Australia finished top of Group A in Asian World Cup qualifying after beating Japan 2-1 in front of 69,238 fans at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Tim Cahill was the hero for the Socceroos, scoring twice in the second half after Japan defender Marcus Tulio Tanaka had given his side a half-time lead. Cahill's strained relations with the Australian media were apparent in a post-match TV interview that saw him offer a series of vague responses to questioning from host broadcaster Fox Sports. Yet the Everton man remains a hero to Australian fans for his performances on the pitch, and just as in Kaiserslautern three years ago, it was the explosive midfielder who dug the Socceroos out of a hole on a chilly night in Melbourne.

It seems like the football season has only just finished but the new campaign is already starting to take shape after the Premier and Football League fixture lists were announced. Premier League champions Manchester United will kick off their title defence at home to new boys Birmingham City. Liverpool face a difficult trip to White Hart Lane, while new Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti will pit his wits against Phil Brown's Hull City.

There’s a fierce wind blowing through the top order of Argentine club football as the Clausura championship draws to yet another exciting finale. Last season’s bottom placed club River Plate are now mathematically out of the title race and the other traditional superpower Boca Juniors are a further eight points down the league. With three teams left in the title race the swell of support in Argentina now stands behind Angel Cappa’s second place Huracán who have brushed aside rivals this season with a style of football which is very easy on the eye.