WCR Top 25 Clubs in the World - Luxor Edition

Rankings fans, this is going to be an abbreviated rankings. I'm sitting on a boat on the Nile river just outside of Luxor and the only internet access I have is what I'm pirating from the boat next door. If I get an opportunity later in the week, I'll add some commentary, but for the time being, I want to make sure that I publish the Top 25 Clubs of the Week for the sake of continuity. Things will be back to normal when I return to the United States in a few weeks. Until then, take this as a token of my feelings for you.

WCR Top 25 Clubs in the World - January 18, 2010

1. Chelsea (Eng) (1)

2. Barcelona (Esp) (2)

3. Arsenal (Eng) (4)

4. Inter Milan (Ita) (3)

5. Bayer Leverkusen (Ger) (6)

6. Real Madrid (Esp) (5)

7. Benfica (Por) (8)

8. Manchester United (Eng) (9)

9. Bordeaux (Fra) (7)

10. AC Milan (Ita) (11)

11. Valencia (Esp) (10)

12. Lille (Fra) (18)

13. Tottenham Hotspur (Eng) (12)

14. Panathinaikos (Gre) (14)

15. Schalke 04 (Ger) (15)

16. Bayern Munich (Ger) (13)

17. Rangers (Sco) (16)

18. Sporting Braga (Por) (20)

19. Roma (Ita) (NR)

20. PSV Eindhoven (Ned) (17)

21. Mallorca (Esp) (NR)

22. Twente (Ned) (19)

23. Hamburger SV (Ger) (22)

24. Rubin Kazan (Rus) (24)

25. Manchester City (Eng) (23)

Bubbling Under: Ajax (Ned), Banfield (Arg), Internacional (Bra), Olympiakos (Gre), Porto (Por).

Next Five: Aston Villa (Eng), Flamengo (Bra), Marseille (Fra), Napoli (Ita), Sevilla (Esp).

Weekend Soccer Television Schedule - 16/17 January

Here we are, finally back at full speed. Well, almost, anyway. We don’t have the Argentine Clausura or Brazilian Serie A yet, but we do have the Torneo de Verano and Paulista League. Almost all of the European Leagues are back in action, save Russia, which won’t start for several weeks yet. Nevertheless, we’re pretty damn close.

We don’t have any matchups between WCR Top 25 Clubs this weekend, but there are some interesting matchups nonetheless. The lions share of those interesting matches appear to be in the Spanish Primera Division, where eight of the top ten clubs in the table face off with each other. The biggest of those matches will be on ESPN Deportes on Saturday when Barcelona hosts Sevilla. The biggest match outside of Spain takes place in France where defending champions and current table-toppers Bordeaux will host Marseille on Sunday.

Most importantly, I think it is a new record that all of the top thirteen clubs in the rankings are being broadcast this weekend. Welcome back football!!!

There’s plenty of other action including the beginning of the Mexican Clausura and the Copa Bimbo. I have no idea what the Copa Bimbo is, but it sounds like it has potential. I don’t think I’ll be watching any of these because I’ll be on a plane to Cairo all day Saturday and touring the pyramids on Sunday, but that’s neither here nor there. What is both here and there is the schedule below. Have a great weekend!!!

Top Five Matches of the Weekend:

1. Sevilla at Barcelona (Saturday, 4:00 pm (EST), ESPND, ESPN 360)

2. Marseille at Bordeaux (Sunday, 3:00 pm, Setanta USA)

3. Hoffenheim at Bayern Munich (Friday, 2:30 pm, GolTV)

4. Deportivo La Coruña at Mallorca (Sunday, 11:00 am, ESPND, ESPN 360)

5. Real Madrid at Athletic Bilbao (Saturday, 2:00 pm, GolTV)

Friday, January 15, 2010

2:30 pm – Hoffenheim at (13) Bayern Munich (GolTV)

5:00 pm – Nacional (Par) vs Danubio (Uru) (GolTV)

7:00 pm – Penarol (Uru) vs. Nacional (Uru) (GolTV)

11:00 pm – Racing at River Plate (Delayed) (FSC)

Saturday, January 16, 2010

3:00 am – Perth Glory at Melbourne Victory (FSC)

7:30 am – Liverpool at Stoke City (ESPN2)

