There Is Only One Sinnacle

- It’s going to be a long season for Toronto FC fans who quite frankly deserve better. After a year where they set the league mark for most games without a goal not only didn’t they address the need for a striker but traded away there best midfielder player maker in Ronnie O’Brien without a replacement. Those fans should demand better from a team sitting on 800k in cap space.

- If Cuauhtemoc Blanco can keep his head on straight he will be a joy to watch all season long. Despite the last minute goal that cost them the three points Real Salt Lake fans should have something to look forward too this season.

- Wouldn’t put too much stock in the 3-0 loss if I were a fan of the Dynamo. Playing on the road against a team that you defeated in the MLS Cup is a tough way to start the season.

- D.C United continues its tradition of starting the season slowly. Good to see Claudio Lopez scoring for the Wizards.

- I’ll say to many times from now on but David Beckham and Landon Donovan are not a good fit in the midfield. In fact with all due respect to Donovan who is a great player I’d consider trading him. Beckham plays beautiful long balls and crosses into the box but there is no one too meet them once inside the penalty area. Donovan takes the ball and tries to use his speed to get past defenders. The two styles just clash. I’d consider moving Donovan for someone who can shore up the defense and a big tall forward who can meet Beckham’s crosses.

First game we have the Toronto FC take on the Columbus Crew.

When the major change for a last place team is hiring John Carver as your head coach it spells another long year for Toronto FC fans.

Sinnacle Prediction 1-1

http://web.mlsnet.com/news/mls_news.jsp?ymd=20080327&content_id=145647&vkey=news_mls&fext=.jsp

Chicago - Real Salt Lake

The fire will look towards life without former head coach Juan Carlos Osorio, who along with Cuauhtemoc Blanco made the Fire one of the most feared teams in the latter half of last season. Real Salt Lake are coming off a season to forget with Freddie Adu moving to Europe. Jason Kreis after a rough first year was given an entire off season to move Salt Lake in the right direction.

Sinnacle Prediction 3-1 Chicago

http://web.mlsnet.com/news/mls_news.jsp?ymd=20080328&content_id=145741&vkey=news_mls&fext=.jsp

New England - Houston

In a re-match of last season MLS Cup final New England will look to do what they could not last November and that is beat the defending Champions. New England are returning much the same lineup as last year where as Houston will have to account for the loss of Nate Jaqua and Joseph Ngwenya who each moved on in the off season.

Sinnacle Prediction 2-0 New England

http://web.mlsnet.com/news/mls_news.jsp?ymd=20080327&content_id=145633&vkey=news_mls&fext=.jsp

D.C United - Kansas City

D.C look impressive from the back line to the strikers up front. Kansas City on the other end will have to hope new signing Claudio Lopez makes up for the loss of Eddie Johnson in the off season.

Sinnacle Prediction 2-1 D.C United

http://web.mlsnet.com/news/mls_news.jsp?ymd=20080327&content_id=145708&vkey=news_mls&fext=.jsp

Los Angeles - Colorado

How will Beckham bounce back from playing in France mid week? Another burning question is how quickly will Galaxy coach Ruud Gullit pick up the MLS game.

http://web.mlsnet.com/news/mls_news.jsp?ymd=20080327&content_id=145645&vkey=news_mls&fext=.jsp

Sinnacle Prediction 1-0 LA Galaxy

- Where was this Arsenal team in the first half with 11 men. Great coaching job by Wenger at half time it must be said.

- This loss must kill Bolton. They will be hard pressed to bounce back from that

- If Manchester United drop points those Chelsea footsteps will grow louder.

- Fulham you don’t deserve to be in the top flight. Up 2-1 late and a minute later give up that lead. Not to mention it was against Derby.

- Manchester City look like Stuart Pearce is back running the show.

- Provided Birmingham can stay up they better find a way to sign Mauro Zarate next season.

- Sunderland will stay up. Down 1-0 early to come back and win 2-1 shows good coaching and players who don’t give up.

- Don’t get comfortable Wigan, dropping points at Portsmouth is understandable but you are not safe yet.

The Special One unveils his latest signing.

Brazilian forward signs with Crew on eve of opener

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Brazilian forward Guilherme So signed with the Columbus Crew on Friday, just in time for the team’s MLS opener on Saturday.

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=520823&cc=5901

Type of young player MLS clubs should go after. Will be interesting if a Guillermo Barros Schelotto link up can develop.

Coaching the Galaxy figures to be challenging for Gullit

CARSON, Calif. (AP) - When the MLS season begins, Los Angeles Galaxy coach Ruud Gullit will be on a new playing field for the first time in his career.

http://msn.foxsports.com/soccer/story/7967258/Coaching-the-Galaxy-figures-to-be-challenging-for-Gullit

Will be interesting to see if Gullit can shake off the coaching watch and bring total football to Los Angeles.

Dynamo taking aim at ‘three-peat’

With two MLS Cups in hand, Dynamo still working hard

http://web.mlsnet.com/news/mls_news.jsp?ymd=20080328&content_id=145927&vkey=news_mls&fext=.jsp

The loss of Nate Jaqua and Joseph Ngwenya will hurt them at least in the early part of the season.

United pin hopes on Latin influx

Black-and-Red features raft of new internationals

http://web.mlsnet.com/news/mls_news.jsp?ymd=20080328&content_id=145919&vkey=news_mls&fext=.jsp

D.C United where a good team now with the additions of Marcelo Gallardo and Gonzalo Martinez they should be considered the team to beat.

Starting with the English Premier League sadly there is no early game however the 11pm kick offs we have Bolton fighting for there EPL lives against a banged up Arsenal team who are winless in the last five games.

Also playing we have

- Birmingham City vs Manchester City

The best part of this time of year is the race at the top of the table and the race to avoid the bottom of the table. Birmingham is fighting to stay up and Manchester City has nothing to play for. A tie will not do for Birmingham they need to pick up full points at home.

- Derby County vs Fulham

If Fulham’s American connection are to keep Fulham in the top flight they need to do what everyone else has been doing this year and that is beat Derby.

- Portsmouth vs Wigan

Credit must be given to Wigan boss Steve Bruce. There was a time it looked like Wigan would be posed to go down. With 31 points and 5 points up on the dreaded 18th spot it looks like Bruce will keep Wigan in the top flight.

- Reading vs Blackburn Rovers

If you are considering becoming a fan of the beautiful game you should not start by watching this game.

- Sunderland vs West Ham

This time last year the Hammers somehow managed to avoid the drop on the last day of the season thanks to Carlos Tevez. This year has been an uneventful year at Upton park. West Ham sit comfortably in 10th spot taking on Roy Keane’s Sunderland side who after last weeks big road win at Aston Villa now see themselves in 16th.

- Manchester United vs Aston Villa

In the late game league leaders Manchester United look to creep one step closer to the title against a Villa side that have not been in the best form over the last month. Villa will not be a walk through with the likes of John Carew being physical enough to make life tough for the Manchester United defensive duo Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic.

In Scotland the Old Firm duke it out has Rangers look to take a strangle hold in the league against arch rivals Celtic. You would be hard pressed to find any rivalry as heated as this. Think Michigan - Ohio State expect add political/religious undertones.

In Italy we have Roma seeking to close the gap against leaders Inter versus bottom of the table side Cagliari. In the second game of the day we have Roma’s arch rivals Lazio in a position to actually do Roma a favor since they go up against league leaders Inter Milan. Inter badly needs to a win here to quiet the whispers that they are falling apart as the season draws to a close.

Moving on to Spain Real Betis plays host Barcelona who will look to keep up the pressure on Real Madrid all the while keeping there eye on the Champions League match vs Schalke mid week.

To wrap up the soccer day MLS kicks off there 13th season highlighted by fox soccer channel’s double header of the New England Revolution taking on the defending MLS Champions Houston Dynamo in a rematch of the finals. Then it’s off to witness Ruud Gullit debut as Galaxy coach taking on the Colorado Rapids. Oh yeah a certain British player should be taking part in that game as well.

Mourinho Flies Into Milan

Former Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho has flown to Milan on Friday evening to talk about a possible role with Inter according to Portuguese media.

http://goal.com/en/Articolo.aspx?ContenutoId=638846

At this rate it wouldn’t shock me if Mourinho was standing behind Inter’s current coach Mancini and telling him which players to play versus Lazio.

Man Utd boss Ferguson confident keeping Queiroz

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson is confident assistant manager Carlos Queiroz won’t be leaving for Benfica.

http://www.tribalfootball.com/article.php?id=85321

I’m shocked this rumor is still going. Queiroz is not your average number 2. Ferguson gives Queiroz a lot of freedom and a lot of press time.

