Chelsea and Arsenal play this weekend at Stamford Bridge. Will we talk about this match? Unknown - it's unclear where this evolving weekend preview will take us. (Photo: Newscom)

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While I could apologize for getting this article up late (and not writing since Monday), I think you will understand.  Heck, I'm sure you've noticed!  

So news has been happening.  And happening.  And when they're not happening, I've been consuming myself with dry-erase pitches: Xs, Os, and arrows.  And talking about it, after I'm done.

All along these last two days of activity in the soccer world, I've had this idea of my weekend preview piece:  

What if I wrote it for you in real time?

As I went league-by-league, what if I updated the article, then paused to say what you're talking about in the comments (if you're talking about anything at all)?  Then, I can take your queues as to what you want next, and we can get all new media interactive-y .

Please don't use "interactive-y."  Copyright's pending.

That aside, let's give it a shot.  Here is your interactive world club weekend preview.  Which leagues do you want to talk about?  Let me know, below, and that will help steer me to the next league which will be discussed in this article.

Also, watch for the poll to appear:  "Which match are you most looking forward to this weekend?"  We've got some great matches, particularly in England and México.  Before I can get up the poll, tell me where I should be looking.

And check back often, throughout the day, as this article expands.

Let's do this.

I am a bit shy about always starting in England, but when a league has the weekend's best matches, you have to bow down:

England:  Sunday's late game sees Arsenal (49 pts, 3rd place in league) going Stamford Bridge with their title aspirations in the balance.  Last week's 3-1 loss to Manchester United (53, 2nd) has them six back of Chelsea (55, 1st), with this Sunday's reverse being the last time the Gunners face either club they're chasing.  If Arsenal does not get three here, they not only fail to make-up ground (with the Red Devils playing last place Portsmouth), but they lose their last chance to directly take points from the leaders.

While the late Sunday match is garnering the most attention internationally, here in the States, the Merseyside Derby between Liverpool (41, 5th) and Everton (32, 9th) is seen as United States international Landon Donovan's first major test in Toffee blue.

A match being overlooked:  Aston Villa (40, 7th) and their visit to White Hart Lane to face Tottenham (42, 4th).  Not only does that stand to be a highly entertaining match with a number of interesting tactical match-ups, but the result could bring clarity to an increasingly entertaining but muddled race for fourth.

Burnley-West Ham

As sir ecles points out, the Burnley-West Ham match has particular value to the relegation fight.  West Ham has recently scraped its way out of a prolonged period in the bottom three while Burnley has fallen into the drop zone in the wake of Owen Coyle's departure.  This battle of claret and blue (the sides wear nearly identical kits) could turn on the health of Carlton Cole, who has recently returned to the Hammers after a long injury spell.  The England international forward is set to start.  He will be the best player on the pitch, but if he is not in form, Burley's adjustment to Brian Laws' style will determine how equipped they are to continue their strong play at Turf Moor, where they are 5-4-2 this season.

Italy:  Not to disparage an Internazionale (49, 1st) side that is starting to look as good on the pitch as they do on paper, but the stories in Serie A sit in third and fourth places.

Roma (41, 3rd) is the league's in-form side with a twelve match unbeaten streak that that has them even on points with Milan (41, 2nd).  This weekend, the Giallorossi go to Florence to face a mercurial Fiorentina (31, 11th) side which, despite technically being in the bottom half of the table, is only three points away from fifth place.  Will Champions League Viola show up?  Or, will we see the side that has only one point in their last three matches?

Right behind Roma is Napoli (38, 4th), who have quietly put distance between themselves and Juventus (34, 5th).  Napoli is on a fifteen match unbeaten streak, with their only loss in that time coming in the Coppa Italia to the Old Lady.  This weekend they go to Udinese to face a club only one point above relegation.  While Antonio di Natale has had a strong season (13 goals), he has not been able to the Bianconeri out of a surprise relegation scrap.

Spain:  This weekend's most interesting match-up may be a rematch/preview.

Huh?

Atlético Madrid (23, 13th) destroyed Racing Santader (24, 12th) mid-week in the first leg of their Copa del Rey semifinal.  At the Vincente Calderon, the Colchoneros Simão, Jose Reyes, and two from the spot via Diego Forlán to put the tie away before heading back to the Sardinero.

On Sunday, the sides will give a preview of Tuesday's second leg, facing off at Santander in Primera action.  Given their place in the table and the quick turnaround for Tuesday, each might take their league match with a grain of salt; however, with each still a couple of poor results away from a relegation battle, even Sunday couple be important.

Elsewhere, Barcelona (52, 1st) seeks to continue their under-covered, remarkable season against Getafe (31, 7th).

Barcelona undercovered?

They have not lost in league yet (16-4-0).  They've outscored their opponents five-to-one, allowing only 10 goals in 20 matches.

Why aren't we hearing about this more?

And finally, Villareal (26, 9th) and new coach Juan Carlos Garrido go to Mallorca (34, 5th) to face a Barralet-side clinging to the edges of Champions League qualification.

