With the remnants of Tropical Storm Ida pouring heavy rains in Cary, North Carolina, the stage was set for upsets in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals on Wednesday. Three lower seeds knocked off higher seeds to set up a pair of semifinals few would have predicted.

North Carolina State had the upset of the day, knocking off No. 2 seed North Carolina in penalty kicks. After the team's played to a scoreless tie in regulation, NC State goalkeeper Chris Widman stepped up with two penalty saves and his own converted penalty kick to help give the No. 7 seed Wolfpack a stunning advantage. Alan Sanchez closed out the victory for NC State by converting his penalty to send NC State to the semifinals.

They will take on No. 6 seed Boston College, which upset No. 3 seed Duke, 1-0. Edvin Worley's 96th-minute goal provided the difference.

The Game of the day matched No. 5 Virginia against No. 4 Maryland and while the defending NCAA and ACC champion Terrapins showed flashes of a team ready to repeat, they never could crack the Cavaliers defense. Virginia star Tony Tchani delivered the game-winning goal in the 88th minute to stun Maryland and push the Cavs to the semifinals.

Virginia will meet No. 1 seed Wake Forest, the only top seed to advance. The Demon Deacons cruised to a 3-0 victory against No. 9 seed Clemson on the strength of two goals from freshman Andy Lubahn.

Both semifinals will be played on Friday WakeMed Soccer Park. Both matches can be seen online at the ACC Championship website.

What do you think of these results? Shocked to see UNC and Maryland get knocked off? Think any of the underdogs can stop Wake Forest?

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The Chicago Fire and Real Salt Lake are probably not the teams most observers would have pegged to be playing for the Eastern Conference title and berth in MLS Cup, but these two teams earned their places in the Final Four by virtue of strong first-round performances that should lead into a memorable East Final on Saturday night (8pm, FSC).

The Fire entered the season as a strong title contender, but injuries have plagued the club all season, including now. Despite the myriad of injuries, the Fire has put together another solid season and now stand one game away from a fourth trip to the MLS Cup Final.

Real Salt Lake's presence in the East Final came virtue of an unforgettable performance in knocking off the defending champion Columbus Crew. RSL showed now fear and flexed its attacking muscle in a way that suddenly makes the last team to qualify for the playoffs a serious title contender.

This match-up is actually a pretty interesting pairing of teams that are far more similar than people realize. You've got the fiery head coaches in Denis Hamlett and Jason Kreis, the mercurial playmakers in Cuauhtemoc Blanco and Javier Morales, the uncompromising defensive midfielders in Gold Cup teammates Kyle Beckerman and Logan Pause, and the speedy goal scorers in Robbie Findley and Chris Rolfe. You also have your quality Colombian centerbacks in Wilman Conde (if healthy) and Jamison Olave (if he doesn't get a red card), as well as the undersized and cat-quick goalkeepers in Jon Busch and Nick Rimando.

How did these teams fare against each other this season? The Fire won at home and tied RSL at Rio Tino Stadium.

Here is our question for SBI Readers: Who do you see winning Saturday's match? Cast your vote after the jump:

Who do we see winning? Real Salt Lake has found a good rhythm, and its attack is dangerous, but the Fire has the weapons and the defensive discipline to win the match. If star defender Wilman Conde can play, the Fire should be able to control the RSL attack, but even if Conde can't go, the Fire still has just enough to hold off a game RSL squad. Look for a 2-1 victory for the Fire.

Who did you vote for? Who do you see winning? Hoping for a Fire-Galaxy final (We know MLS is)? Think RSL can keep the Cinderella ride going?

Share your thoughts below.

Beginning Saturday, eight nations in Europe will compete for the last four remaining UEFA spots in the 2010 World Cup. Winners of the two leg playoffs will secure a spot in the World Cup draw on December 4, and the losers endure the pain of watching next summer's tournament from home.

Perennial powers France and Portugal find themselves in danger of missing out on the World Cup. France, which has struggled since their 2006 run to the World Cup final, finished second in group play to a clinical Serbia. Portugal, which finished second to Denmark in its group, must beat Bosnia-Herzegovina to avoid missing out. It's a task that must be accomplished without Cristiano Ronaldo, who has been ruled out of both legs by the Portuguese medical staff.

The other two match-ups feature Greece against Ukraine and Russia going up against Slovenia. Greece, the  shock European Champions from 2004, will be hoping to qualify for the World Cup after missing out last time around. Ukraine stands in the way, with Andriy Shevchenko leading the attack. A talented Russian side, boasting the likes of Andrey Arshavin, Alan Dzagoev, Roman Pavlyuchenko and Igor Akinfeev, is favored to get past Slovenia.

