More transfer rumors, this time regarding a possible move to Thailand for San Jose’s Anthony Ampaipitakwong.  The Earthquakes have confirmed that negotiations with reigning Thailand Premier League title holders Buriram United, although a deal has not yet been finalized.

World Cup 2014 Qualifying

Leo Messi et al led Argentina to the top of South America’s qualifying group, defeating Ecuador in a 4-0 romp.  Brush up on world geography Check out Sunday’s other qualifier results:

Japan 3:0 Oman

Jordan 1:1 Iraq

Iran 1:0 Uzbekistan

Qatar 1:0 Lebanon

Nigeria 1:0 Namibia

Kenya 0:0 Malawi

Benin 1:0 Mali

Togo 1:1 Libya

Niger 0:0 Gabon

Tweet to Start the Week

Ryan Bailey of Kick TV and Dirty Tackle has the most important news of all.  You will either be very pleased (like me) or inconsolable.

Either way, I hope you have a fantastic Monday!  Don’t forget to check out USOC action tomorrow night on Fox Soccer to watch a historic match between amateur team Cal FC and 3 time reigning USOC champs Seattle Sounders.  Should be a good one!

Whew, what a crazy couple of days! Eden Hazard has officially made a choice on an EPL team, there’s been a few other signings, England has an official Euro roster and hell, Liverpool might even have a manager! We’ve got the headlines in today’s Daily Kick Around.

English Premier League

Welp, Eden Hazard’s had everyone hanging around wondering what he was going to. Many have expected him to head toward Manchester United or City. But he’s snubbed them both and declared today via Twitter that he’ll head to Chelsea. Hmmm.

Man United aren’t sitting back on their heels though. Some reports from Germany are claiming the Red Devils are closing to signing Japan midfielder Shinji Kagawa.

Many have questioned the future of Arsenal striker Robin Van Persie. Rumors have swirled that he would follow in the footsteps of others like Cesc Fabregas and Nasri, and head out of Arsenal. But fans have a huge fighter in their corner. RVP’s wife Bouchra has urged her husband to repay the loyalty and faith of the club and fans and stay in London. 

So, Sky Sports reported May 12 that Swansea City manager Brendan Rodgers turned down an approach from Liverpool about filling the  position left after the Reds sacked Kenny Dalglish. However, on their twitter account this morning, Sky Sports said to watch out for more details about Rodgers being the “odds-on favorite” for the job.

La Liga

La Liga are doing their own signings too. Atletico Madrid announced on their club Web site that Porto’s  Cristian Rodriguez, who’s contract with the Portuguese side expires next month.

Mexico midfielder Andres Guardado also has a new contract in Spain. Top club Valencia announced yesterday they would sign Guardado to a four-year deal. This is a great opportunity for the young player!

Serie A

Oh dear, the match-fixing scandals in Italy are out of control it seems. Yesterday, news broke that Lazio captain Stefano Mauri was implicated in the investigation and would miss the Euros. Juventus coach Antonio Conte is also being questioned in the proceedings. Yikes!

England National Team

New Three Lions boss Roy Hodgson announced his final 23-man squad for the Euros today. Some are surprised as Liverpool’s Andy Carroll was handed the coveted No. 9 shirt.

U.S. Men’s National Team

So, Clint Dempsey didn’t get a start against Scotland as he was nursing a groin injury. However, sources  - including myself, as I was at the USMNT open practice held at the University of Maryland yesterday – confirm that Dempsey has been training with the team. But it’s pretty clear he’s not quite to full strength. And even Clint says that he’s not ready to face off with Brazil.  Kind of disappointing news for the fans here in DC. But I personally would rather have him full strength for the World Cup qualifying matches coming up.

Major League Soccer

Okay, I got to brag a little bit. The Columbus Crew’s Emilio Renteria was huge this week in team’s wins against Seattle and Chicago. This earned him a top spot in MLS’ top three performers of Week 12. Check it out here! 

Happy Memorial Day!  I hope you enjoy your day off with some sort of soccer-related activity.  Today’s DKA is a good way to start!  We have the weekend’s MLS scores as well as US Open Cup news.  Have at it!

Major League Soccer

It was another packed weekend for MLS, with several teams missing important players due to international duty.

Fortunes were reversed in a rematch of last year’s MLS Cup Finalists: HOU 2 LA 1.

The worst ever start in the league was finally broken: TOR 1 PHI 0.

The boys in yellow extended their unbeaten run to 5 straight: CLB 2 CHI 1.

There is a new leader in the Eastern Conference: DC 3 NE 2.

A stoppage time goal vaulted the sometimes-leaders of the Western Conference back into first: RSL 3 DAL 2.