Germany:  The league's top three are starting to separate themselves from the rest of the Bundesliga, but with each on the road against bottom-table performances, a surprise slip will be particularly costly.

But don't expect Bayer Leverkusen (44, 1st), Bayern Munich (42, 2nd), or Schalke 04 (41, 3rd) to stumble.  The form guide for these teams tell of squads gaining their stride and focus, combining for a 13-2-0 record each's last five matches.

All three place at 6:30 pm. Eastern:  Leverkusen at Bochum (21, 14th), Munich at Wolfsburg (25, 11th), and Schalke visiting Freiburg (18, 15th).

France:  Bordeaux (48, 1st) continues their clinical dissection of Ligue Un at Stade Rennes in Saturday's late match.  Rennes has only allowed 19 goals in 22 league matches, no great problem for a Girondins side that has won (a remarkable) 10 (TEN!) 1-0 results in all competitions this season. 

They are six points ahead of a Montpelier side that is in for a crash.  The team's pedestrian +5 goal differential hints at a side that is going to return to Earth, eventually.  That's unlikely to happen this weekend, though, as they visit Bolougne (16, 19th).

Lille (40, 3rd) also visits a bottom-feeder, while Lyon (39, 4th) visits Toulouse (32, 10th).

Netherlands:  FC Twente (55, 2nd) has clawed back to even at the top of the Eredivisie, PSV (55, 1st) having previously, briefly created some breathing room.  While Eindhoven will likely get to 58 against ADO Den Haag (18, 16th), Twente goes to high-powered Ajax (46, 3rd), whose 60 goals scored 11 more than the next most prolific club in Holland.  Twente has allowed only 15 goals in 21 matches.

Turkey:  Besiktas (38, 5th) has already started the weekend with a 4-1 win over Glenclerbirligi (27, 10th).

The weekend's most important match sees second place Galatasaray (42, 2nd) visiting fourth place Kayserispor (38, 4th), riding a four match winning streak.  Of interest with Gala is the acquisition of Mexican international Giovanni dos Santos, on loan from Tottenham through May.  The last time dos Santos was under Frank Rijkaard's tutelage, he was posting a hat trick for Barcelona at the end of the 2007-08 La Liga season.

First place Fenerbahçe (43) plays the late match on Sunday, hosting Diyarbakirspor (19, 15th).

For more information on Turkey, check out a new English-language SuperLig podcast.

Portugal:  We are getting ever closer to a season where Porto (38, 3rd), for the first time since 2004-05, does not win Portuguese Liga.  Seven points behind first place Benfica in a league where the top two teams are rarely dropping points, Porto may already be out of time despite a Sunday match-up at the Dragão against Naval (18, 11th).

The club that can keep Benfica from the title is Braga (42, 2nd).  The most organized defense in Europe has allowed only six goals in 17 matches.  They go to bottom-dwelling Belenenses (11, 16th), who have only eight goals this season.

Braga is three points back of Benfica but have a match in hand, something that will persist while the Eagles visit Victoria Setubal (14, 13th) on Saturday.

Remember that five-to-one, Barcelona goal differential I was agape about (above)?  Benfica has the same.

Belgium:  The Jupiler League was all-but-decided on Wednesday when Anderlecht (54, 1st) got two late goals after Club Brugge's (45, 2nd) Ronald Vargas was controversially sent off, leaving the visitors short handed at the end of their 3-2 loss to the Purple and White.  With only eight match days left in the season and Anderlecht a thirteen match league winning streak, the fight for second becomes the focus while Anderlecht's attentions move to Europa League.

On Sunday, Brugge makes up their match-in-hand on Gent (41, 3rd) when they visit Zulte-Waregem (36, 4th).  Vargas, who came on as a substitute on Wednesday, will not be suspended for this match after the league deemed his straight red card was sufficient punishment for the challenge, only feeding into the disbelief Brugge supporters have felt since the midfielder was red carded and the club's first place aspirations evaporated.

Greece:  Continuing this week's theme, Panathinaikos has created space for themselves atop the league (see Internazionale, Anderlecht, Bordeaux).  Though they have been drawn the past two weeks, the leaders (49 points) are still six points clear of Olympiakos (2nd) and PAOK (3rd).

PAOK's recent form sees them as the most likely challenger for Super League title.  They're on six straight wins, are unbeaten in eight, and have not allowed a league goal since November 28:  762 minutes of match time.  They've allowed a Braga-esue eight goals in 20 matches.

This weekend, PAOK visits Iraklis (22, 12th), a side with goal scoring capability but the second-worst defensive record in the Super League.

While PAOK and Olympiakos (hosting 15th place Levadiakos) could still track down Panathinaikos, the interesting race in Greece is for fifth place - the final spot which qualifies for the four-team playoff for the league's Champions League qualifier spot.

Going into the weekend, AEK Athens sits in fifth on 30 points, unbeaten in five matches.  They host ninth place Xanthi (25 points) while pursuers Asteris Tripolis (29, 6th) are at Ergotelis (25, 8th).