Should be interesting to look back after the final and see if any critical players were added by the UEFA Champions League title winners.
But for right now, take a look at the -- January 2010 EPL Transfer Rumours Coverage Center
The Greek power sits second in group with six points while Dutch neophytes AZ have struggled and only carry two points after four matches.
OF NOTE:
- Olympiacos has failed to score outside of Athens. Will the trend continue in Alkmaar?
- AZ has tied both Arsenal and Standard Liège at home in the group. Both matches ended 1-1.
SCENARIOS:
- Olympiacos: will secure at least a Europa League place if they do not lose to AZ plus will advance to the knockout phase if they defeat AZ and Standard Liège fail to defeat Arsenal.
- AZ: will be eliminated from the Champions League if they fail to defeat Olympiacos plus will be eliminated from European competition if they lose to Olympiacos and Standard Liège defeat Arsenal.
PREDICTION:
AZ continues the 1-1 trend at DSB Stadion as Olympiacos advances thru to the group stage once Standard Liège fall against Arsenal.
How Did Pohang Get To The Quarterfinals?
The Korean power topped Group H with 12 points taking three and drawing three out of six matches played. In the Round of 16, Pohang embarrassed Australia's Newcastle Jets 6-0. Now the club will face Uzbekistan's FC Bunyodkor.
Who To Watch Out For...
Brazilian Denilson Martins Nascimento has scored five goals in the competition. Will the 32-year-old's legs hold out?
28-year-old defender Hwang Jae-Won has been with the club since 2004 and is solid in the back.
Midfielder Kim Gi-Dong, now 37, is looking for one more title.
25-year-old Choi Hyo-Jin is starting to showcase his talent. He scored twice in the Jets thrashing.
Of note, 27-year-old Macedonian striker Stevica Ristić also scored in the Jets match. Will he factor against Bunyodkor?
Several Israeli football clubs are competing in both the 2009-10 UEFA Champions and Europa leagues. Maccabi Haifa advanced to the playoff round of the Champions League with a realistic chance of qualifying for the prestigious group stage.
Also, three clubs are alive in the third qualifying round of the 2009-10 UEFA Europa League.
Heading into the second leg of the round, Hapoel Tel Aviv is up (3-1) on IFK Göteborg. Hapoel hosts the Swedish club on August 6th.
Bnei Yehuda travels to Portugal up 1-0 on Paços de Ferreira and only Maccabi Netanya looks certain to soon be out of European competition now that the the club is down four away goals to Turkish power Galatasaray.
Forward Vladimir Dvalishvili, a new signing this summer, has powered Maccabi Haifa's attack thus far.
Will the Israeli club advance to the group stage?
The first results are in with Panathinaikos, Sporting CP, Anderlecht, Maccabi Haifa, and Red Bull Salzburg advancing to the 2009-10 UEFA Champions Leage Playoff Round.
Maccabi Haifa and Red Bull Salzburg now are in the champions bracket (the easier of the two) while Panathinaikos, Sporting CP, and Anderlecht now join Arsenal, Lyon, Stuttgart, Fiorentina, and Atlético Madrid in the non-champions bracket.
More analysis to follow.
The New York Red Bulls travel in roughly two weeks (July 30th) to face Trinidad and Tobago’s W Connection F.C. at Manny Ramjohn Stadium in Marabella as the clubs square off in the first leg of their 2009-10 CONCACAF Champions League Preliminary Round match.
Ready and waiting for the Red Bulls will be Dominican Republic international forward Jonathon Frias who has owned Caribbean football in 2009.
Already this year, Frias has guided W Connection F.C. to the 2009 Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Club Championship and the 2009 Lucozade Sport Goal Shield. He had a brace in both title games as the Savonnetta Boys’ defeated the Puerto Rico Islanders 2-1 in the Club Championship and Defence Force 3-0 to capture the Goal Shield, a performance that earned him Player of the Tournament.
Frias was grounded and humble upon receiving the tournament’s top award. "It's all about the preparation," Frias told TT Digicel Pro League after the title match. "My teammates all did their part and that helped me win the most goals (and player of the tournament) title."
In the TT Digicel Pro League, Trinidad and Tobago’s top football division, Frias has netted four goals this season as the Savonnetta Boys’ sit in fourth place with 15 points after nine games played.
Frias arrived at W Connection in 2007 and has provided a reliable attacking option ever since.
"We put a lot of emphasis on talent and ‘Fana’ (Jonathon Frias) is obviously a lot of talent at just 21 years old and he has been carrying the team in terms of goalscoring," said W Connection Owner/President David John-Williams following the Lucozade Sport Goal Shield title match.
New York, the favourite to progress to the CONCACAF Champions League Group Stage, will have to contain Frias and highly-regarded strike partner Andre Toussant if the Red Bulls are to advance.
Otherwise, Frias and his W Connection teammates will be adding another impressive victory to their 2009 war chest.
Italian-Argentinian midfielder Nahuel Losada and Italian central defender Alessandro Businaro, both born in 1995, have joined Inter's Under-15 squad for the upcoming 2009-2010 youth season.
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