Bayern Munich overcame an early red card for star forward Franck Ribery to beat Cologne 3-0 on Friday and ensure it remains at least three points clear at the top of the Bundesliga before the four-week winter break. Ribery was sent off in the 33rd minute, earning a second yellow card for grabbing at Henrique Sereno’s face just half a minute after both were shown a yellow for clashing in the…

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Bayern overcomes Ribery red to beat Cologne 3-0

An odd little game between Bayern Munich and FC Koln at the Allianz Arena was notable mainly for a ludicrous red card sustained by Franck Ribery in the first half. With the hosts dominating against a Koln side who could barely get out of their own half, the last thing Bayern needed to do was go down to ten men, but that’s exactly what happened when Ribery failed to get on the end of a cross and …

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Bayern Munich Vs. FC Koln, 2011 Bundesliga: Bayern Cruise Despite Ribery Red

RKC Waalwijk struck a blow to De Graafschap’s hopes of avoiding relegation from the Eredivisie, posting a 3-1 win away from home on Friday.

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Eredivisie: De Graafschap 1 RKC Waalwijk 3

BERLIN (AP) — Borussia Dortmund beat bottom side Freiburg 4-1 Saturday to close the gap to leader Bayern Munich to three points ahead of the Bundesliga’s four-week winter break.

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Dortmund routs Freiburg 4-1 to cut Bundesliga gap

* Bayern ease past Cologne 3-0

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Ten-man Bayern charge six points clear

Bayern Munich spotted FC Köln a man and several “should have scored” opportunities heading into the halftime break. Turns out the team at the top of the league table really are just that good. Bayern defeated Köln 3-0 at Allianz Arena on Friday.

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US Fan Reaction: Bayern Munich Defeat FC Köln 3-0

Gelsenkirchen/Bremen – Bundesliga old familiars Schalke 04 and Werder Bremen go head-to-head in the late game on Saturday, each seeking to round out a solid first season-half on a positive note.

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Heavyweight clash at Schalke

The 2011 season for Major League Soccer was arguably the best ever for the league. From the very successful additions through to the MLS Cup, 2011 provided some excellent newsworthy moments. Here’s a look at five of the biggest headlines in the MLS: Portland Timbers, Vancouver…

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Fan Rewind: Biggest Headlines in MLS in 2011

10-man Bayern Munich opened a six-point lead at the top of the Bundesliga, a 3-0 win over Cologne keeping them top over the winter break.

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Bundesliga – Ribery sees red as Bayern ease to win

Bayern Munich rounded out their Bundesliga year with a comfortable 3-0 victory over a disappointing 1. FC Köln to move six points clear at the top of the Bundesliga ahead of the main weekend programme.

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Ten-man Bayern dispatch Köln with ease

Real Madrid , depressed after their loss to arch-rivals FC Barcelona in last weekend’s clásico , travel to Sevilla to take on the rojiblancos (ever notice how many teams are called “rojiblancos”–seriously, just try to name all of them) at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán, a notoriously hostile environment.    But hey, after the tongue-lashing los merengues received at the hands of their own fans after …

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La Liga 2011, Week 16 Preview And Fixtures: Real Madrid Hoping To Regain Liga Lead In Complicated Sevilla Tie

The New York Red Bulls are thrice nominated for 2011 Major League Soccer “Moment of the Year.” Two potential winners are memories RBNY supporters would rather immediately erase from their minds than ever again discuss.

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NY Red Bulls Receive Three MLS “Moment of the Year” Nominations

England players who take part in Euro 2012 will not be selected for Great Britain at the London 2012 Olympics, the Football Association confirms.

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No Olympics for Euro 2012 players

After Karl-Heinz Rummenigge apparently quashed speculation of his side’s interest in the forward, a report suggests that the Bavarians have secretly made a move

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Bayern Munich’s Uli Hoeness coy amid rumors of offer for Borussia Monchengladbach’s Marco Reus

Inter Milan’s Japanese defender Yuto Nagatomo, who has scored twice in the last two Serie A games, said Friday he felt in a trance when he hit the target.

