Even when they keep a bunch of their best on the bench and fall behind by two goals you can never write off Manchester United in Europe.
    That is Sir Alex Ferguson's legacy: he has convinced his team that they cannot be beaten in Europe.
     It was not all that long ago -- maybe a decade -- when Europe nights were not all that much fun for English teams. Sir Alex has changed all that, not only making United into the most-feared opponent but also lifting the rest of his EPL partners in the Champions League.
    Didn't you know that as soon as Paul Scholes' header beat Igor Akinfeev that United would get all the way back against CSKA Moscow Tuesday night? The Russians certainly played like a team fearing the worst. Yes, Akinfeev had no luck on the own goal that produced the 3-3 final scoreline, but if that hadn't been the one that got United into the last 16 there would have been another.
    Similarly, when Didier Drogba is on the field there's no way to deny Chelsea.
Having missed the first half of the group stage because of last year's semifinal petulance (mind you, he was correct to protest the lack of calls in favor of his team in that infamous Barcelona semifinal triumph), the EPL's most dangerous striker killed off Atletico Madrid's upset hopes with two late goals. Yes, Atletico salvaged something -- maybe a Europa League place -- with their own tying goal, but Drogba and Chelsea march on, perhaps to a date in the final.
    Best win of the night was Bordeaux's in Munich. My goodness, how the one-time Bundesliga power has slipped.
    Juventus got the job done in Israel and Wolfsburg had a dominant night in Turkey. FC Porto joins Chelsea out of Group D, rendering the final two rounds of that section moot.
    Group C is the one which is still wide open after a 1-1 draw in Milan kept both the home team and Real Madrid tied for the top. Marseille is right there, of course, after puncturing the Zurich myth, 6-1 in the Stade Velodrome. This is the section worth following down the home stretch.

    Three huge games today as the fourth round the Champions League group stage concludes.
    There's none bigger than the early kickoff contest in Kazan, when Rubin will attempt to repeat its stunning win over defending champion Barcelona in the 12:30 p.m. Eastern appetizer.
    Then attention will turn to France and Ukraine where two of Europe's famous sides, Liverpool and Inter Milan, face the music.
    Who would have thought that both Barcelona and Inter Milan might be worried about landing in the Europa League?
    Rubin Kazan and Dynamo Kiev have been all that those two Euro giants can handle in the first half of Group F's round robin. If both Eastern European teams win today they would be 1-2 in the section with two matches remaining.
    Rubin's win in Barcelona was totally unexpected two weeks ago. That night they got off to a fast start, defended stoutly and did not cave when the defending Euro champs scored early in the second half. Barca sometimes looks like a Spanish Arsenal -- lots of pretty football, not quite all the necessary steel. That formula won't get the job done tonight in Kazan.
    Dynamo Kiev can create serious problems for Inter Milan with a home win this evening. Three draws on the trot are all that Jose Mourinho's team has to show so far and even one of football's most "results are what matter" managers must be concerned about how this group is unfolding.

    Over in France it's Rafa Benitez and Liverpool on the spot in Lyon. Benitez gambled on Steven Gerrard's fitness two weeks ago in the first meeting, saw his captain limp off in 20-plus minutes and we all know what happened next. Now the embattled Benitez is facing further criticism over playing Fernando Torres too much and maybe too soon in another injury-return.
    Lyon starts with a perfect nine points tonight and can qualify out of Group E with a result. Should that happen, especially if Fiorentina defeats Debrecen in Italy, Liverpool could be left staring directly into the Europa League.

    Sevilla and Arsenal can both wrap up their campaigns with home wins tonight. In Group G, where Sevilla is perfect, the more interesting question is whether Unirea can repeat its demolition of Rangers and advance toward the knockout stage.
    Group H can actually finish tonight. If Arsenal and Olympiakos both win that would qualify both teams and leave AZ and Standard to fight for third and the Europa League.

TODAY ON TV:

Today's lineup (Kicks are at 14:45 Eastern Standard, expect in Kazan)
Group E
Lyon vs. Liverpool, Fox Soccer Channel, Fox Sports Espanol, DTV 467; Fiorentina vs. Debrecen, DTV 465
Group F
Rubin Kazan vs. Barcelona, Fox Soccer Channel, 12:30 Eastern; Dynamo Kiev vs. Inter Milan, DTV 462
Group G
Sevilla vs. VfB Stuttgart, DTV 463; Unirea vs. Rangers, DTV 464
Group H
Standard Liege vs. Olympiakos, DTV 466; Arsenal vs. AZ Alkmaar, Setanta


AND:
U17WC: USA v Italy and Colombia v Argentina at 0948 ESPN360. Followed up by Germany v Switzerland and UAE v Turkey at 1248.

If David Beckham does arrive in South Africa with England will he be able to do anything?

No player on the face of the globe has worked harder to ensure that he can be part of another World Cup party. Beckham is clearly a driven man, willing to play virtually non-stop for two years for the opportunity to carry the England banner in 2010.

Give him credit -- and we will be the first to admit that we have been more than occasionally skeptical -- because as the announcement of a renewed loan deal with AC Milan is made we have to say that he has made good on his promise to give MLS his attention since his controversial return in July. Landon Donovan is the MVP candidate from the LA Galaxy and coach Bruce Arena deserves the plaudits for holding things together over the first (the non-Beckham) half of the season, but since the England man returned the Galaxy has often been pretty good.

We'll be interested to see how much is left when Becks returns to the San Siro, to say nothing of whether he can be a major player for Fabio Capello, Further down the road, will there be any gas in the tank for another LA comeback late next summer?
One thing works in Beckham's favor: he may still be a major player at MLS level but he is a role player in Milan and with England.
--
MLS has some nicely-balanced second leg matches. One can only hope the fact that every game hangs in balance will improve attendances for the first round finishes.
The returns start Thursday night with Columbus starting a goal down against RSL in Crew Stadium. First, Columbus must make sure to keep it tight over the first 15 minutes to avoid getting into a 2-0 aggregate hole. After that, the Crew should begin to assert itself.

Saturday we've got the Fire vs. Revolution game on Fox Soccer Channel with New England leading, 2-1. Another chance to see the Rev's MVP candidate Shalrie Joseph and a challenge for a Chicago team which has not played to expectations over the second half.

Sunday Houston hosts Seattle starting 0-0. You have to root for Seattle because an MLS Cup in their home stadium will be rockin' if the Sounders can get there. This one offers two of the best mentors in the league, Sigi Schmid and under-appreciated Dominic Kinnear.

The Sunday finale is the so-called "superclassico" and it also begins on level terms after a four-goal, 2-2 first leg. This is the game where Donovan and Beckham have to produce the goods.
--
We gave you the rundown for today's Champions League matches yesterday. Here's the TV lineup one more time:

The schedule (all kicks at 14:45 Eastern Standard)
Group A
Bayern Munchen vs. Bordeaux, DTV 462; Maccabi Haifa vs. Juventus, DTV 463
Group B
Manchester United vs. CSKA Moscow, Setanta; Besiktas vs. Wolfsburg, DTV 464
Group C
AC Milan vs. Real Madrid, Fox Espanol/Fox RSNs; Marseille vs. FC Zurich, 465
Group D
APOEL Nicosia vs. FC Porto, DTV 466; Atletico Madrid vs. Chelsea, Fox Soccer Channel, DTV 467

DAILY READS
“Silent Stan” is 00.3% away from an Arsenal takeover

Hull gets even sadder as Michael Turner sale is investigated; perhaps this is the wrong time to mention a “clearout” to save cash?

Tomorrow kicks off the start of the second half of group play. Some big names had better be getting things right quickly if they hope to be playing Champions League football next spring when the knockout phase begins. The heat is on in Milan and Munich while two EPL powers should insure their qualification by simply taking care of business.

No question where the big match is: the Giuseppe Meazza Stadium in Milano.
Real Madrid collapsed in spectacular fashion at home to AC Milan two weeks ago, the start of a major tailspin for the Galacticos. After that loss, the Meringues also managed to get shocked by a third division-level side in the Spanish Cup and it seems only a matter of time before the knives are out for everybody in management.

Of course, all that can change in 90 minutes at San Siro. Victory and Real Madrid is back on track for its expected qualification. Defeat, especially if coupled with a Marseille home win over FC Zurich, would create a high-pressure scenario. Did we really expect that losing Cristiano Ronaldo to injury would create this much havoc?

The other side of the coin is AC Milan, a club in apparent chaos before the second half rally in Madrid. Leonardo was thought to be facing the chop and there were suggestions that Milan's season would evaporate before the end of November.

If the red-and-black collect three points even their harshest critics may be willing to forget the last San Siro appearance in this competition — that was a loss against FC Zurich, of course.

In Munich, Bayern needs a win to pull back level with Bordeaux in the three-team Group A race. The French champs had two penalties saved in their 2-1 home win two weeks ago and the Germans had two players sent off, but there's no reason to think that Bayern faces a major uphill climb. Louis van Gaal's team is deep enough to reverse that result and leave it all up to the two final tests against Juventus and Maccabi Haifa.

Juventus might be the team under more pressure. They need a win in Israel against pointless Maccabi. Even a draw will leave the trapdoor open for a third place finish because their last two in the section are against Bayern and Bordeaux.

Manchester United and Chelsea will qualify if they win as expected. FC Porto can also advance out of Group D if they can defeat APOEL Nicosia in Cyprus and Chelsea wins in Spain.


DAILY READS
Liverpool’s Torres may miss key Lyon game to injury

No sand for the Arabs this time. (Even Broughty Ferry was flooded.)

“Superclassico” a drawn, defensive mess.

Drew Carey on MLS

TUESDAY TV:
The schedule (all kicks at 14:45 Eastern Standard)
Group A
Bayern Munchen vs. Bordeaux, DTV 462; Maccabi Haifa vs. Juventus, DTV 463
Group B
Manchester United vs. CSKA Moscow, Setanta; Besiktas vs. Wolfsburg, DTV 464
Group C
AC Milan vs. Real Madrid, Fox Espanol; Marseille vs. FC Zurich, 465
Group D
APOEL Nicosia vs. FC Porto, DTV 466; Atletico Madrid vs. Chelsea, Fox Soccer Channel, DTV 467

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