15 points down on the season to date. This weekend's selections:

Saturday
Everton-Liverpool 0-0 10.50
Hannover to beat Bayern Munich 7.40
Norwich to beat Barnsley 2.74
Stockport to beat Cheltenham 2.80
Walsall to beat Carlisle 2.52
Wycombe to beat Bury 3.30
Barnet to beat Grimsby 3. Click to continue reading...

Jeff Carlisle:
U.S. Discovers Offensive Touch

Ives Galarcep:
Five Things to Note

Jeff Carlisle:
Beasley Looks Like His Old Self

Martin Rogers:
American Youth Must Be Served Click to continue reading...

Fryatt...gratuitous Leicester picture #1



Shot Differential

Team Shots For Shots Against Shot_Diff League Position Leeds Utd 87 45 +42 6 Peterborough 82 47 +35 12 Leicester City 55 27 +28 3 Oldham 56 39 +17 1 Walsall 67 52 +15 10 Huddersfield 52 47 +5 17 Tranmere 48 43 +5 13 Brighton 45 40 +5 8 Millwall 35 31 +4 7 Northampton 38 35 +3 20 Bristol Rovers 56 55 +1 15 Hereford 61 65 -4 21 MK Dons 52 56 -4 5 Swindon 47 52 -5 11 Hartlepool 42 47 -5 14 Colchester 24 30 -6 16 Southend 52 60 -8 22 Leyton Orient 57 66 -9 9 Yeovil 39 50 -11 19 Carlisle 52 66 -14 2 Stockport 32 51 -19 18 Crewe 63 84 -21 23 Scunthorpe 49 75 -26 4 Cheltenham 52 80 -28 24


Shot Efficiency

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Who: US v. Trinidad and Tobago
What: World Cup 2010 qualifying, CONCACAF semifinal round, Group A
When: 8 p.m. ET, Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Where: Toyota Park, Bridgeview Ill.
TV: ESPN 2 and Galavision
Preview



Jeff Carlisle:
Home may be where heart resides, but when the U. Click to continue reading...

I came across this the other day but forgot to post it. Newly minted left back Matt Marquess gets some props from Jeff Carlisle at ESPNSoccernet.com for his play late in the year for our boys in blue. Carlisle says if he keeps it up, his name just might be in the mix for rookie of the year at season's end. Click to continue reading...

Southend United dropped into the League One relegation zone after their third consecutive league defeat.

The return leg of the 630-mile round trip will seem like a lifetime to the hardy Blues fans who trudged up to Brunton Park in some terrible weather conditions, and will face similiar problems coming back south. Click to continue reading...

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Guardian - Steve Claridge - Scouting Report: Emmanuel Ledesma
The Queens Park Rangers' midfielder is a versatile and entertaining talent although he has yet to adjust to the physical side of the game

The first thing that strikes you about Emmanuel Ledesma is that he is very much a reflection of the Queens Park Rangers team, in the way he plays the game and the positions he takes up. Click to continue reading...

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Dave McIntyre - BBC 606 - Only fools rush in

There won't be an early attempt to tie up Emmanuel Ledesma's permanent signing despite his immediate impact at QPR.
Rangers have the option to buy Ledesma for around £2.2m at the end of his season-long loan from Genoa. Click to continue reading...

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Lets just hope there are no 'escape' clauses in the contract!

BBC - QPR in no rush over Ledesma deal
QPR sporting director Gianni Paladini insists the club do not need to rush Emmanuel Ledesma's permanent signing.
Rangers have an option to buy Ledesma for around £2. Click to continue reading...

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Carlisle Tonight:
QPR play Carlisle tonight at Loftus Road in the Second Round of the Carling Cup. Games against Carlisle always evoke memories of one of QPR's greatest-ever players Stan Bowles, who QPR signed from Carlisle in September 1972 for a then-record fee of 110,000 pounds. Click to continue reading...

... but first, congratulations to Usain Bolt on his phenomenal victory in the 200! He is just amazing to watch ... how beautifully effortless and strong. Can't wait to see it tonight! On the USWNT front, we've got Lindsey Dolich with her pre-game report and Jeff Carlisle on the USWNT mindset heading into the [. Click to continue reading...

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"IN CASE YOU MISSED IT"

With some people exiting work early on Fridays and not logging back on again till they return to work on Monday: Some of the items posted on QPR Report over the 'long' weekend (besides all the Sheffield United previews and post-mortems. Click to continue reading...

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Carlisle Official SiteIT'S ANOTHER LONG ONE
United Boss John Ward gave us his reaction, early this morning, to the Carling Cup second-round draw that sees United faced with a 616 mile round-trip as they make their way to play Queen's Park Rangers in just under a fortnight's time. Click to continue reading...

I'm covering this week for the usual ESPN Thursday Primetime writer, Jeff Carlisle. My preview went up earlier today. If it seems heavy on Chivas USA - quotes, well, their players were available yesterday and the Galaxy didn't practice or have any media availability until today. I mean, it's not as if I could use my old Ruud Gullit quotes. Click to continue reading...

Soccerword's League One Predictions
1. Leeds
2. Huddersfield
3. Leicester City
4. Brighton & Hove Albion
5. Colchester
6. Scunthorpe
7. Oldham
8. Carlisle
9. Peterborough
10. Northampton
11. MK Dons
12. Southend
13.

Click to continue reading...

I stayed up to 2 a.m. my time to watch the start of this one. Sadly after a listless first half I couldn't stay up to watch the second.

I hear Stuart Holden (above) banged home the winner in the 47th minute.

ESPN's Carlisle and SI's Wahl have some more info for ya.

A couple things that stood out: Altidore and Feilhaber benched, Edu kicks ass, Adu was lost and McBride was just, eh. Click to continue reading...