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I was in goal-scoring trance, says Nagatomo

In one short season, Sporting Kansas City went from playing in a minor league baseball stadium to Major League Soccer’s newest darlings, a shining example for the league’s original flag-bearers hoping to reinvent themselves in the mold of hip markets such as Portland or Seattle.

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2011 in Review: Sporting Kansas City

CHICAGO, IL (Dec. 16, 2011) – The Chicago Fire Soccer Club announced Friday the club will begin its preparations for the 2012 MLS campaign in Ave Maria, Fla., training for 15 days on the campus of Ave Maria University from Jan. 20 through Feb. 3. Additional plans for the team’s 2012 preseason will be released at a later date.

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Chicago Fire Return to Ave Maria for Preseason 2012

There was high drama in Bundesliga 2 on Friday as SC Paderborn earned three big points at Fortuna Düsseldorf, Greuther Fürth kept their own promotion bid going and Aue and Ingolstadt fought out a draw at the other end of the standings.

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Paderborn end Düsseldorf run, Fürth thump Union

Chester, Pa. (December 16, 2011) – Philadelphia Union has added local candy company GOLDENBERG’S© PEANUT CHEWS© to their list of corporate partners, the club announced today.

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Philadelphia Union Announce Partnership with Goldenberg’s Peanut Chews

AMSTERDAM — With the UEFA knockout draw done and dusted, clubs in Europe will turn their focus back to league matters on another important weekend for American Exports. All times listed in ET.

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American Exports preview: Guzan gets a fresh look

Munich – Having allowed FC Bayern to move ahead of them at the top of the table, Borussia Dortmund are hoping to stay hot on the heels of their title rivals with a win against SC Freiburg in their final Bundesliga match before Christmas.

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No Borussia blunder in Breisgau

LONDON (SE) – Tottenham Hotspur will be looking to consolidate their top-four Premier League position when they welcome Sunderland to White Hart Lane on Sunday afternoon.

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Sunderland-Tottenham Hotspur Preview

Munich – Bundesliga teams have one last opportunity to add points to their tallies ahead of the winter break, but with Christmas on the horizon the sides involved in Saturday’s 15:30 kick-offs are unlikely to gift wrap any results for their opponents.

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No pre-Christmas gift giving!

LONDON (SE) – Just three paces separate Aston Villa and Liverpool going into the latest round of Premier League matches, with the two teams set to face each other at Villa Park on Sunday afternoon.

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Liverpool-Aston Villa Preview

(Sports Network) – Italy will lose one of its four Champions League spots next season, as Germany’s Bundesliga claimed an extra place based on UEFA rankings, but AC Milan and Napoli were handed the opportunity Friday to boost Serie A.

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Milan, Napoli can make statement for Serie A

The owner of Portsmouth Football Club and his business partner will have their extradition case heard next year.

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Portsmouth FC owner back in court

The UEFA Champions League Round of 16 draw was rather kind to FC Barcelona . The Catalans avoided the likes of AC Milan and Napoli , and in Bayer Leverkusen , they face one of the weaker, more predictable sides in the competition. Unlike Lyon, Marseille or FC Basel , who overcome significant adversity to shockingly qualify for the round of 16 in the final round, Bayer Levekusen’s group stage …

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FC Barcelona vs. Bayer Leverkusen: 5 Bayer Leverkusen Players to Watch

*NOTE* I just want to apologize once again that this article was not presented sooner. It was finals week here at school so my focus has been on my studying. Round 14 of Serie A has concluded, all make-up matches from earlier postponed matches have been completed and everyone is back on even keel in the league. There were a few exciting matches during the 14th round, which produced a couple of …

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Serie A Power Rankings: Round 14

Watch the best of the action from The FA Youth Cup.

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Youth Cup highlights

FIFA.com casts an eye over the Sicilian derby between Catania and Palermo, who first met in the 1910s and have seen their rivalry intensify in recent years due to their Serie A statuses.

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Sicily erupts with derby fever