WCR Top 25 Clubs in the World - CL Quarterfinals Edition

Welcome to the pre-Champions League quarterfinals (or pre-CONCACAF Champions Cup semifinals) edition of the World Club Rankings Top 25. For the first time all season, all of the European quarterfinalists are in the Top 25 as Schalke makes its debut by moving into third place in the Bundesliga to go along with its quarterfinalist spot in the Champions League. Meanwhile, Manchester United continued to solidify its spot at the top of the charts, defeating Aston Villa by something like 27 to nothing.

Lots of great action in Europe as we reach the home stretch. PSV and Porto, even with a draw this weekend for PSV, are within spitting distance of winning the Eredevisie and bwin Liga, respectively. Meanwhile, Real Madrid extended its own lead in the Primera Division de La Liga as Bayern Munchen, Manyoo and Lyon continue to reign in their respective leagues. Fenerbahce also put a little room between themselves and second place and Rangers may have ended the hopes of Celtic in Scotland.

It was a lighter week in the Copa Libertadores, as far as the huge teams were concerned, but that should make for a great week this week as ranked teams Estudiantes, River Plate, Sao Paulo and Cruzeiro all see action in South America’s premier competition.

Enough background. On to the rankings . . .

World Club Rankings – March 31, 2008

1. Manchester United (Eng) (1) – Not only are they at the top of their league, they are playing phenomenal football right now. Humbled Aston Villa this week 4-0. Travel to Rome to face Roma in a tough matchup in Champions League action before playing Middlesbrough on the road on Sunday.

2. Inter Milan (Ita) (2) – Drew with Lazio 1-1 in Rome this weekend, but did not suffer because second-place Roma could manage no more than a draw themselves. Since their European dreams are over, play only one game this week, facing Atalanta on the road.

3. Chelsea (Eng) (3) – Defeated Middlesbrough 1-0 to maintain their recently-attained second place position in the Premiership. Will face a tougher time this weekend as they travel to Manchester to play City. In the meantime, they travel to Turkey to face Fenerbahce in the Champions League quarterfinals.

4. Roma (Ita) (4) – Failed to take advantage of Inter’s stumble by scoring only a draw against Cagliari. Host top-ranked Manchester United without Totti in the Champions League tomorrow (CAN’T WAIT!!!) and host Genoa this weekend as they continue to try to track down Internazionale.

5. Arsenal (Eng) (5) – Did something they’ve been having difficulty with recently by winning a game in the Premiership, defeating Bolton 3-2. This week, they play their first two of three consecutive games against Liverpool, both at Emirates Stadium, once in the Champions League and once in domestic action.

6. Sao Paulo (Bra) (7) – May be the highest ranking of any South American team all year (I don’t really keep track of things like that). Won two games in the Paulista League, including a victory over Bragantino this weekend. Appear to be in good shape to make the Paulista League playoffs, facing Juventus (not THAT Juventus) this weekend after facing Sportivo Luqueno in Copa Libertadores action at midweek.

7. Barcelona (Esp) (6) – Loss to Real Betis not only virtually eliminates Barcelona’s title hopes, it helped to drop them to third place in the Primera Division. Still alive in Europe, however, and Barcelona travels to Germany to play Schalke tomorrow before hosting giant-killer Getafe over the weekend.

8. Liverpool (Eng) (8) – Took a huge step towards playing in next year’s Champions League by defeating Everton and securing fourth place in the Premiership. This week, travel to London, where they can stay for a while, as they begin their string of playing nobody but Arsenal for the foreseeable future. (Okay, just three games in eight days.)

9. Estudiantes (Arg) (9) – Still playing well in the Clausura, defeating Velez Sarsfield 1-0 this weekend. Two tough road matches this week as they play Apertura champion Lanus in Copa Libertadores action and play Copa Sudamericana champion Arsenal de Sarandi in Clausura action.

10. Real Madrid (Esp) (11) – Defeated Sevilla pretty handily yesterday as they extended their Primera Division lead. Having been eliminated from the Champions League, their next game is against Real Mallorca this weekend.

11. River Plate (Arg) (NR) – Moving to the top of both the Clausura and their Copa Libertadores group this week. Potentially great games this week as they travel to Mexico to play Club America in Copa Libertadores action this week and play a road match against Lanus over the weekend.

12. Porto (Por) (10) – Defeated Os Belenenses this weekend to move within a whisper of the bwin Liga title. Face Amadora this weekend as they move towards clinching the championship, without European action to distract them.

13. Fenerbahce (Tur) (13) – Managed to get a little breathing room in the Turkish Ligi this week, defeating Besiktas 2-1. Should be exciting for all Turkish fans as they host Chelsea on Wednesday before playing Kayserispor in domestic action this weekend.

14. Lyon (Fra) (12) – Kept on pace to win their 298th consecutive title in Ligue Un (don’t quote me on that) by defeating Valenciennes 2-1. Being relieved of their European duties, travel to the second largest city in France to face Marseille in one of the most anticipated matches of any season.

15. Benfica (Por) (14) – Defeated Pacos Ferreira 4-1 to maintain its tenuous spot in second place in the bwin Liga. Play Boavista this weekend as they attempt to maintain that position.

16. Juventus (Ita) (15) – Game against Parma cancelled this weekend due to yet another senseless act of violence. This really needs to end! Return to action at the site of some of last year’s most notorious violence as they play Palermo.

17. Bayern Munchen (Ger) (16) – Could only manage a draw against Nurnberg this past weekend, but still sit atop the Bundesliga. Host Getafe in UEFA Cup action on Thursday in a matchup that could provide a surprise. Host VfL Bochum in domestic action this weekend.

18. Villarreal (Esp) (20) – Defeated Atletico de Madrid 3-0 over the weekend to take advantage of Barcelona’s stumble to take over second place in the Primera Division. How this team fell out of the UEFA Cup so quickly amazes me. Play a road game against a solid Sevilla team as they try to maintain their newfound status.

19. PSV Eindhoven (Ned) (17) – Could manage only a scoreless draw against NEC Nijmegen this weekend, but it doesn’t really matter. It would take a collapse of epic proportions for PSV to blow the Eredevisie at this point. Play Fiorentina in the best matchup of the next round of the UEFA Cup this week. Host Heracles Almelo this weekend as they streak towards the domestic title.

20. Ajax (Ned) (22) – Defeated Michael Bradley and Heerenveen 4-2 to stay alive in the Dutch Eredevisie. Their slim hopes to stay alive are at home this weekend against De Graafschap.

21. Schalke 04 (Ger) (NR) – I am not putting them in here strictly because they are in the Champions League quarterfinals. In addition to that, Schalke took over third place in the Bundesliga to earn their spot here. Host Barcelona tomorrow as they attempt to advance in Europe and host Hansa Rostock in Bundesliga action over the weekend.

22. Everton (Eng) (19) – Everton’s hopes for a Champions League spot took a big kick in the crotch this weekend as they fell to Torres, and the cross-town rivals, 1-0. Host Derby County as they face their uphill battle back their fourth place in the Premiership.

23. Deportivo Saprissa (CRC) (21) – Saprissa finally fell in domestic action , losing to Puntarenas 1-0 this weekend. Perhaps they were looking forward to their trip north to face the Houston Dynamo in the CONCACAF Champions Cup semifinals. We’ll see. After that battle, they will face Universidad de Costa Rica in domestic action.

24. Fiorentina (Ita) (23) – Hit by a ton of bricks better known as Udinese, losing 3-1. Although the battle is tightened, they still hold the final Champions League position in Serie A. Host PSV Eindhoven in a great UEFA Cup mathcup at midweek before hosting Reggina this weekend.

25. Cruzeiro (Bra) (25) – Still lead their group in the Copa Libertadores. Put that league to the test this week when they face Argentine power San Lorenzo on Thursday.

Bubbling Under (alphabetically): Atletico de Madrid (Esp), Bordeaux (Fra), La Equidad (Chi), Libertad (Par), River Plate (Uru)

Next Five (not alphabetically): Hamburger (Ger), Rangers (Sco), Sporting CP (Por), Boca Juniors (Arg), Fluminense (Bra)

Games Between Ranked Teams This Week:
1 April – (1) Manchester United at (4) Roma
1 April – (7) Barcelona at (21) Schalke 04
2 April – (3) Chelsea at (13) Fenerbahce
2 April – (8) Liverpool at (5) Arsenal
3 April – (19) PSV Einhoven at (24) Fenerbahce
5 April – (8) Liverpool at (5) Arsenal

Weekend Football Television Schedule

With over forty games being broadcast in the States this weekend, if you can’t get your fill, you probably should get your stomach stapled. In fact, if you spend that much time watching television, you probably need your stomach stapled anyway.

