AsotD 1/28/10:

Gio van Bronckhorst hits a cracker in the Dutch cup against PSV Eindhoven:

Congratulations to Landon Donovan - First Premier League Goal

Lando has officially opened his account at Everton!

AsotD 1/24/10: Maggio vs. Livorno

Absurd volley from Maggio for the baby blues of Napoli today versus Livorno is the clear choice for our AsotD. Enjoy the ecstatic Italian commentary:

Robinho to Quit Manchester City

A report from soccernet.com suggests today that Robinho plans on returning to his former club Santos. This move is reminiscent of his compatriot Adriano's journey back home to Rio de Janeiro club Flamengo, which may have kept the attacking cue ball in contention for a spot on Brazil's World Cup 2010 roster.

See the report from soccernet here.

And check out this nice compilation including some of the skills and goals Robinho has contributed to the Manchester City cause this campaign. You may have to turn the volume down, as Guiball Productions has unfortunately chosen "Don't Phunk With My Heart" by the Black Eyed Peas as the opening piece of the soundtrack.

AsotD 1/22/10: Andre Santos vs. Denzilispor

Today's absolute stunner actually happened today.

Observe, please, as Brazilian Andre Santos nets a 30-yard bomb in Turkish Superliga action as ferocious Fener took down desperate Denzilispor 3-1.

Canales to Real Madrid, Ruud out

Real Madrid have bolstered their attack with the recent verbal agreement for the signature of former Racing de Santander forward Sergio Canales. The teenager had attracted interest from other big clubs including Premier League giants Chelsea and Manchester City. While Barcelona seem poised to take La Liga yet again this season, perhaps Canales will prove a shrewd signing next year when he will join Los Merengues for a reported 6-year deal.

Meanwhile, aging Madrid forward Ruud van Nistelrooy has agreed to sign with Bundesliga contenders Hamburg after having snubbed offers from bigger clubs in England. That can only be music to Canales' young, fleshy ears.

See the clip below - Sergio Canales on the counter attack versus Sevilla earlier this year:

Dempsey Most Likely Fit for World Cup

What a relief to American soccer fanatics - Clint Dempsey's recent injury in Fulham's 2-0 loss at Blackburn does not seem serious enough to rule out his appearance in the 2010 World Cup. Clint is arguably the Yankees' most talented player, and he and Landon Donovan, both now thriving in the Premiership, most certainly will be counted on to provide the creativity for the Red, White, and Blue this summer in Group C. Fulham manager Roy Hodgson had initially indicated to the British press that it appeared as though Clint had sustained "cruciate ligament injury," which probably have required surgical procedures that would have kept Deuce out of the world's most watched event.

Glad to hear that the native Texan will be leading the charge versus the likes of England, Algeria, and Slovenia come summer.

See a ridiculous volley from Clint against surprise package Stoke City (1/5/10) below; let's hope he can muster some of that audacity in a few months on the big stage: