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Arsenal broke records and the hearts of the 25,000 Aston Villa fans as they coasted to the biggest FA Cup final win in 21 years.
After escaping relegation, Tim Sherwood brought his Villa side to Wembley looking to win the FA Cup for the first time since 1957, but left in dejection following a 4-0 hammering.
Former England captain Rio Ferdinand has brought his near 20-year playing career to an end following his recent release from QPR.
Ferdinand made his senior debut as a 17-year-old in May 1996 with West Ham before going on to complete big money moves to Leeds and Manchester United, with whom he won six Premier League titles and the FA Cup and Champions League once.
If you're asking yourself "Where can I find the FA Cup Finalon television or Internet in the United States," here are all of the details you need.
Teams: Arsenal vs. Aston Villa When:Saturday,May 30, 2015 Pre-game show:Begins at NoonET/9am PTStart time:Game kicks off at 12:30pmET/9:30am PTTV coverage:FOX (over the air network)Online coverage:FOX Sports Go and FOX Soccer 2GO.
Villarreal striker Luciano Vietto has issued a 'come and get me' plea to Atletico Madrid after reported interest from Diego Simeone's side.
The 21-year-old enjoyed an impressive debut season in Spain afterleaving Racing Club to sign a five-year contract with Villarreal in August 2014. The young Argentine scored 20 goals in all competitions and helped the Yellow Submarine earn Europa League qualification.
Listen to the latest episode of World Soccer Talk Radio featuring an interview with ESPN Senior Coordinating Producer Amy Rosenfeld.
She is responsible for all soccer events on ESPN's linear and digital networks, including the UEFA European Football Championship 2016, US Soccer men's and women's national teams, Major League Soccer, as well as IndyCar (including Indianapolis 500) and NHRA drag racing.
Arsenal aim to become the first side to retain the FA Cup title since Chelsea five years ago when they face Aston Villa at Wembley on Saturday.
A victory for the Gunners will make them the most successful club in the history of the FA Cup with 12 titles and it would be Arsene Wenger's sixth, making him the cup's best ever manager ahead of Sir Alex Ferguson who has five.
Every season, in any sport, there are rookies that get their chance to prove themselves on the field. Quite a few fall flat, but some step into the limelight and turn into budding stars because of their play. Aston Villa's Jack Grealish is one of the few fresh-faced players that has shown his potential as a perennial starter in Tim Sherwood's side.
Napoli host Lazio at the Stadio San Paolo knowing that only a victory will do for them if they are to qualify for the Champions League next season.
Rafa Benitez's side have had a most inconsistent campaign in which they fell at the hands of Dnipro in the semi-final of the Europa League in the middle of a poor run around March when they dropped to as low as sixth on the table.
Tim Sherwood has hailed Arsene Wenger as he tries to shock his rival in the FA Cup final and create a new era at Aston Villa.
The Villa boss believes the Frenchman's critics should lay off ahead of Saturday's final against Arsenal.
The Wembley showdown will be just Sherwood's 44th match as a manager while Wenger has taken charge of 1,065 during his 19-year Gunners reign.
Jonas Gutierrez fired a parting shot at Mike Ashley after being released by Newcastle, claiming the club's owner disregarded him following his cancer diagnosis.
The 31-year-old started the season battling his way back from testicular cancer and ended it by inspiring the Magpies to a vital 2-0 win over West Ham.
Real Madrid left-back Marcelo has been ruled out of the Copa America and will be replaced by SC Internactional defender Geferson, according to Brazil coach Dunga.
The national team's doctor was informed by Real Madrid that Marcelo had been carrying an injury, and after an examination Brazilian officials ruled the left-back out of the summer tournament.
Athletic Bilbao defender Aymeric Laporte is focused on tomorrow's Copa del Rey final against Barcelona despite speculation linking himwith a move to Manchester United.
The 21-year-old centre-back is one of the hottest properties in Europe, with the likes of Real Madrid, Chelsea and Manchester City all monitoring his situation at the Basque club.
Bournemouth have signed Christian Atsu on a season-long loan from Chelsea as they step up their Premier League preparations.
The 23-year-old moved to Stamford Bridge from Porto in September 2013 and has been loaned out to Vitesse Arnhem and, most recently, Everton.
A deal has now been struck that will see Atsu continue his development at the Goldsands Stadium next season, subject to Premier League approval.
Tottenham started their summer recruitment drive with the £4million signing of Austria centre-back Kevin Wimmer from Cologne.
Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino has highlighted defense as one of the areas where his team needs to improve next season and he has moved quickly to sign 22-year-old Wimmer on a five-year deal.
Liverpool will face no competition from Manchester United in their bid to sign Southampton's Nathaniel Clyne.
Liverpool are in the market for a right-back after they decided to release Glen Johnson.
Atletico Madrid defender Javier Manquillo, who is half way through a two-year loan spell at Anfield, has found it hard to break into the Reds first-team this season and Jon Flanagan is out for another nine months because of a knee injury.
Today's episode of Soccer Morning features listener calls and a discussion about the FIFA Presidential election.
Jason kicks off today's show following the ongoing FIFA presidential elections and taking listener calls.
Listen to the episode above or here.
You can listen to Soccer Morning live via the World Soccer Talk LIVE page atwww.
UEFA president Michel Platini says the horrors of the Heysel disaster have "never left" him as soccer marks the 30th anniversary of the tragedy.
A collapsing wall at the Heysel Stadium in Brussels before the start of the European Cup final between Juventus and Liverpool on May 29, 1985 caused 39 deaths and over 600 injuries.
It's time for action. Put your anger about Sepp Blatter being re-elected as FIFA President to good use by contacting the FIFA sponsors and demanding that they STOP:
(1) supporting FIFA President Sepp Blatter, and (2) supporting the use of slavery in Qatar to build for World Cup 2022, (3) allowing FIFA to continue with a lack of transparency and oversight that has led to alleged corruption.
Sepp Blatter has been re-elected as FIFA President, and will serve his fifth term from 2015-2019.
The voting was conducted on Friday in Zurich by members of the FIFA organization. Blatter defeated Prince Ali of Jordan at the 65th FIFA Congress.
With Prince Ali's defeat, Blatter will continue his role as FIFA President and will embark on a campaign to restore trust in FIFA especially afterthis week's arrests of several FIFA officials on corruption charges.
Athletic Club have always held a reputation for being the romanticists' team in Spanish soccer.
The Basque club are an illustrious, decorated outfit, with a rich history and a unique cantera selection policy. But the disparity between their eight league title triumphs and 23 Copa del Rey wins means they've fashioned a statusas a cup team down the years.
The song Abide With Me, the Wembley arch, a military guard for the trophy, the royal box; there's an enamoring tradition and pageantry that accompanies the FA Cup final (live on FOX at Noon ET on Saturday for viewers in the United States).
Granted, the tournament has become a bridesmaid to the premier competitions, especially up against the enticing gravitas of potential Premier League and Champions League glory.
Barcelona manager Luis Enrique has confirmed that Luis Suarez is fit to face Athletic Bilbao in the Copa del Rey final on Saturday (live on ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes in the United States).
The Uruguayan has not featured for La Blaugrana since picking up a knock during their Champions League semi-final against Bayern Munich on May 12.
Aston Villa goalkeeper Shay Given is winning his fitness fight to be ready for the FA Cup final.
The keeper missed Sunday's 1-0 defeat to Burnley with a groin injury but has returned to training before Saturday's Wembley showdown with Arsenal.
Kieran Richardson (calf), Aly Cissokho (groin) and Jores Okore (knee) are also back in training to boost Tim Sherwood's numbers.
When Barcelona star Alexis Sanchez was made available during last summer's transfer market, teams from all over Europe lined up at the chance to snap up the striker. The three most prominent clubs to show interest were Liverpool, Juventus, and, of course, Arsenal.
Following his £30-£35 million move to the Emirates, there seemed to be a misconception about the reason why the Chile international chose to join the Gunners.
Listen to the latest episode of World Soccer Talk Radio featuring an interview with ESPN FC writer Jeff Carlisle.
The veteran US soccer reporter covers a number of topics on the show including his analysis about how the FIFA arrests will impact US Soccer and CONCACAF, his views on the USMNT developmental program, as well as how soccer journalism has changed in the 10+ years he's been writing for ESPN.
This weekend the United States kicks off its participation in the FIFA U-20 World Cup. Featuring rising stars like Gedion Zelalem of the U.S. and Andreas Pereira of Brazil, this tournament can be a stage for players' Q ratings to skyrocket.
The United States begins the tournament in Group A, which lacks major international powers but does include the host nation New Zealand.
Today's Soccer Morning features listener calls and a discussion of the FIFA Presidential election.
You can listen to Soccer Morning live via the World Soccer Talk LIVE page at www.worldsoccertalk.com/live.
During the show, you can tweet your questions or observations live to @soccermorning Or better yet, you can call in with your questions or comments by dialing 646-832-3909.
Tim Sherwood admits Aston Villa will be powerless to stop Christian Benteke leaving this summer after revealing he has a buy-out clause in his contract.
The striker has been linked with a move to Liverpool and Sherwood confirmed for the first time he has a "substantial" release clause in his contract which would trigger a move if met.
Before kicking off the Women's World Cup in Canada on June 6, FOXSportshas announced exclusive content that will precede the games.
FOX will be showing content across all of its channels with themes tied to the World Cup and especially the U.S. National team. A special bug and watermark will be displayed on FOX and FOX Sports 1 channels with an FX movie marathon focusing on the "score to settle" mentality such as The Avengers, Men in Black and the A-Team, and on the FXX Simpsons marathon.
Soccer monopolized the headlines this week afterreports revealed 9 FIFA officials and 5 corporate executives were indicted for racketeering conspiracy and corruption following an extensive investigation into the organization lead by the U.S. Department of Justice.
After reviewing the 168-page FIFA indictment document detailing all of the charges being brought against FIFA and CONCACAF executives, we found these five facts to be revealing:
Before kicking off the Women's World Cup in Canada this summer, espnW will debut five new documentaries highlighting gifted female athletes from three different sports including three members of the U.S. Women's National team, a U.S. Olympic athlete and professional surfer.
Directed by the Mundo sisters, the first three documentaries focusing on the women attending the World Cup will premiere on espnW.
It's the final weekend of domestic action in Europe this weekend, but with crucial league matches and major cup finals to sample, it's probably the most intriguing round of matches we've had this season.
Saturday will see the final of three major competitions, with the curtain set to come down on action in England, Germany and Spain.
Roberto Martinez was keen to emphasize that there's a bright future ahead on the pitch for Everton in a recent interview with some local supporter-run outlets.
At the end of a season, which saw the Toffees regress from daring and diligent to often shackled and occasionally soporific, the Catalonian was trying to paint a picture of prosperous campaigns come.
Real Madrid midfielder Sami Khedira and Palermo striker Paulo Dybala have passed their respective medicals and are expected to be presented as Juventus players in the coming days.
Khedira was once a fixture in Real Madrid's starting eleven under former manager Jose Mourinho. However the combination of the German'sinjuries and the club's wealth of midfieldingoptions (Toni Kroos, James Rodriguez, Isco, Asier Illarramendiand Lucas Silva) left the player on the outside looking in.
As the dust begins to settle from the initial reaction to the momentous events that resulted in CONCACAF and FIFA officials being charged with corruption among other charges, questions have arisen about the viability and future of the second-division North American Soccer League (NASL).
On top of the indictment of Traffic Sports USA President Aaron Davidson who was, until yesterday,Chairman of the Board of Governors of the NASL, the day ended on a sour note afterall of its teams participating in the US Open Cup competition lost games against opponentsfrom the third-division United Soccer League (USL).
Mobile app users, watch the video highlights.
For the first time since itmade its debut in 1993, the FIFA video game will feature women's teams in the upcoming FIFA 16 release, due out this September.
Twelve women's national teams will be added including Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, England, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Spain, Sweden, and the United States of America.
Rafael Benitez is expected to be officially presented as Real Madrid manager next Wednesday, according to Spanish journalist Josep Pedrerol.
The host of the television programs Jugones and El Chiringuito revealed that the Napoli coach will be unveiled as Real Madrid's new boss at the Santiago Bernabeu on June 3 at 13:00 CET(8:00am EST).
Let's cut to the chase with this FIFA nonsense. Department of Justice indictments here, Swiss federal investigations there, the corrupted or corruptible soccerleaders from around the world are still going to vote for Sepp Blatter as president.
British newspapers headlines can scream for Blatter to go FIFA congress delegates will vote for him to stay.
Today's Soccer Morning features an interview with Jeff Crandall to discuss yesterday's US Open Cup
As the Premier League drew to a conclusion this Sunday, Stamford Bridge erupted in celebration, respectful applause could be heard across The Etihad and the Britannia for two English midfield legends, and sorrow descended on the city of Hull. However, as the dust settled on the final day of the season, many a fan were left with a certain emptiness.
Some sort of re-vote on the tainted tallies that awarded FIFA World Cups in 2018 and 2022 to Russia and (most stunningly, most notoriously, most annoyingly) Qatar still seems unlikely.
Even with the dizzying wave of corruption charges that swept over world soccer's power brokers on Wednesday, the World Cup in Russia would seem impossible to dislodge at this point.
Listen to the latest episode of World Soccer Talk Radio featuring an interview with Sports Illustrated columnist Richard Deitsch.
The highly respected US journalist discusses three hot topics which include the media coverage of the FIFA corruption scandal and his analysis about the Premier League TV rights bidding in the US.
The FIFA corruption charges from the US Department of Justice today come not as a major surprise, but the first truly public salvo in the attempt to wash out the clearly rampant corruption inside soccer's governing body. But for the steps that were taken, there are clearly many more needed to establish the real change football fans crave.
Napoli coach Rafael Benitez has confirmed he will leave the club after Sunday's final Serie A game against Lazio.
The announcement was made earlier today during a joint press conference with club president Aurelio de Laurentiis, who thanked Benitez for his efforts and announced that a search for the coach's replacement had already began.
Arsenal striker Danny Welbeck has been ruled out of Saturday's FA Cup final and England's forthcoming internationals with a knee injury.
Gunners boss Arsene Wenger said the former Manchester United forward has no chance of being fit for the Wembley showpiece with Aston Villa and has been withdrawn from the England squad to face the Republic of Ireland on June 7 and Slovenia on June 14.
Departing Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard's debut for new side Los Angeles Galaxy has been pencilled in for July 11.
The Reds midfielder signed off a 28-year association with his one professional side in Sunday's 6-1 defeat at Stoke.
He is currently on an end-of-season break in Dubai with his team-mates but will soon begin preparations for a new challenge in Major League Soccer, whom he cannot officially play for until the league's summer transfer window opens on July 8.
Dick Advocaat has rejected the opportunity to become permanent head coach at Sunderland.
The Black Cats confirmed on Wednesday evening that the 67-year-old, who was drafted in in March for just nine games in which he was able to secure the club's Barclays Premier League status, would not be returning to Wearside.
Here's today's TV schedule for viewers/readers in the United States:
Dnipro vs Napoli, 2:45pm, FOX Sports 1 and FOX Soccer 2GO
—Watch Europa League Final on FOX Soccer 2GO. — Sevilla prepared to punch their ticket to the Europa League final.
Today's episode of Soccer Morning features guests Simon Evans and Andrew Das.
Jason kicks off today's show with Simon Evans (Reuters) as they discuss the impact of the ongoing FIFA corruption probe on CONCACAF.
Andrew Das (New York Times) then comes on the show to discuss the New York Times' coverage of the FIFA corruption probe.
With the level of competition in MLS, NASL and USL improving, this year's US Open Cup promises to be one of the most competitive in recent memory. Combined with the fact that the level of tension between the three aforementioned leagues is at an all-time high, this makes the 2015 US Open Cup the most anticipated and must-see in years —except that there's one major problem.
Manchester United have agreed a £21 million deal for Benfica midfielder Nicolas Gaitan, according to a report from the Portuguese newspaper A Bola.
The 27-year-old had been linked with a move to Chelsea, but it appears Manchester United have beaten the Premier League champions to the Argentine's signature.
The news of U.S. and Swiss authorities executing arrests and warrants on FIFA and CONCACAF today are shaking the sports world, and while the news is quickly changing with constant updates and information, there is one thing that we can be sure of: FIFA will be changed from this day forward. Unlike some of my fellow soccer writers, I am not seeing today's development as the end of FIFA.
The North American Soccer League (NASL) began life as a breakaway league from the United Soccer Leagues (USL). Several of the higher-profile professional clubs sought a team-owned league they could manage themselves. The driving force in this move away from USL was Traffic Sports USA, and the single most influential person was Aaron Davidson who was indictedby the Justice Department for racketeering conspiracy and corruption.
FIFA, the world football governing body, released a statement regarding the arrests of FIFA officials by Swiss authorities and extraditedto the United States earlier today.
The statement welcomed any approach to try and provide transparency regarding the allocations of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, stating:
"FIFA welcomes actions that can help contribute to rooting out any wrongdoing in football.
"FIFA welcomes actions that can help contribute to rooting out any wrongdoing in football.
