Around the World in 14 Days - Part II

Bryce is finally tackling the question of what you should do with all the money in the world and time to watch soccer matches anywhere in the world. His only rules: money is no object, jetlag aint no thang, only one game per country, one game per team, and no Arsenal involvement of any kind.

Click here for a look at Part I.

Day 8 - Tuesday, 26 Sept.
Benfica vs Manchester United in Portugal

It's Champions League Match Day 2, and while the trip to Romania for Steaua Bucuresti against Lyon was tempting, an early autumn visit to Portugal sounded even better. Benfica beat the visiting Red Devils in Lisbon on Match Day 6 last season to knock Sir Alex and his men out of Europe, much to the delight of United FC supporters, and well, just about everyone besides the Glazer-supporting red half of Manchester. Can Benfica repeat the magic? Will you witness Wayne Rooney finally score another Champions League goal (you know who was good at that was that Ruud van Something or Other....)?

Grudge matches are just good fun.

Games missed: Steaua vs Lyon, Arsenal vs Porto, and Lille vs AC Milan.

Day 9 - Wednesday, 27 Sept.
Werder Bremen vs Barcelona in Germany

How about a trip to northern Germany for more Champions League action? This match should tell us if Bremen have a fighting chance of competing in Group A with Barca and Chelsea. Klose and Co. are in need of a solid, bounce-back performance after a tough 2-0 loss in London on Match Day 1. The defending champs come in after cruising at home against Levski Sofia, looking to cement their position at the top of the group standings before their impending showdown with Chelsea. Will the desperate German side have enough to contain the (dare I say) improved side from Catalonia?

Good thing you'll be there to find out.

Games missed: Inter vs Bayern and Valencia vs Roma.

Day 10 - Thursday, 28 Sept.
PSG vs Derry City in France

In this match, the famed and (once) fancied Parisian side takes on the upstarts from Northern Ireland in the second leg of their UEFA Cup tie. To give some context for how greatly these clubs differ in stature, Derry City will be playing in a stadium that fits roughly 8 times as many fans as the Brandywell back home. After holding the French side to a scoreless draw in the first leg, Derry City will be looking for an upset special and a miraculous trip into the next round of the competition. And even if PSG blow them out, you're still in Paris, right?

Games missed: Palermo vs West Ham and Celta Vigo vs Standard Liege.

Day 11 - Friday, 29 Sept.
NEC Nijmegen vs SC Heracles in Holland

After a wonderful trip to the French capital, what could be better than visiting the oldest city in Holland? That's right, Nijmegen is considered the oldest city in the Netherlands, having celebrated its 2,000th year in 2005. I may not be a mathematician, but that's pretty old. And if that isn't enough to have you jumping on that KLM flight from Charles De Gaulle (and then that train ride from Amsterdam) a little early, how about this mind-blowing bit of trivia: Nijmegen is also purportedly the home of Karl Marx's mother, AND Eddie and Alex van Halen (I don't know how to verify either of these claims).

Did I mention the stop over in Amsterdam?

Games missed: Dortmund vs Hannover and Newcastle Jets vs Perth Glory (a very close second choice).

Day 12 - Saturday, 30 Sept.
Guadalajara vs America in Mexico

Admit it. You've always been a little curious what goes on down there in the one league with a more confusing league table and playoff system than MLS. And what could be better than checking out this duel between two of the biggest clubs in Mexico?

Chivas (the lesser-known sibling of MLS' Chivas USA) of course feature Mexican national team regulars Omar Bravo and Oswaldo Sanchez (he was that other guy on the FIFA 2005 box in North America). They will be hoping to stymie the mercurial and controversial Cuauhtemoc Blanco, undoubtedly the best Mexican footballer not to make the trip to Germany last summer.

Games missed: Los Angeles vs Chivas USA (it pains me to think of missing the Battle for the Toolbox, but I haven't seen the "other" Chivas play yet) and not much else.

Day 13 - Sunday, 1 Oct.
Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid in Spain

When Barcelona comes to town, it captures the attention of half the city. But in this local derby, there are no impartial bystanders. Real have brought in new faces (Reyes, van Nistelrooy, Cannavaro, Emerson) but still face the same problems (Lyon 2 - Real 0) in the Champions League. Will their new look squad translate to a return to the top of La Liga?

Atletico was also busy this summer, and most importantly, successfully fought off suitors from around Europe for the services of their young striker, Fernando Torres. Expect them to give their local neighbors all they can handle in the marquee match-up on a busy day of futbol in Spain.

Games missed: ManU vs Newcastle and Boca Juniors vs Velez Sarsfield.

Day 14 - Monday, 2 Oct.
Adelaide United vs Sydney FC in Australia

It's the last leg of the journey, and you've been teased enough by the mention of all those other intriguing fixtures Down Under. And while there's still no Dwight Yorke in Sydney these days, this game has several good things going for it: a few hours before and after the game in lovely Adelaide and a chance to take advantage of all the events surrounding "Small Business Month" happening in the city in October (I hear the free tax basics seminar is to die for), another cool stamp for your passport, and a seat for the pivotal battle for sole possession of third place in the league table.

I don't know about you, but I've got goose bumps.

Pics courtesy yahoo.com, castoroise.free.fr, terra.com, tankage.com, exzooberance.com, Bryce's Van Halen library, and Brian's personal collection. Care to share your thoughts on the itinerary? Email us about your ideas or your dream trip, either real or imaginary, here.