It’s deadline day! The biggest action in MLS thus far today has been Sebastien Le Toux to the Vancouver Whitecaps. Other notable moves include Mix Diskerund to KAA Gent and Ingolstadt’s release of Edson Buddle. Internationally, Luis Saha made waves by signing for Spurs, and QPR is aiming to snag Fulham striker Bobby Zamora.

This weekend, the U.S. Women’s National team defeated Canada to win the CONCACAF Olympic qualifying tournament. I break it down over at The Shin Guardian.

The Portland Timbers landed SPL star Kris Boyd as a DP.

Global Soccer

Everton’s Darron Gibson scored the gamewinner against Manchester City this afternoon, allowing his former club, Manchester United, to pull equal with City at the top of the English Premier League table. Man U defeated Stoke City 2-0 thanks to spot kicks from Javier Hernandez and Dimitar Berbatov. In other EPL action, Liverpool disposed of Wolves 3-0, Chelsea capitalized on a Swansea own goal in stoppage time to salvage a 1-1 draw, and Tottenham downed Wigan 3-1.

10Kit Originals

Jon Arnold and Anthony Mannino break down the USMNT January friendlies in the USA10cast.

Landon Donovan and Tim Howard v. Clint Dempsey. The American showdown gets underway at 3:00 PM ET (FSC). Howard likes the Toffees chances.

US households turned viewed in record numbers for last weekend’s Manchester United’s 2-1 victory over Arsenal at the Emirates.

The USWNT will look to wrap up an Olympic birth as they take on Costa Rica (8:00 PM ET). Despite already outscoring their first three opponents 31-0, they’ll need a victory here to progress.

Add Timothy Chandler to the USMNT injured list.

All your weekend fixtures here, highlighted by Villareal v. Barcelona (Sat., 4PM ET) and Liverpool v. Manchester United (7:45 AM ET, FSC) in an FA Cup clash at Anfield.

Global Soccer

Anyone looking for a diminutive soccer god on Time Magazine’s US cover will be disappointed. The Barcelona star didn’t make the cut.

Jack Wilshire’s hopes for a February return look doubtful as the midfielder aggravated his injured ankle in practice on Friday.

Want away Chelsea defender is getting his wish. Paris Saint-Germain has announced the signing of the Brazilian centerback on a roughly $6 million transfer fee.

Big night tonight in U.S. soccer. The USWNT faces its toughest test of the CONCACAF qualifying tournament with a showdown with Mexico. The U.S. has outscored its opponents 27-0 so far this tournament, but is looking for some redemption against Mexico. A win puts the women in great position to book their ticket to the London Olympic Games this summer.

The Philadelphia Union’s PPL Park will be the host of the 2012 MLS All-Star game.

Global

FIFA President Sepp Blatter has said that UEFA President “ready” to take over as the head of FIFA.

Manchester City has fined Carlos Tevez £9.3 million for refusing to return to the club.

10Kit Originals

Keep up with all of Jon’s coverage of this weekend’s USMNT friendly, including some extra thoughts, a profile of Bill Hamid and a look at how German-based players fared in the game.

With the United States national team arriving in Panama today for their Wednesday friendly, it’s time to turn the page on the USMNT’s first friendly in 2012. Since it’s Monday, though, let’s shake out the ol’ reporter’s notebook and see what we can find from Saturday to tide us over until the Panama previews start rolling in.

Champions League Contenders: After his team’s 1-0 victory against Venezuela, United States national team coach Jurgen Klinsmann was asked about the sterling performances turned in that day by two players who weren’t with the team: Zak Whitbread and Clint Dempsey. Whitbread played center back and helped Norwich City secure a goalless draw with EPL giants Chelsea. The clean sheet, City’s first in Premier League action this season, came about in part because the Canaries executed a plan to keep Chelsea out of the box and deal with crosses.

Klinsmann acknowledged Whitbread is “on our radar screen,” but had much more to say about Dempsey’s performance. The Fulham man scored a hat trick – his second in the new year – during Fulham’s 5-2 defeat of Newcastle. (more…)

GLENDALE, Ariz. — The USMNT’s January camp is composed mostly of MLS players, but Saturday night in Arizona it was two Germany-based midfielders who won the match for the U.S.

Ricardo Clark, out of favor at Eintracht Frankfurt, headed in the game’s only goal in the seventh minute of second half stoppage time on a cross from Jermaine Jones of Schalke, who turned in a man of the match performance in the friendly defeat of Venezuela.

Clark entered the game as a substitute in the 62nd minute, and the defensive midfielder seemed an unlikely candidate to score a goal with the wealth of attacking talent the United States still had on the pitch; however, Clark said his goal as a reserve was to inject life to the squad.  (more…)