Links

Here are a few football-related columns to get you through a dreary hump-day. All of the columns are courtesy of ESPN.com, which is not the best place to go for breaking soccer news, but does employ very fine columnists.

Start with Phil Ball’s excellent article on this past weekend’s ‘superclassico’ between Real Madrid and Barca, which was a fantastic game.

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story?id=414076&root=europe&cc=5901

Then try Jon Carter’s look at the respective chances of Chelsea and man United to win the Treble. Sensible and even-handed.

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story?id=414265&root=england&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab2pos1&cc=5901

Finally, check out Phil Holland on the less-than-estimable Frank Lampard. I’m not real crazy about Frank, but Holland is right: he should get paid while he can.

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story?id=414460&root=england&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab1pos1&cc=5901

Back with more tomorrow. Also, thanks to the reader who wrote in suggesting other good soccer shops in the U.S.. Later this year I will post a follow-up column on the best brick-and-mortar soccer stores in America.