Red (Sox) Dawn Rising at Anfield

The purchase of Liverpool Football Club today by New England Sports Venture (NESV) brings to an end a sorry chapter in the club's storied history- the ownership reign of Tom Hicks and George Gillett. Fortunately for Reds fans such as myself, the team will soon be in the hands of an ownership group lead by John Henry that has proven to be far more competent than their predecessors.

As the team's debt mounted and Liverpool fans became more enraged with the dynamic duo of Hicks and Gillett, passionate supporters mounted a social media campaign targeting global banks that could potentially offer a loan to the LFC ownership group. With so much anger directed at American owners, I was concerned that Reds fans wearing "Thanks but no Yank$" scarves would be dismissive of a takeover bid from another American. Fortunately the majority of the fans have been smart enough to see the approach Henry's group has taken with the Red Sox, a model for success that the Liverpool faithful hope will be repeated at Anfield.

How NESV cross-markets LFC and the Red Sox will be interesting to follow. Beyond both teams donning red socks on gamedays, the two legendary squads have many similarities. (Many of which Bill Simmons pegged four years ago.) When Henry and company took over the Red Sox in 2002, Fenway Park was an aging venue, targeted for replacement. The fan base was desperate for a championship, tired of seeing their arch rivals snatch up all the hardware. Sound familiar?

With Fenway, rather than building a new stadium, the NESV group found new ways to squeeze revenue out of the park and enhance the fan experience. Once the monster seats were introduced, they became the hottest location in baseball. And within three seasons, the long-awaited championship had been delivered to Boston. The 2004 World Series run was made even sweeter when the Sox rallied from 0-3 down in the ALCS against the Yankees, a team often compared to Manchester United.

New England is a soccer hot bed, and the NESV team has a great opportunity to ramp up LFC marketing efforts in that area. A well-attended friendly at Fenway this summer between Glasgow Celtic and Sporting Lisbon could be a prelude to Steven Gerrard and company playing a pre-season match in front of the Green Monster. Boston media are showing interest in the story, although much of it comes from the "How will this effect the Red Sox?" perspective. Still, I enjoyed the Boston Globe running an "Eight Things You Should Know About Liverpool" photo gallery on the home page today.

Ultimately Liverpool fans want to see an ownership group that will do three things: eliminate the crippling debt; respect the traditions that make Liverpool FC unique; and deliver trophies. I have no doubt that NESV will take care of the first two. Completing the treble, however, won't be as easy.

Chicago LFC Grows Up

A little more than three years ago, in an an attempt to ramp up my growing passion for Liverpool FC, I sought out the Chicago branch of the Liverpool Supporters Club. At halftime of the Liverpool-Chelsea match, Fernando Torres' Anfield debut, I ran into a guy wandering through Fado with a pen and a legal pad, taking names and e-mail addresses. Little did I know what putting my name on that list would lead to three years later.

Two weeks ago I captained the Chicago LFC co-ed soccer squad to their first-ever championship: the Windy City Wanderers Summer League First Division. The man with the pen and the pad, Bryn Griffiths, passed the armband to me earlier this year. Since our first indoor team kicked off in November 2008, the Co-ed Reds have continued to improve and add new players. This summer season we started off with a forfeit when the majority of our squad stayed at a bar to watch extra time of the World Cup Final. (Can you blame us?) We never lost again.

In the Final we faced our arch rivals Bakgat 11, a team that we have played a number of close contests against in the past year. (And maybe Bryn and I hyped up the rivalry just a bit to get the team fired up for the Final.) Expecting another tight match, we blew them off the field, 5-0. You can read not one but two blog posts on the Final on the Chicago LFC blog: mine takes a John Facenda inspired tone, while the witty Kevin Achettu goes the comical route.

But the growth of our supporters club extends far beyond the rec league fields. If I told you we got Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher to wear one of our CLFC t-shirts, is that something you might be interested in? Thanks to the hard work of John Koutoupis, our group now has a formal relationship with Carragher's 23 Foundation, which we've designated our official charity. Last week John and several other Chicago Reds were at Anfield for Carra's testimonial match. Our fundraising efforts over the past year through t-shirt sales and raffles helped pay for the handsome looking van seen here. How cool is it to have our Chicago Supporters Club logo on the side?

