The Growth of American Football posted by Chris Johnson

Football is no longer just an American sport anymore. With American servicemen playing football on their off time, the game received notice from the people of the countries these servicemen were stationed. American football, or "gridiron football," has been going strong for some time now. Football is being played in several countries around the world.

Here's a list of countries playing (American) football:

American Samoa, Argentina, Austria, Bahamas, Brazil, Canada, Croatia, Costa Rica, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Chili, Colombia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Hungary, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, Moldova, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Scotland, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, United States (of course), Uruguay, Thailand, Australia, and Venezuela.

In the not to distant future, the United States will be introduced to just one of the players from Germany who was selected in the second round (58th overall), of the 2009 NFL draft by the New England Patriots. Sebastian Vollmer, who is an offensive lineman, has become the first European-trained player to be drafted. He began his career with the Dusseldorf Panthers (Dusseldorf, Germany). Vollmer played for the University of  Houston, and was noticed by the scouts of several NFL teams.

The National Football League has made the claim that they introduced football to the world. When the real trans-Atlantic carriers of the game, was actually our servicemen. However, the NFL failed to keep it's NFL Europe going. NFL Europe was originally thought to expand the game to Europe, gathering it's players from the host countries.

Centsports Is Sweet posted by Chad

So, rumor has it online sports betting used to be really sweet; I heard pinnaclesports was an excellent, reputable site until the US cracked down on this alleged integrity issue.  An article I read points to a 1999 study that over $380 billion is illegally wagered on betting.  Now, I am not an advocate of; well, if society does it.. then it must be right.  Because usually, I think people are pretty stupid, especially society.  However, this seems harmless to me because the money can be used in so many ways.  Think of all the tax money and money, in general, the state and the US can collect, insane.  Anyway, it appears sports betting is only allowed in several states where it was legal before a certain law was passed.
BUT WAIT!  There is still a way for you to bet!  centsports.com and it is sweet.  There aren't props or a ton of other options.. but it is free betting.  It's a simple concept; advertisers pay your profit.  You view some ads maybe click on a few of them and then you can make and win some bets.  You start at .10 and have to work your way up from there.  It can be a real challenge, and you can do up to 5 game parlays; there are some early bonus options to boost your account size.  You'd have to read more of the rules to see how they try to limit you a little bit, which makes sense.. I'm sure they don't want to be making $550,000 payouts on a daily basis. 
There are a lot of betting options, soccer leagues galore, the WNBA (I giggle everytime), NFL, MLB, college sports, NHL, MMA, tennis, Nascar are all available for wagers.  Thankfully, I have no clue about MMA, tennis, or soccer yet I routinely throw wagers down on them and lose, draining my bank account.  I believe they would call me a degenerate in Vegas.  This is part of the reason I'm sure I have never made it passed the magnificent account total of.... $5.50!  TA DA!  Sweet.  I know.  Guess where I am at after 1 year of this.  .10!  The starting point.  Thanks to the Marlins loss last night or I would have hit a 5 team parlay.  Back to the drawing board.

With Xabi Alonso Gone to Real Madrid, Can Liverpool Remain in the Premier League's Top Two? posted by Michael Orr

Finally it's over. After a seemingly endless courtship and game of one-ups-manship, Liverpool have sold midfielder Xabi Alonso to Real Madrid for a cool £30m. Whether Alonso will have any kind of an impact at Real is unclear as their newly constructed club features other star midfielders like Kaká and Cristiano Ronaldo. But what is almost certain is the major downgrade on Merseyside.

It's true, Liverpool is still a very strong club and capable of having a better season than three-quarters of the English Premier League. But with their second-place finish last season, high hopes have been pinned on the Reds to compete again for the title. Losing Alonso, regardless of how the £30m in return is spent, is a serious loss. His passing and decision-making skills are nearly unmatched and his camaraderie with Fernando Torres gave Liverpool a potent, yet calculated attack.

Manchester United are certainly going to have a harder time this season and now Liverpool have been hit hard as well. But it's possible they're still the best two clubs in England. Can Chelsea adopt the style of Carlo Ancelotti in time to compete for this year's title, especially when his focus is on the Champions League? What about Arsenal, do they have enough to keep up with the top three? And Manchester City, how do their outrageous acquisitions affect the balance at the top? These questions won't be answered until the matches start on August 15, but one thing is certain, Xabi Alonso's move away from the Premier League is a serious change.