9:30 am – Mainz 05 at (6) Bayer Leverkusen (ESPND, ESPN 360)

10:00 am – Sunderland at (1) Chelsea (FSC, FSE)

10:00 am – Burnley at (9) Manchester United (Setanta USA)

12 noon – Espanyol at Osasuna (GolTV)

12 noon – Livorno at Cagliari (ESPN 360)

12:30 pm – (23) Manchester City at Everton (FSC, FSE)

12:30 pm – Wolfsburg at VfB Stuttgart (ESPND, ESPN 360)

2:00 pm – (5) Real Madrid at Athletic Bilbao (GolTV)

2:45 pm – (3) Inter Milan at Bari (FSC, FSE)

3:00 pm – Lorient at Le Mans (Setanta USA)

4:00 pm – Mogi Mirim at Palmeiras (Delayed) (GolTV)

4:00 pm – Sevilla at (2) Barcelona (ESPND, ESPN 360)

5:00 pm – Birmingham City at Portsmouth (Delayed) (FSC)

5:00 pm – Hull City at (12) Tottenham Hotspur (Delayed) (Setanta USA)

6:00 pm – Indios at Monterrey (Telemundo)

6:00 pm – Curz Azul at Jaguares (ESPND, Azteca)

8:00 pm – Estudiantes at Boca Juniors (FSE)

8:00 pm – Toluca at Chivas Guadalajara (Telemundo)

8:30 pm – Wigan Athletic at Wolverhampton Wanderers (Delayed) (Setanta USA)

10:00 pm – Querétaro at Atlante (Delayed) (Telemundo)

Sunday, January 17, 2010

8:30 am – West Ham United at Aston Villa (Setanta USA)

9:00 am – Siena at (11) AC Milan (FSC, FSE)

9:00 am – (21) Juventus at Chievo (ESPN 360)

10:30 am – Nuremberg at (15) Schalke 04 (GolTV)

11:00 am – (4) Arsenal at Bolton Wanderers (FSC, FSE)

11:00 am – Deportivo La Coruña at Mallorca (ESPND, ESPN 360)

1:00 pm – Sporting Gijon at Atletico Madrid (GolTV)

1:00 pm – Tigres at Puebla (FSE)

1:00 pm – Paris St.-Germain at (18) Lille (Delayed) (Setanta USA)

1:00 pm – Atlas at UNAM Pumas (Telemundo)

2:45 pm – Palermo at Napoli (FSC, FSE, ESPN 360)

3:00 pm – Corinthians at Monte Azul (GolTV)

3:00 pm – Marseille at (7) Bordeaux (Setanta USA)

3:00 pm – Villarreal at (10) Valencia (ESPND, ESPN 360)

3:15 pm – (8) Benfica at Maritimo (ESPN 360)

5:00 pm – Fulham at Blackburn Rovers (Delayed) (FSC)

8:00 pm – Independiente at River Plate (FSE)

Monday, January 18, 2010

6:45 am – Lyon at Nancy Lorraine (Delayed) (Setanta USA)

5:00 pm – Copa Bimbo Third Place Game

7:00 pm – Copa Bimbo Championship

Non-Televised Matches Involving WCR Top 25 Clubs

Sat., 7:30 am – (16) Rangers at Hamilton Academicals

Sat., 9:30 am – Freiburg at (22) Hamburger SV

Sat., 1:45 pm – (17) PSV Eindhoven at Heerenveen

Sun., 8:30 am – (19) Twente at Utrecht

Sun., 8:30 am – (25) Ajax at NAC Breda

Sun., 9:45 am – Panthrakikos at (14) Panathinaikos

Sun., 1:00 pm – (20) Sporting Braga at Académica

WCR Top 25 Clubs in the World - Snowed Out Edition

What promised to be a big weekend in club football was dampened a great deal this weekend due to the snow and ice and cold in London. The biggest match to be cancelled was Tottenham’s moment of truth against Liverpool.

Still, there was an increased amount of action this weekend. Along with the English and Spanish leagues, the Italian Serie A, Greek Super League and Portuguese Liga Sagres returned to action this weekend, providing some excitement. None of the matches in those leagues were more anticipated than the battle in Turin between Juventus and AC Milan, where Milan picked up three away points in a 3-0 victory in the battle for second place.