Lots of great games this week, highlighted by the sole match of the weekend between Top 25 teams as Liverpool host their cross-town rivals Everton in a battle for the final Champions League spot out of England. The big television news to me though is that FSC is broadcasting same day coverage of the Celtic/Rangers match. When the hell did FSC start broadcasting SPL games? (Answer: This weekend) I’m not complaining, though. I’ve grown used to waiting a few days for SPL replays on Setanta and I’d much rather have same day coverage.

In addition to the billions and billions of games being broadcast, there are a dozen games involving Top 25 teams that are not being broadcast, including some intriguing matchups between Fenerbahce & Besiktas, Nancy Lorraine & Bordeaux, and Fiorentina & Udinese. I think I’ll be able to make due, but this is another great weekend for football.

Top Five Games on Television This Weekend:

1. Everton at Liverpool (11am, Sunday, FSC)
2. Atletico de Madrid at Barcelona (5pm, Saturday, GolTV)
3. Sevilla at Real Madrid (3pm, Sunday, GolTV)
4. Celtic at Rangers (7pm, Sunday, FSC)
5. Inter Milan at Lazio (3:30pm, Saturday, FSC)

Saturday, March 29, 2008

9:30 am – (16) Bayern Munchen at Nurnberg (GolTV)
9:45 am – Spartak Moscow at Chimki (ESPN 360)
11:00 am – Fulham at Derby (FSC)
11:00 am – (5) Arsenal at Bolton (Setanta)
12 noon – Manchester City at Birmingham City (D) (FSC)
12:30 pm – Eintracht Frankfurt at Bayer Leverkusen (D) (GolTV)
1:00 pm – (4) Roma at Cagliari (ESPN 360)
1:00 pm – Aston Villa at (1) Manchester United (FSC)
3:00 pm – (6) Barcelona at Real Betis (GolTV)
3:30 pm – (2) Internazionale at Lazio (FSC)
3:45 pm – Paris St.-Germain at Racing Lens (Setanta)
4:00 pm – Toronto FC at Columbus Crew (MLS Direct Kick)
4:30 pm – Portuguese bwin Liga – Teams TBD (Setanta Broadband)
5:00 pm – Atletico de Madrid at (20) Villarreal (GolTV)
6:00 pm – West Ham United at Sunderland (D) (Setanta) (Live at 11am on SBB)
6:00 pm – Chicago Fire at Real Salt Lake (MLS Direct Kick)
7:00 pm – Millonarios at Nacional (GolTV)
7:00 pm – Puebla at Cruz Azul (FSE)
7:00 pm – Jaguares at San Luis (Galavision)
7:30 pm – Houston Dynamo at New England Revolution (FSC)
7:45 pm – Blackburn Rovers at Reading (D) (Setanta)
8:00 pm – DC United at Kansas City Wizards (MLS Direct Kick)
9:00 pm – UNAM at Tigres (TeleFutura)
9:30 pm – Los Angeles Galaxy at Colorado Rapids (FSC)
11:00 pm – Morelia at Atlas (D) (Telefutura)

Sunday, March 30, 2008

8:00 am – Saturn at CSKA Moscow (ESPN 360)
8:30 am – Middlesbrough at (3) Chelsea (Setanta)
9:00 am – Parma at (15) Juventus (FSC)
11:00 am – (19) Everton at (8) Liverpool (FSC)
1:00 pm – VfB Stuttgart at Hannover 96 (D) (GolTV)
2:00 pm – Monterrey at Toluca (Univision)
2:30 pm – Atalanta at AC Milan (D) (FSC)
3:00 pm – Sevilla at (11) Real Madrid (GolTV)
3:00 pm – Marseilles at L’Orient (Setanta)
3:00 pm – Chivas USA at FC Dallas (TeleFutura)
4:30 pm – Newcastle United at Tottenham (D) (FSC)
6:00 pm – Chivas de Guadalajara at Necaxa (Galavision)
7:00 pm – Deportivo Cali at Chico (GolTV)
7:00 pm – Celtic at Rangers (D) (FSC)
11:00 pm – Arsenal de Sarandi at River Plate (D) (FSC) (Live at 3pm on FSE)

Ranked Teams Not Broadcast in USA

Sat. 12 noon – Nancy Lorraine at (24) Bordeaux
Sat. 1:00 pm – (13) Fenerbahce at Besiktas
Sat 2:30 pm – (22) Ajax at Heerenveen
Sat 3:00 pm – (17) PSV Eindhoven at NEC Nijmegen
Sun. 9:00 am – (23) FIorentina at Udinese
Sun. 10:00 am – (12) Lyon at Valenciennes
Sun. 12 noon – (21) Deportivo Saprissa at Puntarenas
Sun. 2:00 pm – Velez Sarsfield at (9) Estudiantes
Sun. 2:00 pm – (10) Porto at OS Belenenses
Sun. 3:00 pm – (7) Sao Paulo at Bragantino
Sun. 4:15 pm – Pacos Ferreira at (14) Benfica
Sun. 5:00 pm – (18) Fluminense at Botafogo

WCR Top 25 Clubs in the World

Another week, another Top 25. As always, there are a few little quirks in the rankings. Manchester United solidified its spot at the top with an impressive victory over Liverpool. Moving in the other direction is Arsenal, as it dropped yet another spot in the Premiership and a few in the rankings after losing to Chelsea. The moves by these teams are logical. What isn’t logical is when a team like Inter Milan moves up four notches despite having a rather horrible week. Logical, no. Explainable, we’ll see. (If all else fails, I’m falling back and just blaming math. Stupid math.) The primary reason that Inter is ranked so high is because the rankings are based on the entire season, not the past week or the past month. The reason they move up this week instead of down is that nothing happens in a vacuum and the Moderate Bonus Points don’t only affect the teams that receive them but also every other team. Because only one team in the top four (according to the math) get MBPs, a vacuum (if you know another word with two u’s in a row let me know and I’ll overuse that one too) opens up for the second spot and Inter was there to fill it. What am I talking about? Doesn’t matter. I’m boring myself. It’s the math’s fault. Stupid math.

The Moderate Bonus Points continue to fluctuate with great regularity in South America due to the ever-changing group lead in the Copa Libertadores. That’s why I don’t generally don’t start giving away bonus points until the end of the season, but it’s a weekly chart and the Europeans got theirs, so the South Americans must get theirs, even if it’s premature. Stupid math.

Enough of my justifications, rationalizations and other assorted bullshit. It’s just a stupid ranking of football teams, after all, isn’t it? Anyway, before the countdown (countup, actually, since I start at number one), I want to give an appreciative shout out to The Offside for linking to my site’s World Club Ranking – 1967 post this weekend and providing me with many more hits than this modest list site is used to. Now on to the countdown. I mean countup.

World Club Rankings – March 24, 2007

1. Manchester United (Eng) (1) – There can be no dispute about this choice. They not only chased down Arsenal, they kicked a little English butt this week beating Bolton at midweek and Liverpool over the weekend. This weekend, we’ll get to see if they handle success better than Arsenal and Inter Milan when they host Aston Villa.

2. Internazionale (Ita) (6) – Yes, they only managed a draw against Genoa and lost to Juventus. Still they move up four notches. Why? Stupid math. DIdn’t you read what I typed above? Am I just wasting my time here people? Still, they are in first place in Serie A and the math loves first place teams. It doesn’t get much easier for Inter this weekend as they travel to Rome to face Lazio in an ever-increasingly interesting Serie A competition.

3. Chelsea (Eng) (5) – Took over second place in the Premiership with its impressive (and predictable) victory over Arsenal this weekend. Host Middlesbrough this weekend as they attempt to chase down Manchester United for the lead. It won’t be easy, but Manchester United wouldn’t be the first team to deal poorly with prosperity.

4. Roma (Ita) (3) – Despite losing to Lazio in the Rome derby at midweek, Roma was still able to gain ground on Inter in Serie A by defeating Empoli over the weekend. Play a road match against Cagliari, which they should win, this weekend as it continues to chase down Inter.

5. Arsenal (Eng) (2) – Couldn’t beat Chelsea. Shouldn’t beat Chelsea. Why? They’re not as good. Sorry Gunner fans. They did knock out Milan in the Champions League, but Milan is just a fifth-place Serie A team. Sorry Milan fans. Travel to Bolton this week in an attempt to catch back up to Chelsea or fall back further to Liverpool.

6. Barcelona (Esp) (4) – Really don’t deserve to fall after beating Valladolid 4-1 this weekend, despite being knocked out of the Copa del Rey to Valencia. Stupid math. They did, however, move closer to Real Madrid in the Primera Division as they try to hold off Villarreal. Play Real Betis this weekend as they try to move closer.