Today's Soccer Morning features an interview with David Cartlidge to discuss all of the latest stories from La Liga including the sacking of Carlo Ancelotti and the expected appointment of Rafa Benitez.
You can listen to Soccer Morning live via the World Soccer Talk LIVE page at www.worldsoccertalk.
Jack Warner, former FIFA vice president and President of CONCACAF, has responded to the news that he and CONCACAF officials have been arrested and indictedfor racketeering conspiracy and corruption by issuing a press release.
Despite being named as one of the persons indicted by the US Department of Justice, Warner says he has not been questioned regarding the matter.
In recent weeks I have written about trips to The Hive, Vicarage Road, Griffin Park and Allianz Park to write about experiences that are foreign to me as an American living in England. All of these experiences were extremely memorable and unique and created memories that I will keep with me for a long time.
Alexis Sanchez was immensely impressive during his freshman season with Arsenal. The Chile international arrived at the Emirates with plenty of hype, as the north London outfit paid Barcelona around £35 million for his services prior to the 2014/15 campaign. While few disputed the Chilean's talent, not many Arsenal supporters could imagine just how well Alexis would settle into playing in the taxing Premier League.
Listen to the latest episode of World Soccer Talk Radio featuring an interview with Eric Gomez discussing Liga MX playoffs, Jonathan Bornstein scoring for Queretaro, how parity has impacted Mexican soccer and how the NFL playoffs model has changed Liga MX.
Listen to the show via the player above or via this link.
Sevilla aim to defend the Europa League title they won last year when they play Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk in Wednesday's final at the Stadion Narodowy, Warsaw.
The Spanish club are overwhelming favorites coming into this match having made light work of the opposition for most of the competition with the toughest test coming against Zenit St.
Liverpool have today announced on their official website that defensive duo Kolo Toure and Andre Wisdom have signed contract extensions to their current deals.
The 34-year-old Ivory Coast-born Toure started just seven Premier League games this season but is seen as a reliable back-up option in centre defence.
Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas says he will welcome the challenge of competing against David de Gea for the club's number one spot, should the Manchester United shot stopper decide to join him in the Spanish capital.
The Madrid based mediahave all but written off Casillas' chances of returning to the Bernabeu next season.
Swiss authorities conducted an early-morning operation in Zurich to arresta number oftop FIFA officials and extradited them to the United States on federal corruption charges.
FIFA president Sepp Blatter was not among those rounded up by authorities, but vice-president Jeffrey Web from the Cayman Islands was arrested.
Valencia president Amadeo Salvo has publicly responded to comments made by agent of defender Nicolas Otamendi, saying if the Argentine wants to leave the club he should formally request a transfer.
Yesterday, during an interview with Cadena SER, Eugenio Lopez said his client wants to leave Valencia in order to join a top club next season.
Napoli have announced a joint press conference to be held on Thursday with the club's president Aurelio de Laurentiis and coach Rafa Benitez, where it is expected the Serie A side will announce the departuretheir head coach and his staff after the conclusion of the season.
This news will come as no surprise since Benitez has been earmarkedas Carlo Ancelotti's replacement at Real Madrid by club president Florentino Perez.
Newcastle managing director Lee Charnley will draw up a fresh short-list as he looks to appoint a head coach following an eventful few weeks on Tyneside.
The Magpies eventually secured their Barclays Premier League status on Sunday with a 2-0 win over West Ham, their first in 11 attempts at the end of a run which threatened to condemn them to life in the Sky Bet Championship.
Today's episode of Soccer Morning features guest David Cartlidge.
Jason kicks off today's show with BeIn Sports' David Cartlidge as they discuss Carlo Ancelotti's firing & the latest around La Liga.
Southampton midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin is once again attempting to force a move away from St Mary's Stadium.
Last summer, amid a flurry of transfer departures from the club, Southampton refused to allow Schneiderlin to leave despite the midfielder's desire to ply his trade alongside Europe's elite teams.
Sevilla wingerAleix Vidal says his side is calm ahead of their potentially historical Europa League final in Warsaw.
TheSpanish clubis set to face Ukrainian side Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk on Wednesdayand are attempting to become the first team to win the UEFA Cup/Europa League title for the fourth time.
Beginning today, World Soccer Talk Radio will broadcast live on Sports Byline in its new time slot of 4-5pm ET. If you miss the live episode, the show will be replayed from 9-10pm ET each weeknight. Plus, episodes are released overnight in podcast form.
Hosted by Nate Abaurrea, World Soccer Talk Radio launched in April 2015.
Hull striker Abel Hernandez has been charged with violent conduct after allegedly punching Manchester United defender Phil Jones during Sunday's 0-0 draw between the sides.
The incident, which happened in the 70th minute of the game, was not spotted by the match officials and will now be referred to a three-man panel of former elite referees.
Swansea City have cancelled plans to compete in the Dallas/Fort Worth international preseason tournament that was scheduled for this summer.
According to a spokesman for event organizers M3 Sport, a decision will be made in the next 48 hours whether the tournament will be held or postponed until next summer.
Despite winning promotion to the Premier League, numerous reports are that Watford are ready to replace managerSlavisa Jokanovic with highly-rated SpaniardQuique Flores set to replace him at Vicarage Road.
Jokanovic, aSerbian, has been manager of Watford for under a year, joining in October of 2014 after previous spells at Hercules and Levski Sofia.
A third of the 2015 MLS season has flown by, and attendances for this season are still ahead of 2014 by 11.9%.
In Columbus, Montreal and New England, there were soft showings.
The rest of the clubs did well, including San Jose who played in Levi's Stadium for Kaka's visit (with Orlando City SC).
West Ham's new manager will have Europa League soccerto contend with after the club announced they have qualified through the fair play league.
Just days after the end of the season and news that Sam Allardyce is leaving, the Hammers have confirmed they have secured European qualification for the first time since the 2006/07 season.
Barcelona are taking no risks with Luis Suarez leading up to their Copa del Rey final against Athletic Bilbao on Saturday (live on ESPN2 in the United States).
The Uruguayan has not returned to first team training since picking up a knock during the club's Champions League semi-final against Bayern Munich on May 12.
Four-time Premier League champion Didier Drogba has opened the door to joining a Major League Soccer side next season following his decision to leave Stamford Bridge at the end of this season.
The Ivorian claims he has already received offers from other sides but maintains that he would not be continuing his trade in English soccer because of his affiliation with Chelsea.
Carlo Ancelotti has been relieved of his duties as Real Madrid manager after two years in charge.
The move to dismiss the Italian comes as no surprise after a disappointing 2014/2015 season in which they got knocked out at the semi-finals stage of the Champions League at the hands of Juventus and lost out on the La Liga trophy for the third year in a row.
Yoann Gourcuff is France's soccer enigma. On his day Gourcuff is a mesmerizing presence who makes the game of soccer look ridiculously easy.
Elegant on the ball, creative with an uncanny ability to dictate the pace of a soccer match the soon to be ex-Olympique Lyonnais star (whose departure was confirmed by the club's owner Jean-Michel Aulas) delighted the masses at the Stade de Gerland with moments of sumptuous skill and made telling contributions in big matches.
Here are the 10 things we learned from gameweek 12 of the Major League Soccer season.
1. Congratulations to Chris Wondolowski
The wait for Wondo's 100th MLS goal wasn't a long one. Eight days after heading in 99 at Avaya Stadium, the San Jose Earthquakes striker hit the century mark at Levi's Stadium by converting a penalty with a mix of aplomb and ferocity that can only be described as admirable.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has hit out at FIFA's international summer schedule and believes the move to start the new Barclays Premier League season a week earlier in August was "the wrong decision".
Like many top-flight clubs across Europe, Arsenal are set to see several of their first-team regulars away with their countries on the back of a grueling campaign, which for the Gunners will not finish until the FA Cup final on Saturday.
Napoli coach Rafael Benitez is "99%" certain to be named the next manager of Real Madrid, according to Carlo Ancelotti's agent Ernesto Bronzetti.
Yesterday, Ancelotti was sacked by the club following a meeting of the Madrid's board of directors, with the official announcement coming during a press conference held by president Florentino Perez.
Yaya Toure's agent has performed a U-turn and insists his client will remain at Manchester City this summer.
Dmitri Seluk recently claimed Toure was "90 per cent certain" to leave City at the end of the season, but he has now changed his tune.
Speaking to Sky Sports News on Monday, Seluk said Toure, who had been linked with a move to Inter, would remain at the Etihad Stadium after the club told him that he was "too important to let go.
The rumor mill circulated all weekendabout the possibility of star striker Jackson Martinez making a move to Arsenal ahead of the upcoming summer transfer period. The story began with the Portuguese newspaper, as Jornal di Noticiaspublishing a story with the headline reading, "Jackson says goodbye, with Arsenal looking.
Manchester United target Nicolas Otamendi wants to leave Valencia in order to join a "top" club next season, according to the player's agent Eugenio Lopez.
The timing of Lopez's comments are curious after reports surfaced last week that the defender had reached a pre-contract agreement with United.
Sevilla have unveiled a limited edition kit which will be worn during Wednesday's Europa League final in Warsaw.
Only 5000 have been made available to the public and, as you would expect, supporters have rushed to the club's store to purchase the new gear.
Sevilla are set to face Ukrainian side Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk on Wednesday afternoon and are attempting to become the first club to win the UEFA Cup/Europa League title for the fourth time.
The richest game in soccer kicks off on Memorial Day in the United States when Middlesbrough plays Norwich City in the Championship Playoff Final on beIN SPORTS from 10am to Noon ET.
The winner of the game will get promoted to the Premier League and will receive an estimated $190 million based on TV revenue and parachute payments (if the club later gets relegated).
Barcelona defender Dani Alves says he will not announce a decision on his future until after the Champions League final. But as it stands now, the right-back has one foot out the door of the Camp Nou.
The Brazilian held a press conference earlier today to share his thoughts on recent developments between himself and the club regarding a contract renewal.
Didier Drogba declared his thanks and love for Chelsea, Roman Abramovich, Jose Mourinho and Frank Lampard after being carried from the field following his final appearance for the Blues.
Drogba is adored at Stamford Bridge after an eight-year first spell which yielded 157 goals in 341 appearances and which concluded with the memorable Champions League win in 2012.
Nick, Kartik, Nate and Nicky review the final weekend of the Premier League season to share their opinions about everything from Sam Allardyce being sacked, Chelsea winning the title, Liverpool getting knocked for six, Newcastle escaping relegation and much more.
And don't forget to interact with the pod using hashtag #WSTPod on Twitter.
Radamel Falcao has been told he will not be coming back to Manchester United next season.
United won a hotly-contested race to sign the Colombia striker on loan from Monaco last summer, but he has scored just four goals in 29 appearances for Louis van Gaal's side this season.
United had the chance to sign the 29-year-old on a permanent basis for £43.
Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has scheduled a press conference for 19:30 local time today (1:30pm EST) where it is expected the club will announce the departure of manager Carlo Ancelotti.
Prior to the press conference, Madrid's board of directors will hold a vote which will officially decide Ancelotti's fate.
Middlesbroughare 90 minutes away from returning tothe Premier League,and there's plenty of optimism around Teesside as manager Aitor Karanka has his team in a confident mood going into the Wembley showdown with Norwich on Monday.
This optimism and belief has been a rarity in recent years, but the Spaniard has brought stability into the squad with the emphasis focused onwinning, a trait that also sits well with his good friend Jose Mourinho and his triumphant Chelsea team.
Theo Walcott plundered a hat-trick as Arsenal gave themselves the perfect warm-up for the FA Cup final with a 4-1 win over West Brom in the last match of the Barclays Premier League season.
Walcott, who has yet to commit his long-term future to the Gunners, laid down a marker to be included in the starting XI at Wembley with a blistering first-half display from a central striker's role.
Liverpool's season-ending meltdown was completed at the Britannia Stadium where Stoke won 6-1 to inflict the Reds' heaviest defeat for 52 years while notching their biggest home victory over the Merseysiders in over a century.
Brendan Rodgers insisted on Friday he was 150 per cent sure he would be manager next season despite his side missing all the targets Fenway Sports Group set him back in August.
Barcelona has revealed their new Nike kit for next season which features hoops rather than the club's iconic vertical stripes.
The new design wasleaked months ago and was greeted by immediate disapprovalfrom supporters. But Nike and Barcelona president Josep Bartomeu had already given the go-ahead for the revolutionary change to take place at the start of the 2015-16 season.
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers offered an apology for an "embarrassing" 6-1 defeat at Stoke and despite it putting his future under more scrutiny insists he still has a lot to offer the club.
A run of eight points from their final nine matches saw the Reds drop to sixth, eight points off Champions League qualification the target set by owners Fenway Sports Group at the beginning of the campaign.
Harry Kane rounded off his memorable breakthrough campaign with his 31st Tottenham goal of the season as Mauricio Pochettino's men sealed fifth spot and a place in next term's Europa League.
The 21-year-old's journey from squad player to talisman at White Hart Lane has been one of the stories of the season and he provided one final reminder of his quality during a largely mundane encounter at Goodison Park.
Argentina's second biggest derby kicks off at 2pm ET today featuring Racing versus Independiente in what promises to be an entertaining match with a fantastic atmosphere. For soccer fans in the United States, we have the details on how you can watch and listen to the game for free.
First, Rabble.
Jonas Gutierrez signed off from his Newcastle career in style by cementing a first victory in three months to end the club's Barclays Premier League relegation fears.
The 31-year-old Argentinian, playing his final game for the club after recovering from testicular cancer, had already set up Moussa Sissoko for the opening goal nine minutes after half-time when he drilled home a second with five minutes of the game remaining, condemning West Ham to a 2-0 defeat and Hull to the drop.
Chelsea bade farewell to Didier Drogba before coming from behind to beat Sunderland 3-1 and lift the Premier League trophy on a day of celebration, farewells and potential goodbyes.
The title was sealed with three matches to go after a defeat of Crystal Palace and there was a strange atmosphere on the day of Chelsea's coronation as a Diego Costa penalty and two Loic Remy strikes cancelled out Steven Fletcher's opener.
West Ham United have announced they've decided not to renew the contract of manager Sam Allardyce.
The club made the official announcement on its website just minutes after the game between Newcastle United and West Ham United ended.
The cold-blooded decision by West Ham United's owners to make the decision so soon after the final game of the season ended is callous.
Frank Lampard scored for Manchester City today in his final league game for the club.
Lampard scored the goal in the 31st minute against Southampton much to the delight of Lampard and his father, Frank Lampard Sr, who was in the crowd.
Manchester City finish the season in second place before getting to embark on a post-season tour of North America where they'll play Toronto FC (on Wednesday, live on ESPN2) and Houston (on Thursday).
In a pre-planned move, Jose Mourinho substituted Didier Drogba in his final game for Chelsea.
Not only did the Chelsea legend receive huge applause from the crowd at Stamford Bridge, but the Chelsea footballers carried him off the field in a triumphant end to a historic career at the west London club.
Chelsea legend Didier Drogba todayannounced he will be departing the club for the second time but he still feels he has one more season as a player before retirement.
Speaking to the Official Chelsea website, Drogba said:
"I want to play for at least one more season and in order to play more football I feel I need to go to another club.
"I want to play for at least one more season and in order to play more football I feel I need to go to another club.
The final day of the 10-month Premier League season is here. And unfortunately, it'll all be overin a flash, so no matter which team you support, savor every moment before the long summer arrives.
Here's today's TV schedule for viewers/readers in the United States. All matches kick off at 10am ET.
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti still does not know his fate for next season.
The Italian tactician is under contract with the club for one more year. But speculation is the 55-year-old will have the final year of his deal terminated next week by club president Florentino Perez.
Speaking after his side's 7-3 victory over Getafe, Ancelotti revealed that he would take a season off from management, if he were to face the sack from Real Madrid in the coming days.
Everton has officially unveiled its new home shirt for the 2015-16 season.
The new shirt, which has been designed by Umbro, is inspired by iconic Everton home shirts of the past and features a white V-neck collar with a rib insert.
The reverse of the shirt carries an 'NSNO' insignia on the back neck area, a reference to the Club's famous 'Nil Satis Nisi Optimum' motto.
If you speak with someone from the UK that'solder than 35, you may hear them rarelyutter the phrase"Chelsea won the Championship" or something similar to "I remember when Blackburn Roverswon the Championship" before they catch themselves and realize the error of their ways. For modern day soccer fans, it's slightly confusing considering thatthe Football League renamed the second division of English soccer the Championship in 2004.
In a surprise announcement, International Champions Cup event organizers have announced that SL Benfica will replace Porto in this summer's tournament, which will be played in stadiums across North America.
As a result, it means thatBenfica will play Paris Saint-Germain F.C. in Toronto at BMO Field, ACF Fiorentina in East Hartford, CT at Rentschler Field, New York Red Bulls in Harrison, NJ at Red Bull Arena and Club América on July 28 at a venue to be announced.
The stars of FC Bayern Munich celebrated winning the German Championship on Saturday with Paulaner Hefe-Weißbier Alkoholfrei and wheat beer soakings. After the trophy had been presented to Philipp Lahm, captain of the reigning and new German Champions, the team clearly decided to enjoy the successful season to the full.
If you want to see a leaked photograph of what Tottenham's away shirt looks like for the 2015-16 season, read on.