Coming up this weekend is the return of the Bundesliga, Eredivisie and Ligue Un. We will be close to full strength, at least in Europe, and things will start moving again in the rankings. As for this week, things change very little. In fact, the only change in the Top Ten are the switching of Arsenal and Inter Milan following Arsenal’s 2-2 draw against Everton. All of the other movement takes place below number ten.

As a reminder, the rankings over the next few weeks will be on an as-possible basis. At this point next week, I will be on a boat on the Nile and I’m not sure what type of, if any, internet access I will have. The rankings will be back as soon as possible, however. Until next time, enjoy!!

World Club Rankings – Top 25 Clubs in the World – January 11, 2010

1. Chelsea (Eng) (1) – No recent matches. Coming Up: Having been iced/snowed/weathered out this weekend, top-ranked Chelsea will return to action on Saturday against Sunderland.

2. Barcelona (Esp) (2) – The week didn’t start out well for Barça as it fell at home to Sevilla by a 1-2 score in the first leg of its Copa del Rey matchup. The weekend’s La Liga match went much more along the lines that Barcelona wanted as they scored a 5-0 victory over Tenerife. Coming Up: The coming week for Barcelona is all-Sevilla all the time as the second leg of the Copa del Rey matchup on Wednesday in Seville will be followed by a Primera Division match between the two clubs on Saturday in Barcelona.

3. Inter Milan (Ita) (4) – Inter Milan continued to run on cruise control in Serie A with two close victories in two matches, defeating Chievo 1-0 at midweek and coming from behind for a thrilling 4-3 victory over Siena on the weekend. Coming Up: Internazionale will head south to take on Bari on Saturday.

4. Arsenal (Eng) (3) – The Gunners needed a late goal to draw 2-2 with Everton and salvage a point at Emirates Stadium in one of the few matches played this week in the Premier League. Coming Up: Arsenal returns to action on Sunday when it takes on Bolton Wanderers.

5. Real Madrid (Esp) (5) – In a battle against a surprisingly tough Mallorca clubs, Real Madrid walked away victorious by a 2-0 score. Coming Up: Real Madrid will head north to Basque country to take on Athletic Bilbao on Saturday.

6. Bayer Leverkusen (Ger) (6) – No recent matches. Coming Up: The Bundesliga returns to action this weekend and Leverkusen’s contribution will be a home match against Maniz 05 on Saturday.

7. Bordeaux (Fra) (7) – In a tune up for the Ligue Un season, Bordeaux defeated Rodez 1-0 in its Coupe de France match this weekend. Coming Up: More cup action for Bordeaux on Tuesday when it takes on Le Mans in a Coupe de Ligue match. In its return to Ligue Un action, Bordeaux will host Marseille on Sunday.

8. Benfica (Por) (8) – Benfica picked up in the Liga Sagres where it left off scoring a 1-0 victory over Rio Ave this weekend. Coming Up: The Portuguese League Cup is in action this week and Benfica will take on Vitoria Guimaraes on Wednesday. In Liga Sagres action, Benfica will play on Sunday against Maritimo.

9. Manchester United (Eng) (9) – Like Arsenal, the Red Devils got in a match this weekend but had a disappointing result with a 1-1 draw against surprising Birmingham City. Coming Up: Manyoo will attempt to bounce back at Old Trafford on Saturday against Burnley.

10. Valencia (Esp) (10) – The week for Valencia looked just like the week for Barcelona. After losing at home against a tough opponent (Deportivo La Coruña) 1-2 at home in a Copa del Rey match, Valencia bounced back and picked up three away points against inferior competition, beating Deportivo Xerez 3-1. Coming Up: Valencia will play its return match agaist DLC on Wednesday, followed by a home Primera Division match against Villarreal on Sunday.

11. AC Milan (Ita) (14) – The other club from Milan picks up three spots this week after two huge victories against quality competition. At midweek, Milan defeated Genoa 5-2 at the San Siro in its return to Serie A. This weekend, Milan minced Juventus by a 3-0 score in Turin to stake its claim to second place in the Italian first division. Coming Up: On Wednesday, Milan will host Navara in a Coppa Italia match. Milan will return to Serie A action on Sunday by hosting Siena.

