Hrm.

The second Superliga semifinal between DC United and the LA Galaxy has just started. Abel Xavier has a new hairdo! And..oh good lord. Beckham is starting and has the captain's armband.

Pachuca beat Houston yesterday in the other semi.

No crown, cape and staff?

Do keep me updated, the MLS site's been awfully slow with me today.

15th min in, the two best chances so far have been DC's. LA doesn't look dire like they have most of the season, but the DC defense hasn't really been troubled much yet. And the pitch is shamefully bad, even worse than the re-striped American football fields that some teams use.

EDIT: Landon Donovan must be part Argentine. He's had a couple of pretty spectacular aerial 'trips' really close to the box. The ref hasn't fallen for it yet. And no, no cape and crown, though there was a special photo session with him and the refereeing staff and there have been a lot of crowd shots of Posh.

Goal Beckham off of a free kick in the 28th. The DC keeper didn't even move.

And it begins.

They released confetti after the goal. Oy.

End of the first half LA 1 - 0 DC.

DC has had the better of the play (and more possession). LA looks better than they usually do, but that isn't saying too much. Aside from the free kick, I'm not sure how many touches Beckham had - a couple, perhaps.

That's all Beckham does really.

But then like today, he'll come up with something like that, which can ultimately win the game. Let's hope he does it at Wembley.

Oh dear for DC. Landon Donovan scores for LA in the 47th. Think we can just about stick a fork in this one.

BURN!

Assuming LA win, this'll be their 5th win of the season. They're still second-bottom of the league.

Beckham subbed out in the 63d minute. He had a free kick saved early in the second half.

Ooo. And a shot of ice being wrapped around The Golden Ankle.

A start, a goal, a win. - There's only one David Beckham!

Full time, LA 2 - 0 DC.

LA will face Houston in the final of the Superliga. (The Superliga is a new idea: 4 teams each from the US and Mexico in a tournament. This is the firs tyear it's run, but there have been some good games.)

That's a decent idea. I suppose it shows the MLS is stronger than the Mexican league with 2 finalists and 3(?) semi finalists.

I'll have to cheer for LA with Becks being there I reckon.

I just saw the highlights to the LA-DC game. Beckham really looks like he could be a big impact there. Consider he's playing for possibly the worst team in the league, against the best. He scored one, set up the other.. King Becks of America.

you mean LA/pachuca?

very happy for Becks, hope he gets more goals and perform better!

btw does anyone have a video of his goal??

Oops, yeah. It's LA-Pachuca in the finals. My bad.

....No way....

Benfica today unveiled their new website: http://www.slbenfica.pt/

Very good. Sporting had a new one sometime ago ( http://www.sporting.pt/ ) and FCPorto will probably get a improved one sometime soon ( http://www.fcporto.pt/ )

I looked at the Benfica one and then at our official one...

Very very nice, Porty, and definitely an improvement over the old website. They don't seem to have an English version up quite yet, but I hope they'll keep that updated (it'd be smart of them to do so, given the interest from the States). And...are the away jerseys really PINK?

Yeah. Very Palermish. But from what I've heard is that they're breaking records of selling-shirts with this new pink model.

But the "PT" and "tmn" sponsor not only in Benfica but in Porto and Sporting... ruins the shirt.

They're not too bad actually, it's the girly bright pink I can't stand!

All over in the Portuguese League day 1:

Sporting won 4-1. FCPorto won 2-1 and Benfica drew against a sh!t team (1-1).

-Sporting is clearly the best team at the moment. Playing some nice football and scoring goals.
-Porto have Quaresma... who solved the match in 2 set-pieces. But Porto seems to be worse than last year.
-Benfica without Simao... have no-one. Played sh!t vs. Copenagen and now the same vs. a poor team. The team without some more transfers is going nowhere. A shame for the importance of the club in history.

I forgot about the Portugese league today!

Shame about benfica, I was really hoping they would get off to a flyer and try and keep up there, looks like another catch up job like last year.

The problem of Benfica is the stability. They're like R.Madrid or Inter in that. Always with problems inside the club, the directors, the coach, the players, etc...

They're the biggest club here so much more pressure to them.
Last season the problem was the injuries and the lack of options besides the first 11.

Benfica had Simao, they sold... and they're fvcked. Simple as that. Simao was their icon, their symbol, their... everything in the last 5-6 seasons.

And their coach is not that good too. We'll see what happens until the 31 but they really need someone that makes the diference, essentially in the midfield.

Eeek about the Portuguese results (though I do rather like Sporting's style of play. Their coach needs a new haircut badly, though).

In other news, FC Beckham and the NY Red Bulls are tied 2-2 at the half.

Do you know if Beckham or Angel scored?

Beckham no, though he did assist his team's two goals (both off of set pieces).

It's now 3-2 for NY in the 70th. NY's goals were by Angel, Mathis, and Altidore.

EDIT: Make that 4-3. Altidore just got another one. Very pretty goal that was answered within a minute by Donovan.

Full time: NY 5 - 4 LA. Angel got a brace, Altidore got a brace, Pavon for LA got a brace. Quite a goalfest.

Wow. That sounded like quite the game. Great to see SuperJuan got two.

De Graafschap 1 - 8 Ajax Amsterdam

Huntelaar with 4 goals.

Was just gonna post that. If we let him go next season like we did with Berbatov I will... We I really wouldn't know what to do but I'll be pissed for sure.

Yes!!! get me some Dutch players!!!!

Ok....just for dst, let's sign a petition for Boulahrouz.

....

It appears one problem has been solved. Benfica have, according to reports, fired coach Fernando Santos following the disastrous game with Leixoes.

Yup. Benfica fired F.Santos and rumours about Camacho as the new coach.



Camacho was probably their best coach in the last decade (even better than Trapattoni) the problem was that Mourinho was in Porto in that time.

Didn't know where to put this, but Norway is beating Argentina 2-0.
Carew is having the match of his life, he scored both goals and has been playing with the Argentinian defence all along.

And it's full time: Norway 2-1 Argentina.

Go Carew! Go Norway!

Go Kurt! Go Villa!

Until they meet us that is...

England lost 1:2

Typical England, play well and lose. Goalkeeping howler.

I suppose the only good thing is that it was a friendly, it's the important games we can't lose.

You need 3 things: keeper, striker and coach.

Just a question. The Lampard's goal was a deflected shot, wasn't it?

I'm just hoping Kasper Schmeichel chooses England over Denmark, he's been awesome this season. We have Rooney coming back, Owen will be better once fully fit, Bent was also injured.

As for coach, that's the only thing that we won't change. Until it's too late and we can;t qualify.


Not even close.

They have always needed those Seems like England doesn't make them anymore ..

We haven't needed them for THAT long. Shearer and Seaman only retied a few years ago.

Oh please, Seaman !! ... If that is the best (in recent times..) then I think ENglands problems goes way back

Seriouslly though .. England doesn't have a goalkeeper !! That is the major problem

Seaman was one of the Worlds best!


But we are in desperate need of another. Worryingly our young keepers are Foster and Carson, while both decent, they should be starting for the National Team.

(Denmark conceded 4 today to Ireland. They need Schmeichel v. 2 more than England does).