Weekend Soccer Preview

Another edition of the Weekend Soccer Preview!
As always, home team listed first, all times Eastern.

Before we get to the rankings, I want to acknowledge Fulham’s stunning comeback in the Europa League. Fulham came home with a 3-1 deficit to Juventus. Juventus got an early goal from David Trezuguet to put Fulham down 4-1 on aggregate. However, goals from Bobby Zamora and two from Zoltan Gera bought Fulham to 4-4 on aggregate and a wonder strike from Clint Dempsey in the 82nd minute put the Cottagers through to the quaterfinals.

Game of the Week (Rankings from Poll)
9:30 ET Sunday
(3) Manchester United v Liverpool
The always intense northwest England rivalry strikes once again at a crucial point in the season for both sides. Manchester United are still perched atop the Premier League, 2 points ahead of both Chelsea and Arsenal, though Chelsea has a game in hand. Liverpool are chasing down a Champions League qualifying spot, just a point behind fourth-placed Tottenham, who has one game in hand, and a point ahead of Manchester City and two ahead of Aston Villa, both of whom have two games in hand. As such, a loss for Liverpool would cripple their Champions League aspirations. Still, they are coming off of mid-week success in the UEFA Europa League, a competition in which they are going full steam ahead in hopes of salvaging some kind of silverware from this tempestuous season. A win for United gives them a boost ahead of a tough five game stretch including Chelsea, Manchester City, and Tottenham Hotspur.

Other Games Between Two Ranked Teams
16:00 ET Sunday
(T23) Marseille v (22) Lyon
In early November, these two teams played to a stunning 5-5 draw that included 5 goals in the last 11 minutes as Lyon battled back from a 4-2 deficit to take a 5-4 lead and ultimately be stuck with a draw on a Jeremy Toulalan own goal. This match carries heavy European consequences, as outlined below.

Top of the Table Clashes
12:00 ET Sunday (French Ligue 1)
(9) Bordeaux v Lille
16:00 ET Sunday
(T23) Marseille v (22) Lyon

Club	Pld.	Pts.
Bordeaux	27	53
Montpellier	28	53
AJ Auxerre	28	52
Lille	28	51
Lyon	28	51
Marseille	27	50

Ligue 1 is as congested as it gets up top, with the top six teams separated by a scant 3 points. Four of those teams clash this weekend as Bordeaux hosts Lille and Marseille hosts Lyon. The top 3 teams are guaranteed a spot in the Champions League while the 4th team is guaranteed a spot in the Europa League and 5th place will likely get a spot there as well. A win for Lille would be huge as it would bring Bordeaux fully back to the pack due to their game in hand. The Lyon-Marseille match-up is sure to be hard-fought as both teams are on the outside looking into Europe at the moment.

Big Games in Small Leagues
13:00 ET Sunday (Greek Super League)
Panathinaikos v Olympiakos
PAOK Salonika v AEK Athens

Panathinaikos is currently on top of the Greek Super League with a 5 point lead over PAOK Salonika. Olympiakos is two points back in third and AEK Athens is 9 points back of Olympiakos. The Panathinaikos-Olympiakos match is the heavy rivalry, dubbed the “Derby of the Eternal Enemies” in what has to be the greatest rivalry name I’ve ever heard. The two clubs are based out of Athens and are generally fighting for the title in the league. The rivalry is so fierce that a clash between the supporters caused a two week suspension of all team sports in Greece back in 2007. Olympiakos needs a win to stay in the title race in Greece and move up the table, as only the top two get Champions League qualification.

13:00 ET Saturday (Austrian Bundesliga)
Sturm Graz v Rapid Vienna
10:30 ET Sunday (Austrian Bundesliga)
Austria Vienna v SV Salzburg

Salzburg is at the top of the Austrian Bundesliga by 6 points over second place Rapid Vienna. Just 3 points back of Rapid are Sturm Graz and Austria Vienna. The first place team gets the lone Champions League spot while second and third get Europa League spots so these games are vital for next season’s European qualification.

English Premier League
8:45 ET Saturday
(17) Aston Villa v Wolverhampton Wanderers
11:00 ET Saturday
Everton v Bolton Wanderers
Portsmouth v Hull City
Stoke City v (10) Tottenham Hotspur
Sunderland v Birmingham
Wigan v Burnley
13:30 ET Saturday
(5) Arsenal v West Ham
9:30 ET Sunday
(3) Manchester United v Liverpool
11:00 ET Sunday
Fulham v (14) Manchester City
12:00 ET Sunday
Blackburn Rovers v (2) Chelsea

Scottish Premier League
11:00 ET Saturday
Celtic v St. Johnstone

Spain’s La Liga
13:00 ET Saturday
Athletic Bilbao v Getafe
Deportivo La Coruna v Valladolid
Xerez v Tenerife
15:00 ET Saturday
(4) Real Madrid v Sporting Gijon
17:00 ET Saturday
Espanyol v (25) Sevilla FC
12:00 ET Sunday
Malaga v Villarreal
Mallorca v Atletico Madrid
Osasuna v Racing Santander
14:00 ET Sunday
(T12) Valencia v Almeria
16:00 ET Sunday
Real Zaragoza v (1) Barcelona

Italy’s Serie A
13:00 ET Saturday
(T23) Fiorentina v Genoa
15:45 ET Saturday
(18) AS Roma v Udinese
Palermo v (6) Inter Milan
10:00 ET Sunday
(7) AC Milan v Napoli
Atalanta v Livorno
Bari v Parma
Cagliari v Lazio
Chievo Verona v Catania
Siena v Bologna
15:45 ET Sunday
Sampdoria v Juventus

German Bundesliga
15:30 ET Friday
FC Cologne v Borussia Monchengladbach
10:30 ET Saturday
Eintracht Frankfurt v (8) Bayern Munich
Nurnberg v TSG Hoffenheim
SC Freiburg v Mainz
VfB Stuttgart v Hannover 96
Werder Bremen v VfL Bochum
13:30 ET Saturday
Borussia Dortmund v (11) Bayer Leverkusen
10:30 ET Sunday
Hamburg SV v (T12) Schalke 04
12:30 ET Sunday
VfL Wolfsburg v Hertha Berlin

French Ligue 1
14:00 ET Saturday
AJ Auxerre v Le Mans
Boulogne v Lorient
Grenoble v AS Monaco
Nice v Paris Saint-Germain
St. Etienne v AS Nancy Lorraine
Stade Rennes v Toulouse
16:00 ET Saturday
Lens v Sochaux
12:00 ET Sunday
(9) Bordeaux v Lille
(T20) Montpellier v Valenciennes
16:00 ET Sunday
(T23) Marseille v (22) Lyon

Dutch Eredivisie
15:45 ET Friday
Heerenveen v NEC Nijmegen
14:45 ET Saturday
PSV Eindhoven v (T15) Twente Enschede
15:45 ET Saturday
Feyenoord Rotterdam v Vitesse Arnhem
7:30 ET Sunday
RKC Waalwijk v (19) Ajax Amsterdam
9:30 ET Sunday
Sparta Rotterdam v AZ Alkmaar

Russian Premier League
9:30 ET Saturday
Saturn Moscow v Sibir Novosibirsk
12:00 ET Saturday
Lokomotiv Moscow v PFK Samara Kryliya Sovetov
7:00 ET Sunday
Zenit St. Petersburg v Spartak Moscow
9:30 ET Sunday
CSKA Moscow v Dinamo Moscow
8:00 ET Monday
FK Tom’ Tomsk v FK Rubin Kazan

Turkish Super League
14:00 ET Friday
Kasimpasa v Besiktas
13:00 ET Saturday
Fenerbahce v Gaziantepspor
13:00 ET Sunday
Trabzonspor v Galatasaray

Greek Super League
13:00 ET Sunday
Panathinaikos v Olympiakos
PAOK Salonika v AEK Athens

Ukrainian Premier League
13:00 ET Friday
Metalurh Donetsk v Dynamo Kyiv
10:00 ET Saturday
Zorya v Shakhtar Donetsk

Belgian Jupiler League
15:00 ET Sunday
Germinal Beerschot v Club Brugge
KSC Lokeren v Anderlecht
Standard Liege v KAA Gent

Austrian Bundesliga
13:00 ET Saturday
Sturm Graz v Rapid Vienna
10:30 ET Sunday
Austria Vienna v SV Salzburg

Swiss Super League
12:45 ET Saturday
Young Boys v Grasshoppers

Welsh Premier League
10:30 ET Saturday
Llanelli v Rhyl

Weekend Soccer Preview

Another edition of the Weekend Soccer Preview!
As always, home team listed first, all times Eastern.

Game of the Week (Rankings from Poll)
14:45 ET Saturday (Italy’s Serie A)
(15) AS Roma v (6) AC Milan
This is a battle for second place in Italy. AC Milan currently occupies that second spot, 3 points ahead of third-place AS Roma. In the first match-up between these squads in October, AC Milan scored a nervy 2-1 on the back of a Ronaldinho penalty and Alexandre Pato goal after an early strike by Roma's Jeremy Menez. For Milan, this is the start of a vital two game stretch, as they look to take a step towards the championship in this game and then must go to Old Trafford mid-week to come back from a 3-2 first leg deficit in the Champions League. With just 11 games left in the campaign after this one, a loss for Milan would be crippling, as they could be 7 points back with no matches left against Inter to make up the points quick. A win for Roma puts them in prime position to overtake the AC Milan and make a run at the second spot in the league.

Other Games Between Two Ranked Teams
16:00 ET Saturday (Spain’s La Liga)
(2) Real Madrid v (21) Sevilla
Real Madrid is on a scorching hot tear in La Liga in an attempt to overtake leaders and rivals Barcelona, who sit on top by 2 points. Real Madrid has won their last 6 matches in the league by a combined 22-4, including 6-2 and 5-1 their last two games. Sevilla has own two of their last three in the league and is in fourth 18 poitns off the pace after a difficult mid-season rut. Still, Sevilla beat Madrid 2-1 at home earlier in the season and are always a difficult test. Madrid will be without Karim Benzema and could miss the services of Guti, while Sevilla is without striker Luis Fabiano. Real Madrid is in search of their 13th consecutive home win and will certainly be tested by the solid Sevilla squad.
15:00 ET Sunday (French Ligue 1)
(7) Bordeaux v (24) Montpellier

Top of the Table Clashes
15:00 ET Sunday (French Ligue 1)
(7) Bordeaux v (24) Montpellier
Bordeaux has not played a match since February 23rd because of rescheduling of their league slate due to Champions League fixtures and weather concerns. This leads to a bit of fixture congestion for the club and they have played 2 less games than most other teams in the league. This kicks off a brutal stretch of 5 games in 14 days, including 3 in 6 days leading up to the Champions League clash against Olympiakos on the 17th. However Bordeaux has a cushion on top as Montpellier is still just tied with them on points and Bordeaux has two games in hand. Montpellier has won 6 of their last 7 games in their climb to the top and a win for them would only heighten the level of panic in the Bordeaux camp in this crucial two-week stretch. On the other hand, a Bordeaux win lengthens the gap at the top, allowing them to breathe easy in the face of constant top-flight competition.

Big Games in Small Leagues
10:00 ET Saturday (English Championship)
Nottingham Forest v Swansea City
Nottingham forest currently occupy third position in the Championship, just 5 points ahead of fourth-place Swansea City, who has a game in hand. Forest is a scant two points behind second-place West Bromwich Albion and the automatic qualifying spot. Still, both sides are fairly comfortably in position to participate in the playoff to make it into the Premier League. This will be a vital game in determining position in that all-important season ending playoff.