In my role as PR/Social Media Director for CLFC, I'm hoping to grow awareness and membership in Chicago and beyond. As a group we'll spread the "You'll Never Walk Alone" culture throughout the Windy City. One of my goals is to get us to 500 Facebook fans by the end of 2010. (We're at 190 as I write this post.) From the days of me looking for a guy with a pad and a pen wandering through Fado, we've come a long way.

2010-11 English Premier League Preview

Another Premier League season begins tomorrow, and those looking for variety might want to look elsewhere. With few significant changes since May, the table figures to shakeout in a manner similar to last season. Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal will battle for the title and a pack of teams a notch below will fight for a coveted Champions League spot.

A League and FA Cup double got Carlo Ancelotti's tenure at Stamford Bridge off to a memorable start last season, and his veteran Chelsea squad fully expects to maintain the title this year. The core of this team feels like they've played together forever- Lampard, Terry, Drogba, Cech- all back in blue for another go at the European crown that has alluded them. With the transfer deal for Brazilian midfielder Ramires now complete, Chelsea add an exciting young playmaker to their roster of seasoned pros.

Speaking of seasoned, Sir Alex Ferguson and Manchester United have been unusually quiet since the end of the last campaign, unlike the carnival surrounding Cristiano Ronaldo's transfer a year prior. The addition of Mexican Javier Hernandez is the only change of note. Wayne Rooney had the look of a beaten man in the World Cup. If and when he returns to form will dictate whether or not the Red Devils reclaim the title.

Arsenal hung around the fringes of the title chase much of last season and if not for a few letdown matches could have nabbed the top slot. The fact that Cesc Fabregas hasn't landed at Nou Camp with Barcelona yet is surprising, but for now the World Cup winner remains the focal point of Arsene Wenger's side. Another World Cup finalist, Robin van Persie, will also be key in the Gunners bid for their first title since the "Invincibles" team of 2004.

Beyond the those three, Tottenham, Manchester City, Liverpool and, to a lesser extent, Aston Villa and Everton, will set their sights on a top four finish. Manchester City were big offseason spenders for a second-straight season, this year looking to strengthen a shaky defensive unit. The additions of Aleksandar Kolarov and Jerome Boateng should help in that regard. David Silva and Yaya Toure have also been added as City aim for a Champions League berth.

Tottenham broke into fourth last year, and savvy manger Harry Redknapp is eyeing some additions to keep his side there again. Assuming they can move past Swiss side Young Boys (and what a terrible name that is for a team) in the last round of Champions League qualifying, Spurs will face the tricky balance of league aspirations on the weekend and matches against Europe's elite midweek. With that schedule, top scoring threat Jermain Defoe will need help.

Joe Cole and Roy Hodgson bring a fresh excitement to Liverpool, but a lack of depth has burned the Reds in recent seasons. When Steven Gerrard and/or Fernando Torres get hurt, which tends to happen a lot, Liverpool have few reliable options.

The surprising resignation of Martin O'Neill less than a week before kick off has put a dent in Aston Villa's already long shot hopes of reaching the top four. O'Neill's left because of a lack of transfer funds, which should tell you all you need to know on how much Villa spent improving the squad. Similarly, Everton have the ability to win against any opponent, but lack the depth to make a full-season push.

I'll predict a Chelsea repeat for 2011, followed by Arsenal, ManU, Man City and Liverpool.

World Cup 2010: The Pride of Liverpool

There are a handful of certainties going into tomorrow's World Cup Final. We'll see an eighth nation join the fraternity of World Cup champions. A European team will win outside the continent for the first time. And the trophy will be be cradled by a member of Liverpool Football Club. Holland's Dirk Kuyt and Spain's Fernando Torres share the same club jersey and a spot in the Final, but their experiences this past month have been anything but identical. The underrated Kuyt has had a dream tournament, while the hobbled superstar Torres has suffered a frustarting trip to South Africa.

