First off, check out our playoff coverage right here. And then try to scrub the images of the Seattle-Houston game out of your mind. What a foul-fest.

Then: One of the biggest games of the year in American soccer to date will take place this weekend. It is not, unfortunately, part of the MLS playoffs.

The game is Arsenal against Tottenham, and it will be the first big-four clash to air on ESPN2’s morning EPL slot. How it fares in terms of the ratings will be a harbinger for the game over here for the year — and decade — to come

ESPN’s biggest success of the year so far was back in August, with the Liverpool-Villa game that pulled in almost 400,000 viewers. Since then, the net’s ratings have dipped — last week’s Wolves-Villa game drew just over half that with 204,882 — but so have the quality of the games and teams. (The ratings for the entire season have been published on EPLTalk)

So: If, as many people think, and the Premier League does post good ratings on ESPN2 with this week’s Arsenal-Tottenham game, it will represent a vindication of the American network’s attempt to dive into world soccer. It will also represent a success for the Premiership itself and it’s ambitious five-year plan to stage some of its games in America. Last, but not least — and this bit should worry MLS fans — it could provide the most concrete evidence yet that even with a 14-year head start, MLS is not gaining traction.

DAILY READS:

Ugh.

How much of a bully is Sir Alex? Wel,l get this: Ref Wiley offered to resign if he was indeed unfit.

Wigan sack jailed Marlon King; King to appeal but has troubled history of violence, especially towards women

Blanco to Veracruz?

DEPT OF BEING TOO HONEST: This cost Kevin Payne $5K. He's right, of course.

DEPT OF FLASHES IN THE PAN: First, Tampa Bay outlets reported that Manchester United owner Glazer lost $400m in Madoff scheme; may sell Bucs; Then, Glazers fired back on link to Madoff; calling  it "100% false."  This morning, Clear Channel radio station suspended host who made original comments.

Phil Brown gets one game to save his hide at Hull

TV THIS WEEKEND (All times EDT/ET and our picks in bold)
TODAY
U17WC: Germany v Honduras    1100    ESPN360
U17WC: Argentina v Nigeria        1100    ESPN360
U17WC: Japan v Mexico        1400    ESPN360
U17WC: Switzerland v Brazil    1400    ESPN360
QPR vs Leicester            1545    ESPN360

SATURDAY
Moscow v Zenit St. Pete        0700    Setanta
Arsenal v Tottenham            0830    ESPN2
Stuttgart v Bayern Munich        1030    GolTV
U17WC: Gambia v Colombia        1048    ESPN360
U17WC: Holland v Iran        1048    ESPN360
Fulham v Liverpool            1100    Setanta
Bolton v Chelsea            1100    FSC/FSE
Sunderland v West Ham        1100     (SDD FSC 1800)
Stoke v Wolves            1100    (SDD Setanta 2130)
Pompey v Wigan            1100    (SDD Setanta 2315)
Burnley v Hull                1100    stream only
Everton v Villa            1100     Setanta X* (SDD 1800)
Getafe v Real Madrid            1255    ESPND
Juventus v Napoli            1300    RAI (SDD on FSE 1730)
Real Madrid v Getafe            1300    stream
Man U v Blackburn            1330    FSC
U17WC: Burkina Faso v CR        1348    ESPN360
U17WC: New Zealand v Turkey    1348    ESPN360
Osasuna v Barcelona            1500    GolTV
AC Milan v Parma            1545    FSC/FSE
St. Etienne v Lyon            1600    Setanta
Bilbao v Atletico Madrid        1700    GolTV
Braga v Benfica            1715    ESPN360
Columbus v RSL            1800    DK/RSNs/MLSNET.com
Cruz Azul v Atlante            1900    Azteca
San Luis v Monterrey            1900    Telefutura
Tigres v Tecos                2100    Telemundo
Indios v Puebla            2100    Azteca
Atlas v Pachuca            2300    Telemundo

SUNDAY (TIME CHANGE TOOK EFFECT TODAY AT 2 AM)
Ajax v Feyenoord            0600    ESPN360
Spartak v Rostov            0700    Setanta
Dundee United v Rangers        0745    stream

