5:30 p.m.: The 2013 MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference has come to a close.

Thank you for following the events of the last two days.

Check NESN.com next week for a deeper look at some topics that emerged from this year’s conference.

5:20 p.m.: The Los Angeles Clippers trade for Chris Paul wins the award for best transaction.

5:15 p.m.: The San Francisco 49ers win the award for best analytics organization.

5:10 p.m.: The lifetime achievement award goes to Patriots head coach Bill Belichick.

“We all have different responsibilities,” Belichick said. “I certainly respect the mathematical and statistical ways of looking at the game and trying to use those methods and results to improve our product on the field.”

4:45 p.m.: We’ve reached the end of the last panel of the second and final day of the conference. An awards ceremony celebrating achievements and advances in sports analytics will take place at 5 p.m.

4:30 p.m.: Zarren says “I don’t think there’s any question that we would be better if Rajon [Rondo] was playing.”

He adds that the Celtics are learning a lot from the loss of the star point guard. Other players have to step up and do different things.

“Some of those, they’re good at, others they may not be so good,” he adds.

4:20 p.m.: The panel agrees that the defensive side is the hardest part of the game to quantify.

Pritchard and Van Gundy think that the team’s overall defensive scheme dictates how players perform.

“Unless you know exactly what we want defensively, you cannot possibly determine what’s going on in terms of defensive players,” he says.

Buford says a good way to analyze defenses is to measure how often defenses break down.

4:15 p.m.: Van Gundy argues that players don’t want or need a bunch of numbers. He believes coaches can pour through numbers and data points, but players need to keep things simple.

“Cluttered minds make slow feet,” he says.

4:10 p.m.: Are players ready for a general manager that has no first-hand basketball experience (as players themselves)?

The panel cites the Houston Rockets as an example that it can work.

4:05 p.m.: Pritchard says “10 or 20 percent” of building winning teams involves player selection. The rest is developing them and getting them to buy into the team’s culture.

4 p.m.: Van Gundy says good coaches aren’t the ones who best understand analytics. The best ones get their players to go out and perform.

He stressed the human aspect that’s involved in leading teams in most of his comments, arguing that “this isn’t a video game.” He says coaches build cultures and styles of playing the game, and the exceptions they make (following the numbers) often has a negative impact on the effort.

3:50 p.m.: Van Gundy thinks that eventually every team will have a lot of information. What will separate teams is how they use them.

3:30 p.m.: The final panel discussion of the day will cover the analytics of basketball.

Advanced scouting and analysis has changed the way many NBA teams do business before, during and after games. Moderator Pablo Torre will lead a discussion featuring R.C. Buford of Spurs Sports and Entertainment, Indiana Pacers general manager Kevin Pritchard, ESPN analyst Stan Van Gundy and Celtics assistant general manager Mike Zarren.

2 p.m.: Agoos warns against using data alone to analyze players, as there are too many other factors. He says it has to be part of the decision-making process.

It’s similar to what panelists who represent other sports had to say.

1:45 p.m.: Can the panel use analytics to settle the Messi-Ronaldo debate? No they can’t and neither can hundreds of millions of soccer fans around the world.

Context matters too much in debates like these, according to Wooster. Anderson believes it doesn’t matter on the practical level.

1:35 p.m.: Stein asks the panel what metrics fans should follow to better understand the game.

Larcada says timeliness is more important than specific data points. Anderson looks for team performances, particularly on defense.

Wooster believes the analysts that can measure intangibles and translate that into wins will give teams a competitive advantage.

The panel is having a tough time answering Stein’s question.

1:30 p.m.: Wooster says Michu was scouted by six Premier League teams, but Swansea City was the one to sign him and reap the benefits.

1:25 p.m.: Wooster says that the short-termism among managers and coaches discourages them from changing behavior and adopting a more analytical approach.

Agoos thinks it’s up to ownership to hire and promote coaches that are well-versed in analytics to make that change.

1:15 p.m.: Anderson cites the fact that soccer has gone from having “very little data to mountains of data” almost overnight.

The trick is for clubs to present it to their coaching staff in a way that makes it “actionable.”

Wooster says coaches are starting to lean on analytics in their pregame preparations. He adds that “the paradox in football [soccer] is that the most important things are the hardest to measure.”

1:10 p.m.: ESPN is using heat maps and other forms of data visualization which have been well-received by on-air talent and fans, according to Larcada.

1:05 p.m.: Anderson believes that fans and online media have adopted stats much quicker than the clubs themselves have.

Wooster thinks the long-standing culture in the game has slowed the acceptance of analytics because “that’s how it’s always been done.”

12:55 p.m.: The next panel we’ll watch concerns the beautiful numbers.

Elite-level soccer has been traditionally averse to using analytics, but that is starting to change. ESPN’s Marc Stein moderates the discussion that covers how teams and leagues are using numbers in the game. Joining him will be MLS technical director Jeff Agoos, author and Cornell University professor Chris Anderson, ESPN’s Albert Larcada and Prozone business development director Blake Wooster.

12:35 p.m.: The biggest takeaway from the ESPN panel is that numbers themselves can’t tell the entire story, but they can be used to illuminate certain points.

12:20 p.m.: ESPN is developing a college football power index and a college football QB rating system that helps people quantify the game in a new way.

12 p.m.: The next panel examines how ESPN uses analytics to tell stories.

One panelist referred to his job as being a “professional myth buster.” They strive to educate and entertain the audience.

11:20 a.m.: Del Rio says “sometimes you know — statistically what’s best … but I don’t want to educate the whole league.”

That’s why coaches sometimes choose not to defend their decisions to the media or public.

11:15 a.m.: Edwards says telling a defense to allow an opponent to score is risky. He thinks it sends a bad emotional message, and if a coach does it more than one or two times in a season “you’ve lost your defense.”

Del Rio disagrees. He thinks if making that call gives his team a better probability of winning, the players will support the coach — as long as he explains why he’s doing it.

11:05 a.m.: Burke thinks the game has changed to the point where offenses can “move the ball at will.”

He thinks offenses are much better than they were a generation ago, and that makes coaches much more likely to go for it on fourth-and-short situations.

Being unpredictable is an asset for a head coach. “You gotta be Sadaam Hussein on the sidelines,” Burke says.

Edwards says the best quarterback sneakers are the ones that wait for a little crease to open up and sneak through it.

10:50 a.m.: Del Rio says Maurice Jones-Drew wanted to score on a play when the Jacksonville Jaguars were in a tight game against the New York Jets.

Del Rio, then the Jaguars’ head coach, told Jones-Drew not to score on a play if he had the chance, but the running back said “coach I have to take care of my fantasy people.”

Del Rio managed to convince Jones-Drew to take one for the team.

10:40 a.m.: Burke believes parity in the NFL ensures that any team can compete and execute any one play, but the differences between good and bad teams are an accumulation of the total volume of plays that they run over the course of a season.

10:35 a.m.: Del Rio points to the probability charts that Advanced NFL Stats produces, but he says coaches are drilled in the old-school book that tells them to kick the field goal and take the points.

He adds that the media reads from that same book and judge coaches’ decisions according to it.

10:25 a.m.: The format of this panel follows ESPN’s Around the Horn.

The first play they’re debating was Justin Tucker’s fake field-goal attempt in the early part of Super Bowl XLVII. Edwards says the play was a 4th and nine situation, but the reality was that it was 4th and 17 (because of where he got the ball).

Edwards adds that “football is about personnel.” Numbers like 40 times are great, but the humans on the field are more important to executing the play.

Del Rio points to momentum as a factor in deciding whether to kick the field goal or go for a first down.

10:10 a.m.: We’ll shift our focus back to the NFL in the next panel. “Monday Morning Quarterback: In-Game Decision Analytics” will explore how football coaches and managers gain a competitive advantage using data.

ESPN’s Tony Reali will moderate the panel, which includes Advanced NFL Stats’ Brian Burke, Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio, Atlanta Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitrioff, and ESPN football analyst Herm Edwards.

9:55 a.m.: The pooling of the revenue for MLB Advanced Media was the best business decision the league has made in the last 10 years.

He says it’s akin to the NFL’s decision to pool television money in the 1960s.

9:45 a.m.: The real competition is other forms of entertainment or a technological environment where people grow up with short attention spans.

Kasten says baseball must perfect the “second screen experience” at the ballpark to attract a new generation of tech-savvy fans. The natural breaks in the game allow fans to interact with the teams without missing any of the action.

9:40 a.m.: Skipper doesn’t look at lockouts (or strikes) as one side winning or losing.

Silver says he doesn’t see the deal that gave NBA players a 50-50 split of the revenue as a victory.

“We’re still not at the point where all the teams are profitable, but we’re hoping to work toward that point.”

9:35 a.m.: The job of the commissioner is to be “the steward of the best interests of the game,” Kasten says. “They work for the owners, but their job is to benefit all the interested parties.”

Kraft believes commissioners have to act like a CEO, as they manage brands worth tens of billions of dollars.

9:30 a.m.: Silver says teams want to “kill each other on the court,” but they’re partners in business off the court. They share best practices in business operations.

9:25 a.m.: Kraft says his family bought the Patriots at the dawn of the salary cap era in 1994.

They thought the time was right because they would be able to compete on the basis of their skill and expertise, as opposed to how much they could spend.

9:20 a.m.: Kasten says sports franchises are valued (and priced to sell) on “day-to-day, year to year numbers.”

Owners all believe they can fix, improve and make a return on their investments “down the road, but not necessarily annually or year to year.”

9:15 a.m.: The panelists agree that business operations at the team and league level have grown and gotten more complex.

Skipper adds that profitability is no longer a dirty word in the sports business. It’s become one of the key measures of success, which wasn’t always the case.

9:05 a.m.: When asked if owning a sports franchise is the coolest job in American business, Kasten starts with the dark side of the job.

Media dissecting every minute detail is a tough part of the business and he adds that Forbes’ franchise valuations “drive us [owners] nuts.”

9 a.m.: The first panel is set to begin. The topic is “The Changing Nature of Ownership.”

ESPN’s Peter Keating will moderate the discussion. The panel includes L.A. Dodgers president Stan Kasten, Kraft Group president Jonathan Kraft, ESPN president John Skipper and NBA deputy commissioner Adam Silver.

8:30 a.m. ET: The games people play are changing before our eyes, as those on the inside freely admit. Among the factors driving these changes is a deluge of data.

The second and final day of the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference promises to be full of insights and opinions on how data is changing the sports world.

Owners, staff and officials from the highest ranks of the sports world will be on hand to discuss some of the great changes in the sports and entertainment industry. Managers and coaches will discuss how data is affecting their strategies before, during and after games. We’ll even learn how elite soccer clubs are embracing the data revolution after.

Throughout the day, we’ll be on hand at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center to bring you the highlights of the day’s discussions.

Click here to review discussions from day one of the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference>>

Have a question for Marcus Kwesi O’Mard? Send it to him via Twitter at @mkomard, his Facebook page or send it here. He will pick a few questions to answer every week for his mailbag.

Photo via Facebook/Los Angeles Dodgers

6 p.m.: We’ve reached the conclusion of the first day of the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference. We’ll be back Saturday for day two. Be sure to check NESN.com starting at 9 a.m. to see what topics are covered in the country’s biggest meeting sports data analysts.

5:55 p.m.: When asked about over-saturation of sports on television, Walsh points to increased audience sizes and competition from other outlets as proof that fans are actually underserved.

5:45 p.m.: The common challenge that teams in the NBA and Major League Baseball share is how to make teams profitable, Postolos says. Broad revenue sharing is one way leagues are facing this test.

5:40 p.m.: Walsh says that a lot of research will on concussions will come out in the next 12-24 months. He’s sure decision makers will take notice and act on it.

5:30 p.m.: Media is the biggest international opportunity at the moment, de Picciotto says. The next is taking brands globally (through sports). Finally, the movement of talent across borders gives players and fans a chance to see athletes from around the world.

He also thinks gambling has the potential to generate vast amounts of revenue, but it could kill sports as well.

On the question of performance-enhancing drugs, he says essentially need to keep up with societal values.

5:20 p.m.: Walsh asks how to use analytics to value sports properties — especially in increments of time.

PepsiCo has a proprietary model, according to Storms. “Nobody knows our business better than we do,” she says. The company uses a multi-stage process to evaluate the impact of any potential sponsorship or endorsement.

She concludes that there’s no way to measure the exact amount of product that sports partnerships move, but PespiCo is closer than it has ever been to doing so.

5:15 p.m.: Carter says leagues partner with media and sponsors to try and “surround the fan.” She adds that the old model of signage at a stadium no longer works.

5 p.m.: Walsh says we need innovative thinking about the playing of the game and the experience of the consumer.

He points to the fact that players are bigger, faster and stronger than they were decades ago, yet the size of the playing surfaces (specifically in the NFL and NBA) remain the same. “Why not make fields bigger to provide more excitement for fans,” he asks.

4:50 p.m.: The business of sports is our final panel of the day. Industry leaders will talk about the money side of this multi-trillion dollar industry.

Kraft Sports Group vice president Jessica Gelman will moderate the panel. She will be joined by Soccer United Marketing president Kathy Carter, Octagon president Phil de Picciotto, Houston Astros president George Postolos, PepsiCo vice president of global sports marketing Jennifer Storms, and ESPN executive vice president John Walsh.

4:45 p.m.: Schatz says the most overrated players are the ones whose athletic ability doesn’t translate into football success.

He points to D’Angelo Hall who is fast and has good hands but is poor in coverage.

He says Tony Romo is underrated because he is consistently one of the six or seven best quarterbacks in the league and one of the best in the fourth quarter … “as long as the game is not on national television.”

4:40 p.m.: The 49ers use analytics to better understand the tendencies of coaches — how they manage the clock and when they call time outs.

4:35 p.m.: Pioli says mutual respect is lacking in football when asked how to convince an NFL head coach to listen to an analyst who has never stepped on the field.

He says a coach must have an open mind, but it’s important how analysts present, deliver and communicate their information.

4:30 p.m.: Kremer asks how to quantify injuries and off-field problems. What value do you attach to those events?

No two injuries are the same, but Shatz argues that, en masse, players  are better at recovering from injuries in today’s game than they were in the past.

As for the character question, Pioli approaches it on a case-by-case basis, saying there’s no real way to measure something like that.

Pioli discusses the new player assessment tool being used at the NFL combine. He wants to know as much about a player’s mental makeup — specifically his levels of work ethic and level of selflessness (or selfishness).

4:25 p.m.: Demoff says the middle class is shrinking because teams are better at scouting and developing young players. Teams are now paying a premium for players they call “difference makers.”

4:20 p.m.: Demoff says the salary caps affect the schemes teams use. They “ultimately look for undervalued players and get as many of them as you can.”

He said more teams started playing 3-4 defenses a few years ago because nose tackles were undervalued. Now the best nose tackles command $12 million salaries, so teams are reverting to the 4-3 because the market allows them to get more bang for their buck with tackles to fit that system.

4:15 p.m.: Marathe calls the Patriots the “kings of replenishing.”

In the age of the salary cap, it’s impossible to keep a team together over the long term. “If every player took a 15-percent discount on their market rate, we still wouldn’t be able to keep them all,” he says.

He adds that the Patriots have been incredible at churning players yet remaining successful.

Pioli says that the Pats’ practice of stockpiling draft picks increases their chancing of landing good players. “Every pick is a gamble,” he said before adding that taking more gambles increases the chances of landing good players.

4:05 p.m.: Pioli says it’s tough to come up with a measurement to predict a player’s chance of success.

“Football is such an interdependent game. The success of a play has so many variables and depends on 11 indiviudals.”

Marathe expands on it, saying that trades don’t often work out because a player can succeed in one system, but look totally out-of-place in another.

3:55 p.m.: Pioli is no fan of the combine because there’s a difference between “pure speed” and “playing speed.”

He finds values in measurements. He says Tom Brady is such an accurate passer because he’s got huge hands.

Marathe talks about “hidden value” of 40-yard dash times, citing the case of Jerry Rice. He says Rice had an average overall 40 time, but his speed between 20-40 yards (what insiders call “the flying 20″) was one of the highest ever.

He said it translated into separation speed on the field. Rice was rarely, if ever, caught from behind.

3:50 p.m.: Demoff and Marathe say their teams are looking to hire analysts. The Rams are still working out how to deeper integrate analytics into their organization, while the 49ers have used one on the salary cap side for over a decade and are now using them on the football side.

Pioli says analytics have played a role in the game for ages. “Gut” decisions are based on prior experience and analysis, he says.

We’re just calling it something else now.

3:40 p.m.: Are you ready for some football?

The National Football League is undergoing an analytics revolution of its own. The Football Analytics panel will discuss how NFL coaches and teams are using data to evaluate players, map out strategy and make in-game decisions.

Andrea Kremer will moderate the panel. She will be joined by St. Louis Rams executive vice president of football operations Kevin Demoff, former Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli, San Francisco 49ers chief operating officer Paraag Marathe and Football Outsiders founder Aaron Schatz.

2:40 p.m.: Robin van Persie does his exploring in the half second before the ball comes his way. It’s how he always seems to be one step ahead of defenders (despite not being particularly fast or quick) when he gets the ball in the final third of the field.

2:30 p.m.: Jordet says Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard have the highest frequency of “visual exploratory behavior,” meaning the two stars look around and gauge their surroundings before receiving the ball.

He says the midfield players who complete the highest number of forward passes are the ones who do the most exploring. In other words, they’re reading the game and playing it at the same time.

He bases the research on Sky Sports’ player cameras.

2:25 p.m.: We’re going from one extreme to the other. Baseball and statistics are inseparable, but soccer has been slow to adopt statistical analysis.

Geir Jordet, director of psychology at the Norweigan Centre for Football (soccer) Excellence is presenting some new research on “The Hidden Foundation of Field Vision in English Premier League Soccer Players.”

He explores the concept of field vision. How can some players make the right pass every time they get the ball? We’re about to find out.

1:50 p.m.: The panel discusses how difficult it is to predict how a young player will perform in the big leagues. There’s no exact science or measurement device that will predict which players will overperform or underperform at the top level.

1:40 p.m.: Posnanski says there’s a real divide in the way journalists cover baseball. He thinks younger writers — especially on the internet — are more versed in the “new language” of analytics, while mainstream media still focuses on wins, losses, errors and other 100-year-old statistics.

He thinks baseball coverage is currently changing and will continue to change with the times.

1:30 p.m.: Zaidi says analytics are changing the way the game is played and how managers manage.

McCracken adds that managers tend to want to avoid risk. If he plays a star player and the player doesn’t deliver, “it’s the player’s fault.” If the manager plays an untested rookie and the youngster fails, “it’s the manager’s fault.”

1:20 p.m.: When asked what the newest developments in baseball analytics, Keri says that teams are increasingly privatizing and keeping data in house. McCracken thinks this will slow the growth of the baseball analysis.

He goes on to say that video analysis is the next frontier in the field.

Zaidi says baseball analysis is too tied to outcomes rather than skills themselves. The A’s are trying to move in the direction of skill-based analysis rather than outcomes (which are the results of those skills).

1:15 p.m.: Zaidi drew chuckles from crowd when he said Billy Beane calls him “The Emotional Stat Guy.”

He adds that baseball decisions are very complex and there are a lot of disagreements, but Beane has to make the final call at the end of the day.

1:10 p.m.: Posnanski says that baseball provides new things to measure and quantify almost every day. Where some sports might see diminishing returns from the avalanche of data, he thinks that won’t be the case in baseball.

McCracken thinks the data can be dangerous. Some take a new stat and run with it without “completely understanding” the data that they’re seeing.

12:55 p.m.: We’re getting set for one of the most anticipated panels of the first day — on baseball analytics.

Sabermetrics are gaining influence among baseball’s decision makers. Grantland staff writer Jonah Keri, NBC Sports writer Joe Posnanski, statistical analyst Voros McCracken and Oakland Athletics director of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi will discuss how teams are using analytics to gain a competitive advantage. ESPN’s Lindsey Czarniak will moderate.

11:20 a.m.: Polian and MacMullan talk about the Manti Te’o hoax and its effect on the player.

The former Colts general manager thinks the hoax won’t have a negative impact on his career over the long term.

“The hoax that he was a victim of  is a story, and it’s a gigantic story —  people can’t get enough of it,” Polian says. “Does it affect Manti Te’o the football player? I would submit to you absolutely not.”

MacMullan agrees with that assessment, but she thinks the hoax has had negative effects on his preparation for the NFL combine.

“He was probably not capable of preparing the way he would have liked to have because of all the outside noise and all the outside things that have happened to him.

“I don’t know this for a fact, but perhaps he may have under-performed at the combine because anyone that went through what he went through, regardless of how much you think he was involved or not involved, it had to have been devastating. There had to have been a lot of sleepless nights. There had to have been a lot of days he probably didn’t eat, and I’m sure a lot of days he didn’t work out the way he wanted to.”

11 a.m.: Pagliuca talks about the perspective owners and managers need. The best ones see things over an 82-game season “like a movie.”

Polian talks about a parallel universe we live in. Fans and media expect perfection over the course of an 82, 16 or even 162-game season. Professionals know that perfection is “almost never achievable,” and coaches teach against mistakes that are part of the business.

10:50 a.m.: Burke and Van Gundy have spoken about the most difficult aspect of their jobs as coaches and general managers.

They agree that the hardest part is cutting players — guys that “bleed for you” as Burke says. The human element, specifically the bonds that form in the locker room are tough to break.

10:45 a.m.: Burke likes hard coaches. They’re his favorite ones. But the former Toronto Maple Leafs president and general manager says “the harder the coach is, the shorter his shelf life.”

10:40 a.m.: Pagliuca tells us that one of the best decisions the Celtics have made (since he’s been one of the team’s owners) was not firing Danny Ainge and Doc Rivers in the 2006-07 season.

10:20 a.m.: Van Gundy is discussing the Dwight Howard saga in Orlando. He says Howard asked for him to be fired and was causing a problem in the Magic locker room.

He wished Magic management would come out with a statement — either back him with a new contract or fire him — and end the distraction. They didn’t.

Polian says Jim Finks, Red Aurebach and Branch Rickey are the three greatest executives in history. He adds that coaches are useful for a maximum of 10 years. The ones that are able to “recognize and prepare them [players] are the ones that last longest.”

10 a.m.: “It’s Not You, It’s Me: Break-Ups in Sports” is our first panel of the day. Moderator Jackie MacMullan will lead a discussion about high-profile trades, public disputes over hirings and firings and other media spectacles.

John Buccigross, Bill Polian, Steve Pagliuca, Brian Burke and Stan Van Gundy will explore how high-profile changes affect on-field performances.

9 a.m. ET: In the span of seven years, the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference has become the place to be.