English Premier League
10:00 ET Saturday
(7) Arsenal v Burnley
West Ham v Bolton
12:30 ET Saturday
Wolverhampton v (4) Manchester United
11:00 ET Sunday
Everton v Hull City
15:00 ET Monday
Wigan v (22) Liverpool

English FA Cup Quarterfinals
7:30 ET Saturday
Portsmouth v Birmingham
12:20 ET Saturday
Fulham v (10) Tottenham Hotspur
8:45 ET Sunday
Reading v (25) Aston Villa
11:00 ET Sunday
(5) Chelsea v Stoke City

Scottish Premier League
10:00 ET Saturday
Rangers v St. Mirren
8:15 ET Sunday
Falkirk v Celtic

Spain’s La Liga
12:00 ET Saturday
Deportivo La Coruna v Tenerife
14:00 ET Saturday
Almeria v (1) Barcelona
16:00 ET Saturday
(2) Real Madrid v (21) Sevilla
11:00 ET Sunday
Espanyol v Villarreal
Malaga v Xerez
Mallorca v Sporting Gijon
Osasuna v Getafe
13:00 ET Sunday
Athletic Bilbao v Valladolid
15:00 ET Sunday
Real Zaragoza v Atletico Madrid
15:00 ET Monday
(14) Valencia v Racing Santander

Italy’s Serie A
12:00 ET Saturday
Fiorentina v Juventus
14:45 ET Saturday
(15) AS Roma v (6) AC Milan
9:00 ET Sunday
Atalanta v Udinese
Bari v Chievo Verona
Bologna v Napoli
Cagliari v Catania
Palermo v Livorno
Sampdoria v Lazio
Siena v Parma
14:45 ET Sunday
(2) Inter Milan v Genoa

German Bundesliga
9:30 ET Satuday
Eintracht Frankfurt v (13) Schalke 04
Cologne v (7) Bayern Munich
Hamburg SV v Hertha Berlin
Freiburg v Hannover 96
Wolfsburg v Bochum
Werder Bremen v Stuttgart
12:30 ET Saturday
Borussia Dortmund v Borussia Monchengladbach
9:30 ET Sunday
Nurnberg v (10) Bayer Leverkusen
11:30 ET Sunday
TSG Hoffenheim v Mainz

French Ligue 1
13:00 ET Saturday
AJ Auxerre v Valenciennes
Boulogne v (19) Lyon
Lens v Paris Saint-Germain
Nice v AS Nancy Lorriane
Sochaux v Toulouse
Stade Rennes v AS Monaco
15:00 ET Saturday
St. Etienne v Lille
11:00 ET Sunday
Grenoble v Le Mans
Marseille v Lorient
15:00 ET Sunday
(7) Bordeaux v (24) Montpellier

Dutch Eredivisie
12:45 ET Saturday
AZ Alkmaar v Heerenveen
14:45 ET Saturday
NAC Breda v (15) PSV Eindhoven
6:30 ET Sunday
Sparta Rotterdam v (19) Ajax Amsterdam
8:30 ET Sunday
RKC Waalwijk v (18) Twente Enschede

Portuguese Liga
12:00 ET Saturday
FC Porto v Olhanense
16:15 ET Saturday
Vitoria Setubal v (22) Braga
13:00 ET Sunday
Beleneses v Sporting Lisbon
15:15 ET Sunday
(15) Benfica v Pacos de Ferreira

Turkish Super League
7:00 ET Sunday
Besiktas v Akaraspor
12:00 ET Sunday
Fenerbahce v Antalyaspor
13:00 ET Monday
Eskisehirspor v Galatasaray

Greek Super League
12:00 ET Saturday
Larissa v AEK Athens
9:45 ET Sunday
Panathinaikos v Levadiakos
12:00 ET Sunday
Iraklis v Olympiakos

Ukrainian Premier League
8:00 ET Saturday
Illychivets Mariupil v Dynamo Kyiv
7:30 ET Sunday
Metalurh Donetsk v Shakhtar Donestk

Belgian Jupiler League
12:00 ET Saturday
Royal Charleroi v Anderlecht

Austrian Bundesliga
12:00 ET Saturday
Austria Vienna v LASK Linz
SK Sturm Graz v SV Josko Ried
SV Salzburg v FC Magna Wr. Neustadt
9:30 ET Sunday
Kapfenberg SV v Rapid Vienna

Danish Super League
11:00 ET Saturday
Midtjylland v Odense BK
12:00 ET Sunday
Copenhagen v Aarhus
13:00 ET Monday
Aalborg v Nordsjaelland

Swiss Super League
11:45 ET Saturday
FC Basel v Grasshoppers
10:00 ET Sunday
FC Zurich v Lucerne
Neuchatel Xamax v Young Boys

Weekend Soccer Preview

Another edition of the Weekend Soccer Preview! I added in teams I had ranked 26-40 here because really, can you ever have too many rankings?
As always, home team listed first, all times Eastern.

Games of the Week (Rankings from Poll)
7:45 ET Saturday (English Premier League)
(2) Chelsea v (13) Manchester City
This is yet another massive match-up for these top-tier English sides. Both squads are coming off of disappointing mid-week defeats, Manchester City to Stoke City in the FA Cup, and Chelsea at Inter Milan in the Champions League. Manchester City is currently in 5th place with 46 points, behind Tottenham only on goal differential with a game in hand. City will be fighting tooth and nail for that fourth Champions League spot and as Tottenham is being visited by recent giant killers Everton, this could be City’s chance to put some room between the two squads. On the other hand, Chelsea has the Premier League title on their minds as they lead idle Manchester United by a point with a game in hand. Chelsea will be using backup keeper Hilario for a month while Petr Cech recovers from a torn calf muscle from the Inter Milan match mid-week. This adds to the minor defensive crisis being experienced by Chelsea, as Ashley Cole and Yury Zhirkov are still sidelined by injuries. Florent Malouda is expected to continue filling in at left-back. Emmanuel Adebayor will be missing for Manchester City as he begins his four match ban for a red card received in the 5th round FA Cup replay with Stoke City. City will have Carlos Tevez back from his return to Argentina for the birth of his baby daughter. A lot of attention will be given to the pre-game handshake between John Terry and Wayne Bridge. I don’t want to give this controversy any more attention than it deserves, so just Google it if you have not heard of it before.
10:00 ET Sunday, Carling Cup Final
(4) Manchester United v (18) Aston Villa
Aston Villa has an opportunity to win their first major trophy in ten years as they take on Manchester United in the Carling Cup Final. The first-team squads will be out in force, including scorching hot Wayne Rooney for United, who will likely again be the lone striker in the 4-5-1/4-3-3 system being used by the Red Devils so much lately. The midfield will be Fletcher, Carrick, and Gibson or Scholes, or just Fletcher and Carrick if Sir Alex does go with the 4-4-2. Aston Villa will be coming out firing to capitalize on the rare chance for them to win some silverware but you can expect the proud United squad to go all out for it to get some more momentum right as European competition is heating up.

Other Games Between Two Ranked Teams
14:30 ET Friday (German Bundesliga)
(12) Schalke 04 2-1 (37) Borussia Dortmund
Goals by Benedikt Howedes and Ivan Rakitic sank visiting Borussia Dortmund after Dortmund took a lead with a Nuri Sahin penalty in the 47th. This result keeps Schalke in reach of the leaders and securely in a Champions League spot, as Dortmund remains in the final Europa League qualifying position.
9:00 ET Sunday (Italy’s Serie A)
(34) Napoli v (10) AS Roma
Napoli is coming off of a 4 game streak in which they have had three 0-0 draws, with a loss at Udinese in between. AS Roma has absolutely torn up Serie A in the past two months, on a remarkable 10 game win streak in Italian competition and 18 game unbeaten streak. The last time Roma lost to an Italian side was a 2-1 loss on October 18 at AC Milan. Roma and AC Milan have been making Serie A interesting for Inter Milan, as they sit 5 and 4 points behind the leaders respectively. Napoli is ten points back of Roma in 5th place, in a three way tie with Palermo and Sampdoria. They will want to hang on to their Europa League qualifying spot and every result matters at this point in the season.
11:30 ET Sunday (German Bundesliga)
(6) Bayern Munich v (31) Hamburg SV
Bayern Munich is in a deadlock with Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga, trailing by only a goal on goal differential. The leaders are only a point ahead of lurking Schalke 04 who won earlier on Friday and has a game in hand. Hamburg sits nine points back of Bayern Munich in 4th place and won the first meeting between the two clubs this year, a 1-0 victory at home back in September. Bayern’s 9 game Bundesliga win streak was snapped last weekend with a 1-1 draw at Nurnberg and will look to get back on track with a win to keep up with Leverkusen in the table.

Top of the Table Clashes
7:30 ET Sunday
(39) Rangers v Celtic
The historic Old Firm match-up strikes again for the third time this season after a 2-1 win for Rangers at home and a 1-1 draw at Celtic Park. This does not have the usual title implications as it usually has as Rangers is 7 points ahead of second place Celtic with a game in hand. However, if Celtic wants to make the miracle comeback this is by all means a must win match-up. Rangers keeper Allan McGregor is a doubt as he was involved in an incident last weekend where he suffered facial injuries. It is even throwing a doubt over his future Rangers career and may be enough of a distraction on and off the pitch to give Celtic a chance. On the other side, striker Robbie Keane will be making his first appearance in an Old Firm match for Celtic. No matter what the implications and expectations surrounding the game are, this match is always a thriller.
9:30 ET Sunday (Austrian Bundesliga)
Rapid Vienna v SV Salzburg
SV Salzburg is a scant three points ahead of second place Rapid Vienna in the Austrian Bundesliga. Salzburg is coming off of a disappointing two weeks that saw them knocked out of the Europa League 3-2 on aggregate to a solid Standard Liege squad from Belgium. Rapid Vienna has only taken 1 point from the last two games against LASK Linz and FC Magna Wr. Neustadt, who are both in the bottom four in the table. Salzburg has won both of their Austrian Bundesliga matches since the winter break and a win would do wonders to distance them from the competition and put them just one step closer to Champions League qualification.

