Weekend Soccer Television Schedule - 27/28 February 2010

As I sit in my hotel room, watching the Olympics in what I can only assume is French, I realize how much I miss watching football. (Upon closer reflection, it’s not French; it’s German. On Eurosport. Go figure.) Football is pretty much the same in any language. Last night, I watched Marseille advance in the Europa League in French and the language difference didn’t matter. (It really was French.) Only several more hours to wait.

In the meantime, I put together the weekend’s football television schedule. I apologize in advance if I missed something on Setanta USA, but the website is down and I pulled together what I could from other sources, but who knows how comprehensive the other resources are. As always, we did our best.

The best matches of the weekend should come in English. Or, at least, out of England. It is there that both of the weekend’s matches between WCR Top 25 Clubs take place. On Saturday, top-ranked Chelsea will host Manchester City in a match that is particularly important to City’s 2010-11 Champions League hopes. On Sunday is the final of the Carling Cup which sees Manchester United face off against Aston Villa for the title.

The other “important” match is also in an English speaking country (sort of) as Rangers hosts Celtic in a Glasgow derby that is less important this year than usual since Celtic is so far back in the table, but that could change with a Celtic upset on Sunday. I watched the first one of the season in Prague and will try to find somewhere in Paris to watch this one. Will you be watching? If so, where? The schedule for these and all of the other matches is below. Have a great weekend!!!

Top Five Matches of the Weekend

1. Manchester City at Chelsea (Saturday, 7:45 am (EST), ESPN2)

2. Manchester United vs. Aston Villa (Sunday, 10:00 am, Setanta USA, ESPN 360)

3. Hamburger SV at Bayern Munich (Sunday, 11:30 am, GolTV)

4. Celtic at Rangers (Sunday, 7:30 am, Not Televised)

5. Porto at Sporting CP (Sunday, 3:15 pm, ESPN 360)

Friday, February 26, 2010

2:30 pm – Borussia Dortmund at (18) Schalke 04 (ESPND, ESPN 360)

9:00 pm – Club America at UAG Tecos (TeleFutura)

Saturday, February 27, 2010

7:45 am – (14) Manchester City at (1) Chelsea (ESPN2)

9:30 am – Werder Bremen at Mainz 05 (GolTV) 10:00 am – Wigan Athletic at Birmingham City (FSC, FSE)

10:00 am – Wolverhampton Wanderers at Bolton Wanderers (Setanta USA)

12 noon – Real Zaragoza at Getafe (GolTV)

12 noon – Portsmouth at Burnley (Delayed) (Setanta USA)

12:30 pm – (8) Arsenal at Stoke City (FSC, FSE)

12:30 pm – Köln at (6) Bayer Leverkusen (ESPND, ESPN 360)

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

2:30 pm – Fiorentina at Lazio (FSE, FSE, ESPN 360)

4:00 pm – Peñarol at River Plate (GolTV)

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

5:00 pm- Bari at Catania (Delayed) (FSC)

6:00 pm – Atlas at Cruz Azul (FSE)

6:00 pm – Santos Laguna at Querétaro (TeleFutura)

6:15 pm – Atletico Nacional at Cucuta (GolTV)

8:00 pm – Pumas UNAM at Pachuca (TeleFutura)

8:00 pm – San Luis at Chivas de Guadalajara (Telemundo)

8:30 pm – Quindio at Independiente Medellin (GolTV)

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

Sunday, February 28, 2010

8:00 am – Everton at Tottenham Hotspur (Setanta USA)

8:30 am – RKC Waalwijk at (13) PSV Eindhoven (ESPND, ESPN 360)

9:00 am – Atalanta at (11) AC Milan (FSE)

9:00 am – (15) Roma at Napoli (ESPN 360)

9:00 am – (3) Inter Milan at Udinense (ESPN 360)

10:00 am – Blackburn at Liverpool (FSC)

10:00 am – (4) Manchester United vs. (21) Aston Villa (Setanta USA, ESPN 360)

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

11:30 am – Hamburger SV at (9) Bayern Munich (GolTV)

12 noon – Fulham at Sunderland (FSC)

1:00 pm – Indios at Toluca (Telemundo)

1:00 pm – Athletic Bilbao at (22) Sevilla (ESPND, ESPN 360)

2:45 pm- Palermo at Juventus (FSC, FSE)

3:00 pm – (12) Valencia at Atletico Madrid (GolTV)

3:00 pm – Marseille at Paris St.-Germain (Setanta USA)

3:15 pm – (20) Porto at Sporting CP (ESPN 360)

5:00 pm – Corinthias at Santos (Delayed) (GolTV)

5:00 pm – Racing Club at Independiente (Delayed) (FSE)

5:00 pm – Jaguares at Puebla (ESPND, Azteca)

Non-Televised Matches Involving WCR Top 25 Clubs

Sat., 2:15 pm – Olhanense at (24) Sporting Braga

Sat., 4:15 pm – (7) Benfica at Leixões

Sun., 7:30 am – Celtic at (19) Rangers

Sun., 11:00 am – (10) Bordeaux at Le Mans

Sun., 11:00 am – Auxerre at (17) Lille

Sun., 12 noon – (16) Panathinaikos at Panionios

Predictification - UEFA Champions League Round of Sixteen - Part II

Just like the first half matchups, I think you guys did a good job with the picks for the second half of the Champions League’s first knockout round. Once again, I agree with all of your picks. This week’s matchups have some of the more obscure (though still very good) clubs remaining in the tournament, such as CSKA Moscow and Olympiakos, as well as the most anticipated matchup of the entire tournament thus far in Chelsea – Inter Milan. It’s still way too early to see how we did with respect to our first-half picks, but that won’t slow us down from looking once again into our crystal balls. So to speak.

As always, our picks are based entirely on the most recent WCR Top 25 Clubs in the World. We’ll throw in a little commentary, but in the end, it’s all about the numbers here at WCR. Once again, we’ll go down the list of this week’s matches in descending order of your confidence.

(2) Barcelona (Esp) vs. (90) VfB Stuttgart (Ger)

On paper, this matchup looks like the most lopsided matchup of the first knockout stage. Barcelona is not only the defending European champion, it also is ahead of Real Madrid’s billion-dollar lineup in La Liga’s Primera Division. Meanwhile, Stuttgart is not only a relatively inexperienced club, it’s recent experience involves being mired in ninth place in the German Bundesliga. Methinks Germany’s hopes in the tournament are best aligned with Bayern Munich.

VfB Stuttgart 1-3 Barcelona

Barcelona 2-0 VfB Stuttgart

Agg: Barcelona 5 VfB Stuttgart 1

(10) Bordeaux (Fra) vs. (30) Olympiakos (Gre)

You guys seem pretty confident with this pick, with 78% of you going for Bordeaux. I agree that Bordeaux is the favored club, but I think it may be closer than many people expect. Olympiakos is a good club, people, despite the fact that it currently is in second place in the Greek Super League, behind Panathinaikos. Meanwhile, Bordeaux is sitting atop the table in a tight Ligue Un race and should be well-rested since its weekend match against Auxerre was postponed to allow Bordeaux to prepare for this matchup. I’m going with Bordeaux, but not by much.

Olympiakos 1-1 Bordeaux

Bordeaux 2-1 Olympiakos

Agg: Bordeaux 3 Olympiakos 2

(22) Sevilla vs. (81) CSKA Moscow

The voters picked Sevilla to win this matchup with 74% of the vote. Sevilla has been very hot and cold this season with both big wins and big disappointments. Currently in fourth place in the Primera Division, the one big thing Sevilla has over its competitor is match toughness. Theoretically, CSKA should be well-rested, having had several months in order to prepare for this round of the tournament. Still, with months of inactivity in a cold Russian winter, it would seem unlikely that the club would be able to overcome the talent of Sevilla.

