Saturday's match didn't go according to plan for England boss Fabio Capello.

When I was a kid, I was in complete awe of Michael Jordan. I wasn’t a Bulls fan. I wasn’t even that much of a basketball fan. But when he was playing, my eyes were glued to the TV. For those of you who were lucky enough to see His Airness at the peak of his powers, you’ll understand the mystique. It was like he was invincible. Even when his team was in trouble, even when he wasn’t quite hitting top gear, no matter what, I always thought, “Mike’s in control. Mike will figure it out.”

That’s sort of the way I felt with Fabio Capello at the helm for England over the last two years. Sure, there were times during World Cup qualification when I would raise an eyebrow at one of his lineups or wonder about a curveball substitution. But I never doubted him. I never got really nervous about his decisions. I never thought, “Well that move is going to backfire bigtime.” It was always, “Fabio’s in control. Fabio will figure it out.” His results meant that there was no reason to think otherwise.

Well, that all changed on Saturday. That afternoon, a couple hours before England’s World Cup opener against the US, I read the teamsheet: Green; Cole, Terry, King, Johnson; Lennon, Gerrard, Lampard, Milner; Heskey, Rooney. And for the first time during his tenure as boss I thought, “Wow, I really don’t think Capello has this one right.”

Why? Because he went against his own game-plan. And his game-plan throughout qualification was pretty clear.

England had 10 World Cup qualifying matches. They won their first 8 straight, guaranteeing them qualification, and in 7 of them, Capello employed Gareth Barry as a holding midfielder alongside Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard. The 8th match was against Andorra at Wembley, in which England won 6-nil over the only team in their group who lost every single qualification match they played. In the next two matches, which were effectively dead rubbers for England, Capello went back to the holding midfielder system, using Michael Carrick against Ukraine (a 1-nil loss) and Gareth Barry against Belarus (a 3-nil win). Of the 10 qualification matches, England had a goal difference of +25, and Capello used a holding midfielder in 9 of them. England won all 9 matches that Gareth Barry played in.

So clearly, Capello had a particular system going and had it going pretty well. Gerrard and Lampard coexisted on the pitch, anchored by a defensive midfielder who allowed them to do what they do best, get up the field and attack. The results spoke for themselves. Sure, maybe it wasn’t always pretty, and you could argue that the teams in front of England weren’t the best in the world, but all they were expected to do was win, and they definitely did that.

But on Saturday, it was like he threw a wrench in the whole operation.

Of course, I have to admit that five minutes into the match, I felt like an idiot for doubting him. Here was Steven Gerrard peeling away from Tim Howard after he knocked England ahead 1-nil. I held my hands up and said, “Well, maybe Capello got it right after all.” But the longer the match went on, the more I started to believe that my suspicions were right all along. England’s attack never really got going, and they were pretty vulnerable defensively.

So what happened to the system? What happened to the game-plan?

Yea, I get it – Gareth Barry got hurt. But you know what you do when one of your players get hurt? You put on another player who plays that position in the same system. Like the only other holding midfielder in the squad, Michael Carrick. Sure, Carrick isn’t coming off of his greatest season, but you picked him for the squad, so you should be confident that he can do the job. You know what system doesn’t work? Gerrard and Lampard in the middle on their own, with no one to provide them any cover in the midfield. About five years’ worth of experiments have given us that proof of that. So why revert back to a tried-and-failed formula? Doesn’t make any sense. And not surprisingly, that move backfired.

Whether Gerrard and Lampard can play together has been a talking point for years.

Why it backfired was as clear during that match as it ever was. With nobody behind them to provide cover, Gerrard and Lampard were wary of getting caught too high up the pitch. Getting involved with the attack is their bread and butter, not defending. So instead of bursting forward to work with Rooney and Heskey, they cautiously went up the field whenever England had possession and then rushed back to help to the back line.

And one more reason why a holding midfielder would have been great: England were playing with an unfamiliar defense. Robert Green has a grand total of 10 senior caps for his country and has never played in a major international tournament before (that must have looked pretty obvious after his YouTube sensation mistake). On top of that, Rio Ferdinand was sidelined before the World Cup even started, meaning that John Terry would be making an unfamiliar partnership alongside Ledley King in the center of defense. Playing a holding midfielder would have not only given more license for Gerrard and Lampard get forward, but it would have also given some much needed support to a back line that really needed it against the likes of Jozy Altidore, Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey, and Robbie Findley. It looked even worse when King was forced off with an injury (shocker!) and Jamie Carragher came in. They looked downright slow and baffled at times out there.