Here's a question for SBI Readers: Who will win these four playoff matches? Have your vote after the jump.

What do you think of these match-ups? Which ones are you looking forward to?

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In a little over a year, Bruce Arena transformed one of the worst teams in the league into a contender for the 2009 MLS Cup. As a result of the remarkable turnaround, Arena was named as the 2009 Coach of the Year.

Hired to replace Ruud Guillt on August 18, 2008, Arena looked to change a Galaxy squad in disarray. A roster overhaul followed in the 2008-09 offseason, as Arena gutted the Galaxy, bringing in a number of new players. Those included Eddie Lewis, goalie Donovan Ricketts, and two solid rookies in AJ DeLaGarza and Omar Gonzalez. Most importantly, Arena helped the franchise return to the playoffs for the first time since 2005.

The award is Arena's second such accomplishment, the first since 1997 when he was head coach of D.C. United. Arena joins Sigi Schmid (who he defeated in this year's voting) and Bob Bradley as the third two-time award winner.

What do you think of the selection? Did voters make the right call? Did Arena deserve the nod?

Share your thoughts below.

By TRAVIS CLARK

In the midst of a playoff run, and one win from a spot in MLS Cup, Real Salt Lake is reportedly close to seeing a new minority owner buying into the club.

According to the Deseret News, RSL owner Dave Checketts is in the latter stages of negotiations with Utah real estate developer Dell Loy Hansen to sell Hansen a 49 percent stake in the club. Hansen wants to expand the RSL brand using the properties he already owns in the area.

The deal has yet to be confirmed, and would require approval from the lending parties involved and MLS. No word on the value of the club at the time -- though estimations on MLS clubs generally hover in the $40 million range, and the construction cost of Rio Tinto was $110 million. Reports that Checketts is selling a minority stake in the club to help fuel his rumored bid to buy the St. Louis Rams were denied.

Here's a look at some other stories around the world:

Saturday's German-Chile friendly canceled. The ripple effect of Robert Enke's tragic death on Tuesday is only beginning to resonate around the globe. With former clubs like Barcelona and Tenerife already making plans to honor Enke, it's fitting that the German federation would cancel Saturday's friendly with Chile.

Richard Dunne criticizes France head Coach Raymond Domenech. Aston Villa and Ireland defender Richard Dunne decided that now would be a good time to hit out at Domenech. France, who have underachieved since the enigmatic Frenchman lucked his way to the 2006 World Cup final, face the Irish in a two-legged playoff starting Saturday.

"Every time a tournament comes round, they [France] have all these world-class players and then a man who seems intent on messing them up," Dunne told The Guardian. "Over the last World Cups and European Championships, things have not run smoothly for France; they've always got through but maybe it's time that we put a stop to that. And we know that if we can get in front, they probably have not got the man at the top to pull them back around."

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What do you think of RSL's potential sale? Will it have any impact on Saturday's match? Glad that Germany's friendly was canceled? Surprised to see Richard Dunne trashing Domenech?

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Last January, Ike Opara sat in a college classroom with his laptop cracked open as he took a peak at what could have been his future. He was supposed to be focusing on his Debate class, but was instead tuned into the 2009 MLS Draft. Opara watched intently on the internet as it unfolded, seeing two college teammates taken in the first round and knowing that if he had declared for the draft he would have been one of the first players chosen.

Aside from that day, Opara didn’t spend too much time dwelling on what might have been. He made his decision to return to Wake Forest for the 2009 season, his junior season, and he readily admits that the team’s surprising losses in the ACC and NCAA Tournaments last year after going undefeated during the regular season last year served as motivation for him to hold off turning pro another year.

“Going out on that sour note hurt a lot so coming back that was a big thing we wanted to focus on, making sure that at the end of the year we could repeat what we did in ‘07,” said Opara, referring to Wake Forest’s 2007 NCAA title. Opara and the Demon Deacons begin their post-season play in the quarterfinal round of the ACC Tournament today in Cary, North Carolina. Wake Forest takes on Clemson in its first match.

“We’ve been building up for this all year,” Opara said of the post-season. “Especially the ACC Tournament, and the way we went out last year, it definitely stuck in our minds. That‘s the one big one we want to win.

“Hopefully we can do well there and take that into the NCAA Tournament and have a run there too.”

