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I just discovered that while I was busy with affairs of state during the week after Christmas ,Torres had gone and scored 50 goals in 72 matches, beating Albert Stubbins and Sam Raybould by eight games on the 29th of December.This was the goal..

Here's a list of the number of games it took other Liverpool legends to score their own collections of a half century of goals.

72 Fernando Torres
80 Sam Raybould
80 Albert Stubbins
81 Roger Hunt
82 Jack Parkinson
3 John Aldridge
84 Ian Rush
88 Robbie Fowler
90 Gordon Hodgson
98 Harry Chambers
98 Kenny Dalglish
98 Michael Owen
104 Joe Hewitt
105 Ian St John
111 John Barnes
114 Robert Robinson
116 John Toshack
121 David Johnson
125 Dick Forshaw
125 Tom Miller
129 Jimmy Melia
139 Jack Balmer
160 Berry Niewenhuys
162 Alf Hanson
167 Billy Liddell
175 Kevin Keegan
208 Jack Cox
221 Terry McDermott
269 Ray Kennedy
271 Arthur Goddard
280 Alan A'Court
281 Steven Gerrard
302 Steve Heighway

What makes Torres' feat even more incredible is that there isn't a single penalty in those 50 goals.A blow by blow description of each of the 50 goals can be read here...

Jack Bell creates a list of 10 most memorable games at Giants Stadium.

Some of the highlights.

Last summer's USA vs Mexico Gold Cup final turned out be an embarrassing 5-0 rout. David Beckham's New York introduction in 2007 resulted in a 5-4 pulsating shootout between the Galaxy and the Red Bulls. The 1994 World Cup group match resulted in a shock Irish win against eventual runners up Italy, 1-0. And Pele's farewell match was played at the Stadium in front of 75,646 spectators on October 1st, 1977.

Javier Aguirre almost never singles out players for praise. But he broke that rule when El Tri returned home yesterday. He called Giovani Dos Santos and Carlos Vela the foundation of Mexico's future footballing aspirations.

"For their age, their time, for the situation they found themselves in, they performed brilliantly at such a young age. They are the bright future of Mexican soccer and form the basis for a future generation of young players and if they can fully realize their potential in both the national team and in their clubs, we can have a great generation of players."

He also said that the team's mental strength was the chief attribute to winning the Gold Cup.

"It was not easy facing an American team and carrying all those ghosts. But the team showed discipline both on and off the pitch and maturity as a group."

Both Carlos Vela and Giovani Dos Santos are now favoured to start against the USA in the World Cup qualifier at the Estadio Azteca on August 12th.

A 5-0 rout offers very little scope for rationalization. Was it an errant offside call? A rogue referee who called the fouls for Mexico? Missed opportunities? Max Bretos and Chris Sullivan might have spun harder than a 45 rpm turntable but even they failed miserably in putting a finer point to it all.

It was a US team thoroughly and unequivocally outplayed. Unlike the Brazil come from behind win, this was a non starter even though the US kept El Tri quiet for the first 45 minutes and created a few scoring chances of their own. What appeared like an inkling in the first half became a barrage in the second half as Giovanni Dos Santos and Carlos Vela combined to lead Mexico to an emphatic victory. Their first win in 11 encounters on US soil spanning over a decade and it was meted out mercilessly.

For Bob Bradley, the first redeeming thought would be that this team is a far cry from the one that was fielded in the Confederations Cup. Yes, it was a group of second and third stringers that performed yeoman duty to come all the way to the final but this was not how it should have happened. The US has gotten so used to having their way with Mexico it would appear immaterial which players were on the squad. In 2007, it was an unknown Benny Feilhaber in a brilliant moment, gave the US victory over Mexico in the Gold Cup. In this year's tournament, the US did not rely on one single player as someone always came up big. The team was stronger than any one individual. That convention was taken into this years final.

That perhaps was the problem with this squad, looking for their Feilhaber. Their serendipity ran out because unlike the previous matches they did not put the effort into creating one. It was inevitably flawed thinking. Having no set of go to players proved a big lacuna. On the other hand, Aguirre specifically introduced Carlos Vela in the second half to bolster Dos Santos, the duo that first attracted worldwide attention with their U17 magic four years ago and they did not disappoint. Both are Premiership players and will be a big part of Mexico's World Cup aspirations.

