• Michael Lynch

Brisbane Roar's hulking defender Luke De Vere is embarassed, and there are more than 20,000 Melbourne Victory supporters who will argue that he has every right to be.

Diego Costa has been dropped from the squad of Premier League leaders Chelsea for the match at champions Leicester City after a row over his fitness, according to media reports.

• Michael Lynch

It was Friday the 13th and a full moon. Not a night for the superstitious or those of a tender disposition to feel at ease.

• Dominic Bossi

Every time Danny Vukovic stepped on a plane for an away trip last season, his thoughts where elsewhere. His newborn son was diagnosed with a life-threatening liver condition and there was nobody at home to support he and his wife.

• Eamonn Tiernan

Canberra United teenager Nickoletta Flannery has been named in the Young Matildas squad ahead of the Asian Cup.

• Dominic Bossi

An experienced Dutch defender has answered Sydney FC's defensive crisis with former Eredivisie stalwart Jordy Buijs inking a deal with the Sky Blues.

• Dominic Bossi

Popovic: 'I hope he's right because if he doesn't have to make a save, then he's pulling the ball out of the back of the net.'

• Michael Cockerill

The word is Tony Popovic didn't sign Jumpei Kusukami because he was Japanese. He signed him because he was a good player. But as Western Sydney Wanderers prepare to salvage some pride in the Asian Champions League, the passport definitely helps.

• Michael Lynch

Melbourne City's young central defender Ruon Tongyik has made a hugely impressive start to his A_League career even though his first few games have co-incided with a difficult spell for the club.

• Michael Lynch

A brazen push for money by a venal organisation so hopelessly compromised that no-one has any faith in it?

• Jason Dasey

It's not often that a Malaysian player gets mentioned in the same breath as David Beckham. But Faiz Subri's feat in winning the FIFA Puskas Award had his Penang coach Ashley Westwood reminiscing about his days playing alongside the world's most famous footballer more than two decades ago.

• Jason Burt

West Ham United will reluctantly sell Dimitri Payet for £40 million ($65 million) if the French international continues to go on strike and refuses to play for them again, as the club claim he has threatened to do.

• James Ducker

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has claimed it has taken him just three months to "conquer" English football as the Manchester United striker warned Chelsea his side will be ready to pounce on any slip-ups from the Premier League leaders Chelsea.

Australia's men's soccer team have improved three places on FIFA's latest rankings, which were released on Thursday, and are now up to 44th in the world.

Champions Leicester City have struggled to maintain focus in the English Premier League this season and have found it easier in the Champions League due to the tournament's shorter format, manager Claudio Ranieri said.

Rock star Elton John led the tributes to former England manager Graham Taylor on Friday, saying the man he saw as a brother had turned his beloved team Watford into a European contender.

Everton have confirmed the signing of midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin from Manchester United for a fee that could rise to £24 million pounds ($38.9 million).

It is always risky to tick off your own supporters, but Jose Mourinho's pointed plea to Manchester United's faithful not to treat Liverpool's visit like a trip to the theatre indicates just how critical this weekend's Old Trafford clash feels to him.

• Michael Lynch

Melbourne City let slip a golden opportunity with a 2-1 defeat to Adelaide United on Thursday night. 

A fine goal by Southampton forward Nathan Redmond gave them a 1-0 win over Liverpool in the first leg of their League Cup semi-final at St Mary's on Thursday morning.

• Dominic Bossi

For the past week, Nicolas Martinez has been a man obsessed, watching hours of derby footage in the hope of ending Sydney FC's reign over the city.

• Dominic Bossi

Sydney FC are facing the prospect of giving a teenager his debut in a derby but coach Graham Arnold believes Western Sydney Wanderers will still struggle to get a shot on target.

Marco Rojas is fit to start in Melbourne Victory's clash with Brisbane Roar on Friday night as the A-League powerhouse chases a sixth consecutive win.

Lionel Messi has broken Athletic Bilbao's hearts with a late free-kick as Barcelona's big guns kept their Copa del Rey hopes alive.

• Dominic Bossi

A 19-year-old Sydney FC defender is set to make his debut in the Sydney derby, but Wanderers' troubled attack makes them the perfect opponent, says Alex Brosque.

• Dominic Bossi

"Is money dominating the game that much?"

• James Buckley

A heavy police presence at Moore Park will await fans attending Saturday's A-League and Big Bash double header.

Caretaker coach Michael Valkanis will lead an Adelaide United-flavoured Melbourne City side to South Australia for their A-League clash.

FIFA's decision to expand the 2026 World Cup to 48 teams will devalue qualification for soccer's showpiece event, according to former Australian captain Paul Wade.