Big Games in Small Leagues
9:30 ET Sunday (Austrian Bundesliga)
Rapid Vienna v SV Salzburg
12:00 ET Sunday
CFR Cluj v Steaua Bucuresti

English Premier League
7:45 ET Saturday
(2) Chelsea v (13) Manchester City
10:00 ET Saturday
Birmingham v Wigan
Bolton v Wolverhampton
Burnley v Portsmouth
12:30 ET Saturday
Stoke City v (9) Arsenal
8:00 ET Sunday
(15) Tottenham Hotspur v Everton
Tottenham will be the 9th top 6 team Everton has played in the past 14 games and the 6th in the past 8 games. In those last 5 games Everton has come away with a very impressive 10 points and is now 8th in the Premier League. Though it is unlikely that they will sneak into 7th place and a possible Europa League spot as they are 7 points behind Aston Villa, it is still encouraging for them to play such good soccer, giving them much needed momentum going into next season.
10:00 ET Sunday
(23) Liverpool v Blackburn
Sunderland v Fulham

Scottish Premier League
10:00 ET Saturday
Dundee United v Falkirk
Hibernian v St. Johnstone
7:30 ET Sunday
(39) Rangers v Celtic

Spain’s La Liga
12:00 ET Saturday
Getafe v Real Zaragoza
14:00 ET Saturday
Tenerife v (3) Real Madrid
16:00 ET Saturday
(1) Barcelona v Malaga
11:00 ET Sunday
Racing Santander v Almeria
Sporting Gijon v Osasuna
Valladolid v (29) Mallorca
Villarreal v Deportivo La Coruna
Xerez v Espanyol
13:00 ET Sunday
Sevilla v Athletic Bilbao
15:00 ET Sunday
Atletico Madrid v Valencia

Italy’s Serie A
12:00 ET Saturday
Catania v Bari
14:45 ET Saturday
Lazio v Fiorentina
9:00 ET Sunday
(8) AC Milan v Atalanta
Chievo Verona v Cagliari
Genoa v Bologna
Livorno v Siena
(34) Napoli v (10) AS Roma
Parma v Sampdoria
Udinese v (5) Inter Milan
14:45 ET Sunday
(32) Juventus v Palermo

German Bundesliga
14:30 ET Friday
(12) Schalke 04 v (37) Borussia Dortmund
9:30 ET Saturday
Borussia Monchengladbach v SC Freiburg
Hertha Berlin v TSG Hoffenheim
Mainz v Werder Bremen
VfB Stuttgart v Eintracht Frankfurt
VfL Bochum v Nurnberg
12:30 ET Saturday
(7) Bayer Leverkusen v FC Cologne
9:30 ET Sunday
Hannover 96 v VfL Wolfsburg
11:30 ET Sunday
(6) Bayern Munich v (31) Hamburg SV

French Ligue 1
13:00 ET Saturday
AS Monaco v Boulogne
AS Nancy Lorraine v Grenoble
Lorient v Sochaux
(16) Lyon v Nice
Toulouse v Lens
Valenciennes v St. Etienne
15:00 ET Saturday
(21) Montpellier v Stade Rennes
11:00 ET Sunday
Le Mans v (11) Bordeaux
(26) Lille v AJ Auxerre
15:00 ET Sunday
Paris Saint-Germain v (30) Marseille

Dutch Eredivisie
12:45 ET Saturday
Heerenveen v SC Heracles Almelo
13:45 ET Saturday
Vitesse Arnhem v AZ Alkmaar
6:30 ET Sunday
(25) Ajax Amsterdam v FC Utrecht
8:30 ET Sunday
(19) PSV Eindhoven v RKS Waalwijk
(24) Twente Enschede v NEC Nijmegen

Portuguese Liga
14:15 ET Saturday
(28) Braga v Olhanense
16:15 ET Saturday
Leixoes v (20) Benfica
15:15 ET Sunday
Sporting Lisbon v (17) FC Porto

Turkish Super League
12:00 ET Saturday
Kayserispor v Besiktas
8:00 ET Sunday
Istanbul Buyuksehir BSK v (35) Fenerbahce
12:00 ET Sunday
Galatasaray v Kasimpasa

Greek Super League
12:00 ET Saturday
AEK Athens v Ergotelis
9:45 ET Sunday
Olympiakos v Atromitos
12:00 ET Sunday
Panionios v (40) Panathinaikos

Ukrainian Premier League
8:00 ET Saturday
(38) Dynamo Kyiv v Krvybas
8:00 ET Sunday
Shakhtar Donetsk v Vorskla

Belgian Jupiler League
12:00 ET Sunday
St. Truiden v Club Brugge
14:30 ET Sunday
Roeselare v (36) Anderlecht

Austrian Bundesliga
13:30 ET Friday
SV Mattersburg v Austria Vienna
12:00 ET Saturday
LAK Linz v SK Sturm Graz
9:30 ET Sunday
Rapid Vienna v SV Salzburg

Swiss Super League
11:45 ET Saturday
Young Boys v FC Zurich
10:00 ET Sunday
Bellinzona v FC Basel

Premier League Preview

I have a mathematical ranking system devised for the English Premier League. The system is based solely on results so far in the English Premier League and it can both rank the teams and give predictions for future games. The system takes into account home and away advantages and gives each team an offensive and defensive rating that is used to determine the expected number of goals scored for both teams in the match. Soon I will probably give a more in depth look into how both the rankings are created and I will give a numerical value for all the rankings and offensive and defensive ratings. Those of you more interested in the statistical side of things may be interested to note that the scores follow a Poisson Distribution with mean based on the factors listed above.
For now, the ratings can be used for the most interesting thing, predicting match results! I will give the five most likely match outcomes along with the probability of win, draw, or loss for each team. As always, home team listed first! For a more comprehensive preview of this weekend’s action, check this post.

Everton v Manchester United
Most Likely Outcomes:
Everton 0-1 Manchester United, 11.86%
Everton 1-1 Manchester United, 11.25%
Everton 0-2 Manchester United, 10.28%
Everton 1-2 Manchester United, 9.75%
Everton 0-0 Manchester United, 6.84%

Result Probabilities:
Everton Win: 23.66%
Draw: 20.51%
Manchester United Win: 55.83%

Arsenal v Sunderland
Most Likely Outcomes:
Arsenal 3-0 Sunderland, 8.97%
Arsenal 4-0 Sunderland, 8.64%
Arsenal 3-1 Sunderland, 7.30%
Arsenal 4-1 Sunderland, 7.03%
Arsenal 2-0 Sunderland, 6.98%

Result Probabilities:
Arsenal Win: 88.81%
Draw: 7.19%
Sunderland Win: 4.01%

West Ham United v Hull City
Most Likely Outcome:
West Ham United 2-0 Hull City, 10.79%
West Ham United 1-0 Hull City, 10.22%
West Ham United 2-1 Hull City, 9.89%
West Ham United 1-1 Hull City, 9.38%
West Ham United 3-0 Hull City, 7.59%

Result Probabilities:
West Ham Win: 64.82%
Draw: 19.86%
Hull City Win: 15.32%

Wolverhampton v Chelsea
Most Likely Outcomes:
Wolverhampton 0-2 Chelsea, 16.53%
Wolverhampton 0-1 Chelsea, 16.50%
Wolverhampton 0-3 Chelsea, 11.04%
Wolverhampton 0-0 Chelsea, 8.24%
Wolverhampton 1-2 Chelsea, 8.15%

Probability that Wolverhampton scores no goals: 61.09%

Result Probabilities:
Wolverhampton Win: 8.03%
Draw: 18.61%
Chelsea Win: 73.36%

Portsmouth v Stoke City
Most Likely Outcomes:
Portsmouth 0-0 Stoke City, 16.96%
Portsmouth 0-1 Stoke City, 15.41%
Portsmouth 1-0 Stoke City, 14.68%
Portsmouth 1-1 Stoke City, 13.34%
Portsmouth 0-2 Stoke City, 7.00%

Result Probabilities:
Portsmouth Win: 32.24%
Draw: 33.16%
Stoke City Win: 34.60%

Blackburn v Bolton
Most Likely Outcomes:
Blackburn 1-1 Bolton, 11.91%
Blackburn 1-0 Bolton, 11.22%
Blackburn 2-1 Bolton, 9.46%
Blackburn 2-0 Bolton, 8.91%
Blackburn 0-1 Bolton, 7.50%

Result Probabilities:
Blackburn Win: 49.57%
Draw: 25.05%
Bolton Win: 25.38%

Aston Villa v Burnley
Most Likely Outcomes:
Aston Villa 2-0 Burnley, 18.06%
Aston Villa 1-0 Burnley, 17.90%
Aston Villa 3-0 Burnely, 12.14%
Aston Villa 0-0 Burnley, 8.87%
Aston Villa 2-1 Burnley, 7.31%

Probability of Burnley scoring no goals: 66.7%

Result Probabilities:
Aston Villa Win: 75.91%
Draw: 17.74%
Burnley: 6.35%

Fulham v Birmingham
Most Likely Outcomes:
Fulham 1-0 Birmingham, 20.49%
Fulham 0-0 Birmingham, 19.51%
Fulham 1-1 Birmingham, 11.97%
Fulham 0-1 Birmingham, 11.40%
Fulham 2-0 Birmingham, 10.76%

Result Probabilities:
Fulham Win: 46.35%
Draw: 33.45%
Birmingham Win: 20.21%

Manchester City v Liverpool
Most Likely Outcomes:
Manchester City 1-1 Liverpool, 11.32%
Manchester City 2-1 Liverpool, 8.74%
Manchester City 1-2 Liverpool, 8.03%
Manchester City 1-0 Liverpool, 7.98%
Manchester City 0-1 Liverpool, 7.34%

Result Probabilities:
Manchester City Win: 40.52%
Draw: 24.42%
Liverpool Win: 35.05%

Wigan v Tottenham
Most Likely Outcomes:
Wigan 0-2 Tottenham, 10.72%
Wigan 1-2 Tottenham, 9.77%
Wigan 0-1 Tottenham, 9.51%
Wigan 1-1 Tottenham, 8.67%
Wigan 0-3 Tottenham, 8.06%

Result Probabilities:
Wigan Win: 13.78%
Draw: 18.49%
Tottenham Win: 67.73%

Weekend Soccer Preview

Another edition of the Weekend Soccer Preview!
As always, home team listed first, all times Eastern.


Game of the Week (Rankings from Poll)
10:00 ET Sunday (English Premier League)
(15) Manchester City v (25) Liverpool
Manchesester City currently sit in fourth place in the league, occupying the final Champions League qualifying spot. Liverpool is a scant point behind them but City has a game in hand. Both Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa hot on both team’s tails, just one and two points behind Liverpool respectively. Liverpool have come a long way since their early-season struggles and are coming off of a 1-0 win over Unirea Urziceni mid-week, a game in which they dominated everywhere except the scoreboard. Manchester City are coming off of a disappointing three-game stretch in which they lost at Hull City, beat Bolton, and drew at Stoke City. Manchester City is dead-set on Champions League qualification and Liverpool simply needs it financially, and this match will be a deciding factor in who will be the successful squad come season’s end. However, this is not the view of Liverpool midfielder Javier Mascherano, who says “I think it’s an important game but if any team lost, nothing will happen…it will decide nothing.” Quite frankly I think this is a stupid opinion for any player to have in any game. Liverpool may effectively drop 7 points back of Manchester City when the game in hand is taken into account, which is absolutely no small margin, given that Liverpool still has a visit to Manchester United and a visit from Chelsea on the schedule. Hopefully for Liverpool, Mascherano’s teammates do not share his view.

Other Game to Watch
7:45 ET Saturday (English Premier League)
Everton v (4) Manchester United
This is yet another huge game early in 2010 for Everton. Already this calendar year they have faced Arsenal, Manchester City, Liverpool, and Chelsea, not to mention a visit from Portugal’s Sporting Lisbon. In those games Everton has taken 7 league points and scored a 2-1 victory over Sporting mid-week, which is an incredible run for the team. They are more or less out of contention for a European spot this season but they have invaluable momentum building up for next year and the remainder of their European campaign this season. A big factor of Everton’s success as of late has been the play of American import Landon Donovan, who has arguably been their best player since he has arrived. This match will serve as yet another test for Donovan and company before a mid-week trip to Portugal to meet Sporting Lisbon in the second leg of their Round of 32 Europa League clash. However, Manchester United has been hot lately as well, coming off of an impressive 3-2 win at AC Milan in the Champions League as well as an unbeaten Premier League streak dating to December 2009. Keep an eye on the Landon Donovan-Patrice Evra match-up.

Top of the Table Clashes
15:15 ET Sunday
FC Porto v (22) Braga
This is a match-up of 2 (Braga) and 3 (Porto) in the Portuguese Liga table, though Braga is 8 points ahead of Porto. Braga is one of the hottest teams in Europe right now, riding a 6 game win streak including victories over Nacional and Sporting Lisbon. On the other hand Porto is coming off of a great 2-1 win against Arsenal in the Champions League mid-week and will be a tough team to stop.