CSKA Moscow 1-2 Sevilla

Sevilla 3-1 CSKA Moscow

Agg: Sevilla 5 CSKA Moscow 2

(1) Chelsea vs. (3) Inter Milan

Okay, admit it. I don’t care who you support, this is the matchup you’ve been waiting for. The top club in the Premiership against the top club in Serie A. The return of Jose Mourinho to Stamford Bridge (in a few weeks). All of the great personnel matchups. I have to admit that I was disappointed to see these clubs matched up in this round. Don’t get me wrong, I want to see them play, but this should be a Semifinal or Championship matchup, not a Round of Sixteen matchup. I think that whoever wins this matchup will be favored to meet up with Barcelona, hopefully in the Final and not the next round, for the whole ball of wax. I see this pairing as a true toss-up and I’m going with the rankings and away goals in my prediction.

Inter Milan 1-1 Chelsea

Chelsea 0-0 Inter Milan

Agg: Chelsea 1 Inter Milan 1 (Chelsea advances on away goals.)

That’s it for the predictions for this round. We will, of course, be back as conditions warrant. Enjoy the football!!!!

WCR Top 25 Clubs in the World - Last American Edition For A While

This week, rather than writing about the past week’s matches and the next week’s matchups, because those will be discussed at length in the rankings below, I’d write a little about the rankings this week. It probably will be necessary to mention this for the next several weeks, though I don’t plan on doing so, but it is important to keep in mind: the Champions League results will NOT be reflected in the rankings until the end of the knockout round. I’ve discussed this before, but the winner is the club with the most goals after two matches. Winning the first leg does not advance or eliminate any club and so it is unfair and premature to make a knee-jerk move based on the results of half of a round.

The two big moves in the rankings this week, as usual, are based on clubs moving up and/or down the tables near the top of the top domestic leagues in the world. Notably, Milan jumped past Roma (at least in our formulas), Benfica jumped past Sporting Braga after Braga’s humiliation in Porto and Aston Villa returns to the rankings after its 5-2 victory over Burnley, while Liverpool left the charts after a few weeks following its scoreless draw with Manchester City.

Finally, I’ll set forth a request or two. If you’ve been following this blog all season, you know I’ve been on the road watching football all over the world, as best I can. Next weekend, I’ll be in Paris. If somebody knows of a great place to catch this weekend’s matches in Paris, let me know. The following weekend, I’ll be in Milan and am hoping to catch the Inter Milan – Genoa match while I’m there. If anybody has any good ideas on how to score a ticket, let me know. Any assistance can be sent to me at empshel@worldclubrankings.com.

Okay, enough about me and the ranking qualifications. Now on to the Top 25:

World Club Rankings – Top 25 Clubs In The World – February 22, 2010

1. Chelsea (Eng) (1) – The Blues were able to extend their lead in the Premiership this weekend with a 2-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers. Coming Up: In the most anticipated matchup of the Champions League first knockout stage begins on Wednesday when Chelsea heads to the San Siro to take on Inter Milan. Domestically, Chelsea will be involved in another matchup of ranked clubs when it hosts Manchester City on Saturday.

2. Barcelona (Esp) (2) – Barcelona bounced back this weekend with a huge 4-0 thrashing of Racing Santander. Coming Up: Barça’s Champions League knockout stage begins on Tuesday in Germany when it takes on VfB Stuttgart in the first leg. In Primera Division play, Barcelona will host Malaga on Saturday.

3. Inter Milan (Ita) (4) – Despite only picking up a single point in its nine-man, goalless draw with Sampdoria, Inter moves up a notch after Manyoo failed to do even that. Coming Up: Inter will host Chelsea on Wednesday in a match everybody should be watching (though I won’t be able to because I’ll be on a plane). Domestically, Inter will take on Udinense on Sunday.

4. Manchester United (Eng) (3) – The week started out well enough for the Red Devils, who pulled off the only away victory in the first half of the first legs of the first knockout round of the Champions League, taking AC Milan down 3-2. Domestically, things weren’t so great as Manyoo fell 1-3 to a streaking Everton club, proving Landon Donovan is just that good. (Okay, I’m kidding.). Coming Up: United will take on two Premiership opponents this week On Tuesday, the Devils will welcome West Ham United to Old Trafford. Later in the week, in one of a few big Premiership matches this weekend, Manchester United will take on Aston Villa.

5. Real Madrid (Esp) (5) – The Galacticos failed to score an away goal in their 0-1 loss to Lyon in Champions League play. Domestically, Real Madrid fared much better, crushing Villarreal 6-2. Coming Up: Real Madrid is off until Saturday when it will take on Tenerife.

6. Bayer Leverkusen (Ger) (6) – Leverkusen was able to hold on to its narrowest of leads in the German Bundesliga this week despite drawing 2-2 with Werder Bremen. Coming Up: With no European action to worry about, Leverkusen can concentrate this week on its Saturday match at home against Köln.

7. Benfica (Por) (11) – Benfica returns to the Top Ten this week despite the fact that its only result was a 1-1 away draw with Hertha BSC in the first leg of the clubs’ Europa League matchup. Coming Up: Benfica will need to do better at home against the last-place German Bundesliga club in Thursday’s rematch. In the Liga Sagres, Benfica will try to hold on to first place on Saturday against Leixões.

8. Arsenal (Eng) (7) – In one of the sneakiest goals (though perfectly fair) that I’ve seen in a while, Arsenal fell 1-2 to Porto in the clubs’ Champions League match. Domestically, Arsenal finds itself back in the thick of the Premiership race following a 2-0 defeat of Sunderland. Coming Up: Arsenal is off until Saturday when it will face Stoke City.

9. Bayern Munich (Ger) (8) – In a scoreline that typically means that both clubs walk away from the first leg of a knockout round satisfied but nervous, Bayern scored a 2-1 home victory against Fiorentina in their Champions League match. In the Bundesliga, Bayern failed to take advantage of Leverkusen’s stumble by stumbling itself, drawing 1-1 with Nurnberg. Coming Up: In the Bundesliga match of the weekend, Bayern will host Hamburger SV on Sunday.

10. Bordeaux (Fra) (9) – The only match for the Ligue Un leaders this week was its 4-1 defeat of Lorient in a midweek Coupe de la Ligue matchup. Coming Up: Bordeaux heads to Greece to take on Olympiakos in a Tuesday Champions League match. In Ligue Un play, Bordeaux goes back to work on Sunday against Le Mans.

11. AC Milan (Ita) (17) – Milan fell to Manchester United at the San Siro, giving up three away goals, putting Milan in a deep hole for the return match at Old Trafford. The news was better in Serie A for Milan who moved two points closer to Internazionale following a 2-0 defeat of Bari. Coming Up: Milan plays its game in hand this week against Fiorentina on Wednesday. This weekend’s regularly scheduled match for Milan will be against Atalanta.

12. Valencia (Esp) (10) – In its only match of the week so far, Valencia fell 0-1 to Club Brugge in a Europa League match. Coming Up: Lots of action this week for Valencia, who plays Getafe later today and Atletico Madrid next Sunday in Primera Division matches. In between, Valencia will host Club Brugge in the return leg of the clubs’ Europa League matchup.

13. PSV Eindhoven (Ned) (14) – In the away leg of its Europa League matchup, PSV fell 0-1 at the hands of Hamburger SV. In its Eredivisie match, PSV gave up a late goal to finish with a 1-1 draw against Sparta Rotterdam. Coming Up: Thursday will see Hamburger SV come to Eindhoven for the Europa League’s first knockout stage second leg. On Sunday, PSV will host RKC Waalwijk in domestic play.