Sampdoria v Bari            0900    RAI
Roma v Bologna            0900    ESPN360
Livorno v Inter Milan            0900    FSC/FSE/360
U17WC: Malawi v Spain        0948    ESPN360
U17WC: USA v UAE            0948    ESPNU/360
Almeria v Zaragoza            1055    ESPN360
Birmingham v Man City        1100    FSE/FSC
U17WC: Korea v Algeria        1248    ESPN360
U17WC: Italy v Uruguay        1248    ESPN360
Palmeiras v Corinthians        1300    GolTV
Morelia v Chivas            1300    Azteca
Toluca v Queretaro            1300    Telemundo
Fire v Revs                1400    FSC
Coruna v Gijon            1500    GolTV
Palermo v Genoa            1545    FSC
America v Jaguares            1700    Univision
LAG v Chivas                1700    ESPN2
Santos v Pumas            2100    Telefutura

The MLS playoffs kick off tonight with the sagging Dynamo taking on the expansion Seattle Sounders. But the real story of the day is up North, where the best-supported team in MLS crashed out of the playoffs, again… and gave their GM a two-year extension.

Huh?!

Let's recap: Toronto FC is part of an organization known for losing. MLSE, the team’s parent, also owns the worst-in-hockey Toronto Maple Leafs (they’ve won one game all year) yet makes money hand over fist thanks to the dogged loyalty of its fans. The Maple Leafs are Canada’s Team, an asset not even the late Harold Ballard could strangle.

TFC is a different animal: Hockey is Canada’s game, not soccer. And yet, since the day it opened the doors, it has been MLS’ best-supported team. Lose, lose, or even win, the fans show up in force each and every game. How much longer that will last is an open question. For, right now, the relationship between the club and its fans is near a breaking point.

TFC have never made the playoffs. This year, they plumbed a new low, by missmissing the post-season in shocking fashion. Who loses 5-0 to the gawdawful New York Red Bulls? Toronto. The disgust was palpable.

Shortly afterwards, the team canned interim coach Chris Cummins, who took over the job when John Carver — who had had it up to here with the lack of professionalism in MLS — abruptly decamped.

Cummins had some choice comments to the Canadian media about his departure, saying that the locker room had some “bad apples;” that GM Mo Johnston was firing him as a way to “deflect criticism” And noting tartly that: I've been here 18 months and they've been the same issues and I'm sure they've been the same issues for three years.”

After the collapse, star player Dwayne DeRosario also questioned his teammates’ heart and guts, without naming names. Cummins also said he told Johnston and looked to ship some guys out. In competing media scrums, Johnston said he was never made aware of the lockerroom problems. That’s a statement this reporter finds difficult to take at face value considering Carver was so up-front about the issue.

When teams lose, finger-pointing invariably follows, so this doesn’t come as any sort of shock. What is troubling about all this is how badly MLS needs Toronto to succeed.

Toronto and Seattle are the bright spots in a league that is still clawing for respect and credibility. And while MLS HQ is trying to be more hands-off, the folks there have to know the risks. Admittedly, this is a league that let mismanagement reign in New York, killing that team stone dead at the box office. It also flubbed the rollout of David Beckham. So, some might say that MLS HQ might not be the best place to loom for guidance.

That said, it’s clear that Johnston — who was terrible in New York as well —  isn’t the person to be in charge of such an important franchise. MLS and MLSE need to sit down and fix this mess. The last thing American soccer needs is another half-empty soccer stadium and a team with a legacy of alienated fans.

DAILY READS
No season for MLS? Union warns players to sock away money

While Hull City’s Brown fights off rumours he will be sacked (and bookies stop taking bets), his chairman suddenly quits

Who is Arsenal’s keeper? And what happened to Almunia?

Rangers latest team to be hit with money woes

More fun in Kenya, where no one runs anything

Head injuries and football. And don’t forget: Soccer has its own concussion problems.


