Key Features 1. Be a pro is 4 seasons offline 2. They have a new EA locker where the game tactics and formations an stuff by the fans can be exchanged! 3. They are also implementing a new online rule for quitters. If you quit in the first 3 minutes no penalty. Quit between 3 and 5 minutes you get a DNF and quit after 5 minutes you get a 5 minute loss and a really bad rating. 4. Collision system is phenomenal!  read more »

FC Twente midfielder Orlando Engelaar, a target for Everton and Newcastle, hopes his future can be resolved following Holland's Euro 2008 exit.

Spanish international Joaquin could be set for a summer move to Everton.
The Valencia winger wants to quit the Mestalla following a disastrous La Liga campaign.
And Toffees boss David Moyes is keen to beat Italian giants Roma to the punch by sealing a move before Euro 2008 kicks off.
Joaquin’s agent Eduardo Espejo said: “I cannot deny [...]

With that in mind it would be nice to write some witty and insightful reviews of the Champions League, unfortunately since I do not have Sky I only saw the Man U game, and I'm afraid to say I found it a touch dull. Strange that. Man U winning 2-0 in Italy should be something of a footballing spectacle. Instead I thought 'oh, they won then.' When you start seeing victory of significant magnitude as routine it is a sign that you have been exposed, and thinking about, high quality football too much too long. Even if an English club were to win the Champions Legaue it would not be that exciting. Unless they won 4-0 in the final. Or came back from 4-0 down at half time to win. I think I need to disassociate from the glam and hype and reaquaint myself with 'real' football. I might take a walk to the local fields over the weekend to watch Magor vs Maplas Somerton in division C of the Gwent and Blanaeu Sunday League, or something. The emapassioned idiocy of the amateur game has a certain sense to it. This vaguely symbolic scrapping skillessly for nothing in particular is what most of us are doing most of the time in every other aspect of our lives. this existential whimsy can be reversed quic,ly however- if Everton were to finish 4th, or Bristol City get promoted, or Newcastle start getting really erratic again 7-0 one week 0-7 the next- then the spectatorial vitiality would get a quick fix of urgency. I am only one game away from the fascination of the illusion.  read more »

World Soccer News for week of 03/23

Slaven Bilic vows to keep coaching Croatia

The Croatian coach Slaven Bilic has said he will stay on the national team's bench beyond the European Championship in spite of a sweet offer from Germany's Hamburger SV.
Bilic announded his decision to stay at a press conference putting an end to speculations caused by the Croatian FA's inertia. The FA inexplicably hesitated to renew the supremely popular coach's contract after the momentous win at Wembley last November, fuelling the nation's concern Bilic could accept a financially more profitable offer abroad.
"I'll stay as Croatia's coach. Salary doesn't matter to me.
Let them give me a blank contract and I'm going to sign it," said the former West Ham and Everton defender.  read more »

Sporting Lisbon's 1-0 win over Bolton yesterday capped off the round of 16 and eliminated the remaining English team from the UEFA Cup. Tottenham has been eliminated on Wednesday by PSV and Everton by Fiorentina--both by penalty kicks (why can't the English make a PK when it counts?).  read more »

Everton captain Phil Neville bemoaned their bad luck as they defeated ACF Fiorentina 2-0 to cancel out their loss in Italy only to miss out on the UEFA Cup quarter-finals 4-2 on penalties