Despite an injury to David Villa, head coach Vincente del Bosque opted for new faces over the struggling Torres. He hasn't scored in over 20 games for Chelsea, and hasn't found the back of the net for Spain since Sept. 2010.

"This list is a base for the Euros, but it isn't definitive," said Del Bosque. "It hurts me to leave out Fernando Torres, but I cannot be unfair and hold back those who have been pushing to get in."

Instead of Torres, Del Bosque called on Valencia's Roberto Soldado, Athletic Bilbao's Iker Muniain and Fernando Llorente, and Sevilla's Alvaro Negredo.

Torres, who was sold to Chelsea from Liverpool in January 2011 for £50 million ($80 million), scored 81 goals in four-and-a-half years for Liverpool. He has scored just five for Chelsea in 48 appearances.

Del Bosque, whose Spanish team plays with a smooth style, said, "We’ve decided that in this case Torres won't come, but this doesn’t mean he isn't going to go to the European Championship."

There is still a chance that Torres gets picked to play in this summer's tournament, but Del Bosque will certainly look for another choice if he doesn't start scoring.

Photo via Flickr/myprofe

Chivas is playing poorly in the Clausura tournament — having not won a game for over four months. The club has a rich history, having won 11 first division titles, seven Campeon de Campeones, one Interliga and two Copa Mexico titles. Fans’ expectations are always high.

Chivas has taken only two points of a possible 21, in the current campaign. With only 10 games remaining, it has turned to Holland’s wizard, who shined during the 1974 FIFA World Cup as a player and transformed the modern game.

Cruyff recently resigned from Ajax’s board after fellow board members tried to hire Louis van Gaal as club CEO behind his back.

Cruyff will head across the Atlantic to try and guide Manchester United striker Javier Hernandez’s old club back up the standings. Chivas currently sits at the bottom of the Clausura.

New manager Ignacio Ambriz knows that scoring two goals in seven games is unacceptable considering the fans’ standards, but thinks that his team can get better.

“Our finishing has not been good,” Ambriz said. “We have created some chances, but we have not followed through in attack. We can’t do anything but keep working.”

Ambriz took over as manager after former coach Fernando Quirarte was fired only a few weeks ago. Chivas has not won a game in four months, and Cruyff is the man Chivas called on to change that.

Photo via Flickr/Patrick de Laive

With 10 minutes remaining in a tie game, some quick and tidy passing inside the penalty area freed up Biancucchi, who fired home the winning goal.

The 27-year-old's strike proved to be the winner for the Paraguayan club. Olimpia tops group two with three points after two games.

The Copa Libertadores is the top South American tournament in which clubs from around the continent (and Mexico) participate. Former FIFA World Player of the year Ronaldinho is playing in the competition for Brazilian club Flamengo.

Check out Biancucchi's goal in the video below (at the 1:05 mark).

Chelsea captain John Terry has had arthroscopic surgery on his injured knee. He is expected to miss up to 12 games, according to the Guardian.

With only 13 games remaining in the Premier League season, Chelsea defenders Gary Cahill and David Luiz will have to step up if the West London club wants to reach its goal of a top four finish in the Premier League.

Terry originally damaged his knee in an FA Cup game against Portsmouth FC on Jan. 8. He fought through the pain for over six weeks, but it became too much to bear.

Along with ruling him out of Premier League action, Terry’s surgery means he will miss England’s upcoming friendly against Holland on Feb. 29. Interim manager Stuart Pearce has a number of up-and-coming central defenders to choose from, with Chris Smalling, Gary Cahill, Phil Jones and Joleon Lescott all contending for a spot in England’s starting eleven.

It’s a race to fitness for Terry, if he wants to play a key role in this summer’s Euro 2012 tournament. He would still need to be picked by England’s new manager, despite battling a racism scandal that has had far-reaching implications.

Mertesacker has been an important part of Germany's defense since making his international debut in 2004. He was projected to be a starter on manager Joachim Low's team before the injury. The towering defender is sure he'll recover in time to participate in this summer's European Championship.

"The Euro is not in danger," Mertesacker said. "I had surgery last night and a piece of bone has been reattached to the ankle, as have the ligaments. All's gone well, and I am already in rehab."

Germany is part of the so-called "group of death". Holland, Denmark and Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal will all battle for the top two spots in Group B. Mertesacker has played for Germany 79 times in his career, and his country is one of the favorites to win this summer's tournament.

Nivaldo Inacio da Silva was rescued from a life of picking cotton on a farm by local authorities. They described the conditions under which he lived and work as "slave labor".