14. Manchester City (Eng) (15) – It looks as if City is back into drawing mode in a week that saw it draw 1-1 with Stoke City and follow it up with a 0-0 draw at home against Liverpool. Coming Up: Because of another draw, City will take on Stoke City on Wednesday in an FA Cup replay. Manchester City likely will welcome a draw when it takes on top-ranked Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

15. Roma (Ita) (12) – Roma fell to Panathinaikos 2-3 in the biggest Europa League matchup of the week, though those two away goals may come in handy eventually. Domestically, Roma defeated Catania 1-0 to pick up a couple points on Serie A leaders Inter Milan. Coming Up: On Thursday, Roma will have its home leg against Panathinaikos. In league play, Roma heads south to take on Napoli on Sunday.

16. Panathinaikos (Gre) (18) – Like I just said, Panathinaikos beat Roma 3-2 in Greece in their Europa League matchup. The Greek Super League leader did not do so well in its league match, falling 1-2 to PAOK. Coming Up: Panathinaikos will take on Roma in the away leg of the Europa League matchup on Thursday. Domestically, Panathinaikos will play Panionios on Sunday.

17. Lille (Fra) (20) – Lille won its Europa League match at home, 2-1 against Fenerbahce. This weekend, Lille defeated Stade Rennes by the same 2-1 score in its Ligue Un match. Coming Up: Of course, Lille heads to Turkey for a Thursday rematch with Fenerbahce. On Sunday, Lille will host Auxerre in Ligue Un action.

18. Schlake 04 (Ger) (16) – While the top two clubs in the Bundesliga were drawing their matches, Schalke was doing even worse, losing 1-2 to Wolfsburg this weekend. Coming Up: Schalke returns to Bundesliga action on Friday at home against Borussia Dortmund.

19. Rangers (Sco) (19) – The only match of the week for Rangers took place in the Scottish Cup, in which Rangers defeated St. Mirren 1-0. Coming Up: In what typically is the only match that ever matters in Scotland, Rangers will host Celtic on Sunday. Of course, even it doesn’t matter so much this week with Rangers holding a huge lead over its archrival in the SPL.

20. Porto (Por) (21) – Nobody had a better week this week than Porto. It started off with a 2-1 victory over Arsenal in the home leg of the Champions League matchup between the two powerhouses. Yesterday, Porto humiliated Sporting Braga 5-1 in Liga Sagres play, though the victory still leaves the club a distant third in the Portuguese league. Coming Up: It gets easier, though not much, as Porto heads south to take on Sporting CP in Lisbon on Sunday.

21. Aston Villa (Eng) (NF) – Aston Villa returns to the rankings following an impressive 5-2 victory over minnow Burnley. Coming Up: On Wednesday, Villa will host Crystal Palace in an FA Cup replay. This weekend, Aston Villa will take on Hull City in its Premier League match.

22. Sevilla (Esp) (BU) – Sevilla also returns to the rankings this week after defeating Mallorca 3-1 and returning to fourth place in the Primera Division. Coming Up: Sevilla’s knockout stage Champions League play gets underway on Wednesday in Russia against CSKA Moscow. On Sunday, Sevilla hosts Athletic Bilbao in La Liga.

23. Rubin Kazan (Rus) (25) – I finally have a match to report on for Rubin Kazan as it defeated Hapoel Tel Aviv 3-0 in the first leg of their Europa League matchup. Coming Up: The rematch will take place in Tel Aviv, which was focused in last weeks cover picture.

24. Sporting Braga (Por) (13) – Braga drops a lot after being totally crushed by Porto in a 1-5 loss. Coming Up: Braga returns to action on Saturday when it hosts Olhanense.

25. Internacional (Bra) (24) – In Gaucho League matches this week, Internacional defeated Juventude 2-0, but fell this weekend 1-2 to Novo Hamburgo. Coming Up: The big match for Internacional takes place on Tuesday when its Copa Libertadores campaign continues in Porto Alegre against Emelec.

Bubbling Under: Ajax (Ned), Banfield (Arg), Hamburger SV (Ger), Olympiakos (Gre), Tottenham Hotspur (Eng).

Next Five: Chivas de Guadalajara (Mex), Flamengo (Bra), Juventus (Ita), Marseille (Fra), Twente (Ned).

Matchups Between WCR Top 25 Clubs This Week:

24 February – (1) Chelsea at (3) Inter Milan

25 February – (16) Panathinaikos at (15) Roma

27 February – (14) Manchester City at (1) Chelsea

28 February – (4) Manchester United at (21) Aston Villa

Weekend Soccer Television Schedule - 20/21 February 2010

After a fun week of Champions League, Europa League and Copa Libertadores matches, the weekend is here and its time to chase down those domestic titles again. This week features two matchups between WCR TOP 25 Clubs, though neither of those matches involve first-place clubs in their domestic leagues.

One nominee for match of the weekend will take place in Manchester, where City will host Liverpool in a battle with huge implications for the final English Champions League spot. The other nominee will occur on the Portuguese coast as Porto hosts surprising Sporting Braga seeking revenge for an away loss in Braga earlier in the season.

Of course, there will be plenty of action on the airwaves this weekend, as well. Of the clubs in the WCR Top 25, twenty-one are in action and seventeen of those twenty-one clubs are being broadcast in the United States. No matter what your poison is, you should be able to find it this weekend if you have the time.

Enjoy the football and have a great weekend!!!!

Top Five Matches of the Weekend:

1. Sporting Braga at Porto (Sunday, 3:15 pm (EST), ESPN 360)

2. Liverpool at Manchester City (Sunday, 10:00 am, FSC)

3. Sevilla at Mallorca (Saturday, 4:00 pm, ESPND, ESPN 360)

4. Bayer Leverkusen at Werder Bremen (Sunday, 5:00 pm (delayed), GolTV)

5. Manchester United at Everton (Saturday, 7:30 am, ESPN2)

Friday, February 19, 2010

2:30 pm – Borussia Monchengladbach at TSG Hoffenheim (GolTV)

Saturday, February 20, 2010

7:30 am – (3) Manchester United at Everton (ESPN2)

9:30 am – Eintracht Frankfurt at Hamburger SV (GolTV)

9:30 am – (8) Bayern Munich at Nurnberg (ESPND, ESPN 360)

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

10:00 am – Sunderland at (7) Arsneal (Setanta USA)

12 noon – Deportivo Xerez at Deportivo La Coruña (GolTV)

12 noon – Udinense at Genoa (ESPN 360)

12:30 pm – Stoke City at Portsmouth (FSC, FSE)

1:00 pm – Montpellier at St. Étienne (Setanta USA)

2:00 pm – Racing Santander at (2) Barcelona (GolTV)

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

3:00 pm – Toulouse at Paris St.-Germain (Setanta USA)

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

4:30 pm – Rio Branco at Corinthians (GolTV)

5:00 pm – Hull City at West Ham United (Delayed) (Setanta USA)

6:00 pm – Pachuca at Jaguares (FSE)

6:00 pm – Querétaro at Monterrey (Telemundo)

6:30 pm – Junior Barranquilla at Atletico Nacional (GolTV)

8:00 pm – Pueblo at Chivas de Guadalajara (Telemundo)

8:00 pm – Toluca at Monarcas (ESPND)

8:30 pm – Cucuta at Millonarios (GolTV)

9:45 pm – Atlas at San Luis (TeleFutura)

Sunday, February 21, 2010

3:00 am – Sydney FC at Melbourne Victory (FSC)

8:30 am – Burnley at Aston Villa (Setanta USA)

8:30 am – Sparta Rotterdam at (14) PSV Eindhoven (ESPN 360)

9:00 am – Catania at (12) Roma (FSE, ESPN 360)

9:00 am – Juventus at Bologna (ESPN 360)

9:30 am – Hertha Berlin at Freiburg (ESPND, ESPN 360)