TV TODAY:
U17WC:    
USA vs Malawi     1100 ESPN360/ESPNU
Italy v Korea        1100 ESPN360
UAE v Spain        1400 ESPN360
Uruguay v Algeria    1400 ESPN360

Boca vs Chacartia        1400    FSE
Inter v Palermo        1545    FSC/FSE
Dynamo v Sounders        2200    ESPN2

        First impressions of Wilmer Cabrera's American U-17 team that opened the FIFA U-17 World Cup on Monday are positive.
       You might say this is strange: The team had a 1-0 lead in five minutes, played 88 minutes against ten men and still couldn't beat Spain. The Europeans won 2-1 thanks a very good strike rate and with perhaps just a tiny bit of help from a linesman who appeared to miss an offside decision on one of the two tallies.
        But this isn't about the result as much as it is about how the Americans played. This one was not the usual kick-and-hope approach that dominates our youth game too often. This performance was measured, well-thought and it lasted for 90 minutes, something pretty rare for a USA team at any level.
        We have seen plenty of this age-group soccer in the past 20 years, including FIFA World Cups and the qualifying rounds which lead up to it, so we are hardly going to get carried away by one game. If anything is true about U-17 players it is that they are notoriously unpredicatble and offer performances which can vary radically from game to game. Few of the individuals ever reach the top level, although the real standouts in this event usually do go on to be special: think Cesc Fabregas when he stole the Finland-hosted event from then-touted Freddy Adu.
        Indeed, results really don't matter at this point; indeed Americans often are too interested in how a team did in terms of W's and L's and overlook how those numbers were achieved.
        It will be good enough for us if Cabrera's team can merely replicate its approach and organization in its remaining games in Nigeria. Even after an opening loss, this team looked good enough to impress against Malawi and the United Arab Emirates.
        I'm not even going to mention any players this morning. That will come later if deserved. Right now my focus is strictly on wanting to see a US team play with its mind as much as with its body. We saw next to nothing in terms of intelligent play development from the U-20 bunch in Egypt -- heart and effort and physicality, yes.
         Even our senior national team regularly fails in the thinking department -- we get players sent off and carded far too often and too many times the team cannot put two consistent halves together. Nobody ever questions the effort, but it's time we demanded far more than hard work.
        If there is to be any real change in our players it has to begin at the U17 level. We can choose to play more slowly, smarter and with a creative touch, but first we have stop running at full speed and flying into tackles. Coaching can influence players to make that choice and change their game. The appointment of Cabrera, a Colombian international, may turn out to have been a significant first step in getting something like that happening at last.
    --
        All of the U17 event from Nigeria is airing on ESPN360.com for those of you lucky enough to have access to those high-quality productions.
        ESPN360.com is also where you will be able to see the Arsenal-Liverpool Carling Cup game this afternoon (3:45 p.m., Eastern). Of interest there will be how the sides line up. Arsene Wenger has used this Cup to blood youngsters; Liverpool, too, has not been full strength early-on, but drawn against Arsenal and in the middle of a well-publicized crisis can Rafa Benitez afford to trust his kids with this trip to the Emirates?
    And for any of you who are wondering, the "later" kickoff times for this week's games from Europe are down to the fact that they ended Summer Time last weekend. We change our clocks this weekend so things will be back to "normal" on Sunday.

DAILY READS

Real Madrid walloped by nobodies

Man United fans kick off trouble in Carling Cup tie at Barnsley

Portsmouth hit with transfer ban over debts

USA to play Slovakia

Oct 27

    Took a day off yesterday after another long weekend of following football and letting all of you Twitter users know about it in real-time. (As always, each weekend and Champs League day, you can get real-time updates via @championsonfox)
    But, today’s story is already up on the front page, so go check it out. Tomorrow is a travel day for me, but we’ll return to regularly scheduled service on Thursday, with a look ahead at the MLS playoffs and matchups.

DAILY READS
Scotland’s SPL  is more like the MLS than we care to admit…

AND: Read this one closely: Knight Commission recommendations would badly hurt college soccer

Payback time? Ferguson under fire from the refs

Altidore heavily fined for tweeting an apology

Riots in France go on “as scheduled” despite postponement of PSG-OM game due to swine flu

Speaking of: Blackburn says it has swine flu, and has given it to Chelsea.