The labor ministry of the state of Mato Grosso put him in a work program, and he was one of 25 former labor slaves who are helping build the brand new Arena Pantanal in Cuiaba, Brazil. It will host four FIFA World Cup games.

"My life is completely different now," said Silva. "A lot has changed. Now I'm making some good money, I'm really happy. I'm helping build one of these stadiums and hopefully one day I'll be able to show it to my children."

Silva started as an assistant bricklayer while working at the Arena Pantanal. He now earns more money than ever before.

Another work program gives people who have made mistakes a second chance at life.

Prisoners like Francisco das Chagas Queiroz were given the option of spending the entire day in a prison cell or helping build a soccer stadium in sun and shadow.

Queiroz was convicted of a bank robbery in the 1980s and has been in prison ever since. He is ecstatic about the new opportunity.

"This type of work gives us dignity, it gives us something to look forward to in the future," he said. "If we do a good job here, maybe the company will want to stay with us after we are set free."

The report says, "[The program] has already helped more than 2,200 prisoners across the country, and currently 59 are working in some of the 12 World Cup stadiums."

Photo via Flickr/Rodrigo Soldon

Bayern Munich's basketball coach, Dirk Bauermann, told AFP that he would have welcomed the soccer star onto the basketball court in 2011.

"With five games remaining, we won the championship (in 2011) and Bastian Schweinsteiger could have actually played for us at the time," Bauermann wrote in his book.

Schweinsteiger enjoys going to Bayern Munich basketball games with his model girlfriend, Sarah Brandner.

According to Bauermann, there were discussions about having Schweinsteiger join the basketball team at the German club. The possibility of injuries played a big role in the team's ultimate decision, though.

"The fact Schweinsteiger would not play for us was ultimately one of common sense, imagine if he was knocked down or injured," said Bauermann. "There were just too many unpredictable risks."

Schweinsteiger's soccer team sits in third place, trailing Bundesliga leader Borussia Dortmund by just four points.

Bayern Munich plays in the first-leg of a UEFA Champions League match Wednesday afternoon, against FC Basel of Switzerland. Schweinsteiger is injured and will not participate.

Watch Schweinsteiger show off his basketball skills in the video below.

Photo via Flickr/az1172

Authorities plan on inviting fans who are getting in trouble or violating public order to the culture center. There, people will have the opportunity to calm down in a variety of ways.

They can wrestle, box, and the center says it will “…even allow artistically gifted fans to spray graffiti on the walls.”

Moscow’s government initially came up with the idea to create a club where fans are able to relax. Its hope is that younger fans will head off the streets and to the new culture center.

The head of Russian club Spartak-Moscow’s fan club, Oleg Semyonov, praised the idea.

Semyonov said centers similar to the one being built for soccer fans “…should be open not just for [soccer] fans, but for everyone willing to reveal their inner talents,” in an interview with Bolshoi Gorod magazine.

Russian authorities plan on building the culture center on the site of an old movie theater in Moscow.

Photo via Flickr/Kate_Lokteva

In December 2010, the Liverpool midfielder proposed to the former Miss England finalist, who said "Yes." Liverpool's supporters are glad she did, and Anderson has embraced the city since arriving last summer.

Adam credits her love and support as reasons for his on-field success. Just two years ago, he was a little-known midfielder, playing for a modest club — Blackpool FC — in England's Championship (second division). He worked hard to get Blackpool a promotion to the Premier League, impressed onlookers in the top-flight, and earned himself a move to one of the world's biggest clubs, Liverpool FC. Anderson played a major role in his achievement.

Click here for photos of Model Sophie-Leigh Anderson >>

Photo via Twitter/@sophieleigh26

Guus Hiddink

"I am glad to have been given this opportunity," Hiddink said. "What is especially important to me is that the club has major plans to develop football in the country."

Hiddink left his previous job as manager of Turkey's national team three months ago. The Dutchman has been linked with similar positions at leading teams around Europe, such as Chelsea FC, PSV Eindhoven and England's national team.

Hiddink decided to join the Russian club even though its previous manager, Yuri Krasnozhan, resigned before managing one competitive game.

Hiddink, who once was manager of the Russian national team, will now try to help his new squad push for a UEFA Europa League spot. Anzhi is currently seventh in the Russian Premier League standings, just three points behind fifth-place FK Rubin Kazan.

Some of the big-name players Anzhi has lured to Russia include Samuel Eto'o, Roberto Carlos and Yuri Zhirkov.

According to ahramonline.org, the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) has announced the league will resume without fans attending the games.

Anwar Saleh, the new EFA President, said on Wednesday that he will take necessary security steps after one of the worst outbreaks of violence in soccer history.