Even a man down, Colorado managed to secure a result: COL 3 MTL 2.

A thunderstorm provided a fitting accompaniment to this Cascadia Cup match: POR 1 VAN 1.

Juan Agudelo scored his first goal for his new team: CHV 1 SEA 1.

The weary boys in black and blue were unable to come up with their usual last-minute magic: SKC 2 SJ 1.

US Open Cup

After failing to show up for his team’s 4-0 Open Cup loss to the Chicago Fire last year, New York Red Bulls coach Hans Backe is now trying to show how serious he is about the competition and is calling on US Soccer to do the same by not scheduling matches on FIFA days.  New York alone will be missing 5 starters due to international duty.

MLS teams will be playing their first games in the competition this week.  Check out the match-ups here.

Euro 2012

Italian police showed up at their national team’s training camp to question Zenit St. Petersburg defender Domenico Criscito as part of their on-going investigation into match-fixing in the Italian top flight.  Criscito made the decision to withdraw from the Euro 2012 tournament in order to protect his team and clear his name as soon as possible.  Thus far the Italian police have arrested 19 people, including 11 players.

Tweet to Start the Week

Say what you will about Alexi Lalas, he definitely has some of the most entertaining comebacks to criticisms levied at him via Twitter.  Although I think he still has some work to do to earn this title.

Memorial Day

Finally, I love seeing our players show support and appreciation for our military.  Check out some of their tweets below:

I would like to join them in thanking our service members, past and present, for their devotion to and sacrifice for our country.  I would encourage you to do the same!

Image courtesy of FOX Soccer.

We have a busy week of football coming up with matches on almost everyday of the week which means we have a lot of news to cover! Today we have some El Clasico scheduling issues, Shaun Derry’s red card appeal and Samir Nasri’s cocky bet with Piers Morgan. All in a days work and all in today’s DKA!

UEFA Champions League

Originally scheduled for April 22nd, El Clasico was moved to April 21st by RFEF (Royal Spanish Football Federation.) The reason? So Barcelona has a day to recover for their semi-final clash against Chelsea FC on April 24th for the second leg. Unfortunate for Chelsea, the FA refuses to give the Blues the same treatment, after asking to switch the date of the FA Cup semi-final against Tottenham the day before their first-leg match against Barca on April 18th. And here I thought that I might get to watch El Clasico, looks like I’ll be sneaking my laptop to work!

La Liga

Wednesday is the Madrid Derby (or El Derbi de Madrileño) between Atletico Madrid & Real Madrid. This match has a lot riding on the outcome. Atletico midfielder Juanfran claims that the match could be decisive for their city rival’s title hopes, should they fail to gain two points. With Real only 4 points ahead Barca (22 days ago they had a lovely 10-point lead,) every match is critical.

Everyone loves Spain, especially Carlos Vela. The Arsenal striker is currently on a loan to Real Sociedad which expires at the end of the season, but he’d rather stay then depart back to Emirates. Turns out, Vela loves the Spanish league more than the English:

“From my point of view, from a footballing and lifestyle standpoint it is better to stay in this league. I have a contract with an English team and if I have to return there I will adapt, but if I could stay here I would be happier.”

Here at Aerys Soccer, we’ve adapted a new platform for our La Liga coverage. It’s called  ’Late Night Liga’ where I share recaps, rumors, previews of the upcoming La Liga matches in case you couldn’t follow the matches. To read the first edition of LNL, click here!

English Premier League

Too bad for QPR’s Shaun Derry, whose appeal against his red card on Sunday was rejected by the FA. Derry was sent off at Old Trafford when he apparently fouled Ashley Young. In reality, Young tumbled dramatically when Derry barely made contact with the winger. Derry will miss this Wednesday’s match at home against Swansea.

Anybody remember Samir Nasri? Remember when he ditched Arsenal to go to Manchester City then publicly bashed Arsenal supporters? Well, looks like $amir Na$ri is up to something again. The frenchman made a £10,000 bet with a loyal & famous Gunners supporter via Twitter who just happens to be Piers Morgan. Of course, whoever loses has to donate the money to charity but it was this statement that started the whole thing:

“I’m aware what I said about titles,” Nasri said on Twitter. “I’m sure I will lift a trophy with Man City before AFC. And to all the Arsenal fans, move on. City are 10 points ahead of you. Just support your team and forget about me.”

Well, sorry Nasri, but it’s hard to forget someone when they move a club for loads of $ then trash talk the supporters, the people who adored you. Maybe you should be the one to ‘move on.’ Let’s hope for AFC fans that Piers wins this bet.