10:00 am – (22) Liverpool at (15) Manchester City (FSC)

11:00 am – Tottenham Hotspur at Wigan Athletic (FSE)

11:00 am – Nancy at Marseille (Setanta USA)

1:00 pm – Atletico Madrid at Almeria (GolTV)

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

1:15 pm – Birmingham City at Fulham (Delayed) (Setanta USA)

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

3:00 pm – Sao Paolo at Palmeiras (GolTV)

3:00 pm – (20) Lille at Stade Rennes (Setanta USA)

3:00 pm – Cruz Azul at Indios (Azteca)

3:00 pm – Villarreal at (5) Real Madrid (ESPND, ESPN 360)

3:15 pm – (13) Sporting Braga at (21) Porto (ESPN 360)

5:00 pm – (6) Bayer Leverkusen at Werder Bremen (Delayed) (GolTV)

5:00 pm – Arsenal de Sarandi at River Plate (Delayed) (FSE)

5:00 pm – Tigres at Club America (Univision)

5:00 pm – UAG Tecos at Santos Laguna (TeleFutura)

Monday, February 22, 2010

3:00 pm- Getafe at (10) Valencia (ESPND, ESPN 360)

Non-Televised Matches Involving WCR Top 25 Clubs

Sun., 7:45 am – (19) Rangers at St. Johnstone

Sun., 11:30 am – (16) Schalke 04 at Wolfsburg

Sun., 12 noon – (18) Panathinaikos at PAOK

Sun., 3:00 pm – Rosario Central at (23) Banfield

Predictification - Europa League-First Knockout Round

If you’ve been following this blog since it began in 1887, then you know how bad the UEFA Cup predictions have always been. In fact, in the past two seasons, I picked against the eventual winners (Zenit St. Petersburg and Shakhtar Donetsk) in all five rounds. There are a few reasons for this. First, and most obviously, I don’t know what I’m doing. Secondly, and in my defense, it’s kind of hard to tell how motivated many clubs in this tournament are because Liverpool (this season) or AC Milan (last season) are probably more concerned with qualifying for next season’s Champions League than they are in this second-tier competition. But how is anybody supposed to know for sure?

Of course, we no longer have a UEFA Cup and are instead have the Europa League. It’s still a secondary competition and it’s still much more unpredictable than the Champions League. Still, I’m going to attempt to make predictions. Give credence to them at your own risk.

Also, for the record, all of my predictions – as always – are based solely on the WCR Top 25 Clubs in the World list, regardless of any other justification/excuse I try to give. Just so you know.

Category I: I Don’t Know Either Of These Leagues So I’m Going With The Club I’m Rooting For.

I don’t watch anything from the top leagues in Belgium or Austria. I had a chance to visit both countries this past fall, but didn’t have an opportunity to get either to Liege or Salzburg. I made a friend in Buenos Aires, though, who is a big Red Bull Salzburg fan, so I’m going with them.

Salzburg (Aut) over Standard Liege (Bel)

Category 2: Ranked Club From A Great League Against Club From A Crappy League.

This is the category that always gets me in trouble. This is how I missed both Zenit and Shakhtar. I have since upgraded the Russian Super League to the great league category, but I still have a healthy disrespect (relatively speaking) for the top flight Ukranian League. If history has demonstrated anything, it’s that the ultimate champion of the Europa League likely will come from somebody I’m picking against in this or the next category.

(25) Rubin Kazan (Rus) over Hapoel Tel Aviv (Isl)

(10) Valencia over Club Brugge (Bel)

(22) Liverpool (Eng) over Unirea Urziceni (Rom)

Category 3: Unranked Club From A Great League Against Club From A Crappy League.

You can read above for additional information, but to be clear, it doesn’t even matter if a club from a great league is ranked or not if it is playing a club from a crappy league. I’m still going with the better league here.

Athletic Bilbao (Esp) over RSC Anderlecht (Bel)

Marseille (Fra) over Kobenhavn (Den)

Fulham (Eng) over Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukr)

Category 4: Two Clubs From Great Leagues, But One Should Be Much Better Than The Others.

This is a category in which my picks are made with a higher degree of confidence because of the difference in rankings between the two clubs. Relatively speaking, anyway. My degree of confidence is never but so high when it comes to Europa League predictions.

#72 Villarreal (Esp) over #152 VfL Wolfsburg (Ger)

(20) Lille (Fra) over #76 Fenerbahce (Tur)

(11) Benfica (Por) over #298 Hertha BSC (Ger)

Category 5: The Matchups That Make The Tournament Worthwhile.

These are the best matchups of the first knockout round of the tournament. All of the clubs in these matchup are within 25 spots of each other in the WCR Top 25. Many of the clubs are, of course, much closer than that. I’m just going with the rankings on these, which are listed in descending order of the difference in the rankings.

#78 Galatassaray (Tur) over #101 Atletico Madrid (Esp)

#27 Ajax (Ned) over #47 Juventus (Ita)

(14) PSV Eindhoven (Ned) over #26 Hamburger SV (Ger)

(12) Roma (Ita) over (18) Panathinaikos (Gre)

#36 Twente (Ned) over #40 Werder Bremen (Ger)

#66 Sporting CP (Por) over #67 Everton (Eng)

We’ll see you back here in a few weeks to apologize for all of the bad predictions. Until then, enjoy the Europa League!!!

Predictification - UEFA Champions League Round of Sixteen - Part I

It’s that time of the season again!!! Time to dust off the old Magic Eight Ball and hose down the old crystal ball. In the past, we’ve done a lot of predictifying here at World Club Rankings, typically with the Champions League, UEFA Cup and the Copa Libertadores. Our results have been mixed, a little better with the Champions League than with the UEFA Cup, but that doesn’t dissuade us from trying it again.

I could go into deep, insightful detail about every player and every match in my justification for the predictions that I make, but let’s face it. I’m not that diligent. In any event, the predictions, as always, are based strictly on the current rankings in the WCR Top 25 Clubs in the World and that’s not going to change this time.

First up are this week’s set of UEFA Champions League matches. Coincidentally, of the first eight clubs to play in the “Champions” League, not a single one of them currently in first place in its domestic league. (Bayern is tied with Bayer Leverkusen, but behind on goal differential.) On the left hand of the home page, you’ve had an opportunity to vote for the club that you believe is going to advance to the quarterfinals. With respect to the four matchups that begin this week, we are in complete agreement. So, without further adieu, here are the official WCR Predictions for these matchups, in descending order of your confidence.

(5) Real Madrid vs. (45) Lyon

79% of you voted for Real Madrid in this one and I find that pretty reasonable. Lyon had its string of Ligue Un championships broken last season and this season looks even less promising for Lyon in its domestic league. Real Madrid currently is second in La Liga’s Primera Division, but it’s close and being second to the reigning European champions is nothing at which to sneeze. Lyon has not lost at home in the tournament thus far and Real Madrid has not lost away. I don’t expect either to happen this time around either. My prediction is for the match in Lyon to finish in a draw and then for Real to shut the door at home.

Lyon 1-1 Real Madrid

Real Madrid 2-0 Lyon

Agg: Real Madrid 3 Lyon 1

(8) Bayern Munich vs. (91) Fiorentina

78% of you voted for Bayern Munich. I’m going to go ahead and call this my lock pick of the first knockout round (thus guaranteeing a humiliating defeat for Bayern Munich). Bayern did not look good early in the season, either in the Champions League or the Bundesliga, but bounced back to bounce Juventus from the Champions League and now is on the verge of taking over the top spot in Germany. Meanwhile, Fiorentina is eleventh in the Serie A table and, aside from its participation in the Champions League group stage, has not looked any better than mediocre all season. Only Lyon has defeated Fiorentina in the Champions League this season. I expect Bayern to perform the feat twice.