Big Games in Small Leagues
12:00 ET Sunday (Turkish Super League)
Besiktas v Galatasaray
13:00 ET Monday (Turkish Super League)
Fenerbahce v Bursaspor
This weekend gives a couple match-ups at the top of the Turkish Super League table. First we have Besiktas (5th) hosting Galatasaray (2nd) and then Fenerbahce (1st) hosting Bursaspor (3rd). All in all the teams are separated by only 7 points in the table, with just 2 separating Fenerbahce and Galatasaray at the top. Only the top two teams are able to qualify for the Champions League while the next two go to the Europa League, so these are two huge matches in the Turkish League season.
10:00 ET Sunday (Belgian Jupiler League)
Club Brugge v Standard Liege
Club Brugge is in second in the league, 9 points behind fourth place Standard Liege. Standard Liege is 4 points behind 3rd place KAA Gent and the coveted Europa League spot, and a win here would do wonders for their chances of qualifying for that competition.

English Premier League
7:45 ET Saturday
Everton v (4) Manchester United
10:00 ET Saturday
(9) Arsenal v Sunderland
West Ham v Hull City
Wolverhampton Wanderers v (3) Chelsea
12:15 ET Saturday
Portsmouth v Stoke City
7:00 ET Sunday
Blackburn Rovers v Bolton Wanderers
9:00 ET Sunday
(20) Aston Villa v Burnley
10:00 ET Sunday
Fulham v Birmingham
(15) Manchester City v (25) Liverpool
11:15 ET Sunday
Wigan v (17) Tottenham Hotspur

Scottish Premier League
7:45 ET Saturday
St. Johnsone v Rangers
10:00 ET Saturday
Celtic v Dundee United

Spain’s La Liga
12:00 ET Saturday
Deportivo La Coruna v Xerez
14:00 ET Saturday
(1) Barcelona v Racing Santander
16:00 ET Saturday
Mallorca v (24) Sevilla
11:00 ET Sunday
Athletic Bilbao v Tenerife
Malaga v Espanyol
Osasuna v Valladolid
Real Zaragoza v Sporting Gijon
13:00 ET Sunday
Almeria v Atletico Madrid
15:00 ET Sunday
(2) Real Madrid v Villarreal
15:00 ET Monday
(14) Valencia v Getafe

Italy’s Serie A
12:00 ET Saturday
Genoa v Udinese
14:45 ET Saturday
(5) Inter Milan v Sampdoria
9:00 ET Sunday
(10) AS Roma v Catania
Atalanta v Chievo Verona
Bologna v Juventus
Cagliari v Parma
Fiorentina v Livorno
Palermo v Lazio
Siena v Napoli
14:45 ET Sunday
Bari v (8) AC Milan

German Bundesliga
14:30 ET Friday
TSG Hoffenheim v Borussia Monchengladbach
9:30 ET Saturday
Borussia Dortmund v Hannover 96
FC Cologne v VfB Stuttgart
Hamburg SV v Eintracht Frankfurt
Mainz v VfL Bochum
Nurnberg v (7) Bayern Munich
9:30 ET Sunday
SC Freiburg v Hertha Berlin
11:30 ET Sunday
VfL Wolfsburg v (11) Schalke 04
Werder Bremen v (6) Bayer Leverkusen

French Ligue 1
13:00 ET Saturday
Boulogne v Le Mans
Grenoble v Valenciennes
Lens v AS Monaco
Nice v Lorient
St. Etienne v Montpellier
15:00 ET Saturday
Paris Saint-Germain v Toulouse
11:00 ET Sunday
Marseille v AS Nancy Lorraine
Sochaux v (21) Lyon
15:00 ET Sunday
Stade Rennes v Lille

Dutch Eredivisie
13:45 ET Saturday
RKS Waalwijk v Heerenveen
VVV Venlo v AZ Alkmaar
8:30 ET Sunday
Ajax Amsterdam v Vitesse Arnhem
PSV Eindhoven v Sparta Rotterdam
Twente Enschede v Willem II Tilburg

Portuguese Liga
15:15 ET Friday
Maritimo v Nacional
16:15 ET Saturday
Olhanense v Sporting Lisbon
15:15 ET Sunday
FC Porto v (22) Braga

Turkish Super League
12:00 ET Sunday
Besiktas v Galatasaray
13:00 ET Monday
Fenerbahce v Bursaspor

Greek Super League
12:00 ET Saturday
Ergotelis v Olympiakos
9:45 ET Sunday
AEK Athens v Aris Salonika
12:00 ET Sunday
PAOK Salonika v Panathinaikos

Belgian Jupiler League
14:00 ET Saturday
KAA Gent v St. Truiden
10:00 ET Sunday
Club Brugge v Standard Liege
12:00 ET Sunday
Anderlecht v KV Mechelen

Austrian Bundesliga
13:30 ET Friday
FC Magna Wr. Neustadt v Rapid Vienna
12:00 ET Saturday
Austria Vienna v FC Karnten
SK Sturm Graz v SV Mattersburg
9:30 ET Sunday
SV Salzburg v LASK Linz

Swiss Super League
11:45 ET Saturday
FC Basel v FC Aarau
FC Zurich v Grasshoppers

Northern Irish Premiership
10:00 ET Saturday
Glenavon v Glentoran
Institute v Crusaders
Linfield v Dungannon Swifts

Welsh Premier League
9:30 ET Saturday
Newtown v TNS
9:30 ET Sunday
Bala Town v Llanelli

Weekend Soccer Preview

First off, I owe everyone an apology for no rankings last weekend! That pesky little thing called school once again reared its ugly head and I was slightly under the weather. I have modified the most recent rankings slightly to reflect the games of the past weekend and mid-week. They are what I predict would have been the rankings had we done them!

1. Barcelona	2. Chelsea	3. Real Madrid	4. Manchester United	5. Inter Milan
6. AC Milan	7. Bayern Munich	8. Arsenal	9. Bordeaux	10. Bayer Leverkusen
11. Valencia	12. Manchester City	13. AS Roma	14. Liverpool	15. Tottenham Hotspur
16. PSV Eindhoven	17. Ajax Amsterdam	18. Twente Enschede	19. Schalke 04	20. Aston Villa
21. Benfica	22. Mallorca	23. Napoli	24. Montpellier	25. Landon Donovan

Like I said, these are somewhat thrown-together rankings. There were an incredible amount of losses in the top 30+ so it is near impossible to decide who deserves to be ranked.

Game of the Week
14:45 ET Sunday
(23) Napoli v (5) Inter Milan
This is the only match up between ranked teams this week in European football. Inter Milan effectively has a choke hold on Serie A, with a 9 point lead over second place AS Roma, and a 15 point lead over Napoli, who sits in 4th place. This is still an important match for Napoli because while they have no hope of taking part in the title race, they will want to remain in a Champions League spot. This would finish the incredible rise of Napoli, who was in Serie C as recently as 2006. Still, this will be a tough task for Napoli. Inter Milan has not lost since a 2-1 defeat at Juventus on December 5.

Big Games in Small Leagues
10:00 ET Saturday (English Conference)
Rushden & Diamonds v Stevenage Borough
Stevenage Borough is currently on top of the Conference with 63 points. Rushden and Diamonds are 11 points back in third with a game in hand. The Conference is the highest non-league level in English football, so promotion from this level is very prestigious for these teams. The first place team is automatically promoted while the second through fifth placed teams compete in a playoff for promotion. This game is vital for both squads as they look to become a part of the Football League in England.
14:30 ET Sunday (Belgian Jupiler League)
KAA Gent v Club Brugge
KAA Gent and Club Brugge are in a battle for the second Champions League spot out of Belgium. Anderlecht is solidly in first place, 8 points ahead of second-place Club Brugge and 13 points ahead of third-place Gent. A win for Gent would pull them within two points of Brugge and the lucrative second Champions League spot, while a win for Brugge would go a long way to ensuring their spot in Europe's premier club competition. In the first meeting of the season, Club Brugge came away with a 1-0 at home over KAA Gent.

England’s FA Cup (Round 5)
7:00 ET Saturday
(2) Chelsea v Cardiff City
7:30 ET Saturday
Southhampton v Portsmouth
10:00 ET Saturday
Derby County v Birmingham
Reading v West Ham
12:15 ET Saturday
(12) Manchester City v Stoke City
8:30 ET Sunday
Bolton Wanderers v (15) Tottenham Hotspur
10:00 ET Sunday
Fulham v Notts County
10:45 ET Sunday
Crystal Palace v (20) Aston Villa

Scottish Premier League
7:30 ET Saturday
Aberdeen v Celtic
8:30 ET Sunday
Rangers v Hibernian

Spain’s La Liga
12:00 ET Saturday
Sporting Gijon v (11) Valencia
14:00 ET Saturday
Xerex v (3) Real Madrid
16:00 ET Saturday
Villarreal v Athletic Bilbao
11:00 ET Sunday
Espanyol v Deportivo La Coruna
13:00 ET Sunday
Sevilla FC v Osasuna
15:00 ET Sunday
Atletico Madrid v (1) Barcelona
15:00 ET Monday
Tenerife v (22) Mallorca

Italy’s Serie A
14:45 ET Friday
(6) AC Milan v Udinese
12:00 ET Saturday
(13) AS Roma v Palermo
14:45 ET Saturday
Sampdoria v Fiorentina
9:00 ET Sunday
Juventus v Genoa
Parma v Lazio
14:45 ET Sunday
(23) Napoli v (5) Inter Milan

German Bundesliga
9:30 ET Saturday
(10) Bayer Leverkusen v Wolfsburg
Hannover 96 v Werder Bremen
Stuttgart v Hamburg SV
12:30 ET Saturday
(7) Bayern Munich v Borussia Dortmund
9:30 ET Sunday
(19) Schalke 04 v FC Cologne

France’s Ligue 1
13:00 ET Saturday
AS Monaco v Marseille
Lille v Boulogne
(24) Montpellier v Grenoble
15:00 ET Saturday
Lyon v Lens
15:00 ET Sunday
(9) Bordeaux v St. Etienne

Dutch Eredivisie
12:45 ET Saturday
Vitesse Arnhem v (18) Twente Enschede
13:45 ET Saturday
Heerenveen v (17) Ajax Amsterdam
14:45 ET Saturday
AZ Alkmaar v Roda JC Kerkrade
8:30 ET Sunday
SC Heracles Almelo v (16) PSV Eindhoven

Portuguese Liga15:15 ET Friday
Pacos de Ferreira v Sporting Lisbon
12:00 ET Saturday
(21) Benfica v Beleneses
16:15 ET Saturday
Leixoes v FC Porto
13:00 ET Sunday
Braga v Maritimo

Turkish Super League
12:00 ET Saturday
Gaziantepspor v Besiktas
12:00 ET Sunday
Manisaspor v Fenerbahce

Greek Super League
9:45 ET Sunday
Panathinaikos v Kavala
12:00 ET Sunday
Asteras Tripoli v Olympiakos

Belgian Jupiler League
12:00 ET Saturday
Royal Charleroi SC v Anderlecht
12:00 ET Sunday
Standard Liege v KVC Westerlo
14:30 ET Sunday
KAA Gent v Club Brugge

Austrian Bundesliga
12:00 ET Saturday
Austria Vienna v Kapfenberg SV
SV Josko Ried v SV Salzburg
9:30 ET Sunday
FC Karnten v SK Sturm Graz

Swiss Super League
11:45 ET Saturday
Young Boys v Lucerne
10:00 ET Sunday
FC Sion Sitten v FC Zurich
Neuchatel Xamax v FC Basel

Weekend Soccer Preview

Another edition of the Weekend Soccer Preview! And it's a day early this time! I put in some new special features this week, such as the "Big Games in Small Leagues" and predictions for every Premier League fixture along with other important matches. Hope you enjoy!
As always, home team listed first, all times Eastern.

Game of the Week (Rankings from Poll)
11:00 ET Sunday
(2) Chelsea v (7) Arsenal
This is an absolutely massive match for both teams on Sunday. Chelsea leads the league with 55 points, 2 ahead of Manchester United and 6 ahead of Arsenal. A loss or draw for Chelsea would likely mean that United would take the lead or pull even in the table as United has a fairly easy test at home against Portsmouth this weekend. Arsenal is coming off of a brutal 3-1 defeat at home to Manchester United and needs a win here to seriously remain in title contention. Two defeats in a row, even if they are against the top two teams in the league, will be crippling for the morale of the young squad. Manager Arsene Wenger said that “It is a massive blow and a massive disappointment. We need something special now to stay in the race, of course. I am conscious of that. But we have to recover, that is part of top-level football.” Unfortunately Stamford Bridge is not an ideal location for recovering. Chelsea is undefeated in 12 games at the Bridge with just one draw.
Prediction: Chelsea 2-1 Arsenal. Chelsea is too good and will not be happy coming off of a mid-week draw against bottom-dwellers Hull City.

Other Games Between Two Ranked Teams
10:30 ET Sunday
(20) Ajax Amsterdam v (15) Twente Enschede
Twente is currently tied atop the Eredivisie with 55 points from 21 games, 9 points ahead of third place Ajax. Twente and PSV Eindhoven have both compiled astounding 17-4-0 records in the league so far this season. Ajax will be looking to challenge that with their own impressive 9-1-0 home record and incredible +43 goal differential from 21 games. Ajax is coming off of a ho-hum 4-0 win over Roda JC Kerkrade mid-week, the 10th time they have scored 4+ goals this season. No big deal. Luis Suarez leads the formidable Ajax attack with 18 goals on the season. Still, Twente is a solid 9 points ahead of Ajax and a win might all but end Ajax’s hopes of comeback this season. Twente won the only other meeting of the teams this season, 1-0 at home.
Prediction: Ajax 2-1 Twente, ending the unbeaten season for Twente and keeping Ajax alive.
14:45 ET Sunday
(T25) Fiorentina v (14) AS Roma
To be frank, I’m not sure how Fiorentina is still ranked in this poll. I suppose it’s because Blaine put them in 24th in his rankings, giving them the 2 points necessary to crack the top 25. No matter what the reason, Fiorentina sits back in 11th in Serie A and has been in a free-fall for some time now. In their last three matches, they have lost 2-1 at home against Bologna, 3-0 at Palermo, and drawn Cagliari 2-2 on the road. AS Roma, on the other hand, has not lost since October 28. Expect those trends to continue this weekend as AS Roma easily handles Fiorentina.
Prediction: Fiorentina 0-2 AS Roma

Top of the Table Clashes
10:00 ET Sunday (Swiss Super League)
FC Basel v Young Boys
Almost a bit of a stretch for a “Top of the Table Clash” as Young Boys holds a 7 point lead on second place Basel halfway through the season. Thus far Young Boys has won both matches against Basel on the season, 2-1 at Basel and 2-0 at home. The leading scorer in the league comes from Young Boys, Seydou Doumbia with 17 goals in just 14 games played. Basel is led by Marco Streller and Alexander Frei with 11 goals each. Basel is coming off of European disappointment, as they were knocked out of the Europa League after a 3-2 loss to Fulham at home on the final match day. A win in this match would be a huge pick-me-up for Basel and keep them in the title race for the rest of the season.
Prediction: FC Basel 1-1 Young Boys

Big Games in Small Leagues
14:45 ET Friday (English League Championship)
Newcastle United v Cardiff City
Newcastle looks to continue its march back to the Premier League. The Magpies lead the English League Championship by 3 points over West Brom with one less game played a little over halfway through the season. Cardiff City sits back in 4th, 11 points off of Newcastle and hanging onto a playoff spot. The top four teams in the Championship all have better than +22 goal differentials (Newcastle +26, Cardiff City +22), while the only other team above +10 is Leicester City at +12. In any event, Newcastle won the first meeting of the season between the two sides, a 1-0 win in Cardiff. Newcastle recently tumbled out of the FA Cup with a 4-2 loss at fellow Championship side West Brom so they will now be entirely focused on making it back to the Premiership.
Prediction: Newcastle United 1-0 Cardiff City
10:00 ET Saturday (Northern Irish Premiership)
Glentoran v Crusaders
Glentoran and Crusaders are currently tied for second place in the Northern Irish Premiership on 43 points. Crusaders have currently played one more game so a win here would bring them truly even with Glentoran in the league. The squads are both 3 points behind leaders Cliftonville, who has played even one game less than Glentoran. Darn those uneven schedules in Northern Ireland! Crusaders hold the edge thus far in the season with a 1-0 win at Glentoran and a 1-1 draw at home. In related news, teams from the Northern Irish Premiership went 0-1-7 in European competition this season, with the only draw being a 1-1 match at home for Crusaders against Macedonian side Rabotnicki. In those eight matches, the Northern Irish team was outscored by a total of 33-4. Ouch.
Prediction: Glentoran 2-2 Crusaders
10:00 ET Sunday (Swiss Super League)
FC Basel v Young Boys

English Premier League
7:45 ET Saturday
Liverpool v Everton
The always entertaining but good-natured Merseyside derby will have a big impact on both clubs’ European aspirations for next year.
Prediction: Liverpool 2-0 Everton
10:00 ET Saturday
Bolton v Fulham
Prediction: Bolton 1-1 Fulham
Burnley v West Ham
Prediction: Burnley 1-1 West Ham
Hull City v (13) Manchester City
Prediction: Hull City 1-1 Manchester City
(5) Manchester United v Portsmouth
Prediction: Wayne Rooney 2-0 Portsmouth. However, Manchester United will win 3-0.
Stoke City v Blackburn Rovers
Prediction: Stoke City 1-0 Blackburn Rovers
Sunderland v Wigan
Prediction: Sunderland 2-0 Wigan
12:30 ET Saturday
(T11) Tottenham Hotspur v Aston Villa
Prediction: Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 Aston Villa. Spurs hang on to their Champions League spot for one more week.
8:30 ET Sunday
Birmingham v Wolverhampton Wanderers
Prediction: Birmingham 1-0 Wolverhampton
11:00 ET Sunday
(2) Chelsea v (7) Arsenal

Spain’s La Liga
12:00 ET Saturday
(T11) Valencia v Valladolid
14:00 ET Saturday
(1) Barcelona v Getafe
16:00 ET Saturday
(T3) Real Madrid v Espanyol
11:00 ET Sunday
Athletic Bilbao v Xerez
Malaga v Deportivo La Coruna
Mallorca v Villarreal
13:00 ET Sunday
Real Zaragoza v (T21) Sevilla FC
15:00 ET Sunday
Racing Santander v Athletico Madrid

Italy’s Serie A
12:00 ET Saturday
Palermo v Parma
14:45 ET Saturday
Livorno v Juventus
9:00 ET Sunday
Bologna v (6) AC Milan
Genoa v Chievo Verona
(T3) Inter Milan v Cagliari
Lazio v Catania
Siena v Sampdoria
Udinese v (23) Napoli
14:45 ET Sunday
(T25) Fiorentina v (14) AS Roma

German Bundesliga
14:30 ET Friday
Werder Bremen v Hertha Berlin
Prediction: Werder Bremen 3-0 Hertha Berlin
9:30 ET Saturday
FC Cologne v Hamburg SV
SC Freiburg v (16) Schalke 04
TSG Hoffenheim v Hannover 96
VfL Bochum v (9) Bayer Leverkusen
VfL Wolfsburg v (10) Bayern Munich
Prediction: Wolfsburg 0-2 Bayern Munich
12:30 ET Saturday
Nurnberg v VfB Stuttgart
11:30 ET Sunday
Borussia Dortmund v Eintracht Frankfurt

French Ligue 1
13:00 ET Saturday
Boulogne v (T25) Montpellier
Grenoble v AJ Auxerre
Nice v Lille
Paris Saint-Germain v Lorient
15:00 ET Saturday
Stade Rennes v (8) Bordeaux
11:00 ET Sunday
St. Etienne v AS Monaco
Toulouse v (24) Lyon
Prediction: Toulouse 1-1 Lyon
15:00 ET Sunday
Marseille v Valenciennes

Dutch Eredivisie
12:45 ET Saturday
(17) PSV Eindhoven v ADO Den Haag
13:45 ET Saturday
Heerenveen v FC Utrecht
8:30 ET Sunday
Feyenoord Rotterdam v AZ Alkmaar
10:30 ET Sunday
(20) Ajax Amsterdam v (15) Twente Enschede

Portuguese Liga
14:15 ET Saturday
Sporting Lisbon v Academica de Coimbra
16:15 ET Saturday
Vitoria Setubal v (19) Benfica
15:15 ET Sunday
FC Porto v Naval 1 Maio
15:15 ET Monday
Beleneses v (T21) Braga

Turkish Super League
13:00 ET Friday
Besiktas v Genclerbirligi
12:00 ET Saturday
Kayserispor v Galatasaray
12:00 ET Sunday
Fenerbahce v Diyarbakirspor

Greek Super League
12:00 ET Saturday
AEK Athens v FC Xanthi
9:45 ET Sunday
Olympiakos v Levadiakos
12:00 ET Sunday
Larissa v Panathinaikos

Belgian Jupiler League
14:00 ET Saturday
Anderlecht v St. Truiden
12:00 ET Sunday
Zulte-Waregem v Club Brugge
14:30 ET Sunday
Racing Genk v Standard Liege

Swiss Super League
10:00 ET Sunday
FC Basel v Young Boys

Northern Irish Premiership
10:00 ET Saturday
Glentoran v Crusaders

Weekend Soccer Preview

Another edition of the Weekend Soccer Preview!
As always, home team listed first, all times Eastern. Click on the league name to see the league table.

