Premier League, La Liga and Serie A titles have been clinched last week + a lot more. What's going on around the world in soccer? Let's find out.

By Money Mike

So lately I've been talking about the Sounders with the preview's and the recaps, the MLS SuperDraft, the Re-entry draft and I blogged a couple of English soccer matches, but those two were "I was bored out of my mind" type of things. But yeah, we had some big events that happened this week and there will be more of that later this month with the UEFA Champions League Final the international friendly matches including one here in Seattle between Mexico and Ecuador. So how about a we take a trip around the world and see whats been going on in soccer, and with this blog, who needs passports? lol.

England:

So let's start off in England. Manchester United, they have captured their 4th Premier League title in 5 years, their 12th Premier League title which is the most, and their 19th League Title overall which is a new record held by Liverpool who had 18. A 1-1 draw at Blackburn Rovers secured the title for the Red Devils, they will celebrate their title in the final week of the Season next week at home against Blackpool who are in danger of relegation. And let's talk about that. Going into the final week of the season, there are five teams that will fight to try to stay in the top flight next season. West Ham United were relegated after losing 3-2 to Wigan Athletic and shortly after, they fired head coach Avram Grant which they should've done at the start of January as everybody would've expected. The entire staff has done an awful job handling the team this season and the Hammers just got hammered this season. The fans deserve a lot better than this.

Spain:

Barcelona are La Liga Champions again, this is their 3rd in a row again with rivals Real Madrid coming close, but not close enough. With one game still to go for them in the League, until the Champions League final, I expect them to bench all of their starters unless one of them are suspended for the final because if you lose a key player to injury and you lose the final, fans will just want you fired. Lionel Messi led his team again with 31 goals in La Liga and 52 goals in all competitions. Hercules C.F., who shocked Barcelona on their home ground earlier in the season, are officially relegated this season as well as Almeria. I got a glimpse of the La Liga Fair play table which is sort of a Sportsmanship thing, and you look at it...wow. Real Sociedad have the most pathetic fans in Spain, because of them, Sociedad have been tagged with Altercations four times this season. That's just ridiculous.

Italy:

Going into the 2010-2011 season, Inter Milan have won 5 Italian Serie A titles in a row and were looking to extend their streak to 6. However, with key acquisitions like former Inter Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Robinho and Kevin-Prince Boateng, A.C. Milan came through and clinced the Serie A title, ending their Arch Rivals streak of 5 in a row. Ibrahimovic, Robinho and Alexandre Pato each finished with 14 goals on the year. Also, you got to say, no Inter Milan fan likes Zlatan Ibrahimovic anymore after playing for A.C. Milan. Kevin-Prince Boateng lit up the celebration with his Michael Jackson dance routine, as seen on the picture. Sampdoria, Brescia and A.S. Bari are relegated and won't be in the Serie A next season. The most embarrasing team in the Serie A is Juventus, they are just getting weak every single year. Especially since returing to the Serie A in 07-08 since being deducted all of their points in 05-06 for a match fixing scandal. They need to start going to their youth system and give the young players a chance to play, not their oldass players like Buffon and Del Piero.

Mexico's 23-man squad for May 28:

So the Mexican national team just announced their squad for their friendly match against Ecuador on May 28 which will take place at Qwest Field in Seattle. My guess is that they'll take the tarp off the upper deck and the bleachers, I don't know for sure. But anyway, the squad includes Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez, however he will not make the trip to Seattle for the friendly match because of the Champions League final between Manchester United and Barcelona, so all of you Chicharito fans, you guys will have to wait till' Manchester United come to town for a friendly match with the Seattle Sounders. Let's look at the rest of the squad......

Goalkeepers: Guillermo Ochoa (Club America, Mexico), Alfredo Talavera (Toluca, Mexico), Jose de Jesus Corona (Cruz Azul, Mexico)

Defenders: Rafa Marquez (New York Red Bulls, MLS), Carlos Salcido (Fulham, England), Hector Moreno (AZ Alkmaar, Netherlands), Francisco Javier Rodriguez (PSV Eindhoven, Netherlands), Ricardo Osorio (Monterrey, Mexico), Edgar Duenas (Toluca, Mexico), Jorge Torres Nilo (Tigres, Mexico)

Midfielders: Andres Guardado (Deportivo la Coruna, Spain), Efrain Juarez (Celtic, Scotland), Israel Castro (UNAM, Mexico), Sinha (Toluca, Mexico), Luis Perez (Monterrey, Mexico), Gerardo Torrado (Cruz Azul, Mexico), Angel Reyna (Club America, Mexico), Jesus Zavala (Monterrey, Mexico)

Forwards: Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez (Manchester United, England)*, Giovani dos Santos (Racing de Santander, Spain), Pablo Barrera (West Ham United, England), Aldo de Nigris (Monterrey, Mexico), Elias Hernandez (Morelia, Mexico)

* - Won't make the trip to Seattle due to the UEFA Champions League final. Expected to join the national team before the start of the Gold Cup.