Bayern Munich 2-0 Fiorentina

Fiorentina 1-3 Bayern Munich

Agg: Bayern Munich 5 Fiorentina 1

(7) Arsenal vs. (21) Porto

73% of you are picking Arsenal to win this matchup. While I agree with this assessment, I can’t say that I’m as confident as the crowd in this one. Porto always seems to come up with a surprise or two in the Champions League and Arsenal isn’t playing particularly well recently against quality competition. Still, this is a battle between the third-place club in the Premiership and the third-place club in the Liga Sagres and I have to err on the side of the English club in this matchup.

Porto 1-1 Arsenal

Arsenal 1-0 Porto

Agg: Arsenal 2 Porto 1

(3) Manchester United vs. (17) AC Milan

58% of the voters picked Manchester United. Now, this is more like it. My confidence level for Manyoo is about the same as it is for the Gunners. Both clubs have gone back and forth this season between brilliance and WTF moments. I believe the difference in this matchup will be Wayne Rooney, who I expect to shine in his moment in the spotlight without Cristiano Ronaldo. This matchup could go either way, but I expect it to go similarly to the Arsenal-Porto matchup, with a little more offense.

AC Milan 2-2 Manchester United

Manchester United 1-0 AC Milan

Agg: Manchester United 3 AC Milan 2

In a few days, we’ll set forth our first Europa League predictions. Next week, we’ll be back with predictions for the other Champions League Round of Sixteen matchups. Remember that this is just for fun and you should take these predictions with a box of salt. Most of all, enjoy the football!!!

WCR Top 25 Clubs in the World - Same As It Ever Was Edition

It wasn’t the most eventful weekend in world football history, or even of the month, and this is reflected in the rankings. More specifically, it is reflected in the dormancy of this week’s rankings. The top fourteen clubs in this week’s rankings are the exact same as the top fourteen clubs in last week’s rankings. There was a little movement at the bottom of the charts, but we enter the knockout stages of the European tournaments with clubs bracing for the continental matches.

Clubs at the top of the rankings didn’t have a great week. Chelsea lost it’s Premier League match; Barcelona did the same in its Primera Division match; Manchester United walked away from the week with only a draw; and Inter Milan finished the week with two draws in two matches. There was no major movement at the top of the tables of the top European leagues and many of the Western Hemisphere leagues are just getting under way.

I haven’t gone back and looked at past rankings, but this week’s rankings seems to have an uncommonly high number of nations represented: England, Spain, Italy, Germany, France, Portugal, Netherlands, Greece, Scotland, Argentina, Brazil and Russia. I count twelve. If that’s not a new record, it’s damn close.

Coming up this week, of course, is the beginning of the excitement in European tournament football. We have matchups this week between ranked clubs in numerous tournaments this week, including the Champions League (Porto-Arsenal, Milan-Manchester United), Europa League (Panathinaikos-Roma), English Premier League (Manchester City-Liverpool) and the Liga Sagres (Porto-Sporting Braga).

Okay, that takes care of the past and the future. Now, let’s move on to the present.

World Club Rankings – Top 25 Clubs in the World – February 15, 2010

1. Chelsea (Eng) (1) – Chelsea managed to hold on to the top of the Premier League table despite losing 1-2 to Everton at midweek and, more importantly, losing Ashley Cole for the season. (Everybody say “thank you, Landon Donovan.”) The weekend picked up for the Blues, though, as Chelsea defeated Cardiff City 4-1 to advance to the FA Cup quarterfinals. Coming Up: Chelsea’s Champions League quest begins next week so the club is off until Saturday’s match with the Wolves.

2. Barcelona (Esp) (2) – In an uncharacteristic Primera Division loss, Barcelona fell to struggling (but apparently improving) Atletico Madrid by a 1-2 score. Coming Up: Like Chelsea, Barcelona also has the week off from European action and will host Racing Santander on Saturday in its domestic league match.

3. Manchester United (Eng) (3) – The Red Devils failed to take advantage of Chelsea’s loss by picking up only a single point in its 1-1 draw with Aston Villa at midweek. Coming Up: On Tuesday, Manchester United will open up the Champions League knockout round season with a trip to the San Siro for its first leg match with former-United-standout David Beckham and AC Milan.

4. Inter Milan (Ita) (4) – It’s a good thing that Inter has such a big lead in Serie A because it’s lackluster recent play is bringing clubs like Roma closer to the top. In two Serie A matches this week, Internazionale scored a 1-1 draw with Parma and a goalless draw with Napoli, giving the black and blue only two points in two matches. Coming Up: Inter will hope to regain past form against Sampdoria this weekend as it prepares for an epic battle with Chelsea in the UEFA Champions League’s first knockout round.

5. Real Madrid (Esp) (5) – Real Madrid became the highest ranked club this weekend to win a domestic league match by defeating Deportivo Xerez 3-0. Coming Up: Real Madrid’s Champions League quest continues this week as it travels to France to take on Lyon on Tuesday. On Sunday, Real will host Villarreal in its Primera Division match.

6. Bayer Leverkusen (Ger) (6) – The German Bundesliga got even closer this week while Leverkusen kept hold of the top spot with a 2-1 victory over defending-champions Wolfsburg, though its goal differential lead over Bayern is now down to one goal. Coming Up: Since it’s not involved in European competition this season, Leverkusen will be off until Sunday when it hosts Werder Bremen.

7. Arsenal (Eng) (7) – The Gunners finally were able to score a victory over a fellow Big Four rival by scoring a 1-0 win against Liverpool. Coming Up: In one of three compelling matchups involving English clubs in the Champions League, Arsenal heads to the continent to take on Porto on Wednesday. Domestically, things finally get a little easier for Arsenal as it welcomes Sunderland to Emirates Stadium on Saturday.

8. Bayern Munich (Ger) (8) – Bayern advanced this week in the DFB Pokal with a 6-2 victory over Greuther Fürth in a quarterfinal matchup in that domestic cup tournament. In Bundesliga play, Bayern defeated Borussia Dortmund 3-1 to maintain its tie with Bayer Leverkusen atop the domestic table. Coming Up: Bayern starts the knockout round of the Champions League this week on Wednesday when it hosts Fiorentina at Allianz Arena. In Bundesliga action, Bayern will take on Nürnberg on Saturday.

9. Bordeaux (Fra) (9) – Bordeaux started the week poorly, losing 0-2 to Monaco to be kicked out of the Coupe de France. Bordeaux fared better in Ligue Un action, however, defeating St. Étienne 3-1 this weekend. Coming Up: On Wednesday, Bordeaux will take on Lorient as it attempts to advance in the Coupe de la Ligue. Bordeaux’s weekend Ligue Un match has been cancelled as it prepares for its UEFA Champions League match against Olympiakos.

10. Valencia (Esp) (10) – Valencia had to settle for a single point on the road from its 1-1 draw with Sporting Gijon. Coming Up: The current highest ranked club in the Europa League, Valencia will head to Belgium to take on Club Burgge on Thursday. Domestically, Valencia is off until next Monday, when it hosts Getafe.

11. Benfica (Por) (11) – In a good week for the club from Lisbon, Benfica eliminated cross-town rival Sporting CP in a League Cup match by a 4-1 score. In Liga Sagres action, Benfica kept pace with Sporting Braga with a 1-0 victory over Os Belenenses over the weekend. Coming Up: Benfica’s only match this week will be its Europa League match in Berlin against Hertha BSC.

12. Roma (Ita) (12) – Though still distant, Roma gained a little ground on Inter Milan in the Serie A with a 4-1 home defeat of Palermo this weekend. Coming Up: In the Europa League’s only battle between ranked clubs, Roma will head to Greece this week to take on Panathinaikos in its first leg match. In Serie A play, Roma will host Catania on Sunday.