12. Tottenham Hotspur (Eng) (11) – No recent matches. Coming Up: After having its match against Liverpool cancelled, the Spurs will return to action at White Hart Lane on Satruday against Hull City.

13. Bayern Munich (Ger) (13) – No recent matches. Coming Up: The second half of the Bundesliga season officially gets underway on Friday at Allianz Arena when Bayern hosts TSG Hoffenheim.

14. Panathinaikos (Gre) (15) – The Greek Super League returned to action this week with a pair of matches and Panathinaikos won both of its matches, first 4-1 over Ergotelis at midweek and then a 2-1 victory over Xanthi during the weekend. Coming Up: On Wednesday, Panithinaikos will host Pierikos Katerini in a Greek Cup match. In league action, Panathinaikos will host Panthrakikos on Saturday.

15. Schalke 04 (Ger) (12) – No recent matches. Coming Up: On Saturday, Schalke returns to its Bundesliga season with a home match against Nurnberg.

16. Rangers (Sco) (16) – In the away leg of its Scottish FA Cup draw with Hamilton Academicals, Rangers walked away with a 3-3 draw. Coming Up: Rangers can spend the week in the same hotel because this weekend’s matchup is a SPL away match against Hamilton Academicals, once again.

17. PSV Eindhoven (Ned) (18) – No recent matches. Coming Up: While other clubs are participating in Eredivisie matches, PSV will be playing SC Heerenveen in a KNVB Beker match on Saturday.

18. Lille (Fra) (20) – No recent matches. Coming Up: Lille’s break ends with a Coupe de Ligue matchup on Wednesday against Stade Rennes. In Ligue Un action, Lille will host Paris St.-Germain on Saturday.

19. Twente (Ned) (19) – No recent matches. Coming Up: Twente returns to Eredivisie action on Sunday against FC Utrecht.

20. Sporting Braga (Por) (23) – Braga kept pace with Benfica in its return to Liga Sagres play with a 2-0 victory over Nacional. Coming Up: As in many other countries, Portugal has League Cup action this week. In Portugal, Sporting Braga will be facing Trofense on Wednesday. On Sunday, Sporting Braga will face Académica in league play.

21. Juventus (Ita) (17) – The week started out okay for Juventus with a 2-1 victory over Parma. The weekend went awry, however, as Juventus fell hard 0-3 to AC Milan. Coming Up: On Wednesday, Juventus will host Napoli in a Coppa Italia match. Over the weekend, Juventus will take on Chievo in a Serie A match.

22. Hamburger SV (Ger) (25) – No recent matches. Coming Up: HSV will start the second half of the Bundesliga season at home on Saturday against Freiburg.

23. Manchester City (Eng) (BU) – No recent matches. Coming Up: At the time I wrote this, Man City’s match was a future match, but City has since won that match 4-1 (sorry for the delay). On Saturday, Manchester City heads to Liverpool to take on Everton.

24. Rubin Kazan (Rus) (24) – No current matches.

25. Ajax (Ned) (BU) – No recent matches. Coming Up: Ajax’s Eredivisie season starts back up on Sunday when it takes on NAC Breda.

Bubbling Under: Banfield (Arg), Internacional (Bra), Olympiakos (Gre), Porto (Por), Sevilla (Esp).

Next Five: Aston Villa (Eng), Deportivo La Coruña (Esp), Flamengo (Bra), Montpellier (Fra), Napoli (Ita).

Matches This Week Between WCR Top 25 Clubs:

None.

Weekend Soccer Television Schedule - 9/10 January

At first it appeared that we were finally back at a level in which we could bring back the Top Five Matches of the Week. The top three domestic leagues in the world were all back in action, as was the Liga Sagres. Also, the Torneo de Verano started in Argentina as well as the continuation of the Interliga in Mexico.

Then the snow came. That caused a postponement of half of the matches in the Premier League. Some others also evade television by virtue of the problems with Setanta Sports, which will show no first division matches from any country this weekend.