Game of the Week (Rankings from Poll)
11:00 ET Sunday (English Premier League)
(7) Arsenal v (T5) Manchester United
This is a massive match of two of the top three teams in what has turned into a three-horse race in the English Premier League. Manchester United is a point off Chelsea in second, while Arsenal is just one back of United in third. Manchester United will likely go with the 4-5-1/4-3-3 once again with Nani (or Park Ji-Sung), Antonio Valencia, and Wayne Rooney up top to offer pace and the high-performing Darren Fletcher-Michael Carrick-Anderson combination behind them in the midfield. Sir Alex Ferguson has stated that this is a vitally important match for United so expect them to come out attacking, and if there are goals early it will be a high-flying game that will be a thrill for all fans to watch.
16:00 ET Saturday (Spain’s La Liga)
(T21) Deportivo La Coruna v (4) Real Madrid
Real Madrid sits in 2nd and Deportivo La Coruna in 5th in La Liga, 5 and 15 points respectively behind leaders Barcelona. Deportivo is in a tight battle with Mallorca and Sevilla for 4th place and a Champions League spot as the three are separated by a mere point. Real Madrid will be without superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, who was given a 2-match ban after he was sent off for elbowing Patrick Mtiliga in the face against Malaga last weekend. That will hamper Madrid’s attempt to win for the first time at Deportivo La Coruna since 91-92, according to club legend Fran who claims, “I think it would be difficult with Cristiano (In Madrid’s team), but if he doesn’t play then the curse will continue; they will go away empty-handed once more. I have faith in Depor.” Madrid will also be without Pepe, top scorer Gonzalo Higuain, Rafael Van Der Vaart, Mahamadou Diarra and Fernando Gago.
Prediction: Deportivo La Coruna 2-2 Real Madrid

English Premier League
10:00 ET Saturday
Birmingham v (T11) Tottenham Hotspur
Prediction: Birmingham 0-1 Tottenham Hotspur
Fulham v (18) Aston Villa
Prediction: Fulham 0-0 Aston Villa
Hull City v Wolverhampton Wanderers
Prediction: Hull City 1-0 Wolverhampton Wanderers
Liverpool v Bolton
Prediction: Liverpool 3-0 Bolton
West Ham United v Blackburn Rovers
Prediction: West Ham United 2-1 Blackburn Rovers
Wigan v Everton
Prediction: Wigan 1-2 Everton
12:30 ET Saturday
Burnley v (2) Chelsea
Prediction: Burnley 0-2 Chelsea
8:30 ET Sunday
(T13) Manchester City v Portsmouth
Prediction: Manchester City 3-0 Portsmouth
11:00 ET Sunday
(7) Arsenal v (T5) Manchester United
Prediction: Arsenal 1-2 Manchester United

Scottish Premier League
7:30 ET Saturday
Hamilton Academical v Celtic
10:00 ET Saturday
Rangers v Falkirk

Spain’s La Liga
12:00 ET Saturday
Espanyol v Athletic Bilbao
14:00 ET Saturday
Sporting Gijon v (1) Barcelona
16:00 ET Saturday
(T21) Deportivo La Coruna v (4) Real Madrid
11:00 ET Sunday
Villarreal v Osasuna
Xerez v Mallorca
13:00 ET Sunday
Atletico Madrid v Malaga
15:00 ET Sunday
Sevilla FC v (9) Valencia

Italy’s Serie A
14:45 ET Saturday
(T21) Napoli v Genoa
9:00 ET Sunday
(T5) AC Milan v Livorno
(16) AS Roma v Siena
Cagliari v Fiorentina
Parma v (3) Inter Milan
14:45 ET Sunday
Juventus v Lazio

German Bundesliga
14:30 ET Friday
Hamburg SV v VfL Wolfsburg
9:30 ET Saturday
(T11) Bayern Munich v Mainz
Borussia Monchengladbach v Werder Bremen
(17) Schalke 04 v TSG Hoffenheim
9:30 ET Sunday
VfB Stuttgart v Borussia Dortmund
11:30 ET Sunday
(10) Bayer Leverkusen v SC Freiburg

French Ligue 1
13:00 ET Saturday
(8) Bordeaux v Boulogne
Le Mans v Toulouse
Lille v Lens
15:00 ET Saturday
Montpellier v (24) Marseille
11:00 ET Sunday
AJ Auxerre v St. Etienne
15:00 ET Sunday
(25) Lyon v Paris Saint-Germain

Dutch Eredivisie
13:45 ET Saturday
AZ Alkmaar v FC Groningen
14:45 ET Saturday
ADO Den Haag v Heerenveen
6:30 ET Sunday
Feyenoord Rotterdam v (19) Ajax Amsterdam
8:30 ET Sunday
(15) Twente Enschede v Roda JC Kerkrade
Vitetsse Arnhem v (T13) PSV Eindhoven

Portuguese Liga
15:45 ET Friday
(21) Braga v Sporting Lisbon
12:00 ET Saturday
CD Nacional de Madeira v FC Porto
14:15 ET Saturday
(20) Benfica v Guimaraes

Turkish Super League
13:00 ET Friday
Antalyaspor v Besiktas
8:00 ET Sunday
Sivasspor v Fenerbahce
12:00 ET Sunday
Denizlispor v Galatasaray

Greek Super League
9:45 ET Sunday
Panionios v Olympiakos
12:00 ET Sunday
Panathinaikos v AEK Athens

Belgian Jupiler League
14:30 ET Friday
Germinal Beerschot v Anderlecht
14:30 ET Sunday
Standard Liege v KV Kortrijk

African Cup of Nations
In the semi-finals, Egypt embarrassed eight-man Algeria 4-0 and Ghana squeaked by a tough Nigerian team 1-0. Egypt and Ghana will meet up in the finals at 11:00 ET on Sunday.

Weekend Soccer Preview

Another edition of the Weekend Soccer Preview!
As always, home team listed first, all times Eastern.

Game of the Week (Rankings from Poll)
14:45 ET Sunday
(3) Inter Milan v (T5) AC Milan
14:45 ET Saturday
(21) Juventus v (T19) AS Roma
This is a match-up of two teams going in different directions in the Serie A table. Juventus has been dropping points left and right lately, and sit in 5th with 33 points, 2 behind AS Roma who is in 3rd. Roma is still 12 points behind leaders Inter but has not lost in Serie A since late October.

Top of the Table Clashes
14:45 ET Sunday
(3) Inter Milan v (T5) AC Milan
AC Milan sits in second place in Serie A, only 6 points behind Inter Milan with a game in hand. A win in the Milan derby for AC would effectively pull them into a tie with Inter for first place. Inter won the first match 4-0 when AC Milan was the “home” team, and another win for Inter would go a long way to continuing their stranglehold on the Serie A title.

English Premier League
10:00 ET Saturday
(7) Manchester United v Hull City
The only Premier League match of the day is between two teams who lost in Round 3 of the FA Cup and thus have nothing better to do this weekend.

English FA Cup (Round 4)
All matches of the round are shown.
7:45 ET Saturday
Preston North End v (2) Chelsea
Reading v Burnley
10:00 ET Saturday
Accrington Stanley v Fulham
Aston Villa v Brighton
Bolton Wanderers v Sheffield United
Cardiff City v Leicester City
Derby County v Doncaster Rovers
Everton v Birmingham
Notts County v Wigan Athletic
Portsmouth v Sunderland
Southhampton v Ipswich Town
West Bromwich Albion v Newcastle United
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Crystal Palace
12:15 ET Saturday
(T10) Tottenham Hotspur v Leeds United
8:30 ET Sunday
Stoke City v (T5) Arsenal
11:00 ET Sunday
Scunthorpe United v (15) Manchester City

Scottish Premier League
7:30 ET Saturday
Motherwell v St. Mirren
10:00 ET Saturday
Rangers v Heart of Midlothian
10:30 ET Sunday
St. Johnstone v Celtic

Spain’s La Liga
12:00 ET Saturday
Sevilla FC v Almeria
14:00 ET Saturday
Valladolid v (1) Barcelona
16:00 ET Saturday
Deportivo La Coruna v Athletic Bilbao
11:00 ET Sunday
Tenerife v (9) Valencia
Villarreal v Real Zaragoza
13:00 ET Sunday
Getafe v Atletico Madrid
15:00 ET Sunday
(4) Real Madrid v Malaga

Italy’s Serie A
14:45 ET Saturday
(21) Juventus v (T19) AS Roma
9:00 ET Sunday
Livorno v (T24) Napoli
Palermo v (T22) Fiorentina
14:45 ET Sunday
(3) Inter Milan v (T5) AC Milan

German Bundesliga
14:30 ET Friday
Freiburg v VfB Stuttgart
9:30 ET Saturday
VfL Bochum v (T12) Schalke 04
Werder Bremen v (T12) Bayern Munich
12:30 ET Saturday
Borussia Dortmund v Hamburg SV
9:30 ET Sunday
Wolfsburg v Cologne
11:30 ET Sunday
TSG Hoffenheim v (10) Bayer Leverkusen

Dutch Eredivisie
14:45 ET Friday
(16) PSV Eindhoven v NEC Nijmegen
13:45 ET Saturday
Heerenveen v Willem II Tilburg
6:30 ET Sunday
(18) Ajax Amsterdam v AZ Alkmaar
8:30 ET Sunday
FC Groningen v (14) Twente Enschede
VVV Venlo v Feyenoord Rotterdam

Turkish Super League
13:00 ET Friday
Fenerbahce v Denizlispor
12:00 ET Saturday
Besiktas v Istanbul Buyuksehir BSK
12:00 ET Sunday
Galatasaray v Gaziantepspor

Greek Super League
9:45 ET Sunday
Aris Salonika v Panathinaikos
12:00 ET Sunday
Olympiakos v PAOK Salonika

Belgian Jupiler League
12:00 ET Sunday
KV Mechelen v Standard Liege
14:30 ET Sunday
Racing Genk v Club Brugge

African Cup of Nations Quarterfinals
Sunday January 24
Angola v Ghana
Cote d’Ivoire v Algeria
Monday January 25
Zambia v Nigeria
Egypt v Cameroon

The Angola/Ghana winner will face the Zambia/Nigeria winner in one semifinal, while the Cote d’Ivoire/Algeria winner faces the Egypt/Cameroon winner in the other semifinal. Thus far the leading goal scorers are Flavio of Angola and Seydou Keita of Mali, each with 3 goals.

Weekend Soccer Preview

Another edition of the Weekend Soccer Preview! Almost all leagues are off for their Christmas break, with just Great Britain and Belgium still in action for the weekend and following week. Most importantly, a MERRY CHRISTMAS to everybody!!!!

As always, home team listed first, all times Eastern.

Game of the Week (Rankings from Poll)
8:30 ET Sunday
(T4) Arsenal v (T12) Aston Villa
Aston Villa has already scored victories over three of the traditional “Big Four” with wins at Liverpool and Manchester United and a win at home against Chelsea on the season. A win here at the Emirates would give them the full set and would vault them above Arsenal in the standings to third place. Striker Emile Heskey is expected to be fit for the match but it is unknown how long he will play if he is, with an important match against Liverpool two days later. Arsenal is only two points back of Manchester United with a game in hand and a win here would heap even more pressure on Sir Alex’s men. Andrei Arshavin has stated the obvious, revealing that playing in the Premier League is not easy: “I expected before I moved to England, if you are a good player if you play for a big team it is easier…But even if you play against Burnley or Wolverhampton, it is not easy – you don’t have time to turn or do any dribbling, if you get two touches you are lucky.” Welcome to England buddy. This is a vital game for both teams and will be a factor in deciding who gets the lucrative Champions League spots next season.
Prediction: Aston Villa 2, Arsenal 1

Top of the Table Clashes
Northern Irish Premier League
10:00 ET Saturday
Crusaders v Cliftonville
Glentoran v Linfield
14:45 ET Tuesday
Linfield v Crusaders
Currently Crusaders are at the top of the table with 40 points, while Glentoran is in second with 39, Linfield is in third with 38 and a game in hand, with Cliftonville in fourth with two games in hand. As such, this is a massive set of matches for the IFA Premiership.