The Gold Cup has become a showcase for youthful talent so one has to credit Bradley's strategy of surprising the opposition with anonymity as partially successful. The Gold Cup threw up Stuart Holden as a valuable understudy to Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey and the one player who might merit World Cup inclusion. Beckerman, Quaranta, Pause, and Cooper had their significant moments but it is hard to see them cement a place in the first 23.

It will be counterproductive to dwell on this loss for too long as the US now have a monumental match against Mexico at the impregnable Estadio Azteca on August 12th in a World Cup qualifier with their first squad. A relief one might add, having a blank slate is the best antidote for coping with such a loss. The US has a chance of creating history of its own with a victory at the Azteca. Bradley on the loss and looking forward:

"There's no doubt that you want competitors and we are competitors," Bradley said.

"The second half for us is not what we're all about. When you have a game that feels like this at the end you don't forget it. It's something that we will always on the inside talk about, be honest about, and hopefully we can use it in a way that we're better from it today."

"Our focus now is on playing Mexico in Azteca during World Cup qualifying. We start over on that day and have a chance to do something the U.S. hasn't done before."

For those interested in keeping tabs on the cross border rivalry, the reports that Mexican soccer is on the ropes are premature. That to me is the most vital message and one that needs to be borne in mind when these two teams meet again in two weeks.

This forms the the basis of the Gold Cup final.

The US have found ways to win through a bunch of different players with Clarence Goodson against Honduras the tenth player to score a goal in the tournament. The Mexican's have relied on the attacking instincts of Giovanni Dos Santos and Miguel Sabah to lead their team to the finals.

Giovanni Dos Santos vs Stuart Holden

The two outstanding creative forces match their wits against each other. Both come into this match with equal number of assists. Dos Santos with his speed and low center of gravity attracts opposing players like flies. The knock: For all the bustle he creates, he cuts a lone figure in the midfield with few takers for his scoring opportunities. On the other hand Stuart Holden seems to have gained strength by creating the timely assist with his vision and opportunism. The US continue to finish off scoring chances in an efficient manner with a new player, in Goodson's case, literally rising to the occasion.

Mexico's attacking right flank vs Heath Pearce

The Mexicans have Alberto Medina, the right winger who has been prolific in set pieces opportunities. Against the Ticos his overlapping play with Dos Santos set up at least three scoring opportunities with Dos Santos himself missing out on a golden opportunity when he came a hair's breadth away from heading the ball in. Robbie Rogers will have to track back to help out Heath Pearce who should have his hands full against these two.

Chad Marshall vs Sabah or Vela

Marshall's responsibility will be to isolate Sabah or Vela in Mexico's 4-5-1 scheme from Santos or Medina. Sabah has profited from his opportunism and with four goals leads the scoring table. His streak ended when he missed a penalty against the Ticos which gave Arsenal's Carlos Vela an opportunity to show of his speed and to team up with Dos Santos, both stars of the U17 squad that brought Mexico World Cup glory four years ago.

US set pieces and counterattacks

Both represent the best chances for a US win. They have an edge from corners and free kicks with Goodson, Marshall, Cooper, and Ching strong in the box. Robbie Rogers and Stuart Holden can turn on the burners to get Arnaud/ Cooper and Ching in position for a quick strike.

The US and Mexican teams shared a plane ride together for logistics and cost purposes (the recession brings strange bedfellows together). So here is Jimmy Conrad twittering on the experience.

"I hope that when passing through the aisle of the airplane, the Mexican coach is not going to trip me up or give me a kick," Conrad referring ironically to the incident between Javier Aguirre and Panamanian Ricardo Phillips in the first round of the tournament.

Here it is. The match every one wanted. Another chapter in the historiography of the fiercest rivalry in the Concacaf region.

It has sharpened so much because of the US domination of Mexico in recent years. So there are stakes a plenty for both teams. But at this stage, a Gold Cup win means much more to El Tri than it means to the US.

There is a lot of angst amongst the Mexican punditry about a league system that seems to be ineffectual in corralling talent necessary for national success. Managers have come and gone with Ricardo La Volpe, Hugo Sanchez, Sven Goran Eriksson and now Javier Aguirre but the results of all these coaching changes have remained unclear. Mexico has looked very vulnerable in its World Cup qualifying run and a Gold Cup title will provide it the momentum it needs for the rest of the South African campaign. El Tri have struggled mightily on the road and a win would end speculations that the Mexicans need the Estadio Azteca to boost their campaign.