Watching Holland play, you appreciate how Kuyt fits perfectly on the Dutch roster. Calling a player a "hard worker" is often a back-handed compliment, implying his effort is more impressive that his skills. But in Kuyt's case, his determined runs and non-stop energy have made so much possible for his teammates. Whether sending crosses into the box or flicking headers towards teammates, he is the ideal complement up front to Wesley Sneijder, Arjen Robben and Robin van Persie. Kuyt is the classic role player on which championship teams are formed. He doesn't need to be the star, but he does so much to allow Holland's top players to flourish. He's even there to pick Sneijder up - literally - after a goal. The fact that he re-affirmed his commitment to LFC this week only endears him further to the Anfield faithful.

Watching Kuyt play for Holland, you also see why he sometimes struggles for Liverpool. LFC don't have a trio of stars like the Dutch, and when Torres or Steven Gerrard aren't in the line-up, he's asked to take over alpha dog status. That's not his strength. That's a responsibility that belongs to his Spanish teammate.

Two years ago Fernando Torres poked home the only goal in Spain's 1-0 win over Germany in the Euro 2008 Final and his offensive talents were among the reasons that Spain were pegged as a World Cup favorite. And while La Furia Roja can win it's first world title tomorrow night, little else has followed the plan for El Nino. Torres has not been at full strength since he had knee surgery in April, and his struggles forced Vicente del Bosque to leaving him out of the starting XI for the semifinal against Germany. He did look fresher coming off the bench and would have had a goal if Pedro hadn't been the only man in the stadium not to see him wide open in the box. But for a man who is considered one of the world's premier strikers, watching him sweat his place in the starting line-up on the eve of the final is a shame.

I should also mention the two other LFC players who will be at Soccer City tomorrow night, Holland's Ryan Babel and Spain's Pepe Reina. Unfortunately neither has seen a minute of action in South Africa. This is especially tough for Reina, a man who is talented enough to start for most national teams, but lands behind Iker Casillas on the depth chart. But at least Babel and Reina will have excellent seats for the world's greatest sporting event.

The Best of the Decade in Soccer

As the first decade of the new millennium reaches stoppage time, it's time to honor some of the stars and great moments from the past ten years. Here are some of my favorites:

Best Team- 2008-09 FC Barcelona: Great sides are measured by championships, and Barcelona won everything there is to win in 2009. The highlight was a convincing 2-0 win over defending champions Manchester United in the Champions League Final, which followed League and Spanish Cup titles. Spanish and European Super Cups and the World Club Cup completed the six-pack for Lionel Messi and company.

Best Goal- Steven Gerrard, 2006 FA Cup Final: Sure, I'm a little bit biased here, but I challenge you to find a better strike. Trailing West Ham 3-2 in the final minutes of the Final, Captain Fantastic delivered and the Reds ultimately won in a shootout.

Best Tournament- Euro 2008: June in the Alps was a month to remember. The Dutch looked like an unstoppable force in the group stages, until they were dismissed by Guus Hiddink's cagey Russian side. The surprising Turks rode their late-game heroics to the semifinals, before falling to Germany. But in the end, the tournament belonged to Spain, which extinguished decades of disappointment thanks to Fernando Torres' sublime game winner in the Final.

Best Manager- Alex Ferguson: Whether you like ManU or not (and I've made it no secret on here that I don't), you have to admire the accomplishments of Sir Alex at Old Trafford. After capping the '90s with a treble-winning campaign, Ferguson's troops kept on rolling through the decade that followed, capturing six Premier League titles and a Champions League crown in 2008.

Biggest Gag- England's Euro 2008 Qualifying Campaign: Despite all their stumbles along the way, including draws against Israel and Macedonia, England were still in position to qualify for Euro 2008 heading into their final match. Needing only a home draw against a Croatia side that had nothing at stake, England fell behind 2-0, rallied to equalize, but then gave up a late winner and missed the continent's showpiece event.

Best Game- Liverpool over AC Milan in the 2005 Champions League Final: I may have mentioned this one a time or two before on this blog, but just to show you I'm no homer, Sports Illustrated's Grant Wahl gave the match similar praise in his end of decade review. Down 3-0 at the half, Liverpool tied the match within a six-minute span in the second half, then defeated favored AC Milan on PKs for their fifth European Cup.

Biggest Shock- Greece wins Euro 2004: While their defensive-minded tactics weren't always crowd-pleasing, the Greeks earned the world's attention with a stunning run to the European title in Portugal. After edging Spain for second in their group on the third tiebreaker, the Greeks netted three straight 1-0 wins in the knockout stages over France, the Czech Republic, and the hosts.