Sports insiders,  executives and leading researchers from around the country and beyond descend on Boston for two days  to discuss role of analytics in the sports industry with each other and thousands of students.

The Boston Convention and Exhibition Center is the site of this year’s conference. Nate Silver, Brian Burke, Adam Silver, Mark Cuban, Jonathan Kraft and Michael Wilbon are just a few of the panelists that will be on hand to give and receive insight into how sports are being changed by “big data.”

We are on hand for the 2013 conference, looking to see where the next breakthrough in sports analytics will come from. Join us here on March 1 for the latest on sports data analysis.

Have a question for Marcus Kwesi O’Mard? Send it to him via Twitter at @mkomard, his Facebook page or send it here. He will pick a few questions to answer every week for his mailbag.

Photo via Facebook/MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference

11 p.m.: We’re here with one of the celebrity judges — Hot 96.9FM’s Pebbles. She’s a former cheerleader who doesn’t have much soccer knowledge, but she knows just what to look for when judging a talent show.

“We’ll see who’s got spirit and who wants to represent the Revolution,” she said. ”When they were going around and doing the crowd interaction, I walked around too and saw how people interacted with them. Audience members said that a contestant was telling them what a big fan she is and where the best places to sit in the stadium are. So it was really about enthusiasm and interaction with the crowd because that’s what they were looking for.”

The radio personality thinks any one of the contestants could have made a great Rev Girl. She also shares a common problem with one of America’s most famous talent judges.

“I’m one of those people that feels bad — like how Paula Abdul was on American Idol – we feel bad for saying anything negative. But everyone was really good. You wish there were spots for everyone.”

Finally, Pebbles assures us that there were no irregularities in the judging process or the voting.

“The judging were no shenanigans going on with the judging,” she added with a chuckle. “It was all straight up, absolutely.”

10:45 p.m.: We just spoke to two of the winners. Wendy Pollack and Brittany Clement were chosen as two of the newest members of the Rev Girls.

Both said it was a dream come true to be selected for the squad.

“It’s [being a Rev Girl] something I’ve wanted to do for a long time,” Pollack said. “I heard about this competition on Facebook and decided to get involved.

“I’m really looking forward to the games. I’m a big soccer fan and I’ve played all my life, so being there should be really fun.”

Clement enjoyed the competition. She thinks her quick-thinking in front of the judges earned her some points.

“I answered my trivia questions really quickly,” she says.

10:30 p.m.: And the winners are (drumroll, please):

Contestant No. 2, Contestant No. 5, No. 6, No. 8 and No. 9 are the newest Revs girls.

We’ll see if we can get a word with some of the winners.

10:15 p.m.: While the judges are deliberating, we had the chance to speak to a former Rev Girl.

Anja Thomas of Ashland, Mass., was a Rev Girl during the 2012 season. She declined to participate this year due to other commitments, and she regrets not being on the team this year.

“I miss them 110 percent,” she says. “I’ve never been with a more committed group of girls. They’re very dedicated and take it very seriously. There was so much camaraderie among the girls, I think I miss that most.”

Thomas thinks this year’s selection process is not as tough as it was in 2012.

” This year’s competition is a little easier,” she says. “Last year we were at the Greatest Bar. There was more spotlight on us, and we had to do chants like ‘We love New England, We Do!’ It was kind of nerve-wracking.”

Thomas hopes to return to the squad in the future. If and when she does, she expects her friends Graf and Ringler to be part of the squad.

“They’re really bubbly and personable. They’re the kind of girls who light up a room when they walk in.”

10:10 p.m.: Melissa asks the judges what qualities they’re looking for in the contestants.

Alston says he’d like to see someone fun-loving. Dell wants to see confidence (squared). O’Neil says he wants to see someone who can handle an awkward moment with grace. Pebbles thinks contestants displaying spirit will have an edge.

In a light-hearted moment, Alston seconded all his colleagues’ answers.

10:05 p.m.: We’re on to the Q&A segment of the competition.

First question: If you could have one superpower, what would it be?

Second question: If you could play one position for the Revs, what would it be?

Third question: If you had $250 million dollars, what would you do with it?

Fourth question: If you could eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Fifth question: If you could only watch one show for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Melissa asks contestant ten, “If you could witness one moment in sports history, what would it be and why?”

The judges will take five minutes to deliberate over the answers, and the judges will decide who the five newest Rev Girls will be.

10 p.m.: We’re live with three supporters of two of the contestants. Ellysa Spenard of Manchester N.H., Tony Hyppolite of Boston, Mass., and Floresca Isme, Orlando Florida are here to cheer on their friends Danielle Ringler and Jessica Graf.

Hyppolite thinks Ringler and Graf have a great shot at becoming Rev Girls.

“They’ve got a very good chance because they’re pretty, smart and have good personalities,” he said.

They also have what some might call an inside track. Anja Thomas, one of last year’s Rev Girls urged them to try out for the squad.

Spenard thinks the girls took a while to warm up, especially during the trivia phase.

“They’re a bit shy,” she says. “They should show a little more energy.”

Spenard, Hyppolite and Isme want to send a message of support to their friends.

“Best of luck, be confident, be yourself, smile,” they say. “Congrats for making it this far, and have fun. You’ve got this!” they add.

9:40 p.m.: The trivia portion went at breakneck speed. It was clear that the contestants studied up on all things Revolution.

The next phase of the competition sees the contestants take step down from the stage and work the crowd. They have items and souvenirs to hand out to the judges, fans and other patrons.

This part is to test their mingling skills, as it is an important part of the job.

9:35 p.m.: The first phase of the competition is trivia.

First question: Who is the current head coach of the Revolution?

Two contestants answered incorrectly before the third nailed it.

Question two: When is the first Revolution home game?

Contestant nine answers on the first try.

Question three: Who are the Revs playing on the day of the home opener?

Question four: In what year did the Revs play their first season?

Question five: Who is the Revs’ mascot?

Question six: Who was the Revs’ leading scorer in 2012?

Question seven: Who is the youngest member of the 2013 Revolution squad?

Question eight: Who wears No. 30 for the Revs?

Question nine: Who is the Revs’ jersey sponsor?

Question 10: Who is the all-time leading goal scorer for the Revolution?

Question 11: How long is each half?

Question 12: How many home games are in a season?

Question 13: Where do the Revs play their home games?

Question 14: What position does Matt Reis play?

9:30 p.m.: Melissa is kicking off the event with greetings and a little bit of energy to hype up the crowd.

First there are some introductions. The judges and returning Rev Girls are coming out one at a time.

9 p.m.: We’re live from Game On! Boston, waiting for the start of the event. Contestants and judges are taking their places.

We have a quick news update. Champion boxer Danny O’Connor had to withdraw from the judges’ panel due to injuries he’s nursing from Saturday’s fight. We wish him a speedy recovery.

5 p.m. ET: Those young ladies you see around town raising awareness of the New England Revolution didn’t land that gig by chance. They were chosen.

The Rev Girls are the New England Revolution’s official promotions team. They will round out their 2013 squad Thursday night  at Game On! Boston — with the help of a few special guests.

NESN’s own Jenny Dell, Hot 96.9FM’s Pebbles, Boston Globe, Boston Phoenix & Slate.com contributor Luke O’Neil and Revolution fullback Kevin Alston will serve as celebrity judges, as 10 local hopefuls compete for four open spots.

They will face Revolution trivia, a Q&A session, crowd giveaways judge fan-interaction skills along the way.  Hot 96.9FM’sMelissa will emcee the event, which will run from 9:00 – 11:00 p.m. at Game On! (82 Lansdowne Street). The event is open to the public age 21 and older.

If you can’t make it, we’ll have all the action covered in our live blog. Join us here at 8:45 p.m., and see who will make the 2013 Rev Girls squad.

Have a question for Marcus Kwesi O’Mard? Send it to him via Twitter at @NESNsoccer, NESN Soccer’s Facebook page or send it here. He will pick a few questions to answer every week for his mailbag.

Photo via Twitter/@RevGirls

7:30 p.m.: Well it looks like there are no more deals in the pipeline, so we’ll leave it at that. Balotelli, Beckham, Samba, Graham and Monreal look to be the big signings of the day.

Check back with us early next week, as we’ll have analysis and opinion on some of the January transfer window moves, it’s winners and its losers.

6:45 p.m.: Earlier this week, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger says showing restraint in the January transfer window fills players already at the club with confidence and belief.

A few days later, he went shopping for a new left back and landed a good one. Spanish international Nacho Monreal is on his way to the Premier League from Malaga. The 26-year-old will likely go straight into the Arsenal lineup, as regular starter Kieran Gibbs will miss three weeks with a thigh injury, and backup Andre Santos has shown himself to be a defensive liability in recent weeks.

6:15 p.m.: Highly rated goalkeeper Jack Butland has left Birmingham City for Stoke City in a £3.5 million ($5.5 million), but he’ll still play for Birmingham. Here’s how: Stoke will loan the 19-year-old stopper back to his former club where he will stay for the rest of the season.

Butland will then join the Potters in the summer. The real question is whether incumbant No. 1 Asmir Begovic will be there too. There are rumors that both Manchester United and City are looking to sign him in the offseason.

6:10 p.m.: Jermaine Jenas is heading to QPR from Tottenham to help old boss Harry Redknapp’s fight against relegation.

The 29-year-old couldn’t break into Tottenham’s team this season, so he spent a bit of time on loan at Nottingham Forest. It’s likely that Redknapp will give him every chance to cement a regular place in the QPR midfield.

6:05 p.m.: Everton has signed right fullback John Stones from Barnsley for an undisclosed transfer fee.

Stones, 18, was the rock in defense for the Championship club. The highly rated rookie will make the jump to the Premier League during his formative years.

5:30 p.m.: The deadline is fast approaching, so we should have news about late deals soon.

Meanwhile, Barcelona allowed one of its attacking players to leave. No, it’s not Villa. It’s young forward Isaac Cuenca, who will join Ajax on loan for the rest of the season. He’s only recently recovered from a serious knee injury, and he’s more likely to get regular games at the Dutch club than with a potentially all-conquering Barcelona team.

3:30 p.m.: Peter Odemwingie’s might get himself in trouble (if he hasn’t already). The West Brom striker has made it clear he wants to join QPR before the deadline, but the club doesn’t want to sell him.

Nevertheless, Odemwingie drove himself to QPR’s stadium and gave an interview with Sky Sports where he says how excited he is to start a “new chapter.” Watch it below.

Meanwhile, Sky Sports reports West Brom issued a statement saying Odemwingie has not received permission to speak to QPR, as the clubs have not agreed on a transfer fee.

“Albion have moved to clarify developments regarding Peter Odemwingie after the striker was filmed a short while ago arriving at Loftus Road.

“The club can confirm they have held further discussions with QPR today but those talks have so far proven fruitless and no agreement has been reached.

“Albion would also like to make clear that Peter has not been given permission to speak to QPR about a potential move.”

This saga is getting very strange, indeed.

3:10 p.m.: Fulham is going Dutch again … sort of. The Cottagers have landed defender Stanislav Manolev on loan from PSV Eindhoven. The Bulgarian international will grace Premier League fields for the rest of the season.

2 p.m.: Argentine champion Velez Sarsfield has signed Fernando Gago on loan from Valencia. The holding midfielder will play in his home country through June.

Gago, 26, has played for Boca Juniors, Real Madrid, AS Roma, Valencia and Argentina during his career. That pedigree will serve him well as Velez looks to win Argentine and Copa Libertadores titles in the coming months.

2 p.m.: Mohamed Sissoko for the Africa Cup of Nations as a PSG player. When he returns to club duty, he will do so as a Fiorentina player.

The Malian midfielder has joined the high-flying Italian club on loan until the end of the season. Fiorentina will have the option to buy the former Liverpool man in the summer.

1:40 p.m.: Major League Soccer is exporting talent on deadline day.

Sky Sports reports Brek Shea has been granted a work permit, clearing the way for him to sign with Stoke City. The 23-year-old reportedly cost around  £2.5 million ($4 million), which represents a good bit of business for both FC Dallas and Major League Soccer.

Also, Andy Najar has joined Anderlecht. The Belgian club paid D.C. United and MLS around $3 million, according to the Washington Post. Najar came through the D.C. United youth system and won the MLS Rookie of the Year Award in 2010.

Shea and Najar were groomed in the U.S. soccer system, became internationals with the U.S. and Honduras, respectively, and have now fetched multi-million dollar transfer fees.

12:30 p.m.: There’s been a lull in the transfer news for the last few hours. Our only guess is that this is when those last-minute deals are being hashed out. Expect a flurry of activity in the hours to come because … that’s how it always is.

We do have some more news on Beckham’s move to PSG. He is playing with the capital club for less than six months, but he hopes to be associated with it on a long-term basis.

He also told assembled journalists that PSG won’t pay him. Instead, he will donate his salary to charity, according to the BBC.

“One of the reasons I wanted to come to Paris was we decided on something quite unique,” Beckham said. “I won’t receive any salary. My salary will go to a local children’s charity. That’s one of the things we’re excited and proud to do. It’s something exciting and I’m not sure it’s been done before.”

9:15 a.m.: Danny Graham has completed a £5 million ($7.9 million) transfer to Sunderland from Swansea City. The striker lost his place in the Swansea lineup, so he’s moving on.

Graham arrives at Sunderland with some baggage. He was a boyhood fan of Newcastle — Sunderland’s bitter local rival — and fans of his new team reminded him of that on Tuesday. They booed him during Sunderland’s scoreless draw against Swansea. Maybe Graham will call Rafa Benitez for coping tips.

9 a.m.: Norwich City has been searching for a striker for some time now. It seems the Canaries got a man, Luciano Becchio from Leeds. The Argentine has scored 20 goals in all competitions this season, but it remains to be seen how he’ll fare in the Premier League spotlight.

Norwich got a man but not its man. That would be Celtic striker Gary Hooper. The Scottish club has turned down two bids from Norwich for the Englishman.

Steve Morison is headed to Leeds as part of the deal. He’s been a regular substitute at Norwich, but he should be a starter at Leeds.

8 a.m.: Fulham will have the services of midfielder Urby Emanuelson  for the rest of the season. The Dutchman joined the Cottagers on loan from AC Milan.

Emanuelson fell out of favor at the Italian club in recent months, and he’ll be hoping to benefit from a change of scenery. He’s familiar with Fulham manager Martin Jol, who coached him at Ajax in 2009-10.

7:55 a.m.: Last  February, Christopher Samba bolted from the sinking ship that was Blackburn Rovers for Russia’s Anzhi Makhachkala. Well the towering defender is back in England for another relegation fight.

He’s finalizing a £12.5 million ($19.8 million) move to Queens Park Rangers (QPR), where he’ll join Harry Redknapp’s band of brothers in what should be a wild next few months.

His presence should shore up a defense which lost Anton Ferdinand and Ryan Nelsen in recent days.

7:40 a.m.: David Beckham looks like he’s on his way to Paris Saint-Germain. The former L.A. Galaxy star and England captain has been without a club since leaving Los Angeles at the end of 2012.

He’s been training with Arsenal in recent days, but his future lies in France, according to the BBC. He’s reportedly in Paris finalizing a free transfer.

Beckham flirted with PSG following the 2011 MLS season, but he chose to play one more season with the Galaxy before heading back to Europe. He’ll join a team which is competing for domestic and European glory this season and beyond.

7:30 a.m.: One move we knew about for the last couple of days is official. Mario Balotelli is an AC Milan player, having completed a £19 million ($30 million) transfer from Manchester City.

The Italian international returns to his homeland to play for his boyhood club. He scored 30 goals in 80 games for City, but his two-and-a-half years at the club were full of antics — both on and off the field.

6 a.m. ET: David Villa has lit up Spanish and international soccer with goals for the better part of the last decade. “El Guaje” (“The Kid”) could be taking his talents to the Premier League.

Villa has let it be known that he wants to leave FC Barcelona. The club says it will keep him until the end of the season, but that won’t stop the likes of Arsenal and Manchester City from launching deadline-day transfer bids. In normal times, Villa would cost around £15 million ($23.7 million), but suitors are hoping to land him for around half of that fee during silly season.

Villa, Spain’s all-time leading scorer, is just one of the high-profile players that could switch teams Thursday. The transfer window closes, leaving clubs in Europe’s biggest leagues just a few more hours to buy or sell players in an effort to boost their fortunes this season.

We’ll be following all the transfer action right here.

Join us at 7 a.m. for all the deadline-day deals as they happen.

Past transfer rumors: Jan. 21 >> |Jan. 16 >> | Jan. 15 >> | Jan. 14 >> | Jan. 10 >> | Jan. 9 >>

Have a question for Marcus Kwesi O’Mard? Send it to him via Twitter at @NESNsoccer, NESN Soccer’s Facebook page or send it here. He will pick a few questions to answer every week for his mailbag.

It was a deserved victory for O’Connor. He had a clear plan — stay aggressive and use his considerable strength to his advantage. The southpaw repeatedly punished Silveira with his powerful left hand.

Silveira was unable to find a level of consistency required to beat O’Connor in this fight. His performance fluctuated because he wasn’t the main protagonist over 10 rounds.

O’Connor’s professional approach and ability to manage the fight saw him past the determined Silveira.

That concludes our live coverage of TD Garden Night at the Fights. Check NESN.com later on for a further analysis of fight night.

O’Connor-Silveira Round 10: The tenth and final round was much like the ninth. Silveira looked to knock out O’Connor, but he was unable to land anything that really hurt his opponent.

O’Connor countered with his trusted left hand and even added a few jabs to the mix. He managed and won the round, as he did the overall fight.

We’ll wait for the judges to confirm the outcome.

O’Connor-Silveira Round 9: Silveira asserted himself in round nine, throwing and landing more punches than he did in any other round except for the fourth.

He didn’t inflict too much damage on O’Connor, who has made very few mistakes in the bout. Silveira may have won the ninth round, but not by much.

O’Connor-Silveira Round 8: O’Connor took yet another round in the eighth with a familiar aggressive approach and a few devastating overhand lefts.

At this point, Silveira must knock O’Connor out to win the fight.

O’Connor-Silveira Round 7: The fight has fallen into a familiar pattern, as O’Connor looks to impose his will on Silveira.

At one point, Silveira stumbled and touched the ground, but the referee thought he was pushed. Later on, O’Connor backed Silveira into the corner and landed a flurry of blows. The seventh round went to the aggressive O’Connor by a comfortable margin.

O’Connor-Silveira Round 6: O’Connor kept up the pressure in the sixth round, inflicting a bit of damage on Silveira. He landed power punches to Silveira’s head and body throughout the round.

O’Connor-Silveira Round 5: Silveira didn’t build on his fourth-round showing in the fifth. O’Connor reverted to the aggressive approach he showed in the first three rounds, and Silveira became more passive.

O’Connor didn’t carry the round with ease, but he threw and landed more punches, which should be enough to claim 10 points from the round.

O’Connor-Silveira Round 4: O’Connor expended a great deal of energy in the first three rounds, and Silveira capitalized on it in the fourth.

Silveira landed a mix of jabs and power punches to take the fight to O’Connor. The pendulum may have swung in his favor after a positive showing in the fourth round.

O’Connor-Silveira Round 3: The third round saw O’Connor step forward and take control of the fight. He hit Silveira with a number of punches. Silveira was hurt and might have gone down were he not saved by the bell. O’Connor took that round handily.

O’Connor-Silveira Round 2: O’Connor is trying to stay as close to close to Silveira as possible so he can negate Silveira’s height advantage. O’Connor remained the aggressor in the second round, but there was no decisive winner in the round.

O’Connor-Silveira Round 1: The start of this welterweight matchup was even. Neither fighter had a clear advantage, though O’Connor was more assertive for much of the first round.

O’Connor-Silveira prematch: Silveira enters the ring first. He’s got a sizable contingent of supporters in the crowd.

Now the bagpipes herald O’Connor’s impending entrance.

Local band Dropkick Murphys provide the soundtrack to O’Connor’s entrance. Their song, “The Boys Are Back,” powers O’Connor’s entrance.

Before the fight comes the national anthem, sung by Boston Garden and TD Garden legend Rene Rancourt.

It’s fitting that two local fighters will duke it out for bragging rights in the first boxing match at the Garden since 2007. Introductions are out of the way, so it’s time for the main event.

Hago-Kielczewski: Quincy, Mass., native Kielczewski made a brash and flamboyant entrance, which thrilled the adoring fans. It’s fitting for a young, undefeated professional fighter stepping into the ring on the biggest stage near his hometown.

Kielczweski took control of the fight early on, and even sent Hago to the mat at one point. He wasn’t credited with a knockdown, as the referee said he pushed Hago.

This fight comes to a stunning end 48 seconds into round two. Kielczweski knocked Hago down twice early on. Hago’s trainer stepped forward and waved the white towel, signalling the end of the bout. Hago was not at all  happy with his trainer for doing so.

9:15 p.m.: A trio of New England boxing legends — Micky Ward, Vinny Pazienza, and Marlon Starling — step into the ring once again, but only to receive applause from the local boxing community and fans.

Traft-Powers: The big boys are coming out for the second of the night’s four professional bouts. Joe Powers and Billy Traft meet in a matchup of light heavyweights.

Traft, representing Dorchester, Mass., and the Boston Police Dept., drew by far the loudest cheers of the evening. Powers was greeted with boos from the partisan crowd.

Each fighter used the first of four rounds to feel out his opponent, and there was lots of movement, but little in the way of landed punches.

Round two saw the fight come life. Traft kept moving forward and landed a few power punches on Powers. Powers’ caution probably cost him, as he simply didn’t throw or land enough punches to take the round.

Round three extended Traft’s lead in the fight. His aggression and accuracy with right-handed power punches delighted the crowd. It probably won over the judges as well. Traft oozes confidence, as he looks to have full control of this fight.

Round four was more of a contest. Powers grew into the fight in the final frame. He attempted to land power punches and combinations, but he hadn’t yet established himself in the fight, and Traft was largely unhurt.

The judges unanimously give the fight to Traft, who took three of four rounds.

Viramontes-Lamour: The professional bouts start with a middleweight bout between Russell Lamour and Luis Viramontes.

The professional fight game has those features most fight fans are accustomed to: entrance music, entourages, no headgear and a lot more blood and thunder than the amateurs displayed.

Lamour and Viramontes are going toe-to-toe, but neither took hold of the fight in the first round.

Lamour stepped it up in the second round, landing more power punches and unsettling Viramontes.

The third round followed the same pattern as the second. Viramontes wanted to impose himself on Lamour and kept moving toward his opponent. But he met a boxer in Lamour, who has strength, balance and confidence. Lamour turned Viramontes away, landing jabs and counter-punches with damaging effectiveness.

