With all the doom and gloom about Liverpool after their worst loss at City for 50 plus years are they, or were they really that bad? Probably not actually. It was City's best display in years for sure but Liverpool really weren't the fodder that you'd think from the scoreline or what has been written about it either.

Of the current EPL clubs which has the longest association with the venue on which they play their home matches? This is not a trick question, but there is a surprising twist and that 'twist' provides part of the story of a rivalry that runs deep, very deep. See the bottom of the page for the answer.

Does it seem as if the season never ends?  Imagine if you were a player.  In years of the World Cup or Euro tournaments it really doesn't seem to end at all.  But surely, this one has been very different hasn't it?  With few teams shopping in the transfer market and new rules regarding the size of a roster and so forth there has been a big change for certain.  The result is that the teams expected to challenge for the top honor are very much like the teams that ended the previous season in May.  Don't let that fool you as it is quite likely that a flurry of transfers before the end of the month could change the fortunes of some of them.

While I usually do not pay much attention to all the transfer hype ahead of the season this year has been a bit different.  Did you feel like a child’s yo-yo following the media announcements regarding Martin Jol and the manager job at Fulham?  I did and I felt stupid for paying attention even if it was announced as a done deal at ESPNsoccernet.  Or how about the campaign of Barca’s players and fans trying to pry Cesc from Arsenal?  Is a contract really a contract anymore?

The first World Cup ever held in Africa comes to a conclusion this weekend.  A successful one to be sure and we're all looking forward to an epic final.  It will mark the first time a European nation will be crowned world champion in a World Cup held off that continent.  The team that wins it will also be a first timer and for Spain it also marks their very first appearance in a world cup final.  There is more to the story here too that promises to be a positive for the future of the game.

Paul O'Donnell's recap and analysis of the 2010 World Cup semifinals.

Marking the first time in World Cup history, the two finalists from the previous cup failed to advance from the group stage in the next World Cup, Italy joins France in making the trip home. For Italy, it is even more surprising: the first time in 8 World Cups where they did not advance to the round of 16.

The big news of the day came with South Africa’s 2-1 victory over 10 man France who had Gourcuff sent off in the 25th.  Big for two reasons actually: first, France completed their collapse but they did manage to score a goal (Malouda, 70), their first of the tournament; secondly,  South Africa becomes the first host country to fail to advance out of the group stage.  With Mexico’s loss and their 2 goal lead RSA did have a slim chance, if they could score 3 more while shutting out France they would have gone on in the tournament.  That clearly didn’t happen but credit to RSA and their players for their victory over the last World Cup runnerup.

With the turmoil still roiling over the denial of what would have been the match winning goal to USA FIFA is said to be considering curtailing any role for the referee responsible for that ruling in the remainder of the finals.  We’re supposed to say oh, that’ll fix it all right.

Paul O’Donnell recaps the seventh and the very dramatic eighth day of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

These two neighbors, Netherlands-Denmark, so familiar with one another yet they had never met in a World Cup match before today.  Netherlands (my pick to win it if Brazil does not) have been great in internationals of late yet have not won the glory.  Their history is almost, but no cigar.  In qualifying they were the very best in the run up to Euro 2008 with a 100% record and conceding the fewest goals.  They did it again in the EUFA zone qualifying for this World Cup with another 100% record, scoring 17 goals while conceding only 2 putting them firmly among the favorites yet again.

As the tempo was building to the World Cup opener on Friday some of the news around the soccer world got buried in the fuss.  While many Liverpool fans interest was divided by the new manager hunt Chelsea announced the loss of both Joe Cole and Ballack.  Both are out of contract on July 1 and failed to agree on their wage demands.  Rafa appears to have secured the job at Inter Milan.

On the World Cup, security was questioned as a result of crowd actions for a friendly with FIFA’s leadership pointing fingers elsewhere of course.  FIFA never takes responsibility for anything of course.

As Ocean City readies themselves for an early summer trip to Bermuda to face the Hogges on Friday and Sunday the soccer world focus is on South Africa. Most of the nations have gathered and are busy with finalizing their preparations.

Back in England Avram Grant has been confirmed as manager at West Ham but the turmoil he faces there may make him think he's still in Portsmouth. The Hammers face the loss of their premier striker, Carolton Cole and others which will make his job of saving West Ham all the more difficult.

As the tempo builds during this last few weeks leading to South Africa Team USA was looking forward to international friendlies against the Czech Republic on Tuesday and Turkey in Philadelphia (Saturday).  Two opponents that were sure to stretch the Yanks and focus their minds on the task before them.