Juve and Madrid Triumph in Peace Cup posted by Dewa Nugraha

 It looks like the two giants of European football are finally getting their shape on their pre-season matches as both teams managed to beat their opponents at the Peace cup tournament. The Italian giants trashed their Asian opponents Seongnam 3-0, with their new star Diego scores one of the goals. Meanwhile, after being held by Al-Itihad in the previous game, Madrid finally takes off in a winning way by defeating LDU Quito 4-2, and just like Juve, the Los Blancos' superstar Cristiano Ronaldo also puts his name on the score sheet.

Juve's Win

Playing with 4-3-1-2 formation, Juve looked ready to take on their opponent on the field by playing their new star Diego just behind Iaquinta and Trezeguet. The former Werder Bremen player didn't seem to take his time in trying to impress the Bianconeri fans' as he was playing impressive on the day bagging a goal and constantly instrumental in Juve's playing.

Already grabbing a victory in their first game, Juve looked determined to grab another 3 poin and ensure their place to the next stage. Proving it, I'll Bianconeri created lots of chances with Iaquinta shots and Diego's free kicks, however it took t38th minute before the Old Lady finally managed to slot the ball into Seongnam's net, thanks to a rather fluke goal by Iaquinta.

In the second half, Juve hasn't stop their impressive form as they manage to add two more goals notably from Diego himself, who dribbled his way int to the penalty area before unleashing a wicked left foot drive in the 53th minute. The 3-0 scoreline was completed on the 69th minute by Nicola Legrotaglie's header nodding in Sebastian Giovinco lovely cross from the right side.

Etoo Agreed Terms With Inter posted by Dewa Nugraha

It looks like the mega swap deal involving two notable strikers Samuel Etoo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, is set to take it's ending as latest reports from Italy stated that Eto'o has finally agreed his contract terms with Inter. It is also said that the cameroon striker will be flying to Italy on Monday to complete sign the papers and do his medical in Milan.

Confirming about the agreement Samu's agent, Jose Maria Mesalles, quoted as saying, "It's done. An agreement between Inter and ourselves has been reached. Yesterday Samuel spoke with Mourinho and he is very happy." Moreover Mesalles added, "The only problem is with Barcelona. The player may arrive on Monday or Tuesday to work with Inter. It's not official, but the agreement with Inter has been made. It's a five year deal."

Now all eyes will be waiting on the latest confirmation from Barcelona, who is negotating all the terms with Ibra, however earliers this week, Barcelona's chief Joan Laporta, stated that the deal with Ibra will be completed as soon as possible.  Despite there are no official confirmation yet, local media in Spain have claimed that the deal is done, and Ibra will be flying to Spain soon.

The deal, happened in somewhat of a schocking situation as it seemed to be off for a while, however in their desperate measure to land David Villa, Barcelona has finally opted what they consider as a win-win solution by getting a great striker and giving out their contract troubled one. Despite there are some controversy regarding the amount of transfer fee, the deal seems to be a good options for both clubs and players.

Club America Shocked Milan posted by Dewa Nugraha

A surprise result occurred at the pre-season friendly tournament the World Club Football Challenge held at Atlanta Dome last night as Italian giants Ac Milan was beaten by Mexican side CF America 2-1. The rossoneri looked to be disappointed with the result as they fail to secure their first win in the tournament, as Club America, with this win they are now leading the table with 8 points, followed by Chelsea.

The match:

The first half started with a good pace and nice atmosphere as both team looked to impress the fans, however it was the Mexican side who arguably did most of the attacking intentions in the early part of the half, with Milan seems trying to get in to their stripes. Despite looking more dangerous, Club America didn't really trouble Milan except from one shot by Cabanas which was taken easily by the Italian team keeper Marco Storari. Meanwhile, the 7 time Champions League winner, who is still adapting with their new coach's system, despite not making lots of attempts in the first half, actually have the better chances. The first notable opportunities spurn by the Italian giants comes from their RB Luca Antonini, latching on Ronaldinho's pass, Luca sprung pass the offside trap but saw his shoot ballooned over the crossbar. Another clear cut chances for Milan came from Ronaldinho's free kick which just hit the top corner of the bar. Failing to convert anything, both teams gets back in to the dressing room with a stalemate result.