The watering down of the schedule leaves us with a top two matches of the weekend, both of which involve a pair of clubs in the WCR Top 25. The top match comes out of Italy where struggling Juventus hosts AC Milan in a battle to determine the top contender for Inter Milan. In Spain, and in Spanish on ESPN Deportes, Real Madrid hosts Mallorca. There are other good matches on, but I’m sure I’m not the only one who regrets the cancellation of the match between Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur. The entire schedule, minus the cancelled English matches, are below. Have a great weekend!!!

Saturday, January 9, 2010

10:00 am – Aston Villa at Wigan Athletic (FSC, FSE)

12 noon – Chievo at Roma (ESPN 360)

12 noon – Atletico Madrid at Real Valladolid (ESPND, ESPN 360)

12:30 pm – (9) Manchester United at Birmingham City (FSC, FSE)

2:00 pm – Racing Santander at (21) Sevilla (GolTV)

2:45 pm – Siena at (4) Inter Milan (FSC, FSE)

8:30 pm – Atlante at Santos Laguna (FSE)

11:00 pm – Estudiantes at San Lorenzo (Delayed) (FSE)

11:00 pm – UAG Tecos at Club America (FSE)

Sunday, January 10, 2010

3:00 am – Sydney FC at Perth Glory (FSC)

9:00 am – Bari at Fiorentina (FSC, FSE)

9:00 am – Sampdoria at Napoli (ESPN 360)

9:00 am – Catania at Genoa (ESPN 360)

11:00 am – Osasuna at Deportivo La Coruña (GolTV)

11:00 am – (10) Valencia at Deportivo Xerez (ESPND, ESPN 360)

1:00 pm – (22) Mallorca at (5) Real Madrid (GolTV)

2:45 pm – (14) AC Milan at (17) Juventus (FSC, FSE)

3:00 pm – (2) Barcelona at Tenerife (ESPND, ESPN 360)

6:00 pm – Jaguares at UANL Tigres (FSE)

8:30 pm – Puebla at Monterrey (FSE)

Monday, January 11, 2010

3:00 pm – Blackburn Rovers at Manchester City (ESPN2)

9:00 pm – Racing at Independiente (Delayed) (FSE)

WCR Top 25 Clubs in the World - Brand New Decade Edition

As far as articles on the top clubs in the world this week, there’s not that much to report. The only matches that had any affect on the rankings over the past few weeks came out of France, which shut down later than most, Spain, which started back earlier than most, and England and Scotland, which neither shut down nor started back. Many of the top leagues are still on hiatus, though Italy and Portugal (cup matches notwithstanding) will start back in the coming week.

There was a surprising amount of movement in the rankings considering the lack of competition. Among the clubs that had a lot of movement were Aston Villa, who fell completely out of the rankings after falling to both Arsenal and Liverpool in Premier League action, and Rangers, who took advantage of the goal differential portion of the equations following a Boxing Day weekend that saw it win two matches by a combined score of 11-2. In Spain, the normal fluctuation between Sevilla and Valencia in the table caused the normal fluctuation of the clubs in the rankings.

As you know, this is the first weekly rankings since our 2009 Annual Rankings post from last week. As a side note, the rankings over the next few weeks will be posted on a whenever-the-hell-I-can-get-to-it basis because of travel. I will be in Atlantic City, New Jersey next Sunday; Cairo, Egypt the following Sunday; and Amman, Jordan the Sunday after that. I don’t know what, if any, internet access I will have for that time period, but I will post the weekly rankings as soon as I possibly can. Until then, here are the current rankings.

World Club Rankings – Top 25 Clubs in the World – January 4, 2010

1. Chelsea (Eng) (1) – The Blues hold on to the top spot despite a scoreless draw against Birmingham City a little over a week ago. Chelsea bounced back to defeat Fulham 2-1 to keep hold of its spot atop the Premier League. This weekend, Chelsea beat Watford big, 5-0, to advance in the FA Cup. Coming Up: Next up for Chelsea will be its Premier League match against Hull City on Saturday.

2. Barcelona (Esp) (2) – Barça returned to action in the Primera Division this weekend with a 1-1 home draw against Villarreal. Coming Up: On Tuesday, Barcelona will host Sevilla in the first leg of a Copa del Rey matchup. On Sunday, Barça travels to take on Tenerife in Liga action.