We have some interesting headlines for you crazy, soccer fans! Chelsea are looking to steal two of Real Madrid’s best players, a student gets arrested for disgusting comments via twitter and the USMNT under-23 fail to qualify for the Olympics. All in today’s DKA!

La Liga

Looks like Chelsea FC is interested in adding two of La Liga’s best to their lineup. The Blues are preparing a €100 bid for Real Madrid players Cristiano Ronaldo and Gonzalo Higuain. Now here is where it gets interesting. This transfer could depend on whether Jose Mourinho decided to head back to Stamford Bridge as  a manager persuading the two players to join him. As for Ronaldo, his future with the Whites seems bright but for Higuain, he’s not giving us Madridistas any comfort during his post-match interviews, quickly avoiding any question that deals with him leaving the Bernabeu.

English Premier League

Mick McCarthy could be joining his former club, Wolverhampton Wanderers, after witnessing their decline after his departure in February. After 5 1/2 years as the manager, McCarthy was fired after a 5-1 loss against West Brom giving McCarthy’s assistant, Terry Connor his time to shine. When asked if he could return, McCarthy gave his opinion in true Irish fashion, simple and blunt:

“I would never say never, that’s all I can say. Stranger things have happened in football – Carlos Tevez, for example, is back playing for Manchester City.”

A new injury has struck a Manchester United goalkeeper. Anders Lindegaard had an injury setback and could miss the rest of the EPL season. In January he damaged some ligaments in his ankle preventing him from playing. Luckily for MUFC, David de Gea is back into top form so the club shouldn’t be too affected.

Fabrice Muamba

After collapsing during an FA Cup match last weekend, Fabrice Muamba is making tremendous progress. This weekend the Bolton midfielder sit out of his bed, watched TV and was able to eat.

A 21-year old student was jailed today for inciting racial hatred about Fabrice Muamba via his twitter account. After the public phoned police about the comments, they quickly tracked down and arrested Liam Stacey, a Swansea University student. One of Stacey’s tweets was:

 ”LOL (laugh out loud). **** Muamba. He’s dead!!!” 

What is wrong with this generation?

Olympic Qualifying

The U-23 USMNT had a heartbreaking game last night as they failed to qualify for the Olympics after tying with El Salvador. For a in-depth recap of the match, you can read it on mlssoccer.com.

UEFA Champions League

The first leg of the Quarterfinals kicks off today! Matches to watch out for are:

APOEL – Real Madrid

Benfica – Chelsea FC

Real Salt Lake defeated L.A. Galaxy 3-1 in the Galaxy's home opener. Photo courtesy of mlssoccer.com

Three words, ladies and gentlemen: MLS is baaaack! It feels like ages since the L.A. Galaxy hoisted that cup in November but now spring is in the air and that means MLS is here.

In today’s MLS First Kick Hangover DKA, we see the three of Saturday’s matches through the eyes of Kayla, Elizabeth and Trista, plus other fan perspectives. Day One may have spelled loss for a few of our favorite teams but there’s a whole season ahead so we’re just going to grab a bloody mary this morning, shake it off and look at the positives, as we have a a whole new season to look forward to.

Also, what’s slowing down Brazil’s preparation for the 2014 World Cup? Who got Mario Balotelli to open up about all the rumors swirling around him? And how is WPS Rookie of the Year Christen Press faring with her new club in Sweden? Read on.

 Major League Soccer

Kayla Knapp was at the Galaxy’s home opener against Real Salt Lake and offers her own perspective to L.A.’s first home loss since 2010 by a score of 3-1, where they allowed all three RSL goals in the last 15 minutes. One early-season loss is not what Kayla’s most worried about with the Galaxy, though.

So what went wrong for the Galaxy in those final minutes? Fatigue, according to Bruce Arena:

“We were obviously a tired team tonight, I thought we still could have won this game and I think that this loss is on me. It’s my fault, I think I should have used fresher bodies,” Arena told reporters after the match. “We hit the wall and made mistakes that are attributed to fatigue. I think that the travel and two games this week added up to being a pretty tired team over the last 24 minutes and it cost us the game. I take full responsibility for that.”

Moving along in other MLS first day action, 2012 expansion team Montreal Impact dropped their first match to fellow Canadian club Vancouver Whitecaps and Trista Lutgring offers a positive spin on her Columbus Crew’s opening loss to the Colorado Rapids.

Is there anything better than being on Twitter during a live match? Maybe only being at the game itself. Personally, I love feeding off of others’ reactions — explosions of cheering at a goal, sarcastic commentary when something is going wrong. It’s like having a bar filled with your favorite people in your living room. If you love running Twitter commentary, don’t miss The Bent Musket’s “recap” of the Revolution-Earthquakes opener: The Match in Tweets: Revolution 0-1 Earthquakes.