The Mexican midfield have Giovanni Dos Santos, easily their most outstanding player with the Spurs man seemingly a step or two ahead of his compatriots creating moments of individual brilliance at the cost of team coherence. It seems that the Mexicans need to hit the reset button for this encounter to get every one back as a team. But Javier Aguirre is not ready to talk about his team's deficiencies choosing instead on focusing on his opponents playing style.

"What do I think about the United States? I think they live off opponents' errors, and stack eight in the back and use the clock in their favor. It's going to be a good test for us. It's a final we wanted and I'm assuming the fans wanted the same thing."

He has plenty to worry about including a defensive unit that looks vulnerable against stronger opposition. In a big blow, captain Gerrardo Torrado will not play against the US because of suspension which puts immense pressure on centerbacks Johny Magallon and Israel Castro to stop the US from counterattacking through Suart Holden and Kyle Beckerman.

Whatever happens today, it sets up a backdrop to a crucial meeting for both countries on August 12th at Mexico City when the two teams clash full strength in a World Cup qualifier. Giants Stadium will be rocking with Mexican fans outnumbering the US almost 2:1.

The semi-final wins could not have come in more contrasting style. The USA won against Honduras, 2-0 in a straightforward win with very little drama and little flourish. On the other hand, the Mexico vs Costa Rica encounter had to be settled through penalty kicks. The match itself was full of strange twists and turns with some flashes of brilliance from both teams.

Stuart Holden again came up big setting up both goals. Clarence Goodson heading in a corner taken by Holden just before half time. Santino Quaranta's introduction in the second half for Robbie Rodgers and Holden's switch to the left flank made a difference in the attacking tempo. Through one of these forays, Holden managed to pass the ball to Kenny Cooper who further enhanced his reputation as a super sub by coolly finishing of the chance. The Hondurans briefly threatened through Walter Martinez, easily their best scoring threat but he was inexplicably replaced in the second half. The back four led by Chad Marshall took care of the rest. The US was competent and compact without being brilliant and it was enough to get the job done.

Mexico's Giovanni Dos Santos was easily the pick of the players. Possessing great speed and a low center of gravity he was able to whip past the Ticos at will and provided at least three opportunities for others to score. In between there were a number of free kicks that the Ticos gave up fouling him. He came closest to scoring when he narrowly failed to head a ball with Medina's cross glancing past his forehead harmlessly.

The match could have been won when Medina's speculative cross strangely hit Freddy Fernandez's hand after it appeared that the defender had lost track of the ball and the referee with no hesitation pointed to the penalty spot. Up stepped Miguel Sabah, the Cup's leading scorer. But he flubbed the PK shooting it weakly straight to Keylor Navas.

Mario Carillo, the assistant coach taking over for the suspended Javier Aguirre introduced Guillermo Franco taking of the ineffective Sabah and the rangy striker proved a serendipitous sub as he volleyed home a shot just before full time after the Ticos failed to clear a corner properly. There was a two minutes left in regulation time and it appeared Mexico was through.

But just as El Tri were celebrating prematurely, Alvaro Saborio's header fell between Ochoa and Magallon and Froylan Ledezma who had come on for Alonso quick as a flash burst through and before either one of them could react placed the ball coolly into the back of the net with his left foot. It was the 91st minute. And the match was heading to extra time but not before Arsenal's Carlos Vela was introduced in the 81st minute. He had at least one clearcut opportunity to finish of the match but was unable to time his volley well off a Dos Santos cross.

Extra time ended with both teams deadlocked and it was left to PKs. Mexico kept its cool and converted each penalty while Ledezma responsible for Costa Rica's last minute heroics muffed his chance. It was left to Carlos Vela to seal the 5-3 verdict in favour of Mexico.

Some thoughts: Mexican football is not in need of resuscitation, in fact, far from it, it appears to be the most exciting team to watch because of the brilliant form of Dos Santos. The Spurs sign up from Barca has seen little action in the Premiership and was shipped to Ipswich Town on loan. He had fallen off the radar but his creative and attacking instincts appear better than before. He will be a handful for the USA to deal with in the finals. The praise that El Tri get for playing an attacking style should be tempered with the criticism that they still remain horribly poor in finishing off their chances. That ultimately may prove to be the crucial difference between the USA and their team.