7. Sao Paulo (Bra) (10) – Despite trouble in the Paulista League, they did manage to defeat Guarani this weekend and moved to the top of their league in the Copa Libertadores. Only Paulista League action this week for Sao Paulo as they face (and please correct me if I’m wrong if I’m spelling these names incorrectly) Sertaozhino and Bragantino.

8. Liverpool (Eng) (8) – Say what you want about the referee, they got absolutely manhandled this weekend by Manchester United. They are fortunate to remain in fourth place. Whether they can maintain that fortunate position will be determined this weekend as they host fifth-place Everton.

9. Estudiantes (Arg) (NR) – Great week for Estudiantes as they move towards the top of the Argentine Clausura and the top of their Copa Libertadores group. As with the European teams, they have no game at midweek, but should have a great match over the weekend as they host recently-ranked Velez Sarsfield.

10. Porto (Por) (9) – Porto is the top team after Inter Milan that received no Moderate Bonus Points. They are in good shape in the bwin Superliga and will attempt to extend their league against Os Belenenses this weekend.

11. Real Madrid (Esp) (7) – Real continues to fall as they are out of the Champions League, Copa del Rey and continue to lose ground in the Primera Division as they lost to Valencia 3-2. Attempt to rebound this weekend, in a potentially difficult matchup, hosting Sevilla on Sunday.

12. Lyon (Fra) (11) – Cemented their lead in Ligue Un by defeating PSG 4-2. Attempt to continue their good fortune against Valenciennes this weekend.

13. Fenerbahce (Tur) (22) – Huge jump up for Fener as they defeat Kasimpasa 3-0 on Friday to take over the lead in the Turkish Ligi. The MBPs don’t hurt either. As they get ready for Chelsea in the Champions League, they face a tough opponent this weekend in Besiktas in Ligi action.

14. Benfica (Por) (12) – Had the past weekend off, which they really need. Host Pacos Ferreira this weekend as they return to bwin Liga action.

15. Juventus (Ita) (13) – Win a road game against Inter this weekend and still lose ground. Stupid math. Serves them right, the cheating bastards. Perhaps they should have beat Empoli at midweek instead of drawing 1-1. In any event, they host Parma this weekend.

16. Bayern Munchen (Ger) (14) – Defeated Wolfsburg to advance to the finals of the DFB Pokal before defeating a good Bayern Leverkusen team 2-1 over the weekend. This weekend, they travel to Nurnberg as they attempt to continue to impose their dominance on the Bundesliga.

17. PSV Einhoven (Ned) (17) – Tread water with Ajax with a midweek draw before extending its Eredivisie lead by defeating Groningen 3-0 over the weekend. Face Nijmegen this weekend as they continue to impose their dominance on the Eredivisie. (Damn, that sounds familiar for some reason.)

18. Fluminense (Bra) (NR) – Not really continuing to impose their dominance over anybody but their group in the Copa Libertadores, defeating Libertad (a “bubbling under” team). This week, Fluminense is off in the Copa, but continue to play in the Carioca League against Mesquita and Botafogo.

19. Everton (Eng) (20) – Had a golden opportunity to move into a Champions League spot by managing nothing more than a draw against West Ham United. Receive a chance at redemption as they travel all the way across town to play Liverpool in Premiership action this weekend.

20. Villarreal (Esp) (25) – Defeated Levante 2-1 this weekend to stay within spitting distance of Barcelona for second place in the Primera Division. Spitting is a nasty habit, though. They are also within smoking distance, not that’s any better a habit than spitting. Don’t get me started on farting. Anyway, they play in one of the most anticipated games of the weekend this weekend when they host Atletico de Madrid.

21. Deportivo Saprissa (Crc) (24) – Saprissa moves back up as they advance to the semifinals of the CONCACAF Champions Cup, defeating Mexican Apertura winner Atlante. Play a road game against Puntarenas this weekend in another game that I doubt I’ll be able to find a story about. (If you find an article about the game to me, please send it to me so I can link to it next week.)

22. Ajax (Ned) (19) – After treading water with a draw against PSV at midweek, Ajax lost to Twente 2-1 this weekend. Having very little hope to catch PSV in the Eredivisie, Ajax faces Michael Bradley (we’re so proud of him) and ten other members of Heerenveen this weekend.

23. Fiorentina (Ita) (22) – Defeated Lazio this weekend 1-0 to maintain its Champions League position over AC Milan. Play a good Udinese team on the road this weekend as try to keep their position.

24. Bordeaux (Fra) (23) – Virtually handed Ligue Un to Lyon this weekend by falling 3-1 to Valenciennes this weekend. Nevertheless, the season goes on and Bordeaux faces third place Nancy Lorraine this weekend in what should be a great game.

25. Cruzeiro (Bra) (NR) – Drew with Caracas 1-1 in Copa Libertadores action this weekend, but it was enough to keep its top spot in its Copa Libertadores group. They take the week off and enjoy the nice Brazilian fall weather as they anticipate future endeavors.

Bubbling Under (as always, alphabetically): Atletico de Madrid (Esp), Libertad (Por), Milan (Ita), River Plate (Uru, not Arg), Schalke 04 (Ger)

Numbers 96 – 100: NAC Breda (Ned), Le Man (Fra), Real Mallorca (Esp), Napoli (Ita), Al Ahly (Egy)

Matchups Between Top 25 Teams This Week:

(19) Everton at (8) Liverpool

World Club Rankings - 1967

It’s been a few months since I posted an annual Top 25. The primary reason for this is because I’m saving them for the summer when the Weekly Top 25s (and the Weekly Television Schedule for the most part) go into hiatus. Now seems like a good time for an update, however.

1967 was the year that one of the world’s most popular teams became such as Celtic defeated Inter Milan 2-1 in the Champions Cup final to win the European championship and, incidentally, end Internazionale’s two-year run as the best team in the world.

Unlike the Champions Cup, where the two best teams in the world faced off for the title, other continental competitions were won by teams that did poorly enough in their respective domestic leagues that they did not qualify for the season-ending Top 25. It took three matches for Argentina’s Racing Club to claim the Copa Libertadores, defeating Nacional of Uruguay 2-0 in Santiago, Chile following two goalless draws on each other’s home turf. Bayern Munchen took Europe’s Cup Winners Cup by defeating Rangers (it was a good year for Scotland overall) 1-0. Finally, in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, Dinamo Zagreb scored a 2-0 aggregate victory over Leeds United for the title. The top five domestic leagues in the world were won by Juventus, Real Madrid, Celtic, Independiente and Benfica, while Manchester United took the English title as the English were on the verge of breaking through in Europe.

Without further adieu, the rankings . . .

World Club Rankings Top 25 – 1967

1. Celtic (Sco) – Champions Cup Winner, First WCR Championship.
2. Inter Milan (Ita) – CC-RU; Fifth consecutive Top 3 finish.
3. Real Madrid (Esp) – CC-QF; Eighth consecutive Top 5 finish.
4. Juventus (Ita) – Inter-Cities Fairs Cup-QF; First Top 5 ranking.
5. Independiente (Arg) – First Top 5 ranking.
6. Benfica (Por) – ICFC-3R; Seventh consecutive Top 10 ranking.
7. Nacional (Uru) – Copa Libertadores-RU; Fourth consecutive Top 25 ranking.
8. Rangers (Sco) – Cup Winners Cup-RU; Third Top 10.
9. Penarol (Uru) – CL-SF; Fourth consecutive Top 10.
10. Barcelona (Esp) – ICFC-2R.
11. Dukla Praha (Tch) – CC-SF; Highest ever ranking.
12. Ajax (Ned) – CC-QF; Best ranking to date.
13. Academica (Por) – Highest ever ranking.
14. Bologna (Ita) – ICFC-QF; Last time in Top 25.
15. Porto (Por) – ICFC-1R; Seventh consecutive Top 25.
16. Estudiantes (Arg) – First Top 25.
17. Sparta Praha (Tch) – ICFC-2R; Highest ever ranking.
18. Napoli (Ita) – ICFC-3R; Second consecutive Top 20.
19. Atletico de Madrid (Esp) – CC-2R; Seventh time in Top 25.
20. Velez Sarsfield (Arg) – First time in Top 25.
21. Sarajevo (Yug) – Only trip to Top 25.
22. Aberdeen (Sco) – First trip to Top 25.
23. Universitario de Deportes (Per) – CL-SF; Only time in Top 25 and one of only two trips by Peruvian clubs.
24. Espanyol (Esp) – Only trip to Top 25.
25. Ferencvaros (Hun) – Only trip to Top 25.

Past Final Season Top 25s: 2007, 1966, 1965, 1964, 1963, 1962, 1961, 1960

Weekend Top 25 Television Schedule

For the past few weeks, I have been bemoaning the lack of good games scheduled over the weekend. It’s nobody’s fault, just the way the round ball bounces sometimes, but it has been a little disappointing.

