Friday Footie Link List, Feb. 1, 2008

The 2008 MLS season is fast approaching. Preseason rankings and expectations will arrive soon enough but Who Ate All The Cupcakes (the Yank version of Who Ate All The Pies, I presume) brings us their 2008 MLS Superlatives, styled after those really annoying yearbook contests they had in high school. Readers get to vote on a dozen categories (everything from "most popular" to "best dancer" and "best hair") and even suggest their own. I think I am going to suggest "least valuable," which was a popular category with the Red Bulls last year.

Speaking of WAATP, they have an interesting poll that asks readers to vote on which Premiership team had the most successful January transfer window. I think it's hard to argue against Spurs, personally. But please have your own say.

USA Soccer Spot has their take on the Brad Guzan work permit saga, arguing that work permit rules hurt Americans. I agree that in the short term players like Brad Guzan will suffer in their development because they cannot compete with the best in the world on a regular basis. However, I think that over the long term having a strong domestic league will be a bigger advantage to us--and if the only way we can do this is through other countries' bogus import restrictions (for lack of a better word) then so be it. Besides, we don't need to develop any more goalkeepers. It's the one position Yank players have actually mastered.

Scousers are having a particularly difficult time of it these days. Just how bad is it? This lunatic at Caught Offside (though not one himself) reckons there's no telling how low Reds will go. Eleven devils pins his hope on the club's fans buying out the team. Well if Barca fans can...

Finally, just how good are Inter Milan? Well, no longer the best club in the world, according to my Top 25. But still good enough to come from behind and beat Juventus in a thrilling Coppa Italia match Wednesday. SoccerLens has a feature inspired by a memorable performance in that game: Mario Balotelli is the lad's name and he was officially made an Inter hero by notching a brace, including the game-winner in the 54th minute. Can we consider him Inter's answer to Pato? Negative, states Goal.com. The Ghana-born teenager will be better.

Photo taken from Massere.Altervista.org without permission.