The only Olympic preview you'll need to read. Courtesy of ESPN's Jeff Carlisle. Click to continue reading...

Neven Subotic has a tough decision ahead of him.  He can choose to play for his birth country, or the country that gave him his international start.  Jeff Carlisle, an outstanding journalist wrote an equally outstanding profile of Neven Subotic and I think it is worth a read.  After you finish, feel free to discuss [. Click to continue reading...

Hello young world. I've got loads of stuff on my plate and I am going to be busier than a one-legged man in an ass kicking contest today so the post will be brief. Not that you'd ever expect any Spangler-esque epic's from me.

So with that I give you this piece from Jeff Carlisle on prodigal son Neven Subotic; there is more to his story than ill-advised corn rows and a U-20's snub. Click to continue reading...

Anyone who watches Sky Sports News in the mornings will be all too aware that pre-season friendlies are well underway now, but genuinely, does anyone really care if their youth team is playing Carlisle or whatever? Exactly. So while writing reports chronicling how my fantastic 5-a-side team is doing in the East London Wednesday Power League was good for a while (well, a week) it's time to look elsewhere I think, to a considerably better style of football. Click to continue reading...

As you know, tomorrow we face the Columbus Crew at 7 p.m. CT on ESPN 2 in our first MLS Primetime appearance of the season. We're 0-2-0 so far this season against Columbus but haven't lost a game since they gave us that nice 3-0 beat down here at CAB. If you recall, the defeated us 2-1 in Columbus earlier this year on FSC on early goals from Moffatt and Rogers. Click to continue reading...

Southend United misfit Richie Foran could finally be on his way out of Roots Hall. longpier understands Carlisle manager John Ward is set to bid £50,000 for the winger-cum-striker.

Allegations about Foran's private life are said to have hindered his progress at the Blues. Click to continue reading...

From Jeff Carlisle over at centerlinesoccer.com (click here for the original):



According to San Jose Earthquakes manager Frank Yallop, the only obstacle remaining in the team's pursuit of midfielder Francisco Lima is for the Brazilian to hash out the fine print with MLS on a contract. Click to continue reading...

Big day.

United will look to extend its five game unbeaten streak (4-0-1) against the Western Conference's best team today as the Black-and-Red take on the LA Galaxy in a rare noon kickoff. Today's game will be broadcast nationally on ABC and is the warm-up for the Euro 2008 final between Germany and Spain.

Click to continue reading...

I'm trying to write my Press-Enterprise column but nothing's coming out. I don't exactly have writer's block, just a case of the blahs.

Anyway, while I try and break out of the Monday morning doldrums, here are some links to keep both of us occupied:

Goal.com's Kyle McCarthy looks back at the weekend in MLS and breaks down the Galaxy's defensive miscues. Click to continue reading...

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At this stage, obviously doesn't mean that much - and in some senses, puts additional pressure and enhances the performance of other teams - but it does show what the experts who put their money where their mouth is are saying as of now.

June 17: Various Betting Firms Offering Championship Odds: QPR - - Various Championship Betting Odds - QPR as Favourites


Meanwhile Today's Guardian: - Meanwhile the odds for the new season are also beginning to firm up: what will be your ante-post bets for the year ahead? Click to continue reading...

Some match reports from several different outlets on Sunday's 8-0 US win over Barbados:

- Grahame Jones of the LA Times talked to Barbados goalkeeper Alvin Rouse after the match. I think he was the only one who stopped Rouse, who had one great save off an Oguchi Onyewu header but otherwise was helpless to stop the U. Click to continue reading...

The United States scored early and it scored late. The Americans got five goals with their feet, one with a header, one with a chest and another when an opponent put the ball into his own net.


Jeff Carlisle's Column Click to continue reading...

I'm sure you Chicago fans will recall the name, Steve Marlet from your preseason updates. Turns out the 34-year-old former French international is on trial with San Jose for the time being. Jeff Carlisle is reporting that the Quakes are bring in different players from week to week and Marlet is currently in camp hoping [. Click to continue reading...

This is not a Leeds-baiting article. Far from it, COS thinks it's a damn shame what's been allowed to happen to this football club over the past few seasons, which has resulted in a double relegation, administration, desperation, frustration and now consolidation. Fans of the club thought that it might be a case of celebration [. Click to continue reading...

Southend confirmed their place in this season's League One play-offs with a superb win at Brunton Park.

The Blues went ahead on 7 minutes when Charlie Mulgrew scored direct from one of his wicked free kicks. The visitors dominated the opening period and were comfortable with the 1-0 lead. Click to continue reading...

Just as you thought their fall from grace was complete and they were focusing on climbing back up the football league, Leeds United are still refusing to let things lie. Seemingly taking a leaf from the Sheffield United book of 'How To Fight A Court Case You Won't Win And Tarnish Your Reputation At The Same [. Click to continue reading...

Gary Madine might not be known very well but he is very much in the radar of Newcastle United. The 17-year old Carlisle player has been in terrific form this season, especially in the FA Youth Cup, and has just signed a professional contract with his club yet Newcastle are not inclined to beat themselves [. Click to continue reading...

Some more transfer heresy and hearsay.... Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson is after Congolese defensive "wonderkid" Paul Jose Mpoklu but will have to beat off interest from Tottenham in the 15-year-old. (Daily Mirror) Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has promised that he'll be staying at Arsenal for twenty more years. Click to continue reading...

West Ham United have loaned off left back Joe Widdowson to Rotherham for a month. He has already been on loan at Carlisle earlier in the season and has been sent to Rotherham for more first team experinces. Widdowson is expected to climb into the first team right from the start as Rotherham manager Mark Robins [. Click to continue reading...