This week, that all changes as the airwaves are chock full of quality games involving Top 25 teams. The high mark is of course in England, where the Big Four square off on Sunday. That is certainly not the end of it as the Italians and Spaniards give us great games, as well, with even the Mexicans contributing with Chivas/Pachuca on Saturday night. Which ones should you watch? All of them, of course. If that’s not an option, however, below are my picks for the top five games of the week:

1. Arsenal at Chelsea (Sunday, Noon, FSC)
2. Liverpool at Manchester United (Sunday, 9:30 am, Setanta)
3. Juventus at Inter Milan (Saturday, 3:30 pm, FSC)
4. Atletico de Madrid at Sevilla (Saturday, 5 pm, GolTV)
5. Bayer Leverkusen at Bayern Munich (Saturday, 10:30 am, GolTV)

Honorable Mention (Because the weekend is just that damned good!!!):
Pachuca at Chivas de Guadalajara (Saturday, 9pm, TeleFutura)
Valencia at Real Madrid (Sunday, 2pm, GolTV)

As always, if you have any additional television information to contribute, please do.

Saturday, March 22, 2007

8:30 am – Portsmouth at Tottenham (Setanta)
10:00 am – Lazio at (21) Fiorentina (ESPN 360)
10:30 am – Bayer Leverkusen at (14) Bayern Munich (GolTV)
10:45 am – Sunderland at Aston Villa (Setanta)
11:00 am – Fulham at Newcastle United (FSC)
12:30 pm – Hansa Rostock at VfB Stuttgart (Delayed) (GolTV)
1:00 pm – West Ham United at (20) Everton (FSC)
2:30 pm – Groningen at (17) PSV Eindhoven
3:00 pm – Deportivo La Coruna at Mallorca (GolTV)
3:00 pm – (23) Bordeaux at Valenciennes
3:30 pm – (13) Juventus at (6) Inter Milan (FSC)
4:30 pm – Portuguese bwin Liga game – Teams TBD (Setanta)
5:00 pm – Atletico de Madrid at Sevilla (GolTV)
5:10 pm – (18) Santos at Guaratingueta
5:30 pm – Empoli at (3) Roma (Delayed) (FSC)
6:30 pm – Manchester City at Bolton Wanderers (Delayed) (Setanta) (Live at 11am on SBB)
7:00 pm – Cruz Azul at Monterrey (Galavision)
7:15 pm – America de Cali at Deportivo Cali (GolTV)
8:00 pm – Birmingham City at Reading (Delayed) (FSC)
9:00 pm – Pachuca at Chivas de Guadalajara (TeleFutura)
11:00 pm – Toluca at Club America (Delayed) (TeleFutura)


Sunday, March 23, 2007

9:30 am – (8) Liverpool at (1) Manchester United (Setanta)
9:30 am – (21) Ajax at Twente
10:00 am – AC Milan at Torino (FSC)
11:30 am - Wigan Athletic at Blackburn Rovers (Delayed) (Setanta)
12 noon – (2) Arsenal at (5) Chelsea (FSC)
12 noon – Valladolid at (4) Barcelona (GolTV)
12 noon – (25) Villarreal at Levante
1:00 pm – River Plate at (15) Velez Sarsfield
2:00 pm – Valencia at (7) Real Madrid (GolTV)
2:00 pm – RC Lens at Rennes (Setanta)
2:00 pm – Santos Laguna at UNAM (Univision)
3:00 pm – CONCACAF Olympic Qualifier 3rd Place Game (FSC)
3:00 pm – (10) Sao Paulo at Guarani
4:00 pm – Getafe at Athletic de Bilbao (GolTV)
4:00 pm – Paris Saint-Germain at (11) Olympique Lyonnais (Setanta)
5:00 pm – CONCACAF Olympic Qualifier Championship (FSC)
6:30 pm – Atletico Nacional at Independiente Medellin (GolTV)
6:30 pm – San Luis at Puebla (FSE)
8:00 pm – Veracruz at Atlante (Galavision)
10:00 pm – Schalke 04 at Hertha Berlin (Delayed) (GolTV)
11:00 pm – Colon de Santa Fe at (16) Boca Juniors (FSC) (Live at 3pm on FSE)
11:00 pm – Feyenoord at Sparta Rotterdam (Delayed) (Setanta)

World Club Rankings Top 25 Clubs in the World - St. Patty's Day Edition

There wasn’t a ton going on in the past week, but there was enough to make life, and the Top 25 interesting. In the only matchup of Top 25 teams last week, Liverpool completed the humbling of Inter Milan, who had been at the top of these charts the entire season until last week. In the UEFA Cup, the English were ousted, while Zenit St. Petersburg and Getafe continued their unlikely runs. The group stage of the Copa Libertadores neared the half-way point, with a full slate of games this week taking the tournament there and beyond. Roma made AC Milan’s dream of returning to the Champions League next year even more unlikely as Fiorentina continues to prosper against lesser opponents in Serie A.

Now that the relatively quiet weekend is behind us, we can look ahead to the upcoming week – and what a week it should be. Of course, the brightest spotlight will be focused on the Isles as Manchester United hosts Liverpool and Arsenal faces its cross-town rival Chelsea. As if that wasn’t enough to make for a great Sunday, Inter Milan will host Juventus. To get warmed up for all of this, Ajax and PSV Eindhoven will finally try to get a match in, if the policemen are no longer on strike, that is. And, as alluded to earlier, there should be some great Copa Libertadores matches throughout the week as Boca Juniors goes to Chile to play Colo Colo and Sao Paulo goes to Paraguay to play Sportivo Luqueno. Finally, the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Champions Cup come to a head in the next few days. Go DC United!!!!

World Club Rankings Top 25 – March 17, 2008

1. Manchester United (Eng) (1) – Not only does Manyoo retain the top spot, it officially regained the top spot in the Premiership with a 1-0 win over Derby County. Plays a make-up game against Bolton on Wednesday and then hosts Liverpool on Sunday in a game that should help Liverpool fade back into fifth place.

2. Arsenal (Eng) (2) – Well, it was just a matter of time, wasn’t it. Too bad Arsenal can’t play AC Milan all the time, since they found the going against Middlesbrough a little tougher, drawing 1-1. And it doesn’t get a lot easier, seeing as they have to travel across town and face Chelsea on Sunday. On top of that, they drew an English team in the Champions League, and we’ve seen how tough a time they’ve been having with them recently.

3. Roma (Ita) (3) – Defeated AC Milan 2-1 in the game of the weekend to keep pace with Inter Milan, who is looking more and more catchable as the season winds down. Unfortunately, caught the toughest draw of the Champions League quarterfinals, but if there’s anybody up to the task against Manchester United, it should be Roma, who has already eliminated Real Madrid. Two Serie A games this week as they play cross-town rival Lazio on Wednesday and host Empoli on Saturday.

4. Barcelona (Esp) (4) – Just can’t seem to get over the hump in La Liga. Real Madrid opens the door for them, they let Almeria slam it in their face. It looks like it’ll be long over before Messi returns. Travel to Valencia this week for the second leg of the Copa del Rey semis and host Valladolid in domestic action this weekend.

5. Chelsea (Eng) (5) – Playing as well as anybody in Britain right now, defeating Derby 6-1 and Sunderland 1-0 this week. Two more games this week, and they should be a lot tougher, as they face London rivals Tottenham and Arsenal. Chelsea may be on their way to second-place the way they (and Arsenal) are currently playing.

6. Internazionale (Ita) (6) – Back to their winning ways in Serie A, defeating Palermo 2-1 after being eliminated from European action by Liverpool. Now that they no longer have the European distraction, they should be able to focus on winning another scudetto. They will get to test that theory this week against Genoa and Juventus.

7. Real Madrid (Esp) (8) – How did they move up this week following a 1-0 loss to Deportivo La Coruna this weekend? I don’t know. The rankings are confusing sometimes. Fortunately for Real, Barcelona stumbled as well, so Real Madrid is still sitting pretty in La Primera Division. Host Valencia in La Liga action this week, having already been eliminated from the Copa del Rey.

8. Liverpool (Eng) (7) – Finished off the series against Inter Milan with a victory at the San Siro. Followed that up with a 2-1 victory over Reading to solidify fourth place in the Premiership. Much tougher matchup this weekend as they go to Old Trafford to see what the Number One team in the world has in store for them.

9. Porto (Por) (9) – Knocked off Leixoes 2-1 to extend its lead in the bwinLiga. Porto gets this week off, so I don’t expect their position will change much next week, either.