Finally, have you joined Women United FC yet? It’s a new community for female MLS fans, co-founded by our very own Kayla Knapp. Check out their blog, join the group for your favorite MLS club and contribute to this amazing new community of fans!

Keep tuned into Aerys Soccer for more on today’s MLS First Kick matches.

English Premier League

Manchester City suddenly finds themselves looking up in the EPL standings as they were knocked off the top rung of the ladder in a 1-0 defeat to Swansea City with an 83′ goal from Luke Moore. For Swansea, the win most likely keeps them in the EPL for another season.

Mario Balotelli hates the media and avoids interviews. So how to get information on him that doesn’t have a 99% chance of being made up? When the lead singer of one of his favorite bands is the one conducting the interview. Balotelli recently opened up to Oasis’ Noel Gallagher for BBC’s Football Focus, putting a rest to several myths in the lore of Balotelli.

FIFA

Things aren’t going so smoothly in Brazil’s preparation to host the 2014 World Cup. FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke caused a stir when he proclaimed that “Brazil needed a kick up the backside to speed up preparations for the tournament.” Valcke later offered a backtracking apology and Sepp Blatter had to step in to apologize as well. So what are the issues that are slowing down preparation? Could it be stadium infrastructure? Nope. One of the culprits, my friends, is beer.

Women’s Professional Soccer

When news spread in late January about WPS folding for the 2012 season, one of the biggest concerns was where some of the non-USWNT players would go for the season. The window for transfers into European leagues was closing the following day, nearly impossible for any of the players to have hope of playing abroad. However, WPS Rookie of the Year Christen Press, who thought she was going from magicJack to the Atlanta Beat for the season, was able to sign with Sweden’s Göteborg FC. Now, Press is chronicling her first season in Sweden on a blog for Stanford University women’s soccer, her alma mater. In her first two posts, Press tells us about an early “bonehead move” and  tips for a rookie to survive in Sweden, including “Try to avoid using a Spanish accent when speaking Swedish…Espanswenglish?!”

Enjoy today’s full slate of matches, and don’t forget to follow Aerys Soccer on Twitter, Tumblr and Pinterest for more coverage of your favorite leagues!

Happy Friday from sunny Los Angeles! I don’t mean to rub it in, but the weather today has been absolutely perfect–so perfect that I spent the morning teaching my cousin to play soccer. Growing the game one person, and in this case, kid, at a time! You know who else is helping soccer grow in the US? Drew Carey. Also in today’s DKA, Fernando Torres’ fall out of favor with the Spanish national team, and a look at some of the best and funniest tweets about soccer from the past week. All that and more, here’s you Daily Kick Around!

Spain National Team

Not that anyone is shocked by this, but Fernando Torres has been left off of the Spanish national team roster for their upcoming friendly against Venezuela. Torres has been struggling for quite some time now, both in the EPL for Chelsea, and on the world soccer stage. While I am a United fan, and don’t wish success for anything or anyone associated with Chelsea, I have to admit I’m starting to feel a little bit sorry for Torres–but only a very, very little bit.

Major League Soccer

There are only 15 days until the start of the 2012 MLS season. So close we can almost taste it. Teams are right in the middle of their preseason training, and starting to take shape as the players get more minutes together in matches. Grant Wahl has a fantastic preview of the Western conference here, including an in-depth look at the LA Galaxy’s star-studded lineup, and much, much more.

US Women’s National Team

Abby Wambach has been a leader for the USWNT both on and off the field for some time now. The difference now is that going into this summer’s Olympic games, Wambach has an official title to go with her status as a leader: co-captain. Wambach and Christie Rampone will lead the team together, hopefully to a gold medal this summer.

General Soccer

Back in January, I traveled to Phoenix, AZ to watch the USMNT play a friendly against Venezuela. It was my first experience with the American Outlaws, the USMNT supporters group, and goodness, was it a fun one. I have a lot of memories from that weekend, but one in particular was highlighted today on a website called The Free Beer Movement. Drew Carey, an avid soccer fan, bought the entire section of American Outlaws beer at the game. Check out more about this way cool move by Drew here. Oh, and make sure you take a look at the picture of Drew handing us the money, by yours truly.

World Soccer Reader has brought back a favorite weekly installment called “This Week In US Soccer Tweets.” For some fun Friday entertainment, go here to check out all the funny that went down on Twitter this past week in the soccer world.