Best Way to Spend a Week- 2006 World Cup: The Germans put on a fantastic tournament for visitors from around the world, including two brothers who had the time of their lives.

Best Source of Comedy- Special 1 TV: The real Jose Mourinho held plenty of entertaining press conferences, but his puppet alter ego and his friends took soccer comedy to new heights.


Biggest Moment- Zidane's World Cup Head Butt: Zinedine Zidane was on the brink of capping his legendary career with a second World Cup title, but instead he went loco and drilled his head into the chest of Italy's Marco Materazzi. Instead of hoisting the trophy, Zidane was in the locker room as Italy triumphed in a shootout.

CLFC Co-Ed Goes Ocho

While the Liverpool FC season has been a brutal disappointment from Day One, at least the Chicago LFC Supporters Club co-ed squad restored some pride with an 8-0 win yesterday, our biggest rout ever. Here's my recap from the CLFC blog. Hopefully the win brings some holiday cheer to Rafa and the Reds. Probably not.

Rafaball Strikes Again

Rafael Benitez's six seasons at Anfield have been marked by one consistent trend: when his team's fortunes appear bleakest, the Reds have the ability to summon their finest efforts. On Sunday the concept of "Rafaball" was once more on display.

The last time LFC lost four straight, Margaret Thatcher was enjoying high tea with Ronald Reagan. With captain Steven Gerrard in the stands and star striker Fernando Torres returning from injury, there was reason for apprehension as the three-time defending league champions arrived in Liverpool. But as if to borrow a line from the team's anthem, Rafa believes that at the end of the storm is a golden sky. And again that golden sky came in the form of an inspired Liverpool performance and a deserved 2-0 win that re-ignites their title chase.

We've seen this act before under Benitez. The signature Rafaball victory came in his first season in charge. Down 3-0 at halftime in the Champions League Final against AC Milan, Liverpool rallied to tie the match and won in a shootout. And Liverpool would never have reached that Final without a furious three-goal outburst in their final group stage match against Olympiakos that secured passage to the knockout round.

Since 2005 their have been many more Rafaball moments. From 2-0 down against West Ham, the Reds tied the 2006 FA Cup Final on the brink of stoppage time before winning in a shootout. There was a 2-1 win at Barcelona in the knockout stages of the 2007 Champions League, won on goals by Craig Bellamy and John Arne Riise after the former had attacked the latter with a golf club in the team hotel. Passage to the 2008 Champions League group stages seemed unlikely after an 0-1-2 start, but the Reds won their next three by a combined total of 16-1 and advanced to the semis.

Manchester United were familiar with Sunday's performance. Last September LFC won at home 2-1 without the services of Gerrard or Torres. In March, just as the team's obituary was being penned, the Reds shocked the Old Trafford faithful with a 4-1 victory. In both matches, ManU scored first before the Reds rallied.

The frustrating flip side to Rafaball is that legendary wins are often followed by flat performances. Every Liverpool fan should be on guard heading into Saturday's fixture at Fulham. But if the Reds can continue to play Rafaball, this campaign will have plenty more pleasant surprises.

LFC-Chelsea: Ready to Rumble

With ManU dropping points today against Sunderland, the table sets up nicely for the winner (if there is one) of the Liverpool Chelsea clash Sunday at Stamford Bridge. As part of my blogging for the Liverpool FC Supporters Club of Chicago, I examine the Liverpool-Chelsea rivalry, from an extremely pro-Liverpool perspective, of course.

Chicago Liverpool Fans Unite!

I've joined my fellow members of the Liverpool Supporter's Club of Chicago in getting our blog up and running. In addition to cheering on the Reds at The Globe, many of us get kitted up on Sundays and play in a co-ed rec league. The summer season ended in familiar style for LFC with a second-place finish. The fall season starts this Sunday.

You can visit the LFC Chicago blog for my tribute to the greatest shootouts in LFC history and a look at potential sponsors for next year's shirts.

Separated at Birth?

