Total Futbol

Beckham bares almost all for Super Bowl ad

Women who don't follow the NFL and dread Super Bowl Sunday now have a reason to watch.

There is always much hubbub about Super Bowl commercials, and no doubt, Becks' H&M ads will be in the discussion.

Speaking of Beckham, he announced that he is staying in MLS with the LA Galaxy rather than going back to Europe, as most fans thought he would. What do you think of that news? Share your views.

Duke's Wenger No. 1 MLS pick

MLS Draft...Top 20 picks.

1. Andrew Wenger, Duke, D. Montreal

2. Darren Mattocks, Akron, F. Vancouver

3. Kelyn Rowe, UCLA, M. Revolution

4. Luis Silva, UC-Santa Barbara, M. Toronto.

5. Casey Townsend, Maryland, F. Chivas

6. Sam Garza, UC-Santa Barbara, F, San Jose.

7. Nick DeLeon, Louisville, M, DC United

8. Andrew Jean-Baptiste, UConn, D. Portland

9. Austin Berry, Louisville, D, Chicago

10. Ethan Finlay, Creighton, F. Columbus Crew.

11. Matt Hedges, NC, D, Dallas

12. Aaron Maund, Notre Dame, Toronto

13. Chandler Hoffman, UCLA, F. Philadelphia

14. Tony Cascio, UConn, M. Colorado

15. Andrew Duran, Creighton, D. Seattle

16. Dom Dwyer, USF, F. Sporting FC

17. Enzo Martinez, NC, MF. Real Salt Lake

18. Colin Rolfe, Louisville, F, Houston

19. Tommy Meyer, Indiana, D. LA.

MLS draft TODAY, noon.

OK, so Andrew Luck is not involved and the entire nation isn't buzzing about it, but...

The MLS draft is today at noon, ESPN2.

I'll be updating througout the afternoon. Stay tuned...

Dempsey hat-trick!!!

Clint Dempsey scored the first hat-trick of his career in a 4-0 Fulham win over Charlton in the FA Cup. It was the third hat-trick ever by an American in English soccer.

Here are the details, from AP:

LONDON -- Clint Dempsey scored the first hat trick of his career, Brad Guzan saved a penalty and Landon Donovan had an assist on a successful day for Americans in the third round of the FA Cup on Saturday.

Dempsey made it 12 goals for the season by scoring in the eighth and 61st minutes, then converting a penalty kick in the 81st of Fulham's 4-0 win over Charlton, which is top of the third tier in English soccer.

"This game is a roller coaster. Stay strapped in for them ups and downs," Dempsey wrote on Twitter. "But I did put that biscuit in the basket a few times today."

It is believed to be just the third hat trick by an American in a competitive league or FA Cup match for an English club, following John Kerr Jr. for Millwall against Derby in a second-tier league match in August 1994 and Chris Cleary for Worksop against Droylsden in the third qualifying round of the FA Cup in October 2004. There have been additional ones in lesser competitions such as Conference play, the FA Trophy and the League Trophy.

Brad Guzan, still Aston Villa's fill-in at goalkeeper in the absence of the injured Shay Given, saved a stoppage-time penalty from Scott McGleish to help the Premier League team beat Bristol Rovers 3-1 away.

Donovan assisted Johnny Heitinga's fifth-minute goal with a corner and hit the post in the 85th for Everton in its 2-0 win over Tamworth, one of three nonleague teams to be eliminated on Saturday. Donovan was playing his second game in his loan spell at the Liverpool club.

Elsewhere, Blackburn and Wigan -- the Premier League's bottom two clubs -- were the big casualties as world soccer's oldest knockout competition threw up a typically mixed bag of results in the third round.

Must see! Tim Howard scored a goal!

Here's something you don't see every day....US goalkeeper Tim Howard scored a 100-yard goal for Everton, just the fourth goal by a keeper in EPL history (and one of the others was also by an American, Brad Friedel). Check it out!

Beckham may stay in MLS, after all...

Everyone (including me) assumed David Beckham and his celebrity wife were Paris-bound and that a deal with PSG was imminent. Maybe not. Turns out he could be staying with the LA Galaxy. Here's the latest.

Thoughts?

Poll: Best moment of 2011?

Boxing Day gift for ManU

Happy Boxing Day! The day-after Christmas holiday traditionally was for wealthy families to offer gifts to their servants, but like holidays in the United States, it has turned into a national bank holiday during which people sit around and eat and watch sports on TV.

Update from the EPL's Boxing Day lineup: Manchester United beat Wigan 5-0 to move up to a first-place tie with Manchester City at 45 points. Dimitar Berbatov had a hat trick. City tied West Brom 0-0. Meanwhile, American Clint Dempsey scored again for Fulham in a 1-1 tie with Chelsea. Fulham was coming off a 5-0 drubbing by ManU.

El Pibe and Jorge Campos yuk it up!

Look who I found at Books & Books in Coral Gables!! Carlos "El Pibe'' Valderrama and Jorge Campos, he of the colorful goalkeeper jerseys, hosted a chit-chat to promote the Feb. 29 friendly between Colombia and Mexico at Sun Life Stadium. Speaking of friendly, they couldn't have been chattier. Very funny guys, good friends for many years, and super honest. El Pibe went on and on about how the Colombian federation, by continuing to change coaches, is hurting a talented national team. He worries they won't make the World Cup (they haven't since 1998 and that bothers him greatly). Campos sang the praises of Chicharito. Both also reminisced about their MLS days and are impressed with how far the league has come.

"When we played, there were 8 teams and we played each other every month,'' Campos joked.

Read more about their conversation in Sunday's Miami Herald.

Vote: Who will win El Clasico?