After Spurs officially unveiledtheir home shirt last week, anticipation has been building from fans to see what their away and third shirts from Under Armour will look like.
The home shirt for Spurs was met with a mixed reaction.
Hull boss Steve Bruce has admitted he never imagined the Tigers would be fighting for their Barclays Premier League lives after starting their campaign with arguably the strongest squad in the club's history.
Bruce was widely credited with landing the pick of the transfer deadline day buys with Abel Hernandez, Mohamed Diame, Gaston Ramirez and on-loan Newcastle midfielder Hatem Ben Arfa all arriving at the KC Stadium.
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has called on the fans to throw their support behind Raheem Sterling believing the player "is being led by his representative".
The 20-year-old's name has been splashed over the back pages all week which culminated in a scheduled meeting with his agent, Rodgers and chief executive Ian Ayre being cancelled after the club took issue to comments made by his representative Aidy Ward.
Newcastle head coach John Carver is expecting an "electric" atmosphere as he attempts to drag the club back from the brink of disaster.
West Ham will arrive at St James' Park on Sunday to face a Magpies team knowing that anything short of a victory something they have not managed since February could prove fatal to their hopes of remaining in the Barclays Premier League.
Headlines about Raheem Sterling's contract issues and the prospect of Liverpool losing a star player this summer have deflected attention from the departure of one of the club's true greats.
There was, quite correctly, great fanfare surrounding Steven Gerrard's final match at Anfield last week but Sunday's trip to Stoke will be the midfielder's 710th and final appearance for the Reds.
Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini does not think he has fallen victim to a managerial 'second-season syndrome'.
Pellegrini claims he had a tougher time in his first campaign as City boss and has just been let down by some rudimentary mistakes this term.
Pellegrini's side fell away badly in the second half of the season, tamely surrendering their Barclays Premier League crown to Chelsea after being joint-top in January.
Following a superb fourth season with Manchester United, goalkeeper David De Gea is being heavily linked with a move back to his home country of Spain, with Real Madrid looking to snap up the Spaniard. While some have suggested that a deal between De Gea and Real Madrid has already been completed, nothing has been officially announced by either team as ofpress time.
Watford's home shirt for the 2015/16 season is one of the most modern and eyeopening designs we've seen thus far.
This is definitely not an old-school Watford shirt design that the Hornets wore during the Elton John days of the late 1970s. Instead, it's a modern yellow shirt design with bands of black up and down the shirt.
Listen to the latest episode of World Soccer Talk Radio featuring an interview with Ives Galarcep, the lead reporter at Goal.com and editor-in-chief at SBI Soccer.
If you enjoy the show, listen to it live every Monday through Friday between 9-10pm ET (6-7pm PT) via Sports Byline on the radio, the Sports Byline website, or the Tune-In app.
Barcelona will open its first youth campin Russia, specifically Sochi, on June 12th.
The FCB Escola will be the only official one on Russian soil during the summer and will be open to youngsters between 6 and 13 years of age, regardless of their footballing abilities.
It will be the biggest football academy in Russia and will feature a contingent of Spanish coaches with international experience, who will teach both theory and practical classes to boys and girls.
Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas responded favorably when asked if he would like Manchester United's David De Gea to join him in the Spanish capital next season.
De Gea has beentargeted to be Casillas replacement in Madrid for quite some time but has yet to make a decision on his future.
It's all about survival in European soccerthis weekend, with the key clashes in various divisions set to determine which teams will stay up.
In England, the quest to preserve top-flight status will go down to the final day. Elsewhere, the top two sides in the MLS Eastern Conference go head-to-head stateside, while the final team to be promoted from the Championship to the Premier League will be determined in a playoff final at Wembley.
Boss Tony Pulis admitted West Brom will let Saido Berahino leave if a top four club makes a move but only for the right deal.
The 20-goal striker has been linked with a move away from The Hawthorns for most of the season.
He scored twice in Monday's 3-0 win over Chelsea and is expected to lead the line for Sunday's Barclays Premier League finale at Arsenal.
Czech midfielder Tomas Rosicky is set to stay at Arsenal next season, manager Arsene Wenger has confirmed.
The 34-year-old has been on the fringes of the squad this season, making only five starts in the Barclays Premier League.
However, Wenger insisted the former Borussia Dortmund playmaker remained integral to his plans for 2015-16.
Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has been named Barclays Premier League manager of the season.
Mourinho guided Chelsea to their first Premier League title in five years earlier this month which completed a domestic double, the Blues having beaten Tottenham in the Capital One Cup final at Wembley in March.
Match fixing allegations from Galatasaray's game playedlast weekend threaten to mar the 2014/15 Turkish Super Lig.
First, thebackstory.
When Besiktas Chairman Suleyman Seba died before this season started, the Turkish Football Federation was quick to name this season in his honor.
Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal is interested in signing Bayern Munich midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger this summer.
Although he spent £150million on six new players last summer, Van Gaal has been assured that he will be given sizable funds to improve the squad in the close season if he deems it necessary.
Everton manager Roberto Martinez insists he has had no personal issues with Sylvain Distin after promising the French defender a chance to say farewell to Goodison Park at the weekend.
The 37-year-old is out of contract in the summer and has been frozen out in the second half of the season and forced to play with the under-21s after last featuring in a Premier League match day squad on January 31.
Barcelona manager Luis Enrique has confirmed that Xavi Hernandez will start his final La Liga game at the Camp Nou, while Thomas Vermaelen will also make his debut for La Blaugrana.
However, it is still unknown whether or not the Belgian defender will start on Saturday against Deportivo de la Coruna.
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti feels he will remain in charge of the club despitemounting reportsstating he will be replaced by Napoli coach Rafa Benitezshortly after the endof the season.
According to numerous reports, Ancelotti will take charge of hisfinal match for Real Madrid tomorrow against Getafe before a scheduled meeting with club president Florentino Perez, where it is expected that the manager's contract will be terminated.
Today's Soccer Morning features the latest news and listener calls.
The now commonly accepted fact is that Carlo Ancelotti will coach his last game for Real Madrid on Saturday against Getafe at the Santiago Bernabeu, after which he will be fired after his second season in the Spanish capital.
Ancelotti's crime? A year after delivering Real their elusive 10th European Cup, the Italian tactician led a trophy-less season, coming up short in both the Champions League and La Liga by the thinnest of margins.
Footballer of the Year Eden Hazard has developed into the complete midfielder under the guidance of Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho, according to former Blues forward Gianfranco Zola.
Belgium international Hazard was forced to miss Thursday night's Football Writers' Association 2015 Footballer of the Year dinner in London after having emergency dental surgery to remove three wisdom teeth.
Listen to the latest episode of World Soccer Talk Radio featuring an interview with Dan Dickinson, one of the chief moderators on the MLS subReddit as well as a writer for Gothamist.com.
Dan's area of speciality is New York soccer, so it's no surprise that we tackle the Big Apple as well as the growth of r/MLS in this episode.
League sponsorBarclays announced itsnominees for the Premier League Manager of the season for 2014-15 awardon Thursday with the only surprise exclusion being the self-proclaimed "best manager in the league" John Carver.
Chelsea's Jose Mourinho led the way after leading the Blues to a first title in five years, followed by Nigel Pearson, whose Leicester City side completed a dramatic comeback to escape relegation and stay in the top-flight.
After going to more than 30 soccer matches during my stay in England I decided to try a different English sporting experience a week and a half ago when I went to see a rugby match to see how the two atmospheres compare with each another. I found that, very surprisingly, the two experiences could not have been more different.
In Mexico tonight, the Liga MXClausura playoff semi-finalskick offwith four teams battling to reach the final from among Pachuca, Chivas, Santos and Queretaro.
In the first leg of the semi-finals, Pachuca — who defeated Club America last weekend — plays Queretaro, and Santos de Laguna battles Chivas de Guadalajara.
Derby County are set to confirm the departure ofSteve McClaren imminently, potentially clearing the path for the former England boss to join Newcastle United next season.
As reported by John Percy of the Daily Telegraph, the Rams have dismissed the 54-year-old after a poor domestic campaign that saw the club fall out of contention for automatic promotion.
Barcelona defender Dani Alves has not been able to agree to a new contract with the club and will hold a press conference on Tuesday to announce his decision to leave on a free transfer, according to theSpanish radio network Cadena SER.
The Brazilianis out of contract at the end of the seasonand has been free to negotiate with other clubs since January.
Today's episode of Soccer Morning features guest Andy Edwards.
Jason kicks off today's show with NBC Pro Soccer Talk's Andy Edwards to look back at Sporting Kansas City's 4-2 midweek win against New England.
Sunday'sfinale to the 2014/15 Premier League season will feature three people in the booth for the first time this season when commentator Arlo White will be joined by co-commentators Lee Dixon and Graeme Le Saux to announce the Hull City against Manchester United match, live on NBC from 10am-Noon ET.
Manchester United has announced the location of its July 21 friendly against San Jose Earthquakes.
The Premier League club will play the match as part of the International Champions Cup at California Memorial Stadium on the campus of the University of California, in Berkeley.
The stadium has a capacity of 62,467.
Palermo president Maurizio Zamparini says striker Paulo Dybala will be the new Lionel Messi and, despite interest from other clubs, the young Argentine only ever wanted to sign for Juventus.
While it has yet to be officially confirmed by the club, Juventus have won the race to sign the talented 21-year-old striker from Palermo.
England manager Roy Hodgson has offered to lend Raheem Sterling a sympathetic ear to air any contract frustrations, but admits he would rather stay out of club business.
The 20-year-old, named in the national squad to face the Republic of Ireland on June 7 and Slovenia on June 14, has been in the headlines for all the wrong reasons as his future at Liverpool comes under increased scrutiny.
Dick Advocaat has challenged Sunderland to build on their successful survival battle in the Barclays Premier League next season whether he is in charge or not.
The Dutchman was in tears as the final whistle blew at Arsenal after the Black Cats battled to a 0-0 draw on Wednesday night, which was enough to avoid a nervous final day of the season at champions Chelsea on Sunday with Hull and Newcastle now left to scrap it out for survival.
Depending on who your favorite team is, you probably watch the majority of games from that league. But outside of your favorite team that plays in that league, which is the league that you next enjoy watching matches from the most?
In 2015, especially if you live in North America, we're spoiled by the number of choices available.
Raheem Sterling's contract saga with Liverpool has taken another new twist after the club canceled Friday's scheduled meeting with the player and his agent.
Sterling's representative Aidy Ward had requested a sit down with chief executive Ian Ayre and manager Brendan Rodgers to discuss the 20-year-old's future, having turned down a £100,000-a-week deal in January.
Real Madridare set to terminate the contract of manager Carlo Ancelotti and an official announcement from the club is expected next Tuesday, according to various reports.
Ancelotti has one year remaining on his current deal with Madrid.
The Italian boss assumed control of Madrid in June 2013 and led the team through the best calendar year in club history.
The North American Soccer League hates being called a 'second division' and so the turn of phrase used by Italy's venerable daily newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport on Thursday will have cheered the league's commission Bill Peterson.
Reporting the announcement that Miami is to have an NASL team from next season owned by soccer television entrepreneur Riccardo Silva and former AC Milan and Italy defender Paolo Maldini, the famous pink paper described the NASL as "the alternative league to Major League Soccer".
Today's Soccer Morning features an interview with Andy Edwards.
Edwards will be on the show to discuss last night's 6 goal thriller between Sporting Kansas City and New England, as well as to discuss Benny Feilhaber's form and whether Sporting KC can be a threat in the Western Conference.
You can listen to Soccer Morning live via the World Soccer Talk LIVE page at www.
For so many years, the narrative in English soccer has been "finish fourth, finish fourth". The Premier League's fourthand final Champions League spot is awarded to the team that finished in fourth, and has been for years. It always seemed as if England's position atop this chain would be safe, but that position is becoming more and more perilous.
Much of Rafael Benitez's two seasons in charge of Italian club Napoli has resembled his time at Liverpool.
The Spaniard won silverware in the form of the Coppa Italia and the Supercoppa Italiana. However, many will remember his time at the Stadio San Paolo for delivering very little despite having a squad that could have won the club's first Scudetto since the days of Diego Maradona.
Former Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper, Heurelho Gomes, made some interesting comments regarding Spurs when he recently spoke to ESPN Brazil. The now 34-year-old shot-stopper claimed that the London-based club are to blame for recent players not making a smooth transition into the Premier League.
Juventus are nearing an agreement for Real Madrid midfielder Sami Khedira, according to a report from the Spanish publication Marca.
The German international has been out of favor in Spain for quite some time and has steadily been linked with an exit from the Bernabeu.
In November it was learned Madrid refused to renew the midfielder's contractsince the club felt slighted afterKhedira's refusal to accept a new deal last season.
Listen to the latest episode of World Soccer Talk Radio featuring an interview with Elliott Turner, who discusses Liga MX, Ronaldinho, La Liga TV rights, MLS stadia and more.
Barcelona midfielder Xavi Hernandez has confirmed his departure from the Catalan club and will join the Qatari side Al-Sadd this summer.
While in Qatar, the former Spain international will study for his coaching badges at the Aspire Academy.
Speaking at his press conference today, Xavi expressed that now was the perfect time to leave the club which he has spent the entirety of his career.
NASL's announcement of an expansion team in Miami beginning in 2016was met with a wide range of opinions and a certain degree of shock among the American soccer intelligentsia. The new club, Miami FC, which shares the same name of the Miami FC team from 2006-2010 that morphed into the team now known as the Fort Lauderdale Strikers, boasts an impressive ownership group featuringAC Milan legend Paolo Maldini and MP & Silva President Riccardo Silva.
Legendary Dutch player and coach Johan Cruyff has never been one to shy away from sharing his opinion.
In an article published in De Telegraf, the former Barcelona manager criticized Real Madrid for their recent run of form in La Liga.
The Spanish press is doing its best to blame the club's most recent failures on current Real Madrid boss, Carlo Ancelotti.
Manchester United have a pre-contract agreement with Valencia defender Nicolas Otamendi, according to a report from the Argentine publication Olé.
It is understood that the two clubs have yet to agreea fee for the Argentine centre-back. However, that is likely a formality with United in desperate need of defensive reinforcements, and since theEnglish club has been tracking the27-year-old for quite some time.
Today's episode of Soccer Morning features guests John Wallin and Peter McVitie.
Jason kicks off today's show with Togga's John Wallin as they look ahead to this summer's Women's World Cup & Togga's Women's World Cup Challenge app.
Goal.com's Peter McVitie then comes on the show to look back at the Eredivisie season and Aron Johansson's progress at AZ Alkmaar.
NBC Sports has announced the TV lineup for its final day of Premier League 2014/15 coverage with all 10 matches being shown live across TV networks in the United States.
The matches will be shown across NBC, NBCSN, CNBC,Oxygen, CNBC, E!, USA, MSNBC, Esquire Network, Bravo and SyFy.
All matches kick off simultaneously at 10am ET on Sunday, May 24.
For Toronto FC supporters, Jozy Altidore injury news rates as "concerning" more than "fall over alarming." Major League Soccer's campaign is long and winding, and the playoff format is overly forgiving, if we are being honest. The well-paid young striker has plenty of season still ahead.
But for U.
Sunderland can guarantee Premier League football next season with a victory today against Arsenal at the Emirates. At the same time, if the Gunners get a win this evening, Arsenal can guarantee a third-place finish in the Premier League. Who said there's nothing left to play for?!
Arsenal vs Sunderland, 3pm ET, NBCSN andNBC Sports Live Extra
• Where to find Premier League Extra Timeand how to use NBC Sports Live Extra
• How to follow the Premier League on US TV, Internet and radio
Before, during or after today's match, join the conversation in the comments section below with fellow soccer fans from around the world.
Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone has come to the defense of striker Mario Mandzukic, whose first season in Spain has come under criticism from sections of the Spanish press.
After the Croatia international arrived from Bayern Munich and Diego Costa departed the Spanish capital for Chelsea, it was inevitable that Mandzukic's performances would be compared to former Atletico striker.
Emmanuel Adebayor has revealed he contemplated suicide "many times" over a family feud which he claimed culminated in a knife being held to his throat by one of his brothers.
Tottenham Hotspur striker Adebayor has published a third lengthy post on his Facebook account in order, he says, to respond to claims made by some of his siblings through their own social media channels.
The 2015 Women's World Cup in Canada is set to kick-off on Saturday June 6th and FOX has announced the TV schedule that will broadcast all 52 games live on FOX, FOX Sports 1, FOX Sports 2, online at FOXSportsGO.com as well as the FOX Sports GO app.
Coverage is set to begin with a live one-hour preview show on FOX Sports 1 starting at 7:30 PM EST.
Real Madrid are preparing to give a handful of youth players their debuts this weekend against Getafe, with the end of their season a mere formality.
After losing out on the La Liga title to Barcelona and having their quest to repeat as Champions League winnersended by Juventus, the coaching staff feels that now would be a good time to give some of their reserve team players a run-out in front of the Bernabeu fans.
Newcastle United have unveiled their home shirt for the 2015/16 season.
The new home shirt will be worn for the first time in Sunday's Barclays Premier League game against West Ham United. For the sake of Newcastle United supporters, they'll be hoping that it isn't the shirt that ends up seeing the club being relegated if Hull can win against Manchester United and Newcastle fails to beat the Hammers.
"It was 20 years ago today..."
It's a phrase that holds particular significance for the people of Liverpool, as the first line in the greatest album ever made: The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.
But this week it's a quip which will become sadly relevant for the blue half of the city.
Newcastle fans are being urged to occupy St James' Park after Sunday's final-day clash with West Ham to protest against owner Mike Ashley.
The Magpies head into the final game of the season with their Barclays Premier League future in serious jeopardy after a run of 10 games without a victory.
Today's Soccer Morning features an interview with Peter McVitie.
McVitie is a Scottish journalist who is an expert on Dutch soccer. He'll be discussing Memphis Depay's move to Manchester United, what that means for PSV Eindhoven, Billy Beane working with AZ Alkmaar, how Aron Johnansson's season is going, etc.
Listen to the latest episode of World Soccer Talk Radio featuring an interview with Dan Thomas.
Dan Thomas joined ESPN in 2010 as a soccer studio host and play-by-play commentator for UEFA Champions League and Spain's La Liga matches on the company's international networks. He is the host of ESPN FC on TV, the company's daily global soccer information and highlights studio program.
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers' position is not up for discussion at his end-of-season review with owners Fenway Sports Group despite targets being missed.
After narrowly missing out on the Barclays Premier League title 12 months ago, the minimum requirement from the American owners this time around was retaining Champions League status.
Manchester United have informed Real Madrid that they will not sell David de Gea this summer, according to the Spanish radio network Cadena COPE.
Last week, the Spanish newspaperMarcapublished a story claiming De Gea had agreed adeal worth around £4 million a year after tax, with a contract length between five and six years to join Real Madrid.
For years, the debatehas raged between opposing fans as to whether or not Barcelona and Real Madrid would achieve similar successin the Premier League as the two La Liga giants achieve in Spanish football.
Real Madrid have won the league 32 times, while Barcelona were recently crowned La Liga champions for the 23rd time in club history; both teams finished as leaguerunners-up 22 and 24 times, respectively.
Chris Ramsey has been tasked with reviving QPR after being appointed head coach on a three-year contract.
The 53-year-old took temporary charge of Rangers in February in the wake of Harry Redknapp's resignation, but he could not prevent their relegation from the Barclays Premier League for the second time in three seasons.
Today's episode of Soccer Morning features guest Kris Heneage.
Jason kicks off today's show with The Guardian's Kristan Heneage as they look back at the weekend's Premier League results and Raheem Sterling at Liverpool.
Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville from Sky Sports put up their all-time Premier League dream teams against each other. Carragher picked the all-time UK and Ireland team, while Neville was in charge of the Rest of the World XI. Who would you pick in your teams?
Watch the video below to see which players Neville and Carragher picked, and feel free to share your expert opinion in the comments section below if you disagree with their picks or have names you'd like to suggest to be included.
All three of Real Madrid's kits for next season have been leaked online.
It appears the home kit will be white with gray stripes, while the away kits will be gray with florescent touches.
The change sees the controversial pink away kit dropped, in a move club bosses will hope increases their global revenue.
Arsene Wenger believes the new £5billion Premier League domestic TV rights deal has provoked clubs in the rest of Europe to demand changes to UEFA's financial fair play rules.
UEFA president Michel Platini confirmed on Monday that the FFP rules would be eased and it is understood that the changes will allow more money to be invested into clubs by wealthy owners.
Petr Cech is prepared to leave Chelsea after 11 years for a Premier League rival this summer, according to his agent.
After a decade as number one, Cech, who is 33 on Wednesday, has found himself second choice behind Thibaut Courtois this season.
Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United are among the clubs along with Paris St Germain and Real Madrid reportedly monitoring his situation after Cech hinted at his wish to move on this summer, despite still having a year to run on his contract.
Barcelona midfielder Xavi Hernandez is set to confirm his departure from the Catalan club during a press conference on Thursday, according to the player's father.
In recent months, the 35-year-old has been linkedwith a movetothe Major League Soccerfranchise New York City FC, as well asthe Qatari club Al Sadd.
This summer features several major soccer tournaments from June through August, but which ones are you most looking forward to watching either on TV or in person?
In June, you have the Women's World Cup and Copa America being played throughout the month. July features the CONCACAF Gold Cup tournament featuring the US Men's National Team as well as other CONCACAF countries.
Manchester City have made an improved contract offer to James Milner as speculation persists over the England midfielder's future.
Milner is out of contract in the summer and, throughout the season, has held off signing a new deal that was offered last summer.
That has alerted other clubs and Arsenal and Liverpool have been heavily linked but Press Association Sport understands City have now raised the stakes by tabling an enhanced deal.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger refused to be drawn on the latest transfer speculation surrounding Liverpool forward Raheem Sterling and insisted it would be "stupid" to allow anything to disrupt their end to the season.
Reports have emerged the 20-year-old England forward wants to leave Anfield this summer, rejecting the offer of a contract extension said to be worth around £100,000-a-week.
It takes something pretty special for the average soccer supporter to look forward to Monday nights.
With post-weekend blues settling in and the majority of games completed, the working week stands between another chance to sample some domestic action at the weekend. A tough slog indeed.
It's what makes Monday Night Football—the Sky Sports show for the final games of the round—such a brilliant program.
Splashed across the front pages of Spanish newspapers are stories about possible replacements for Carlo Ancelotti and the overall decline in performance from Real Madrid players this season.
Ancelotti has to accept the lion share of the criticism because it was his reluctance to rotate the squad which played a role in the team'sfatigue and injury problems during the second half of the campaign.
Today's Soccer Morning features a discussion of the latest soccer headlines as well as taking your calls.
There's a host of topics to get through today including CONMEBOL discussing the idea of eliminating the World Cup playoff match for South America because of what happened in the Boca-River game, Gedion Zelalem making his debut for the USA U-20 side last night, Raheem Sterling's drama at Liverpool, 50 arrested in a match-fixing probe in Italy and much more.
In 2014, after more than six years of playing soccer in Italy, Austria and Guatemala, Vincenzo Bernardo returned to the US.
Signed by Miami United FC, Bernardo put together a stellar season for the club during its National Premier Soccer League campaign, scoring seven goals in 12 matches.
This season Bernardo became the first player to sign for the newly formed Miami Fusion FC as the club attempts to bring world class soccer back to the city.
The 2015 edition of the Emirates Cup will feature Olympique Lyonnais, Villarreal, VfL Wolfsburg and, of course, Arsenal. The annual pre-season invitational tournament will be the eighth instalment, with every match being played at the Emirates Stadium in north London.
The four game competition will be kicked off with Wolfsburg playing Villarreal and Arsenal matching up against Lyon on Saturday, July 25.
Listen to the latest episode of World Soccer Talk Radio featuring an interview with Sam Kelly.
Argentine soccer expert Sam Kelly brings us up to date on the punishment that Boca Juniors received from CONMEBOL for last week's pepper spray incident, as well as the latest analysis on the state of Argentine football.
Following a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Manchester United on Sunday, Arsenal placed themselves in pole position to grab a top three place in the Premier League table. While a potential third place finish at the end of the season is no trophy, it does mean two things the Gunners would be moving in the right direction, as the north London outfit has finished fourth in each of the last two campaigns, and they would also avoid a tricky Champions League qualifier at the beginning of next season.
Here are the 10 things we learned from week eleven of the Major League Soccer season.
1. Seattle Is The Team To Beat
The Sounders traveled up to BC Place to take on the front-running Vancouver Whitecaps, replaced Obafemi Martins with Chad Barrett, watched Barrett nab a brace, and returned to Seattle with the Cascadia Cup all but locked up and a three-game home-stand to finish May.
For the first time this season, Real Madrid goalkeeper Keylor Navas has spoken up about his lack of playing time since his arrival from Levante last summer.
Real Madrid triggered the Costa Rica international's buyout clause and signed the 28-year-old to a six-year contract in August 2014.
Navas was named the LFP's 'Best Goalkeeper' during the 2013-14 La Liga campaign, and many expected him to eventually supplant veteran shot stopper Iker Casillas as the club's number one.
This past weekend, Florida was the showcase home of professional soccer in the United States. On Saturday, the Tampa Bay Rowdies defeated the Fort Lauderdale Strikers in front of a near-sellout crowd at the newly renovated Al Lang Stadium in St Petersburg. The next day, Orlando City SC recorded its first home victory in MLS with a 4-0 smashing of reigning champions Los Angeles.
Liverpool forward Raheem Sterling is set to hold crunch talks with manager Brendan Rodgersand chief executive Ian Ayre, where it is expected the 20-year-old will ask to leave the Merseyside club this summer.
Last month, the England international reject the notion that he was a "money grabber" during an interview with the BBC, shortly after the player turned down a new £100,000-a-week contract from the club.
MLS supporters drool over big names who might one day grace the league. We bicker over managers and, increasingly, about the front office deciders who make the juicy personnel calls. We love to go a few rounds over broadcast talent.
These are usually the domestic issues that keep the blogs and their comments sections busy, the top targets for debate among supporters and the chattering class.
Listen to the fixed audio file for the World Soccer Talk Radio interview with Arlo White.
Arlo White serves as the play-by-play voice for NBC Sports Group's coverage of Premier League coverage.
White, who spent the last two seasons as the play-by-play voice for NBC Sports Group's Major League Soccer coverage, relocated back to the U.
West Bromwich Albion vs Chelsea, 3pm ET, NBCSN and NBC Sports Live Extra
Before, during or after today's matches, join the conversation in the comments section below with fellow soccer fans from around the world.
There are few grounds that compare to West Ham United's Boleyn Ground in the Premier League. Tucked away amongst a crowded corner of suburban East London, the walk up to the stadium itself from Upton Park underground station bristles with the kind of character that you'd expect from an historic capital club.
An insightful piece from Sean Ingle in the the Guardianrecently suggested that supporters of the Premier League actually prefer a season thatgoes as expected.
The article refers to various studies carried out on what fans are after from their soccer experience, noting that the games superstars are the big attraction for the majority and, as the headline notes, "supporters crave familiarity, not unpredictability.
Real Madrid will take part in the fourth edition of the Audi Cup which is hosted by Bayern Munich at the Allainz Arena in August.
The other two members of the four-team tournament will be announced in June following the conclusion of the Champions League final in Berlin.
The format of the Audi Cup remains unchanged: On Tuesday August 4, the two semifinals will take place.
Valenciadefender Nicolas Otamendi is dreaming ofa Premier League move, according to Sky Sports Spanish football expert Guillem Balague.
Last week, Valencia's sporting director Francisco Rufete said the centre-back had not expressed an interest to leave the club.
However, Guillem Balague says sources close to Otamendi are saying the Argentine "dreams" of a Premier League move.
Real Madrid have drawn up a list of potential replacements for manager Carlo Ancelotti, and one of the names in the mix was Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho.
However, Mourinho rejected the La Liga club's interest and reiterated his stance that he is happy to remain at Stamford Bridge for the long term.
Today's Soccer Morning features guests Tom Marshall and Kevin Baxter.
Marshall will be on the show to discuss Liguilla playoffs and Cubo Torres' sexual assault allegations. Meanwhile, LA Times journalist Kevin Baxter will discuss LAFC and the stadium announcement that is expected later today.
Palermo head coach Giuseppe 'Beppe' Iachini has confirmed that striker Paulo Dybala is now a Juventus player.
Iachini was speaking after his side's 1-0 victory over Cagliari early today, which Dybala sat out in order to ensure he wasn't injured before his move to the Italian champions.
"Dybala is now a Juventus player and this club is working towards the future," the Palermo coach told Sky Sports Italia.
In the penultimate weekend of the Premier League season, pundits Nate Abaurrea and Nicky Holender discuss the dogfight to avoid relegation, the Manchester United-Arsenal match, and also discuss the other matches from the weekend in the Prem.
In a weekend of MLS matches, the attendances at DC United, FC Dallas and Montreal Impact were not terrific.
The rest of the clubs did well with the exception of Philadelphia, who drew below their normal 18,000+. Orlando drew Seattle-like numbers for the LA Galaxy's visit.
Overall, attendance is up 11.
Bayern Munich manager Pep Guardiola will be invited as Barcelona's guest of honor at the Champions League final in Berlin.
Earlier today, Barcelona vice-president Jordi Cardoner revealed that Guardiola, along with former bosses Terry Venables, Johan Cruyff and Frank Rijkaard, will be asked to attend the June 6 final in Berlin; since the quartet all coached La Blaugrana in at least one European Cup final.
Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal says goalkeeper David de Gea has yet to decide on his future, despite reports from Spain indicating the 24-year-old has agreed to personal terms with Real Madrid.
On Friday, the Spanish newspaper Marca published a story claiming De Gea had agreed adeal worth around £4 million a year after tax, with a contract length between five and six years to join Real Madrid.
The setting is amagisterial April evening in Orlando, and even in the press box, the sing-song chorus of the purple-hued Orlando City supporters groups "manning the wall" at the refurbished Florida Citrus Bowl are riotous and audible. Once again, the MLS expansion club has 30,000 plus in the seats, en route to an expansion attendance record through their first month and a sign that MLS, once again, chose wisely in its decision to drink from the expansion chalice.
Now that the La Liga strike has been averted, the Spanish league resumes action today with two massive matches involving Atletico Madrid vs. Barcelona and Espanyol vs. Real Madrid.And you can watch those two games live on fuboTV with a free 14-day trial if you live in the United States.
Due to the decision to avert the strike only being made on Thursday, all of the Spanish games will kick off at the same time today — 1pm ET, so that means that Real Madrid will be playing at the same time as Barcelona.
Bayern Munich chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge is eager toextend the contract of manager Pep Guardiola past June 2016, amid reports that the German club are ready to sever ties with the Spanish tactician.
Guardiola has been rumored to be on his way out of the Allianz Arena, with some reports going so far as to say thatBayern coach had pre-contract agreement with Manchester City.
Southampton manager Ronald Koeman heaped praise on Sadio Mane after his record-breaking hat-trick kicked off an "amazing afternoon" against Aston Villa.
This has been a remarkable season for Saints but one which looked to be petering out after a downturn in performances left them winless in four matches.
Departing Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard's final appearance at Anfield ended in disappointment as his side could not give him the send-off the occasion demanded.
The 34-year-old midfielder bade an emotional goodbye to his spiritual home in a 3-1 defeat to Crystal Palace, ahead of his summer move to Los Angeles Galaxy.
Manchester United welcome rivals Arsenal to Old Trafford as they prepare to exert revenge on the Gunners for the 2-1 defeat they suffered in the FA Cup earlier in the year.
Arsenal are second on the Premier League's form table with 13 points from their last six games after losing at home to Swansea last Monday.
Swansea vs Man City, 8:30am, NBCSN and NBC Sports Live Extra Man United vs Arsenal, 11am, NBCSN and NBC Sports Live Extra
• How to follow the Premier League on US TV, Internet and radio
Manchester United winger Angel di Maria has admitted his debut season in England has not gone according to plan.
The Argentine has not been included in United's starting eleven since he was dismissed during the club's FA Cup quarter-final defeat to Arsenal in March.
Less than a year from his signing,speculation is the player could be on his way out of Old Trafford, with Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid as possible destinations.
Departing Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard admitted he is devastated he will not play at Anfield again.
The 34-year-old's final appearance at the ground before his summer move to the Los Angeles Galaxy ended in a disappointing 3-1 defeat to Crystal Palace.
Gerrard was at least given a fitting send off, with a guard of honor, mosaics and songs sung in his honor, and he knows he will never again experience such a feeling.
One of the most historic rivalries in US soccer kicks off tonight when the Tampa Bay Rowdies hosts the Fort Lauderdale Strikers in a NASL game. Kickoff time is 7:30pm ET/4:30pm PT.
Tonight's game will be the first Florida derby of the year. Plus the game will be part of the Coastal Cup.
The teamsare neck and neck in the league with the Rowdies currently third in the table, while the Strikers are fourth.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger does not intend to follow Sir Alex Ferguson and ride off into the sunset just yet, but admits filling his own hard-earned retirement will need some careful planning.
Wenger takes his side to Old Trafford on Sunday, scene of so many infamous showdowns with Ferguson's men when Arsenal and Manchester United slugged it out for Barclays Premier League supremacy on the pitch, down the touchline and even over the post-match buffet in the dressing rooms.
Barcelona striker Luis Suarez resumed first-team training this morning and could beavailable to face Atletico Madrid on Sunday.
The Uruguayan had been a doubt for the match after picking up a hamstring strain during his side's 3-2 defeat to Bayern Munich earlier this week. However, his participationduring this morning's training session signals that the striker isready for Sunday's trip to the Vicente Calderon.
Sunderland vs Leicester & QPR vs Newcastle & Spurs vs Hull City, 10am, NBCSN and NBC Sports Live Extra Burnley vs Stoke, 10am, NBC Sports Live Extra West Ham vs Everton, 10am, NBC Sports Live Extra Liverpool vs Crystal Palace, 12:30pm, NBCSN and NBC Sports Live Extra
Mute the TV and listen to Rabble for a different experience
For today's matches, World Soccer Talk Podcasthost Nick Websterand World Soccer Talk Radio hostNate Abaurreawill be hosting an audio broadcast online where you can listen and participate.