US Soccer Team come out winners even in defeat posted by Matthew McCabe

The eyes of the soccer world were on South Africa Sunday as the upset minded US National Team took on powerhouse Brazil in the final of the FIFA Confederations Cup. The Americans, on life support after the first two games of the tournament, were looking to complete their stunning turn around with a victory over Brazil in the final. The US had taken down the World's #1 team, Spain, on Wednesday and were looking to pull off another huge upset over Brazil who beat host South Africa to reach the final. For 45 minutes the US had the World wondering, could it be?

Through the first half the US was clearly the better team, led by Tim Howard who put in one of the best performances of his career. At the halftime whistle the Americans were ahead 2-0 and holding the Brazilian offense in check. In the 2nd half the US did all they could, Howard in particular, to keep the Brazilians off the board. Slowly but surely, however, you could see the Brazilians beginning to wear down the Americans, beginning to find a groove offensively. Brazil would fire in 3 goals in the later portion of the 2nd half, the final dagger coming in the 84th minute, to steal victory from the US with a 3-2 comeback win.

After the US' opening two games of the Confederations Cup, the state of affairs of US Soccer looked bleak. After holding a 1-0 lead into the 2nd half against Italy, the Americans crumbled under the relentless onslaught of the Italians and fell 3-1. Their second game was not much prettier as the same Brazilian side handily defeated the US 3-0. However, a remarkable turn-around in effort and the assistance of fate allowed the Americans another chance to prove themselves against the World's best. The Americans pulled off one of soccer's greatest upsets and defeated #1 Spain and then pushed Brazil to the brink before falling 3-2.

Momental victory for US National team, but what does it really mean? posted by Matthew McCabe

The United States National Team scored a monumental victory yesterday in the FIFA Confederations Cup, defeating world #1 Spain 2-0 in the tournament's semi-final game. Spain had been on an amazing streak heading into yesterday's game against the U.S. Spain was riding a 35 match unbeaten streak, one short of the all time record, and was also riding a world 15 game winning streak. None of that made a difference yesterday as Spain and its roster of world class footballers fell to the U.S.

All things considered, yesterday was a fantastic moment for the U.S. National Team as they pulled off one of international football's most stunning upsets. Spain is loaded with talented players who play for some of the best teams, in the best leagues in European football. Iker Casillas is perhaps the best goalie in the world right now, Gerard Pique, Carles Puyol, and Sergio Ramos comprise one of the best defenses in the world, and Fernando Torres and David Villa might be the most deadly 1-2 combination up front. The U.S. on the other hand is a very young, very green team with little depth and few veteran leaders. The majority of the U.S. players play at home in the less impressive MLS, and those who play abroad play in some of Europe's lesser leagues or see little playing time.

Like it or not, yesterday's victory by the U.S. meant more overseas than it does here in America. Football, real football, is the World's biggest sport and in most countries it is the top dog. Only in America is football considered a 5th sport. In America, baseball and American football are the kings. Meanwhile, basketball and hockey fight for the attention of the remaining sports fans across the country. There are a proud few in this country, myself included, that grew up playing soccer and respect the game as being the greatest across the globe. Americans tend to ignore soccer because quite frankly, we don't have a very solid winning tradition. We haven't dominated the sport for decades, and it isn't appreciated because it is seen as a sport lacking in offense and bogged down in midfield passing. Never mind the fact that baseball can be one of the slowest games to watch and that hockey can be just as lacking in offense, soccer gets a bad wrap. Yesterday was proof however that the U.S. can succeed in soccer as well, and to the average sports fan it was an amazing game to watch and made you proud to be an American.

U.S. flops in Confederations Cup opener posted by Matthew McCabe

The U.S. Men's National Team began play today in the Confederations Cup in South Africa in forgettable fashion. The U.S., playing in what some are calling the "group of death", faced defending world champion Italy today. The Americans put in a performance similar to Jekyll and Hyde with a strong first half followed by a flop of a second half.

Working against the American squad was a red card issued to Ricardo Clark in the 33rd minute for a late tackle on Italy's Gennaro Gattuso. Up to that point the game had seen nothing more than toothless offensive forays from both teams, but after Clark's departure the U.S. seemed re-energized despite playing 10 v 11. The increased U.S. effort was rewarded in the 41st minute as Jozy Altidore raced into the Italian 18yd box only to be hauled down by Giorgio Chiellini. Landon Donovan converted the PK for his 40th international goal and sent the U.S. into halftime up 1-0.

The first half however would see the end of the U.S.' good play as the second half was dominated by an Italian side that took full advantage of being a man up. American born Giuseppe Rossi pulled Italy even just one minute after coming into the game with a frozen rope shot from 30yds in the 58th minute. Daniele De Rossi would score from 15yds out in the 72nd minute to put Italy ahead for good at 2-1. Guiseppe would get himself another goal in stoppage time off an Andrea Pirlo cross to give Italy a 3-1 win to open the tournament.

For Italy, today's game was a fantastic start to the Confederations Cup and a statement to the world that the champs are ready to defend their title. Italy showed amazing resiliency, after a slow start they came out strong in the second half and exploded offensively after Rossi's 58th minute goal tied the game.

Can Real Madrid buy its way back to glory? posted by Matthew McCabe

The summer transfer period is just a few weeks old and already Real Madrid has forked over more money in transfer fees than most clubs could ever dream of spending. After a disappointing 2008-2009 domestically and in Europe for Los Blancos, the decision was made to tear it down and start fresh in Madrid. The organization was forced to watch their biggest rival, Barcelona, complete the Treble this season, winning La Liga by a comfortable nine point margin, taking home the Copa Del Rey, and conquering the Champions League with a fantastic 2-0 defeat of Manchester United. As if it weren’t bad enough, Madrid was unceremoniously bounced from the Champions League 5-0 on aggregate by English side Liverpool.

A slow start in La Liga this season cost manager Bernd Schuster his job, and the embarrassing Champions League exit coupled with a late season 6-2 loss to rival Barcelona cost club President Ramon Calderon his position. New club President Florentino Perez and manager Manuel Pellegrini have been tasked with regaining Madrid’s elite status among Europe’s clubs. Perez wasted no time making Madrid’s intentions clear. Monday the team paid AC Milan $92.05 million for midfielder Kaka and then broke the bank on Thursday, paying Manchester United $131 million for midfielder Cristiano Ronaldo. Now the question is will $223 million spent on two of the world’s elite footballers make a difference?

Recent history is full of examples of money not being enough to buy your way to the top. Championships aren’t won and lost simply by throwing the best players out on the field and letting them do their thing. Winning means having the right chemistry on the pitch among players and the right manager on the bench guiding the team. Keeping that in mind, here are some reasons way the fans in Madrid should approach next season with caution.

Quakes give GM John Doyle extension through 2011 (AP)

San Jose Earthquakes general manager of soccer operations John Doyle has received a contract extension that takes him through the 2011 season and includes an option for the 2012 campaign. Doyle has been the GM since Oct. 3, 2007, overseeing the club's return to the field in Major League Soccer in 2008 following a two-year absence. [read full article]

From Yahoo! Sports

World title can cap solid year for Spain (AP)

Spain's reign as kings of the sports world this year can be assured by retaining their title at the upcoming basketball world championship. The country's national soccer team finally won the World Cup last month, shortly after tennis star Rafael Nadal completed his second French Open-Wimbledon double in three years. [read full article]

From Yahoo! Sports

Well-traveled Diop scores 2 for Wizards (AP)

Birahim Diop, out of professional soccer last season, scored his first two MLS goals Saturday night in the Kansas City Wizards' 4-1 victory over the New England Revolution. After playing in his native Senegal, Diop played four games for the MetroStars in 2002, then went on to teams in Moldova and Colombia. [read full article]

From Yahoo! Sports

Saturday's Major League Soccer Capsules (PA SportsTicker)

Birahim Diop, out of professional soccer last season, scored his first two MLS goals Saturday night in the Kansas City Wizards' 4-1 victory over the New England Revolution. [read full article]

From Yahoo! Sports

Timbers choose Spencer to lead team in MLS (AP)

The Portland Timbers announced Tuesday that John Spencer will be their head coach when the team debuts in Major League Soccer next year. Spencer played soccer professionally for 18 seasons and has spent the past five years as an assistant coach with the Houston Dynamo. The 39-year-old Spencer will be introduced at a news conference Wednesday in Portland. [read full article]

From Yahoo! Sports