The Gold Cup semi-finals are almost on us. The US gets to meet Honduras, one of their most familiar opponents in recent times. This is their third meeting in less than two months so the Hondurans could be pardoned if they believe familiarity breeds contempt but in fact, this team wears an unfamiliar look.

Their group meeting which the US won, 2-0 had midfield spark Benny Feilhaber whose late second half introduction broke the stalemate by upping the attacking tempo leading to Santino Quaranta's first international goal and Brian Ching adding a second. He has departed for Europe as has Freddy Adu and Charlie Davis.

Bradley is faced with a centerback dilemma. Veteran defender Jimmy Conrad recalled to the side suffered a nasty concussion against Panama and it is extremely doubtful he will start. He was subbed by Clarence Goodson but Bradley's emergency call up for Parkhurst just days after his return to the Danish league signifies that he is his first choice should Conrad be declared unfit to play. What is missed more will be Conrad's veteran captaincy. Against Honduras it was Cherundolo providing that experience.

Santino Quaranta was overlooked in the Panama match but should be bought back for the Honduras semi-finals. Davy Arnaud had a very good game against Panama setting up Kyle Beckerman's goal.

The Catrachos are missing a lot of their stars- Carlos Pavon, David Suazo, Thomas Hendry, Amado Guevara, and Wilson Palacios. Manager Reinaldo Rueda like Bradley is using the Gold Cup to give less experienced players much needed exposure. Despite that they still have a potent Carlos Costly and Walter Martinez upfront and Roger Espinoza as a creative playmaker in midfield.

Although the US has enjoyed the upper hand in the last two matches, it took a Landon Donovan PK and a Carlos Bocanegra header for a come from behind win in a World Cup qualifier last month. In the Gold Cup group stage the US dominated the game but were unable to capitalize till very late in the second half when two quick goals by Quaranta and Ching lifted the US to victory. Benny Feilhaber proved instrumental in that win. So the third iteration will not be easy but the US has proven that they have players who rise to the occasion. So I predict a win. Plus, who is not rooting for a US - Mexico showdown.

Basically it amounts to the US fending off a more potent attack and exploiting a weaker and less experienced defense. Robbie Rogers should get back to his comfort zone after being rendered ineffective by Panama's Luis Moreno.

The line up by my book:

Troy Perkins (Goallkeeper)
Jay Heaps- Michael Parkhurst- Chad Marshall- Heath Pearce (Defenders)
Robbie Rogers- Kyle Beckerman- Stuart Holden- Santino Quaranta (Midfielders)
Brian Ching- Davy Arnaud (Forwards)

The late introduction of Benny Feilhaber made all the difference as he began the move that led to Santino Quaranta's first international goal in the 75th minute. Four minutes later Feilhaber's quickly taken free kick found an open Steve Cherundolo. The right back swung a cross into the box and Brian Ching headed the ball in for the second goal.

The US now meet Haiti in their final group encounter and a draw will assure them of passage to the quarterfinals.

The USA meet Honduras in their first big test in the Concacaf Gold Cup at RFK Stadium in front of a pro Honduran crowd.

Their country has been in the news lately with a military coup toppling incumbent president Manuel Zelaya and installing Roberto Micheletti, a development that President Obama condemned and the OAS threatening to sanction Honduras. These political developments overshadow a Honduran team that will be fueled by a lot of emotion.

The last match was a US 2-1 win at Soldier Field through Carlos Bocanegra's winning header. Under Reynaldo Rueda the Concacaf squad wears a new look. Only strikers Carlos Costly and Walter Martinez have substantial international experience. There is no Noel Valladares, Carlos Pavon, Amado Guevara, Ivan Guerrero, Mauricio Sabillon, Wilson Palacios, or David Suazo.

• Interestingly, Honduras was the last CONCACAF opponent to defeat the U.S. at home. Since a 3-2 loss in FIFA World Cup qualifying on Sept. 1, 2001, the U.S. is riding a 54-game unbeaten streak that includes 44 wins and 10 ties.

The US midfield looks pretty raw and untested with three players making their debut against Grenada: Stuart Holden, Brad Evans, and Logan Pause. Two others are yet to make their debut, Colin Clark and Sam Cronin. This might be one reason that Bob Bradley will start Benny Feilhaber, who was outstanding in his Confederations Cup appearances.