3. Arsenal (Eng) (4) – Arsenal moves up a spot after a week that saw it score three victories. In Premiership play, the Gunners took down Aston Villa and Portsmouth, both by three-goal margins. In its FA Cup match, a late goal delivered a 2-1 victory over West Ham United and a ticket to the fourth round. Coming Up: Arsenal has a midweek makeup match against Bolton Wanderers and a Saturday match against Everton, both at Emirates Stadium.

4. Inter Milan (Ita) (3) – No recent matches. Coming Up: Serie A returns to action this week with two matchdays. Internazionale’s matches will be against Chievo at midweek and Siena on Saturday.

5. Real Madrid (Esp) (5) – Real Madrid blew a golden opportunity to catch up with Barcelona in La Liga by settling for a goalless draw against Osasuna in its return to league play. Coming Up: In one of two matchups this weekend between ranked clubs, Real Madrid will host Mallorca on Sunday.

6. Bayer Leverkusen (Ger) (6) – No current matches.

7. Bordeaux (Fra) (8) – In its final match of the decade, Bordeaux defeated Toulouse 2-1 to pick up three away points and extend its lead in the Ligue Un table. Coming Up: Next weekend, Bordeaux will be in action in the Coupe de France, where it will host Rodez.

8. Benfica (Por) (7) – Benfica returned to action this week in a League Cup match, defeating Nacional 1-0 to advance. Coming Up: Liga Sagres action returns next weekend and Benfica will take on Rio Ave in its return.

9. Manchester United (Eng) (9) – The Premiership matches for the Red Devils went along well enough with victories over Hull City and Wigan Athletic by a combined 8-1 score, but the FA Cup season ended for Manchester United this weekend as it was stunned 0-1 by Leeds United at Old Trafford. Coming Up: In a Carling Cup derby, United will take on City in the first leg of their matchup. In league play, Manyoo will take on a hot Birmingham City club on Saturday.

10. Valencia (Esp) (16) – By virtue of its 1-0 victory over Espanyol, Valencia returned to third place in La Liga’s Primera Division. Coming Up: Valencia has two matches this week. First is the first leg of a Copa del Rey matchup against Deportivo La Coruña on Wednesday. Valencia will follow that up with a league match against Deportivo Xerez on Sunday.

11. Tottenham Hotspur (Eng) (18) – In the three year history of the weekly rankings, Tottenham hits its highest ever spot on the charts. In league play, the Spurs picked up four points in two matches with a 0-0 draw against Fulham and a 2-0 victory over West Ham United. In its FA Cup match, the Spurs crushed Petersborough United 4-0 to advance. Coming Up: Is Tottenham worthy of its high ranking? We’ll see next week when it takes on Liverpool, who helped to expose Aston Villa last week, at Anfield on Sunday.

12. Schalke 04 (Ger) (11) – No current matches.

13. Bayern Munich (Ger) (13) – No current matches.

14. AC Milan (Ita) (14) – No recent matches. Coming Up: Milan returns to Serie A action with a bang this week taking on Genoa at the San Siro on Wednesday and heading to Turin to take on Juventus on Sunday.

15. Panathinaikos (Gre) (15) – No recent matches. Coming Up: Like Italy’s Serie A, the Greek Super League returns to action this week with a double matchday. Up for Panathinaikos is Ergotelis at midweek and Xanthi over the weekend.

16. Rangers (Sco) (25) – You won’t agree with this, I don’t agree with this, I’m sure I’ll hear a lot of bitching about it, but the rankings take goal differential into consideration and the past two weeks were great for Rangers in that respect. Over the Boxing Day weekend, Rangers scored a 4-1 victory over Hibernian and a 7-1 victory over Dundee United. The weekend wasn’t as good for Rangers, but I’m sure it will settle for a 1-1 draw with Celtic to maintain its semi-comfortable lead in the Scottish Premier League. Coming Up: Next up for Rangers will be a Scottish FA Cup match against Hamilton Academicals on Sunday.

17. Juventus (Ita) (20) – No recent matches. Coming Up: Juve will return to action at midweek when it takes on Parma. On Sunday, all eyes will be on Turin when Juvenuts hosts AC Milan in what promises to be the biggest match of the weekend.