English Premier League
7:45 ET Saturday
Birmingham City v (3) Chelsea
8:00 ET Saturday
Fulham v (11) Tottenham Hotspur
West Ham United v Portsmouth
9:00 ET Saturday
Burnley v Bolton Wanderers
10:00 ET Saturday
(17) Manchester City v Stoke City
Sunderland v Everton
Wigan Athletic v Blackburn Rovers
12:30 ET Saturday
Liverpool v Wolverhampton Wanderers
8:30 ET Sunday
(T4) Arsenal v (T12) Aston Villa
11:00 ET Sunday
Hull City v (T4) Manchester United

7:45 ET Monday
(11) Tottenham Hotspur v West Ham United
10:00 ET Monday
Blackburn Rovers v Sunderland
(3) Chelsea v Fulham
Everton v Burnley
Stoke City v Birmingham
14:45 ET Monday
Wolverhampton Wanderers v (17) Manchester City
14:45 ET Tuesday
(T12) Aston Villa v Liverpool
15:00 ET Tuesday
Bolton Wanderers v Hull City
14:45 ET Wednesday
Portsmouth v (T4) Arsenal
15:00 ET Wednesday
(T4) Manchester United v Wigan Athletic

Scottish Premier League
10:00 ET Saturday
Celtic v Hamilton Academical
Dundee United v Kilmarnock
Falkirk v Heart of Midlothian
Motherwell v St. Johnstone
St. Mirren v Aberdeen
7:00 ET Sunday
Hibernian v Rangers

14:45 ET Tuesday
Aberdeen v Falkirk
14:30 ET Wednesday
Kilmarnock v Celtic
14:45 ET Wednesday
Hamilton Academical v St. Mirren
Heart of Midlothian v Motherwell
Rangers v Dundee United
St. Johnstone v Hibernian

Belgian Juliper League
8:30 ET Sunday
KAA Gent v Anderlecht
14:30 ET Wednesday
Anderlecht v Zulte-Waregem
Roeselare v KAA Gent

Northern Irish Premiership
10:00 ET Saturday
Crusaders v Cliftonville
Glentoran v Linfield
14:45 ET Tuesday
Linfield v Crusaders

Something of a Weekend Soccer Preview

Well it is that time of year again. Finals week and therefore I don't quite have enough time to give the full Weekend Soccer Preview that you guys love and deserve. I have enough time to write this because my statistical software package is taking a year and a half to load so I can't work on my stats project at the moment. Anyways, here is some news from the footy world:

-Everton is close to signing Landon Donovan on loan in the January transfer window. This would be huge for Donovan and the US National Team, as it would give him the chance to play against top-tier competition before the World Cup that he would never face in the MLS. Too bad for the Galaxy as they will be sans their best players for the first half of the year.

-Group winners in the Champions League are: Arsenal, Barcelona, Bordeaux, Chelsea, Fiorentina, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Sevilla. They will be drawn against the group runner-ups of: Bayern Munich, CSKA Moscow, Inter Milan, Lyon, Milan, Porto, Olympiakos, and Stuttgart. You cannot play the team from your group and you cannot play a team from your country.

-In the FIFA Club World Cup, Auckland City defeated hosts Al-Ahli 2-0 in something of a surprise. Action continues throughout the next week, and the big gun(s) will be arriving soon.

-Werder Bremen will meet Schalke 04 in a fairly interesting Bundesliga match-up.

-Liverpool will host Arsenal on Sunday in a vital match for the hosts if they want to qualify for the Champions League next season.

-Lyon hosts Bordeaux in a huge match for Lyon if they want to keep their Championship hopes alive. They would fall eight points behind with a loss but pull to within two points with a win.

And now SAS is back up so that is all I have for now!

Weekend Soccer Preview/World Cup Draw

In honor of finals week approaching and me having quite the busy week, this will be slightly shorter than normal, but I do have the World Cup groups with some (far too early) predictions!!!

Game(s) of the Week (Rankings from Poll)
14:45 ET Saturday
(11) Juventus v (4) Inter Milan
Inter Milan leads Serie A by 7 points over AC Milan, and Juventus is one back of AC. Inter is coming off of a win at home against Fiorentina, where they played in mediocre fashion. Juventus is coming off of two straight 2-0 losses, a bad one at Cagliari and a loss against a very good Bordeaux squad over a week ago. Both teams have vital Champions League games in the week after this, when Inter hosts FK Rubin Kazan and Juventus hosts Bayern Munich, both teams needing points to ensure they move on. Hopefully the teams won’t be looking ahead too much.

Other Matches Between Ranked Teams
12:30 ET Saturday
(19) Manchester City v (T1) Chelsea
Manchester City will be hard-pressed to end their 7 game draw streak with a win here. In fact, they should be happy to continue the streak and get a point against a red-hot Drogba and company squad.

Top of the Table Clashes
None by the looks of it.

English Premier League
7:45 ET Saturday
Portsmouth v Burnley
10:00 ET Saturday
(T7) Arsenal v Stoke City
Aston Villa v Hull City
Blackburn Rovers v Liverpool
West Ham United v (3) Manchester United
Wigan v Birmingham City
WolverhamptonWanderers v Bolton Wanderers
12:30 ET Saturday
(19) Manchester City v (T1) Chelsea
10:00 ET Saturday
Fulham v Sunderland
11:00 ET Sunday
Everton v (10) Tottenham Hotspur

Scottish Premier League
7:30 ET Saturday
Falkirk v Rangers
10:00 ET Saturday
Celtic v Aberdeen

Spain’s La Liga
12:00 ET Saturday
(9) Sevilla FC v Valladolid
Xerez v Atletico Madrid
14:00 ET Saturday
(T5) Real Madrid v Almeria
16:00 ET Saturday
Deportivo La Coruna v (T1) Barcelona
15:00 ET Sunday
Athletic Bilbao v (18) Valencia

Italy’s Serie A
12:00 ET Saturday
(T5) AC Milan v Sampdoria
14:45 ET Saturday
(11) Juventus v (4) Inter Milan
9:00 ET Sunday
Genoa v Parma
(20) Fiorentina v Atalanta
Napoli v Bari
14:45 ET Sunday
AS Roma v Lazio

German Bundesliga
14:30 ET Friday
Bayern Munich v Borussia Monchengladbach
9:30 ET Saturday
Hamburg SV v TSG Hoffenheim
Hannover 96 v (T7) Bayer Leverkusen
VfL Wolfsburg v SC Freiburg
9:30 ET Sunday
FC Cologne v (T14) Werder Bremen
11:30 ET Sunday
(T21) Schalke 04 v Hertha Berlin

French Ligue 1
13:00 ET Saturday
Nice v Marseille
Valenciennes v AS Monaco
15:00 ET Saturday
(12) Bordeaux v Paris Saint-Germain
11:00 ET Sunday
AJ Auxerre v AS Nancy Lorraine
15:00 ET Sunday
Lille v (17) Lyon

Dutch Eredivisie
14:45 ET Friday
AZ Alkmaar v Vitesse Arnhem
6:30 ET Sunday
FC Utrecht v (16) Ajax Amsterdam
8:30 ET Sunday
RKC Wallwijk v (T21) PSV Eindhoven
10:30 ET Sunday
NEC Nijmegen v (T14) Twente Enschede
SC Heracles Almelo v Heerenveen

Portuguese Liga
15:15 ET Friday
Guimaraes v FC Porto
16:15 ET Saturday
Leixoes v (25) Braga
15:15 ET Sunday
Benfica v Academica de Coimbra

Turkish Super League
13:00 ET Friday
Besiktas v Diyarbakirspor
13:00 ET Saturday
Eskisehirspor K v Fenerbahce
13:00 ET Sunday
Galatasaray v Istanbul BB

Belgian Juliper League
14:00 ET Saturday
Standard Liege v Germinal Beerschot
14:30 ET Sunday
Cercle Brugge KSV v Anderlecht

Austrian Bundesliga
9:30 ET Sunday
SK Sturm Graz v SV Salzburg
12:00 ET Sunday
SV Josko Ried v Austria Vienna

Greek Super League
12:00 ET Saturday
FC Xanthi v Olympiakos
9:45 ET Sunday
Panathinaikos v Atromitos

Group A
South Africa, Mexico, Uruguay, France
The hosts have moved onto the knockout stages in every World Cup in history, but then again the hosts are generally good at soccer. Still, South Africa played impressively in the Confederations Cup on home soil and has a chance to give their group-mates a run for their money.
France and Mexico to advance. No handballs this time.

Group B
Argentina, South Korea, Nigeria, Greece
A decent draw for Argentina, as was the draw for nearly every seeded team in this Cup. Greece squeaked into the Finals in the playoff against Ukraine, as did Nigeria, who qualified on the final match-day. Nigeria starts off with a match against Argentina, but if they can keep their heads up in case of defeat, they can come back and move on in their home continent.
Argentina and Nigeria to advance.

Group C
England, USA!!!!, Algeria, Slovenia
I have to be honest, after USA did not draw South Africa, I was hoping we would have a chance to take on England. Obviously any non-SA seeded team is going to be difficult but England is not a terrible match-up, and we were drawn with two other beatable teams. I cannot wait for June 12, 2010 at 1:30 CT, when USA plays England in the first match-up in this group.
England and USA to move on, no matter the result of the first match I think Algeria and Slovenia are beatable for both squads.

Group D
Germany, Australia, Ghana, Serbia
This is a very strong group. Australia had a lot of fun in Germany for the last World Cup, and Germany and Serbia are very good European sides that both won their qualification groups. As with all African teams, Ghana will probably play a bit better as they are on their home continent.
Germany and Ghana to advance.

Group E
Netherlands, Japan, Cameroon, Denmark
I enjoy this group a lot. I love watching Dutch football and I am a quarter Danish so I will be pulling for both European teams here. Cameroon will be an interesting team to watch as well, as they missed out on the last World Cup and will want to make up for lost time. Samuel Eto’o is a dangerous striker and the other sides will have to watch out for him.
Netherlands and Denmark to advance.

Group F
Italy, New Zealand, Paraguay, Slovakia
New Zealand will just be enjoying the ride, while I think Paraguay and Slovakia will fight it out for the right to join Italy in the knockout stages. The defending champions are aging, but they are still the team to beat in the group.
Italy and Paraguay to advance

Group G
Brazil, North Korea, Ivory Coast, Portugal
This is without question the only group worthy of the “Group of Death” tag. Portugal is ranked 5th in the world, which is an inflated ranking due to the fact that they had the opportunity to play extra qualification matches (a reason why FIFA did not use the most recent rankings). Still, they are obviously an immensely exciting team to watch with one of the best players in the world, Christiano Ronaldo. He will look to be healthy and be on form for Portugal for once. Before the draw, Ivory Coast was the trendy sleeper pick for the Finals, and they will be devastated with the draw that has been handed to them. Still, I think that if Drogba continues his incredible run of form this year, they will prevail in the group.
Brazil and Ivory Coast to advance.

Group H
Spain, Honduras, Chile, Switzerland
Spain is handed a good draw, a fact that their coach acknowledged after the draw. Chile will be happy to even be participating following a near-ban when a Chilean club team threatened to sue the Chilean Football Association. Switzerland made it to the World Cup by way of a fairly easy qualification group of them, Greece, Latvia, Israel, Luxembourg, Moldova.
Spain and Honduras to advance.

Weekend Soccer Preview

As always, home team listed first, all times Eastern. Click on the league name for league table!