On why Benny Feilhaber was called into the roster for this game:

"It gives us a little bit of cover in the midfield. I think after the Confederations Cup he needed a little bit of time. And like all of these guys, we need to balance our needs with the needs of his club and the ability of the player to get back to his club at a good time so that he can earn playing time and continue to move forward. So there are a lot of different factors with all of these decisions."

In form striker Ali Gerba scores the all important goal in the 32nd minute, a deflection of Patrice Bernier shot at goal.which gave Canada a 1-0 win over El Salvador. This was Gerba's 5th goal in 4 matches for Canada.

The Canadians now only need a tie against Costa Rica to advance.to the quarterfinals..

El Salvador scored the biggest upset of the Gold Cup so far as they beat Costa Rica through Osael Romero's brace, 2-1. Costa Rica had previously won 6 of their last seven encounters with the one draw.

La Selecta have been on a winning streak in their last five matches with just one loss against Honduras. It also includes a 2-1 win over Mexico. Romero has been hot scoring 4 goals in 5 matches.

The Canadians will have their hands full with an El Salvadorean team that managed to win despite the Costa Ricans enjoying more possession. Romero and Eliseo Quintanilla have proved adept at converting scoring opportunities.

Greg Sutton will have to look sharp in goal with veteran Paul Staltieri and Julian De Guzman providing much needed defensive mettle. Guzman's passing abilities and link up play with Patrice Bernier and Ali Gerba are Canada's best bet to oust El Salvador. Gerba who recently signed up with Toronto FC has been in fine form with the Concacaf Gold Cup proving happy hunting grounds as his match winner against Jamaica was his fifth goal in the competition.

The USA punished Grenada 4-0 with their second stringers. Freddy Adu was the beneficiary at the end of a Robbie Rogers feed to get things going. Then it was Stuart Holden's rising high to head the ball from Rogers cross. The third goal was all Robbie Rogers as he outraced the Grenadians to slot the ball past the goalie. The last goal was was one touch as Pearce layed a pass across the path of the onrushing Charlie Davis who controlled the ball and tapped it home.

He then ran to the corner post and tried some funky MJ dance moves which were a bit painful to watch. Davis reminds me of Gabby Agbanlahor, the Villa striker, in looks as well as muscular style of play.

Brad Evans made his national debut in front of his adoring Seattle fan base who cheered every time he touched the ball.

Will Brad Evans get his debut in front of his home crowd?

First, will the US be able to step down after their unprecedented Confederations Cup achievement or step up after a deflating loss to the Brazilians in the finals? The hardest part for the US will be to recalibrate itself from a tournament that became much more of an emotional roller coaster ride than mere physical toll.

However, the could not have asked for a more soothing balm. The Concacaf Gold Cup has traditionally proved to be a statistical bonanza for the US team.

The US meet Grenada at 6 PM at Qwest Field.

Here are some of the gaudy numbers.

• The US are four time winners, in 1991, 2002, 2005, and 2007.

• The U.S. holds a 34-4-5 all-time record in the regional event and has outscored opponents 81-26.

• The Americans have never lost in group play at the Gold Cup, holding a 21-0-1 record. The only tie came on July 12, 2005, in a scoreless affair with Costa Rica in Foxborough, Mass.

Concacaf has given concessions to the US following their grueling schedule and permitted it to increase its roster to 30 players. The seven additional players will be added from the Confederations Cup squad and will include forwards Jozy Altidore and Conor Casey, midfielders Ricardo Clark, Benny Feilhaber and Sacha Kljestan, defender Jonathan Bornstein and goalkeeper Brad Guzan. Not all seven players will be eligible to play in the same match and so Bob Bradley will rotate between these players to maintain 18 players who finally get to take the pitch.

We will get to see more Charlie Davis, Brian Ching, Freddy Adu, Benny Feilhaber, Santino Quaranta, Stuart Holden, Brad Evans, and Michael Parkhurst.

Grenada have their own MLS connection: Midfielder Sharlrie Joseph, who has had some outstanding seasons with the New England Revs is heart and soul of the squad. Some players like Byron Bubb (Wimbledon FC) and Ricky Charles (QPR) ply their trade in the English league. The US have won both their previous encounters.