One thing is clear: when Capello figures out a plan and the team executes it properly, they are tough to beat. Sure, maybe England aren’t on the same level as Spain, Brazil, or Germany, but with all that talent in the squad and all that talent sitting at the helm, they’re definitely a threat. But another thing is also clear: when England revert to the same tactics that have been deployed by every other manager in recent memory, they play like garbage.

I’m not saying he should drop Heskey or Lampard or make any huge changes to the team – only that he should bring back the tactics that got England to South Africa in the first place. Now isn’t the time to experiment, because that time is long gone.

You can talk about how Wayne Rooney wasn’t at his best, or how Robert Green cost England 3 points, or how Theo Walcott should have been included in the team, and they’re all fair points, but if England are going to make a serious push to win the tournament (and not just get to the quarters and lose on penalties), Capello has to figure out how to get the midfield firing on all cylinders. That’s the puzzle that no England manager has figured out over the last ten years. Gareth Barry is slated to start on Friday, which should come as a big relief to England fans. My question is, if Barry goes down again, are we going to see the same lineup that we saw against the US and the same system that we already know doesn’t work?

Capello is a great manager. His resume makes that very apparent. All managers get some decisions wrong from time to time, but the ability to make crucial adjustments is what sets the best apart. If England get back to the system that got them to South Africa in the first place, they should definitely get into the knockout round and from then on who knows what’ll happen. And it could turn out to be a good thing that Capello’s experiment backfired, as long as he doesn’t try it again. But if he does, then it’s going to be the same old story for England all over again. And that story always ends the same way.

Robert Green was devastated after his blunder cost England a goal against the US.

There were a lot of questions surrounding the England team before a ball had even been kicked in Rustenburg on Saturday evening.

With captain Rio Ferdinand sidelined, would Ledley King get through the match, considering his long struggle with injuries over the last few years?

Would Gareth Barry be fit enough to start in midfield?

Would David James, the man with the number 1 shirt, be fit enough to start in goal? If so, would he have another “Calamity” James moment? If not, would Robert Green or Joe Hart have one?

Unfortunately for England fans, none of the answers they got were the ones they wanted.

Ledley King was forced off after 45 minutes with a groin injury. His replacement Jamie Carragher didn’t look at all comfortable at the back, especially against Jozy Altidore’s strength and pace, which the American used to blast through England’s defense and come agonizingly close to putting his country 2-1 ahead.

Gareth Barry was fit enough to make the bench, but not the starting lineup, meaning that England’s midfield duo of Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard were much more wary about bursting forward. That’s what they do best, not playing deep and taking on defensive responsibilities.

And finally, Robert Green. Oh, Robert Green. You poor man. The scrutiny this guy is going to have to take back home is going to be unbelievable. It’s a shame too after solid performances for West Ham over the last few years. He’s a huge reason why they weren’t relegated from the Premier League in the last couple seasons, even though they came way too close for comfort. And to think, when most people saw that David James wasn’t on the team-sheet, they probably relaxed, thinking that they wouldn’t have to see a horrendous goalkeeping error cost England three points. Wrong.

Green now stands in a long line of English goalkeepers who to had a “WHAT JUST HAPPENED?!” moment. For some reason, it just always seems to go wrong for England keepers. For fans of the Three Lions, what happened in Rustenburg was all too familiar.

No one in England will forget David Seaman watching a long-range Ronaldinho freekick go over his head and into the goal during the 2002 World Cup. Nor will they forget David James letting a very savable shot squeak by during a Euro 2004 qualifier. Or Paul Robinson whiffing on a Gary Neville back-pass for an own goal in a Euro 2008 qualifier against Croatia. Or Scott Carson letting a seemingly easy save turn into a goal during another Euro 2008 qualifier (also against Croatia), which ultimately meant that England didn’t qualify for the tournament.

And now Green’s mistake is the next one on the list. The scary thing is, if Green is benched and David James comes into the mix, we might see an even worse blunder in the next match.