Fans of the EPL hear this factor discussed frequently and yet its source is often quite different for a particular makeup of players. Some of those top class players seem to secrete it in buckets and it spreads among their mates making the entire collection, the team, more effective day-to-day. Many would say this factor often makes a team better than the sum of its parts and it often comes from those that inspire their mates with their skill. Others infect their mates by their on field performance and energy and what is frequently referred to as a “never say die attitude.”

The opening of the PDL season is here and we’ll know in just a few weeks if Ocean City will again be involved in the US Open Cup. After last season’s success and the first ever match with an MLS side (DC United) we can all hope to see them in the tournament again. For the hundreds of fans that were there in suburban DC for that match most of them will never believe we didn’t score to tie the game at 1 just ahead of stoppage time. We came that close. The first four games of the PDL season double as Open Cup qualifiers so we’ll have the answer to that shortly as the adventure began on Saturday night with a match against the Piranhas who lost at last season’s regular season champs (Reading) in their opener.

Ahead of the weekend, the two mid-week games on Wednesday promised to be truly significant for all the clubs involved. Tops on the interest list was the big confrontation for the final Champions League finishing place; the battle for fourth with Spurs visiting Eastlands. A tense battle in West London had Fulham hosting Stoke City.

The warning signs were clear from the opening bell of the season as Liverpool lost at Spurs, recovered with a demolition of Stoke, then lost badly at home to Aston Villa. That match, only the third of the season marked some turning points and massive warning bells should have gone off then and there. That loss and the way it happened signalled that SAF’s dismissal of Liverpool as a potential challenger for the title was right on the mark. After only three games Liverpool had lost as many (2) as they had in the entire previous season, their best ever since the inception of the EPL, finishing second with 86 points. They also led the league in goals scored, were unbeaten at home and won the most points on the road, yet they ended up second. For more on how that happened, read on.

Reading's Royals closed the season hosting Preston North End. The 2009/10 campaign has been a wild and crazy ride for both clubs with the Royals amazing run from the relegation zone to the top half of the table (11th) a real highlight. Reading's success in the FA Cup fueled their turnaround and they would surely like to end the campaign with another victory. The Royals did just that with a thumping 4-1 win over Preston to finish the season in spectacular fashion. The victory raises them to 9th in the table.

Reading traveled to Scunthorpe on Tuesday and built themselves a 2-0 lead. Scunthorpe rallied in the final ten minutes for two of their own and a 2-2 draw. The tying goal came very late on a cruel deflection that wrong-footed Federici. One of the rare times in their recent run that the Royals have dropped points from a leading position. The draw assures Scunthorpe will avoid relegation.

Reading hosted Newcastle Tuesday hoping they were still recovering from the celebration over their securing promotion back to the EPL. Well, they're still celebrating and two goals in the opening half by Kevin Nolan (20 & 42) kept the party going for the Magpies. The Royals pressure resulted in a spectacular OG in the 72nd as they battled to get back in it but they would get no closer in the 1-2 loss.

Check it out Philadelphia area soccer fans the expansion Philadelphia Union won their first ever match in MLS in their first home game 3-2 over DC United. Sebastian Le Toux notched a hat-trick scoring with his head early on, then slotting home on a beautiful counter and pass from Alejandro Moreno, then on a free kick for the match winner after United rebounded to knot the score at 2 in the second half. Le Toux, a standout for years in the USL at Montreal Impact spent last year with Seattle in their first season in MLS had a memorable game for the Union with over 34,000 fans, including the Vice President, on hand to cheer him on.

Reading took their in form side to face Roy Keane’s Ipswich Town on Saturday and in a hotly contested opening half saw Mathew Mills dismissed (30) for violent conduct. The ten man Royals fell behind 2-0 to a Gareth McAuley header (41) followed in stoppage time by another from Jonathan Walters. That young man again Sigurdsson got a consolation for Reading in second half stoppage time to set the final scoreline 2-1 for Ipswich. The Royals do have 2 games in hand versus their competition which offers them a good opportunity to improve their position in the table (currently 12th).

Reading faced a stiff test with a visit to 4th placed Leicester City on Wednesday in hopes of continuing their brilliant run that has seen them win 9 of their last 11. A fortunate stoppage time penalty converted by their Icelandic teen star Sigurdsson provided the margin of victory in a hotly contested 1-2 win. The Royals opener came via Jimmy Kebe, his 7th goal in the run that has carried them from the relegation zone to 11th in the table.

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While everyone was focused on the big match at The Bridge on Tuesday Reading FC won again with a 1-0 victory over Queens Park Rangers. Yet another goal from their Icelandic teenager, Sigurdsson (85), this one from the spot, was the margin of victory for the Royals. Reading, now 14th in the table, also has two games in hand and maximum points there could see them rise to challenge for a playoff position.