Lamour slipped and went to the canvas in this fourth and final round, but it was clear there was no knockdown involved.

With all four rounds in the books, the judges will decide a winner. It should be Lamour, who was the better fighter for three-plus rounds.

As expected, Lamour takes the fight by unanimous decision. The judges scored it 40-36, awarding all four rounds to the winner. Lamour remains undefeated in his professional career.

Intermission: Talent and toughness were on display throughout the amateur bouts. One day, we could see a few of these fighters fight a professional fight at the Garden, as eight pugilists are about to do.

Schifone-Gray-Pitts: The fifth and final amateur bout sees Gerald Schifone of Brockton, Mass., fight Khiry Gray-Pitts of Worcester, Mass., in a 165-pound Senior Open Middleweight bout.

This fight has been a real clash of styles. Schifone has a brawler’s ethic, which is no surprise to see from a Brockton fighter. He’s determined to take the fight to Gray-Pitts, who has taken a more cerebral approach to the bout.

Gray-Pitts has used his superior quickness to land precise counter-punches against the advancing Schifone.

This fight was another tight one, and the judges will have the final say.

The fight goes to Schifone. He was more assertive than his opponent throughout the fight, which must have swung things in his favor.

White-Meuse: The next fight is in the 152-pound Senior Open Welterweight class between amateurs Ryan White and Joe Meuse.

Meuse has a large cheering section in the crowd. Chants of “Joe-ey”and “let’s go, Joe” are ringing out.

Two rounds have produced the most competitive fight of the night so far. Neither fighter dominated either round, and the third round will be the reckoning round.

The third round was another tight one, as White and Meuse controlled different segments of the round. The decision could go either way, so we’ll have to wait for the judges to name a winner.

Meuse is the winner.

Muniz-Loconte-Botis: The third bout has amateurs Luca Loconte-Botis and Marc Anthony Muniz meet in a 132-pound Junior Open Lightweight bout.

Muniz controlled the first round, backing Loconte-Botis to the ropes and unleashing a flurry of punches at one point. Loconte-Botis was hurt, but he was able to stay on his feet.

Dorchester, Mass., native Muniz controlled the second and third rounds. He out-fought and out-thought the taller Loconte-Botis. He should win it easily. We’ll see how the judges scored it.

Muniz is the winner.

Berry-Perez: The second bout has another pair of amateurs face off. Julio Perez of Hudson, Mass., meets Brandon Berry from West Forks, Maine, in a 141-pound Open Light Welterweight bout.

This match took a couple of rounds to come to life, but the third round has been action-packed. We’re waiting for a decision from the judges.

Berry takes the fight on points.

Ramos-Peioxto: The two lightweights warmed up the crowd with a competitive fight, and we’re waiting for the judges to deliver their verdict.

Peioxto takes it on points. It was a deserved victory for the Providence, R.I., native. He was the aggressor for most of the fight and inflicted more damage than his opponent.

7 p.m. ET: The first fight of the evening will see two amateurs face off. Timmy Ramos meets Elijah Peioxto in a 132-pound Senior Open Lightweight bout.

5 p.m. ET: Danny O’Connor is a man on a mission. He wants boxing to enjoy the popularity it once did, and he has set out to make it happen in his hometown.

On Saturday night, he’ll get a big chance to make a mark on the local sports by doing what he does best at the TD Garden.

The Framingham, Mass., native will showcase his skills at the region’s premier indoor venue. O’Connor will face Salem’s (Mass.) Derek Silveira in the main event at TD Garden Night at the Fights. That fight headlines a full slate of action that will see New England’s top amateur and professional fighters square off.

There will be nine matches on fight night. Five amateur fights precede four professional matches, as boxing makes its long-awaited return to the Garden. Local boxing legends Micky Ward, Vinny Pazienza, and Marlon Starling will also be on hand to sign autographs for fight fans.

Join us right here at 7 p.m., as we’ll live blog all the matches as they happen.

Photo via Facebook/Danny O’Connor Boxing

4:40 p.m.: That’s all for Jan. 21. We’ll pick up the roundup later this week, so make sure to check NESN.com for the latest transfer news and rumors.

4:30 p.m.: Arsenal could be looking north and south in an effort to strengthen its midfield in January. The Gunners are eyeing Yoann Gourcuff and Victor Wanyama as potential signings, according to the Mail.

Gourcuff could move to North London on loan from French club Lyon. Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has admired Gourcuff for years, and Lyon wants his hefty salary off its book. It could work for player and both clubs.

Wanyama has excelled in Scotland for Celtic, earning plaudits for his intelligence and tough tackling. He could cost as much as £25 million ($39.6 million) — a fee Arsenal would probably be unwilling to meet in January.

12:30 p.m.: David Villa, Spain’s record goal scorer, has asked to leave Barcelona this month, according to the Independent.

Arsenal was thought to be preparing a £16 million ($25.4 million) transfer fee for the 31-year-old striker earlier this month. Barcelona was adamant that Villa was staying, but this news could alter the landscape.

Villa broke his leg in late 2011, and although he recovered after eight months, his role has been reduced to that of a squad player.

Barcelona wants to keep him until the end of the season and sell him for as little as £12 million ($19 million) in the summer. Arsenal hopes to get him in January for a fee in that region after he made it clear he’s ready for a new challenge.

The Gunners are in danger of missing out on next season’s UEFA Champions League, and manager Arsene Wenger thinks Villa could power them up the standings.

12:15 p.m.: West Brom will not allow Peter Odemwingie to leave in January. The Baggies turned down QPR’s £2 million ($3.2 million) bid for the 31-year-old striker last week, and they are determined to hold onto him.

West Brom manager Steve Clarke said Odemwingie hasn’t lost focus amid all the transfer speculation, according to the Birmingham Mail.

“I’ve spoken to Peter, I had a good chat with him and all he wanted to talk about was this game,” Clarke said. “He wanted to put on a good performance and I think you saw he was motivated to play.

“There was interest from QPR — Harry [Redknapp] told everybody! It doesn’t unsettle good professionals though. They understand that when it gets to January, it’s silly season. Clubs come in, teams are linked with everyone.”

11:55 a.m.: Martin O’Neil has been one of the busiest Premier League managers in this current transfer window. The Sunderland manager is set to clinch the signing of Mauro Zarate on loan from Lazio, talkSPORT reports.

The loan will include an option to make the deal permanent at the end of the season for £6.7 million ($10.6 million). Lazio hopes Zarate will stick at Sunderland, as he has reportedly fallen out of favor with head coach Vladimir Petkovic.

Zarate is no stranger to English soccer. The Argentine striker played 13 games for Birmingham City during a 2008 loan spell.

The 25-year-old has been linked with Arsenal, Stoke City, Fenerbache (Turkey) and Spartak Moscow in recent months.

11:40 a.m.: Manchester United striker Federico Macheda is wanted by German club Stuttgart and Spain’s Elche. The two clubs are interested in a loan deal for the talented Italian.

The 21-year-old is stuck behind United’s world-class quartet of strikers. He could be set for yet another loan spell or leave the club on a permanent transfer.

10:45 a.m.: Gary Hooper has been a big hit ever since he moved to Celtic FC in 2010. Norwich City now wants to repatriate him from Scotland and has put up money to do so.

The Daily Record reports Celtic has already rejected a £5 million ($8 million) offer for the star striker. Norwich intends to come back with a  £7 million ($11.1 million) bid, which could be enough to pry him away from the Scottish champion.

Celtic boss Neil Lennon is expecting a tense end to the January transfer window, as he looks to keep hold of his best players.

10:30 a.m.: Remember Flourent Malouda? The veteran Chelsea winger, last seen in the 2012 UEFA Champions League final, has been banished to practicing with the Blues’ Academy team all season.

QPR wants to bring the French winger to the other side of West London, but his salary demands could hinder that effort, the Mail reports.

Chelsea didn’t register the 32-year-old to compete in the Premier League, nor has he appeared in Champions League game. His hefty contract expires this summer, so he’ll certainly be gone by the start of next season. It remains to be seen whether he’ll escape Chelsea in time to help (or hinder) another team’s fortunes this season.

10 a.m.: Yann M’Vila is the subject of a new-age transfer tug-of-war. The French midfielder wants to move to the Premier League, and QPR is just one of the English teams pursuing him. The problem is that his club, Rennes, has received the biggest offer from Russian club Rubin Kazan.

Citing a story in French newspaper L’Equipe, ESPN reports Rubin bid £9.6 ($15.3 million). That offer trumps QPR’s bid, and Rennes gladly accepted it.

“A four-year contract worth an initial €4 million after tax with hefty pay increases written in has convinced M’Vila his future lies in Russia,” the report adds.

QPR manager Harry Redknapp hoped to add M’Vila to his club’s relegation fight, but it appears that financial considerations will prompt the 22-year-old to head to Russia to get his career on track.

7:30 a.m.: Newcastle has some good news to ease its recent transfer pain. French defender Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa will have a physical exam on Monday, as he looks to seal a £6.7 million ($10.6 million) transfer from Montpellier.

The 23-year-old is reportedly an Arsenal target, but it looks like he’s headed to Newcastle, the BBC reports.

Newcastle sold Demba Ba to Chelsea as the January transfer window opened. It had to watch in horror as QPR hijacked its move for Loic Remy, who was tipped to replace Ba. Captain Fabricio Coloccini could be headed back to Argentina after telling the club he wants to leave for personal reasons.

Capturing Yanga-Mbiwa will help soften those blows, but it may not save Newcastle from relegation.

7:15 a.m.: The L.A. Galaxy have offered Frank Lampard a contract worth £4 million ($6.4 million) a year, but the Chelsea star is waiting to accept or decline it.

Lampard, who will become a free agent at the end of the season, wants to see what offers come from Premier League or European clubs before making a decision, according to the Express.

“Frank is free to speak with other clubs. He is aware of strong interest from LA Galaxy and has expressed a desire to move to the United States,” the report says. ”But he still believes he can do a job for someone in the Premier League and wants to take his time and see if any other offers come up.

“This is a big decision for Frank. It is probably the last move he will ever make in his playing career and he wants to make sure that it is the right one for him and his family.”

It was reported over the weekend that the 34-year-old midfielder had already signed with L.A., but that’s not the case. Monaco, AC Milan and Manchester United have reportedly expressed an interest in signing the England international. Lampard will consider those options before choosing or declining to sign with the Galaxy.

6 a.m. ET: Those “Mario Balotelli to AC Milan” rumors gathered steam over the weekend. Milan is talking, Balotelli is acting, and it looks like he might make that dream move before the January transfer window closes.

Last week, Manchester City reportedly put a £31 million ($49.2 million) price tag on the Italian striker. Milan balked at that figure, saying it wouldn’t talk about a deal until that price dropped.

Well it did, according to Italian sports daily Gazzetta dello Sport. City is now asking for around £23.5 million ($37.3 million). The same report says the defending Premier League champion will allow Milan to spread the payments over six installments to ease the financial burden during this age of austerity.

On Sunday, Football Italia reported that Milan vice president (and transfer supremo) Adriano Galliani said his club will “jump for Balotelli” if the price is right.

“It depends on them,” Galliani said. “I am waiting, they are there and if the price drops then we will jump for Balotelli. Otherwise, we will stay in Milan. They are his legitimate employers, so we wait, observe and see what happens.

“How much does it have to drop? We don’t know. Paying in installments is an option, but you still have to pay.”

The Daily Star adds momentum to this transfer rumor. The British tabloid reports Balotelli has not only purchased an apartment in Brescia, Italy (one hour away from Milan), but he also has started shipping some of his personal items back to Italy. That is not all.

“Now it is understood Balotelli, 22, has given notice on his Cheshire home where he has never settled since his £22 million switch from Inter in 2010,” the report adds.

“Milan are interested in rescuing the fiery star’s career but they will not pay more than £15 million ($23.8 million).”

Now we wouldn’t put it past Balotelli to jump the gun and start moving out of Manchester before its prudent to do so. But there are too many factors to suggest this is a rumor which lacks substance.

The two clubs are roughly £8.5 million ($13.5 million) apart on their respective valuations. It’s possible that they’ll bridge that gap with a combination of performance clauses, sell-on fees, player exchanges or forming a Tottenham-Real Madrid-style partnership. It’s more likely that a game of high-stakes brinkmanship has begun, and each club is waiting for time (and fan) pressure to make the other blink. Either way, it’s looking like Balotelli’s days in English soccer are numbered.

Past transfer rumors: Jan. 16 >> |  Jan. 15 >> | Jan. 14 >> |  Jan. 10 >> | Jan. 9 >>

Have a question for Marcus Kwesi O’Mard? Send it to him via Twitter at @NESNsoccer, NESN Soccer’s Facebook page or send it here. He will pick a few questions to answer every week for his mailbag.

Check here throughout the day, as we’ll be following the moving targets that are January’s transfer rumors.

7 p.m.: The Guardiola appointment took up most of the afternoon, so we’ll finish the day with a David Beckham update.

Sky Sports reports AC Milan’s vice-president Adriano Galliani has no interest in bringing the former England captain to the Italian club for a third time.

“Speaking to Gazzetta.it, Galliani said he was ’99.9 percent’ sure the move would not happen,” the report says.

Beckham spent loan spells at Milan in 2009 and 2010, but a lot has changed at the storied Italian club since then. Austerity, not celebrity rules the day — not only in Milan but throughout Serie A.

That’s all for Jan. 16. We’ll pick up the roundup on Jan. 17, so make sure to check NESN.com for the latest transfer news and rumors.

12:25 p.m.: Guardiola’s appointment is official. Bayern said it has added an “expert” who will help the club find success in the coming years.

We’re working on some analysis that we’ll link to in this space.

In short, it’s a good move for him. Guardiola’s Barca experience showed that he can succeed at a club with a rich tradition, strong squad and money to spend.

If he plays internal politics properly, he shouldn’t have any problem keeping Bayern in contention for Bundesliga and UEFA Champions League titles in the coming years.

11 a.m.: Hours after telling everyone how much he wants to manage an English club, Guardiola is going to Bayern Munich.

The German club announced that Guardiola will take charge at the start of next season. He signed a contract which expires in 2016.

He’ll replace Jupp Heynckes, who will step down at the end of the season.

10:50 a.m.:  Peter Odemwingie is in Harry Redknapp’s sights. The West Brom striker is a QPR target, but his current club has no interest in selling him.

QPR made an offer that West Brom turned down. Odemwingie thinks it was good enough, and he’s ready to request a transfer to force a move, according to Sky Sports.

“If nothing else materializes then it is understood that, as a ‘last resort,’ Odemwingie is prepared to hand in a formal transfer request to try and push through a move to Loftus Road,” the report says.

The 31-year-old has four league goals to his credit this season. He would join Redknapp and Loic Remy at QPR, as the West London club fights relegation.

10:30 a.m.: Montpellier would like to sell Younes Belhanda in January, but the French club hasn’t received an offer from interested clubs such as Tottenham or Arsenal.

Turkey’s Fenerbache made a bid for the Moroccan playmaker, but Montpellier chairman Louis Nicollin didn’t think much of the offer, according to Sky Sports.

“Tottenham’s interest? There has been nothing official as yet, but I would like there to be,” Nicollin reportedly told L’Equipe. ”If a good offer arrives, he will leave. We can live without him and he can live without us.

“Nothing has evolved,” he said about talks with Fenerbahce. “They wanted to pay us in three installments. They can keep their money.”

The French club has had trouble repeating last season’s feats, and it is ready to cash in on Belhanda to fund a rebuilding project.

10 a.m.: Loic Remy’s transfer from Olympique Marseille to QPR is complete. The Premier League club announced the signing Wednesday, the Telegraph reports.

The 26-year-old reportedly cost a club-record £8 million ($12.8 million). He signed a four-and-a-half year deal which pays him around  £75,000 a week.

“He’s always been a player I’ve admired,” QPR manager Harry Redknapp said. “I’ve watched him on so many occasions throughout the last few years. I actually spent three or four hours with him last year so he knew what I thought of him, and I think that was important.

“He’s quick, can score goals and makes great runs. His movement is excellent. He’s got the potential to be a really outstanding striker.”

Last week, it looked like Remy would join Newcastle, but QPR swooped in and hijacked the deal. The developments heap more misery on Newcastle, as Remy was tipped to replace Demba Ba in the Magpies’ attack. The speedy French forward will now be central to QPR’s fight against relegation.

9:35 a.m.: Joey Barton is making a good impression in France. The on-loan Queens Park Rangers (QPR) midfielder has earned the admiration of new colleagues with his professionalism. Sky Sports reports Olympique Marseille is hoping to extend his loan, which runs through the end of this season.

“We haven’t started the discussions yet with QPR but he’s a likeable lad and we want to keep him, although we have no guarantees,” Marseille’s sporting director Jose Anigo said. ”We have very good relations with QPR and extending the loan could be in the cards.

“He likes it in Marseille, he loves this city, which breathes football. He has a good attitude. He’s a good professional in his work and in his day-to-day commitment. A lot of French players should take their example from him.”

Barton left England in shame after he melted down and tried to spark a brawl during the final game of the 2011-12 season. The FA hit him with a 12-game ban, which France’s Football Association (FFA) enforced. Barton went right into Marseille’s starting lineup once he became eligible, taking up a place in the central midfield.

8:30 a.m. ET: Pep Guardiola is in the process of choosing his next job, and all signs point to Manchester City. The former Barcelona manager expressed his desire to lead an English club Wednesday. He said English soccer presents a unique challenge he hopes to face during his managerial career, according to the BBC.

“As a player I couldn’t realize my dream to play there [in England],” he said. “But I hope in the future, I have a challenge to be a coach or a manager there.

“It is unique, to play in that league. I want to feel the supporters, the environment, the media and the style of the players and everything. I am still young, just 41, so I hope in the future I could be able to train there and enjoy that.”

Guardiola is halfway through a one-year sabbatical he took after leaving Barcelona at the end of the last season. He is living in New York City with his family, but he and his agents have been in contact with some of Europe’s biggest clubs.

Chelsea, AS Roma, AC Milan and Bayern Munich are interested in landing the most in-demand manager in the world, but City may have the inside track. In recent months, Txiki Begiristain and Ferran Soriano have joined City from Barcelona as director of football and chief executive respectively. They were directors at Barcelona when Guardiola was installed as manager, working closely with him to achieve great success.

Current City manager Roberto Mancini is in a tight spot. His club crashed out of the UEFA Champions League and now trails Manchester United by seven points in the Premier League. If City fails to retain its Premier League title, Mancini could pay for it with his job, paving the way for Guardiola to step into the breach.

Click here for transfer rumors from Jan. 15 >>

Click here for transfer rumors from Jan. 14 >>

Click here for transfer rumors from Jan. 10 >>

Click here for transfer rumors from Jan. 9 >>

Have a question for Marcus Kwesi O’Mard? Send it to him via Twitter at @NESNsoccer, NESN Soccer’s Facebook page or send it here. He will pick a few questions to answer every week for his mailbag.

5:30 p.m.: Crystal Palace winger Wilfred Zaha is one of the Championship’s (England’s second division) hottest properties, but Manchester United isn’t treating him like one in the transfer market.

The Mail reports United will lodge a low-ball transfer bid of £6 million ($9.7 million) within the next 48 hours.

Palace originally wanted around £20 million ($32.2 million) for its prized asset, but it is thought that the club would accept a package totaling £12 million ($19.3 million).

If Zaha is sold in January, he’ll most likely be loaned back to Palace for the rest of the season. The club is hoping to secure promotion to the Premier League.

5: 15 p.m.: Shaktar Donetsk could be ready to sell Brazilian attacker Willian to Chelsea or Tottenham this month. The London Evening Standard reports the playmaker is available for around £20 million ($32.2 million).

Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas likes Willian and considered buying him last year during his ill-fated tenure at Chelsea.

Shaktar signed Taison from Metalist Kharkhiv last week, so it may be willing to part ways with Willian ahead of the UEFA Champions League Round-of-16 tie against Borussia Dortmund.

4 p.m.: Ajax star Christian Eriksen is not considering a January transfer, but won’t rule one out either. Eriksen’s agent acknowledges that the player is drawing interest, but he says the Danish midfielder is focused on the task of playing for Ajax, Sky Sports reports.

“For the last couple of weeks, and also because of the holidays, the press have kept their distance, which is something [Eriksen] does not regret.

“I’m not saying that this means no-one is interested as it would be strange for a player who has been followed by the biggest clubs in football since he was 14 years old to not be on their radar anymore.

“Christian just wants to concentrate on his football, but you never know what might happen in football.”

3:30 p.m.: Martin O’Neil is not done shopping, despite adding Kader Mangane and Alfred N’Diaye to Sunderland’s squad in recent days.

Sky Sports reports the Sunderland manager is hoping a couple more new faces will help his club steer clear of relegation, according to Sky Sports.

“On February 1, whatever you’ve got left, that’s it and we’re still short here on players,” he said. “Every side has had their injuries this season so we want to make some provisions for those things happening to us. They will be inevitable over the next few months.”

Sunderland doesn’t have much money to spend, so the players it adds will not be high-profile ones. That doesn’t mean they won’t end up making a name for themselves in English soccer under O’Neil.

11:20 a.m.: Robbie Keane is training with Tottenham, but that’s the extent of the L.A. Galaxy striker’s involvement with his former club, according to Sky Sports.

Keane said he wants to let lingering injuries heal ahead of the 2013 MLS season.

“It’s been a long season, with the Euros and what have you,” he said. “I’ve a few little niggles that need to be sorted out so I don’t think at this moment in time it would be right for me to go anywhere.”

Keane excelled during a loan stint with Aston Villa last season. With no major international tournament to prepare for, Keane thought it best to use a full and lengthy offseason to recover rather than play competitive games at a high level.

10:30 a.m.: Lucas Piazon, Chelsea’s 18-year-old Brazilian forward, is heading to Malaga on loan for the rest of the season.

The talented attacker will spend some time in La Liga, developing under the watchful eye of Malaga head coach Manuel Pelligrini.

Piazon joined Chelsea last January, but he’s only appeared in three games for the Blues’ first team.

10 a.m.: Barcelona president Sandro Rosell has seemingly bolted the door as far as striker David Villa is concerned.

Rosell said that the Arsenal target will not leave the club in January, Sky Sports reports.

“Villa will not leave,” said Rosell. “But coming back from a serious injury to play in this team is not easy.”

Rosell reinforces what Barca head coach Tito Vilanova said last weekend: Spain’s all-time leading goal scorer is not for sale, regardless of what club is willing to pay £16 million ($25.7 million) for him in January.

9 a.m.: David De Gea has been quietly silencing critics with his improved performances in goal for Manchester United. The 22-year-old is earning the trust of United manager Sir Alex Ferguson and catching the attention of FC Barcelona.