For now, the England team had better hope that their key players get healthy and they get their focus back. It wasn’t a terrible performance, but one that lacked the cutting edge and concentration of their excellent qualifying campaign. They’ll have to rediscover that form if they want to meet the expectations of their country. A 1-1 draw wasn’t the result Fabio Capello were looking for, but they still have a great chance to get through to the knock-out rounds, provided they don’t trip on their own feet again.

Robert Green, starting in goal for the injured David James, let a first-half Clint Dempsey strike slip by him and allowed the Americans to earn a point in Group C’s first match.

The Americans rebounded from a poor start to run even with their opponents from across the Atlantic.

Gerrard slipped behind Ricardo Clark, took a pass from Emile Heskey and put a well-placed shot by Tim Howard to give England the fourth-minute lead.

The Yanks looked to equalizer in the 19th minute when Landon Donovan sent a short cross to Jozy Altidore, but the 20-year-old striker could not connect with his head from six yards out.

Heskey gave the Americans another scare around the half hour mark, colliding with Howard, putting the remainder of the goalkeeper’s match in question.  While the U.S. staff tended to Howard, Fabio Capello pulled the plug on James Milner’s night, bringing on the speedier Shaun Wright-Phillips.

The U.S. then caught just the break it needed.  Trying to make something happen for his side, Dempsey held off his defender, letting go a non-threatening shot.  With a seemingly simple save coming to Green, the ball was misplayed and rolled over the line for the 40th-minute goal.

Protecting the injury-prone legs of Ledley King, starting in place of the injured Rio Ferdinand, Capello brought on Jamie Carragher at halftime.

In the 52nd minute, Heskey broke loose with a chance to regain the lead.  His shot from 15 yards out was smothered by Howard.

A yellow card to Gerrard gave the Yanks a threatening free kick, but Donovan’s service caromed off the head of Carlose Bocanegra for a England goal kick.

Altidore showed the fruits of his time in England in the 65th minute with a run down the left flank and into the box.  The shot was denied by Green and then deflected off the post.

The American hopes of a draw were momentarily put in question when a far-post shot from Wayne Rooney flew through the air, the match stayed level as the English attempt went just wide.  Rooney was held under wraps by U.S. defender, Jay DeMerit, not allowing him to get going until it was too late.

Bob Bradley brought on his first substitution in the 76th minute as the American attack began to lag a little, the offered solution was Edson Buddle for Robbie Findley.  Capello countered with his final sub, bringing on Peter Crouch, in the 79th minute, for Heskey.

Each side had its opportunity to secure the World Cup victory, but neither could find the goal in the second half as the match finished 1-1.

Match day one for Group C will conclude on Sunday when Algeria and Slovenia meet.  The U.S. will now prepare for Slovenia, while England faces off with Algeria, both matches will be played on June 18.

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Remember to check back with World Soccer Reader during the World Cup as we will be holding live match chats, and hosting a live call-in radio show following each days final match.

Steven Gerrard can breathe a sigh of relief after the FA decided not to punish him for a clash with Portsmouth’s Michael Brown during Monday’s Premier League match. The Liverpool captain was making a run into the Portsmouth box when he elbowed Brown, who was running ahead of him, in the back of the head.

Gerrard was facing a possible three-match ban for violent conduct, similar to the one Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand received after throwing a punch at Hull’s Craig Fagan.

However, referee Steven Bennett did not see the Ferdinand punch and maintained that had he witnessed it, Ferdinand would have been sent off. On the other hand, Stuart Attwell, who refereed the Liverpool-Portsmouth match, saw Gerrard’s elbow and decided to take no further action after awarding Pompey a free-kick. FA rules dictate that players will not be punished retrospectively for an incident that a referee has seen, which is why Ferdinand was punished after the fact and Gerrard was not.

Gerrard will now be free to face rivals Manchester United at Old Trafford this coming Sunday, as Liverpool continue their chase of Champions League qualification.

Hull Part Ways With Phil Brown

Phil Brown is no longer in charge of the Tigers after the club decided to show him the door this week.

Chairman Adam Pearson released a statement on Hull’s website, explaining the decision.

“Retention of Premier League status is paramount and the board believes that a change in managerial direction is the correct option at this time,” he said.

The decision was not a complete surprise, given Hull’s difficulty in escaping the Premier League relegation zone since their promotion last season. The team has not registered a point since beating Manchester City on February 6th and sit in 19th place, four points from safety. The Tigers have allowed the second most goals in the league while scoring the third fewest.

Many had called for Brown to be replaced last season, after a dreadful second half of the season meant that Hull was only guaranteed Premier League safety on the last day of the season thanks to a Newcastle United loss. Hull lost their last match of the campaign to a mostly reserve Manchester United side, who had already won the Premier League and were looking forward to the Champions League final. Had Newcastle even drawn their final fixture against Villa, Hull would have been bounced right back into the Championship.

As for the future of the club, former QPR boss Iain Dowie has been named the new manager on a short-term contract until the end of the season.

Huddlestone Extends Spurs Contract

Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Tom Huddlestone has signed a new deal that will keep him at White Hart Line until 2015.

The 23-year-old has raised his market value this season, having made 34 appearances under Harry Redknapp.

He is still currently out with an ankle injury, but may be able to make his way back into the team in time for his club’s end-of-season push for Champions League qualification. Spurs are currently fourth in the league, but are just one point ahead of Liverpool with a match in-hand.

It was yet another week-to-forget for the red half of Merseyside.

Liverpool suffered another defeat on Thursday after Eden Hazard’s late goal gave French club Lille a 1-nil advantage in their Europa League round of sixteen tie. But the bigger downfall came earlier in the week when the team lost 1-nil to Wigan at the DW Stadium on Monday.

That was the club’s ninth league defeat of the campaign, and it puts a big dent on Benitez’s plans to salvage Champions League qualification for next season. The Reds now sit in sixth place with nine matches to play – one point behind Manchester City, who have two games in hand, and three points ahead of Aston Villa, who have three games in hand. Wigan chairman Dave Whelan said after Monday’s match that he felt “really, really sorry” for Liverpool supporters – and when you get an expression of pity from a club sitting in fifteenth place, that’s saying something.

Managing a fourth place or higher finish in the league must be Liverpool’s only priority at this point, as the Europa League is nothing more than a bitter reminder of the failure to get past the Champions League group stages.

And after another disappointing week for the club, UK papers have been rife with speculation over who will replace Benitez, should the Spaniard get the sack. Aston Villa’s Martin O’Neill and Birmingham’s Alex McLeish are the names being thrown around at the moment, but Liverpool might have to hold onto Benitez even if they don’t want to.

The club is still in a tough financial position, and Benitez just signed a lucrative new contract in March of last year. So, if the club were to fire him, they would be looking at a reported $22 million in compensation. With debt climbing as high as $350 million, that is a large chunk of change that Liverpool don’t have to spare.

However, for those Liverpudlians who have already lost patience with Benitez, there may be hope yet. Juventus are apparently courting Benitez, and should the Italians win his services, Liverpool would be free to look for a new manager without breaking the bank. Benitez has repeatedly voiced his frustration at the lack of transfer funds available to him, and with no visible financial improvements on the horizon under George Gillett and Tom Hicks, his departure might not be so far-fetched.

At this time last season, the club were in the middle of a tense battle with bitter rivals Manchester United for the Premier League title and were fighting to progress in the Champions League knock-out rounds. This time around, all hope for any meaningful silverware has already been lost. But with debt spiraling and European football moving out of reach, the Anfield faithful have bigger problems to worry about.

Liverpool’s season faced another huge blow after it was revealed that Fernando Torres, Yossi Benayoun, and captain Steven Gerrard will all face a spell on the sidelines through injury.

The bad news just keeps piling on for the Reds, who were dumped out of the FA Cup on Wednesday at Anfield in a replay against Reading. Torres, Benayoun, and Gerrard were all injured during the match.

Torres was taken off in the first half of the match and scans revealed that the Spaniard will need knee surgery to repair cartilage in his right knee. The operation will put him out of commission for about six weeks.

Gerrard strained his hamstring during the match and faces two weeks on the treatment table, while Benayoun sustained a fractured rib and will be sidelined for up to four weeks.

The trio are the standout players in what has become a season-to-forget for Liverpool, and their absence will surely deal a huge blow to the Merseyside outfit as they fight for the coveted fourth place spot in the league and Champions League qualification.

Meanwhile, Rafa Benitez’s future at Anfield is “not on the agenda”, according to Liverpool’s managing director Christian Purslow. Many fans and pundits alike saw the club’s FA Cup exit as the final straw for Benitez.

However, Purslow told BBC Sport that Benitez’s job is not under immediate threat. The Spaniard’s current contract runs until 2014.

The Reds are currently in seventh place in the league, with Manchester City currently occupying fourth place.

Campbell Makes Arsenal Return

Former Arsenal defender Sol Campbell has made his return to Arsenal official after training with the club for some time. This week he agreed a short-term contract that will last until the summer, and he returned to playing in Arsenal’s reserve team match against West Ham on Tuesday.

Campbell’s future had been in limbo after the former England international left League Two side Notts Country in September. He had been training with the club after his departure, and he reportedly turned down offers from Hull City and Newcastle in order to reunite with Arsene Wenger.

“Being out of the game helped revitalize me,” Campbell said.

“I feel really fresh and I have a craving to get the ball. I’ve had time to reflect. Now, I have been given a chance and I’m desperate to play.”

The defender will surely boost Wenger’s defense, an area of the squad which has looked weak at times this season in terms of depth, and his experience in Arsenal’s youthful team will be invaluable.

While it is true that coach Bob Bradley’s boys fared quite well, the assurance of a spot in the final sixteen is far from what many are now rejoicing.

Take a closer look at what the Americans will be facing next summer in South Africa.

England: The most historically powerful team in the group and currently the most talented, as well. Advanced from a good qualification group, losing only once, to Ukraine, en route to being one of the tournament’s eight seeded teams.

Widely regarded as the perennial contenders for the World Cup every four years, by the English media that is. The Three Lions are considered to be the second weakest seeded team in next summer’s tournament.  Yet it still boasts the two best players in the group: Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney.

In a very similar style to the Americans, Fabio Capello implies a 4-4-2 line-up, in which a striking partner to Rooney remains to be found.  He will rely heavily on Gerrard and Frank Lampard to get him the ball.

In the summer of 2008, the U.S. fell to England, 2-0 at Wembley. These two squads have changed little in a year and a half’s time, which suggests that to have the two sides will likely duplicate their last result. One mistake by the U.S. back line can allow Rooney the space to put his side ahead. The U.S. should also be wary of David Beckham, Landon Donovan’s LA Galaxy teammate, who is still ever so dangerous when given a freekick within range of the goal.

If the U.S. can find its form by next summer, coupled with a high number of Americans having experience with the British game and players; there is a glimmer of hope for a U.S. upset.

A healthy Oguchi Onyewu and Jay DeMerit will slow down Rooney and company. If Jermaine Jones is playing, he should be able to impede the midfield combination of Gerrard and Lampard as well.

But the talent difference between the two sides is too great in favor of England. There are just too many injures that have yet to be resolved for the Americans.

Predicted outcome: England 2, U.S. 1

Slovenia: Too many U.S. supporters have written this match off as a win already. 

The reason? Not enough people know anything about Slovenia. It was this team that knocked Russia out of World Cup qualifying.  If Russia was in this group, the optimism towards this group would quickly turn to a more negative outlook.

While the overall skill set of Slovenia does not bring the hope of raising the World Cup trophy; the Slovenia defense is one of the best that South Africa will see.

And what does the U.S. have trouble with? Scoring multiple goals. The most dangerous striker on the U.S. roster is a long-shot to be fit by next summer. So where does that leave the Americans in a match versus Slovenia?

They will need to be sharp on set pieces, as a goal from the run-of-play seems unlikely against a talented Slovenia defense. A Donovan counter-attack type goal, like the one scored versus Brazil in the Confederations Cup, will surely be needed.

Predicted outcome: U.S. 1, Slovenia 1

Algeria: Remember when the U.S. convincingly defeated Egypt 3-1, during the Confederations Cup? Egypt came into the match as the African Cup champions. This Algeria team beat Egypt to secure its spot in the World Cup.

After a troubling event, in which the Algerian bus was attacked and three players were injured, the Algerians willed their way to victory. Although it will be seen as one of the weaker teams within the World Cup, there will be some what of a home-field advantage for the Algerians.

For all the talk that says Algeria will be an easy win in group play, think again.  Every team in the tournament earned its way in. Parity is high at the World Cup, where any team can beat any team.  Algeria has already shown it can overcome adversity in getting to the World Cup. Now playing close to home and having the “underdog” label, the question is what team will Algeria catch napping and earn a draw or even capture a win against?

For the U.S. supporters, this match is no less important than the others as it will be the last in group play. Again, remember back to the last match of group play at the Confederations Cup, needing a lot of help and a number of goals the U.S. got the job done and advanced. Will it be a repeat performance?

Predicted outcome: U.S. 3, Algeria 1

So how will Group C look after match day three is finished?

                    W D L  GD PTS

England -    3 0 0    +4     9

U.S. -           1 1 1    +1     4

Slovenia -   1 1 1    (-1)    4

Algeria -      0 1 2    (-4)    1

England wins the group. As it plays the role of helper, just as Brazil did on the final match day at the Confederations Cup. The U.S. takes second and advances on goal differential.

As the World Cup gets closer, another, more up-to-date look at Group C will be given.

For more analysis on this and the rest of the 2010 World Cup groups, you can listen to Episode #62 of “Inside the Six”, as all eight of the groups are broken down and predictions are made.

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez’s wows continue to grow after reports surfaced that Fernando Torres is battling a hernia that could require surgery, knocking the striker out of action for up to two months.  The Spanish national is expected to have a scan of the area to see whether surgery is necessary to repair the damaged groin.

Torres currently leads the Premier League in scoring thus far – netting an astounding 10 goals in 10 games. Skipper Steven Gerrard’s groin may also need a surgeon’s touch to fix an injury picked up during World Cup Qualifiers.  While Gerrard has continued some of his training, the finicky groin has not responded favorably to treatment and the midfielder could see himself on the sidelines for a longer than anticipated recovery.

Despite being injured and the possibility of furthering the damage to his groin, Liverpool boss Benitez plans on playing Torres in tomorrow’s Champions League clash against Olympique Lyonnais in France.  He said, “We are trying to manage, as he was close to having an operation.  Two days after the Fulham game, he is still feeling something.  He is not comfortable and hasn’t got the power he had before, so we have to try to protect him.”

Benitez was the recipient of abuse after he controversially substituted Torres during Saturday’s lose to Fulham in order to give him the chance to play in the must-win match against Lyon.  He added, “We have to take Fernando to Lyon because we do not have too many options.”

Liverpool’s woes are further compounded by the amount of injuries the squad is facing; defenders Martin Skrtel, Glen Johnson, Martin Kelly, Daniel Agger, and Fabio Aurelio, winger Albert Riera, and forward David Ngog are all currently dealing with fitness problems.

Liverpool currently sit in sixth place in the Barclays Premier League, outside of the automatic Champions League spots.

Liverpool are third in Group E, six points behind Lyon and three off Fiorentina.

While a defeat would not mathematically end their Champions League dreams, it would all but finish them off – costing upwards of £10 million in prize money and putting even more pressure on Rafael Benitez.

Jordan Wise is a U.S. based contributor to World Soccer Reader, focusing on the English Premier League and the Houston Dynamo.  You can also follow Jordan Wise’s other thoughts on the beautiful game on Twitter  @FCShambles.

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has come under heavy criticism recently for Liverpool’s slumping form in the Premier League and Champions League.

The Reds have suffered four straight defeats, having been beaten by Fiorentina, Chelsea, Sunderland, and Lyon. The Merseyside giants last recorded a win almost a month ago, with a 6-1 thrashing of Hull City on October 26th.

A section of the Liverpool faithful jeered the manager after the 2-1 loss to Lyon on Tuesday, and the club face another tough test with reigning English champions Manchester United coming to Anfield on Sunday.

Benitez has been without his star players in Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard, who have both had fitness issues in the past few weeks. The duo’s absence has been notably visible in the performance of the team, as they have endured their worst four-match run in all competitions since 1987.

However, despite the dip in form, club co-owner George Gillett has insisted that he has faith in Benitez and that the Spaniard’s job is safe.

“Our family is extraordinarily pleased with him. The run of results disappoints the fans, and it disappoints Rafa, but we are in this together,” said Gillett.