Opara has enjoyed another stellar season for the Deamon Deacons. His third year as a starter brought him an ACC Defender of the Year honors. He has enjoyed his junior year and has had no second thoughts about his decision to stay in school and pass up a chance to be a high first-round pick.

‘It was one of the hardest decisions of my life, following which college I wanted to attend,” Opara said of the decision to stay in school. “I knew where people were projecting me, and where I might have ended up, but I just didn’t feel right with the timing and ended up coming back.

“I don’t regret it,” Opara said. “I’m still having fun and hopefully I’m still getting better as a player.”

The year hasn’t been all sunshine for the 20-year-old center back. He endured a disappointing performance at the Under-20 World Cup with the U.S. Under-20 national team, one of several Americans to struggle.

“I didn’t think I played to my best,” Opara said. “I know I could have done better, and that hurts me a little bit, but you just have to move on as a player and build from those moments.”

“I wasn’t really nervous,” Opara said of his Under-20 World Cup experience. “It was difficult to get into the rhythm of the team and we were a little off at times so it definitely hurt us individually. I don’t think anybody showed as well as they wanted to, and it’s funny because going into the tournament we played so well.”

Since returning from the tournament in Egypt, Opara has resumed his role as Wake Forest’s defensive captain and believes that the extra year in school has helped strengthen his communication skills as one of the leaders on a young team.

“Last year we had eleven guys who were on pace to play in the pro ranks,” Opara said. “Now we have a lot more younger guys who could wind up playing in the pro ranks, but who are so young and inexperienced that you have to lead them in a different way.”

One can only wonder what Opara would have been able to do in MLS this year had he come out last winter, but it is a safe bet that he could have had an impact similar to the impacts made by several of the players in what is widely regarded as one of the strongest draft classes in league history. Opara has watched MLS rookies shine, and has grown excited about his own pro prospects even though he has yet to decide if he’s turning pro.

“I’ve seen it, especially with (Steve) Zakuani, Omar Gonzalez, Sam Cronin and what they’ve been doing this year,” Opara said. “It’s definitely exciting to see that those guys can step in right away and do well and perform at a high level.

“It definitely gets you excited that it could be you in the coming year or so,” Opara said. “That’s something I definitely look forward to, whenever that happens.”

Opara still hasn’t committed to making this his final season at Wake Forest, but he is once again one of the top potential draft candidates. He’s unquestionably the best defensive prospect who could potentially be available in the draft, and would be a very tempting option for expansion club Philadelphia Union with the first pick in the 2010 MLS Draft.

Opara isn’t ruling out a move to Europe, much like the move made by former Wake Forest teammate Marcus Tracy, who passed on an MLS contract offer to sign with Danish club Aalborg.

“There’s a lot of things that play into it and it’s definitely going to be a hard decision whenever it happens again, which may be pretty soon,” Opara said of his decision to turn pro. “I’m trying to maximize my options, whether it be in MLS or in Europe.

“Last year I had a couple of options, but not enough to make me make a rushed decision.”

A year later, Opara finds himself in a similar situation. He’s still a highly-regarded pro prospect who has some college silverware to try and help his team win. The pros can wait, and while he won’t admit it yet, it is tough to imagine him returning to Wake Forest in 2010, especially not If he succeeds in helping the Deamon Deacons regain their ACC and NCAA titles this fall.

If Opara can accomplish those goals, chances are he won’t be watching the 2010 MLS Draft on his laptop in a college classroom, but rather from a podium alongside MLS commissioner Don Garber, with a new hat and scarf to show off.

In case you hadn't noticed, Marcus Hahnemann is back with the U.S. national team, having been called in for the upcoming friendlies vs. Slovakia and Denmark. Hahnemann is also looking a tad bit different from his days at Reading. The Wolverhampton goalkeeper has shed a few pounds.

Here is the new-look Marcus Hahnemann:

Hannover 96 and German national team goalkeeper Robert Enke has died of an apparent suicide after being hit by a train.

A recent member of the German national team, Enke had reportedly struggled to cope with the death of his two-year old daughter, who died from a heart ailment in 2006.

Enke had missed recent matches for the German national team due to a bacterial infection, but did play in Hannover 96's recent 2-2 tie vs. Hamburg on Sunday.

Enke was previously on the books with FC Barcelona and Fenerbahce.