This week, Crystal Palace unveiled their home and away shirts for the 2015/16 season.
The home shirt maintains the traditional red and blue vertical stripes with yellow trim, but with the adoption of a new asymmetrical style. The crew-neck is made with a red and blue knit and on the back sees "Crystal Palace FC" embroidered below the neck.
After four years of Manchester supremacy, Chelsea have finally won their fourth Premier League title. But can they go on to become a real force in England's top flight, or is another City and United cycle inevitable?
With the players Chelsea already have, there's no reason why it should take five more years for the London club to win another league title.
Nothing left to play for? You're having a laugh.
Southampton needs a win to try to gain some momentum heading into the final day of the Premier League where they hope to clinch a Europa League spot. Spurs are just above them, but Swansea are only one point behind and are on a winning streak.
Today's matches in the Premier League will have the biggest impact on the race to avoid relegation this season. By the coincidence of the fixture computer, the three teams that are in the gravest danger of being relegated all play at the same time today —Sunderland against Leicester, Newcastle faces QPR and Hull City plays away versus Spurs.
Join Jason Davis and Jared DuBois for tonight's broadcast of the FC Dallas against New York Red Bulls game.
Turn on UniMas, mute your TV and listen to Jason and Jared discussing the game.
For tonight's match, Soccer Morninghost Jason Davisand Best Soccer Show co-hostJared DuBoiswill be hosting an audio broadcast online where you can listen and participate.
After announcing the team that will be covering the U.S. Women's World Cup in Canada this summer, FOX announced that construction on their media headquarters in Vancouver began on May 13th and is set to wrap up on June 3rd. The brand new television studio will be constructed adjacent to the Vancouver Convention Centre in Jack Poole Plaza and will span over 7,500 square feet.
Tottenham Hotspur will resist any bids for their star striker Harry Kane this summer. Kane is regarded as one of the most highly rated forwards in the Barclays Premier League after his goalscoring exploits with Spurs this season. The 21-year-old has scored 30 goals for the club this term and he took just 79 seconds to find the net on his England debut against Lithuania in March.
Southampton have unveiled their new home shirt for the 2015-16 season.
During the 2014/15 season, the club decided to design and manufacture their own kits. But for the upcoming season, adidas will be the club's kit manufacturer. And the stripes return for another season.
According to the club website,
"The stripes offer a traditional and clean look to the shirt and reflect the DNA of Saints.
Large elements of the British press derided Tim Sherwood when he managed Tottenham. While some of the criticisms might have been justified, many of the critiques were over the top. When Sherwood was appointed by a desperate Aston Villa club in February, the choice was controversial. Many writers and pundits have ridiculed Sherwood's lack of tactical acumen and his motivational tactics.
Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has confirmed that Wayne Rooney will miss this weekend's clash against Arsenal.
Last week, Rooney was substituted at halftime of United's 2-1 win over Crystal Palace after sustaining a dead leg at Selhurst Park.
Van Gaal also revealed that left-back Luke Shaw will not be available for Sunday's encounter with the Gunners.
Today's episode of Soccer Morning features guest Sam Kelly.
Jason kicks off today's show with ESPNFC's Sam Kelly to discuss the suspension of Boca Juniors – River Plate in the Copa Libertadores..
Hosted by Jason Davis and produced by Trevor Hayward, Soccer Morning features interviews with prominent journalists, players and coaches in addition to taking listener calls.
Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea has agreed personal terms with Real Madrid, according to the Spanish publication Marca.
The newspaper claims the 24-year-old has agreed a deal worth around £4 million a year after tax, with a contract length between five and six years. All that is missing to make the transfer complete is an agreed fee between the two clubs.
Tottenham Hotspur have unveiled their new home shirt for the 2015-16 season, which features — as kit designer Under Armour UK calls it — a "heritage sash."
The six stripes featured in the sash across the chest of the shirt are "inspired by the design of the emblem positioned below the golden cockerel that sits proudly on top both of the West and East stands at White Hart Lane," according to the club website.
During his twelve yearsasReal Madridpresident, Florentino Perez has spent over $1.3 billion on transfers with the club winning 14 titles during that time.
Perez's tenure with Madrid has been divided between two terms (2000-06, 2009-15).
Duringhis first term as president he spent just over$500 million on transfers,with anadditional$860 million during his current reign.
With less than 30 days until the FIFA Women's World Cup this summer in Canada, FOX Sports has announced the team that will be covering all the action beginning on June 4th.
The group selected to provide play-by-play and in-studio coverage of FOX's first major soccer tournament for the United States is a mixture of former players and well recognized voices.
Today marks 6 weeks since we launched World Soccer Talk Radio, the nightly show that's aired live on Sports Byline and TuneIn.
In the past 1.5 months, we've interviewed a ton of intriguing guests, but we need your help. If there's anyone in particular that you'd love us to interview, please let us know in the comments section or on social media.
It seems the red tape rigmarole was apparently worth it; U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati confirmed via Twitter this weekthat Gedion Zelalem has successfully jumped through all the requisite FIFA hoops and may now, officially, represent the United States in international competition.
That was the easy part.
A Champions League final appearance for Paul Pogba might be enough to keep him at Juventus beyond a summer during which European soccer's juggernauts are likely to come calling. But for Yevhen Konoplyanka and his long association with Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk, this Europa League campaign is almost certainly a parting gift.
Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri was coy when asked if an agreementwas in place which would seePalermo striker Paulo Dybala join the Italian champions.
In recent weeks, Dybala has been linked with Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal. But the understanding has always been that Juventus have been the front runners to land the talented Palermo striker's signature.
Today's Soccer Morning features guest Sam Kelly.
Argentine football expert Sam Kelly will be on the show to discuss what happened last night in the Copa Libertadores match that resulted in Boca-River being suspended, as well as why there are no league games this weekend.
Following a peculiar 1-0 defeat at home to Swansea City, a match in which Arsenal dominated possession, Gunners midfielder Aaron Ramsey voiced his displeasure with his new wide role with the team.
The Wales international said, "It (playing out on the right) is not my preferred position. I am a central midfielder and that's where I like to be.
With the majority of title races wrapped up in European football's most prestigious leagues, focus has shifted to other facets of various divisions as soccer fans go in search of some excitement late on in the campaign.
One league thatstill has a race of sorts ongoing is La Liga and the leaders can clinch glory this weekend against a quality opponent.
Download the latest episode of World Soccer Talk Radio featuring an interview with Arlo White.
Barcelona-based publication, Sport, has claimed that Arsenal will receive around €4 million from the Catalan club because of an agreed clause in the transfer of defender Thomas Vermaelen last summer.
Vermaelen, who has yet to make an appearance in a Barca kit this season due to a hamstring tear, was sold to the Spanish giants for £15 million in August of 2014.
Atletico Madrid midfielder Koke has committed his future to the club in spite of reported interest from Chelsea.
Koke, a product of Atletico's youth system, has been manager Diego Simeone's most consistent performer and loyal servant during his tenure in charge.
Over the past few seasons, the Spain international has been continually linked with moves away from the Spanish capital, and each time the23-year-old has pledged his loyalty to his boyhood club.
The scenes at La Bombonera last night in Buenos Aires were crazy after a Boca Rivers supporter used a blowtorch to make a hole in the fence and inflatable tunnel, and then pepper sprayed some of the River Plate footballers who were coming out to play the second half.
The eyes of many of the River Plate players were burning.
Tonight's World Soccer Talk Radio features an interview with Arlo White.
The second leg of the Copa Libertadores Round of 16 match between Boca Juniors and River Plate kicks off tonight in one of the world's most fierce and passionate games in soccer.
In the first leg, the match was decided by a late penalty after River Plate'sCarlos Sanchez converted the penalty.
In two weeks time, Sepp Blatter will almost certainly win a fifth term as president of FIFA and we can expect another round of the ritual despairing comment from the British press and the other pockets of resistance to the way the global game is run. But nothing will change.
The three candidates who have stood against Blatter in this election may pick up a little more support than skeptics would expect.
With the goal of expanding its union of journalistic excellence and compelling long-form storytelling, E:60 presents this ambitious new effort. Under the banner "E:60 Reports with Jeremy Schaap" the show devotes an entire program to an in-depth look at the most powerful man in the world of sports and the oft-criticized organization he oversees – Sepp Blatter and FIFA.
Barcelona striker Luis Suarez is a doubt for this weekend's La Liga clash against Atletico Madrid after picking up a hamstring strain during his side's 3-2 defeat to Bayern Munich.
La Blaugranawill travel to the Vicente Calderon on Sunday knowing avictory would give them their 23rdleague title.
Today's episode of Soccer Morning features guest David Amoyal.
The Italian football expert will discuss several hot topics including Juventus advancing to the UEFA Champions League Final, Alvaro Morato and his non-celebration, Paul Pogba's performance, what the aggregate win means for Italian soccer and whether Juve have what it takes to challenge Barca.
Mauricio Pochettino has heaped praise on the retiring Brad Friedel, but the Tottenham head coach suggested there was unlikely to be a sentimental final appearance for the veteran goalkeeper.
After a career spanning three decades, the the American, who turns 44 on Monday, is at last calling time on his playing career, 17 years after first arriving in England.
Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard hopes he can keep his emotions in check when he bids farewell to Anfield on Saturday night.
The 34-year-old is set to make his final home appearance against Crystal Palace at the weekend to bring the curtain down on a 17-year professional career with the Reds before joining Major League Soccer side Los Angeles Galaxy.
Fiorentina vs Sevilla, 3pm, FOX Sports 2 and FOX Soccer 2GO Dnipro vs Napoli, 3pm, FOX Soccer Plus and FOX Soccer 2GO
—Watch Champions League and Europa League matches on FOX Soccer 2GO.
Manchester United executive vice chairman Ed Woodward has reiterated the club's stance that it will financially back manager Louis van Gaal during this summer's transfer period.
According to the club official, the goal is to arm the Dutch boss with a squad capable of challenging for every major piece of silverware next season.
Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos is set to miss the remainder of the season after it was learned the center-back played yesterday's Champions League semi-final return leg with a torn calf muscle.
According to the Spanish newspaper Marca, Ramos played the entire second half with the soleus muscle in his calf ripped.
Chelsea have signed Brazilian midfielder Nathan from Atletico Paranaense for an undisclosed fee.
The 19-year-old will move to Stamford Bridge on July 1.
Nathan bolsters the ranks of Brazilians at Chelsea, joining Ramires, Willian, Oscar and Filipe Luis. The Blues also have young Brazilians Wallace and Lucas Piazon out on loan.
Andy Gray and Richard Keys are heading to beIN SPORTS this summer to help the network's coverage of Copa America, a source has revealed to World Soccer Talk.
beIN SPORTS has the exclusiveEnglish-language and Spanish-language rights to the month-long tournament that will be held in Chile featuring the giants of South America including Brazil, Argentina, Colombia and Uruguay as well as the other CONMEBOL countries and invited nations Mexico and Jamaica.
Clichés are bad enough in sports broadcasting and writing. But the very worst among them: the clichés that aren't even true. It's a double whammy of awful.
This is one of my real pet peeves in soccer journalism and broadcasting. Also file this under: "Some lessons never get learned, apparently.
Sevillaare set topunch their ticket to the Europa League final, so long as the La Liga side doesn't cough up its 3-0 advantage from the first leg against Fiorentina later today.
The Spanish clubis hopingto defend its Europa League crown and become the first team to win the competition four times.
Great news for La Liga fans, theSpanish High Court has provisionally suspended the planned player's strike in La Liga thatwas set to begin tomorrow, which means that league action will return on Sunday.
The strike was initially called by both the Spanish Federation and the players union as they disagreed with the government's proposed new law regarding the collective bargaining for TV rights, and had placed the remaining tworounds of league fixturesand the Copa del Rey final in jeopardy.
If you want to travel back in time to experience how awful Dave O'Brien's commentary was during ESPN's 2006 World Cup, just switch on the English SAP option for any MLS game televised on UniMas every Friday night. You'll soon get an idea of how bad it was.
Although it's hard to believe given how horrible baseball announcer O'Brien was doing soccer, Univision's commentary duo of Ramses Sandoval and Paul Caligiuri are actually even worse than the man who kept calling Golden Balls "Michael Beckham" during an England 2006 game.
Today's Soccer Morning features guest David Amoyal.
Burnley's relegation to the Championship was confirmed Saturday despite a 1-0 victory over ailing Hull City. The Clarets fought like lions to stay in the Premier League but ultimately their quality, save one player was not enough to maintain Premiership status.
That one player, Danny Ings, is a natural striker who could help every single Premier League team except maybe the champions Chelsea.
Southampton and England midfielder Jay Rodriguez has signed a new four-year deal at the St Mary's worth around £60,000 per week that will keep him at the club until 2019.
The 25-year-old has had a dreadful year after suffering a knee ligament damage against Manchester City last April forcing him out of action ever since.
In 38 matches for AC Milan, M'Baye Niang's stat line was simple one Coppa Italia goal and two assists in all competitions.
A one-time transfer target for Arsenal and Chelsea, the French-born striker was signed by Milan in 2012 at the tender age of 17. In 22 games for the Italian giants that season, Niang produced very little, playing only 953 minutes – an average of less than 45 minutes per match that he featured in.
Download the latest episode of World Soccer Talk Radio featuring an interview with Rodney Marsh.
Rodney started his football career as a youth player at West Ham and went on to play for Queens Park Rangers, Manchester City, Fulham and his country, England. In1976, he moved to America and played for the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the North American Soccer League where he went on to become Head Coach and General Manager.
Juventus defender Patrice Evra has promised to shake Luis Suarez's hand when he and his teammates take on Barcelona in the Champions League final in Berlin.
While at Liverpool, Suarez was banned for eight games for racially abusing the former Manchester United left-back in October 2011.
Following yesterday's1-1 draw against Real Madrid which saw Juventus progress to the Champions League final in Berlin Evra said he will have no issue shaking the Uruguayan's hand before the contest.
Following their aggregate defeat to Juventus in the Champions League semi-final, Ancelotti admitted his future at Real Madrid was out of his hands, with the dependent being on post-season talks with club president Florentino Perez.
The Royal Spanish Football Federation's Competition Committee has banned Ancelottifrom Real Madrid's dugout for the final two La Liga games of the season after the Italian coach sarcastically applauded referee Carlos Clos Gomez at the end of his side's 2-2 draw with Valencia last weekend.
Tonight's World Soccer Talk Radio features an interview with Rodney Marsh.
Manchester United group managing director Richard Arnold has rejected accusations that the Glazer family's ownership has harmed the club.
Tuesday marked the 10-year anniversary of the Americans' takeover at Old Trafford, with their £790million leveraged buyout in 2005 causing uproar among the club's fans.
The pre-match support for Real Madrid is reaching immense levels as tens of thousands of supporters lined the streets of the capital city to cheer on the Spanish side in today's UEFA Champions League semi-final against Juventus.
While Juventus have a 2-1 aggregate lead from the first leg, the Serie A team knows that a 1-0 home victory for Madrid will be enough to see them through to the final on the away goals rule.
Southampton have appointed a player integration officer who has been tasked with giving the squad a smooth transition to their new kit.
The club's 2015-16 kit will be unveiled before the weekend's clash with Aston Villa and, in a Premier League first, Saints have appointed someone to make sure the players adapt to playing in a different strip.
Following up on its successful Premier League Breakaway that was televised on New Year's Day, NBCSN has decided to bring back the NFL RedZone-like experience this Saturday for the three relegation matches involving Sunderland-Leicester, Spurs-Hull and QPR-Newcastle.
NBCSN will begin its broadcast at 10am ET with the Sunderland against Leicester City match, but the broadcaster will switch from that game to Spurs-Hull and QPR-Newcastle and back again whenever any key incident happens in the match.
A lot ofdiscussion and ink has recently been spent on the need for American players to ply their trade in European soccer. While I tend to agree with this notion, particularly for developing players, I believe not all European leagues are created equal, and Major League Soccer is probably a preferable destination when compared to the Barclays Premier League for most American field players in their prime.
Tottenham Hotspur's jersey for the 2015-16 season will feature a sash across the chest, according to a leaked photo of the club's home shirt that has been revealed on the Internet.
The leaked photo (above) and the artist's rendition of what the shirt looks like (below) showcases a familiar white jersey for Spurs, but the major design feature is the navy blue sash that goes diagonally across the chest of the shirt.
Firefighters were called to the home of Manchester United and England defender Chris Smalling after his hot tub caught fire on Tuesday night.
It is understood an electrical fault may have led to a blaze in the garden of the player's home in Bowdon, Altrincham.
A statement from Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service confirmed that a crew from Altrincham Fire Station had attended after police initially reported the blaze.
Today's Soccer Morning features guest Duane Rollins.
In what appears to be an incredible blunder, Manchester City's Sergio Agüero has been overlooked this season when it comes to awards. The leading goalscorer in the Premier League was not shortlisted for PFA Player of the Year (eventually won by Chelsea's Eden Hazard), nor was he even included in the PFA Team of the Season.
Chelsea legend Petr Cech has began negotiations with Turkish side Besiktas over a summer move after playing second fiddle to Thibaut Courtois this season.
The 32-year-old is frustrated by his lack of game time having made just five Premier League starts this season and wants out of the club to seek a regular football action.
Real Madrid host Juventus in a game that ultimately may decide if the Champions League holders are going to win anything this season.
With the La Liga title effectively already out of their reach after dropped points at home to Valencia ensured rivals Barcelona raced to a four point lead at the top with only two games left, Madrid will definitely do all they can to try and rescue their season by recovering from the 2-1 setback suffered in Turin last week.
Download the latest episode of World Soccer Talk Radio featuring an interview with Grant Wahl.
The accomplished senior writer for Sports Illustrated as well as contributor to FOX Sports and UniMas will be on the show to discuss several hot topics including a recap of today's Bayern-Barcelona game, the transparency or lack thereof in MLS, and how Wahl grew from an intern at a local paper to one of the top soccer writers in the United States.
Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure is edging closer to a switch to Inter Milan, according to reports from Italy.
The 32-year-old reportedly said "yes" to the move during a phone conversation with former City boss and current Inter coach Roberto Mancini on Tuesday. All that is left for the deal to be completed is for the two clubs to reach an agreement on the player's transfer fee.
Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon has come to the defense of Iker Casillas when he was asked his opinionregarding Real Madrid supporters whistling and jeering their legendary team captain.
Last weekend, Casillas was whistled loudly after conceding two goals against Valencia off crosses which most goalkeepers would have had a hard time stopping.
Tonight's World Soccer Talk Radio features an interview with Grant Wahl.
Francisco Marcos (left) and Tampa Bay Rowdies Team Owner Bill Edwards (right)
USL Founder Francisco Marcos was recently hired by the Tampa Bay Rowdies of NASL to lead the club's international development effort. Marcos, who for over four decades has been one of the most influential people in the development of both the professional and elite youth game in the United States, began his professional life in the Tampa Bay area in 1974, preparing for the launch of the Rowdies the following year.
Today's episode of Soccer Morning features guest Stephan Uersfeld from ESPN FC.
Chicago Fire and Scotland international midfielder Shaun Maloney believes Major League Soccer is inferior to the leagues in the United Kingdom, but thinks MLS is equivalent to the brand of soccer played in theChampionship.
The former Celtic and Wigan player joined Chicago Fire for a £1 million fee in January, after rejecting a contract offer from Leicester City.
Chelsea midfielder Eden Hazard has been voted the 2015 Footballer of the Year by the Football Writers' Association.
The Belgium international topped the poll of 300-plus journalists with 53 per cent of the vote, comfortably ahead of Tottenham striker Harry Kane, with his Chelsea team-mate and captain John Terry third.
Here we go. The second leg of the UEFA Champions League semi-final kicks off today with Bayern Munich facing the herculean task of trying to overcome a 0-3 deficit from the first leg against Barcelona, one of the best teams int he world.
Bayern Munich vs Barcelona, 2:45pm, FOX Sports 1 and FOX Soccer 2GO
Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri has included midfielder Paul Pogba in his 22-man squad for tomorrow's Champions League semi-final clash with Real Madrid.
The France international was sidelined for 52 days with aright-thigh muscle tearbefore returningto Juventus' lineup on Saturday.
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has declared striker Karim Benzema fit to face Juventus and said his side is ready to make history against Juventus on Wednesday.
There was a concern that Benzema would miss tomorrow's match with the France international suffering from a knee injury. But Ancelotti gave the striker the "all-clear" to start or come off the bench against Juventus.
Valencia sporting director Francisco Rufete says defender Nicolas Otamendi has not expressed a desire to leave the club.However,officials at the La Liga side are eager to secure thecenter-back for the long term with the likes of Manchester United expressing an interest in the 27-year-old.
Otameni has enjoyed a solid debut season with Valencia since arriving at the Mestalla after spending the previous four years with Porto.
The Glazer family has been accused of draining £1billion ($1.5 billion) from Manchester United and wrecking the club's chances of dominating Europe.
The Manchester United Supporters Trust (MUST) chose the 10-year anniversary of the Glazers' takeover to launch a fresh attack on the American family.
Arsene Wenger believes Arsenal still have automatic Champions League qualification in their own hands despite the disappointment of Swansea's 1-0 smash-and-grab raid at the Emirates Stadium last night.
The Gunners were aiming to keep up pressure on Manchester City in the battle for second place in the Barclays Premier League, and also to stay ahead of Manchester United, whom they face on Sunday.
Sky Sports Monday Night Football team of Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher took a few minutes during today's broadcast to analyze Bayer Munich manager Pep Guardiola's tactical approach to last week's Champions League semi-final first leg against Barcelona.
Despite the fact that Bayern have been dealing with a massive injury toll- which has left Guardiola's squad depleted many feel the manager made a number of mistakes before and during the match at the Camp Nou.
At one time in the Chicago Fire's 17-year history, the club were one of Major League Soccer's most consistent teams.
In 11 of the Fire's first 12 seasons, the club qualified for the MLS postseason. On top of a fantastic playoff record, the Fire appeared in three MLS Cup finals during that time, winning the 1998 instalment.
Tonight's World Soccer Talk Radio features an interview with ESPN's Michael Baltierra.
Michael is the executive editor for e:60, ESPN's investigative documentary series. Debuting on Tuesday night, May 12, is a brand-new documentary on ESPN about Sepp Blatter.
Watch the trailer for a preview of the film, as well as what we can expect during the interview with Michael.
Download the latest episode of World Soccer Talk Radio featuring an interview with ESPN's Michael Baltierra.
Bundesliga giants FC Bayern host Barcelona in the return leg of the Champions League semi final fixture that ended in a 3-0 win for the Catalans last week.
A brace from Lionel Messi and a late Neymar goal was enough to win the game for Luis Enrique's men and ensured they have one foot in the final of the Champions League which is to be played in Berlin this month.
Barcelona manager Luis Enrique will not change his tactics against Bayern Munich despite holding a 3-0 advantage heading into today's Champions League semi-final return leg in Germany.
Most managers would have their team take a more defensive approachif they were holding a three-goal advantage in the second leg of a cup tie.
Today's Soccer Morning features guest Stephan Uersfeld from ESPN FC.
German soccer expert Stephan Uersfeld will discuss Bayern Munich's chances against FC Barcelona in the return leg of the UEFA Champions League semi-final today.
It's always wonderful to see new names in the Premier League and next season we are poised to welcome twomore.
Bournemouth will be the latest side to join the top flight of English football, as they snatched the Championship title from Watford—who were also automatically promoted—on the final day of the regular season.
Today's episode of Soccer Morning features guest Kris Heneage from ITV and CNN International.
In the final Premier League match of the weekend, Arsenal hosts Swansea City at the Emirates with the Gunners having a chance to close the gap with second-place Manchester City, while Swansea can move within two points of 6th place with a victory today.
Arsenal vs Swansea City,3pm, NBCSNand NBC Sports Live Extra
• Arsenal insist Theo Walcott will not be sold this summer
A number of Europe's top club are positioning themselves to secure the services of VfL Wolfsburg winger Kevin De Bruyne, according to the player's agent.
The Belgian international's representative, Patrick De Koster, told talkSPORT that Manchester City, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain have all made "informal contact" with him in order to register their interest in his client.
Blunted, possession-based football is a problem thathas hampered Everton throughout almost the entirety of the 2014/15 season.
Any side in the division that doesn't have the offensive incision required to control the game away from home has adopted a similar tactic when visiting Goodison Park this season: sit deep, cordon off spaces and let the Toffees play themselves into trouble.
Here are the 10 things we learned from week ten of the Major League Soccer season.
1. The first New York derby lives up to the hype
MLS has had its fair share of contrived, manufactured, entirely disappointing rivalries. This New York Red Bulls – New York City FC thing isn't going to be one of them.
Bayern Munich forward Thomas Müller does not agree with those who say his side need a 'miracle' to overcome a 3-0 deficit to Barcelona in the Champions League semi-finals.
Despite the fact that Bayern have been dealing with a massive injury toll which has left Pep Guardiola's squad depleted many feel the manager made a number of mistakes before and during the match at the Camp Nou.
Theavailabilityof Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroosfor Wednesday's Champions League semi-final return leg against Juventus isstill up for question after the German international only carried out part of today training session.
On Saturday, Kroos picked up what appeared to be a hip injury during the early part of his side's 2-2 draw against Valencia.
Today's Soccer Morning features guest Kristan Heneage.
Heneage will be on the show to discuss the mess at Newcastle United, as well as Queens Park Rangers getting relegated and all of the other latest Premier League headlines.
Brendan Rodgers felt Chelsea playmaker Cesc Fabregas should have been sent off in the opening minute as his Liverpool side's Champions League hopes were all but ended at Stamford Bridge.
Steven Gerrard was given a rousing ovation after withdrawing from his final bout with Jose Mourinho, having cancelled out John Terry's header in a 1-1 draw.
Last weekend I wrote about the joys of promotion to the Premier League and the raucous celebrations at Vicarage Road when Watford were promoted after a 1-1 draw with Sheffield Wednesday. This week, however, I was in for quite a different experience, the tooth and nail drama that I was denied when Watford went up a week early as I travelled to Griffin Park in West London to see Brentford take on Middlesbrough in a Championship playoff semi-final first leg.
As Arsenal look to finish their 2014/15 campaign on a strong note (a second consecutive FA Cup triumph and Premier League runners-up will surely make Gooners happy), summer transfer business is already beginning to heat up. Manchester United's £25 million deal for PSV Eindhoven winger Memphis Depay on Thursday could start somewhat of a domino effect across Europe.
Often we're told as football fans that the Premier League is the best league in the world. Based on the performances of English teams in Europe, that's not true. What is true is that the Premier League is the most competitive soccer league in Europe, and combine this with the lack of a language barrier around the world, the Premier League is easily the most popular.
QPR boss Chris Ramsey is convinced the club will not face financial ruin following their relegation from the Barclays Premier League.
Rangers' exit from the top flight was confirmed as they crashed to an embarrassing 6-0 defeat at Manchester City, a display Ramsey described as their "worst for a long time".
Bayern Munich manager Pep Guardiola has once again denied a story linking him with the Manchester City job next season.
Over the weekend, BeINSPORTSreported that a "tentative agreement" had been made between City and Guardiola which would see the former Barcelona coach replace Manuel Pellegrini in Manchester.
After a Premier League weekend where the race for the top, Champions League spots and relegation is practically over, host Nick Webster discusses whether the Premier League is getting boring or not. Pundits Nate Abaurrea and Robin Burt share their opinions, and also discuss the matches from the weekend in the Prem.
Palermo striker Paulo Dybala is nearing an agreement with reigning Serie Achampions Juventus, according to numerousreports from Italy.
The 21-year-old has been called "the new Messi' and is one of the hottest young players in Europe.
In recent weeks, Dybala has been linked with Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal.
Schalke 04 have released Kevin-Prince Boateng and Sidney Sam "with immediate effect" as a 'consequence' of their shocking 2-0 defeat to Cologne on Sunday.
Sam's contract was not due to expire until June 2018, while Boateng had 12 months remaining on his deal at the Veltins-Arena.
The Bundesliga club has also suspended Marco Hoger from first-team training or games until after next Saturday's match against Paderborn.
This season's Premier League whimpers to a close with a series of dead rubber matches. For a long time, we've been sold the narrative that the league is the most competitive, entertaining and compelling in the world with the greatest quality footballers. We have been told the league is of the highest quality even though its top teams continue to get dumped out of European competitions.
Chelsea will lift the Premier League title today and will receive a guard of honor from Liverpool at Stamford Bridge in the 11am ET kickoff.
Chelsea vs Liverpool, 11am, NBCSNand NBC Sports Live Extra
For today's match, World Soccer Talk Radio host Nate Abaurrea and World Soccer Talk writer Amadi Tidiane will be hosting an audio broadcast online where you can listen and participate.
Leicester's team spirit was hailed by both managers after the Foxes continued their march towards Barclays Premier League survival against Southampton at the King Power Stadium.
The 2-0 win, a sixth success in seven matches, is the latest in what has been a remarkable turnaround in fortune for Leicester.
Boss Tim Sherwood warned Aston Villa their fight for survival is not over despite a crucial win over West Ham.
Tom Cleverley's third goal in three games handed Villa a 1-0 victory to put them on the brink of Barclays Premier League safety.
They are 14th in the table, four points above the bottom three with just two games left, after Hull's defeat to Burnley.
Sunderland head coach Dick Advocaat admits his side's 2-0 win at Everton was lucky but not undeserved as the Black Cats edged closer to Premier League survival.
Their first goal from Danny Graham his first in his 28-month spell at the club had a huge slice of fortune as the striker deflected Jordi Gomez's shot, and when Toffees midfielder James McCarthy's shot beat goalkeeper Costel Pantilimon but rebounded off the post there was a feeling it was to be their day.
John Carver praised Newcastle's fighting spirit as they came from behind against West Brom to end their eight-game losing streak and boost their Barclays Premier League survival chances.
A 1-1 draw at St James' Park left the Magpies in 17th place on 36 points, two clear of the drop zone with two games remaining, the next of them a trip to QPR next Saturday.
Sean Dyche refused to be drawn on his future as Burnley boss after his side's relegation from the Barclays Premier League was confirmed despite their 1-0 win at Hull.
Danny Ings struck the only goal of the game in the 62nd minute at the KC Stadium, but results elsewhere doomed the Clarets to the drop after a single season in the top flight.
Newly crowned Premier League champions Chelsea face bitter rivals Liverpool at Stamford Bridge on Sunday (11am ET kickoff).
Unlike their hosts who are just going through the motions as the season wraps up, the Reds have everything to play for coming into this match especially with Manchester United beating Crystal Palace in the late Saturday fixture.
LA Galaxy traveled to Frisco to face FC Dallas Saturday night in the first 2015 meeting between the Western Conference foes. Both teams had unbeaten streaks entering the match (LA with five, FC Dallas with three), yet both teams are also dealing with injuries to key players. LA had to do without 2014 MLS MVP Robbie Keane, while Dallas missed their center-back and captain Matt Hegdes as well as his center-back partner Zach Loyd.
Queens Park Rangers today could join Burnley in officially being relegated to the Premier League if the R's lose against City at Etihad Stadium in east Manchester.
Note that today's broadcast of the game in the United States will be shown live on CNBC instead of NBCSN. Coverage begins at 8am and the kick-off is scheduled for 8.
Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino criticised his players after they suffered their heaviest defeat to Stoke in 80 years.
Spurs' Champions League hopes were extinguished at the Britannia Stadium in the most humiliating fashion as they were hammered 3-0 on Saturday.
Charlie Adam, Steven Nzonzi and Mame Diouf found the net thanks to three episodes of shoddy defending from the visitors.
"Football is crazy" was manager Louis van Gaal's frank assessment after Manchester United rode their luck at Crystal Palace to bring their losing streak to a timely end.
Defeats to Chelsea, Everton and West Brom saw the Red Devils arrive in south London looking to avoid a run of four straight losses in the same season for the first time since 1961.
Download the latest episode of World Soccer Talk Radio featuring an interview with beIN SPORTS' Kay Murray.
The presenter and soccer analyst will discuss a variety of topics including the Championship playoff race particularly after her Middlesbrough team beat Brentford in the first leg of the semi-final.
Everton vs Sunderland, 7:45am, NBCSN and NBC Sports Live Extra; Jim Proudfoot & Jim Beglin Newcastle vs West Brom, 10am,NBCSN and NBC Sports Live Extra; Jonathan Beck & Andy Walker Aston Villa vs West Ham, 10am,NBC Sports Live Extra; Tony Jones & Alan Curbishley Hull vs Burnley, 10am,NBC Sports Live Extra; Ian Crocker & Tony Gale Leicester vs Southampton, 10am,NBC Sports Live Extra; Gary Taphouse & Trevor Francis Stoke vs Spurs, 10am,NBC Sports Live Extra; Joe Speight & Brian Little Crystal Palace vs Man United, 12:30pm, NBCSN and NBC Sports Live Extra; Arlo White & Lee Dixon
Tonight's World Soccer Talk Radio features an interview with beIN SPORTS' Kay Murray.
The presenter and soccer analyst will discuss a variety of topics including the Championship playoff race particularly after her Middlesbrough team beat Brentford in the first leg of the semi-final. In addition to the Championship, Murray will be discussing a host of other topics including her team at Real Madrid TV.
Today's episode of Soccer Morning features guest Travis Clark.
Jason kicks off today's show with Top Drawer Soccer's Travis Clark as they look over Tab Ramos' Under 20 roster.
Before we reveal the commentators for this weekend's Premier League matches, we want to let you know that World Soccer Talk's Nate Abaurrea and Amadi Tidiane will be doing an audio broadcast of the Chelsea-Liverpool game this Sunday on Rabble.tv.
The way it works is that you can tune into Chelsea-Liverpool on NBCSN, but then mute the TV and head over to Rabbleduring the game and listen to Nate and Amadi (a Liverpool and Chelsea fan) chat about the game and undoubtedly generate some banter.