Benitez was boosted with news that defender Glen Johnson, who has also been injured, is likely to be fit for Sunday, and Fernando Torres may be available as well. Summer signing Alberto Aquilani, who has not yet featured for the Reds, played 15 minutes in the reserves on Wednesday as he also nears a return to fitness.

Liverpool currently sit in 8th place in the Premier League table, seven points behind league leaders United.

Chelsea Begin Transfer Ban Appeal

Chelsea have asked the Court of Arbitration for Sport to freeze their FIFA transfer ban until a decision on their appeal is reached.

The London side was handed the ban after they were found guilty of transfer misconduct in their signing of French teenager Gael Kakuta from Lens. FIFA ruled that Chelsea would be forbidden from registering players until 2011.

The Court will make its decision on whether to freeze the ban by November, meaning that the club could potentially sign players during the January transfer window.

A date for to hear the official appeal has yet to be set.

Seena Vali is a U.S. based writer for World Soccer Reader, having joined the staff in April 2009. He covers the English Premier League and writes WSR’s Manchester United blog “United Watch”.

Thanks to the international break, the UEFA Champions League has taken a long sojourn between match days two and three, allowing some supporters to forget their club’s dire straits.

“Their” might be an excessively generous term, as my eyes are cast on two specific sites: the San Siro and Anfield.

We start in Italy, where Internazionale had a revitalization on Saturday. José Mourinho was without Samuel Eto’o, without Diego Milito, yet managed to romp through Genoa 5-0.  Alleviated of the concerns of trying to fit his two prize acquisitions into a new system, Mourinho went back to a trusted formation and got a big result. The Narazzurri have been sleeping giants all season, and this international break may have awaken them.

The break was not as kind to Rafa Benitez. Injuries picked up while playing for country saw Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard scratched for Saturday’s match at Sunderland. Unfortunately for the Spaniard, one Red Beach Ball was perfectly fit and became the latest to exploit a porous Reds’ back line.

Liverpool will host Group E-leading Olympique Lyonnais on Tuesday, and with Fiorentina looking likely to get three points in Hungary, Liverpool could find themselves alone in third place should they not get three at home.

The challenge to Internazionale is more direct, as Dynamo Kiev – the club which threatens to push Inter into Europa League – visits the San Siro. Given the Italian press’s scrutiny after Inter’s draw in Kazan, anything but a win over Kiev will see Mourinho on a media-kindled hot seat.

Here’s how the entire Tuesday lineup looks, where Groups E through H will close out the first half of their group stages.

Lyon's Lisandro López is back and healthy for OL's trip to Anfield.

Group E

Lyonnais was shocked at the weekend when Sochaux came to Stade Gerland and gave Claude Puel’s team their first loss of the season. Given Lyon’s depth, it was difficult to tell if they were playing a full first team, but their squad was as representative as any other they’ve started this season. The 2-0 loss was a disappointing and surprising result.

The good news, though, was the return of Michel Bastos. The winger and free kick specialist, who had been out for almost a month, returned and started. Likewise, Lisandro López was in the lineup after he had been pulled from the Argentine national team duty due to his lingering leg issues.

With Jean-Alain Boumsong and Mathieu Bodmer both out, Jeremy Toulalan will play in central defense, beside Cris. Jean Makoun, Kim Kallström and Miralem Pjaníc will play the midfield.  López will start up top, with two of Bastos, Sidney Govou, Bafetimbi Gomis and Cesar Delgado joining him.  As Govou was held out and Bastos was substituted early, they are the likely wings for López.

Against Sunderland, Liverpool started three central defenders. Benitez claimed the formation was to deal with a formidable, physical Sunderland strike duo.  It may have also been deployed to address general ineffectiveness at the back. In such an important match, it would be daring to see Benitez again employ Daniel Agger, Jamie Carragher, and Martin Skrtel (with Fabio Aurelio and Glen Johnson on either side), but with a string of disappointing results preceding the move, Benitez may feel it’s his best formation.

Steven Gerrard should be back in midfield, as should Javier Mascherano, who did not start this weekend in deference to his qualifying travels. Up top, though, Fernando Torres is a doubt.

Still having to make a trip to Lyon, Liverpool needs a win in this match to maintain a good shot at winning the group. With Fiorentina expected to win at Debreceni, Liverpool will find themselves alone in third place if they can get three points. Many a man has lost a buck betting against Liverpool in Europe, but they are out-gunned in this match.

