I'm sure Kristian and James have been waiting for hours to hear my piece on this. The Spanish Football Federation have alluded to the possibility of submitting a joint bid with Portugal to host the 2018 World Cup, and goal.com is reporting they have confirmed their plans. I think this would be a massive step for both countries. First off, just putting together a plan to host the world's biggest event is a tremendous step for two countries who arguably couldn't team up to organize a poker...

Some bad news to report on the Iain Hume front. The 25-year old Canadian striker has been readmitted to hospital following complications with the skull fracture he suffered on November 8th. Iain felt unwell and began to vomit yesterday, and his family decided it was best to go back the hospital as a precautionary measure. Hopefully this is just a minor setback in his road to a full recovery.

In May, 9-year old Gianni Patino of Vancouver, BC signed with Barcelona's u-12 team . It did not take long for the youngster to put his combination of newfound fame, skills and winning smile to good use. Oh yes, the kid is so good he's already selling merchandise. Check out the product at www.soccertacticsworld.com I think I speak for everyone when I say these three magic words: Cap. Him. Now. He could even bring that tactics board into the dressing room to talk pre-game strategy. And who...

Barnsley are considering legal action after Sheffield United defender Chris Morgan fractured the skull of Canadian striker Iain Hume on Saturday. Tykes manager Simon Davey provided some insight on Hume's condition to The Guardian . "The operation went well but he is very down and very angry. He has a scar that runs from his forehead in the shape of a horseshoe right round to his ear. He is black and blue, his head is swollen and he is a mess." Davey is quite rightly fuming about the...

Canada and Borussia Monchengladbach striker Rob Friend has contacted BC Soccer Web (well, national team manager Morgan Quarry contacted them on Friend's behalf) trying to set the record straight about that article in Bild we linked you to on Tuesday. Apparently he's been mistranslated and he's not happy about it. I mentioned in Tuesday's links that Friend is known for his fantastic attitude and work ethic, so those perceived negative comments on Dale Mitchell - which apparently aren't...

L'Impact Advance (Photo Courtesy of montrealimpact.com . Click the link for a full gallery) The Montreal Impact tied Olimpia 1-1 at Stade Saputo last night to become the first team to advance to the quarterfinals in the CONCACAF Champions League. Fellow Group C combatants Atlante also secured a passage to the quarters with a 2-0 win at Jack Warner's god awful Joe Public FC. CBC.ca has a match report if you're looking for the details. In addition, the CBC story also mentions the dilemma...

Some Neil Davidson nuggets to get your day started from his latest Canadian report : Dwayne De Rosario will no play vs Mexico after criticizing Dale Mitchell in the media last week. Mitchell will not resign, and his contract runs until 2010 Atiba Hutchinson and Rob Friend have been released from national team duty and are reporting back to their clubs Whitecaps striker Charles Gbeke has been called into the squad after his two-goal performance in the USL final. It's safe to say that this World...

Hello all. Family commitments have robbed me of the joys of watching Canada and Toronto FC this weekend, so I've set up this open thread for you leave your comments on (I hope) Canada's stunning come from behind win in Honduras and Toronto's 3-0 win in Dallas. I'd also recommend Out of Touch and the Footie Fool for some pre/post/in-match reading. I see OOT already has a game-day post up taking a sloppy member of the Honduran media to task (get in!). Jim Brennan in the starting xi...