Bolton take on Liverpool tomorrow morning. I've always thought that Bolton manager Gary Megson looked like someone familiar, but couldn't quite figure out who. While watching "The Office" the other night, I finally spotted Megson's long lost twin- Dunder Mifflin HR rep Toby Flenderson, played by actor Paul Lieberstein. You be the judge.

The Sports Guy and Soccer: Together Again?

Fans of ESPN.com columnist Bill Simmons, aka "The Sports Guy," may remember his short-lived dalliance with the English Premier League three years ago. In the lengthy but entertaining style that is his trademark, Simmons analyzed the pros and cons of supporting all 20 EPL teams, counting them down in reverse order. In the end he selected Tottenham over Liverpool, promising to cheer on the London outfit through the upcoming season.

And that was the end of that. Other than a couple passing mentions, Simmons was never heard from again on the topic of the Premier League. But now his interest in the game appears to be on again.

Apparently inspired by a visit to last week's USA-Mexico World Cup qualifier at the Estadio Azteca (a great column if you haven't already read it,) Simmons was tweeting about Sunday's Liverpool-Tottenham game, a meeting of his top two squads from the '06 search.

A couple thoughts here. Simmons, one of ESPN.com's most popular columnists, is hopping back on the Premier League bandwagon at the same time that his employer landed the rights to air games in the States. Coincidence or the latest example of the ever-present integration of ESPN properties? My hunch is it's the latter.

Second, in his column Simmons states that Steven Gerrard was "ridiculously, dominantly good in so many different ways," Sunday against Tottenham. Other than a well-taken penalty kick, this was far from one of Gerrard's finer afternoons. Just wait until Simmons watches Stevie G bringing his A-game.

So will the Sports Guy's burgeoning interest in soccer take root this season? We'll have to wait and see. But Bill, if by some chance you read this blog, feel free to join us at The Globe (rated by ussoccer.com as the "Best Soccer Bar in America," to watch some games if you're ever in Chicago.

England: 2009-10 Premier League Preview

I was getting ready to draft my Premier League preview when I stumbled across the news of ESPN's agreement to air games in the U.S. this season. Talk about a great way to start the season. Now that I've calmed a little from that excitement, it's time to talk Premier League!

If there is a silver lining to the global economic crisis, it might be this: With wild spending down, we are looking at potentially the most competitive season in the history of the Premier League. Only Manchester City flashed serious cash this summer, while the big four migrated back to the pack. A second tier of contenders might have a shot at the title.

But let's not get carried away. The leading candidates are still the big names we're accustomed to seeing, led by Manchester United and Chelsea. Last Sunday's entertaining Community Shield clash could foreshadow a see-saw battle between the winners of the last five EPL titles. While ManU will clearly miss Cristiano Ronaldo and, to a lesser extent, Carlos Tevez, the Red Devils will still contend for a record fourth-straight crown. ManU has gotten off to slow starts but recovered to win the league the last two seasons. To avoid another sluggish opening, they'll need goaltender Ben Foster to show he's capable of replacing the injured Edwin van der Sar on a permanent basis.

The biggest off-season addition among the big four wasn't a player, but rather new Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti. The former AC Milan skipper is the fifth man to hold the top post at Stamford Bridge since 2007, but it would be surprising if he doesn't bring stability to the position. Chelsea return a loaded roster, but you have to wonder if their primary focus is the Premier League the Champions League. Europe's biggest prize is the only one Roman Abramovich's men are missing. After crushing defeats against Liverpool, Manchester United and Barcelona the last three seasons, the quest remains the same. Ancelotti actually won more Champions League trophies (two) than Serie A titles (one) in his time at the San Siro. If that trend is any indicator, the Blues could be celebrating in Madrid in May, while someone else takes the EPL.

Could that someone else be Liverpool? In Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres, the Reds have a leading duo as good as any in the world. But in order to capture their first Premier League title, Rafa Benitez's team will need to overcome the maddening inconsistency that sunk their 2009 title bid. Liverpool took 14 points from six matches against ManU, Chelsea and Arsenal, highlighted by a 4-1 romp at Old Trafford. But a series of baffling draws against lesser opponents left the Reds in second, despite only two losses. If they can convert those draws into wins, a long-awaited title will be coming to Anfield.