“The league will be resumed behind closed doors, but it all depends on the investigations results,” said Saleh. “Security is the priority of all Egyptians and if it was achieved the fans will return to the stands gradually.”

There was some doubt a week ago when or if the 2011-12 season would start again. Saleh thinks finishing the season is very important, though.

“Resuming the competition is essential for several parties so I think that the clubs will not oppose playing the matches without their supporters,” he said.

After being approved by FIFA as the interim EFA president, Saleh also said that Egypt’s national team’s schedule will not be interrupted. 

Sunzu’s penalty completed Zambia’s stunning run to the summit of African soccer, and sent Ivory Coast — the pre-tournament favorite — home empty-handed.

Now, Sunzu’s plan is to work his way back into a European league, and the Zambian star said he would like a move to a Premier League club.

“I played for [French club] Chateauroux in the 2008-09 season, and I would love to come back to Europe,” said Sunzu, who currently plays for the Democratic Republic of Congo team TP Mazembe.

“I have a dream to play in England, as I prefer Chelsea and Bolton Wanderers.”

A key task in the final was to keep Chelsea and Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba away from the goal, and Sunzu completed what many defenders consider mission impossible.

“Drogba was almost invisible, it was very easy for me,” Sunzu said. “I have no secret, I’m not afraid of any player or team regardless of names.

“I was very confident throughout the match. I was focused and it helped me to convert the last penalty.”

Have a soccer question? Send it to us via Twitter at @NESNsoccer, NESN Soccer’s Facebook page or send it here.

After learning that stray dogs and cats are being killed to clean up the area for tourists this summer, a fan created a petition on Change.org that has over 66,000 signatures as of Wednesday afternoon.

The petition is directed at the president of Ukraine, Viktor Yanukovych, and UEFA president Michel Platini. It is a plea to stop the killing of stray animals.

The European Championship, which starts in June, is being co-hosted by Poland and Ukraine. Europe’s top 16 international teams will battle it out for the trophy, which Spain claimed in 2008.

“Hundreds of dogs and cats are put in bags alive to be carried to a crematorium to suffer until their death in Lysychansk or other places,” reads the petition. “I really have to ask you, how you can accept this?

“A change has to come and I beg you to do your best in stopping this insane act of animal cruelty, especially for the preparations of a game.”

A study conducted by the European Central Bank shows that traders weren't focusing on making money when games were on.

In Chile, stock activity dropped 83 percent while the Chilean national team was on the field in South Africa. Argentina's activity fell 40 percent while other countries were playing.

Michael Ehrmann and David-Jan Jansen from the European Central Bank said, "We conclude that stock markets were following developments on the soccer pitch rather than in the trading pit."

Previous studies have indicated that if a country loses a major international game, stock trades drop even more.

On top of losing 45 percent of production during a World Cup game, executives on Wall Street and in other financial markets are not celebrating when a goal is scored. The study showed that goals slow the stock trading another five percent.

The Dutch legend claims the board went behind his back to install Louis Van Gaal as club CEO in November. Van Gaal had a falling out with Cruyff during their time together at Barcelona in the mid-1990s, and Cruyff wanted to appoint Tscheu La Ling as CEO instead.

Last Tuesday, a court in Amderstam banned the Dutch club from naming Van Gaal as its chief executive. Cruyff and others then resigned.

Other board members who resigned include former Juventus and Holland midfielder Edgar Davids, chairman, Steven ten Have and technical director, Danny Blind.

Ajax currently sits at sixth in the Dutch Eredivisie standings. It faces Manchester United in the second round of the UEFA Europa League on Thursday in Amsterdam.

Photo via Flickr/Patrick de Laive

A stray tabby cat named “Shanks” interrupted play during last Monday’s Liverpool-Tottenham game. After a steward cut short its on-field glory, Shanks is close to finding a new home, according to ClickLiverpool.

In front of 44,000 at Anfield and many more on television, Shanks ran onto the field during the first half, caught the eyes of cameras and scrambled away from Tottenham goalkeeper Brad Friedel. It was cheered on after the referee stopped play, but was soon caught. It was later released outside of Anfield.

The report said that the cat was “…living as a stray in a derelict house in Lothair Road, a few yards from Anfield.”

After a fake Twitter account was created (@AnfieldCat) — currently with 50,000+ followers — and videos of its excursion received thousands of views on YouTube, fans started to search the area for the cat. That’s when Freshfield Animal Rescue became involved.

Shanks is currently at a temporary foster home, and Cattery assistant Katherine Gibbs at Freshfield Animal Rescue said the tabby will be in good health soon.