In other soccer news from Tuesday:

Real Madrid knocked out of Copa Del Rey. After an embarrassing 4-0 loss in its Copa Del Rey match against third-division Alcorcon, Real Madrid needed to erase a four-goal margin in the return leg at the Bernabeu. The powerhouse club managed to erase just one goal against the tiny opponent, giving Alcorcon the series victory and sending the big-spending squad out of the Copa Del Rey.

Dax McCarty re-signed with FC Dallas. The midfielder and recent U.S. men's national team call-up, signed a new deal with McCarty after passing on a pair of European opportunities to return to the MLS club. He enjoyed a career year with the Western Conference club, and his performance, particularly in the second half of the season, has led to being called into the U.S. team's camp ahead of friendlies against Slovakia and Denmark.

Cristiano Ronaldo ruled out of Portugal playoff. The Portuguese Soccer Federation decided that Cristiano Ronaldo is not healthy enough to take part in Portugal's World Cup playoff series vs. Bosnia-Herzegovina. Portugal gave Ronaldo a medical examination and determined his injured ankle had not recovered enough to be considered. Portugal faces Bosnia-Herzegovina on Saturday, with the second leg of their World Cup playoff on Nov. 18.

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What do you think of these stories? Still stunned at the Enke news? Did you enjoy watching Real Madrid struggle? Think Portugal can beat Bosnia-Herzegovina without Ronaldo?

Share your thoughts below.

Photo by ISIphotos.com

U.S. national team forward Charlie Davies has been released from the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Washington some four weeks after being involved in a deadly car crash.

"I would like to take the time to thank everyone who has dealt with me in the Hospital Center and NRH for really putting in the time to help me get better as a person and as an athlete," Davies said in a statement released on his behalf.

"I continue to improve every day, and I look forward to getting back on my feet and attacking rehabilitation."

Davies underwent several surgeries to repair injuries suffered during the Oct. 9 crash, including a fractured femur and tibia in his right leg, a fractured elbow and facial fractures.

One of the doctors treating Davies told the Washington Post that the prognosis for Davies future looks good after he completes extensive rehabilitation.

What do you think of this news? Feeling a sense of relief? Confident he will make a surprisingly fast recovery? Still worried about him being able to regain his old form?

Share your thoughts below.

18 wins from 18 games, and the Akron Zips are the top-ranked team no matter where you look in the collegiate ranks. NSCAA and Soccer America both have the Zips on top, and the latest RPI released this week concurs. Having answered every question asked of them during the regular season, Akron now has a chance to run the table all the way to a NCAA championship.

The relatively weak MAC wasn't enough to punish Akron in the RPI, though it is still holding back other powers like UConn and Louisville. St. John's unranked in other polls, finds itself at 21 despite a rather lackluster 8-2-8 record. Connecticut and Louisville, both in the NSCAA top 10, sit at 32 and 34 in the RPI.

Once again, the ACC leads the way, with six teams sitting in the top 25. The Ivy League again represents well, and a highly-regarded Harvard team will have to back that come tournament time. Some of the surprising spots include Northwestern at the third spot -- how they are ranked ahead of the Tar Heels seems impossible to explain -- and the previously mentioned ranking of St. John's.

Here's a look at the top 25 from the latest RPI:

1. Akron, Mid-American (18-0-0)
2. Wake Forest, ACC (13-3-2)
3. Northwestern, Big Ten (10-3-4)
4. North Carolina, ACC (13-2-2)
5. UCLA, Pac-10 (10-3-3)
6. Indiana, Big Ten (9-8-1)
7. Virginia, ACC (12-3-2)
8. Harvard, Ivy League (12-3-1)
9. San Diego, West Coast (12-4-1)
10. Tulsa, C-USA (11-4-2)
11. Ohio St, Big Ten (10-4-4)
12. Duke, ACC (12-5-0)
13. Penn St, Big Ten (10-6-2)
14. Princeton, Ivy (8-5-3)
15. Loyola Marymount, West Coast (9-8-1)
16. Maryland, ACC (12-4-2)
17. Michigan St, Big Ten (10-6-2)
18. Stanford, Pac-10 (10-4-2)
19. Butler, Horizon (13-2-1)
20. Monmouth, Northeast (16-1-1)
21. St. John's, Big East (8-2-8)
22. San Diego St, Pac-10 (6-6-5)
23. Charlotte, Atlantic 10 (11-3-4)
24. Boston College, ACC (11-7-0)
25. North Carolina St, ACC (12-5-1)

What do you think of the latest rankings? Glad to see Akron holding the top spot? Can they extend their unbeaten run deep into the tournament?

Share your thoughts below.