It’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and I hope most of you had the chance to sleep in this Monday morning! Lots to talk about today, from defensive changes at Bolton to the “old boys” returning to the EPL and the role MLS plays in their successful return, here’s your Daily Kick Around.

English Premier League

After four years with the Bolton Wanders, England national defender Gary Cahill has completed his transfer to Chelsea. The 26-year-old cost about $11 million, and is clearly very excited about the move. “It is a club that looks to win trophies season in, season out, and it is a big opportunity for me to be a part of that. Opportunities like this you can’t turn down.”

The Wanderers are hoping to fill Cahill’s spot with American defender Tim Ream. The 24-year-old played for the New York Red Bulls in MLS last season, along with some USMNT playing time. According to manager Owen Coyle, Ream is “a player that we would love to bring to the football club, and hopefully in the next few days that can come to fruition.” The biggest challenge will be getting his international work permit, but I’m sure someone will pull some strings to make it happen!

Apparently Thierry Henry’s return to Arsenal hasn’t been all rainbows and butterflies like it was his first game back. Henry was involved in an angry interaction with a Gunners fan after their shocking loss to Swansea on Sunday. A club spokesman said Henry made a comment to the fan about always supporting the team, but it sounds like he may have been a littler more enraged than the club would like us to believe.

Speaking of players returning to the EPL, ESPN UK’s “Pardon The Interruption” had some interesting insights into why these “old boys” like Robbie Keane and Henry were finding success in their return to the EPL. They even touch on Landon Donovan’s return to Everton. You might want to have a seat when you watch this…they actually give MLS credit for these players’ good form.

Donovan has been performing well since going on loan to Everton, but the Toffees are still desperately lacking attacking power. This week, former LA Galaxy player and USMNT forward Edson Buddle is on trial with Everton. Buddle had been doing well at German club Ingolstadt, but a coaching change resulted in an early exit from the second division side. Would Buddle be a good fit for the Toffees? I think he could be successful there, but he’s got to prove himself first!

US Women’s National Team

The roster for the USWNT 2012 Olympic Qualifying squad is out! Pia Sundhage doesn’t have any big surprises from the team we saw in the World Cup. All the favorites are back, including Hope Solo, Abby Wambach, Alex Morgan and Megan Rapinoe. Check out the full roster here!

Scottish Premier League

A man was arrested in Scotland after racially abusing two Rangers FC players on Twitter, including USMNT midfielder Maurice Edu. Good to see police cracking down on this unacceptable behavior. Racism has no place anywhere, and especially not in soccer. Twitter is a great tool for interacting with players, but it’s incredibly sad and disgusting to see it used this way.

The first week of the New Year is nearly over and what a week it’s been! From the fiasco of rumors claiming Rooney was leaving United, to Clint Dempsey joining twitter, footy fans have had their worth of news. Here’s your Daily Kick Around!

English Premier League

It seems that every time Wayne Rooney isn’t in the starting line up for Manchester United, the tabloids like to claim he’s leaving United. The rumors reached a fever pitch yesterday after United’s poor performance during the week and Twitter rumblings of a article from The Independent that claimed Roon was out. The club and player took action though, releasing this statement late yesterday reaffirming fans that club and player are committed to each other. Whew.

More Americans in the EPL? It’s good news if you ask me! Amid various rumors about Robbie Rogers, Brek Shea and Juan Agudelo, it’s now coming to light the Bolton Wanderers would like to add another Yank to their ranks in the former of NY Red Bulls defender Tim Ream.

La Liga

News is a little slow in La Liga this week. What we did find for you for today is a little article from Barcelona’s Sergio Busquets. In the interview, the midfielder talks about how the Spanish giants are not happy with always keeping things the same and are always looking to improve their style of play.

Major League Soccer

It was a rough week for L.A. Galaxy’s defender Omar Gonzalez. After finally getting a call up from USMNT head coach Jurgen Klinsmann, Gonzalez opted out in favor of a two-month loan with German side Nuremberg. But his first day of training ended horribly after a collision with fellow US International Timmy Chandler resulted in a torn ACL. Gonzalez was flown back to the US for surgery, ending the hopes of the loan. Here’s hoping for a quick recovery for Omar!

MLS SuperDraft is coming! Is this your first SuperDraft or do you need a little clue into what to expect this year? SB Nation has an in-depth look of what you can really expect to come out of the MLS draft this year.

U.S. Men’s National Team

In what some USMNT fans are calling the best news of the week, fan-favorite Clint Dempsey has finally caved – even after he said he wouldn’t – and made himself a Twitter account. In sight we’ve had so far? Clint has a nickname for EVERYONE, he really does love to fish and his children are so adorable. Check it out and follow him at @clint_dempsey!