Game(s) of the Week (Rankings from Poll)
11:00 ET Sunday (English Premier League)
(T7) Arsenal v (1) Chelsea – FSC
This is the game of the weekend in the Premier League, the big London derby. Chelsea is top of the table and Arsenal sit 8 points back in 3rd, though Chelsea has played one more game. Both clubs are coming off of midweek wins in the Champions League so the Sunday match time will be beneficial to both teams. Arsenal is coming off of a 1-0 defeat at Sunderland in the league, where they were without striker Robin van Persie. They will be without van Persie again this week, as well as Gael Clichy, Abou Diaby, Nicklas Bendtner, and possibly William Gallas. Chelsea does not have those injury problems, with only Jose Bosingwa out as Frank Lampard is set to return. Chelsea and Arsenal lead the league with 33 and 36 goals respectively, though Chelsea has only given up 8 goals in 13 matches. Both Didier Drogba and Nicholas Anelka have good histories against Arsenal and the injury-plagued Gunner defense will have to work to stop the attack if they wish to stay in the race for the championship this season. The away side won all matches between the teams last season, including a 2-1 win for Chelsea in the FA Cup semis in mid-April and a 4-1 win for Chelsea at Arsenal in mid-May. Look for Arsenal to deploy Andrei Arshavin, Theo Walcott, and Eduardo in the attack, and hopefully we will see goals early and often.
My Pick: Arsenal 2, Chelsea 2
13:00 ET Sunday (Spain’s La Liga)
(T3) Barcelona v (6) Real Madrid – GolTV, ESPN360
Spain is gearing up for the first Clasico of the season and the first with the new version of the “Galacticos” of Real Madrid. Madrid will hope to have a fully-fit Cristiano Ronaldo, as he returned to action as a sub late in their mid-week clash with FC Zurich after almost two months out with an ankle injury. The loss of Ronaldo had an obvious effect on Madrid, as they only won two of their six games in October including the embarrassing 4-0 defeat at Alcorcon (which Ronaldo likely would not have played in anyway). Madrid has turned it on slightly lately, with a decent draw at Milan at the start of the month and four consecutive wins since then, including a measly 1-0 victory over that pesky Alcorcon side. Still, they sit atop La Liga with a 9-1-1 record, one point ahead of Barcelona. Barcelona is still undefeated on the season but have drawn 3 of their last 5 games, at Valencia, Osasuna, and Athletic Bilbao. A Champions League group that has been more difficult than expected can maybe be at fault for some of these matches. Anyone who watched Barcelona-Inter Milan midweek saw how Barcelona can still dismantle a quality opponent even without superstars Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Lionel Messi. These two strikers have both begun training with the first team again, and hopefully they will be ready to contribute to this already star-studded affair. Word on the street is that Madrid will deploy Ronaldo and Karim Benzema up top with Kaka just behind to form a formidable attack of their own. The Cristiano Ronaldo-Lionel Messi rematch will be fun to watch after they met in the Champions League final last season. This is the reason Madrid spent so much money in the off-season constructing the ‘perfect squad.’ Barcelona ran away with the treble last season, and until Madrid proves it can beat Barcelona, Barcelona will remain the top team in Spain.
My Pick: Barcelona 3, Real Madrid 2 in a thriller.

Other Games between two ranked teams
9:00 ET Sunday
(T3) Inter Milan v (24) Fiorentina – FSC
Inter Milan will be glad to return to Serie A action after they were absolutely out-classed at Barcelona mid-week. Inter Milan has won 6 of 7 at home in the league, the only exception being a 1-1 draw against Roma on November 8, which came only 4 days after a trip to Ukraine to meet Dynamo Kiev. Possibly the most impressive streak in European football is at stake, which is Jose Mourinho’s 150 game unbeaten streak at home in the league and domestic cup competitions, which dates back to his time with Porto. Fiorentina, on the other hand, had a much happier midweek European intervention, as they defeated Lyon 1-0 at home to qualify for the knockout stages of the competition for the first time in club history. However, in their last Serie A match, they lost 3-2 to Parma and sit sixth in the league, a full 11 points behind Inter Milan. Fiorentina’s Adrian Mutu is still out, and it will likely be Alberto Gilardino on his own up top against the attack of the Diego Milito and the slightly disappointing Eto’o for Inter Milan. Both teams will be coming out with something to prove after disappointing results at some point in the last week, and Inter Milan will have to make sure they are not looking ahead to their huge matches against Juventus and Rubin Kazan in the coming two weeks.
My Pick: Inter Milan 2, Fiorentina 1. Fiorentina will drop a bit more in the league before making their inevitable comeback.

Top of the Table Clashes
9:30 ET Sunday (Austrian Bundesliga)
Red Bull Salzburg v Rapid Vienna
Both clubs share an identical 10-4-2 record after 16 games, and Rapid Vienna holds first place on goal differential (+23 to +19). The first meeting of the season resulted in a 2-2 draw in Vienna. Salzburg has dominated its Europa League group, with a perfect 4-0-0 record including an impressive 2-1 win at Lazio and a home 2-0 win over Villarreal. Rapid Vienna has a 3-0 win over Hamburg in the Europa League but sit in third place behind Hapoel Tel-Aviv and Hamburg and ahead of Celtic. Salzburg won the league last year by 4 points over Rapid Vienna, so Vienna will be looking for revenge.
11:30 ET Sunday (Greek Super League)
Olympiakos v Panathinaikos
“The Derby Of Eternal Enemies” – Panathinaikos is in first in the Greek Super League with 29 points from 11 games, two points ahead of Olympiakos. Panathinaikos has been spurred on by the two-pronged attack of Djibril Cisse and Kostas Katsouranis, who have scored 8 and 6 goals respectively. Both squads have only given up 6 goals on the season in the relatively low scoring Greek league. Olympiakos has drawn their past two Greek Super League matches and have not won a game in any competition since October 31. Both teams remain unbeaten in the league so this will be a hard fought match. Interestingly enough, the last four matches between the two teams in the league have all been draws.
13:00 ET Sunday (Spain’s La Liga)
(T3) Barcelona v (6) Real Madrid – GolTV, ESPN360
See Russian Premier League

English Premier League
10:00 ET Saturday
Blackburn Rovers v Stoke City
Fulham v Bolton Wanderers
(T15) Manchester City v Hull City
Portsmouth v (2) Manchester United – ESPN2
West Ham United v Burnley – FSC
Wigan Athletic v Sunderland – FSC (delayed)
12:30 ET Saturday
Aston Villa v (11) Tottenham Hotspur – FSC
7:00 ET Sunday
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Birmingham – FSC (Delayed)
8:30 ET Sunday
Everton v Liverpool
The “Merseyside Derby” – Everton is coming off of a tough 3-2 loss at Hull City midweek, which is nothing compared to the devastation of Liverpool being officially eliminated from the Champions League. Liverpool is enduring a nightmare of a season and a win against friendly rivals Everton would help ease the pressure on Rafa Benitez.
11:00 ET Sunday
(T7) Arsenal v (1) Chelsea – FSC

Scottish Premier League
7:45 ET Saturday
Aberdeen v Rangers
10:00 ET Saturday
Celtic v St. Mirren
Motherwell v Dundee United

Spain’s La Liga
12:00 ET Saturday
Sporting Gijon v Villarreal – GolTV
14:00 ET Saturday
(21) Valencia v Mallorca – ESPN360
16:00 ET Saturday
(5) Sevilla FC v Malaga – GolTV
11:00 ET Sunday
Racing Santander v Deportivo La Coruna
13:00 ET Sunday
(T3) Barcelona v (6) Real Madrid – GolTV, ESPN360
15:00 ET Sunday
Athletico Madrid v Espanyol – ESPN2, ESPN360

Italy’s Serie A
12:00 ET Saturday
Udinese v Livorno – ESPN360, FSC (Delayed)
14:45 ET Saturday
Genoa v (22) Sampdoria – FSC, ESPN360
9:00 ET Sunday
Atalanta v AS Roma
Cagliari v (T7) Juventus – ESPN360
(T3) Inter Milan v (24) Fiorentina – FSC
Parma v Napoli
14:45 ET Sunday
Catania v (9) AC Milan – FSC


German Bundesliga
9:30 ET Saturday
Mainz v (25) Hamburg SV
TSG Hoffenheim v Borussia Dortmund
(12) Werder Bremen v VfL Wolfsburg – ESPN360
Werder Bremen is currently 2nd in the Bundesliga, five points ahead of Wolfsburg, who sit in 8th. Bremen has not lost since the opening game of the Bundesliga season and is even undefeated in the Europa League. Meanwhile, Wolfsburg has only taken 5 points from the last 4 games in the Bundesliga and are in danger of dropping out of the Champions League, as they take on Manchester United in less than two weeks’ time. Werder Bremen striker Claudio Pizarro is still suffering from a nagging foot injury and could be out for the rest of 2009.
12:30 ET Saturday
Borussia Monchengladbach v (T18) Schalke 04 – GolTV
9:30 AM Sunday
(10) Bayer Leverkusen v VfB Stuttgart
11:30 ET Sunday
Hannover 96 v Bayern Munich – ESPN360

French Ligue 1
13:00 ET Saturday
Paris Saint-Germain v AJ Auxerre
15:00 ET Saturday
Lens v Marseille
11:00 ET Sunday
AS Nancy Lorraine v Bordeaux
15:00 ET Sunday
Lyon v Stade Rennes

Dutch Eredivisie
14:45 ET Friday
Sparta Rotterdam v (23) PSV Eindhoven – ESPN360
12:45 ET Saturday
AZ Alkmaar v VVV Venlo
14:45 Saturday
Willem II Tilburg v (T15) Twente Enschede
6:30 ET Sunday
ADO Den Haag v Feyenoord Rotterdam
Vitesse Arnhem v (T18) Ajax Amsterdam – ESPN360

Portuguese Liga
16:15 ET Saturday
Sporting Lisbon v Benfica – ESPN360

Russian Premier League
The Russian Premier League is in its final matchday. Every team has played 29 games with just one left. First and second place get UEFA Champions League Group Stage spots, third place gets UEFA Champions League Third Qualifying Round spot, fourth place gets UEFA Europa League Playoff round spot, and fifth place gets UEFA Europa League Third qualifying round spot. Sixth gets nothing. A spot in the Europa League qualifying rounds will go to the winner of the Russian Cup, and only Zenit and FC Moscow still remain in that competition, which will conclude in 2010. Note that Lokomotiv Moscow are ahead of FC Moscow on head-to-head. FK Rubin Kazan and Spartak Moscow have clinched first and second places respectively.

Team	GD	Pts
FK Rubin Kazan	+38	60
Spartak Moscow	+29	55
Zenit St. Petersburg	+20	51
Lokomotiv Moscow	+11	51
CSKA Moscow	+15	49
FC Moscow	+12	48

6:00 ET Sunday
CSKA Moscow v Saturn Moscow
FC Khimki v Lokomotiv Moscow
FC Moscow v Dinamo Moscow
Kuban Krasnodar v FK Rubin Kazan
Zenit St. Petersburg v Spartak Moscow
Third through sixth places are still up for grabs in the Russian Premier League. Zenit faces a tough opponent in Spartak, but Spartak has nothing to play for and the game will be in St. Petersburg. Lokomotiv Moscow travels to FC Khimki, who has secured last place and a relegation spot, so Lokomotiv has a good chance of securing themselves a spot in Europe next fall. Both CSKA and FC Moscow face tough opponents at home in Saturn and Dinamo Moscow respectively, and they will likely be battling each other for the final European place. My prediction is that Zenit holds onto the Champions League qualifying spot while Lokomotiv and CSKA both remain in their Europa League slots.

Turkish Super League
13:00 ET Friday
Bursaspor v Galatasaray
13:00 ET Saturday
Fenerbehce v Kasimpasa

Belgian Jupiler League
14:30 ET Friday
Anderlecht v KV Kortrijk

Austrian Bundesliga
9:30 ET Sunday
Red Bull Salzburg v Rapid Vienna

Greek Super League
11:30 ET Sunday
Olympiakos v Panathinaikos

Also, I’d like to let everybody know that my prediction of Liverpool 2, Manchester City 2 was spot on last week. Leave your thoughts in the comments section! One week until the World Cup Draw, noon ET on ESPN2!