Nothing but three points will do for Manchester City if they're to have a chance of finishing in the top two for a fourth consecutive season.
Anything less than three points for Queens Park Rangers and you can write off their chances of playing Premier League football next season.
Manchester City head into Sunday's match off the back of three straight wins whilst the visitors have only picked up seven points on their travels this season.
Earlier today, UEFA announced that ten clubs which were under investigation for non-compliance with Financial Fair Play (FFP) have individually agreed to settlement agreements.
The clubs are AS Monaco, AS Roma, Besiktas, Inter Milan, FC Krasnodar, FC Lokomotiv Moskva and Sporting Lisbon and, for minor breaches, FC Rostov, Kardemir Karabukspor and PFC CSKA Sofia.
In September 2014, Ian Plenderleith's Rock 'n' Roll Soccer: The Short Life and Fast Times of the North American Soccer Leaguehit bookshelves around the world.
Rock 'n' Roll Soccer is a portrait of the original North American Soccer League and the salad days of the professional game in the US and Canada.
Bayern Munich manager Pep Guardiola is confident his team can mount what many consider an impossible comeback against Barcelona in the return leg of their Champions League semi-final next week.
Barcelona won 3-0 at the Camp Nou on Wednesday night and Guardiola was widely questioned for his tactical approach to the contest, as well as his late-game substitution of Thomas Muller.
Valencia have extended their agreement with defender Jose Luis Gaya until June 2020.
The 19-year-old was being publicly pursued by Real Madrid, and was rumored to be a transfer target of Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal in recent weeks.
Gaya's previous contract had a release clause of £18 million.
Arsene Wenger believes Theo Walcott is keen to stay at Arsenal and insists the forward will not be sold this summer.
The 26-year-old, whom Gunners manager Wenger signed from Southampton as a 16-year-old, is out of contract at the end of next season, when he could leave for nothing.
Negotiations have begun over a new deal, giving Wenger cause for optimism that Walcott, who was the subject of protracted talks before signing his current three-year deal, wishes to stay.
The results aren't painting a pretty picture for New York City FC ahead of the biggest match in franchise history.
NYCFC haven't won since the middle of March. They've lost five of their last seven, with measly draws picked up against Colorado and Philadelphia. During that stretch, the team has scored a measly three goals.
It's often said that if you're going to get promoted from the Championship to the Premier League, going via the playoffs is the best way to do it.
Of course, managers, players and supporters of those clubs in English football's second tier would snap your hand off for an automatic promotion place.
West Ham are front-runners to win England's fair play place in the Europa League next season.
European football's governing body UEFA has announced that Holland, England and the Republic of Ireland will all get an extra place in the first qualifying round of the continent's second-tier club competition after topping its fair play league.
Today's Soccer Morning features guest Travis Clark.
Travis Clark from Top Drawer Soccer will join the broadcast today to discuss the US U-20 squad named by Tab Ramos.
Tonight's World Soccer Talk Radio features an interview with ESPN and Sirius XM's soccer analyst and commentator Tommy Smyth.
Smyth joined ESPN in February 1993 as a soccer analyst for ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN International. He is an anchor of ESPN Soccernet Press Pass, ESPN International's global football roundtable discussion and is a game analyst for Italian Serie 'A', La Liga, the UEFA Champions League and FIFA World Cup qualifying matches.
Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema resumed training earlier this week and will feature in Saturday's league game against Valenciaat the Santiago Bernabeu.
Benzema has missed the club's last six matches due to a strained ligament in his right knee.
The Frenchman resumed training with the first team on Sunday morning but was not included in manager Carlo Ancelotti's squad which traveled to Turin to take on Juventus earlier this week.
Download the latest episode of World Soccer Talk Radio featuring an interview with ESPN and Sirius XM's soccer analyst and commentator Tommy Smyth.
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has confirmed that striker Daniel Sturridge will be out of action until September after havinghip surgery.
The England international traveled to the United States earlier this year for rehabilitation and then scored on his return against West Ham on January 31 but sustained a hip problem after scoring in Liverpool's defeat to Manchester United on March 22.
Manchester United midfielder Michael Carrick has been ruled out for the remainder of the season with a calf injury.
The last time Carrick featured for United was during his side's 4-2 victory of Manchester City on April 12. The midfielder removed himself from that contest in the closing minutes after feeling a problem in his calf and has subsequently missed the team's last three games successive defeats to Chelsea, Everton and West Brom.
One of the world's most fierce and passionate games in soccer kicks off tonight when River Plate playsBoca Juniors in the first leg of their Round of 16 Copa Libertadores.
Beginningat 8pm ET from River Plate'sEl Monumental stadium, the match will be shown live on US television and Internet.
The European leagues are beginning to draw to their various conclusions, with some divisions set for a processional finale while others continue to pulsate and encapsulate.
While Spanish soccermay be subject to a suspension beginning next weekend, the race for the title in La Liga remains fascinating and this weekend will feature two games thatwill be critical in determining its eventual destination.
After two sensational UEFA Champions League semi-finals this week, the action continues with the two semi-finals in the Europa League featuring Sevilla against Fiorentina. If these games can be half as good as the Champions League, we're in for a treat.
If you haven't watched the Europa League this season, give it a chance.
The tussle for Memphis Depay's signature looked as though it was going to be one of the most complex transfer stories of the summer. But great credit must go to Manchester United, who, despite a wealth of classy competition, confirmed an agreement between themselves and PSV Eindhoven is in place for the signing of the player.
Jerome Boateng had barely got back on his feet after Lionel Messi's sublime second goal before the instant-pundits of the social media world were declaring the 'debate over' regarding Lionel Messi.
There are of course two debates about Messi. Is he the greatest player of the modern era? In other words, the Messi vs.
Liverpool's departing captain Steven Gerrard admits it will be difficult for him to let go of his long association with his boyhood club but he intends to return in some capacity in the future.
The midfielder will leave the Reds, whom he joined at the age of nine, to join the Los Angeles Galaxy in the summer.
Paulo Dybala is set to miss Palermo's final four Serie A games as the club prepare to sell their star Argentinian forward.
Palermo president Maurizio Zamparini has reportedly claimed Premier League outfits Arsenal and Manchester City are interested in the 21-year-old, along with a number of other clubs.
Sevilla coach Unai Emery is aware of the threat posed by Fiorentina towards his side's title defense heading into today's first leg of the Europa League semi-finals in Spain.
The La Liga clubare also attempting to become the first team to win UEFA Cup/Europa League title four times.
Their opponents, Fiorentina,are unbeaten in their last 12 European away games (W8 D4); their last European defeat was against Bayern Munich during the 2009-2010 Champions League Round of 16.
With soccer, as with any sport, the memories of the highs often supersede those of the lows. Liverpool supporters remember the miracle of Istanbul vividly, but they block out the memory of the Roy Hodgson era with nearly as much energy. Liverpool's 2014-15 season has been exactly that, a story filled with great highs and devastating lows.
Tim Ream gets no respect.
Overlooked for selection prior to the 2014 World Cup by USA coach Jurgen Klinsmann, Ream has been the backbone to Bolton Wanderers for the past two seasons.
In that time, Ream has not only made the center-back position at the club his own, but he has become Bolton's most important player.
Download the latest episode of World Soccer Talk Radio featuring an interview with Matt Yoder, managing editor at Awful Announcing.
Matt will be on the show to discuss what's going on at FOX Sports 1, why the network is buying so many TV rights to soccer, his insight into who he thinks will win the TV rights to the Premier League, the latest developments regarding the Spanish La Liga TV rights deal, opinions about MLS TV ratings and much more.
When Manchester United brought in Radamel Falcao on loan at the start of the season many assumed that the Colombian superstar would set the Premier League on fire. Unfortunately for the Red Devils and their fans, this hasn't been the case. In 24 league appearances, Falcao has only managed to score four goals.
Bayern Munich have announced a partnership with American Spanish-language television company Univision Deportes. The agreement means that the network will now air Bayern Munich Magazine, a 90-minute program dedicated to match replays of Bundesliga, Champions League, and German Cup matches.
In addition to match replays, Bayern Munich Magazine also includes press conferences, player interviews, and behind-the-scenes material.
Manchester United have confirmed they reached an agreement with PSV Eindhoven for forward Memphis Depay.
The deal for the 21-year-old Dutch international is believed to be for £22 million and will be made official once the summer window opens in June.
PSV sporting director Marcel Brands commented about the agreement on the Dutch club's official website.
Today's Soccer Morning features guest Janusz Michallik
We'll be discussing Leo Messi's wondergoal that he scored against Bayern Munich, as well as a host of other topics including the Barca-Bayern game, Memphis Depay signing and more.
Tonight's World Soccer Talk Radio features an interview with Matt Yoder, managing editor at Awful Announcing.
Matt will be on the show to discuss what's going on at FOX Sports 1, why the network is buying so many TV rights to soccer, whether the AT&T U-Verse/FOX Sports dispute will be resolved anytime soon, and how FOX Sports 1 is doing as it tries to compete against ESPN.
Major League Soccer has seen its share of high quality strike duos over 20 years.
There have even been striker partnerships that were merely "good" and even a couple of truly sensational ones, productive, classy and electrifying all at once.
But let's go ahead and start making the case that we are currently watching the best striker partnership that has ever tormented Major League Soccer's back lines.
Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge is hoping his injury nightmare is almost over after undergoing surgery on a hip problem in the United States.
The 25-year-old's season had effectively been ended once the decision was made to send him to America for further investigation into his ongoing injury issues which have seen him miss the majority of this season.
Newcastle captain Fabricio Coloccini insists his side do not deserve to be in a position where they head into Saturday's game with West Brom fighting for their Premier League lives.
In an open letter to supporters published via the club's official media channels, Coloccini also called on fans to put their differences aside and cheer the Magpies to a vital win.
Adam Lallana wants Liverpool to spoil Chelsea's title celebrations and dent Manchester United's Champions League aspirations this weekend.
United's shock defeat to West Brom on Saturday left them just four points ahead of fifth-placed Liverpool in the Barclays Premier League.
Although there are just three matches of the season left, Lallana is convinced Liverpool can catch Louis van Gaal's men, but he admits the Reds will have to win all three of their remaining games to do so.
The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) has decided to suspend all competitions from May 16 onwards in a dispute with the government over the new TV rights deal signed into law at the end of April. The RFEF says it wasn't properly consulted when the rights were being negotiated, therefore accusing the government of a "lack of respect".
After yesterday's very entertaining clash between Juventus and Real Madrid, arguably the biggest semi-final of the round kicks off today when Barcelona meets Bayern Munich in a must-see match.
So many storylines. So much football. Let's hope this one is half as good as the hype. If so, we're in store for a memorable match.
Today's episode of Soccer Morning features guests David Amoyal and Paul Tenorio.
In its newest documentary, E:60′s Jeremy Schaap presents the most complete look done by television, at the most powerful man in the world of sports and the current crisis his organization is facing, FIFA President Sepp Blatter.
The trailer for the film has been released (see below). The actual documentary itself will air on Tuesday, May 12 at 8pm ET on ESPN.
Real Madrid forward and three-time Ballon d'Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo is a polarizing figure.
The 30-year-old is loved by a section of soccer fans for his world class talent and showmanship, but he's also loathed by many who consider him vane and egotistical.
However, during an interview at a promotional event in Japan, Ronaldo showed his compassionate side while being questioned by a young Japanese boy who was attempting to speak to the global icon in his native language of Portuguese.
Police have searched Mike Ashley's Sports Direct headquarters in Derbyshire as part of their ongoing investigation relating to Rangers.
The Newcastle United owner has close to a nine per cent stake in the Ibrox club, and Sports Direct has control of their retail operations.
"We can confirm that officers carried out a search of a property in Derbyshire," Police Scotland said.
Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri has confirmed that midfielder Paul Pogba will resume first-team training tomorrow and could feature this weekend whenthe Bianconeri host Cagliari.
The goal is to have the France international ready to start next week's crucial UEFA Champions League semi-final return leg against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Phil Neville fears David de Gea will leave Manchester United this summer.
European champions Real Madrid have been monitoring De Gea's contract negotiations with United and are ready to pounce if the Spaniard does not sign an extension to his current deal, which expires at the end of next season.
David Amoyal will be on the show to discuss Juventus' win against Real Madrid as well as to discuss the latest Serie A transfer rumors (including Paul Pogba).
Barcelona will be aiming to avenge the 7-0 aggregate loss they suffered against Bayern Munich in the 2012/13 Champions League season when both sides clash in this year's semi-final.
The first leg of the encounter, at the Camp Nou on Wednesday, promises to be an interesting one with former Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola returning to his old stomping ground for the first time as the opposition manager afact that Thomas Muller believes will hold his side in good stead.
Download the latest episode of World Soccer Talk Radio featuring an interview with ESPN's Max Bretos.
During the chat, Max covers a variety of topics including what it was like to work at Fox Soccer Channel, his advice for aspiring American soccer voices, a preview of Barcelona-Bayern Munich, whether Juventus can go all the way, and much much more.
Thomas Vermaelen has been named in Barcelona's 18-man squad which will face-off against Bayern Munich later today at the Camp Nou.
Ten days ago, the Belgian defender was given the "all-clear" by the medical staff to resume first team action but has yet to feature in any of the club's fixtures.
Bayern Munich midfielder Thiago Alcantara began his professional playing career with Barcelona in May 2009.
Over the next four seasons, the Spain international made 68 appearances for La Blaugrana before deciding to join manager Pep Guardiola in Germany and signing a four-year deal with the Bavarians.
Tonight's World Soccer Talk Radio features an interview with ESPN's Max Bretos.
Max Bretos joined ESPN in January 2010 as an anchor, predominately appearing on Sportscenter as well as on College Football Live, MMA Live, Outside the Lines and college basketball wraps.
Bretos is also a premier voice for soccer on the ESPN networks, serving as lead anchor for MLS Cup (since 2010) and appearing on ESPNs Euro 2012 coverage.
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has reached an agreement to renew his contract with the London club for another two years, according to the Spanish publication Marca.
The understanding is Chelsea and the Portuguese manager negotiated the deal four months ago, but didn't want to make anything official until the end of the season.
Bayern Munich manager Pep Guardiola says there is no team or system that can stop Barcelona forward Lionel Messi.
On Wednesday, for the first time since leavingthe Catalan clubin 2012, Guardiola will face off against his former club at the Camp Nou. In recent days the debate has raged as to whether the Bayern coach's first-hand knowledgeofBarcelonawill have a significant effect on theChampions League semi-final's outcome.
Today's episode of Soccer Morning features guest David Cartlidge from beIN SPORTS.
FOX Sports is on the verge of acquiring the English-language TV rights to the 2016 Copa America, according to a World Soccer Talk source.
The tournament, tobe heldin the United Statesfrom June 3-26 next year, will be the 100-year celebration ofSouth America's most prestigious international competition.
It's finally here. The semi-final of the UEFA Champions League between Juventus and Real Madrid.
As discussed in our interview with Anto from Beyond The Pitcha few days ago, do not count Juventus out. Real Madrid are still favorites to win, but Juventus certainly have the talent that could turn this game in their favor.
Jose Mourinho has dismissed critics of his Chelsea team after they secured the Barclays Premier League title.
The self-proclaimed Special One led Chelsea to his third Premier League title with Sunday's 1-0 defeat of Crystal Palace.
But even as they were lifting the trophy, Chelsea were still being branded 'boring' not only by opposing fans but also by some pundits.
Much has been made this season about Louis van Gaal's managerial style and coaching strategy at Manchester United.
Now, a new book published in Holland by Dutch author Mike van Damme details the story of Ajax's 1995 Champions League winning sideand provides more insight into Van Gaal's techniques.
Africa's richest man Aliko Dangote claims he still harbors hopes of one day buying Arsenal.
The Nigerian has an estimated fortune of $15 billion (£10.4billion) and is reported to have wanted to buy into the Gunners when former director Lady Nina Bracewell-Smith was selling her shares in 2010.
Juventus striker Carlos Tevezsays his team's achievements are the result of the collective effort of everyone involvedat the legendary Italian club.
Despite being one of Europe's top teams in recent years, many experts consider Juventus underdogs heading into today's Champions League semi-final first leg against Real Madrid.
Barcelona manager Luis Enrique does not believe Pep Guardiola's first-hand knowledge ofBarca's playerswill be a major factor over the two legs of their Champions League semi-final against Bayern Munich.
On Monday, Bayern forward Thomas Müller said Guardiola "knows Barcelona better than anyone" and hinted the manager wouldprovide the German champions with "the recipe" to defeat the La Liga giants.
We're two months into the 2015 Major League Soccer season, and it's tough to say that the league's new TV deal has done much to live up to the billing.
Last year brought a lot of excitement as MLS locked down time slots on Sunday's at 5pm and 7pm with ESPN and FOX, respectively. Additionally, Univision Deportes committed to Friday night matches every week, even going so far as to provide English language commentary on the SAP feed.
Bayern Munich forward Thomas Müller believes Pep Guardiola's first-hand knowledge of Barcelona willprove vitalduring the German club's Champions League semi-final encounter with the La Liga giants.