Sounders come up empty handed again. Juan Agudelo scores the lone goal in a 1-0 Red Bulls win

By Money Mike

After a tough 1-0 loss at home to the LA Galaxy, the Seattle Sounders traveled to Red Bull Arena to take on the New York Red Bulls, looking to bounce back and get at least a point. Instead they came away with nothing to show for as they lose their 2nd straight match 1-0 thanks to a 70th minute goal by 18-year old Juan Agudelo, it was his first MLS goal. Remember he made his international debut for the United States national team on November 17, 2010, against South Africa at 17 years of age and scored in that match which made him the youngest player in U.S. soccer history to score on his international debut.

New York had a chance to go ahead early when Thierry Henry's ball found Juan Agudelo behind the Seattle defense. Agudelo with his brilliant piece of skill, cut the ball back and drew contact from Jhon Kennedy Hurtado which resulted in a Penalty Kick. Of course, you would expect Thierry Henry to take the penalty because he's one of the best PK takers in the game. However, Henry tried to go low into the bottom left corner of the goal but Kasey Keller read it perfectly and tipped it wide.

The game was pretty much a back and forth battle for the rest of the first half since the penalty miss by Henry. Seattle had few good scoring chances. In the 16th minute, Fredy Montero sent Alvaro Fernandez alone behind the Red Bull defense, but his touch sent the ball to the right of goalkeeper Greg Sutton. Montero would test Sutton again in the 27th minute as he tried a shot from just inside the half-way line as he caught him well off his line but Sutton punched it away. In the 39th minute, Fernandez and Montero hooked up again as Montero ran onto a weighted ball and ripped a shot from a tight angle that was tipped by Greg Sutton who recovered the loose ball before O'Brian White could follow in on the rebound. The two combined again in the final minute of the first half as Montero beat Tim Ream before hitting the post from an impossible angle.

In the 51st minute, the Red Bulls tested Keller long range when defender Rafa Marquez lashed one that just sailed over. Seven minutes later, a corner from Marquez found his teammate, Mehdi Ballouchy but his touch just rolled wide right of Kasey Keller.

In the 70th minute, the Red Bulls found the breakthrough when Teemu Tainio's long ball found Juan Agudelo behind the defense. Agudelo shrugged off Leo Gonzalez and off the outside of his boot, slotted the ball past Kasey Keller into the net for his first MLS goal to give the Red Bulls a 1-0 lead with 20 minutes to go.

In the 88th minute, New York nearly put the game away from the corner when Rafa Marquez found Tony Tchani unmarked, but his header was punched over the bar by Kasey Keller.

Seattle had a golden opportunity to draw level when Fredy Montero's free kick was punched by Greg Sutton and Lamar Neagle's rebound sailed over the bar. And that proved costly as Seattle ends up getting shut out again and are off to an 0-2 start to begin 2011.

Area Seattle needs to improve on next game:

Finishing is one, but the most important one is to get more people to commit forward. I cannot remember one time in this match when we had 5-6 players on the attack. Also, an even bigger problem, go after the ball at all times. Every time New York has had position of the ball, rather than going after them, the Sounders just back off and let their opponents burn them in every way. Having only your two strikers commited and 8 other outfield players in their own area backing away and not going after the ball is unacceptable and it's never Seattle's game. Their game is ATTACK, ATTACK, ATTACK, go after the ball for 9o minutes, and they obviously didn't do that, which is never good and that needs to change in their match against the Houston Dynamo.

Scoring Summary:

New York Red Bulls - Juan Agudelo (Teemu Tainio) 70'

Misconduct Summary:

Seattle Sounders FC - Jhon Kennedy Hurtado (caution) 61'

Lineups:

Seattle Sounders FC: Kasey Keller (captain); James Riley, Jeff Parke, Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, Leonardo Gonzalez; Alvaro Fernandez (Mauro Rosales 68'), Servando Carrasco (Lamar Neagle 80'), Osvaldo Alonso, Erik Friberg; Fredy Montero, O'Brian White (Roger Levesque 73')

New York Red Bulls: Greg Sutton; Jan Gunnar Solli, Rafael Marquez, Tim Ream, Roy Miller; Dane Richards (Danleigh Borman 90'), Teemu Tainio, Mehdi Ballouchy (Tony Tchani 68'), Joel Lindpere; Juan Agudelo, Thierry Henry (captain)