18. PSV Eindhoven (Ned) (21) – No current matches.

19. Twente (Ned) (19) – No current matches.

20. Lille (Fra) (NF) – With a 4-0 victory over Nancy Lorraine just before Christmas, Lille finds itself in second place in Ligue Un, though Montpelier and Marseille just behind it have a game in hand. Coming Up: Lille will take on Colmar on Saturday in a Coupe de France match.

21. Sevilla (Esp) (10) – Sevilla gave disappointing Atletico Madrid one of the high points of its season by falling to the troubled club 1-2. Coming Up: Sevilla heads to Barcelona to take on the defending champions in the first leg of a Copa del Rey matchup. In La Liga action, Sevilla will host Racing Santander on Saturday.

22. Mallorca (Esp) (BU) – The club from the little island moved into a tie for fourth place in the Primera Division with Sevilla following a 2-0 victory over Athletic Bilbao. Coming Up: Mallorca’s Copa del Rey matchup is a little easier than Sevilla’s as it takes on Rayo Vallecano on Thursday. That ends the easy part of the schedule for Mallorca, though, as it heads to Madrid to take on Real Madrid on Sunday.

23. Sporting Braga (Por) (22) – Braga was eliminated from Portugal’s League Cup this weekend by losing 1-2 to Sporting CP in Lisbon. Coming Up: Braga’s next match will be Friday against Nacional in a Liga Sagres matchup.

24. Rubin Kazan (Rus) (23) – No current matches.

25. Hamburger SV (Ger) (24) – No current matches.

Bubbling Under: Ajax (Ned), Banfield (Arg), Manchester City (Eng), Olympiakos (Gre), Porto (Por).

Next Five: Aston Villa (Eng), Flamengo (Bra), Internacional (Bra), Montpellier (Fra), Roma (Ita).

Matches This Week Between WCR Top 25 Clubs:

5 January – (21) Sevilla at (2) Barcelona

10 January – (22) Mallorca at (5) Real Madrid

10 January – (14) AC Milan at (17) Juventus

Weekend Soccer Television Schedule - 2/3 January

We are still on something of a light schedule for weekend soccer television action, but this week is a little better than last week and they should just keep getting better until we’re near full speed, at least in Europe, at the end of January.

The lion’s share of this week’s action falls into three categories of matches. Most important of the categories is the return of the Spanish Primera Division, which means that some of the top clubs in the world are back in meaningful action. In England, the fourth round of the FA Cup takes place this weekend, giving us an opportunity to see Manchester United and Arsenal. Also, there will be a handful of matches this weekend on FSE from the Mexican Interliga tournament.

That’s about it. Nothing too exciting, but better than last week. Monday will see the return of the weekly WCR Top 25 Clubs in the World. Until then, enjoy the matches and have a great weekend!!!

Saturday, January 2, 2010

7:30 am – Cardiff City at Bristol City (Setanta USA)

10:00 am – Manchester City at Middlesbrough (FSC, FSE)

10:00 am – Barrow at Sunderland (Setanta USA)

12 noon – Burnley at Milton Keynes (Delayed) (FSC, FSE)

12 noon – Espanyol at (16) Valencia (ESPND, ESPN 360)

12:15 pm – Liverpool at Reading (Setanta USA)

2:00 pm – Villarreal at (2) Barcelona (ESPND, ESPN 360)

4:00 pm – (10) Sevilla at Atletico Madrid (GolTV)

6:30 pm – UAG Tecos at Atlante (FSE)

9:00 pm – Santos Laguna at Club America (FSE)

Sunday, January 3, 2010

8:00 am – Leeds United at (9) Manchester United (FSC, FSE)

11:00 am – Deportivo La Coruña at Real Zaragoza (ESPND, ESPN 360)

11:15 am – (4) Arsenal at West Ham United (Setanta USA)

1:00 pm – Athletic Bilbao at Mallorca (GolTV)

1:00 pm – Wolverhampton Wanderers at Tranmere Rovers (Delayed) (FSC)

1:15 pm – Hearts at Hibernian (Delayed) (Setanta USA)

3:00 pm – (5) Real Madrid at Osasuna (GolTV)

3:00 pm – Tigres UANL at Puebla (FSE)

5:30 pm – Jaguares at Monterrey (FSE)