Müller and his teammates are preparing for a trip to the Camp Nou on Wednesday and are fully aware of the massive effort it will take to get a positive result against Europe's most in-form team.
One last push for Boro as Aitor Karanka's men aim to end a six-year spell without Premier League soccer.
Automatic promotion to the Premier League slipped out of Middlesbrough's grasp in the dying embers of the Championship season as they had to settle for fourth place.
There is, however, still plenty of hope for the fans and if Boro can reproduce the same performances against the other playoff candidates from earlier in the campaign, Karanka's players will be in the top-flight next season.
Download the latest episode of World Soccer Talk Radio featuring an interview with NASL Commissioner Bill Peterson.
Host Nate Abaurrea discusses several topics with Peterson, including what his thoughts were regarding Don Garber's comment last week that the US doesn't have a developed secondary division, as well as what type of relationship NASL would like to have with MLS.
Here are the 10 things we learned from gameweek nine of the Major League Soccer season.
1. Sleepwalking in LA
Alan Gordon has, single-handedly netted LA somewhere around five of their 13 points this season. Without Gordon, who hit the 200 appearance landmark against Seattle earlier this year, the Galaxy are bottom of the Western Conference.
Jose Mourinho's aim is never to play the prettiest football, it's about getting results. Even with the roster of players he has to work with, he's never fully utilized all of their talents together consistently. On occasion Chelsea play absolutely mesmerizing football, but most of their games end up as the 1-0 win against Palace did, with Chelsea content to sit and hold their advantage.
Last weekend I wrote about the experience of watching a team achieve promotion into the Football League when I went to see Barnet defeat Gateshead to clinch the Conference Title. A week later I was back in North West London to watch a team achieve promotion out of the Football League and into the Premier League.
Today's Soccer Morning features guest David Cartlidge from beIN SPORTS.
Jason kicks off today's show with BeIN Sports' David Cartlidge as they look ahead to Tuesday's UEFA Champions League action.
Tonight's World Soccer Talk Radio features an interview with NASL Commissioner Bill Peterson.
The 2015 NASL season is already 5 weeks old, so we thought it'd be a great opportunity to catch up on the latest developments regarding the league, how the new teams are fairing, what expansion plans are on the horizon, etc.
Santi Cazorla believes Arsenal's current form shows they have to be considered contenders for the Barclays Premier League title next season.
A 3-1 win at Hull on Monday night saw Arsenal back in the wins column after last week's goalless draw with newly-crowned champions Chelsea halted a run of six straight in the league.
Manuel Pellegrini's Manchester City side recorded a third straight Premier League win on Sunday at White Hart Lane. The victory stopped a four game slide for the Blues away from Manchester and clinched at worst fourth spot in the league barring a complete reversal of goal difference (Manchester City is currently +24 over Liverpool).
Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas has heaped praise onJuventus legendsGianluigi Buffon and Andrea Pirlo ahead ofTuesday's Champions League semi-final in Turin.
Casillas said Buffon is "a reference for a generation" and believes Pirlo in a "marvel to watch".
Despite their age, both players haveplayedpivotal roles in helpingJuventus win their fourth consecutive Serie A title and advance to the Coppa Italia final against Lazio.
The time has come for those who truly love English soccerto embrace John Terry as a titan of a generation rather than continuing to preface any praise of him with politically correct remarks. Terry is a one-club man who has now captained four Premier League title-winning clubs. He is hands down the best central defender England has produced in the last two decades.
Today's episode of Soccer Morning features guest Luke Moore.
Jason kicks off today's show with The Football Ramble's Luke Moore as they discuss Chelsea's Premier League title, the relegation battle & the race of promotion from the Championship.
"I've been at the club for 10 years, the situation is now new to me. I have no reason to panic, pack up and leave" Petr Cech on September 1 after beginning the season on the substitutes' bench.
"Now everybody knows Chelsea did the right thing waiting for him" Jose Mourinho on September 13 after Diego Costa's blistering start to the season.
Juventus striker Fernando Llorente says his team fears nobody and are targeting the treble after securing their fourth consecutive Serie A title.
Despite being one of Europe's top teams in recent years, many experts consider Juventus underdogs heading into Tuesday's Champions League semi-final first leg against Real Madrid.
After Leicester, Sunderland and Aston Villa won at the weekend, the pressure is now on Hull City to get a point or all three against Arsenal in the Premier League match that'll kick off at 3pm ET on NBCSN for viewers in the United States.
Meanwhile, with a win, Arsenal can move into joint second position in the Premier League table.
John Carver has survived a crunch meeting with Newcastle managing director Lee Charnley and is set to remain in charge at St James's Park until the end of the season.
Speculation had been rife that Carver could be dispensed with even at this late stage of the campaign in the wake of the Magpies' abject 3-0 defeat at Leicester on Saturday their eighth straight Barclays Premier League defeat.
Chelsea have used 22 players in winning the Premier League title this season.
Here, Press Association Sport rates them.
Petr Cech (goalkeeper)Appearances: Five starts (one as substitute) Cleansheets: Five
Displaced as number one, but did not complain and performed flawlessly when called upon - 7/10.
Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema has not been included in the squad, which travels to Turin to take on Juventus tomorrow.
Benzema has missed the club's last five matches due to a strainedligament in his right knee.
The Frenchman resumed training on Sunday morning with his teammates but manager Carlo Ancelotti has decided not to rush the striker back into the lineup.
Louis van Gaal has relieved Robin van Persie of penalty-taking duties for Manchester United following his miss in the 1-0 defeat to West Brom.
The Baggies recorded successive victories at Old Trafford for the first time since 1959 after Chris Brunt's 63rd minute free-kick deflected off Jonas Olsson and flew past David de Gea.
Today's Soccer Morning features guest Luke Moore from The Football Ramble.
Lukey Moore will be on the show to discuss Chelsea winning the Premier League title, Manchester United slipping up at West Bromwich Albion plus other Premier League headlines from a busy weekend of soccer.
Former Chelsea manager Ruud Gullit has accused Chelsea of being boring and says he "feels sorry for the players" because they are capable of playing entertaining winning soccer.
In an stunning rant against Jose Mourinho, the 52-year-old also claimed the "Special One" was over cautious and predicted that the Portuguese manager's style of soccer will cost him like it did in his first spell at Chelsea unless he changes his approach to games.
In a weekend where Chelsea won the Premier League title and Leicester took another huge step toward their Great Escape, there were plenty of talking points to dissect.
On this week's World Soccer Talk Podcast, Nick Webster, Nate Abaurreau and Robin Burt discuss those topics and more.
Jose Mourinho immediately set his sights on a fourth Barclays Premier League title after guiding Chelsea to their first championship in five years on Sunday.
The Blues secured a first league title since 2009/10 with a 1-0 win over Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge.
Mourinho's side needed three points to claim the trophy with three games to spare and Eden Hazard headed in the rebound after missing a first-half penalty.
Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart reflected on a "satisfying" performance as a 1-0 victory over Tottenham all but assured them of Champions League football next season.
On a day which saw Manuel Pellegrini's men deposed as Barclays Premier League champions by Chelsea, Sergio Aguero's goal was enough to steer City to three points and second place in the table.
Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea is set to snub interest from Real Madrid and sign a two-year deal which will see him remain at Old Trafford until June 2017.
According to the British tabloid the Sun, the 24-year-old has agreed a deal in the region of £20 million, which will see the Spain international earn £200,000-per-week.
Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski has pronounced himself "ready" to face for the first leg of the Champions League semi-finals against Barcelona onWednesday
The early diagnosis for Lewandowskiwasn't good after the Poland international suffered a concussion and facial fractures during the Bavarian's DFK Pokal semi-final defeat to Borussia Dortmund last week.
Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillasstopped a late-game penalty and made several key saves during his side's 3-2 victory over Sevilla on Saturday.
With the win, Casillas equaledlegendary shot stopper Andoni Zubizarreta's record for La Liga victories.
Despite continuing to show world class qualities, Casillashas received criticism from a section of supporters who want to see the 33-year-oldreplaced by Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea.
Boss Tim Sherwood hailed his Aston Villa heroes and insisted Fabian Delph is the best midfielder in the country.
Christian Benteke improved his record to 11 goals in nine games as Villa maintained their two-point gap above the Barclays Premier League drop zone with a 3-2 win over Everton.
The striker's first-half brace gave them a deserved lead and Tom Cleverley added a third after Romelu Lukaku's penalty gave Everton hope.
Dick Advocaat is confident Sunderland can keep themselves up after seeing them rekindle their Barclays Premier League survival bid with victory over Southampton.
The delighted Dutchman looked on as Jordi Gomez converted two penalties to secure a 2-1 win at the Stadium of Light and three points which proved vital on an afternoon when Leicester and Aston Villa also boosted their chances of escaping the drop.
Burnley manager Sean Dyche admits a miraculous recovery is required for his side to retain their Premier League status following the 1-0 loss at West Ham.
The Clarets are eight points adrift of safety with three games remaining after Michael Duff's controversial sending off and Mark Noble's resulting penalty earned the Hammers victory at Upton Park.
Garry Monk feels Swansea are in the race for Europe after beating Stoke 2-0 at the Liberty Stadium.
Late goals from Jefferson Montero and Ki Sung-yueng almost guaranteed that Swansea will end the season in the top eight their highest-ever finish in the Barclays Premier League.
But Swansea are now only four points adrift of Southampton following their surprise defeat at Sunderland and seventh place could be enough for Europa League qualification if Arsenal beat Aston Villa in the FA Cup final at the end of May.
Manchester City travel to White Hart Lane on Sunday as they face Tottenham Hotspur on a day where Chelsea and Jose Mourinho could win this season's league title.
The visitors have a good record over the Lilywhites in recent times winning the last three meetings and scoring 15 with only two goals conceded.
Chelsea vs Crystal Palace, 8:30am, NBCSN and NBC Sports Live Extra; Arlo White & Graeme Le Saux Spurs vs Man City, 11am, NBCSN and NBC Sports Live Extra; Peter Drury & Clive Allen
Tony Pulis gave his players the hairdryer treatment at Old Trafford and the move paid off as West Brom recorded a famous and vital victory against Manchester United.
West Brom earned successive victories at United's home for the first time since 1959 thanks to Chris Brunt's free-kick, which flew past David de Gea courtesy of a deflection off Jonas Olsson.
Captain Steven Gerrard may be on the final leg of his Liverpool farewell but the midfielder showed he still has a head for the big moments.
After missing the penalty to put them back in the lead after Leroy Fer's volley had cancelled out Philippe Coutinho's first-half goal, he stole in to head home in the 88th minute for a 2-1 win which leaves 10-man QPR's survival hopes hanging by the slenderest of threads.
Newcastle boss John Carver accused defender Mike Williamson of getting sent off deliberately in a blistering attack on his players after their 3-0 loss at Leicester.
Williamson was dismissed just after the hour when he collected a second yellow card for a late, knee-high challenge on Leicester's Jamie Vardy on the touchline.
Tonight's World Soccer Talk Radio features an interview with Anto from Beyond The Pitch.
Anto will discuss several topics including the latest developments for the TV rights in Spain, the La Liga title race, whether Serie A is bouncing back or enjoying a false dawn, some of his favorite players from Asian soccer and how Beyond The Pitch got started.
Arsenal and Germany superstar Mesut Özil collected the PFA Fans' Player of the Month award on Friday for the month of April. Perhaps the German's preeminent Premier League moment of the month was aglorious free kick goal during Arsenal's 4-1 demolition of Liverpool on April 4th.
Özil also performed extremely well during his team's FA Cup match against Reading last month.
Download the latest episode of World Soccer Talk Radio featuring an interview with Anto from Beyond The Pitch.
The wife of Queens Park Rangers defender Rio Ferdinand has died from cancer.
Rebecca Ellison, who married Ferdinand in 2009, had breast cancer. She leaves behind three children, Lorenz, Tate and and Tia; ages nine, six and four.
The former Manchester United and England international defender released a statement saying his wife had "passed away peacefully" at a London hospital.
Leicester vs Newcastle, 7:45am, NBCSN and NBC Sports Live Extra; Jim Proudfoot & Danny Mills Liverpool vs QPR, 10am, NBCSN and NBC Sports Live Extra; Tony Jones & Ray Houghton Aston Villa vs Everton, 10am, NBC Sports Live Extra; Gary Taphouse & Trevor Francis Sunderland vs Southampton, 10am, NBC Sports Live Extra; Jonathan Beck & Dean Sturridge Swansea vs Stoke, 10am, NBC Sports Live Extra; David Stowell & Barry Horne West Ham vs Burnley, 10am, NBC Sports Live Extra; Gary Weaver & Tony Gale Man United vs West Brom, 12:30pm, CNBC and NBC Sports Live Extra; Arlo White & Lee Dixon
The head of Spain's sports council Miguel Cardenalhas hailed the new legislation which will bring Spanish soccer in line with how the Premier League and Serie A are marketed globally.
Late yesterday, Spanish lawmakers passed legislationgoverning the sale of television rights to broadcast matches and the distribution of the income.
Here's the line-up of commentatorsfor this weekend's Premier League matches:
Saturday, May 2:
Comprehensive guide to English soccer TV commentators (and co-commentators)
How to follow the Premier League on US TV, Internet and radio
Sunday, May 3:
SEE MORE — Top 5 soccer games to watch on TV this weekend.
Sevilla manager Unai Emery believes his side wants to do something memorable this season, but refuses to call his team the "favorites" heading into tomorrow's match against Real Madrid.
Los Rojiblancos are currently level on points with fourth place Valencia in La Liga. However, if the season were to end today, Sevilla would miss out on Champions League qualification after havinglost the head-to-head battle with Valencia; they also trail Los Che on goal difference.
The early diagnosis of Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski wasn't good after the Polish footballersuffered a concussion and facial fractures during the Bavarian's DFK Pokal semi-final defeat to Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday.
The initial belief was Lewandowski would not be named to thesquad for their Champions League semi-final against Barcelona.
Manuel Pellegrini claims Jose Mourinho can say what he wants about his Manchester City side but accepts Chelsea are worthy title winners.
City boss Pellegrini and his Chelsea counterpart Mourinho have regularly clashed in recent years, with their history stretching back to when both worked in Spain.
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti believes Sergio Ramos isthe most complete defender he has ever seen.
The Spain international began his career at the club in 2005 and has widely been considered one of the best centre-backs in the world.
The 29-year-old has also showcased his versatility by making spot-starts in themidfield most recently against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals when the squadwas shorthanded due to suspension and/or injury.
Arsene Wenger accepts things can get a "bit heated" between rival managers, but feels Jose Mourinho showed a lack of respect when the Chelsea boss said 10 years without winning the title must be "very boring" for Arsenal supporters.
Some Gunners fans chanted "boring, boring Chelsea" during last weekend's goalless draw at the Emirates Stadium, which moved the Blues a step closer to the Premier League title for the first time since 2010.
In the world of soccer kit manufacturing, Umbro has for many years been a regular presence, stitched into the histories of thousands of teams like a string of diamond-shaped logos along the sleeves of one of their 1970's-era shirts. For over 80 years, Umbro kit has graced every level of the game in Great Britain and been sported by clubs and countries right around the globe.
Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has confirmed Wayne Rooney is fit to face West Brom on Saturday.
There had been serious concern around Old Trafford that Rooney had suffered a season-ending injury against Everton last Sunday.
Initial tests onhis knee were inconclusive, andRooneywas deemed fit enough to travel to London for thePFA Player of the Year dinner last Sunday.
Today's Soccer Morning features listener calls and the latest news and headlines from the soccer world, including the rumors of Paul Pogba heading from Juventus to PSG.
West Bromwich Albion have announced that they'll be conducting their preseason training in the United States this summer with friendlies scheduled against MLS' Orlando City Soccer Club, and USL's Charleston Battery and Richmond Kickers.
West Brom will play Orlando on Wednesday, July 15 at the 65,000-capacity Citrus Bowl before heading out to Charleston, South Carolina to play the Battery on Friday, July 17 and finally taking the trip to Richmond, Virginia to play the Kickers on Sunday, July 19.
Stoke City and New Balance have officially unveiled their home and away shirts for the 2015/16 season, the first of a multi-year partnership between the two.
Previously, Stoke had worn Warrior kits, but the decision was made to change them to New Balance, which is the parent company of Warrior.
Tonight's World Soccer Talk Radio features an interview with Brian Quarstad.
Minnesota's own Brian Quarstad will be on the show tonight to discuss the latest developments regarding the MLS stadium situation for Minnesota United as well as the recent launch of the Northern Pitch website. Best known for running IMSoccer.
New legislation has been passed thatwillbring Spanish soccerin line with how the Premier League and Serie A are marketed, and will correct existing imbalances in earnings, which allow Real Madrid and Barcelonato claim a disproportionate amount of the television income in La Liga.
The legislation will take effect in 2016 and replace the current arrangement thatallows individual clubs to negotiate their own television contracts.
Download the latest episode of World Soccer Talk Radio featuring an interview with Brian Quarstad.
Minnesota's own Brian Quarstad will be on the show tonight to discuss the latest developments regarding the MLS stadium situation for Minnesota United as well as the recent launch of the Northern Pitch website.