13. Sporting Braga (Por) (13) – Since last week’s rankings came out, Braga played two Liga Sagres matches, winning both. Braga followed a 3-1 defeat of Os Belenenses with at 2-1 victory over Maritimo. Coming Up: A lack of European tournament competition allows Sporting Braga to concentrate on its huge Liga Sagres rematch with Porto, this time away from home, on Sunday.

14. PSV Eindhoven (Ned) (14) – PSV maintained its current lead in the Eredivisie with a 1-0 win over Heracles in Almelo. Coming Up: In another intriguing Europa League matchup, PSV will play its first leg match this week in Germany against Hamburger SV. Domestically, PSV will host Sparta on Sunday in Eindhoven.

15. Manchester City (Eng) (16) – The first club to move in the rankings this week comes in at number fifteen. Man City staked its claim for a Champions League spot with a 2-0 victory over Bolton Wanderers at midweek. In its weekend FA Cup match, City didn’t fare as well, drawing 1-1 with Stoke City. Coming Up: Manchester City takes on Stoke City again on Tuesday, this time in a Premiership match, before hosting Liverpool on Sunday in the biggest English match of the weekend.

16. Schalke 04 (Ger) (18) – Another good week for Schalke who started the week off with a 1-0 DFB Pokal victory over Osnabrück. On the weekend, Schalke kept pace with the Bundesliga leaders with a 2-0 victory over Köln. Coming Up: Schalke is off until Sunday when it will take on defending champions Wolfsburg on the road.

17. AC Milan (Ita) (17) – Milan kept the heat on Roma for second place in Serie A with a 3-2 victory over Udinense on Firday. Coming Up: Milan will host Manchester United on Tuesday in what probably is the most anticipated Champions League match of this week. In Serie A play, Milan will take on Bari on Sunday.

18. Panathinaikos (Gre) (15) – Panathinaikos’ lead in the Greek Super League declined a little bit this week when the club fell to Kavala by a 0-2 score. Coming Up: In its Europa League match, Panathinaikos will host AS Roma on Thursday in this round’s biggest matchup. (Sorry, Ajax and Juventus.) In domestic action, Panathinaikos will take on PAOK on Sunday.

19. Rangers (Sco) (20) – Rangers solidified its Scottish Premier League lead with four points from two matches this week, drawing 1-1 with Motherwell and defeating a surprisingly strong Hibernian 3-0. Coming Up: On Wednesday, Rangers will host St. Mirren in a Scottish Cup match. Rangers will return to SPL action on Saturday against St. Johnnstone.

20. Lille (Fra) (21) – Lille kept pace with Bordeaux and Montpellier in Ligue Un by scoring a 3-1 victory over Boulogne this weekend. Coming Up: Lille will host Turkey’s Fenerbahce on Thursday in a Europa League match. Domestically, Lille’s next match will be Sunday against Stade Rennes.

21. Porto (Por) (22) – Porto scored a 1-0 victory over Académica in a League Cup match early in the week. In Liga Sagres play, Porto managed only a 0-0 draw against Leixões. Coming Up: It’ll be a challenging week for the Iberian club as it hosts Arsenal on Wednesday in the first leg of their Champions League draw. On Sunday, Porto will host Sporting Braga in yet another matchup between ranked clubs.

22. Liverpool (Eng) (23) – Liverpool basically sits still in the rankings this week following an unsurprising 0-1 loss to Arsenal at Emirates Stadium. Coming Up: Liverpool opens up its Europa League season on Thursday when it hosts Unirea Urziceni. Domestically, Liverpool will be fighting to evade next season’s Europa League with a victory against Manchester City.

23. Banfield (Arg) (BU) – Banfield returns to the rankings after a great week. Banfield started with a 2-1 victory over Mexico’s Morelia in its Copa Libertadores debut. In Argentine Clausura action, Banfield defeated Lanus 2-0 this weekend. Coming Up: Banfield heads to Ecuador this week for a Wednesday Copa Libertadores match against Deportivo Cuenca. In Argentine play, Banfield will host Rosario Central on Sunday.

24. Internacional (Bra) (24) – Internacional completed its current Gaucho League run with a 2-1 victory over Esportivo. Coming Up: No upcoming matches.

25. Rubin Kazan (Rus) (25) – No current matches. Coming Up: Rubin Kazan finally returns to action this week after a long winter hiatus. On Thursday, Rubin Kazan will be in coastal Israel to take on Hapoel Tel Aviv. (Since I don’t really don’t have a football picture this week, the picture for this week’s blog is of the Mediterranean, taken a week-and-a-half ago in Tel Aviv. Too bad it was too cold to go into the beautiful water.)

Bubbling Under: Ajax (Ned), Flamengo (Bra), Hamburger SV (Ger), Olympiakos (Gre), Sevilla (Esp).

Next Five: Aston Villa (Eng), Chivas de Guadalajara (Mex), Mallorca (Esp), Montpellier (Fra), Pachuca (Mex).

Matches This Week Between WCR Top 25 Clubs:

16 February – (3) Manchester United at (17) AC Milan

17 February – (7) Arsenal at (21) Porto

18 February – (12) Roma at (18) Panathinaikos

21 February – (13) Sporting Braga at (21) Porto

21 February – (22) Liverpool at (15) Manchester City

Weekend Soccer Television Schedule - 13/14 February 2010

We have nearly a full schedule of football this weekend. Unfortunately, we don’t have the most exciting weekend of football. One of the reasons for this is that this is an FA Cup weekend in England and only one of England’s big four remain in that competition despite the fact that it’s only in its Round of Sixteen.

There are no matchups between WCR Top 25 Clubs this weekend. If you extend the list down to the top thirty-five, there is only one matchup of clubs, so by default that match becomes the Match of the Weekend. That match takes place on Sunday and sees Serie A leaders Inter Milan take on Napoli on Fox Soccer Channel.

There are other good matchups this weekend, just not great matchups. Two matches that involve good clubs against clubs that were expected to be good but have been disappointing this season will be on ESPN Deportes and 360 this weekend. On Saturday, Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen will host defending Bundesliga champions Wolfsburg. The following day, Atletico Madrid will host Primera Division leaders Barcelona.

Those are the highlights. All of the matches broadcast in the United States are listed below. All things considered, I’ll probably watch the Daytona 500 on Sunday. I’ll keep an eyes on the matches, though. Have a great weekend!!!

Top Five Matches of the Weekend:

1. Inter Milan at Napoli (Sunday, 2:45 pm (EST), FSC)

2. Barcelona at Atletico Madrid (Sunday, 3:00 pm, ESPND, ESPN 360)

3. Wolfsburg at Bayer Leverkusen (Saturday, 9:30 am, ESPND, ESPN 360)

4. Borussia Dortmund at Bayern Munich (Saturday, 12:30 pm, GolTV)

5. Udinese at AC Milan (Friday, 2:45 pm, FSC, FSE)

Friday, February 12, 2010

2:30 pm – Nurnberg at Borussia Monchengladbach (GolTV)

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

Saturday, February 13, 2010

7:00 am – Cardiff City at (1) Chelsea (Setanta USA)

7:30 am – Portsmouth at Southampton (FSC)

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

10:00 am – Birmingham City at Derby County (FSC, FSE)

10:00 am – West Bromwich Albion at Reading (Setanta USA)

12 noon – Palermo at (12) Roma (FSC, ESPN 360)

12 noon – (10) Valencia at Sporting Gijon (ESPND, ESPN 360)

12:15 pm – Stoke City at (16) Manchester City (Setanta USA)

12:30 pm – Borussia Dortmund at (8) Bayern Munich (GolTV)

2:00 pm – (5) Real Madrid at Deportivo Xerez (GolTV)

2:45 pm – Fiorentina at Sampdoria (FSC, FSE, ESPN 360)