10. Sao Paulo (Bra) (10) – Just missing out from being top in their Copa Libertadores group, which would move them up a few notches. Rough time this weekend in the Paulista League, falling to Palmeiras 4-1. Travel to Paraguay to face Sportivo Luqueno in Libertadores action on Thursday before meeting Guarani this weekend.

11. Lyon (Fra) (15) – Moved up a little bit this week as many of the 11-15 group from last week stumbled. Lyon, on the other hand, crushed Monaco 3-0. Two games this week as Lyon hosts Sochaux in Cup action at midweek and Paris St.-Germain over the weekend.

12. Benfica (Por) (12) – Yes, I know they’re overrated. This will end next year when the 2004 European stats drop out of the rankings. For now, Benfica benefits from being second in the bwinLiga, despite managing only a draw against Maritimo and being knocked out of the UEFA Cup by Getafe. They are guaranteed to fare better this week as they are idle.

13. Juventus (Ita) (17) – The Cheating Bastards, as they are affectionately known in this blog, got past Napoli 1-0 this weekend as they rest in third place in Serie A. They play two games on the road this week, first at Empoli and this weekend against Inter Milan, which promises to be fun, if not great.

14. Bayern Munchen (Ger) (11) – Hitting upon hard times. Lost to Anderlecht, though that doesn’t hurt them since it was a meaningless game. On the other hand, losing to Energie Cottbus 2-0 is a little painful. And it doesn’t get easier any time soon as they play Wolfsburg at midweek in DFB Pokal action before hosting Hamburger-beaters Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday.

15. Velez Sarsfield (Arg) (NR) – I haven’t seen them play yet, but they get props for leading the pack in the young Argentine Clausura. Their game against San Lorenzo set for this weekend was cancelled due to tragedy, but their season picks up again on Sunday against River Plate in what is sure to be a great game.

16. Boca Juniors (Arg) (16) – Well, it appears that the Argentine floodgates have opened. Managed only a goalless draw against Huracan yesterday, but still have to be one of the favorites in the Clausura. Travel to Chile to play Colo Colo on Thursday before hosting Colon de Santa Fe over the weekend.

17. PSV Eindhoven (Ned) (19) – Despite scoring a loss and a draw this week, PSV managed to advance in the UEFA Cup over Tottenham. Biggest match of midweek takes place at home on Wednesday as PSV hosts Ajax. Host Groningen on Sunday.

18. Santos (Bra) (14) – Took home a pair of victories in Paulista League action. Face Guaratingueta in that league this weekend, but not before they travel to Bolivia to play San Jose in Copa Libertadores action.

19. Ajax (Ned) (24) – Beat Willem II Tiburg like a dirty rug to move two points closer to Wednesday’s opponent, PSV. Follow that match up with an away match against Twente on Sunday.

20. Everton (Eng) (23) – Defeated Fiorentina 2-0 this week, but it wasn’t enough to advance in the UEFA Cup. Everton was shut down by Fulhamerica 1-0 on Sunday, hurting their chances for Champions League qualification. Host West Ham United this weekend, as fourth-place Liverpool faces much tougher competition.

21. Fiorentina (Ita) (NR) – 2-0 loss to Tottenham was enough to squeak past Everton in the UEFA Cup. Another victory this weekend allows them to put more space between them and AC Milan for Italy’s final Champions League spot. Two Serie A games this week, traveling to play Napoli at midweek and hosting Lazio over the weekend.

22. Fenerbahce (Tur) (21) – Did their part to keep up with the teams at the top of the Turkish Ligi with a 4-1 victory over Konyaspor. Victories over weaker opponents need to continue this weekend when they host Kasimpasa.

23. Bordeaux (Fra) (25) – Defeated Strasbourg 3-0 to keep pace with Lyon, though time is becoming short. Two matches for Bordeaux this week as they host Lille in Cup action and Valenciennes in Ligue Un action this weekend.

24. Deportivo Saprissa (Crc) (20) - See how they’re slipping? Thought it was just a matter of time. 2-1 loss on the road against Atlante isn’t that bad a result, however, and if they get into the semifinals of the CONCACAF Champions Cup, they may be in the rankings for a while. Also, they defeated their primary domestic competition in Alajuelense. Host Perez Zeledon over the weekend, but the return leg against Atlante will be the big match.

25. Villarreal (Esp) (NR) – Return to the charts, where they most certainly belong, with another victory shoring up their Champions League spot. (I still can’t figure out what happened to them in the UEFA Cup.) Play on the road this weekend against Levante.

Bubbling Under (alphabetically): Cruzeiro (Bra), La Equidad (Col), Nacional (Uru), River Plate (Uru), Schalke 04 (Ger)

Next Five European: (32) Rangers (Sco), (33) AC Milan (Ita), (34) Hamburger (Ger), (35) Atletico de Madrid (Esp), (38) Bayer Leverkusen (Ger)

Games Between Top 25 Teams This Week:
19 March – (19) Ajax at (17) PSV Eindhoven
23 March – (8) Liverpool at (1) Manchester United
23 March – (2) Arsenal at (5) Chelsea
23 March – (13) Juventus at (6) Inter Milan

UEFA Cup Predictions Revisited

Well, after beginning the UEFA Cup prediction season with a 12-4 mark, the second knockout round was a tad more difficult, going 5-3. (That makes the overall record 17-7 for those of you keeping score at home. How would I rate my predictions?

The Good:
There were four British teams in the Round of 16, three English and 1 Scottish. I predicted only the Scottish team would survive. It felt a little funny, seeing as I rank the Premiership as the best league in the world, but that’s what the rankings said, I don’t argue with the rankings.

The Bad:
Of course, sometimes maybe I should argue with the rankings, because I was 1-3 in matchups that didn’t involve the British. Is it my keen insight into the British mind or just a statistical anomaly? I’m guessing anomaly. The one I did get right was Bayern Munich over Anderlecht, which seemed like a no-brainer (but then so did Marseille over Zenit).

The Ugly:
Finally, I can stop doing two things: (1) I can stop picking Benfica. I’ve felt they were overrated in the Weekly Top 25 all season, but I have to go with the numbers. I like to believe that they lost to Getafe because they miss Freddy Adu. I don’t think this is true, I just like to believe it. (2) I can stop picking against Zenit St. Petersburg. I hear all the time that the USA teams have problems in the CONCACAF Champions Cup because it happens in between seasons and the players aren’t game ready. The same could be said about the Russian teams, whose regular season begins this weekend, but Zenit is showing that it doesn’t matter. I’m still going to pick against them in the next round, though.

Picks for the Quarterfinals will take place the weekend before the games begin.

Weekend Top 25 Television Schedule

Once again, there is a dearth of great games this weekend. In fact, I daresay that is promises to be one of the more boring weekends of the season. There are no matches between the current Top 25 Clubs. Nevertheless, there are a few glittering gems stuck in the rocks that are this week’s games and none of them shine more brightly than the Roma/Milan matchup on Saturday. I’m even tempted to rank a Costa Rican game in the top five of the weekend. Will I? Let’s see . . .

Top Five Games of the Weekend:

1. Milan at Roma (3:30pm Saturday – FSC)
2. Reading at Liverpool (11am Saturday – Setanta)
3. Palermo at Inter Milan (10am Sunday – FSC)
4. Saprissa at Alajuelense (6pm Sunday - ????)
5. Dortmund at Hamburger (10:30am Saturday - GolTV)

Saturday, March 15, 2008

10:30 am – Borussia Dortmund at Hamburger (GolTV)
11:00 am – (1) Manchester United at Derby County (Setanta)
11:00 am – Reading at (7) Liverpool (FSC)
11:00 am – (15) Lyon at Monaco
12:30 pm – (11) Bayern Munich at Energie Cottbus (Delayed) (GolTV)
1:00 pm – Middlesbrough at (2) Arsenal (FSC) (FSE)
1:15 pm – (5) Chelsea at Sunderland (Delayed) (Setanta) (Live at 11am on SBB)
3:00 pm – Blackburn Rovers at West Ham United (Delayed) (Setanta)
3:00 pm – (8) Real Madrid at Deportivo La Coruna (GolTV)
3:30 pm – AC Milan at (3) AS Roma (FSC) (FSE)
4:30 pm – (9) Porto at Leixoes (Setanta Broadband)
5:00 pm – Sevilla at Valencia (GolTV)
5:10 pm – Americano at (13) Fluminense
5:20 pm – (18) Lanus at Gimnasia Jujuy
7:00 pm – Nacional at Tolima (Delayed) (GolTV)
7:00 pm – Monterrey at San Luis (Galavision)
7:00 pm – Honduras U-23 at United States U-23 (FSC)
9:00 pm – Tecos at Monarcas (FSE)
9:00 pm – Pachuca at Necaxa (Galavision)
9:00 pm – Puebla at Tigres (Telefutura)
11:00 pm – UNAM at Atlas (Delayed) (Telefutura)
11:00 pm – Aston Villa at Porstmouth (Delayed) (FSC)