Swine flu extra: Feel better, Trevor!

Milan says Beckham deal is done


TV TODAY
U17WC:
Argentina v Germany and Switzerland v Spain at 1100 (ESPN360)
Nigeria v Honduras and Brazil v Mexico at 1400 (ESPN360)

CARLING CUP:
Barnsley v Man United    1545    Setanta

TV:
Friday October 23
2:25pm ET - Bundesliga - Bayer Leverkusen vs Borussia Dortmund - GolTV
2:40pm ET - English Football League "Championship" - Watford vs Sheffield Wednesday - ESPN360.com
8pm ET - Men's College - Evansville vs Drake - FOX Soccer Channel
9pm ET - Liga Mexicana - Estudiantes Tecos vs Toluca - Galavision

Saturday October 24
7:30am ET - EPL - Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Aston Villa - ESPN2 (HD)
9:25am ET - Bundesliga - Bayern Munich vs Eintracht Frankfurt - ESPN Deportes & ESPN360.com
9:30am ET - EPL - Tottenham vs Stoke City - Setanta Sports USA
9:55am ET - EPL - Hull City vs Portsmouth - Setanta Xtra (5pm ET SDD on Setanta Sports USA)
9:55am ET - EPL - Birmingham City vs Sunderland - FOX Soccer Channel & FOX Sports en Espanol
10:48am ET - FIFA U-17 World Cup - Honduras vs. Argentina - ESPN360.com
10:48am ET - FIFA U-17 World Cup - Mexico vs. Switzerland - ESPN360.com and Galavision
11:55am ET - La Liga - Atletico de Madrid vs Mallorca - ESPN Deportes & ESPN360.com
11:55am ET - Serie A - Sampdoria vs Bologna - RAI International
12:25pm ET - English Football League "Championship" - Derby County vs Queen's Park Rangers - Setanta Sports USA
12:25pm ET - EPL - Chelsea vs Blackburn Rovers - FOX Soccer Channel & FOX Sports en Espanol
12:55pm ET - Ligue 1 - Bordeaux vs Le Mans - TV5Monde USA
1:48pm ET - FIFA U-17 World Cup - Brazil vs. Japan - ESPN360.com
1:48pm ET - FIFA U-17 World Cup - Nigeria vs Germany - ESPN360.com
1:55pm ET - La Liga - Sporting de Gijon vs Real Madrid - GolTV
2:30pm ET - Serie A - Inter Milan vs Catania - FOX Soccer Channel, FOX Sports en Espanol & RAI International
2:55pm ET - Ligue 1 - Rennes vs Montpelier - Setanta Sports USA
3:55pm ET - La Liga - Sevilla vs Espanyol - GolTV
5pm ET (SDD) - EPL - Burnley vs Wigan Athletic - FOX Soccer Channel
5pm ET (SDD) - Serie A - Sampdoria vs Bologna - FOX Sports en Espanol
5:55pm ET - Brasileirao - Atletico Mineiro vs Vitoria - GolTV
5:55pm ET - Liga Mexicana - Jaguares vs Santos - Azteca America & ESPN Deportes
6pm ET - Liga Mexicana - Queretaro vs Cruz Azul - TeleFutura
7:55pm ET - Colombia - Millonarios vs Medellin - GolTV
7:55pm ET - Liga Mexicana - Tigres vs San Luis - Telemundo
8pm ET - Liga Mexicana - Pachuca vs Indios - TeleFutura
9pm ET - MLS - Real Salt Lake v Colorado Rapids - FOX Soccer Channel
9:55pm ET (SDD) - Liga Mexicana - Atlante vs Atlas - Telemundo

Sunday October 25
2am ET - A-League - Sydney vs Brisbane - FOX Soccer Channel
6:55am ET - Russian Premier League - CSKA Moscow vs FC Moscow - Setanta Sports USA
9:25am ET - EPL - Bolton Wanderers vs Everton  - Setanta Sports USA
9:25am ET - Dutch Eredivisie - AZ vs Ajax - ESPN Deportes & ESPN360.com
9:55am ET - Serie A - Siena vs Juventus - ESPN360.com
9:55am ET - Serie A - Roma vs Livorno - ESPN360.com
9:55am ET - Serie A - Fiorentina vs Napoli - RAI International
10am ET - EPL - Liverpool vs Manchester United - FOX Soccer Channel & FOX Sports en Espanol
10:48am ET - FIFA U-17 World Cup - Turkey vs Burkina Faso - ESPN360.com
10:48am ET - FIFA U-17 World Cup - Iran vs Gambia - ESPN360.com
10:55am ET - EPL - Manchester City vs Fulham - Setanta Xtra (12noon ET SDD on Setanta Sports USA)
11:25am ET - Dutch Eredivisie - NEC vs PSV - ESPN Deportes & ESPN360.com
11:55am ET - La Liga - Valladolid vs Deportivo La Coruña - GolTV
11:55am ET - La Liga - Racing de Santander vs Osasuna - DirecTV Ch 456
11:55am ET - La Liga - Getafe vs Athletic Club Bilbao - DirecTV Ch 457
11:55am ET - La Liga - Villarreal vs Malaga - DirecTV Ch 458
12noon ET - EPL - West Ham United vs Arsenal - FOX Soccer Channel & FOX Sports en Espanol
12:25pm ET - Bundesliga - Bochum vs Werder Bremen - ESPN360.com
1:48pm ET - FIFA U-17 World Cup - Costa Rica vs New Zealand - ESPN360.com
1:48pm ET - FIFA U-17 World Cup - Colombia vs Netherlands - ESPN360.com and Galavision
1:55pm ET - Brasileirao - Internacional vs Gremio - GolTV
1:55pm ET - Liga Mexicana - Pumas vs Monterrey - Telemundo
1:55pm ET - La Liga - Almeria vs Valencia - ESPN Deportes & ESPN360.com
2pm ET (SDD) - Ligue 1 - Lens vs Toulouse - Setanta Sports USA
3pm ET - Argentina - River Plate vs Boca Juniors - FOX Sports en Espanol (6pm ET SDD on FOX Soccer Channel)
3pm ET - MLS - Chivas USA vs Houston Dynamo - TeleFutura
3pm ET - Women's College - LSU vs South Carolina - ESPNU
3:30pm ET - Serie A - Chievo vs AC Milan - FOX Soccer Channel & RAI International
3:55pm ET - La Liga - Barcelona vs Zaragoza - ESPN2 (HD), ESPN Deportes & ESPN360.com
3:55pm ET - Ligue 1 - Marseille vs Paris St. Germain - Setanta Sports USA
4pm ET (SDD) - Bundesliga - Schalke 04 vs Hamburg - GolTV
5:55pm ET - Liga Mexicana - Puebla vs Monarcas - Azteca America
6pm ET - MLS - Columbus vs New England - ESPN2 (HD), ESPN Deportes & ESPN360.com
6:30pm ET - Liga Mexicana - Club America vs Chivas Guadalajara - Univision

Monday October 26
5am ET (2-day delay) - Ligue 1 - Bordeaux vs Le Mans - Setanta Sports USA
10:48am ET - FIFA U-17 World Cup - Uruguay vs. Korea Rep. - ESPN360.com
10:48am ET - FIFA U-17 World Cup - United Arab Emirates vs. Malawi - ESPN360.com
1:48pm ET - FIFA U-17 World Cup - Spain vs. USA - ESPNU & ESPN360.com
1:48pm ET - FIFA U-17 World Cup - Algeria vs. Italy - ESPN360.com
4pm ET - English Football League "Championship" - Reading vs Leicester City - Setanta Sports USA
4:10pm ET - Portugal - Benfica vs Nacional - ESPN360.com

(TV listings provided by soccer-on-tv authority Oliver Tse)

DAILY READS:
See www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTOURaRXgYE ">the trailer for Farenheit 2010, a look inside the South African World Cup

Kroenke says nothing at Arsenal AGM, as expected

Chicago Fire punch their ticket