3:00 pm – Lens at Lyon (Setanta USA)

4:00 pm – Athletic Bilbao at Villarreal (GolTV)

6:00 pm – Toluca at Santos Laguna (TeleFutura)

6:00 pm – Queretaro at Jaguares (Azteca)

6:00 pm – Tigres at Monterrey (Telemundo)

6:20 pm – Deportivo Cali at Atletico Nacional (GolTV)

8:00 pm – Atlas at Morelia (ESPND, Azteca)

8:00 pm – Atlante at Chivas de Guadalajara (Telemundo)

8:30 pm – Junior Barranquilla at Tolima (GolTV)

10:00 pm – Indios at San Luis (TeleFutura)

Sunday, February 14, 2010

1:00 am – Melbourne Victory at Sydney FC (FSC)

8:30 am – Tottenham Hotspur at Bolton Wanderers (FSC)

8:30 am – (14) PSV Eindhoven at Heracles Almelo (ESPND, ESPN 360)

9:00 am – Genoa at Juventus (FSE, ESPN 360)

9:30 am – Köln at (18) Schalke 04 (ESPN 360)

10:00 am – Notts County at Fulham (Setanta USA)

10:30 am – Aston Villa at Crystal Palace (FSC)

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

1:00 pm – Osasuna at Sevilla (GolTV)

1:00 pm – Pachuca at Puebla (FSE)

1:00 pm – UAG Tecos at Pumas UNAM (Telemundo)

1:00 pm – Maritimo at (13) Sporting Braga (ESPN 360)

2:45 pm – (4) Inter Milan at Napoli (FSC)

3:00 pm – Rio Claro at Santos (GolTV)

3:00 pm – St. Etienne at (9) Bordeaux (Setanta USA)

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

5:00 pm – Nacional at Liverpool (GolTV)

5:00 pm – Estudiantes at Independiente (Delayed) (FSE)

5:00 pm – Cruz Azul at Club América (Univision)

Monday, February 15, 2010

5:00 am – Marseille at Monaco (Delayed) (Setanta USA)

6:45 am – Stade Rennes at Auxerre (Delayed) (Setanta USA)

Non-Televised Matches Involving WCR Top 25 Clubs:

Sat., Noon – Os Belenenses at (11) Benfica

Sat., 1:00 pm – Boulogne at (21) Lille

Sat., 1:00 pm – (24) Internacional at Esportivo

Sat., 4:15 pm – (22) Porto at Leixões

Sun., 8:30 am – Hibernian at (20) Rangers

Sun., 9:45 am – Kavala at (15) Panathinaikos

Mon., 3:00 pm – (19) Mallorca at Tenerife

What's Going On? - Domestic Cup Competitions

I generally don’t pay very close attention to domestic cup competitions. They play virtually no role in the WCR Top 25 Rankings and other than the FA Cup final, I don’t watch too many of the matches. We are deep, however, into domestic cup season at the moment. Since I haven’t been following the tournaments, I thought I’d take a look at where the bigger ones stand. Just in case you’re wondering too, I thought I’d post what’s going on.

England – FA Cup

This tournament still has quite a way to go. There still are sixteen clubs left. One thing that may make this tournament exciting, though, is that only one of the Big Four is remaining – Chelsea. Among the bigger clubs remaining in the tournament are Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa, though, so there still could be some big names in the final. The next round takes place on February 13.

England – Carling Cup

England’s league cup tournament has reached the final. On February 28, Aston Villa will face off against Manchester United for the title.

Spain – Copa del Rey

Spain’s cup tournament is still in the semifinals, but the finalists appear to be pretty much set. This week will be the second leg of the semifinal matchups. Racing Santander will host Atletico de Madrid in one semifinal, but Racing will have to overcome a 0-4 deficit in order to advance. In the other semifinal, Getafe will have to overcome a 0-2 first leg loss in order to move on in place of opponent Sevilla.

Italy – Coppa Italia

Like the Copa del Rey, the Coppa Italia’s next match also will be the second leg of the semifinals. In one semifinal, Udinese will host Roma, which won the first leg 2-0. In the other semifinal, Fiorentina will attempt to dig out of it’s 0-1 hole against Inter Milan. I’d tell you when the second legs are going to be played, but I’m not sure. I’ve seen multiple websites saying April 14. I’ve also seen multiple websites saying February 14. It’ll be one or the other, I suppose. Or maybe not. According to the ESPN 360 website, the Fiorentina – Inter Milan match will be broadcast on February 10. Whenever the next legs are played, they should be fun.

Germany – DFB Pokal

The German Cup tournament has reached the quarterfinals, which will be played today and tomorrow. There were a lot of early upsets in this tournament, but five of the final eight clubs in the tournament are 1. Bundesliga participants, including Bayern Munich, Werder Bremen and Schalke 04. The biggest surprise must be third division club VfL Osnabrück. The only match in this round involving a pair of first division clubs is Werder Bremen – TSG Hoffenheim, which will be broadcast on ESPN 360 this afternoon.

France – Coupe de France

Like England’s FA Cup, the Coupe de France is into its Round of Sixteen. The next round will be held today and tomorrow. Among the top clubs remaining in the tournament are Bordeaux, Marseille, Toulouse, Auxerre and Paris St. Germain. There are two matches this week involving a pair of Ligue Un clubs, Lens – Marseille and Bordeaux – Monaco.

France – Coupe de la Ligue

This tournament has reached the finals and, like the Carling Cup in England, has a compelling matchup in the finals between Marseille and Bordeaux. That match will take place on February 17.

Netherlands – KNVB Beker

Holland’s cup competition has reached the semifinals and includes three of the biggest clubs in the Netherlands, but notably misses current Eredivisie leaders PSV Eindhoven. The semifinals will involve Feyenoord – Twente on March 24 and Go Ahead Eagles – Ajax of March 25.

Portugal – Taça de Portugal

I’m not sure when the next round will be played or what the matchups will be, but the quarterfinals have just concluded and the final four clubs will be Porto, Naval, Rio Ave and Desportivo Chaves.

Portugal – League Cup

Like the Taça de Portugal, this Portuguese tournament has reached the semifinals. Unlike the Taça de Portugal, we know who and when everybody is playing. This tournament still involves the three traditional powerhouses, along with Académica de Coimbra. Today (9 February), Sporting CP will host Benfica in one semifinal. Tomorrow (10 February), Porto will host Académica.

WCR Top 25 Clubs in the World - Super Bowl Sunday Edition

I got back into the United States this week in time to finally watch a weekend’s worth of football. And I’m not talking about that one with the oblong ball and the shoulder pads, but the one that you came here to read about.

As we approach the knockout rounds of the UEFA Champions League and Europa League and the group stage of the Copa Libertadores, this week marked some changes in the rankings, though nothing huge. Out of Europe, Liverpool returns to the rankings for the first time in a long time after climbing its way back up into contention for a final four spot in the English Premiership after defeating Everton. Falling out, however, is Spain’s Sevilla, who drops to fifth place in La Liga’s Primera Division after a 1-2 loss to Real Zaragoza this weekend.

If you recall last week’s edition, Banfield ended a several-week drought of South American clubs in the rankings. Well, it couldn’t hold on to its place in the rankings, but it was replaced by another South American club, Internacional, ending an even longer drought for Brazilian clubs in the rankings.

The results of these changes, and lots of other results and changes, are identified below in the latest rankings. Enjoy.

World Club Rankings – Top 25 Clubs in the World – February 8, 2010

1. Chelsea (Eng) (1) – The week didn’t start off well for the top-ranked club in the world, drawing 1-1 with Hull City, but it ended well enough when Chelsea dropped London-rival Arsenal 2-0 in a match of top three clubs in the Premiership. Coming Up: Chelsea heads to Liverpool for a midweek matchup with Everton. This weekend, Chelsea will host Cardiff City in the FA Cup’s Round of Sixteen.