Inter's Diego Milito (left) and Samuel Eto'o are still hobbled ahead of Dynamo Kiev's visit to the San Siro

Group F

Because injuries to Samuel Eto’o and Diego Milito forced Mourinho to play with his weekend formation, it is unclear how much information we can take from Internazionale’s thrashing of Genoa. If Inter goes back to playing two lead strikers, the doubts will resurface – the same doubts fostered in the preseason and the campaign’s first two months.

With both Eto’o and Milito doubtful for Tuesday (and Mario Balotelli being suspended), it is unlikely Mourinho will have to solve his predicament for Match Day 3. With both Eto’o and Milito capable of playing, a middle-ground would have Inter start one and sub the other on in the second half.  That way, Mourinho can stay with this weekend’s successful formation. That lineup would have Wesley Sneijder and Dejan Stankovic playing advanced midfielders, giving Inter more midfield options against a Kiev side that should dominate possession at the San Siro.

Still having to go to Ukraine for a reverse fixture, Inter is in the same place as Liverpool. A loss on Tuesday would be a ticket to Europa. Unlike Liverpool, though, Internazionale is not out-gunned. Far from it. They have the horses in this one. For José Mourinho, it’s just a matter of getting those horses to run.

In the group’s other match, Barcelona should have little trouble against a Rubin Kazan side which, although they’ve taken the lead in each of their Champions League matches, has looked lost. They were blessed by Balotelli’s temper to not have to play a full Inter squad in the last third of their Match Day 2 fixture. Against Barcelona, who expect to have Zlatan Ibrahimovic return, they will not be so blessed. Rubin could see the ball less than 30% of the time.

Fabiano, back and healthy, will be Sevilla's biggest threat to Stuttgart.

Group G

It remains unclear the lengths to which Stuttgart will go to give this group away.

Though they have struggled in the Bundesliga, (currently sitting the that table’s lower half), they are still the second-best team in this group. Still, they have yet to win, giving up leads in both their matches despite being favored in each. Last match day’s draw in Bulgaria could prove particularly costly if Rangers can get three points at Unirea.

On Tuesday, Rangers should get three at Ibrox from the Romanian champions, jumping into second place when Sevilla wins in Stuttgart. While it’s possible Stuttgart could get a result at home – particularly in light of Sevilla’s lost this weekend at Deportivo La Coruña – it is unlikely. Depor is a team that would finish second in this group, and losing a hard-fought result to them should give Sevilla no shame.

With Match Day 4’s fixtures being the reverse of Match Day 3’s, Rangers will get another crack at three points while Stuttgart plays at Sevilla. Stuttgart may be five points behind the Scottish champions by the time they’re done with the Andalusians.

Diogo is on of the reasons Zico can be more ambitious with Olympiacos.

Group H

With Arsenal going to the Netherlands to face Alkmaar, Olympiacos hosting Standard gives the Greek champions a chance to lock-down the second spot in this group.

That’s because everybody assumes Arsenal is going to win the group, and with good reason. Though they have slowed from the torrid play with which they started the English Premier League, we’ve received no indication that they are vulnerable to these three clubs. That was affirmed by a well-earned 2-0 win over Olympiacos on Match Day 2.

Conversely, AZ is not the club they were last season, particularly at the back, where they’ve already allowed 11 goals in 10 matches (they allowed 22 all of last season). Though Arsenal struggled greatly when they opened group stage at Standard, those memories will make a repetition of that performance unlikely.

if Arsenal gets three, Olympiacos holding form at home would put them five points up on the group’s third and first place teams. With the newly arrived Zico instilling greater ambition in the normally conservative Greeks, expect Olympiacos to take the match to a struggling Belgians.

Standard lost 2-0 in league this weekend and are still without Steven Defour. Having gotten a draw at Alkmaar, they are in good position to claim the group’s third place and the Europa League birth that comes with it. Without Defour, however, they will be hard-pressed to break down Olympiacos and vault themselves into contention to advance in Champions League.

Richard Farley is a U.S.-based contributor to World Soccer Reader. He also hosts Inside the Six, the site’s regular podcast. He can be reached at richardfarley at gmail dot com and followed on Twitter, username “richardfarley.” And while you are at it, feel free to check out RF Football.