Pizarro Poised For Bundesliga Return

Chelsea striker Claudio Pizarro looks set to be released by the club at the end of the season and could be set for a return to the Bundesliga.

http://goal.com/en/Articolo.aspx?ContenutoId=639042

Even on a free transfer still didn’t understand why Chelsea signed Pizarro in the first place. He was a poor fit to the English game.

Real Madrid president Calderon: Schuster yes, Ronaldinho no

Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon has handed coach Bernd Schuster a vote of confidence - and ruled out a move for unsettled Barcelona star Ronaldinho.

http://www.tribalfootball.com/article.php?id=85330

Unless Real Madrid met the release clause in Ronaldinho which is roughly 250 million and that is not happen. They would be no way that Barcelona would allow Ronaldinho to move to there arch rival.

Tottenham could allow Paul Robinson, Aaron Lennon, Jermaine Jenas, Tom Huddlestone and Darren Bent to leave as boss Juande Ramos looks to whittle down his English contingent. (Daily Express)

Not about being English its about playing your best week in and week out. With the likes of Lennon and Jenas you never know which player will show up.

Chelsea are poised to make a £25m summer move for Barcelona play-maker Xavi Hernandez. (Daily Mirror)

Xavi has been at Barcelona all his life and is a life long fan. Don’t look for this one to happen.

Lyon’s Sweden midfielder Kim Kallstrom, 25, is keen on a summer switch to Everton. (Sun)

If Everton are ever going to make the jump to the Champions League having players like Kim Kallstrom won’t hurt.

Manager Gary Megson has played down rumours of dressing room unrest at struggling Bolton. (Various)

When you are staring at playing in the Championship next year, that can’t make for a happy dressing room.

Liverpool owner George Gillett Jr, has revealed that his partnership with co-owner Tom Hicks has become ‘unworkable’.

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=520550&cc=5901

Well this one has been brewing for months. While Liverpool fans hate both George Gillett and Tom Hicks with a passion it must be said that Gillett has purchased an equally storied franchise in the Montreal Canadiens. You’d be hard pressed to find a Canadiens fan that would take issue with the way Gillett has managed the club since purchasing it. This Liverpool partnership was doomed from one day and it didn’t help matters when Rafa Benitez called both owners out in the fall regarding future transfers thus turning them officially into public enemy number 1 and 2 in Liverpool.

Benzema And Quaresma Head Madrid’s List Of Six

Karim Benzema, Ricardo Quaresma and Daniel Alves are just three of the names on the list of players that Bernd Schuster has told Real Madrid he wants to sign in the summer.

http://goal.com/en/articolo.aspx?contenutoid=637894

You will continue to hear these rumors when Real are not playing well and they will die down when or if Real regain there form.

Moratti Slams Mancini Lies

Inter President Massimo Moratti has angrily labelled the reports that he is set to sack Roberto Mancini at the end of the season as “all lies”.

http://goal.com/en/articolo.aspx?contenutoid=637343

Where there is smoke there is fire. If Mancini loses the locker room he will get the sack even if Inter win the league.

Trezeguet urges Juventus to buy Argentine

David Trezeguet wants Juventus to buy Argentine in the summer.

http://tribalfootball.com/article.php?id=85219

Players should focus on playing. Taking about buying other players only makes them more expensive to buy.

Schalke’s Rafinha dreams of Barcelona move

Schalke 04 fullback Rafinha admits he is keen on a move to Barcelona.

http://tribalfootball.com/article.php?id=85213

Rafinha is dreaming about playing for every team expect for the team he plays for Schalke. First talking up a move to Liverpool now Barcelona. Rafinha will get a chance to impress once the two teams meet in the Champions League.

Podolski Sick Of The Bayern Bench

Lukas Podolski came off the bench to score for Germany in midweek, but says he’s had just about enough of being a substitute for club Bayern Munich

http://goal.com/en/Articolo.aspx?ContenutoId=637906

For crying out loud be quiet. Come the summer time you’ll be reunited with Jurgen Klinsmann anyway. Fight for your place in the starting 11 then.

Bosingwa Wants Porto Exit

Porto right-back Bosingwa has stated his desire to leave the Dragons and move to a more competitive league.

http://www.goal.com/en/Articolo.aspx?ContenutoId=637709

The time is right for Porto to cash in on him. If Wes Brown leaves Manchester United look for Bosingwa to move heaven and earth trying to replace him.