2. Barcelona (Esp) (2) – Barcelona defeated Getafe 2-1 this weekend to maintain its five point lead in the Primera Division. Coming Up: Barcelona is off until Sunday, when it will play its away match against Atletico de Madrid.

3. Manchester United (Eng) (4) – The Red Devils kept the pressure on the Blues this weekend with at 5-0 thrashing of last-place Portsmouth. Coming Up: In one of a few big midweek Premiership matches this week, Manchester United will take on Aston Villa on Wednesday.

4. Inter Milan (Ita) (3) – Internazionale began the week with a 1-0 home win over Fiorentina in the first leg of their Coppa Italia matchup. This weekend, Inter defeated Cagliari 3-0 to put even more space between it and the rest of its Serie A competition. Coming Up: Inter Milan will face Parma on Wednesday in a Serie A match. I’ve seen conflicting information about the weekend, but it appears that the return match against Fiorentina in the Coppa Italia is scheduled for Sunday.

5. Real Madrid (Esp) (6) – Real Madrid kept pace with Barcelona this weekend in the Primera Division with a 3-0 victory over Espanyol. Coming Up: Real Madrid will return to action on Saturday against Deportivo Xerez.

6. Bayer Leverkusen (Ger) (5) – Leverkusen let Bayern Munich catch it in the German Bundesliga by settling with a 1-1 draw this weekend against VfL Bochum. Coming Up: Leverkusen will host defending Bundesliga champions Wolfsburg on Saturday.

7. Arsenal (Eng) (8) – The Gunners are having major problems with the bigger clubs in England, losing again – this time to Chelsea by a 0-2 score. Coming Up: On Wednesday, Arsenal plays its third consecutive match against a Big Four club when it welcomes Liverpool to Emirates Stadium.

8. Bayern Munich (Ger) (10) – With a 3-1 victory over defending champions Wolfsburg, Bayern Munich has moved into a tie atop the Bundesliga table, behind Leverkusen by a goal differential of only two. Coming Up: On Wednesday, Bayern will host Greuther Fürth in a DFB Pokal match. On Saturday, Bayern will host Borussia Dortmund in Bundesliga action.

9. Bordeaux (Fra) (9) – The race for the Ligue Un title became more interesting this week as Bordeaux fell to Stade Rennes by a 2-4 score. Earlier in the week, Bordeaux defeated Sedan 1-0 in the Coupe de la Ligue. Coming Up: On Wednesday, Bordeaux will host Monaco in a Coupe de France Round of Sixteen match. In league play, Bordeaux will host St. Étienne on Sunday.

10. Valencia (Esp) (11) – Like the other clubs at the top of the Primera Division, Valencia won this weekend, scoring a 2-0 victory over Real Valladolid. Coming Up: Valencia will return to action on Wednesday against Sporting Gijon.

11. Benfica (Por) (7) – Benfica picked up four points in two Liga Sagres matches this week, defeating União de Leiria 3-0 and drawing with Vitória Setúbal 1-1 this weekend. Coming Up: Benfica will take on rivals Sporting CP on Tuesday in a Portugues League Cup match. In Liga Sagres action, Benfica will host Os Belenenses on Saturday.

12. Roma (Ita) (21) – Roma jumps up the rankings this week after moving into second place in Serie A following a 1-0 weekend victory over Fiorentina. Earlier in the week, Roma scored a 2-0 victory over Udinese in a Coppa Italia match. Coming Up: Again, I’m a little confused about the weekend schedule in Italy, but it looks like the second leg of the Roma/Udinese Coppa Italia matchup will take place on Sunday.

13. Sporting Braga (Por) (18) – Braga’s only action this weekend was its elimination from the Taça de Portugal on penalty kicks after a 0-0 battle with Rio Ave. Coming Up: Braga will take on Os Belenenses in a Liga Sagres match later today and will play another one against Maritimo on Sunday.

14. PSV Eindhoven (Ned) (13) – PSV extended its lead in the Eredivisie this week with two victories, first 2-1 over Utrecht at midweek and then defeating ADO Den Haag 2-0 this weekend. Coming Up: PSV is off until Sunday when it heads to Almelo to take on Heracles.

15. Panathinaikos (Gre) (15) – Two wins in two matches for Panathinaikos this week. First, the club defeated GS Kallitea 2-0 in a Greek Cup match. This weekend, Panathinaikos defeated Larissa 3-0 in a Super League matchup. Coming Up: Panathinaikos’ next match will be Sunday at home against Kavala.

16. Manchester City (Eng) (14) – Here in the States, the big news from European football this weekend was Jozy Altidore’s first Premiership goal in Hull City’s 2-1 defeat of Manchester City this weekend. Coming Up: On Tuesday, Man City will look to bounce back against Bolton Wanderers at home. This weekend, City will host Stoke City in an FA Cup Round of Sixteen matchup.

17. AC Milan (Ita) (12) – AC Milan stumbled this week into third place in Serie A this week following at 0-0 draw with Bologna. Coming Up: Again, I’m unclear. Milan is scheduled to host Udinense on Friday, but that match may not take place if Udinese and Roma face off in the second leg of the Coppa Italia semifinals. I’ll fix the Italian schedules once I figure them out.

18. Schalke 04 (Ger) – Schalke failed to take advantage of Leverkusen’s draw when it could itself only manage a scoreless draw with Freiburg this weekend. Coming Up: On Wednesday, Schalek will take on Osnabrück in a DFB Pokal match. In Budnesliga play, Schalke will host Köln on Sunday.

19. Mallorca (Esp) (NF) – Mallorca returns to the rankings after jumping Sevilla into fourth place in La Liga following a 1-0 weekend victory over Villarreal. Coming Up: Mallorca doesn’t play again until next Monday when it takes on Tenerife.

20. Rangers (Sco) (19) – Rangers’ treble hopes are still alive after a week of cup action in which it defeated St. Johnstone 2-0 in the League Cup and drew 0-0 with St. Mirren in the Scottish Cup. Coming Up: Rangers will look to extend its already impressive SPL lead in two matches this week against Motherwell and Hibernian.

21. Lille (Fra) (17) – Lille dropped to third place in Ligue Un despite picking up a point on leader Bordeaux with a 1-1 draw with Nice this weekend. Coming Up: On Saturday, Lille will host Boulogne in Ligue Un action.

22. Porto (Por) (22) – The beginning of the week saw Porto defeat Sporting CP 5-2 in a Taça de Portugal match. This weekend, Porto picked up a few points on Benfica with a 3-0 victory over Naval. Coming Up: On Wednesday, Porto will host Académica in a League Cup match. In Liga Sagres action, Porto will take on Leixões on Saturday.

23. Liverpool (Eng) (NR) – After a long absence, Liverpool has climbed its way back into the rankings after a 1-0 derby victory over Everton this weekend. Coming Up; Liverpool’s only match of the week will be a big one – Wednesday against Arsenal at Emirates Stadium.

24. Internacional (Bra) (BU) – Brazil returns to the rankings this week after Internacional picked up two Gaucho League victories, 3-1 over Novo Hamburgo and 2-1 over Avenida, as it prepares to begin its Copa Libertadores campaign. Coming Up: On Saturday, Internacional will take on Esportivo in another Gaucho League match.

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

Bubbling Under: Ajax (Ned), Banfield (Arg), Hamburger SV (Ger), Olympiakos (Gre), Tottenham Hotspur (Eng).

Next Five: Flamengo (Bra), Montpellier (Fra), Napoli (Ita), Sevilla (Esp), Twente (Ned).

Matches Between Top 25 Clubs This Week:

10 February – (23) Liverpool at (7) Arsenal