The Daily Star reports Barcelona wants to sign De Gea after contract talks with current No. 1 Victor Valdes broke down recently.

There are whispers that De Gea is homesick in Manchester and wants to return to his native Spain. This could give him the chance to do so without going to Real Madrid, which would enrage his boyhood club Atletico Madrid.

De Gea himself denies the rumors of homesickness. He joined United in 2011 for £17 million ($27.4 million).

8:30 a.m.: Loic Remy sensationally turned down Newcastle on Monday, choosing to head south to Queens Park Rangers (QPR) instead.

The French striker looks set to join QPR’s relegation fight. Joey Barton, his Olympique Marseille teammate (who is also a QPR player) confirmed the move on Twitter.

Looks like I was right 2nd time about Remy going to QPR. Good signing. Good player Loic. And good lad as well. Wish him luck there…

— Joseph Barton (@Joey7Barton) January 15, 2013

8: 15 a.m.: Kader Mangane will join Sunderland on loan for the rest of the season.

The Senegalese center back was playing in Saudi Arabia for Al Hilal, but he is more famous for the 10 years he spent in Switzerland and France.

Sunderland manager Martin O’Neil thinks Mangane will compete with Carlos Cuellar and John O’Shea for playing time in the center of the Sunderland defense.

8 a.m.: AC Milan president Silvio Berlusconi has apologized for calling Balotelli a “rotten apple” last week, according to FIFA.com.

“What I said was based on the fact that I feel positive people are useful in the changing room,” Berlusconi said. “I was not referring to Balotelli and I apologize if it is was taken as a slur against him.

Berlusconi, the former (and possibly future) prime minister of Italy, has pulled a classic “flip-flop” when it comes to Balotelli. But that doesn’t mean a transfer is imminent.

“Could he still come to Milan? No one from my club has held any talks with him, and neither [vice-president Adriano] Galliani or I has identified him as a transfer target,” he added.

6 a.m. ET: Rumor has it Manchester City is desperate to sell Mario Balotelli. AC Milan is Balotelli’s most likely destination, but the Italian club doesn’t want Balotelli as much as City wants to get rid of its misfit striker … for now at least.

On Jan. 14, Milan vice president Adriano Galliani said  Milan would not be signing any strikers in the winter transfer window. There are already five senior strikers at the Italian club, and Milan doesn’t need another one, according to the official story.

Unofficially, Milan was hoping to sell Pato and Robinho in January to raise funds for a marquee signing. Balotelli would certainly meet that billing, but Pato departed while Robinho couldn’t seal a move to Brazil’s Santos.

Despite turning professional at Inter Milan, Balotelli was a boyhood Milan fan. Those same fans have watched star after star leave the club as Milan tightens its financial belt. Balotelli (of all people) could be the perfect tonic, but they’ll have to wait until the summer for the prodigal son to return.

Roberto Mancini, Balotelli’s biggest supporter at City, might be gone before the start of next season. Don’t expect Balotelli to remain at the club for too long if it happens.

Click here for transfer rumors from Jan. 14>>

Click here for transfer rumors from Jan. 10>>

Click here for transfer rumors from Jan. 9>>

Have a question for Marcus Kwesi O’Mard? Send it to him via Twitter at @NESNsoccer, NESN Soccer’s Facebook page or send it here. He will pick a few questions to answer every week for his mailbag.

Check here throughout the day, as we’ll be following the moving targets that are January’s transfer rumors.

6:30 p.m.: That’s all for Jan. 14. We’ll continue our roundup on Jan. 15, so make sure to check NESN.com for the latest transfer news and rumors.

6:30 p.m.: The Mirror has added a bit of meat to the Remy story. Financial concerns and flexibility could be among the deciding factors that should see him head to QPR instead of Newcastle.

“Rangers, the Premier League’s bottom club and staring at relegation back to the Championship after two top-flight seasons, have offered Remy a salary of £70,000 a week — much more than Newcastle put on the table,” the report says.

“Crucially, the Londoners are also willing to give the France international a get-out clause to be activated if they are relegated.”

Remy’s transfer could be finalized as early as Tuesday. The player is in England speaking to both clubs.

4:50 p.m.: Loic Remy is set to sensationally turn down Newcastle in favor of a move to QPR, Sky Sports reports.

The Marseille striker and France international was supposed to travel to Newcastle to conclude a £8.3 million ($13.4 million) transfer Monday, but he has begun negotiating with QPR and will undergo a physical examination on Tuesday instead.

Central to the hijacking of Remy’s transfer was QPR manager Harry Redknapp. Remy was close to joining Tottenham last season when Redknapp was managing the club, but a move fell through.

Tottenham fired Redknapp last summer, and he was out of work for much of the season. He took over at QPR in late November, to help the club pull off one of the all-time great escapes (from relegation). He has some money to spend in January and a list of contacts; Remy was one of them.

Redknapp recently spoke of his personal connection with Remy.

“I was hoping for a meeting with him to encourage him to come,” Redknapp said last weekend. “I think he felt embarrassed coming to see me to say he wasn’t interested in coming to QPR.”

Things can change quickly in the transfer game. If we didn’t know it before, Remy’s transfer teaches us just that.

4:05 p.m.: AC Milan and Juventus are two of Italy’s biggest clubs, but don’t expect either of them to make a splash in the January transfer market. Football Italia reports neither club will spend big or sign big names in the coming weeks.

Milan vice president Adriano Galliani said his club doesn’t need Mario Balotelli because there are already enough forwards on its books (and Robinho’s proposed move to Santos collapsed).

If Milan buys in January, it will be an emerging youngster.

“We have decided to target emerging youngsters,” Galliani said. “We’ve explained that to the fans and I think they understand. We’re investing in young players this January too and we are convinced that we’ll achieve great results.”

We should believe Galliani, as Milan is transforming itself during Serie A’s age of austerity.

Juventus has been linked with Didier Drogba, Fernando Llorente and just about every other top-class striker out there.

Juve’s director general Beppe Marotta says the club will not add any “important names” this month.

“The transfer window will close without any major signings,” he told Sky Sport Italia. “The January market is not offering important names for Juventus. We are looking around, evaluating, but in the meantime we want to recover those players who are absent with injury or participating at the African Cup of Nations.”

Juve and Milan are the two most likely Italian clubs to spend big money in January. One won’t do it because it can’t afford Balotelli. The other won’t because it hasn’t identified any available players that would make it better.

Transfer junkies are the ones who will suffer the most from this news.

4 p.m.: Rumored Arsenal target Lucas Biglia is attracting interest from the far corners of the earth, but his agent says he’d prefer to join a club in England or Italy, according to Football Italia.

“Given his valuation at the moment, he could be bought by Chinese or Russian clubs,” Enzo Montepaone reportedly told La Derniere Heure. ”But he does not want to go to either of those places. Italy or England would be his preferred destinations.”

The Anderlecht midfielder could be had for £8 million ($12.9 million).

3:40 p.m.: Inter wants Wesley Sneijder to make up his mind. The Dutch playmaker has an offer from Turkish club Galatasaray, and both it and Inter have given him deadlines, which have already come and gone.

Inter president Massimo Moratti told Sneijder that it would be “professional” (read: in Inter’s best interests) for him to decide his future by the end of the day Monday, but the attacking midfielder will wait and see what options come his way before the end of the month, according to the Mirror.

3:30 p.m.: Chelsea and Tottenham target Willian returned to his native Brazil on vacation during Ukraine’s Premier Liga’s winter break.

The Shaktar Donetsk star didn’t return in time for the start of his club’s training camp, and head coach Mircea Lucescu thinks it’s because he’s wants to force a move to a Premier League club.

Lucescu branded Willian’s actions as “unprofessional” and blamed them on the 24-year-old’s advisers.

Shaktar faces Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League’s Round-of-16 next month. It only makes sense that Willian would want to participate in that stage of the competition, right?

3:15 p.m.: We’ll stay in Newcastle for the next one.

Hatem Ben Arfa would consider a move to PSG, the Mail reports. The talented but injury-prone forward said moving to the French club would fulfill a “childhood dream.”

We wonder what fans at his former clubs, Lyon and Marseille, think about his words.

He adds that he would only move after he’s “saved” Newcastle from relegation.

3:05 p.m.: Still reeling from the sale of Demba Ba, Newcastle is looking to sign Loic Remy from France’s Olympique Marseille within a day or two, according to the Mail.

The two clubs have agreed to a £9 million ($14.5 million) fee. Newcastle and Remy are engaged in contract negotiations.

The 26-year-old’s move to Newcastle looks to be a done deal. Our favorite philosopher-player, Joey Barton, spilled the beans on Twitter.

Good luck to Loic in Newcastle. Don’t worry i’ve told him what to expect. Great guy. Perfect club for him. #toonarmy

— Joseph Barton (@Joey7Barton) January 13, 2013

Remy was a key figure during his first two seasons at Marseille, but he’s fallen out of favor under new manager Elie Bop.

Also, Queens Park Rangers are still looking to hijack Remy’s move to Newcastle.

3 p.m.: Radamel Falcao, one of the world’s best and most in-demand strikers, professed his admiration for PSG and its Swedish superstar Zalatan Ibrahimovic, the Mail reports.

“France is a marvellous country,” he told Telefoot. “I’ve been there before, and I love it. PSG have a very ambitious sporting project and they’ve invested a huge amount of money to construct a competitive team. That will need time, but that could come very quickly.

“It’s not impossible that I could be meeting [the French media] very soon.”

Falcao has been linked with Real Madrid, Manchester City and Chelsea in recent months. Let’s add PSG to the list of suitors, as the French club is one of the few that can pay his reported £50 million ($80.4 million) transfer fee.

If Falcao goes to PSG, he would bring his lethal finishing and winner’s mentality to a club that has dreams of dominating European soccer and the financial muscle to turn that into a reality.

1 p.m. ET: We’ll start with a rumor that isn’t necessarily a January rumor, but it’s a hot one nonetheless. After revealing his “sadness” in September, Cristiano Ronaldo and his situation at Real Madrid have dominated headlines for most of the season.

It is thought that Paris Saint Germain (PSG) is preparing an offer for the Portuguese superstar. Leonardo, the sporting director at the French club, alluded to it last week saying his was one of only four or five clubs that could afford Ronaldo’s transfer fee and wages.

Ronaldo has also been linked with a return to Manchester United, the club he left in 2009 for a record £80 million ($131.6 million) fee.

Ronaldo reportedly rejected a contract extension offer from Real Madrid in December, signalling his intention to leave the club where he feels unloved.

Last week, Ronaldo said he wants to stay with the Spanish club a little longer. He told FIFA.com, “I want to see out my contract at Real Madrid; I’m very clear about that. After that, well, I don’t know what’ll happen in the future.”

This could be a political answer (i.e. lip service) or something else. It certainly contradicts most of the reports we’ve seen concerning his future. He won’t be leaving in January, but there’s a good chance Real Madrid will sell him in the summer, and he won’t be too unhappy about it.

Click here for transfer rumors from Jan. 10>>

Click here for transfer rumors from Jan. 9>>

Have a question for Marcus Kwesi O’Mard? Send it to him via Twitter at @NESNsoccer, NESN Soccer’s Facebook page or send it here. He will pick a few questions to answer every week for his mailbag.

9:05 p.m.: The panel is asked for their thoughts about the controversy surrounding the latest ballots for the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Merloni’s passionate answer is that the hall is for the best players that have ever played the game and shouldn’t have the moral clause. Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens are certain hall of famers in his opinion. He doesn’t agree with what they did, but he “knows a hall of famer” when he sees one.

Ryan wants the hall to acknowledge that the steroid era existed and says people have to be stupid to think Bonds and Clemens didn’t cheat.

Massarotti says PEDs have inflated all of the numbers. He says the voting was inconsistent in the past and is even more so in 2012 and beyond. He’ll go purely by the eyeball. “I’m a yes on Clemens and a yes on Bonds,” he said. Edgar Martinez got his vote because he’s the “greatest designated hitter that has ever played.”

Littlefield says the hall is full of guys who did far worse things than the players currently under scrutiny. “There’s nothing moral about it.”

Shaughnessy says that sports are supposed to be a level playing field, and the steroid era has made it incredibly difficult to vote.

For Bell, Bonds’ and Clemens’ (and others’) cheating should disqualify them from a place in the hall.

9:05 p.m.: An audience member asks about the panel’s faith in the Patriots’ front seven (on defense) and undersized secondary.

Bell sums it up perfectly: No pass rush, no defense. “You could have Jesus Christ back there and it wouldn’t make a difference.”

9 p.m.: Bell says players are more disposable today than ever before, and playing more games during a span of seven days puts players in greater danger than ever.

8:55 p.m.: Littlefield says coal miners are compensated for black lung, asbestos workers are compensated for mesothelioma, why can’t football players be compensated for the injuries they suffer on the job?

An audience member adds that arthritis is prevalent among athletes — especially the big ones — of today.

8:45 p.m.: The next question is about football’s future in light of what we now know about head injuries.

Littlefield says the U.S. loves football and other countries don’t. He adds that this is the only military superpower in the world and the two facts “aren’t entirely unrelated.”

Bell adds that people he speaks to love the sport’s violence. He jokes that in 20 years, the losing team will be executed — like in the days of ancient Rome. Will Americans not be entertained?

Merloni cites his first experience watching UFC. “Apparently boxing is not violent enough,” he says. Fans booed two tired fighters. He thinks Americans love the vicious nature of the two sports.

Ryan disagrees. He says mothers of America could shut the “barbaric enterprise” down tomorrow because it systematically destroys the people who play it.

Bell notes that African Americans from poor communities played football to escape poverty in the 1960s and they still do today.

8:40 p.m.: The panel continues on the changing face of sports journalism.

Bell compares the Patriots to the Kremlin in terms of how difficult it is to get inside information.

8:35 p.m.: The next question was asked about the changing face of journalism in the age of Twitter and instant updates and analysis.

Shaughnessy says the function of the daily newspaper is a thing of the past.

Littlefield adds that there are still great places for writers to tell great stories.

8:30 p.m.: An audience member says the Patriots’ hiring of Bill Parcells changed the face of sports in the region, creating a race to the top among the local teams.

Bell says Parcells brought a way of playing football that is unique. He adds the Patriots might not be playing in New England if Parcells didn’t come.

Ryan adds that the Patriots rise has been the single biggest story in his career. He says the Pats are the number one team in the region — ahead of the Red Sox.

Bell adds that Belichick following Parcells was also critical, as the coach controls everything in the professional game.

8:25 p.m.: Bell asks if Francona was the best manager in Red Sox history.

Merloni says he is, but his refusal to change over time cost him dearly. The former Sox infielder says the players changed, Francona didn’t and it cost him control of the clubhouse.

8:20 p.m.: Caron asks if the Red Sox players face more scrutiny than their counterparts on the Celtics, Bruins and Patriots.

Merloni says the Red Sox are a special case because everyone in the region played and understand the sport really well. He says there’s no better place to play when things are going well, but players “face the wrath” when they fail. Some players can take it, others can’t. He adds that you learn a lot about players by how they react to failure.

8:15 p.m.: Bell wants to know what’s going on behind the scenes at Fenway Park.

Shaughnessy says there are plenty of bright and capable people in the upper reaches of Red Sox management working to dig out from the current situation. He says Ben Cherington has a “methodical” approach.

Ryan points out how difficult it is to win a championship. He cites the Yankees, who have spent over a billion dollars this century and have only one championship to show for it.

8:10 p.m.: Merloni says the Red Sox players never believed in the Curse of the Bambino. He adds that watching the Sox win the 2004 World Series from afar (he left for Cleveland after the 2003 season) gave him mixed emotions.

8:07 p.m.: Bell says the 49ers are the best team in the NFL.

8:05 p.m.: Ryan says Boston sports fans should be most upbeat about the Patriots, but we’ll know a lot more after the next three games.

The Celtics are in for a frustrating season, as their defense and rebounding are too inconsistent to put them among the best teams in the league. Shaughnessy agrees with Ryan’s assessment of the Celtics.

8 p.m.: The panel is making its way to the stage and the discussion will begin in a few minutes.

I’m Marcus Kwesi O’Mard, putting down my soccer shoes for the evening to bring you the highlights of the discussion.

If you’d like to make a donation to the Arthritis Foundation, visit ArthritisFoundation.org/Massachusetts.

If you want to follow along on Twitter, use #SportsConnection2012.

7:55 p.m.: Bob Ryan, the guest of honor, is making a few remarks. He says Celtics’ Dave Cowens was the biggest personality he ever got a chance to cover. It goes without saying that he feels Boston is the “perfect place” for him to be a sportswriter.

“The Commissioner” graciously accepts the Sports Connection Achievement Award.

7:30 p.m.: The panel discussion will begin in a few minutes. Those who want to follow the discussion on Twitter should use #SportsConnection2012. You can join the conversation there.

8 a.m. ET: December is not yet upon us, but it’s safe to say that 2012 was an action-packed year as far as Boston sports go.

Some of the region’s esteemed media personalities will review the year that was (and still is) at the Sports Connection “Your Ticket to the Inside Track,” presented by the Arthritis Foundation event on Thursday evening.

NESN’s Tom Caron will host a panel discussion about all the year’s best moments in Boston sports.

The Boston Globe’s Dan Shaughnessy, Globe writer and 98.5 the Sports Hub broadcaster Tony Massarotti, National Public Radio’s Only A Game program host Bill Littlefield, WCRN’s (Worcester) Upton Bell and former Red Sox utility man and WEEI-FM host Lou Merloni will break down the highlights of 2012.

They will be joined by the guest of honor – legendary Boston Globe sports columnist Bob Ryan.

We’ll be at Boston’s Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel to bring you all of the panel’s main points — as they happen. Join us right here on Thursday starting at 6 p.m. ET.

Final, Wondolowski on 27 goals: Chris Wondolowski has joined Roy Lassiter atop MLS' all-time single-season goal scoring list. 

His first-half goal gave him 27 on the season, matching Lassiter's magical mark. He was unable to break the record, but the feat remains an impressive one.

Wondolowski spoke about sharing company with some of the best strikers to ever grace MLS. He called himself a "student of the game" before rattling off their names.

It was a very MLS moment spoken by a symbol of what the league is all about: giving American players a chance to make a career playing professional soccer at home — if that's what they want to do.

92nd minute, Wondolowski on 27 goals: Stephenson sends a cross into the area for Wondo, but the joint-holder of the record is called for a foul. 

90th minute, Wondolowski on 27 goals: We're headed for stoppage time. The score is tied and the record is tied. There will be three minutes of added time.

82nd minute, Wondolowski on 27 goals: We're into the final 10 minutes of the contest. 

If Wondo is going to make history, it will be done in the most dramatic of circumstances.

Wondolowski might be implementing a shoot-on-sight policy. He has a go from distance but it flies very high and very wide.

One onlooker said it best:

Pure class from Wondo to give the Timbers Army a souvenir like that on his record-tying performance. #WondoWatch #MLS #PORvSJ

— Matthew Doyle (@MLS_Analyst) October 28, 2012

68th minute, Wondolowski on 27 goals: It's worth noting that Khari Stephenson, he of Williams College fame, has entered the game in place of Lenhart.

He's got the physical presence to match Lenhart, but he lacks the "by any means necessary" type of commitment to doing whatever it takes to win that Lenhart has.

That's no knock against him. Few people in any walk of life are willing to go to Lenhart's lengths to get something done. Whatever it may be.

67th minute, Wondolowski on 27 goals: Dike scores for Portland. It's 1-1 and this game has kicked up a few notches.

65th minute, Wondolowski on 27 goals: Wondo's got two quick chances here in the second half.

First he hits a left-footed drive to the far post from a tight angle. Ricketts saved it away.

Seconds later, he headed a cross just wide of the near post. He should have at least hit the target.

62nd minute, Wondolowski on 27 goals: It's Lenhart who finishes a San Jose counterattack with a shot at Ricketts.

Baca created the opening by finding Lenhart with a pass into the Portland area from the San Jose half.

It's the sort of opening we may see again as Portland is committed to sending men forward and there will be space to exploit.

54th minute, Wondolowski on 27 goals: Portland has controlled the first 10 minutes of the second half, and most of the game has bent spent in the Earthquakes' third of the field.

Portland, the home team, will look to push players forward in search of the tying goal — not the one that will tie Wondolowski's 27, but the one that will tie the score 1-1.

47th minute, Wondolowski on 27 goals: The second half is under way, and Wondo has done what the likes of Stern John and Mamadou Diallo could not. That is hit the magical 27 mark. 

He didn't even need Carlos Valderrama and a young Steve Ralston providing him service to do it either.

Halftime, Wondolowski on 27 goals: That's the end of the first half of play, and Wondolowski is on the brink of history. 

His first-half goal tied Lassiter's mark. It was his seventh penalty-kick goal of the season.

43rd minute, Wondolowski on 27 goals: Portland's David Horst intervenes at the last minute to deny Wondolowski a good look at goal.

Wondolowski beat the offside trap as Morrow sent a pass over the top of the defense. He brought it down and set himself to shoot, but Horst tracked him down, slid and knocked it away.

40th minute, Wondolowski on 27 goals: San Jose showed its menacing teeth again, as Lenhart led the counterattack.

Portland repelled the first delivery into the area, but San Jose kept the pressure on the hosts.

Wondolowski was buzzing around the area, but Portland was able to reset its defense.

33rd minute, Wondolowski on 27 goals: We have to give it to the San Jose striker. He's not content to float around the penalty area and pounce on something when it comes his way.

He's involved in his team's build-up play, serving as an outlet for his teammates and holding up the ball very well so others can come into the play.

24th minute, Wondolowski on 27 goals: Wondolowski buries the spot-kick with a low shot to Ricketts' right.

It's his 27th of the season, putting him level with Lassiter.

He celebrates by beating the Earthquakes' crest on his jersey, while Timbers' fans let their displeasure at the penalty be known.

23rd minute: It's a penalty for San Jose. Portland goalkeeper Donovan Rickets was caught off his line and he brings Lenhart down. 

Wondo will take it. 

17th minute: The game is played under the backdrop of the wall of sound that the Portland fans have created.

The setting is fit for the occasion. A top MLS player, one who's spent his entire career in the league, visits the home of a model MLS team in the post-Beckham era. He's looking to pass a mark set by a member of the Tampa Bay Mutiny. Remember them?

14th minute: Wondolowski has his first moment of danger, as he nearly gets on the end of a corner kick in the Portland area.

Eric Alexander headed a shot wide, but Wondolowski was sneaking in behind him. He surely would have knocked it in had Alexander not been there. The goal was open and he was standing right at the back post.

Second minute: San Jose, the ultimate no-frills MLS franchise, has lead the way for most of the season.