Arsenal aren't going plummet, but Arsene Wenger's team has suffered too many losses to mount a serious challenge. Waiting to take their place in the leading quartet are Manchester City. Backed by big bucks from their UAE-based ownership, the Blues roster now features Gareth Barry, Roque Santa Cruz, Carlos Tevez, Emmanuel Adebayor and Kolo Toure, along with last year’s key addition, Robinho. But many superstar-laden teams have looked unbeatable on paper. How this group gels under manager Mark Hughes remains to be seen, and questions abound regarding the ManCity defense.

If the race remains tight, Everton, Aston Villa and Tottenham could sneak into the mix, but realistically those sides are hoping for a Champions League slot at best. Look for last year's top three to pull away again in 2010. While my heart pulls for Liverpool, by head says Chelsea. God I hope I'm wrong.

If you want EPL previews from more knowledgeable outlets, here are some options:
The Times of London
The Independent
Sky Sports
ESPN Soccernet

The Soccer Haus Joins Forces with The Far Post

Since November I've been playing soccer on Sundays with fellow members of the Liverpool FC Supporters Club of Chicago in a league run by Chicago's Windy City Wanderers. I hadn't played organized soccer in 18 years, but it's been great fun putting on the Jamie Carragher jersey each week and playing for the Reds. (I'm the only person on the team not wearing a Gerrard or Torres jersey, at least until my brother-in-law and his Dirk Kuyt jersey return in the fall.)

WCW has its own blog, The Far Post, and I've been asked to contribute occasional columns to their site. So coming soon you'll have twice as many places to enjoy my semi-insightful soccer commentary. And for those of you coming over here from The Far Post for the first time, welcome!

The Top Five Jerseys in European Club Football

I received my latest Eurosport catalog earlier this week, one of the highlights of my mail for nearly two decades. How smart are the Eurosport folks? They locked down the URL soccer.com before anyone else. Flipping through the catalog and looking at the jerseys, I was inspired to post my take on the top five jerseys in European club football.

A note before I start the list: all the jerseys listed below are the team's home kits. For reasons I don't understand, European home jerseys are rich with tradition, but for the road versions, anything goes. Squads change looks on an annual basis, and some traveling selections leave you questioning the tastes of team management.

#5: Valencia: The shirts themselves are fairly standard- white with orange trim, the latter no doubt inspired by the local fruit export. What puts these jerseys among the best is the crest. How many other teams have something as cool as a bat perched on their kits? Not many. Inspired by the city's coat of arms, the presence of the bat gives "Los Che" an intimidating look.

#4: Liverpool and Chelsea: Separately neither of these two jerseys are standouts. But when they come together, as they have so often in recent Champions League matches, the contrast is perfect. Liverpool in all red; Chelsea in all blue. Nothing looks better on a European night.




#3: Barcelona: The FC Barcelona crest squeezes a lot of symbolism into a stylish design. According to the team web site, the crest "honours the sporting dimension of the club as well as its connection to its city and country." With the crest set on bold blue and burgundy shirts, the reigning European Champs have an umistakable look. Barca also deserve credit for forgoing corporate sponsors on their shirts and instead promoting UNICEF across the front.

#2: Inter Milan: My love of Inter Milan's kits dates back to an Absolut vodka ad that cleverly pitted Inter and AC Milan on a foosball table. (I was a fan of the ad campaign long before I could legally drink the vodka.) The black and blue in the Nerazzurri's jerseys represent the night and the sky. These colors work so well together, I'm surprised more teams don't go this route.

#1: Celtic: The best jerseys in sports are simple yet distinct; they're immediately recognizable like the New York Yankees pinstripes, the red, white and blue of the Montreal Canadiens, or the Los Angeles Lakers' regal purple and gold combo. Glasgow Celtic, with their classic green and white hoop shirts join that list. The Bhoys' shirts stand out around the world. Little has changed with Celtic's kits since their 1967 European Cup triumph, but the addition of the team crest with a four-leaf clover fits perfectly. As long as there's a Celtic Football Club, these jerseys will top my list.

Transfer-Palooza

Each summer speculation around the European transfer market resembles the board game "Fact or Crap." There are an endless number of rumors, but those stories greatly outnumber the completed deals. Here's a look at some of the players and storylines central to this year's transfer gossip.

