Europa League LIVE

Okay, let's get it rolling here. With Clint Dempsey given a rest and Eddie Johnson watching from the bench. Fulham have advanced to the Europa League group stage on a 3-2 aggregate despite a 1-0 loss away to Russians Amkar Perm this afternoon.

Next up is Tim Howard's Everton, who will visit Czech side Sigma Olomouc with a 4-0 first leg lead. The U.S. #1 is in goal for the Toffees, who kick off momentarily.

Also, the Champions League draw is beginning as I type this. I have decided that the harshest possible group that could be drawn would be Barcelona/Inter/Bordeaux/Wolfsburg - four champions.

I'll be back in a few with the first update...

12.06 PM ET - Sigma O. have come out firing and Tony Hibbert was sent off after just seven minutes, but the game with Everton remains scoreless at the quarter hour. Howard was momentarily down hurt after an 11th minute collision, but seems okay now.

Coming up later: at 2.30 ET, Earnie Stewart's NAC Breda travel to Villarreal for mission impossible down 3-1, while Jared Jeffrey's Club Brugge host Polish club Lech Poznan (where Jimmy Conrad briefly played) trailing 1-0. Fifteen minutes later, Freddy Adu's Benfica (can you put " 's " in quotation marks?) will try to close out a 4-0 edge on FC Vorskla.

Obviously none of these games will feature an American on the field. In my next update, I'll get to the ones that will.

12.26 PM - Okay... now... at the same time Benfica kick off, Ryan Guy and St. Pat's will be starting at home against Romanian power Steaua Bucharest, who lead 3-0. The boys are needing another miracle fightback, but this time they have a full 90 minutes and are at home.

At 3.00 ET, a Brad to be named and Aston Villa will host Rapid Vienna down 1-0. Will it be Guzan again, as has been the trend?

Thirty minutes later, Mikkel Diskerud and Stabæk head to Valencia trailing 3-0. I'm not certain Mix will see action in this one.

Also, they are ready to draw Pot 2 at the CL party.

12.33 PM - Everton are still scoreless at the half hour.

Getting ready to start Pot 3 in the CL draw. Here is where we stand...

Group A - Bayern, Juventus
Group B - ManU, CSKA Moscow
Group C - AC Milan, Real Madrid
Group D - Chelsea, Porto
Group E - Liverpool, Lyon
Group F - Barcelona, Inter Milan (uh oh!)
Group G - Sevilla, Rangers
Group H - Arsenal, AZ Alkmaar

12.44 PM - Everton are early to the break, still 0-0 on the day.

Three pots drawn for the CL:

Group A - Bayern, Juventus, Bordeaux
Group B - ManU, CSKA Moscow, Beşiktaş
Group C - AC Milan, Real Madrid, Marseille
Group D - Chelsea, Porto, Atlético Madrid
Group E - Liverpool, Lyon, Fiorentina
Group F - Barcelona, Inter Milan, Dynamo Kyiv
Group G - Sevilla, Rangers, Stuttgart
Group H - Arsenal, AZ Alkmaar, Olympiakos

12.54 PM - Steven Pienaar scores just before halftime to put Everton up 1-0 (5-0).

The final CL group phase draw, with a little Wiki help on the lesser known outfits:

Group A - Bayern, Juventus, Bordeaux, Maccabi Haifa
Group B - ManU, CSKA Moscow, Beşiktaş, Wolfsburg
Group C - AC Milan (Onyewu), Real Madrid, Marseille, FC Zürich
Group D - Chelsea, Porto, Atlético Madrid, APOEL
Group E - Liverpool, Lyon, Fiorentina, Debrecen
Group F - Barcelona, Inter Milan, Dynamo Kyiv, Rubin Kazan
Group G - Sevilla, Rangers (Beasley/Edu), Stuttgart, Unirea Urzicieni
Group H - Arsenal, AZ Alkmaar, Olympiakos, Standard Liège

1.39 PM - Ten minutes left at Sigma, still 1-0 Everton.

1.53 PM - Sigma pull one back late, but it ends with Everton advancing 5-1 on aggregate. We now have two clubs with Americans in the Europa League group stage.

3.00 PM - Guy and St. Pat's are 15 minutes in against Steaua, with no score. Aston Villa are kicking off, with Brad Guzan in goal.

Elsewhere, Villarreal have hit twice in the opening half hour (including one from Giuseppe Rossi) to essentially out NAC out - the tie is now 5-1 to the Yellow Subs. Club Brugge are scoreless at the half hour, Jeffrey not dressed.

3.08 PM - Diskerud is starting for Stabæk at Valencia! Kickoff in about 20. Meanwhile, Aston Villa are under pressure early and Rossi has fired another penalty to put Villarreal up 3-0 (6-1) on NAC.

3.41 PM - Moments after Luke Young misses a penalty, a James Milner spot kick has Villa up 1-0 and level in the tie.

3.53 PM - O'Connor grabs one for St. Pat's just after the break, but they still need two unanswered to level the aggregate. Villarreal are now up 6-0 (9-1) on NAC. Ouch.

4.07 PM - Miku has scored twice in three minutes to put Valencia up 2-0 (5-0) and put Stabæk on the plank.

4.11 PM - Farnerud quickly pulls one back for Stabæk in the 36th, Carew gives Villa a 2-0 lead and the tie's upper hand on 53 minutes and Sonck has given Club Brugge a 1-0 lead on the night to level their duel in the 79th.

4.22 PM - Nicoliţă scores for Steaua to make it 1-1 (4-1) with 10 minutes left at St. Pat's. No Irish miracle tonight.

5.41 PM - Sorry, sorry... got pulled away by another matter. Everything is final and the news is not good.

Aston Villa are out thanks to 79th minute Jelavić strike that sent Rapid Vienna through on away goals (2-2). St. Pat's are out after surrendered a last minute 2-1 Steaua winner to complete a 5-1 aggregate defeat. Stabæk also bite the dust, falling 4-1 at Valencia (7-1). Club Brugge, however, move on after topping Lech on penalties (1-1). Oh yeah, and Benfica are through despite a loss at FC Vorskla.

All this means my wild prediction that an American would feature in the Europa League final is probably down to Everton and Fulham, with Club Brugge around as the dark, dark, dark, obsidian horse possibility.


- Greg Seltzer