Manager Frank Yallop built a team full of hungry youngsters, capable MLS veterans and impact foreign signings. 

It almost mirrors the stages of Wondolowski's career. He rose from five and a half years in the shadows to become the most lethal goal scorer in the league.

San Jose stands in start contrast to Portland, which boasts an always full stadium, scrutiny from a rabid fan base, designated players and plenty of buzz in the community. One thing it lacks is an MLS playoff victory. That won't change for at least another 12 months, as the Timbers are on the outside looking in. 

Kickoff: And we're off. Wondo is wearing the captain's armband, as Ramiro Corrales is out with an injury.

Pregame: Wondolowski will start next to the mop-haired Steven Lenhart, who is very good at creating openings for Wondo with his physical presence and sheer force of will.

Wondolowski and Lassiter talked about the chase last week. 

They've kept Wondolowski's goals within the context of San Jose's pursuit of the Supporters Shield. Now that the Quakes have locked up the regular-season title, it's fitting that we can focus on Wondo's remarkable season that should see him walk away with the league MVP award and perhaps much more.

6 p.m.: We've arrived here in Wondo's world, and we're ready to see if the San Jose hitman can break the MLS all-time single-season scoring record.

This is a new kind of live blog here on NESN.com. Whereas we usually follow live games, we'll focus specifically on Wondolowski's chase for the record in this one. We hope you enjoy it and tell us what you think — either in the comments section below or on Twitter at #magicWondo.

8 a.m. ET: Major League Soccer has grown by leaps and bounds since its inaugural season in 1996, but one thing was frozen in time.

That year, "Rocket" Roy Lassiter led the league with 27 goals. It
became a single-season record, as many tried and failed to reach that
number in the following years.

Chris Wondolowski can break Lassiter's record. The
San Jose
Earthquakes striker has bagged 26 goals in 2012, and now stands on the
brink of history. If he scores twice in San Jose's final regular season
game he will set a new standard in American soccer.

The Earthqukes, winners of this season's Supporters Shield, visit the
Portland Timbers on Saturday, and all eyes will be on the man they call
"Wondo." The 29-year-old has powered a San Jose attack which leads the
league in goals. If there are holes in Portland's defense — the third
worst in MLS — it's likely Wondolowski will find them.

We'll be watching, as Wondolowski's chase reaches its dramatic
conclusion. NBC Sports Network will broadcast the game to a national
audience, so you can too. Tell us what you think about Wondo's chase
before during and after the game using #magicWondo on Twitter. We'll
bring you live, in-game updates from Wondo's world. Will he? Or won't
he? We'll soon find out.

Join us for our coverage of Wondolowski's record chase starting at 6 p.m.

Have a question for Marcus Kwesi O'Mard? Send it to him via Twitter at @NESNsoccer, NESN Soccer's Facebook page or snd it here. He will pick a few questions to answer every week for his mailbag.

Photo via The Bay Area Bias

Carli Lloyd is the hero, as her two goals and boundless energy propelled the U.S. past Japan.

The two teams have different styles and strengths, but they treated fans to another closely contested classic of a final. Japan had plenty of chances to tie the game in the second half, but Solo, Buehler, Rampone and friends were able to withstand its pressure until the final whistle.

The U.S. was a team that relied on its high-powered attack throughout the Olympics, and that saw it through in the end. Scoring 16 goals in 6 games is a testament to the Americans’ attacking quality. It outweighed a less than assured defense when all was said and done.

That’s all for now and thanks for joining us. Let’s discuss this one on Twitter @NESNsoccer and Facebook. Be sure to keep an eye out for some news, fan reactions, analysis and opinion that is on the way on NESN.com.

84th minute, 2-1 United States: Solo makes a fantastic save to preserve the U.S. lead.

Rampone was dispossessed by Tanaka, who took it into the area and curled a shot to the far post.

But Solo dove to her left and turned it away at full stretch.

She is considered the world’s best goalkeeper by some measure, and she just proved why.

80th minute, 2-1 United States: Buehler is coming off and Sauerbrunn is taking her place next to Rampone.

80th minute, 2-1 United States: Did Morgan just find Rampone’s head in the area?

She sure did. The U.S. center back burst forward in support of Morgan. Her head met the cross, but it went well wide.

She is one of the few Americans with a little bit of energy left in the tank.

74th minute, 2-1 United States: Japan continues to threaten — primarily through Miyama’s set-piece deliveries — and the U.S. keeps dodging those bullets.

Wambach is working hard on the defensive end, but that leaves Morgan isolated in the American attack.

When the U.S. repels Japan’s attack, Morgan tries to create something on her own, but her efforts have been fruitless in the second half. She needs O’Reilly, Wambach or Heath as an outlet if the U.S. wants to be effective in the counterattack.

68th minute, 2-1 United States: The second half is turning into the slugfest we all predicted.

Japan is weaving the ball through the midfield and threatening the U.S. goal with ease, but the Americans are as dangerous as ever going forward.

Fukumoto turned away Buehler’s close-range shot to keep the score as is, but you have to think this game has at least another goal in it.

63rd minute, 2-1 United States: The U.S. was caught flat-footed in defense and Japan punished its opponent for it.

Ogimi was the goal scorer. Sawa ran onto a pass in the area, but wasn’t able to shoot. The deflected ball fell to Ogimi at the far post, and she slotted it home.

57th minute, 2-0 United States: Cheney is coming on for Rapinoe, who was awesomely ineffective in this game.

The Tilda Swinton-esque playmaker might get credit for an assist on Cheney’s second, but that was her most noteworthy contribution to the contest.

54th minute, 2-0 United States: Lloyd is enjoying a dream final and caps it by scoring a wonderful second goal.

She took a pass from Rapinoe in midfield, drove forward to the penalty area and lashed a right-footed strike that thunder-strike inside of the far post.

51st minute, 1-0 United States: Japan has committed to pushing forward, but that leaves a lot of space behind the defense.

Heath, Morgan and Wambach nearly combined to punish Japan with a second, but Fukumoto was able to punch Morgan’s cross away before Wambach’s head could meet it.

47th minute, 1-0 United States: Japan has the first look at goal.

Miyama floated a free kick into the area, Solo came off her line to punch it away and collided with Buehler and Kumagi.

They emerged unscathed, but Japan has signaled its intent to take the game to the U.S. in the second half.

Halftime, 1-0 United States: Lloyd’s strike stands as the difference between the two teams as the referee brings the first half to a close.

The U.S. exploded out of the box to start the game, and the eighth-minute goal was just rewards for its advantage.

But Japan settled into the contest and created a number of scoring chances. The crossbar, Solo’s saves and Rampone’s timely interventions prevented what would have been deserved Japanese goals.

The U.S. closed the half well, and could have doubled the lead in the latter stages.

42nd minute, 1-0 United States: Wambach attempts to get on the end of a Rapinoe cross, but she ends up kicking Kumagi in the face.

The big U.S. striker has dished out — and taken — her fair share of punishment in these Olympic games.

37th minute, 1-0 United States: Japan’s strategy is starting to come into focus.

The Nadeshiko are allowing the U.S. to push forward, but once they get possession, they counter-attack with pace and are usually able to exploit gaps in the American defense.

Ohno took one of these opportunities and curled a shot just wide of Solo’s goal.

33rd minute, 1-0 United States: Solo needs to buy the crossbar something nice after this game.

Miyama took a pass from Ohno in the area and shot on goal, but it rattled the crossbar. Solo was beaten by the powerful shot, but her best friend was there to bail her out.

28th minute, 1-0 United States: The U.S. nearly makes it two.

Lloyd swung a cross into the area, and Iwashimizu tried to intervene with her head. Instead of clearing it, she headed it off the near post. She was ableo to clear it before Morgan reached the rebound, but Japan is not looking secure in the defense.

26th minute, 1-0 United States: The U.S. got away with a missed call.

A Japan free kick hit Heath in the hand (and she was inside the penalty area), but the referee did not call the handball.

20th minute, 1-0 United States: The U.S. started the game with much more energy than Japan, and it yielded an early goal.

But both teams are reverting to form as the game progresses. Japan is keeping the ball on the ground and threading passes through the American defense.

The U.S. remains dangerous going forward. Wambach and Morgan are getting plenty of service from the midfield and causing problems for the Japanese defense.

But the U.S. backline has been threatened on two occasions that could have lead to goals. Lloyd and Boxx need to do a better job of breaking up plays in the midfield or Sawa will be able to link with the forward line and punish the Americans.

17th minute, 1-0 United States: And right on cue, Japan mounts a bit of possession and opens up the American defense on two occasions.

Ogimi headed a shot from close range, but Solo tipped it onto the crossbar.

15th minute, 1-0 United States: The goal seems to have rattled Japan, which has looked far more likely to concede a second than score a first.

The U.S. has been able to move the ball through the midfield and attack the defense with ease since Lloyd’s goal.

8th minute, 1-0 United States: The U.S. takes an early lead, and it’s Lloyd who opens the scoring.

Heath crossed along the ground to Morgan, who collected it at the six-yard box, turned and crossed it across the face of goal to Wambach.

Wambach was just about to hit it on the volley, but Lloyd made a late run and headed it before Wambach could make contact.

4th minute, 0-0: The U.S. has the early advantage in possession and territory, and it yields the game’s first scoring chance.

Morgan touched it over a defender — sombrero style — and dribbled into the area. She shot with her left foot from a tight angle, but it went right to Fukumoto who saved it comfortably.

Pregame: Hello and welcome to our coverage of the gold medal game in the women’s Olympic soccer tournament.

The U.S. and Japan have been the standout in teams in the competition and it’s only fitting they meet at the iconic Wembley Stadium in the final.

The Americans have reached the final of all five Olympic tournaments, and they can clinch their third-straight gold medal with a victory.

Japan slowly ascended up the mountain of international soccer before reaching the summit in 2011. It finished fourth in the 2008 Olympics, and looks to retain its title of “best in the world” by winning gold.

2 p.m.: Here are the lineups:

United States

Hope Solo (1), goalkeeper
Amy Le Peilbet (6), left back
Christie Rampone (3), center back
Rachel Buelhler (16), center back
Kelley O’Hara (5), right back
Shannon Boxx (7), midfielder
Carli Llloyd (10), midfielder
Heather O’Reilly (9), midfielder
Megan Rapinoe (15), midfielder
Alex Morgan (13), forward
Abby Wambach (14), striker

Substitutes

Nicole Barnhart (18), goalkeeper
Heather Mitts (2), defender
Becky Sauerbrunn (4), defender
Tobin Heath (17), midfielder
Amy Rodriguez (8), midfielder
Heather O’Reilly (9), forward
Sydney Leroux (11), forward
Lauren Cheney (12), forward

Japan

Miho Fukumoto (1), goalkeeper
Yukari Kinga (2), right back
Azusa Iwashimizu (3), center back
Saki Kumagi (4), center back
Aya Sameshima (5), left back
Aya Miyama (8), midfielder
Mizuho Sakaguchi (6), midfielder
Homare Sawa (10), midfielder
Nahomi Kawasumi (9), midfielder
Shinobu Ohno (11), striker
Yuki Ogimi (17), striker

Substitutes

Ayumi Kaihori (18), goalkeeper
Kyoko Yano (12), defender
Asuna Tanaka (14), midfielder
Kozue Ando (7), midfielder
Asuna Tanaka (14), forward
Karina Maruyama (13), forward
Megumi Takase (15), forward
Mana Iwabuch (16), forward

8 a.m. ET: The nightmare started 388 days ago when the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team lost to Japan in the final of the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup, but the Americans can wake up to a golden reality by beating the Japanese in the final of the women’s Olympic soccer tournament on Thursday.

Ever since that shootout loss in Frankfurt, Germany, the U.S. women have labored and toiled with the goal of reaching Thursday’s game in mind. They have done so as one unit, as only one player on the Olympic team, Sydney Leroux, was not on the World Cup roster.

The U.S. team has formed a tight bond that has carried it through the 2012 Olympics. It overcame deficits against France and Canada, showing a fighting spirit that has made the country stand at attention when the “girls of summer” take the field.

Head coach Pia Sundhage will look to playmaker Megan Rapinoe, the potent Abby Wambach-Alex Morgan forward partnership and the lethal U.S. attack to lead the way. Wambach, who missed the 2008 games with a broken leg, has scored in every game at these Olympics, while Morgan is flourishing as a starter. The U.S. has scored 14 goals in five games, and most expect it to add to that tally against Japan. But lapses in concentration have plagued the American defence. Goalkeeper Hope Solo and defender Christie Rampone will marshall a rearguard that will face its stiffest test yet.

Japan is the other standout team in the tournament, and it is looking to make history. No team has ever won the Women’s World Cup and captured Olympic gold the following year. The “Nadeshiko” play an intelligent, technical and versatile style that can cause any team problems. Captain Aya Miyama, striker Yuki Ogimi and reigning FIFA Women’s Player of the Year Homare Sawa look to beat the mighty Americans, inspire their nation once again, and fly first-class flight back to the land of the rising sun with gold around their necks.

In 2011, the two teams played what some consider the greatest-ever World Cup final. If Thursday’s game is anything like that one, fans will be talking about it for years to come.

Join us here for the Women’s Olympic Soccer gold medal game. We’ll have all the action starting at 1:45 p.m.

Have a question for Marcus Kwesi O’Mard? Send it to him via Twitter at @NESNsoccer, NESN Soccer’s Facebook page or send it here. He will pick a few questions to answer every week for his mailbag.

Photo via Facebook/GOALden Times

Mario Balotelli's goal explosion will go down as one of the great feats of strength in this tournament. But Italy's effort was a collective one.

Germany had its chances to take control of the game early on, but it failed to do so. Balotelli and Cassano struggled at the outset, but Italy scored once they finally clicked. The Germans responded with aggression and Balotelli scored again off a counterattack.

Italian soccer players are trained to hold leads from the cradle to the grave, and this brave group did just that. Italy earned a deserved place in Sunday's final, where it will meet Spain.

That's all for now and thanks for joining us. Let's discuss this one on Twitter @NESNsoccer and Facebook. Be sure to keep an eye out for some news, fan reactions, analysis and opinion that is on the way on NESN.com.

92nd minute, 2-1 Italy: Balzaretti and Barzagli both use their hands in the area, but the referee can only award one penalty.

He does, and Ozil duly scores from the spot.

It's probably too little, too late for Germany.

86th minute, 2-0 Italy: The Germans are adopting a "shoot-on-sight" policy.

If and when they are able to whip crosses into the Italy area, the deliveries fall into a sea of blue. Italy is on its way to the final, and it's thoroughly deserved.

80th minute, 2-0 Italy: Pirlo is controlling this game from the midfield. He's done the same throughout Euro 2012.

Anyone surprised by his success clearly didn't watch enough of Juventus in the 2011-12 season.

77th minute, 2-0 Italy: Marchisio has another chance to put Germany away, but he couldn't direct his shot to the inside of the far post.

A third goal for Italy still looks more likely than a German first.

72nd minute, 2-0 Italy: Muller has come on for Boateng. It looks like Germany is going for broke.

It will play with three defenders at the back, and we all know Lahm will go forward.

70th minute, 2-0 Italy: Balotelli was cramping up. He makes way for Di Natale.

67th minute, 2-0 Italy: Marchisio takes a pass at the top of the Germany area, but he can't put his shot on target. A third goal would seal the win for Italy.

Italy is sitting deeper than it did in the first half, but it remains dangerous on the counterattack.

65th minute, 2-0 Italy: Montolivo, the creator of Balotelli's second, is coming off. Motta takes his place.

62nd minute, 2-0 Italy: Reus has a free kick saved by Buffon.

Germany has kicked into a higher gear, but the Italian defense is holding firm.

54th minute, 2-0 Italy: Has anyone seen Schweinsteiger? Aside from the hand-ball a minute or two ago, he's made zero impact on this game.

He should be the engine of the Germany midfield, but it seems that ankle injury that has bothered him for months has muzzled him.

51st minute, 2-0 Italy: "Rolls" Reus seems to be up for the challenge.

Much of Germany's early pressure has come through the 23-year-old forward.

46th minute, 2-0 Italy: Germany is making some changes at halftime. Reus is coming on for Podolski, and Klose replaces Gomez.

Germany boss Joachim Low is rolling the dice here.

Halftime, 2-0 Italy: Who saw this one coming? Honestly? Germany was the favorite of just about everyone to win this game, but finds itself down by two goals at the break.

Balotelli and Italy weren't psyched out by the German menace. Aside from Buffon's shaky early moments, Italy was every bit as good as Germany in the first half.

Balotelli was particularly dominant. The player who far too many Italians won't accept as one if its sons will become a national hero if this result holds.

40th minute, 2-0 Italy: For all you doubters out there, this is the reason we have written so much about Balotelli this season.

If you don't believe us, google "site:nesn.com Balotelli" and see what you find.

He's already a star. He's now taken two giant steps toward superstardom.

36th minute, 2-0 Italy: Italy punishes Germany on the counterattack.

Balotelli took a pass from Montolivo (the Italian with a German mom, his cleats are pictured), beat the offside trap and hit an absolute lightning bolt past Neuer from 18 yards out.

He took his shirt off in celebration and was promptly booked.

34th minute, 1-0 Italy: Germany's having a serious problem.

Its most dangerous service into the area has come off the right foot of … Boateng. The center back turned fullback is swinging crosses in from the right.

Germany would rather anyone else assume the playmaking duties in this situation.

30th minute, 1-0 Italy: Germany has upped the tempo since the goal, but Italy is keeping its shape well.

20th minute, 1-0 Italy: Balotelli heads in a cross from Cassano to give Italy the lead.

Cassano tricked and dribbled his way past Boateng on the right. Badstuber was caught slightly out of position. He couldn't (in his mind) jump to head it and lost track of Balotelli.

"Super" Mario Balotelli powered it past Neuer from point-blank range to score his second goal of the tournament.

19th minute, 0-0: Germany is showing a whole lot of respect for Pirlo.

Podolski, Gomez and Kroos are all dropping into the center to harrass him. What they are not doing is stretching the field and getting behind the German defense.

13th minute, 0-0: Buffon fumbles it along the line again, and he dodged a bullet.

Boateng delivered a cross across the face of goal, and he simply dropped it. Barzagli was there to knock it away before Khedira could pounce.

Is it possible that Buffon was too fired up for the game?

Eighth minute, 0-0: De Rossi is fouled by Podolski in a midfield duel.

The two (young-ish) veterans exhange the dirtiest of looks.

Fifth minute, 0-0: Pirlo really does it all. He clears an effort from Hummels off the line.

Buffon made a serious error on the corner kick, leaving the goal open. Hummels knocked it toward the goal, but the 33-year-old Pirlo was standing on the line to knee it away.

Pregame: There aren't any real shocks in Germany's lineup. Kroos comes in for Muller, who has failed to match his exploits at the 2010 World Cup.

Gomez and Podolski return to the starting 11 after they were rested for most of the quarterfinal victory over Greece.

It's much tougher to tell what Italy boss Cesare Prandelli is up to. He has tinkered with his defense throughout Euro 2012, and continues to do so against Germany.

At any time in the game, Italy can have anywhere from three to five defenders along its back line. De Rossi has been known to sit back with the central defenders and stifle attacks. What is certain is that Chiellini, one of Italy's top defenders, has shaken off the hamstring problem that kept him out of the quarterfinal win over England to re-take his place in the starting 11.

There is plenty of star-gazing for fans to do in this game. But it may be worth focusing on the goalkeepers. Buffon has been one of the world's best for over a decade. Neuer is already among the best in the game and is widely expected to stay there for the next decade.

Schweinsteiger and Pirlo are two of the great midfield conductors. They will try and dictate the tempo and put their teammates in position to succeed. We have to wonder how Schweinsteiger's ankle problem and the 120 minutes Pirlo played against England will affect their performances.

2 p.m.: Here are the lineups:

Germany

Manuel Neuer (1), goalkeeper
Jerome Boateng (20), right back
Mats Hummels (5), center back
Holger Badstuber (14), center back
Philipp Lahm (16), left back
Sami Khedira (6), midfielder
Bastian Schweinsteiger (7), midfielder
Toni Kroos (18), midfielder
Mezut Ozil (8), midfielder
Lukas Podolski (10), forward
Mario Gomez (23), striker

Substitutes

Tim Wiese (12), goalkeeper
Ron-Robert Zieler (22), goalkeeper
Marcel Schmelzer (3), defender
Benedikt Howedes (4), defender
Per Mertesacker (17), defender
Ilkay Gundogan (2), midfielder
Mario Goetze (19), midfielder
Lars Bender (15), midfielder
Andre Schurrle (9), forward
Thomas Muller (13), forward
Marco Reus (21), stiker
Miroslav Klose (11), striker

Italy

Gianluigi Buffon (1), goalkeeper
Federico Balzaretti (6), right back
Andrea Barzagli (15), center back
Leonardo Bonucci (19), center back
Giorgio Chiellini (3), left back
Daniele De Rossi (16), midfielder
Andrea Pirlo (21), midfielder
Claudio Marchisio (8), midfielder
Ricardo Montolivo (18), midfielder
Antonio Cassano (10), striker
Mario Balotelli (9), striker

Substitutes

Salvatore Sirigu (12), goalkeeper
Morgan De Sanctis (14), goalkeeper
Angelo Ogbonna (4), defender
Ignazio Abate (7), defender
Thiago Motta (5), midfielder
Emanuele Giaccherini (13), midfielder
Antonio Nocerino (23), midfielder
Alessandro Diamanti (22), midfielder
Fabio Borini (17), forward
Sebastian Giovinco (20), forward
Antonio Di Natale (11), striker

12:00 a.m. ET: Germany and Italy meet on Thursday in the semifinal of the 2012 UEFA European Championship. The two traditional powers made clean breaks with their respective pasts to reach this point. What happens next will go a long way toward shaping the future of soccer.

Historically, Germany has mixed power with ruthless efficiency to get results at major tournaments. But the current team has added flair and imagination to those longtime traits. Many believe this group of German players is on the cusp of European — and possibly global — domination.

Germany is the in-form team of world soccer. It has won its last 15 competitive games, including all four at Euro 2012. It was the only team in the competition to achieve that feat, and the confidence of German players, coaches and fans is reaching the point of overflow. A win on Thursday would put Germany in position to win its first major tournament since 1996, and create a model that the world will strive to copy.

Standing in the way is Italy. The soccer-mad country has produced winning teams throughout the generations, and it does so by any means necessary. Italian teams achieved great success with a "defense-first" mentality (also known as catenaccio or "door bolt") in a previous era. It was fully content to grind out results in close games. 

But the current Italian team has played with a balance and openness that marks a new style for the historic power. A win would put it in the final, where the current generation of Italians may walk in the (fine, hand-crafted leather) shoes of past giants and take a place in the pantheon of greats.