Sunday, March 16, 2008

9:00 am – (21) Fenerbahce at Konyaspor
9:30 am – (23) Everton at Fulham (Setanta)
9:30 am – Willem II Tiborg at (24) Ajax
9:30 am – (19) PSV Eindhoven at Roda JC
10:00 am – Palermo at (6) Inter Milan (FSC)
12:00 noon – Tottenham at Manchester City (FSC) (FSE)
12:00 noon – Real Zaragoza at Villarreal (GolTV)
1:00 pm – Strasbourg at (25) Bordeaux (Setanta)
2:00 pm – Atlante at Toluca (Univision)
2:00 pm – (4) Barcelona at Almeria (GolTV)
3:00 pm – (10) Sao Paulo at Palmeiras
3:00 pm – (14) Santos at Sao Caetano
3:00 pm – (12) Benfica at Maritimo
3:30 pm – Napoli at (17) Juventus (FSC)
4:00 pm – Marseilles at Lens (Setanta)
4:00 pm – Levante at Atletico de Madrid (GolTV)
5:30 pm – Racing at River Plate (Delayed) (FSC) (Live at 3pm on FSE)
5:30 pm – (16) Boca Juniors at Huracan
6:00 pm – (20) Saprissa at Alajuelense
6:30 pm – Independiente Santa Fe at Bucamaranga (GolTV)
10:00 pm – Wolfsburg at Werder Bremen (Delayed) (GolTV)
11:00 pm – Bolton Wanderers at Wigan Athletic (Delayed) (Setanta)

WCR Top 25 Clubs in the World - New Number One

Crazy times this week as, for the first time all season, Internazionale has been kicked out of the top spot in the WCR Top 25 Rankings. In part, this is due to the Moderate Bonus Points (“MBPs”), which were discussed last week, which have been given to top eight teams of each continent, based upon results in their respective continental championships. Truth be told, however, Manchester United would still have been number one because after a recalculation of the league coefficients (mine are different from the UEFA Coefficients) after the most recent round of Champions League play, England has surpassed Italy for the distinction as best league in the world. This change helped all of the English teams a little bit and hurt all of the Italian teams a little bit. Other changes that affected the rankings were Germany switching places with Argentina and a big move up the charts for Turkey.

There were many changes at the top of the groups in the Copa Libertadores this week leading to multiple changes in the rankings. The teams that were helped most by these changes appear to be the Brazilian teams, which had a very good week. Four teams in the Top 25 is a high-water mark for the year for any non-European nation. (England currently has five to lead all nations.) Unfortunately, this influx of South American teams eliminated a few teams that have every right to be in the Top 25 such as Villarreal, Fiorentina and AC Milan. I anticipate this will be rectified after the next round of Champions League games when the top four get Super Bonus Points and the others lose their Moderate Bonus Points.

Why is Manchester United number one over Arsenal even though Arsenal is in first place in the Premiership? Because by the way I calculate rankings, Manchester United is in first place by virtue of its higher points-per-match average, which is used to determine ranking order when one team has played more games that another team in the same league.

Rankings are complicated by other factors, but I’m guessing that you’re not reading any more and so there’s no point in me rambling on. At the very least, the logjam at the top of the charts which lasted for nearly three months has been busted up beyond all recognition. On to the countdown:

World Club Rankings Top 25 Clubs – March 10, 2007

1. Manchester United (Eng) (3) – Yes, we finally have a new number one atop the WCR Rankings. Manchester United advanced to the quarterfinals of the Champions League over Lyon before being humbled by Pompey in the FA Cup quarters. For purposes of the rankings, though, as stated in the past, domestic cup competitions matter very little. (And even if they mattered, I’d have to factor in Manyoo’s drubbing of Arsenal earlier in the tournament.) Manyoo’s first defense of the top spot comes this weekend at Derby County.

2. Arsenal (Eng) (2) – Arsenal remains at number two despite another disappointing effort in the Premiership after taking apart AC Milan to advance in the Champions League. Host Middlesbrough this weekend as they attempt to stave off Manchester United.

3. Roma (Ita) (4) – They may be second place in Serie A, and Serie A may be having a down year, but Roma has been the league’s lone bright spot in the Champions League, beating Real Madrid by the same score (2-1) in Spain as they did in Italy. Followed that up with a victory over Inter-beaters Napoli. In what should be the game of the weekend, Roma hosts AC Milan on Saturday.

4. Barcelona (Esp) (5) – Why are they number four despite losing to Villarreal and falling farther behind Real Madrid in La Liga? It’s those pesky MBPs that they received for advancing to the Champions League quarters by beating Celtic. Travel to Almeria this weekend in what is a must-win (as they practically all are now) for a team that still had dreams of winning the Primera Division just a few weeks ago.

5. Chelsea (Eng) (6) – Chelsea has hit its high point for the season after crushing the Greeks like nobody has since the Romans. They lost to Barnsley, of course, in the FA Cup but, again, the FA Cup is treated as little more than a friendly exhibition in these rankings. Play two games in Premiership action this week as it plays its make-up game against Derby County at midweek before traveling to Blunderland on Saturday.

6. Inter Milan (Ita) (1) – Oh, how the mighty have fallen, despite winning the only game it played this week, defeating Reggina 2-0. If not for the MBPs, of which Inter has none, they would still be number two, but that’s what you get for losing to Liverpool. This week, Inter will have it’s hands full in trying to overcome that 2-0 deficit and carry itself back up the charts. In less important news, Inter hosts Palermo on Sunday.

7. Liverpool (Eng) (12) – Occasionally, we have travesties of justice here on the WCR Top 25 list. This is one of them. Nevertheless, Liverpool shoots up because (a) they are leading Inter in the Champions League matchup and receive MBPs and (b) England’s ranking moved up to the top. Of course, it didn’t hurt that Liverpool defeated two Premiership teams this week by a combined score of 7-0. They will have to fight off a great team to maintain those MBPs and then host Reading on Sunday.

8. Real Madrid (Esp) (7) – Topsy-turvy week for Real Madrid. Score an impressive victory over Espanol this weekend following a disappointing home loss to Roma to be eliminated from European action in the Round of Sixteen for the fifth consecutive year. At least they have a potential La Liga championship to play for this year, facing Deportivo La Coruna this weekend.

9. Porto (Por) (8) – Continuing to fall down the chart as its failure to get past Schalke 04 haunts them now and will haunt them for a while. Still have a comfortable lead in the BWIN Liga, where they face Leixoes on the road this weekend.

10. Sao Paulo (Bra) (14) – The crazy things going on in the Copa Libertadores allow Sao Paulo to return to the Top Ten this week after defeating Audax Italiano (Chi) this week. Face Barueri and Palmeiras in Paulista League action this week.

11. Bayern Munich (Ger) (18) – Big move up for Bayern as they crush Anderlecht 5-0 in UEFA Cup action and defeat Karlruhe 2-0 in the Bundesliga. Meaningless, as it is, rematch at home against Anderlecht this week before traveling to play Energie Cottbus this weekend.

12. Benfica (Por) (15) – Why is Benfica still here? Because I have overrated Portugal. Not my fault, though. I didn’t let Porto win it all a few years ago and give Portugal it’s coefficient. It certainly isn’t ranked this high because it lost to Getafe and tied Uniao Leiria this week. Have a chance to redeem itself against Getafe, which won’t be easy on the road, and play Maritimo, also on the road, this weekend.

13. Fluminense (Bra) (NR) – Moved to the top of its Copa Libertadores group in fine fashion by defeating (to put it mildly) Arsenal de Sarandi 6-0. Play Resende and Americano in Carioca League action this week.

14. Santos (Bra) (NR) – Another Brazilian team with a good week in Libertadores action, defeating Chivas de Guadalajara 1-0. No Libertadores game this week for Santos. Instead, they’ll play Mirassol and Sao Caetano in the Paulista League.

15. Lyon (Fra) (16) – Even though they were eliminated from the Champions League at the hands on the new number one club in the world, Lyon bounced back nicely in extending its Ligue Un lead by defeating Bordeaux 4-2. Now that its European duties (and dreams) are over, can focus on Monaco this weekend.

16. Boca Juniors (Arg) (24) – Boca had a good week in the Copa Libertadores as they also defeated a Mexican team, Atlas, 3-0 before drawing against Independiente yesterday. Fighting Velez Sarsfield for the early lead in the Clausura, traveling to play Huracan this weekend.