“Shanks is quite a laidback cat but he doesn’t like dogs, like most cats,” she said. “He’ll be a lap cat, even though he’s strong-willed, because he loves his cuddles.

“He’s an absolute gentleman and loves eating chicken – which is his favorite treat.”

After being rescued, one of Shanks Tweets on Feb. 6 revealed he wasn’t impressed after his outing against Spurs.

@Anfieldcat: “disappointed I didn’t manage to put the ball in the net, it would of been purrrfect #ifonlyiwasabeachball #anfieldcat #meow.”

Photo via LiverpoolFC.tv

After Sunday’s loss, some fans stayed at Wolves’ Molineux stadium to stage a protest. Wolves supporters have displayed their displeasure of McCarthy before, and their wish was granted. Former Sunderland manager Steve Bruce and the man who led Queens Park Rangers to promotion last season, Neil Warnock, are early favorites to replace McCarthy.

“Wolves have today announced that manager, Mick McCarthy, has left the club with immediate effect,” a club statement said. “The board took the difficult decision to terminate Mick’s contract after a run of form which has seen Wolves pick up only 14 points in the last 22 league games, after a promising start to the season, culminating in yesterday’s 5-1 defeat at home to West Bromwich Albion.”

After joining the team in July 2006, McCarthy guided the club to the top of the Championship (second division) in 2008-09, and gained promotion to the Premier League. It has stayed in England’s top division for two years but is now battling relegation.

Despite being level on points with QPR and Blackburn Rovers at 21, Wolves goal difference of -21 leaves it in 18th place in the Premier League. Terry Connor, who was McCarthy’s assistant, will be the interim manager.

Photo via Flickr/Beacon Radio

The Welshman has shown an extra jump in his step as of late, and it has not gone unnoticed among his teammates.

"Craig has been unbelievable," said Kuyt in an interview published in LFC Magazine. "He came late in August and we did not pay a transfer fee."

Bellamy played a key role in pushing the Reds past Manchester City into the Carling Cup final, and has really stepped up his play in recent months.

"He has been a brilliant signing for us and looks even better now than he did the first time he came here," said Kuyt. "It's not very often you can say that about a player who plays for a club in two spells.

"Usually the first time is better but this time, with Craig in better shape, he knows exactly what he can do and he's really professional in training every day, not just helping himself but the whole of the squad."

Belllamy leads LFC in Premier League goals with six, despite playing far fewer minutes than second-place Luis Suarez, who has five.

Bellamy has also performed well in the FA Cup and Carling Cup matches for Liverpool. He is definitely a bright spot in manager Kenny Dalglish's strike-force.

Corinthians' physical trainer Fabio Mahseredjian wants Adriano to practice three times a day. He also said the big striker must eat only what club doctors tell him to because he has an issue with excessive eating.

Adriano, who tore his Achilles tendon in April, largely failed to make an impact with the reigning Brazilian champions. He now faces an uphill fitness battle if he wants to be included on Corinthians' Copa Libertadores (the premier South American club competition) roster.

The former star had a bright future after he was signed by Inter in 2001. He became a success in Italy's Serie A and on the Brazilian national team. But his career started to decline in the latter half of the 2000s.

After his father passed away in 2004, he resorted to drugs and alcohol to help ease his pain. In 2009, then Inter manager Jose Mourinho allowed the Brazilian to return home and play on loan for Flamengo, with the hope that Adriano would solve his problems after performing poorly for Inter.

His career was on the up again, and after scoring 19 goals in 30 games for Flamengo, Adriano decided to return to Europe. But his stint at Italian club AS Roma lasted only six months. He returned to Brazil in March to play for Corinthians.

Adriano made headlines in December, when he was rumored to have shot a woman after fooling around with a bodyguard's gun. However, the woman later admitted that she was the one who pulled the trigger.

Photo via Flickr/crystiancruz

Pepe Reina

The 29-year-old Spaniard was the quickest Liverpool goalkeeper to reach 50 clean sheets (shut outs), after playing just 92 games.

Since joining the team in 2005, Reina has won the Premier League’s “Golden Glove Award” three times. Known for his booming clearances downfield, Liverpool’s goalkeepers’ coach revealed why Reina has more of an influence than other Premier League ‘keepers in attack.

In November, John Achterberg said, “When balls get played into space, the goalkeeper can sweep up. That’s the way we work with every goalkeeper to try and create a goalkeeper for the first team.

“We expect him to be half a sweeper and there aren’t too many ‘keepers who could do that job.”

Thumbnail photo via Flickr/choonMing