The youthful Germans have the advantage of two extra days' rest. They beat Greece 4-2 in overwhelming fashion on Friday. On Sunday, Italy beat England on penalty kicks after sweating through 120 scoreless minutes.

Germany seeks to defeat Italy for the first time — after six failed attempts — at a major tournament. It intends to impose its style and will, as German teams are wont to do, on the opponent. Italy will stress balance but promises to take risks against the tournament favorites. The world will be watching as two powers, who have reshaped how the game is played in their countries (and around the world) face off.

Join us right here for Germany-Italy. We'll have all the action starting at 2 p.m.

Have a question for Marcus Kwesi O'Mard? Send it to him via Twitter at @NESNsoccer, NESN Soccer's Facebook page or send it here. He will pick a few questions to answer every week for his mailbag.

Spain showed both its class and vulnerability in the victory. Portugal made it difficult for Spain to create scoring opportunities for most of the game. It was only in extra time that Spain posed a constant threat.

Portugal had its chances in the contest, and Spain’s pressure didn’t stop it from testing Casillas. Ronaldo was wayward with his shooting at the most inopportune times. But it wasn’t all his fault. Nani and Almeida offered little to nothing in support.

The shootout tested the nerves of both teams, and the players showed it in abundance. The Spanish players’ wealth of experience in such situations (for clubs and country) may have been decisive.

Spain will face the winner of Italy-Germany in Sunday’s final.

That’s all for now and thanks for joining us. Let’s discuss this one on Twitter @NESNsoccer and Facebook. Be sure to keep an eye out for news, fan reactions, analysis and opinion that is on the way on NESN.com.

Penalty kicks: Fabregas wins it for Spain by knocking it in off the left post.

Spain is through to the final. Portugal is out of Euro 2012.

Penalty kicks: Now Alves is up. He and Nani got confused.

And the defender bangs his shot off the crossbar. It’s heartbreaking for him.

Penalty kicks: Ramos is up and beats the Portuguese goalkeeper with a chip.

Penalty kicks: We’ve found Nani took it from Alves and drove his penalty into the roof of the net.

Penalty kicks: Pique goes for power and placement to beat Patricio.

Penalty kicks: Pepe faces his club teammate and slots it underneath the diving Casillas.

Did he psyche him out?

Penalty kicks: Iniesta slots his shot in.

Penalty kicks: Casillas matches his counterpart by stopping Moutinho’s effort.

Penalty kicks: Patricio saves the effort with a cat-like stop.

Penalty kicks: Spain will shoot first, and Alonso will take it.

Penalty kicks: Both teams form close-knit huddles, inside of which Bento and Del Bosque are dropping little pearls of wisdom. It’s good to see.

End of Extra Time, 0-0: This one looks like it’s headed to penalty kicks.

Much respect goes to Spain for playing such an open game in the 30 minutes of extra time.

The last 240 minutes of soccer at Euro 2012 has yielded exactly zero goals, but it wasn’t a spoiled harvest.

Both games (England-Italy and this one) have been gripping encounters.

111th minute, 0-0: Portugal is sitting a bit deeper in the second half of extra time, and Spain is asserting itself.

All that continuity that Bento stresses could come back to haunt him at this point. Portugal’s players have played throughout the tournament, and they have to be gassed at this point.

Meireles is coming off for Varela. The thought of penalty kicks could be behind the switch.

105th minute, 0-0: Ramos nearly buried a free kick from distance at the end of the first 15 minutes of extra time.

The first half of extra time was gripping. Can the second match it?

104th minute, 0-0: Patricio just saved Portugal.

Iniesta found himself with an open shot at goal, and the Portuguese goalkeeper got down and made the most important save of his career.

100th minute, 0-0: Pedro is down writhing in pain after a run in with the flying body of (you guessed it) Pepe.

91st minute, 0-0: It’s almost fitting that two of the most complete and balanced teams have produced 90 minutes of scoreless soccer.

End of regular time, 0-0: We are headed to extra time.

90th minute, 0-0: Portugal explodes forward into the counter-attack, and has its best chance to score in a long time.

Ronaldo, who received a pass on the left side of the area, had a good look at goal and shot. But he hit it with so much power that it ended up in the stands.

A fan might have even been hurt, as it was hit so hard and so wide.

89th minute, 0-0: Xavi, the undisputed king of the pass-masters (although Andrea Pirlo and Matt Averna might disagree), has come off. Pedro takes his place.

That is some statement by Del Bosque to take him off. He has been Spain’s best passer for some time, but his coach thinks the team has a better chance to win without him on the field than with him in there.

84th minute, 0-0: Arbeloa blocked a Ronaldo free kick with his arm, and the lethal forward gets another chance 10 yards closer to goal … but he wastes it.

See Omar’s advice down below for our thoughts on the matter.

80th minute, 0-0: Alba fell victim to Nani’s studs.

A few minutes prior to that, Nani was stepped on by Ramos. Maybe the Portugal winger just decided to give as good as he got.

67th minute, 0-0: Pereira, Coentrao, Pepe and Busquets have all been booked in the scond half.

Coentrao was spotted making crude gesture to Reina, who was barking at him from the bench.

The feeling between the two Iberian teams has gone from neighborly respect to utter contempt.

All it took was 20 minutes of the second half.

61st minute, 0-0: The game is heating up a little. Pepe is booked for delivering a flying knee to the back of Alonso.

The Spain midfielder stayed down on the field for a while.

It was really only a matter of time before Pepe’s aggression became a talking point. It always does.

54th minute, 0-0: Spain is bringing Fabregas on for Negredo.

The former Arsenal captain is Spain’s not-so-secret weapon. He has been on the field (as a substitute) in the finals of both Euro 2008 and the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

When he comes on the field, Spain is more dangerous in the attack.

51st minute, 0-0: Credit Spain for committing players to the attack early in the second half.

It has sent five or six players into the Portuguese half on more than one occasion, and it’s not because Portugal is sitting deep with men behind the ball.

Halftime, 0-0: The first half has come to an end, with Spain and Portugal deadlocked.

The first 45 minutes were strangely lacking in drama or major tension. It could be because both teams (and players that are so familiar with each other) showed too much respect for their opponents.

Each side looked to capitalize on any mistakes the other made. But Spain and Portugal are championship-caliber teams, who don’t make many errors out there on the field.

39th minute, 0-0: Spain’s stubborn refusal to use the width of the field is playing right into Bento’s hands.

Pepe and Alves have been immense at the center of the Portuguese defense, and Spain is attacking its opponent’s area of strength.

We’re pretty sure it goes against one of the principles laid out by Sun Tzu in The Art of War.

30th minute, 0-0: Has anyone seen Nani?

We predicted he’d have an impact in this game, strictly on the basis of the law of averages.

He has a lot of ability and has played almost every minute at this tournament. But the Manchester United star has been almost anonymous throughout Euro 2012.

After 30 minutes, he’s continuing that trend.

25th minute, 0-0: Ronaldo just took a shot with his back to goal.

He skied it hundreds of rows into the stands instead of laying it off to a nearby teammate. It may have been the single most selfish act of Euro 2012.

19th minute, 0-0: What we haven’t seen so far is Spain dominating possession in the opening 20 minutes.

The pass-masters are moving the ball around well, but Portugal seems equally comfortable with the ball.

Ninth minute, 0-0: Arbeloa’s effort is the first moment of danger in the game.

It might be the first time all tournament that the Spanish fullback has touched the ball in the final third. His side-footed shot went inches over the bar.

Fourth minute, 0-0: Remember Portugal’s 4-0 drubbing of Spain (in Lisbon) back in November 2010?

If not, you should. Most of the players on the field in this game appeared in that game. Both teams have gone from strength to strength since then, but that game will loom large in this meeting.

Pregame: Strikerless Spain is no more. Negredo will start in place of Fabregas, who was effective in the center forward role earlier in the tournament.

Continuity is one of the principle reasons Portugal has made it this far. Manager Paulo Bento makes his first change to the starting lineup at Euro 2012, as Almeida starts at striker in place of Postiga.

2 p.m.: Here are the lineups:

Portugal

Rui Patricio (12), goalkeeper
Joao Pereira (21), right back
Bruno Alves (2), center back
Pepe (3), center back
Fabio Coentrao (5), left back
Miguel Veloso (4), midfielder
Joao Moutinho (8), midfielder
Raul Meireles (16), midfielder
Nani (17), forward
Cristiano Ronaldo (7), forward
Hugo Almeida (9), striker

Substitutes

Eudardo (1), goalkeeper
Beto (22), goalkeeper
Ricardo Costa (13), defender
Rolando (14), defender
Miguel Lopes (19), defender
Custodio (6), midfielder
Ricardo Quaresma (10), midfielder
Ruben Micael (15), midfielder
Hugo Viana (20), midfielder
Nelson Oliveira (11), midfielder
Silvestre Varela (18), striker
Helder Postiga (23), striker

Spain

Iker Casillas (1), goalkeeper
Alvaro Arbeloa (17), right back
Sergio Ramos (15), center back
Gerard Pique (3), center back
Jordi Alba (18), left back
Sergio Busquets (16), midfielder
Xabi Alonso (14), midfielder
Xavi (8), midfielder
Andres Iniesta (6), forward
David Silva (21), forward
Alvaro Negredo (11), striker

Substitutes

Victor Valdes (12), goalkeeper
Pepe Reina (23), goalkeeper
Raul Albiol (2), defender
Javi Martinez (4), defender
Juanfran (5), defender
Cesc Fabregas (10), midfielder
Santi Cazorla (20), midfielder
Jesus Navas (22), midfielder
Pedro (7), foward
Juan Mata (13), forward
Fernando Torres (9), striker
Fernando Llorente (19)

12 a.m. ET: “You come at the king, you best not miss,” was the advice that great philosopher Omar (from The Wire) gave his would-be assassin. And now we’re telling Cristiano Ronaldo the same thing.

Portugal meets Spain in the semifinal of the 2012 UEFA European Championship on Wednesday. Although Spain is the reigning European and world champion, Portugal is feeling confident about its chances.

It is riding a tidal wave largely created by Cristiano Ronaldo’s unstoppable brilliance. The superstar forward scored three goals in his last two games and he’s certainly basking in the plaudits of the moment.

But he has yet to score against Spain, having been blanked on three previous occasions. He has also hit the post four times at Euro 2012. Spain likes to hog the ball, so he probably won’t get as many scoring chances as he’s used to. Never have the stakes been so high for the Portugal and Real Madrid star. His legacy is on the line.

Spain is looking to win its third-straight major international tournament, becoming the first team to achieve the feat. The Iberian derby is the perfect test for a team that has admittedly not lit up Euro 2012. It’s not that any team has beaten the “pass-masters” at this tournament. It’s just Spain hasn’t swept aside any of its opponents (except Ireland). There are questions about the Spanish attack, as it has started two games without a recognized striker.

Portugal also has the advantage of two more days of rest than Spain. It beat the Czech Republic on Thursday, while Spain downed France on Saturday. But all these nuggets of information will go out the window once the Once the first ball is kicked in this crunch Iberian “classico.”

Join us for all the action between Spain-Portugal starting at 2 p.m. ET.

Have a question for Marcus Kwesi O’Mard? Send it to him via Twitter at @NESNsoccer, NESN Soccer’s Facebook page or send it here. He will pick a few questions to answer every week for his mailbag.

Alonso will get the plaudits for scoring both goals, but Spain's team was simply better than France for just about the entire game.

France will be disappointed by the manner of defeat. Blanc gambled and lost, as his selection and tactics simply backfired in the first half. Les Blues improved slightly in the second half, but the gulf in class was too much to overcome.

The result sets up an all-Iberian derby date in the semifinal. Spain will play Portugal on June 27 with a trip to the final on the line.

That's all for now and thanks for joining us. Let's discuss this one on Twitter @NESNsoccer and Facebook. Be sure to keep an eye out for some news, fan reactions, analysis and opinion that is on the way on NESN.com.

90th minute, 2-0 Spain: Alonso buries the penalty kick to ensure the victory.

90th minute, 1-0 Spain: Pedro wins a penalty after Reveillere brings him down in the area.

85th minute, 1-0 Spain: Let's call a spade a spade. This game has been a dud.

Spain did all it needed to do. Score early and make France do all the work and hard running. It's all gone according to plan so far.

79th minute, 1-0 Spain: Giroud is coming on for M'Vila. It's one future Arsenal FC player coming on for another future Gunner.

Neither have signed on the dotted line, but both could be headed for North London within 14 days.

77th minute, 1-0 Spain: But the Spanish still have the advantage. The sheer amount of big games this group of players — Casillas, Ramos, Pique, Alonso, Xavi and Iniesta chief among them — has played will help them absorb whatever France throws their way.

76th minute, 1-0 Spain: The French substitutes have given their team proper balance. Ribery and Menez run the wings. Nasri, sitting behind the lone-striker Benzema, can cause Spain trouble from all over the field.

71st minute, 1-0 Spain: Ribery is looking increasingly dangerous in the second half, and France is growing in confidence.

67th minute, 1-0 Spain: Fabregas makes way for Torres. The chess match between managers Blanc and Vicente del Bosque is on.

64th minute, 1-0 Spain: Both teams are making changes. Debuchy is departing for Menez, and Nasri replaces Malouda.

Spain is bringing in Pedro, who replaces Silva.

59th minute, 1-0 Spain: Spain is still in control of the game, but France has shown slight improvement.

French players are starting to use their edge in speed and strength to their advantage.

46th minute, 1-0 Spain: Blanc makes no changes at halftime. Did France players just get a good talking to?

Halftime, 1-0 Spain: It was business as usual in the first half for Spain and its group of champions. Alonso's goal gave Spain a deserved advantage.

France has got to do something to make it tough for Spain. Maybe it's calling on some fresh legs. It's certainly a tense scene in the French dressing room.

Players and coaches were (verbally) fighting with each other after the loss against Sweden. Blanc said all was resolved, but old wounds will likely reopen here.

36th minute, 1-0 Spain: Perhaps we're a being too hard on Blanc. When the Spanish are playing at its championship level, as they are doing so far against France, how does one go about stopping them?

He set out to stifle Spain with a few players whose sepcialty is defense, but if they are playing wihtout the focus (aggression) needed to make things uncomfortable for Spain then what's the point?

22nd minute, 1-0 Spain: France boss Blanc started Reveillere and Debuchy on the right — two fullbacks, who were bypassed with ease in the play that lead to the goal.

Alonso was able to get forward from his position deep in the midfield to get on the end of Alba's (delightful) cross. M'vila, Malouda and Clichy should have tracked him or picked him up, but they didn't. So much for that "defense first" mentality with which the French were supposedly taking into the game.

19th minute, 1-0 Spain: Alonso's emphatic header gives Spain the lead.

Iniesta and Alba combined on the left to open up the French defense. Alba floated a cross to the far post, and Alonso waltzed forward and headed it past Lloris with some power.

What a nice way for Alonso to celebrate his 100th appearance for his country.

15th minute, 0-0: Euro 2012 is still waiting for that classic, even iconic game. Many fans were thinking that this would be it, but the first quarter of an hour has yielded little.

Spain is seeing more of the ball, but it hasn't been able to break through France's last line of defense.

Sixth minute, 0-0: We have our first bit of controversy as Clichy appeared to trip up Fabregas in the area.

A ball was coming over the top and the two players were chasing it. Maybe Fabregas would have controlled it and done something with it. But it was unlikely.

The referee swallowed his whistle, and allowed play to continue.

Pregame: French boss Laurent Blanc is taking a major gamble with all these changes.

He's benched Nasri, Diarra and Evra, while center back Mexes misses out due to suspension.

Spain is going without a recognized striker, as it did in the 1-1 draw against Italy in the tournament opener.

Before we start, here's a happy birthday shout out to Zinedine Zidane. "Zizou" turned 40 on Saturday.

2 p.m: Here are the lineups:

Spain

Iker Casillas (1), goalkeeper
Alvaro Arbeloa (17), right back
Sergio Ramos (15), center back
Gerard Pique (3), center Back
Jordi Alba (18), left back
Sergio Busquets (16), midfielder
Xavi (8), midfielder
Xabi Alonso (14), midfielder
Andres Iniesta (6), forward
David Silva (21), forward
Cesc Fabregas (10), forward

Substitutes

Victor Valdes (12), goalkeeper
Pepe Reina (23), goalkeeper
Raul Albiol (2), defender
Javi Martinez (4), defender
Juanfran (5), defender
Santi Cazorla (20), midfielder
Jesus Navas (22), midfielder
Pedro (7), forward
Juan Mata (13), forward
Fernando Torres (9), striker
Alvaro Negredo (11), striker
Fernando Llorente (19), striker

France

Hugo Lloris (1), goalkeeper
Mathieu Debuchy (2), right back
Adil Rami (4), center back
Laurent Koscielny (21), center back
Gael Clichy (22), left back
Yann M'Vila (17), midfielder
Anthony Reveillere (13), midfielder
Yahan Cabaye (6), midfielder
Flourent Malouda (15), midfieler
Franck Ribery (7), forward
Karim Benzema (10), striker

Substitutes

Steve Mandanda (16), goalkeeper
Cedric Carrasso (23), goalkeeper
Patrice Evra (3), defender
Mathieu Valbuena (8), midfielder
Samir Nasri (11), midfielder
Blaise Matuidi (12), midfileder
Jeremy Menez (14), midfielder
Alou Diarra (18), midfielder
Marvin Martin (19), midfielder
Hatem Ben Arfa (20), midfielder
Olivier Giroud (9), striker

12:00 a.m. ET: Two giants of international soccer lock horns on Saturday, as France and Spain meet in the quarterfinal round of the 2012 UEFA European Championship.

Although Spain is the reigning titan of international soccer, France actually has the advantage in the series. The two teams have played each other six times in major tournaments, and Spain has never beaten France. France's victory in the Euro 1984 final still looms in the memories of fans of both countries.

The last time these teams met in such a high-pressure situation was in the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Then, Zinedine Zidane scored to cap a 3-1 win in the quarterfinal. It was the last time Spain has conceded a goal in the knockout rounds of either the World Cup or European Championship, a stretch spanning seven games. History will mean little and Zidane will be in the stands when the two teams take the field.

Spain emerged as winners of Group C by scoring the most goals (six) and conceding the fewest (one) in the group stages of Euro 2012. But questions remain about the defending champion. Critics say Spain hasn't played its best soccer, and some wonder if this group will be able to raise its level in a "win or go home" situation.

France had a good start in Group D, but something happened in the finale. Sweden, who seemed like it was on the verge of implosion, handily beat France. This reportedly led to verbal confrontations within the French camp, but manager Laurent Blanc has quickly moved to downplay them. Those stories could be mere theories, but what is a fact is that France has not gotten much from its strikers. In fact, it is the only remaining team whose strikers have yet to score. Surely this is a concern for Blanc.

Join us at 2 p.m. for all the action between Spain and France.

Have a question for Marcus Kwesi O'Mard? Send it to him via Twitter at @NESNsoccer, NESN Soccer's Facebook page or send it here. He will pick a few questions to answer every week for his mailbag.

Final, 4-2 Germany

There were a few moments of tension in the first half, as it looked like Germany might not have luck on its side (when it comes to scoring goals). But its little captain Lahm strode forward and showed those attacking stars how it’s done.

Samaras’ goal set the stage for what could have been the most unbelievable of upsets, but Germany responded by pushing its play into a higher gear. Kehdira, Klose and Reus ensured that Germany would romp its way into the last four.

The Greeks go home with their heads held high, while Germany awaits the winner of England-Italy, which will be determined on Sunday.

That’s all for now and thanks for joining us. Let’s discuss this one on Twitter @NESNsoccer and Facebook. Be sure to keep an eye out for some news, fan reactions, analysis and opinion that is on the way on NESN.com.

89th minute, 4-2 Germany: Salpingidis cooly slots it home, to give Greece the smallest glimmer of hope.

Just kidding, the Greeks are not coming back in this one, but there’s no shame in their game. Scoring twice against the best team in the tournament will go down well with the fans at home — especially the beleaguered ones.

88th minute, 4-1 Germany: Greece is awarded a penalty. Torosidis crossed it in from left and it hit Boateng in the arm.

86th minute, 4-1 Germany: Well so much for those few moments when Greece drew level. What a story that would have made if only we had time to type the title (or even first paragraph of the first chapter).

79th minute, 4-1 Germany: “Super” Mario Gomez comes on for Miroslav “Santa” Klose.

Reus exits and Goetze takes his place.

It is a squad game after all, and you don’t get too many chances to play your squad players in garbage time during a major tournament.

74th minute, 4-1 Germany: The German volley parade is stomping Greece.

Klose shot, Sifakis saved, and the ball bounced into the air. Reus ran onto it and volleyed it into the roof of the empty net. 

68th minute, 3-1 Germany: How do you know it’s a major international tournament? When Klose scores.

The veteran striker jumped over giant defender Papadopoulos to head home a corner kick.

The Greek goalkeeper was lost somewhere in the Mediterranean sea when he should have come off his line and dealt with it.

67th minute, 2-1 Germany: Muller replaces Schurrle. It’s likely the last you’ll see of the youngster at this tournament, but you’ll hear more about him in the future. 

61st minute, 2-1 Germany: Khedira gives Germany the lead with a volley that almost shook the stadium.

Boateng crossed into the area from the right. Klose jumped and missed making contact with the ball, but Khedira burst into the area from the midfield and met it with a perfectly-timed volley.

Greece needs a little more of that magic to tie the game again.

55th minute, 1-1: Just as the commentators were savaging Greece for a lack of courage and effort, Samaras scores to tie the game.

It was precise, counter-attacking soccer that created the goal. The substitute Fotakis sent Salpingidis down the right with a great pass into space.

The Greek forward sprinted forward, crossed it across the face of goal and Samaras (yes, the butcher of Gdansk) slid and knocked it past Neuer. Game on.

46th minute, 1-0 Germany: Gekas is coming on for the second half in place of Tzavellas. Fotakis is replacing young winger Ninis.

Halftime, 1-0 Germany: After 45 minutes, the only surprise is that Germany isn’t leading by more.

The Germans had about a dozen shots in or around the goal, but only converted one.

Lahm is as good an attacking fullback as there is in world soccer, and he showed why. He’s equally comfortable on the left side as he naturally is on the right.

The deficit will force Greece to cut out all the defending and push forward in search of the tying goal. It will only open up more space for Ozil, Schurrle, Klose and friends to exploit.

45th minute, plus two, 1-0 Germany: Schurrle, 21, is looking to make the most of his chance on the big stage.

He’s cutting in from the left and shooting whenever he gets the chance.

It’s unlikely that he’ll play much in the semifinal or final, so he figures his time is now.