Carlos Tevez isn't exactly leaving Manchester United on good terms, taking some parting shots at Sir Alex Ferguson on his way out of Old Trafford. Oddly Tevez ruled out Liverpool as a destination because of their rivalry with ManU, but the Argentine now appears headed to crosstown Manchester City.

Inter Milan's Zlatan Ibrahimovichas been the talk of a move out of Serie A, but Inter's asking price may be too high for potential suitors. In other Inter news, Brazilian fullback Maicon has been linked to a move to Chelsea.

Staying with Barcelona or heading to Manchester City are the two options for Samuel Eto'o. A two-year extension of Eto'o's current deal is the latest offer from the reigning European champs.

Xabi Alonso is the latest target of free-spending Real Madrid. Defender Alvaro Arbeloa could also make the Liverpool to Real leap.

Premier League Schedule Released

The Premier League released its 2009-10 schedule today. You can get a team-by-team schedule here and the week-by-week schedule here. The Premier League Web site also has a rundown of key matches for the upcoming season, including the "Big Four" meetings between Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal.

Counting Down the Best European Cup Finals

Wednesday's Champions League Final between Manchester United and Barcelona has the potential to be an all-time classic. All season long, ManU and Barca have stood out as the top two teams in Europe, so if you're not a fan of one of the two sides, you have to hope that Wednesday's meeting in Rome joins the list of great finals. Here's my take on the top 10 European Cup finals of all-time.

10) 1994: AC Milan 4, Barcelona 0: A meeting of the winners of three of the last five cups was noteworthy not for the match's close score line, but for the impressive manner in which AC Milan pounded the favored Catalans. Without star defenders Franco Baresi and Alessandro Costacurta, the Rossoneri scored four times within the first hour en route to their fifth title.

9) 2006: Barcelona 2, Arsenal 1: An early red card against goalkeeper Jens Lehmann left Arsenal down to 10 men, but the shorthanded Gunners shockingly took the lead on a 37th minute goal by Sol Campbell and gamely tried to preserve the advantage. But two goals by Barca in the final 15 minutes- a 76th minute equalizer by Samuel Eto'o and the winner from Juliano Belletti four minutes later- gave the Spaniards their second Cup.

8) 1987: Porto 2, Bayern Munich 1: Just 12 minutes from time, a sublime back heel touch from Porto's Rabah Madjer erased Bayern's first half lead. Before the Germans could recover, Juary put home the winner two minutes later. It would not be the last time Bayern would be victimized by a pair of late goals.

7) 1967: Celtic 2, Inter Milan 1: Another match highlighted by a second-half rally, Celtic broke the 11-year cup dominance of Mediterranean sides, becoming the first British team to win the title. The Celtic roster, made up entirely of players from within 50 minutes of Glasgow, are still celebrated fondly as the "Lisbon Lions."

6) 1960: Real Madrid 7, Eintracht Frankfurt 3: While many consider this match the greatest final of all-time, the lopsided score keeps it from ranking higher on my list. This was, however, the Real Madrid dynasty at the peak of its power. Ferenc Puskas scored four times and Alfredo Di Stefano added a hat trick as Real captured their record fifth-straight title.

5) 1968: Manchester United 4, Benfica 1, a.e.t.: In front of a pro-ManU crowd at a packed Wembley Stadium, Manchester United found their second wind in extra time, scoring three times in a five-minute span to capture their first title. Bobby Charlton scored the Red Devils' first and last goals, while George Best put home the eventual game winner.

4) 1999: Manchester United 2, Bayern Munich 1: The ultimate late show saw Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer both score in stoppage time to give Manchester United the treble. The shock ending lead to one of the all-time great broadcasting quotes from Clive Tyldesle: "What must Lothar Matthäus be thinking? Well, with the greatest respect, who cares?"

3) 1962: Benfica 5, Real Madrid 3: A meeting of the first six cup winners was a back-and-forth affair. Real took first half leads of 2-0 and 3-2, with all three goals coming from Puskas. After Benfica tied the match early in the second half, Eusebio netted a pair of goals to give the Portugese squad back-to-back titles.

2) 1956: Real Madrid 4, Stade de Reims, 3: The first European Cup Final set a lofty standard for future matches. Real rallied from 2-0 and 3-2 deficits, with Marquitos scoring in the 79th minute to send the innaugural title to Madrid.