17. Juventus (Ita) (13) – Defeated Genoa 2-0 this week to maintain its third place spot in Serie A. It is now the next team on Napoli’s Hell tour (following games against Inter and Roma) this weekend. I was going to forego the obligatory “cheating bastards” comment this week, but I can’t help myself. Cheating bastards.

18. Lanus (Arg) (9) – Big drop for Lanus this week to go along with its big 5-0 butt kicking at the hands of Banfield this weekend. Nevertheless, Copa Libertadores MBPs keep it in the rankings. Lanus puts those MBPs at risk this week against Deportivo Cuenca before playing Gimnasia Jujuy in the Clausura this weekend.

19. PSV Eindhoven (Ned) (20) – In what is becoming traditional, PSV’s match against Ajax was postponed this week due to a police strike. Impressive victory over Tottenham this week will be rematched this week and they play Roda JC over the weekend.

20. Deportivo Saprissa (Crc) (17) – Already starting to drop despite Puntarenas 4-2 this week. Saprissa begins its quest for the CONCACAF Champions Cup against Atlante this week and then face its toughest Costa Rican competition in Alajuelense on Sunday.

21. Fenerbahce (Tur) (NR) – Here they are!!! Unbelievable two-game with series with Sevilla and penalty kicks deliver Fenerbahce a trip to the rankings. Still battling in a rough war for the Turkish Ligi, where it faces Konyaspor this weekend.

22. Cruzeiro (Bra) (NR) – Yes, another Brazilian team has a big week in the Copa Libertadores and finds itself in the rankings. Cruzeiro did it by defeating Caracas 3-0. No games this week for Cruzeiro.

23. Everton (Eng) (21) – Maintain a spot in the rankings, despite falling to Firoentina in the UEFA Cup, by defeating Blunderland 1-0 and because of England’s rise to the top of the national leagues. Hosts Fiorentina in the second leg of its UEFA Cup matchup and travel to Fulhamerica this weekend.

24. Ajax (Ned) (NR) – Returned to the rankings, but I’m not sure why. I’m guessing that not playing PSV this week helped. In any event, Ajax hosts Willem II Tiburg this weekend.

25. Bordeaux (Fra) (22) – Bordeaux really needed to beat Lyon this weekend. They didn’t. Not sure how much more they have to play for this year, but they will host Strasbourg this weekend, nonetheless.

Bubbling Under (alphabetically): Fiorentina (Ita), Rangers (Sco), AC Milan (Ita), Schalke 04 (Ger), Villarreal (Esp)

Other Recently Ranked Teams: (31) Chivas de Guadalajara (Mex), (32) Atletico de Madrid (Esp), (34) Celtic (Sco), (43) Sporting CP (Por), (50) Heerenveen (Ned)

Games Between Top 25 Teams:
(7) Liverpool at (6) Inter Milan

Weekend Football Television Schedule

Is it just me or does it seem that there is a paucity of great games this weekend? Don’t get me wrong – there are some really good ones, but not as many as we usually have. On top of that if seems as if some of the better current Top 25 teams, such as Roma, AC Milan and Lanus aren’t even on American television. There’s a limit to how excited I can get about Fulham and Blackburn, no offense to either team. Nevertheless, there are several games on, even if not so many great ones, so you should still be able to get your fix.

As always, if you have any additional information regarding broadcasts of the games below or any other games, drop me a line and I will update the list. For now, here are the top five games of the week and the schedule.

1. Bordeaux at Lyon (Sunday, 4pm, Setanta)
2. Villarreal at Barcelona (Sunday, 4pm, GolTV)
3. Ajax at PSV Eindhoven (Sunday, 8:30 am, ?????)
4. Espanyol at Real Madrid (Saturday, 2pm, GolTV)
5. Independiente at Boca Juniors (Sunday, 3pm, FSE)

Saturday, March 8, 2008

7:45 am – Portsmouth at (3) Manchester United
9:30 am – Karlsruhe at (18) Bayern Munchen (GolTV)
9:45 am – Newcastle United at (12) Liverpool (Setanta)
10:00 am – Fulham at Blackburn (FSC)
11:30 am – Werder Bremen at VfB Stuttgart (Delayed) (GolTV)
12:30 pm – (6) Chelsea at Barnsley (FSC)
2:00 pm – Espanyol at (7) Real Madrid (GolTV)
2:10 pm – (9) Lanus at Banfield
2:30 pm – Udinese at Palermo (FSC)
4:00 pm – Atletico de Madrid at Real Zaragoza (GolTV)
4:10 pm – (14) Sao Paulo at Portuguesa
4:30 pm – Manchester City at Reading (Delayed) (FSC) (Noon on FSE) (Live on SBB)
6:00 pm – Tigres at Monterrey (Galavision)
6:15 pm – Deportivo Cali at America de Cali (GolTV)
8:00 pm – Toluca at (10) Chivas de Guadalajara (Telefutura)
8:00 pm – Reggina at (1) Inter Milan (Delayed) (FSC) (Live on ESPN 360)

Sunday, March 9, 2008

3:00 am – LA Galaxy vs Hong Kong Union (FSC)
8:30 am – Ajax at (20) PSV Eindhoven (Telefutura at 1 pm)
10:00 am – (19) Fiorentina at Siena
10:00 am – (11) AC Milan at Empoli (ESPN 360)
10:00 am – (4) Roma at Napoli
10:00 am – Livorno at Lazio (FSC)
11:00 am – West Ham United at Tottenham (Setanta)
12:00 noon – (2) Arsenal at Wigan Athletic (FSC)
12 noon – Hamburger at Nurnberg (GolTV)
1:00 pm – (21) Everton at Sunderland (Delayed) (FSC) (Live on SBB)
2:00 pm – Deportivo La Coruna at Valencia (GolTV)
2:00 pm – Morelia at UNAM (Univision)
2:00 pm – Uniao Leiria at (15) Benfica
3:00 pm – Academica de Coimbra at (8) Porto (Setanta Broadband)
3:00 pm – Americano at (25) Flamengo
3:30 pm – (13) Juventus at Genoa (FSC)
4:00 pm – (22) Bordeaux at (16) Lyon (Setanta)
4:00 pm – Villarreal at (5) Barcelona (GolTV)
5:30 pm – West Bromwich Albion at Bristol Rovers (Delayed) (FSC)
6:00 pm – San Luis at Club America (Galavision)
6:00 pm – Puntarenas at (17) Deportivo Saprissa
6:30 pm – Envigado at Chico (GolTV)
8:00 pm - Cruz Azul at Atlante (Galavision)
Midnight – Independiente at (24) Boca Juniors (Delayed) (FSC) (Live at 3pm on FSE)

Fearless UEFA Cup Predictions - Take Two

I ended up with a 12-4 record in my predictions for the UEFA Cup Round of 32. This “success” has inspired me to continue predicting UEFA Cup outcomes into the future rounds.

The Round of Sixteen is a lot tougher, but that also means that it should make for some awesome games. Of the sixteen teams left, six are currently in the WCR Top 25. Another five are in the Top 50 and only three aren’t in the Top 100 (Anderlecht, Zenit St. Petersburg and Bolton Wanderers). (And yes, although the list only covers the Top 25, it covers over 400 clubs.)

I’m basing all of my picks on the current rankings, right or wrong, and they are below. I feel a little uneasy about picking all of the English teams and the only Spanish team to lose, but since I was only 12-4 last time, I’m sure I’ll screw a couple of these up as well.

UEFA Cup Round of Sixteen Predictions:

Very Comfortable in Picking:
Bayern Munchen (Ger) over Anderlecht (Bel)
Marseille (Fra) over Zenit St. Petersburg (Rus)
Sporting CP (Por) over Bolton Wanderers (Eng)

Moderately Comfortable in Picking:
PSV Eindhoven (Ned) over Tottenham (Eng)
Benfica (Por) over Getafe (Esp)

Freakin’ Coin Flips:
Fiorentina (Ita) over Everton (Eng)
Rangers (Sco) over Werder Bremen (Ger)
Hamburger (Ger) over Bayer Leverkusen (Ger)

WCR Top 25 Clubs in the World

If you’ve been following this blog since it started in 1955, then you know that the World Club Rankings began as a series of annual rankings, based upon league rankings, how teams did in those leagues and Super Bonus Points given to teams that finished in the final four of their respective continental championship tournament. As we’ve seen in recent weeks that without the infusion of the Super Bonus Points, there is little change from week to week at the top of the rankings. Since we are still several weeks from Europe and especially South America to get to the final four in their continental championships, I’ve decided to give temporary Moderate Bonus Points for teams in the final eight until the final four teams are determined.

In the interim, I’ll give the Moderate Bonus Points to the final eight teams in the Champions League. Of course, we’re not there yet. Until they are determined (seven of the eight will be this week), I’ll give the points to the five teams that won in the first leg of the round of sixteen and three teams that tied on the road. If those eight teams fail to advance, they will lose their Moderate Bonus Points, which will go to the teams that advance.

Then it occurs to me that it’s not fair to give the European teams Moderate Bonus Points and not give them to anybody else, so I’ve also giving them to eight teams in the South American and CONCACAF regions. It’s easy to pick the North American teams because their continental tournament is already down to the final eight. The Copa Libertadores will not be close to the final eight for quite some time, though, so until we get to that time, the Moderate Bonus Points will be given to the first-place team in each of the eight groups in the Copa Libeertadores.

Following all this? It doesn’t matter. Just a little explanation for the substantial (for this chart, anyway) changes in the Top 25.

World Club Rankings Top 25 – March 3, 2008

1. Internazionale (Ita) (1) – Retains the top spot despite losing its first Serie A game of the season against Napoli. For some reason, doesn’t play its return match against Liverpool until next week. Hosts Reggina on Saturday in preparation.

2. Arsenal (Eng) (2) – Also retains its second spot despite trying its best to lose it and the game against Aston Villa this weekend. Play AC Milan on Tuesday needing a victory, or at least a draw with some goals. Should have a relatively easy time at Wigan Athletic over the weekend, though few things have been easy for Arsenal recently.

3. Manchester United (Eng) (5) – Still creeping closer to Arsenal in the Premiership by defeating the Fulhamericans 3-0. Host Lyon in Champions League action tomorrow in fair shape. Host Bolton Wanderers in Premier League action on Sunday.

4. Roma (Ita) (6) – Good week for Roma as they follow-up their draw with Inter with a 4-0 defeat of Parma to move a little closer to the top spot in Serie A. Travel to Madrid to play in Real on Wednesday in what could be a classic matchup. Travel to Napoli this weekend to see if they could do if what Inter could not – win.

5. Barcelona (Esp) (7) – It seems counterintuitive for them to move up after getting beat by Atletico de Madrid this weekend, but such is the wonder of the Moderate Bonus Points. Have a good matchup with Celtic as the only home team this week that already has a lead. Follow that match up by hosting Villarreal this weekend as they try to get closer to Real Madrid in the Primera Division.

6. Chelsea (Eng) (11) – Not only do they benefit from the Moderate Bonus Points, they are actually playing very well to boot, defeating West Ham United 4-0 this weekend. Host Olympiakos in Champions League action at midweek and Derby County in Premier League action over the weekend.

7. Real Madrid (Esp) (3) – This is what happens when you don’t get Moderate Bonus Points. Of course, they may next week if they can come back against Roma in the Champions League. Defeated Recreativo 3-2 to extend its lead in the Primera Division and host Espanyol this weekend with an opportunity to extend it even more.

8. Porto (Por) (4) – Also move down because they have a hill to climb against Schalke 04 in CL action. I expect them to climb it, but they only move back to their old spot if they do. Maintained its BWIN Liga lead with a goalless draw against Boavista this weekend. Travel to play Academica Coimbra next weekend.

9. Lanus (Arg) (17) – See . . . the Moderate Bonus Points even help South American teams, as Lanus gets some MBPs by virtue of currently leading its Copa Libertadores group. Needed them after disappointing results against Olimpo. Host Banfield in Clausura action this weekend.

10. Chivas de Guadalajara (18) (Mex) – See . . . the Moderate Bonus Points even help North American teams, although Chivas is helped as a South American team with a group lead in the Copa Libertadores. Chivas’ great start in the Clausura has slowed down as they drew with Cruz Azul this weekend. Intriguing matchup in Brazil tomorrow against Santos before hosting Toluca this weekend.

11. AC Milan (Ita) (15) – Move up despite dropping back down to fourth in Serie A. Gotta love the MBPs. Two games this week, two draws, against Livorno and then against Lazio. Have a golden opportunity to eliminate Arsenal in Champions League action tomorrow before playing Empoli on the road over the weekend as they find themselves chasing Fiorentina once again.

12. Liverpool (Eng) (16) – Finally taking advantage of beating Inter Milan with the MBPs. Also defeated Bolton 3-1 over the weekend and are currently playing well. Two home games in Premier League action against the weak Uniteds – West Ham and Newcastle. Should win both as they hunt down Everton for fourth place.

13. Juventus (Ita) (8) – Cheating bastards don’t get MBPs. Furthermore, they don’t beat Fiorentina. This weekend, we’ll see if they can beat Genoa.

14. Sao Paulo (Bra) (9) – No MBPs for Sao Paulo as they manage only a draw against Atletico Nacional in the Copa Libertadores before beating Mirassol in the Paulista League. Face a decent Audax Italiano team in CL action this week in a game they should win and play Portuguesa over the weekend.

15. Benfica (Por) (10) – UEFA Cup teams, like cheating bastards (see Juventus) don’t get Moderate Bonus Points. This one doesn’t even get a victory this weekend, though a draw in Lisbon against Sporting CP isn’t really a bad result. Face Getafe in UEFA Cup this weekend in a great matchup and host Uniao Leiria in BWIN Liga action this weekend.

16. Lyon (Fra) (12) – Defeated Lille 1-0 this weekend to maintain its spot on top of Ligue Un. Two big games this week as they travel to play Manchester United for its Champions League lives before hosting Bordeaux to maintain its league-leading position in La Championnat.

17. Deportivo Saprissa (Crc) (NR) – Okay, you’re going to hate this one. I assure you that it’s only temporary (I think). It should disappear if and when they are defeated by Atlante. I can’t give MBPs to European and South American teams and not to CONCACAF teams, though can I? Off to an awesome start in domestic action (19 points in seven games). I’d link to a story about the game over the weekend, but I couldn’t find one. What I could find is a ton of stories about Iron Maiden playing in Saprissa’s stadium this past weekend. Is that worth a ranking? Probably not, but it’s all I got. Host Puntarenas this weekend. Probably not on a television near you.

18. Bayern Munchen (Ger) (13) – Also hurt by the fact that UEFA Cup teams don’t get MBPs. Looked good defeating Schalke 04 1-0 (who did get MBPs) to hold on to its Bundesliga lead. Travel to Belgium (and it’s always scary when Germans travel to Belgium) to play Anderlecht in the UEFA Cup on Thursday before hosting Karlsruhe over the weekend.

19. Fiorentina (Ita) (23) – Move up despite not getting MBPs by virtue of taking back fourth place in Serie A. Great UEFA Cup matchup against Everton on Thursday before playing Siena on the road over the weekend.

20. PSV Eindhoven (Ned) (14) – Deserve to move down after losing 3-1 to Utrecht this weekend. Another great matchup in the UEFA Cup as they face Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday. Follow that up by hosting Ajax over the weekend. Should be fun.

21. Everton (Eng) (24) – Like Fiorentina, moved up by taking over fourth place domestically by defeating Portsmouth this weekend. Coincidentally, they face Fiorentina in UEFA Cup action before travelling to the northeast to face Blunderland this weekend.

22. Bordeaux (Fra) (20) – If you don’t get MBPs for winning in the UEFA Cup, you damn sure don’t get them for losing in it. Nevertheless, after defeating PSG 3-0 this weekend, can tie for the Ligue Un lead with a victory in Lyon this weekend.

23. Rangers (Sco) (19) – Defeated both Hearts and Aberdeen this weekend by a combined 7-1 margin this week. Another fun UEFA Cup matchup (see a trend?) as they face Werder Bremen on Thursday.

24. Boca Juniors (Arg) (NR) – Do we credit this return to the charts to MBPs? No. They would be here anyway based upon their red hot start in the Argentine Clausura. Host Atlas in Copa Libertadores action on Thursday and host Independiente in Clausura action on Sunday.

25. Flamengo (Bra) (NR) – First trip to the rankings, and this trip IS based on MBPs. Will have an interesting time staying in the top spot of its group as they travel to Uruguay to play Nacional in Copa Libertadores action this week. This weekend, they face Americano in the Carioca League.

Bubbling Under (Alphabetically) – Ajax (Ned), Atletico de Madrid (Esp), Celtic (Sco), Villarreal (Esp), Werder Bremen (Ger)

Others with MBPs – (35) Schalke 04 (Ger), (51) DC United (USA), (58) Pachuca (Mex), (62) Houston Dynamo (USA), (63) Arsenal de Sarandi (Arg)

Top 25 Matchups This Week
4 March – (2) Arsenal at (11) AC Milan
4 March – (16) Lyon at (3) Manchester United
5 March – (4) AS Roma at (7) Real Madrid
6 March – (21) Everton at (19) Fiorentina
9 March – (22) Girondins Bordeaux at (16) Lyon