39th minute, 1-0 Germany: Not for nothing, but the defending wasn’t good enough.

Lahm had too much space, and Sifakis could have made the save. The ball hit him in the hand.

38th minute, 1-0 Germany: Lahm cuts inside from the left and drills a hard, swerving shot past the goalkeeper with his right foot.

It was reminiscient of that goal he scored against Costa Rica in the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Back then, he used the inside of his foot to curl it around the goalkeeper. Now he hits it with his laces so it bends away from the out-stretched goalkeeper. Both came from similar positions on the field.

37th minute, 0-0: It’s still one-way traffic in this one. Germany is doing what it wants with the ball. Greece has the rare counter attack, which keeps Germany honest, but is offering little else but defense. Yet it remains scoreless.

It’s just like the “negotiations” — if one can even call them that between E.U. power Germany and struggling Greece.

25th minute, 0-0: Germany just had four very good chances to score in quick succession, and Low is going ballistic on the sideline.

Ozil and Reus drew saves from Sifakis. Klose nearly got on the end of a cross (or shot) from Reus. Then Reus blasted a shot from a tight angle wide.

21st minute, 0-0: Greece may trail Germany in quality off the field, but its fans are out-singing and out-chanting their German opponents at this point in the contest.

Their chants are louder (and shorter) when Greece has the ball, and their whistles are louder (and longer) when Germany has it.

15th minute, 0-0: Samaras is the first player to be booked. He stepped on Schweinsteiger’s ankle just minutes after a hard challenge on Khedira left the other German central midfielder writhing in pain.

Samaras could truly become the butcher of Gdansk, Poland.

12th minute, 0-0: Germany boss Joachim Low is gambling on going with youngsters Reus and Schurrle on the wings.

Reus had a chance to put Germany ahead, but he skied his shot well over the bar. It bounced up as he went to strike it. The field isn’t in good condition. It’s wet and coming loose in clumps, which only plays into the Greeks’ advantage.

4th minute, 0-0: Germany already has a goal disallowed, as the referee’s assistant ruled that Schurrle was offside before he slotted his shot past Sifakis.

2:30 p.m. ET: Here are the lineups:

Germany

Manuel Neuer(1), goalkeeper
Jerome Boateng (6), right back
Mats Hummels (5), center back
Helger Badtstuber (14), center back
Philipp Lahm (20), left back
Sami Khedira (6), midfielder
Bastian Schweinsteiger (7), midfielder
Mezut Ozil (8), midfielder
Andre Schurrle (9), forward
Marco Reus (21), forward
Miroslav Klose (11), striker

Substitutes

Tim Wiese (12), goalkeeper
Ron-Robert Zieler (22), goalkeeper
Marcel Schmelzer (3), defender
Benedikt Howedes (4), defender
Per Mertesacker (17), defender
Ilkay Gundogan (2), midfielder
Thomas Muller (13), midfielder
Lars Bender (15), midfielder
Toni Kroos (18), midfielder
Mario Gotze (19), midfielder
Lukas Podolski (10), forward
Mario Gomez (23), striker

Greece

Michalis Sifakis (13), goalkeeper
Vasilis Torosidis (35), right back
Giannis Maniatis (2), center back
Kyriakos Papadopoulos (5), center back
Georgios Tzavellas (3), left back
Sokratis Papastathopoulos (19), midfielder
Grigoris Makos (6), midfielder
Sotiris Ninis (18), midfielder
Konstantinos Katsouranis (21), midfielder
Georgios Samaras (7), striker
Dimitrios Salpingidis (14), striker

Substitutes

Konstantinos Chalkias (1), goalkeeper
Alexandros Tzorvas (12), goalkeeper
Stelios Malezas (4), defender
Georgios Fotakis (16), midfielder
Konstantinos Fortounis (22), midfielder
Giannis Fetfatzidis (23), midfielder
Nikos Liberopoulos (9), forward
Konstantinos Mitroglou (11), striker
Theofanis Gekas (17), striker

2:00 a.m. ET: Rarely do sports and society mix as perfectly as they will on Friday. Germany plays Greece in a quarterfinal of the 2012 UEFA European Championships. The game pits two of the main protagonists of the ongoing European debt crisis against each other.

The contest between Greece and Germany has been dubbed “the Bailout Game,” because German officials want their Greek counterparts to implement austerity measures in return for billions of Euros worth of bailout funds.

Residents of Greece are feeling the pinch, as the reforms affect nearly every aspect of society in that country. Unemployment is uncomfortably high, and the Greek people are looking toward the national team to get one over on their German creditors.

The heavily favored Germans were the only team to win all three of its games in the group stage. They reigned supreme in Group B, the so-called group of death, by beating Portugal, the Netherlands and Denmark. Their performance in the first phase of the competition justified the pre-tournament tag of “favorites” that was attached to the German express.

Greece emerged from Group B as runner-up following a dramatic victory over Russia. Solid in defense and dangerous in the counter-attack, Greece must absorb Germany’s continuous pressure in order to book an improbable place in the semifinal. It will have to do so without its goal-scoring captain Giorgios Karagounis. He will miss the game because of suspension.

Join us at 2 p.m. for our live coverage of Germany-Greece.

Have a question for Marcus Kwesi O’Mard? Send it to him via Twitter at @NESNsoccer, NESN Soccer’s Facebook page or send it here. He will pick a few questions to answer every week for his mailbag.

It was thought that the 35 year-old was here for sentimental reasons. Nobody told the former AC Milan and Chelsea striker.

His two goals — the first cancelling out Ibrahimovic's effort and the second to go one better — gave the co-host Ukraine an all-important victory in its first game of the tournament.

Monday's games are through and Ukraine is the unlikely group leader. Why can't the yellow-clad fans dream of a place in the final on July 1?

France and England are tied with one point each, while Sweden has a lot of work to do if it wants to claw its way out from the cellar.

4:06 p.m., 2-1 Ukraine: This is Shevchenko's last major tournament. It's possibly his last few games as a player.

But the Ukrainian legend is looking to go out on top. He scored his second goal of the half in the 62nd minute.

Oleh Gusev delivered a corner kick to the near post. Shevchenko, who was marked (poorly) by Ibrahimovic, darted toward it and flashed a header past the goalkeeper and the defender standing on the post.

Somewhere Chelsea fans are thinking, "why can't we get players like that."

3:59 p.m., 1-1: Ten years ago, Andriy Shevchenko was the man at AC Milan. Ibrahimovic is now, but the 35-year-old Shevchenko just tied the game for Ukraine.

He scored with a thundering header in the 55th minute.

Swedens' lead was all too short-lived, as its fans were still celebrating Ibrahimovic's goal. Apparently the Swedish players were as well. It's game on.

3:56 p.m., 1-0 Sweden: There's that man we were just (politely) mocking about.

Ibrahimovic scores in the 52 minute to put Sweden ahead in Kiev, Ukraine. It came from a defensive error, and the AC Milan striker redirected a cross past the goalkeeper.

Halftime, 0-0: Part of the appeal of major tournaments is the presence of superstars donning their national colors.

Sweden's Zlatan Ibrahimovic is one of the best players in the world, but you may not know it by watching the first half of Ukraine-Sweden.

The striker had one scoring chance, which he fluffed, and made little impact on the first half.

Sweden hasn't given him much support, as it is content to sit back and look for opportunities to counter when Ukraine goes forward. The problem is, Ukraine is largely doing the same thing. The first half was worse off for it, and we can only hope it gets better.

3:00 p.m.: It's simply a yellow overload in this meeting between co-host Ukraine and Scandanivian visitor Sweden.

Most of the fans are wearing the bright yellow Ukraine shirts. Sweden's players have the bright yellow portion of its flag emblazoned across their chests.

That's all you've missed. There hasn't been much in this game, but there is still around 75 minutes left to play.

Final, 1-1: England and France play to a draw, which both teams will gladly take.

France passed the ball better and was more threatening thoughout, but the resolute English defense kept it at bay for most of the game.

England created little, and didn't pose much of a threat going forward. But it finished one of the few chances it created. It was typical stuff from a Roy Hodgson team — efficient, but not covered in glory.

England and France are in good positions after one game. They can reasonably hope to win their next two games and advance to the knockout rounds. But that's a best-case scenario, and Euro 2012 has already thrown a couple of surprises our way.

1:35 p.m., 1-1: Hodgson moves first. Jordan Henderson replaces Parker, and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain leaves with Jermaine Defoe taking his place.

Defoe lost his father on the eve of the tournament. The Tottenham striker flew back to London for the services and rejoined the team. He will be certainly be full of emotion, but imagine what will happen should he score the winning goal for England.

1:25 p.m., 1-1: It's still tied here in the second half, but England has come out of its shell — if only slightly.

With 20 minutes remaining in the game, the chess match between coaches Laurent Blanc and Roy Hodgson will reach its decisive stages.

The heat is sweltering in Donetsk, and substitutes have a chance to come on and make a serious impact.

12:45 p.m., 1-1: It's halftime in Donetsk, Ukraine, and the score is even at one goal apiece.

France had the better of play throughout the half, but England took an improbable 1-0 lead on the half-hour mark.

Lescott headed in Gerrard's delivery, and it looked like England was going to win it the Chelsea way. Despite conceding the advantage in possession, England was defending well and limiting France's opportunities.

But Nasri, well-schooled as he is in the art of English soccer, slipped a shot past Hart at the near post. He must have remembered something in training, or figured the English goalkeeper was having trouble coping with the heat (like the Celtics).

The word coming out of the England camp is that a draw would be an acceptible result. If France wins the game, it will have designs on winning Group D. We'll see what happens in the second half.

12:40 p.m., 1-1: Samir Nasri beats his City teammate Hart with a low drive to tie the game. It comes just ten minutes after Lescott's opener.

The texts will be flying at a furious pace between the two club mates.

The France winger didn't take it easy on Hart and Lescott. Those season-long friendships have gone out the window now that they're playing for country.

12:30 p.m., 1-0 England: England takes the lead in the 30th minute after Joleon Lescott heads home a Steve Gerrard free kick.

12:15 p.m., 0-0: France has controlled play, but England's mistakes have been the highlights thus far.

Joe Hart bobbled a corner kick, and James Milner scuffed a shot when he was one-on-one against the goalkeeper.

The Manchester City midfielder rarely scores at club level and he carried the form onto the international stage.

11:55 a.m.: God Save the Queen and La Marseillaise, the national anthems of England and France have been sung and respected by both sets of fans. It looks like they've put aside those old cultural and historical differences.

11:30 a.m.: So much has been said about England, it's manager Roy "the Redeemer" Hodgson, snubs, injuries that it's easy to forget there is a game to play.

England meets France in a matchup of two familiar foes. France has dominated over the last 15 years, winning four and drawing one. Although the teams don't often meet, many of France's players have compteted against Monday's opponents in the Premier League and UEFA Champions League.

11:00 a.m. ET: Hello, fans. Welcome back to our live coverage of Euro 2012.

We'll bring you live updates — goals, stars and breakout performances, — from each of the group-stage games. Instead of our usual play-by-play, we'll update you on the major events of each day's action. We'll have pregame, halftime and postgame anaylsis with added insight and opinion between games.

The opening round of games concludes on Monday with action in Group D. England meets France and co-hosts Ukraine takes on Sweden.

Have a question for Marcus Kwesi O'Mard? Send it to him via Twitter at @NESNsoccer, NESN Soccer's Facebook page or send it here. He will pick a few questions to answer every week for his mailbag.

It may have taken penalty kicks, but no one in Blue will care. Chelsea prevailed in the shootout, and Drogba stands tallest as the hero of the old guard in the end.

Bayern Munich only has itself to blame. It was by far the better team for most of the 120 minutes, and it was Chelsea’s equal for the brief time it didn’t dominate. But the Germans were wasteful in front of goal and lost focus at that key moment when Drogba tied the game.

Chelsea, to its credit, defended well enough to remain in the game when it looked like Bayern would overrun anything in blue. Its sixth-place finish in the Premier League is forgiven as the Blues qualify for next season’s Champions League on the back of this victory.

This strangest of season ends with one of the unlikeliest European champions in history. Chelsea was dead and buried on March 5. The next two and a half months saw it fill its trophy case with the FA Cup and UEFA Champions League. Somewhere, owner Roman Abramovich is smiling. The Chelsea owner could do much worse than to reward interim manager Roberto di Matteo with a permanent contract.

That’s all for now and thanks for joining us. Let’s discuss this one on Twitter @NESNsoccer and Facebook. Be sure to keep an eye out for some news, fan reactions, analysis and opinion that is on the way on NESN.com.

Penalty kicks: It’s Drogba’s time.

And he wins it for Chelsea.

Penalty kicks: Schweinsteiger will take Bayern’s fifth.

But Bayern’s semifinal hero hits the post. He took a stutter step, and his aim let him down.

Penalty kicks: Cole comes up to take Chelsea’s fourth.

He buries a left-footed effort after a short runup.

Penalty kicks: Olic signs off on his Bayern career in misery.

Cech saves his penalty.

Penalty kicks: Lampard is set to take Chelsea’s third.

He calmly dispatches it past Neuer.

Penalty kicks: Neuer will take Bayern’s third penalty. It’s goalkeeper on goalkeeper.

And he slots it underneath Cech to his right.

Penalty kicks: Luiz and his hair are next for Chelsea.

He drives it powerfully down the middle.

Penalty kicks: Gomez has made a mess of everything he’s touched.

But he scores with a low drive to Cech’s left.

Penalty kicks: Mata is Chelsea’s first shooter.

Neuer turns away his left-footed drive.

Penalty kicks: Lahm, Bayern’s captain, steps up to take the first spot kick.

And he scores, despite Cech getting a hand on it.

Penalty kicks: Both goalkeepers are top-class and in form. Neither team has the clear advantage in that department, so the shoot-out will be decided by the quality (and nerves) of the takers.

120th minute, 1-1: Torres is booked for a foul at the end of extra times. Penalty kicks are here, and this game will be decided by what is virtually a lottery.

117th minute, 1-1: The dreaded penalty shoot-out looks imminent.

Both groups of players are out of gas and, barring any catastrophe, could be looking to save a last bit of zest for the spot kicks.

112th minute, 1-1: Lahm pushes into the area and creates another chance for Bayern.

He cut a cross back from the by-line, but Gomez was unable to steer his shot on goal.

In his defense, he was tightly marked.

108th minute, 1-1: Olic takes a cross at the far post and tries to play it across the face of goal to Gomez.

It ran into no man’s land, where neither Bayern player could reach it. It’s another missed opportunity for the home team.

106th minute, 1-1: Bayern has made two substitutions, but its system remains the same.

Van Buyten slotted to the back line, and Tymoshchuk pushes into the midfield.

Halftime (extra time), 1-1: The first half is complete, and Chelsea is holding on while Bayern presses and presses.

105th minute, 1-1: Chelsea just looks a little more dangerous with Torres on the field. He has caused Contento all sorts of problems when he drifts out to the right.

99th minute, 1-1: How many of their nine lives have those Chelsea cats used?

Bayern continues to press, but the concentration of its players must be negatively affected by all the drama.

Also, Olic came on for Ribery. The game will surely suffer for it.

95th minute, 1-1: Cech saves Robben’s effort.

It was poorly taken. Robben went for power, but it was too close to the middle. Cech nearly dove past it, and somewhere Dortmund’s Neven Subotic is smiling.

93rd minute, 1-1: Drogba fouls Ribery in the area, and Bayern has won a penalty.

Ribery is down in the area with cramps. It causes a delay in the action.

91st minute, 1-1: Torres went on a marauding run and went down after contact with Boateng in the area.

The referee waved play on.

91st minute, 1-1: How will Bayern regroup after allowing Chelsea to tie the game? Robben and Mueller were emotional in the huddle between the end of 90 minutes and extra time.

90th minute (plus four), 1-1: Mata wins a free kick from a dangerous spot, and it’s Drogba who stands over it, looking to win the ultimate prize for Chelsea.

But he wastes it.

That’s the end of 90 minutes. Extra time is upon us.

90th minute (plus one), 1-1: If Bayern is shocked by the stunning turn of events, it’s not showing it.

Robben drives forward on the left (he has switched sides with Ribery) and shoots, but his shot is blocked.

88th minute, 1-1: Drogba ties the game with a sensational header.

He beats Boateng to Mata’s corner kick and heads itinto the near post top corner.

86th minute, 1-0 Bayern Munich: Van Buyten is coming on for Mueller, who departs to rapturous applause.

84th minute, 1-0 Bayern Munich: Torres comes on for Kalou. The fallen star has little time to make his mark on this game.

83rd minute, 1-0 Bayern Munich: It’s Mueller who puts Bayern ahead.

Kroos delivered the cross from the far post. Mueller was able to lose Cole at the back post and head his shot off the ground. It bounced over Cech and snuck under the crossbar.

81st minute, 0-0: Cole has been nearly perfect up to this point, but he fouls Mueller near the touch-line and is punished with a yellow card.

78th minute, 0-0: Mueller has a great chance to score, but his shot goes wide.

Cole was in perfect position, and Mueller had no clear point at which he could aim his shot.

77th minute, 0-0: At what point will frustration set in for Bayern? The Germans have dominated this game but have been unable to beat Chelsea’s last line of defense.

If they start pressing (or throwing too many men forward), which leads to mistakes that Chelsea can exploit.

74th minute, 0-0: Bertrand has been replaced by Malouda. The Chelsea youngster did not look at all out of place in making his European debut on the biggest of stages.

73rd minute, 0-0: Chelsea’s attackers have just started to come to life.

Kalou and Drogba have come close to getting their heads on crosses in the last two minutes.

70th minute, 0-0: One of di Matteo’s first moves as Chelsea manager was to jettison the tactic of the high defensive line.

The deep-sitting back four has repeatedly saved Chelsea by blocking a number of shots that Cech would not likely be able to reach.

63rd minute, 0-0: The longer this game remains scoreless, the more importance substitutes can have.

The fresh legs available to Chelsea are more likely to turn the one-way momentum of the game. Malouda, Sturridge and Torres are sharper and more seasoned than their Bayern counterparts.

The veteran Olic is the only available attacking player that has played more than 250 league minutes this season. He tops them all with a whopping 566 total minutes of action.

60th minute, 0-0: Robben and Gomez combine in the area, and the Dutchman unleashes a quick shot from 12 yards out. Cole was there to heroically turn it away with a sliding challenge.

54th minute, 0-0: Ribery and the Bayern fans thought he had scored from close range, but the referee’s assistant raised the flag.

Robben’s shot was deflected, and it fell kindly to the French winger. But he was standing a foot or two behind the last defender.

51st minute, 0-0: We all know who will be Chelsea’s hero if it pinches a goal out of nothing: Drogba.

The Ivorian turns and shoots on the half-volley, but his effort from distance goes wide.

49th minute, 0-0: Bayern has started the half brightly. Robben and Ribery have both won corners after beating Chelsea defenders off the dribble.

46th minute, 0-0: The second half is under way, with Bayern attacking its “home” end in this “neutral” venue.

Halftime, 0-0: The first half has come to an end, and it’s scoreless in Munich.

Bayern has dominated play, controlled possession and created a number of genuine scoring chances. Gomez and Mueller will rue the missed chances, as Bayern should be ahead by a goal or two.

Chelsea has been able to absorb the pressure despite not offering much going forward. When Chelsea commits men to the attack, Bayern has been able to exploit the open space to great effect.

42nd minute, 0-0: Gomez, once again, lets Chelsea off the hook. This time he blasts a shot over the bar after doing so well to create space in the area.

The chance was created when Bayern caught Chelsea with men forward. The Germans’ blitz into the Chelsea half with quick passing, and a back-heel from Mueller found the big striker in the area.

40th minute, 0-0: Gomez was one of Europe’s best strikers this season, but his touch let him down at the worst possible time.

Ribery’s sliced shot fell right to him at the far post, but he couldn’t control it, and Cech was able to clean it up.

38th minute, 0-0: Kalou hits a curling drive that Neuer handles well. Chelsea finally strung together a few passes and opened up Bayern’s defense with ease.

36th minute, 0-0: Contento finds Mueller in the area with a well-placed cross, but the young forward cannot hit his volley on target.

It was Bayern’s best chance since Cech’s save on Robben. Mueller has found himself on the outside looking in recently. His sharpness abandoned him at the moment when he most needed it.

33rd minute, 0-0: Chelsea makes a rare foray into the Bayern third, and it’s Cahill (of all people) who is responsible. He passed wide, received it back, and won a free kick after Boateng brought him down.

But Mata wastes the effort, hitting it well over the bar.

32nd minute, 0-0: Bosingwa kicks Ribery in the calf, and he goes down like the Chelsea defender kicked a hole in him.

The referee has a few words with Boswingwa, but he does not caution the player.

28th minute, 0-0: The first 30 minutes have been all Bayern, but Cech’s good form has continued into this game.

22nd minute, 0-0: Bayern nearly breaks the deadlock through Robben.

His shot draws a save from Cech, but it appears to have hit the bar as well.

18th minute, 0-0: The first 20 minutes are shaping up like the Barcelona-Chelsea duels of the semifinals.

Bayern is doing all the attacking, and Chelsea is sitting deep in its defensive shell. The longer this goes on, with the score remaining the same, it could play into Chelsea’s hands.

13th minute, 0-0: While Schweinsteiger and Kroos have controlled the game, Ribery and Robben have struggled to work their way into the action.

Chelsea is sitting so deep, it’s difficult for the talented wingers to find space behind the Blues’ back line. It’s likely that they will be forced to tuck inside and attack through the crowded center. That is, unless Chelsea goes on the attack.

Ninth minute, 0-0: Robben shanks his shot after Ribery found him with a chip over the top of the defense.

Both teams are passing crisply until they reach the final third. There, they are betrayed by wayward shooting and misplaced deliveries into the area.

Seventh minute, 0-0: Bayern has dominated possession so far, but the wall of blue has turned away each of the Germans’ attacks.

Second minute, 0-0: Bayern has held the early advantage in territory, but it suffered its first setback.

Schweinsteiger was cautioned for a handling the ball. Although tackling isn’t one of his strengths, he’ll have to be on his best behaviour for the duration of the game.

Pregame: All the talk centers around the players who won’t play a (direct) role in the outcome of the game. A manager could field a formidable team with the players who miss out because of suspension.

John Terry, Holger Badstuber, Luis Gustovo and Ramires are just a few of the stars who miss out.

For Bayern, Tymoshchuk drops back from his usual role as a (reserve) midfielder to the center of defense, where he will partner with Boateng.

Kroos will play in the center of the midfield with the unmatchable Schweinsteiger. Mueller, the breakout star of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, is drafted into the hole behind Gomez. Ribery and Robben will look to devestate from the flanks.