1) 2005: Liverpool 3, AC Milan 3 (Liverpool wins on PKs): The two games above were the only time a team had rallied from two goals. Never had a team recovered from a three-goal margin. That was the deficit staring Liverpool in the face at halftime of their final against AC Milan. But as fast as you can say Gerrard, Smicer, Alonso, the Reds leveled the match and hung on for PKs. Two years after sealing a shootout win against Juventus, Andrei Shevchenko saw his spot kick saved, giving Liverpool an improbable fifth title. The match was the highest-scoring European final in 33 years.

If you don't like my list, SI.com has its own take on the Top 10.

Now That's an Away Kit

Recently I ripped on Chelsea's goofy new away kits. Liverpool debuted theirs this week and the results are much better. As the owner of this year's gray kit, I'm dissapointed it had such a short shelf life, although it will forever be linked with the 4-1 thrashing at Old Trafford.

One last thought- Pepe Reina has really let himself go.

Hillsborough 20 Years Later: Drawing Inspiration from Tragedy

"Why Liverpool?" I am often asked this question about the team I chose to support. As a fan of the English game but with no logical ties to any city or team in Britain, I was drawn to LFC for two reasons. One is the tremendous respect the club has for history and traditions. The second is the amazing connection the players and organization have with the supporters. Although today is the 20th anniversary of the darkest day in the club’s history, these two aspects of the club come together in a very poignant manner each year on April 15.

On April 15, 1989, thousands of Liverpool supporters traveled to Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield for an FA Cup semifinal between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest. Ninety-six of those fans never returned, the victims of tragic overcrowding in the terraces behind one of the goals. At the time of the incident, English fans and Liverpool fans in particular had a infamous reputation for fan behavior, so many initialy assumed that the deaths were the result of hooliganism. But as the stories emerged, the world learned that hundreds of Liverpool fans acted heroically that day, doing all they could to save their fellow fans so that further lives were spared. Adding to the tragic nature of this event is that no individuals or organizations have ever been held accountable for the horrendous crowd control efforts that lead to the fatal overcrowding. The “Justice for the 96” campaign carries on strong to this day.

Last night I logged on to Liverpool’s team Web site to read the recap of the Reds’ thrilling 4-4 draw with Chelsea in the European Champions League quarterfinals. Although the game had ended only a few hours earlier, there was barely a mention of the match on the site. Instead the entire home page had been transformed into a digital tribute to the victims of Hillsborough. The site holds a moving collection of memories from the families of the victims, current and former players and coaches. The tribute is extensive and thoughtful; I hope you will take a moment to visit the site. Another compelling piece is a YouTube video that one fan put together two years ago. Some of the images of that day are quite disturbing, but the video tribute is very moving.

This perspective on the game— putting the memory and honor of the Hillsborough victims above all else on this day— is part of what makes Liverpool Football Club such an admirable organization. The lives of those 96 supporters are lost forever, but the club has done everything in its power to ensure that their memory will not be forgotten. Please join the club in keeping them in your thoughts today.

Champions League: Reds Remarkable Rout

"Liverpool return to Anfield protecting a 1-0 advantage over Real Madrid," read the previews to yesterday's Champions League match. That word "protecting" typically indicates that fans can expect a defensive struggle, and with Liverpool's history of stay-at-home, counterattacking football in European matches, there was no reason not to anticipate such a match yesterday. When a scoreless draw sees you through, it's common to take a defensive approach.

For that reason, Liverpool's display yesterday was even more inspiring. Rather than build a fortress around Pepe Reina, the Reds attacked from the opening whistle and secured passage to the quarterfinals within 30 minutes en route to a 4-0 win and a 5-0 aggregate victory. While the penalty call that lead to Liverpool's second goal was simply awful, the constant pressure from Rafa Benitez's men created the opportunity. Even at 1-0, with the way Liverpool were playing, it was hard to see a Real Madrid winning the fixture. If not for Iker Casillas in goal for Real, Liverpool could have won by six.

Liverpool showed how an attacking team at the top of their game can be a delight to watch. Now if only they could replicate this form against the Premier League's bottom feeders.