WHO TO BACK?

My euroclub fanship sweepstakes, current favorites:

EPL: Liverpool

The truth is, I love watching Chelsea play (and I think both Joe Cole and the incoming Michael Ballack are elite, entertaining players who are overly criticized), but I cannot bring myself to root for the billionaire two-time champions, particularly when I think the best overall player in the league is on another team: Steven Gerrard. And although I'm troubled by Stevie G's middling Cup performance, his club games shine, and I'm picking a club team, after all, not a World Cup side. Plus, I think Gerrard would have played better if Lampard were on the bench.

Arsenal's still a dark horse, though, because any objective futbol fan would happily pay good money to see Henry, Van Persie, Fabregas, and Rosicky.

Serie A: AC Milan

I admit I'm biased here: Fox Soccer Channel offers a program entitled "Milan Classics," which I watch as much as possible, but no "Juventus Classics" or "Inter Milan Classics." I dig Kaka, Pirlo, Gattuso, and Nesta, and am excited about Yoann Gourcuff. Moreover, the crappy match-fixing scandal means the next two years, at least, will be miserable for Juve fans. I don't think I'd like to begin my fanship on a two year downer.

La Liga: No one, b/c I can't figure out how to watch the games.

FF