Chelsea has young wingback Bertrand in the midfield. He will play alongside Obi Mikel, providing the cover for Lampard to drive forward. Drogba, Kalou and Mata will handle the attacking duties. Luiz and Cahill have shaken off hamstring injuries. They will start in the center of defense.

2 p.m.: Here are the lineups:

Bayern Munich

Manuel Neuer (1), goalkeeper
Philipp Lahm (21), right back
Jerome Boateng (17), center back
Anatoliy Tymoshchuk (44), center back
Diego Contento (26), left back
Bastian Schweinsteiger (31), midfielder
Toni Kroos (39), midfielder
Thomas Mueller (25), midfielder
Franck Ribery (7), forward
Arjen Robben (10), forward
Mario Gomez (33), striker

Substitutes

Hans Jorg Butt (22), goalkeper
Daniel Van Buyten (5), defender
Rafinha (13), defender
Danijel Pranjic (23), midfielder
Takashi Usami (14), midfielder
Ivica Olic (11), striker
Nils Petersen (9), striker

Chelsea FC

Petr Cech (1), goalkeper
Jose Bosingwa (17), right back
Gary Cahill (24), center back
David Luiz (4), center back
Ashley Cole (3), left back
John Obi Mikel (12), midfielder
Ryan Bertrand (34), midfielder
Frank Lampard (8), midfielder
Salomon Kalou (21), forward
Juan Mata (10), forward
Didier Drogba (11), striker

Substitutes

Ross Turnbull (22), goalkeeper
Pauolo Ferreira (19), defender
Michael Essien (5), midfielder
Oriol Romeu (6), midfielder
Florent Malouda (15), midfielder
Daniel Sturridge (23), forward
Fernando Torres (9), striker

1 p.m. ET: Old meets new in Munich, Germany. Bayern Munich and Chelsea FC will face off in the UEFA Champions League final on Saturday. The two clubs, who hope to lift world soccer’s most prestigious trophy, represent royalty the past, present and future of the beautiful game.

Bayern Munich saw it as its destiny to play in this final, which takes place at its home stadium — the Allianz Arena. It marks the first time in the Champions League era that a team will play in a final at its own stadium. The German club has won the competition on four previous occasions, making it nothing less than soccer royalty.

The last decade has seen Chelsea emerge as a force in England and in Europe. The star-studded Blues have won numerous honors on the domestic front, but Champions League success has eluded them. Its renaissance under manager Roberto di Matteo has put it on the brink of winning the one competition that owner Roman Abramovich covets most. For many in Chelsea’s “Old Guard,” this game will be their last chance at Europe’s great prize.

Although one cannot discount Chelsea’s experience at this level, the odds are in Bayern’s favor. It is led by veteran manager Juup Heynckes, who could win the trophy for a second time. His first triumph was in 1998 with Real Madrid, and a win over Chelsea would make him the 14th manager to lift the historic trophy on two occasions. It also has won seven straight home games in Europe and 13 of its last 14. On the other hand, Chelsea has only won one Champions League road game this season.

Have a question for Marcus Kwesi O’Mard? Send it to him via Twitter at @NESNsoccer, NESN Soccer’s Facebook page or send it here. He will pick a few questions to answer every week for his mailbag.

Final, 1-0 Swansea: The final whistle has gone, and the Reds have fallen at the Liberty Stadium. LFC's season ends on a low note with the defeat.

Graham's goal stands as the difference on a day that neither team was anywhere near its best.

LFC finishes the season eighth in the league. Swansea shoot up to 11th.

That's all for now and thanks for joining us for this game and every contest this season.

Let's discuss this one on Twitter @NESNsoccer and Facebook. Be sure to keep an eye out for some news, fan reactions, analysis and opinion that is on the way on NESN.com.

90th minute, 1-0 Swansea: The referee has indicated that there will be three minutes of stoppage time.

Liverpool hasn't looked like scoring for so much of this game. It's hard to see the equalizer coming from anywhere.

86th minute, 1-0 Swansea: Rangel finds the ball on the right, and he has all the time in the world to pick out Graham in the area. 

84th minute, 0-0: The concentration is the not there, focus is missing and passes have been misplaced all over the field.

Both managers spoke of going out on a high, but that fans have been treated to anything but that.

76th minute, 0-0: Kuyt's introduction has led to some good moments from the Reds. 

He surged up the right and found Carroll in the area, but the striker's shot was too tame to beat Vorm.

The Swansea goalkeeper will likely be part of the Netherlands' Euro 2012 squad this summer.

73rd minute, 0-0: Maxi departs the game, and Kuyt takes his place. 

It could be the last time Maxi plays for the Reds. We'll see how it plays out this summer.

71st minute, 0-0: You haven't missed much from this one. Reds are still struggling. Swansea is still passing. 

63rd minute, 0-0: Carroll nearly gifts Swansea a goal by making a hash of his clearance.

61st minute, 0-0: Bellamy is coming on for Downing. 

56th minute, 0-0: Carroll hits a bicycle kick that would have been a certain goal if not for a super save from Vorm.

He took a throw-in, controllled it with his chest, then flipped himself in the air to strike the ball. It was an excellent display of control and agility from the LFC big man.

51st minute, 0-0: Henderson steps forward and tests Vorm with a curling shot, but the Swansea goalkeeper catches it easily.

49th minute, 0-0: While the rest of the league is on pins and needles, LFC and Swansea are laboring through the early part of the second half at the Liberty Stadium.

Halftime, 0-0: That's it for the first half, and the referee mercifully blows the whistle to close the first 45 minutes. 

There wasn't much in the opening stanza. Liverpool chased Swansea all over the field, and the home team had the better of play.

Suarez has struggled in the first half. He took a knock early on and was barely involved in any subsequent action.

45th minute, 0-0: Carroll and Williams are involved in a dust-up in midfield. 

The Swansea defender was grabbing and pulling Carroll before fouling him. Carroll fell to the ground, got up and put his hands all over Williams.

The two players tusselled and Carroll fell to the groud. The referee booked both players. 

44th minute, 0-0: Doni is making up for the games he missed because of that red card with a string of saves .

Dyer was sent in by Sigurdsson and tested him the LFC goalkeeper with a hard shot. But the Brazilian kicked it away. 

42nd minute, 0-0: Carroll shoots wide after Maxi intercepted a pass in the midfield and found him in an advanced position.

The big man got it onto his favored left foot, but he rushed his shot and sent it over the bar.

39th minute, 0-0: Taylor advances down the left into the area and unleashes a shot that Doni saves.

It's the second time a LFC mistake led directly to a Swansea scoring chance.

32nd minute, 0-0: You can't accuse Shelvey of lacking enthusiasm in this final game. He's been running hard all over the field and throwing himself into challenges. 

But he gave away a free kick in a dangerous position just 20 yards away from goal. 

Sigurdsson drove the free kick low, but Doni did well to get down and palm it away.

29th minute, 0-0: This game is still waiting for its first moment or flash-point to bring it to life. 

LFC is struggling to play with any fluidity or cutting-edge. 

Swansea seems content to string passes together and wait for the opposition to make a mistake and create an opening in defense.

23rd minute, 0-0: Swansea works a corner and Sigurdsson fires a low shot on goal which Doni turns away.

18th minute, 0-0: It's been a sloppy opening for LFC. The Reds' start to the game has left much to be desired.

Aside from Maxi's wayward strike, the Reds haven't tested Vorm. In fact, they have barely possessed the ball in the Swansea half.

12th minute, 0-0: The free kick caroms off the wall and LFC clears the danger.

11th minute, 0-0: Carroll hit a pass all the way back to Doni, and the LFC goalkeeper picked it up.

The referee has awarded Swansea a free kick in the area.

Ninth minute, 0-0: Shelvey was caught in possession in the midfield, and Allen bursts into the LFC area.

The impressive midfielder hit a shot (or cross) to the far post, and Graham couldn't get on the end of it.

Fifth minute, 0-0: It's still one-way traffic as Swansea has dominated possession against on the league's better passing teams.

The Swans are not creating any chances, and the Reds still look solid at the back.

Second minute, 0-0: We haven't seen any shots of the Elvis impersonators, but Swansea has kept the ball early on … as expected.

Pregame: Liverpool is without Pepe Reina, Martin Skrtel and Steve Gerrard for the season finale.

Shelvey and Carragher were excellent in Tuesday's win over Chelsea. They retain their places in the team. Carroll can advance his cause for an England call-up with another strong performance.

Swansea's formidable midfield foursome will look to control the game. Sigurdsson's runs and shots from distance have set the league alight. 

9:30 a.m.: Here are the lineups

Liverpool FC

Alexander Doni (32), goalkeeper
Martin Kelly (34), right back
Jamie Carragher (23), center back
Daniel Agger (5), center back 
Glen Johnson (2), left back
Jordan Henderson (14), midfielder
Jonjo Shelvey (33), midfielder
Maxi (11), midfielder 
Stewart Downing (19), midfielder
Luis Suarez (7), forward
Andy Carroll (9), striker

Substitutes

Brad Jones (1), goalkeeper
Sebastian Coates (16), defender
Jose Enrique (3), defender
Jay Spearing (20), midfielder
Dirk Kuyt (18), midfielder
Raheem Sterling (31), midfielder
Craig Bellamy (39), forward

Swansea City

Michel Vorm (1), goalkeeper
Angel Rangel (22), right back
Steven Caulker (4), center back
Ashley Williams (2), center back
Neil Taylor (3), left back
Leion Britton (7), midfielder
Joe Allen (24), midfielder
Gylfi Sigurdsson (42), midfielder
Nathan Dyer (12), midfielder
Danny Graham (10), striker
Scott Sinclair (11), striker

Substitutes

Gerhard Tremmel (25), goalkeeper
Alan Tate (5), defender
Garry monk (16), defender
Mark Gower (27), midfielder
Wayne Routledge (15), midfielder
Luke Moore (19), striker
Gwion Edwards (38), striker

12 a.m. ET: Liverpol has reached the end of the road. This long, hard and winding season ends on Sunday at Swansea City. The Reds hope to sign off with a Premier League victory in Wales.

The meeting matches 12th-placed Swansea against eighth-placed LFC. Neither team is playing to qualify for Europe or avoid relegation, but both would love a victory. Swansea can finish as high as 10th, which would be some feat for the newly promoted club. LFC wants to finish higher than city rival Everton, and can do so with a little help.

The last encounter between the two clubs ended in a goalless draw at Anfield. The Reds were frustrated with their own performance, but the Swans announced themselves as the league's pass-masters with theirs.

Swansea's form has in recent weeks. It has won just one of its last eight league games. But the home team will be roared on by thousands of fans dressed as Elvis Presly. When Swansea earned promotion last season, bookmakers said there was a better chance of fans seeing the "King of Rock and Roll" than their team avoiding relegation. Manager Brendan Rodgers has encouraged fans to don Elvis costumes in celebration of a fine first season in the top flight.

Liverpool will look to ride the momentum it gained from Tuesday's win over Chelsea. The Reds overran the Blues en route to a 4-1 victory. Steve Gerrard missed that game with a back problem, but the captain could return for the season finale. Andy Carroll hopes to state his case for a spot on England's squad for the European Championships with another dominant display.

Join us for our live coverage of Swansea City-LFC. We'll have all the action right here starting at 9:30 a.m.

Have a question for Marcus Kwesi O'Mard? Send it to him via Twitter at @NESNsoccer, NESN Soccer's Facebook page or send it here. He will pick a few questions to answer every week for his mailbag.

Roberto di Matteo’s decision to field a weakened team blew up in his face. With regulars Terry and Ivanovic looking out of sorts, Liverpool ran riot over the visitors.

Even though defensive errors gifted LFC its goals, the Reds were more committed and better in nearly every aspect of the game. Carroll and Suarez turned in top performances, while Shelvey and Henderson were impressive as well.

Liverpool’s home slate ends on a high note. But the 2011-12 Anfield campaign was unforgettable for the wrong reasons. LFC dropped 30 points at home, making for its worst home record since 1948-49. Its 24 goals in 19 league games is the worst goal scoring record since 1903.

That’s all for now and thanks for joining us. Let’s discuss this one on Twitter @NESNsoccer and Facebook. Be sure to keep an eye out for some news, fan reactions, analysis and opinion that is on the way on NESN.com.

90th minute, 4-1 Liverpool: As this game winds down, LFC continues to push forward in search of the fifth goal.

Suarez and Kuyt combined at the top of the area, but the Uruguayan scuffed his shot wide.

83rd minute, 4-1 Liverpool: Kuyt and Sterling are coming into the game.

Maxi is coming off. He receives a warm ovation in what is likely his final game at Anfield.

Sterling replaces Downing.

80th minute, 4-1 Liverpool: Ramires has been booked for a challenge on Agger.

Replays showed he won the ball, but the referee must have thought it was some sort of retaliation. Either that or he simply got it wrong.

77th minute, 4-1 Liverpool: Suarez looked like he slapped Ivanovic in the face, but the Chelsea defender was acutally hit in the shoulder before taking a dramatic fall.

73rd minute, 4-1 Liverpool: Lukaku somehow fails to score from close range.

He was unmarked five yards away from goal and headed directly at Reina.

The LFC goalkeeper palmed it away, but it was probably easier for Lukaku to score than it was to miss.

The young striker needs games and he’ll likely spend a much-needed season on loan next term.

72nd minute, 4-1 Liverpool: Agger is booked for a rough challenge on Ramires.

70th minute, 4-1 Liverpool: Liverpool is having so much fun out there, it’s easy to forget Torres is still out there.

He’s seen very little of the ball, but he finally had a touch in the second half which was met with a round of boos.

65th minute, 4-1 Liverpool: Henderson is booked for a sliding tackle on Romeu. Henderson caught his oppenent with a stud, but Romeu made the most of it as well.

61st minute, 4-1 Liverpool: Turbull makes a loose pass which falls to Shelvey, and the LFC midfielder drills it into the back of the net from 25 yards out.

It was a great strike on the half-volley. Turnbull was lost in the area. Two LFC players pressed him into making the error.

60th minute, 3-1 Liverpool: Chelsea players’ body language suggest they have given up on this one.

Liverpool is passing the ball around with ease, and Chelsea players aren’t chasing or applying pressure.

56th minute, 3-1 Liverpool: Essien shoots comedically wide. It’s a shame to consider how far he has fallen since suffering those two serious knee injuries.

He was once one of the most dynamic midfielders in the world. Now he is a shell of his former (on-field) self.

54th minute, 3-1 Liverpool: Skrtel gets forward and draws a save from Turnbull.

The Reds have no interest in letting Chelsea back into this game. They are pressing forward in search of that fourth goal.

50th minute, 3-1 Liverpool: Ramires accidentally scores for Chelsea.

Malouda sent a free kick into the area, and it seemed like it hit Ramires, who was making a run toward the near post.

It bundled in past Reina.

49th minute, 3-0 Liverpool: Chelsea’s defenders are still struggling. Carroll got on the end of Downing’s cross and headed across the face of goal.

Essien intervened in the end, but the danger is still there.

Halftime, 3-0 Liverpool: The Reds, determined to send their fans home with a smile, have stormed to a three-goal advantage.

Chelsea’s sloppy play, combined with Liverpool’s brimming confidence has produced a scintillating first 45 minutes.

Suarez, Agger and Henderson have all benefited from Terry’s many errors and punished Chelsea.

The Anfield crowd has given the Reds a standing ovation as they head to the locker room. Their work is not complete, but they are well on their way.

45th minute (plus three), 3-0 Liverpool: Downing misses the penalty. He shot low to Turnbull’s right, but it hit the post.

45th minute (plus two), 3-0 Liverpool: Ivanovic has given away a penalty.

Henderson flighted a cross to the back post, and the Chelsea defender elbowed Carroll in the chest.

Carroll went down clutching his face, and the referee bought the act.

44th minute, 3-0 Liverpool: Essien has been booked for a lunging, two-footed tackle on Carroll … from behind.

It could have been punished with a straight red card and there would have been few complaints.

42nd minute, 3-0 Liverpool: Downing hits the bar — that’s 32 on the season — with a half-volley shot from distance.

Suarez headed it back to him to create the chance.

37th minute, 3-0 Liverpool: The game is wide open, and Chelsea threatens the LFC goal.

Ramires, Torres, Sturridge and Malouda broke forward. Only Carragher and Skrtel were back for the Reds.

But Chelsea passed it around near the top of the goal, and the Reds were able to recover their defensive positions and thwart the attack.

35th minute, 3-0 Liverpool: Torres drives a shot past Reina, but it rattles off the crossbar.

Once a Red, always a Red, right?

34th minute, 3-0 Liverpool: Carroll draws a good save from Turnbull.

Terry made another error on the play. He attempted to head it up field, but it backwards, allowing Carroll to recover and take it into the area.

He cut it from his right foot to his left and shot.

32nd minute, 3-0 Liverpool: Suarez finds Maxi with a deft pass inside of the area.

But the Argentine didn’t have an angle from which he could beat the on-rushing Turnbull.

29th minute, 3-0 Liverpool: Chelsea has been rattled since the second goal, and Agger makes the Blues pay with a third goal.

Shelvey flighted a corner into the area, and Carroll headed it from the far post to Agger, who was standing in the six yard box.

The big Dane headed past Turnbull, giving the Reds a 3-0 lead.

Terry lost Carroll on the goal. It’s a nightmare half for the Chelsea captain.

25th minute, 2-0 Liverpool: Chelsea gifts the Reds another goal, and Terry is at fault again.

It came on the counter-attack. Maxi passed into the center where Henderson was running forward.

Terry slipped trying to reach the ball, giving the young LFC midfielder a free chance at goal.

Henderson made no mistake, and cooly took his chance. It is just his second goal of the season.

21st minute, 1-0 Liverpool: Now Carroll joins the party.

He nutmegged Terry near the center circle, and the Chelsea defender brought him down. The referee gave the Chelsea captain a yellow card.

18th minute, 1-0 Liverpool: Suarez creates a goal out of nothing, but Essien scored it for the Reds.

Suarez dribbled past two defenders on the right touch-line. Terry tried to slow him down, but the LFC forward nutmegged him again.

Suarez then carried it along the byline into the area. He attempted to cut a pass across the goalmouth, but it hit Essien who tripped it into the goal.

17th minute, 0-0: Ivanovic hits the crossbar with a driven header.

Malouda delivered a corner kick, and the Chelsea defender was somehow left unmarked just five yards away from goal.

16th minute, 0-0: Carroll nearly catches Turnbull off his line, but his attempt at a chip sails high.

Suarez made a great play by receiving a long pass in between two defenders and finding his partner, who was standing a few yards behind him.

15th minute, 0-0: Ferreira is cautioned for a trip on Suarez. It was a professional foul, and rightly punished.

12th minute, 0-0: Agger’s presence at left back makes things difficult for Ramires, Chelsea’s “Blue Kenyan,” to make those bombing runs down the right.

The big Dane’s athletic ability and physical style could neutralize a player that has arguably been Chelsea’s best this season.

Seventh minute, 0-0: Suarez brings the game to its first high point by nutmegging Terry and shooting wide.

He breezed past the former England captain, but his shot lacked accuracy.

Five minute, 0-0: After five minutes, Torres has taken a single touch, and he was loudly booed.

It’s been a nervey start to the game, as both teams have struggled to play with any fluidity.

Second minute, 0-0: Torres is out there, but he has yet to touch the ball.

Liverpool has looked to start quickly and take a direct approach in the attack.

Pregame: The Reds have a new-look team from Saturday, with Carragher moving into the center of defense Agger sliding over to left back.

Henderson will shield the back four. Shelvey and Maxi return to the starting 11, as does Carroll who will partner Suarez.

Chelsea is resting a number of key players. Cech, who preserved Chelsea’s lead with that save in the FA Cup final, will miss the game.

Romeu and Essien come into the midfield. They haven’t seen much action lately. Torres and Sturridge will start up top.

2:30 p.m. ET: Here are the lineups

Liverpool FC

Pepe Reina (25), goalkeeper
Glen Johnson (2), right back
Martin Skrtel (37), center back
Jamie Carragher (23), center back
Daniel Agger (5), left back
Jordan Henderson (14), midfielder
Jonjo Shelvey (33), midfielder
Stewart Downing (19), midfielder
Maxi (11), forward
Luis Suarez (7), forward
Andy Carroll (9), striker

Substitutes

Alexander Doni (32), goalkeeper
Sebastian Coates (16), defender
Martin Kelly (34), defender 
Jay Spearing (20), midfielder
Raheem Sterling (31), midfielder
Craig Bellamy (39), forward 
Dirk Kuyt (18), forward

Chelsea FC

 Ross Turnbull (22), goalkeeper
Paulo Ferreira (19), right back
Branislav Ivanovic (2), center back 
John Terry (26), center back
Ryan Bertrand (34), left back
Oriol Romeu (6), midfielder
Ramires (7), midfielder
Michael Essien (5), midfielder
Florent Malouda (15), midfielder
Fernando Torres (9), striker
Daniel Sturridge (23), striker

Substitutes

Henrique Hilario (40), goalkeeper
Ashley Cole (3), defender
Sam Hutchinson (41), defender
Frank Lampard (8), midfielder
Juan Mata (10), forward
Salomon Kalou (21), forward
Romelu Lukaku (18), striker

12 a.m. ET: Liverpool FC still feels feeling the sting of Saturday’s loss to Chelsea in the FA Cup final. But the Reds have a chance to exact some revenge on Tuesday afternoon when the two teams face off at Anfield.

The Premier League game will be Liverpool’s last home game of the 2011-12 season. But it is teeming with subplots, tension and contradictions.

Let’s start with the biggest of them all, which is the return of Fernando Torres. The Chelsea striker controversially left LFC in a record £50 million ($80 million) transfer in January 2011, and he finally faces his former fans at the stadium he called “home” for three and a half years. Anfield often gives its former idols a warm welcome when they return, but this one just might be different.

The Reds’ home struggles have seen them win just five league games at Anfield this season (including just one in 2012). It is their worst home win total since 1949, and fans are demanding an immediate change in fortunes.

Chelsea has had difficulty on the road in recent months, having won once in its previous eight trips away from Stamford Bridge. Roberto di Matteo’s team needs a win to stay in the race for a top-four finish. Anything else could see the Blues banished to the Europa League.

With both teams having just two days’ rest since Saturday, both managers will likely tinker with their lineups. But fans should expect strong teams on both sides, as this seems to intensify with each meeting.

Join us right here for our live coverage of LFC-Chelsea. We’ll have all the action starting at 2:15 p.m.

Have a question for Marcus Kwesi O’Mard? Send it to him via Twitter at @NESNsoccer, NESN Soccer’s Facebook page or send it here. He will pick a few questions to answer every week for his mailbag.