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Soccer Saturday: Your Running Commentary

Robin Van Persie (Getty)

Arsenal has endured a rough start to the new Premier League season, but a busy transfer deadline day helped Arsene Wenger restock his roster, with the hope being the Gunners could re-load enough to stay a top four teams.

We will get our first chance to see whether the new Arsenal additions can help the Gunners get over the loss of Samir Nasri and Cesc Fabregas when they take on Swansea City today (10am, Fox Soccer Channel). The newly-promoted Swans came into the Premier League after showing off a high-flying attack in the League Championship, but have yet to score a goal through three Premier League games. On the bright side, Swansea has posted consecutive shutouts, but delivering a third will be a tough task at the Emirates.

There aren't the usual high-profile match-ups in Europe this weekend, which isn't a coincidence given the start of the Champions League group stage is this week, but there are still some enticing matches to watch. Stuart Holden could be in uniform for Bolton for the first time since suffering a broken leg last March as the Trotters take on Manchester United.

In Spain, Villarreal and Sevilla face off while Valencia take on Atletico Madrid. In Latin America, Cruz Azul faces Morelia in what should be an entertaining Mexican clash while Santos takes on Cruzeiro in a showcase of some of the best young Brazilian talent in the world.

MLS fans will be treated to some high-profile matches today, with Seattle taking on Real Salt Lake in the game of the week. On the opposite end of the playoff spectrum, Chivas USA and D.C. United clash in what could be seen as sort of an elimination game, with a loss striking a severe blow to one of these team's playoff hopes.

If you will be watching today's action, please feel free to share your thoughts, opinions and some play-by-play in the comments section below.

Enjoy the action (Today's TV schedule is after the jump):

TODAY'S SOCCER ON TV

9:30 a.m. - GOLTV - Borussia Dortmund vs. Hertha Berlin

9:30 a.m. - ESPN3.com - Bayern Munich vs. SC Freiburg

10 a.m. - Fox Soccer Channel - Arsenal vs. Swansea City

10 a.m. - Fox Soccer Plus/FoxSoccer.tv - Stoke City vs. Liverpool

10 a.m. - FoxSoccer.tv - Manchester City vs. Wigan Athletic

10 a.m. - FoxSoccer.tv - Everton vs. Aston Villa

10 a.m. - FoxSoccer.tv - Wolverhampton vs. Tottenham

10 a.m. - FoxSoccer.tv - West Ham vs. Portsmouth

10 a.m. - ESPN2/ESPN3.com - Sunderland vs. Chelsea

12 p.m. - ESPN3.com/ESPN Deportes - Real Sociedad vs. Barcelona

12 p.m. - GOLTV - Villarreal vs. Sevilla

12:20 p.m. - Fox Soccer Plus/FoxSoccer.tv - Coventry City vs. Derby County

12:30 p.m. - Fox Soccer Channel - Bolton vs. Manchester United

12:45 p.m. - ESPN3.com - Roda JC vs. FC Twente

1 p.m. - FoxSoccer.tv - St. Etienne vs. Lille

1 p.m. - FoxSoccer.tv - Ajaccio vs. Valenciennes

1 p.m. - FoxSoccer.tv - Bordeaux vs. Evian Thonon Gaillard

1 p.m. - FoxSoccer.tv - Caen vs. Toulouse

1 p.m. - FoxSoccer.tv - Dijon vs. Lyon

1 p.m. - FoxSoccer.tv - Sochaux vs. Lorient

2 p.m. - GOLTV - Real Madrid vs. Getafe

2:45 p.m. - Fox Soccer Channel/ESPN3.com - Cesena vs. Napoli

3 p.m. - FoxSoccer.tv - Marseille vs. Stade Rennes

4 p.m. - ESPN3.com/ESPN Deportes - Valencia vs. Atletico Madrid

4 p.m. - Telefutura - Sporting Kansas City vs. Houston Dynamo

4 p.m. - MLS Direct Kick/MatchDay Live - Seattle Sounders vs. Real Salt Lake

5 p.m. - GOLTV - Santos vs. Cruzeiro

6 p.m. - Univision - Queretaro vs. Pumas UNAM

6 p.m. - Azteca America - Cruz Azul vs. Morelia

7 p.m. - GOLTV - Nacional de Medellin vs. Santa Fe Bogota

7:30 p.m. - MLS Direct Kick/MatchDay Live - New York Red Bulls vs. Vancouver Whitecaps

7:30 p.m. - MLS Direct Kick/MatchDay Live - Philadelphia Union vs. Portland Timbers

7:30 p.m. – MLS Direct Kick/MatchDay Live - Columbus Crew vs. Toronto FC

7:30 p.m. - MLS Direct Kick/MatchDay Live - New England Revolution vs. FC Dallas

8 p.m. – Telefutura - Santos Laguna vs. Chivas de Guadalajara

9 p.m. - GOLTV - Dorados vs. Irapuato

9:45 p.m. - Galavision - Atlas vs. San Luis

10:30 p.m. - MLS Direct Kick/MatchDay Live - Chivas USA vs. D.C. United

10:30 p.m. - MLS Direct Kick/MatchDay Live - San Jose Earthquakes vs. Chicago Fire

Comments

  1. Clearly I’m too lenient to join the high caliber ranks of MLS referees!

    In all seriousness, I’ll concede the point. However, I honestly don’t think “brutal” is a fair word to describe Costly’s tackle. It may have been reckless, but it was in no way an intentional attempt to injure Myers.

    Reply
  2. I’d like to see them. I think it was ridiculous to call up Hamid. He ain’t at that level yet, but Johnson might be. Hamid has a lot to learn, and e really needs to develop softer hands, but he has good potential What Johnson has, though, is he’s a great shot-stopper.

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  3. Because RSL did not play very well. We got lucky with the missed PK and Keller gifting us the goal. I’m not sad we lost, I’m just meaning we got lucky. I didn’t say we didn’t deserve to win, I said Seattle definitely didn’t deserve the red card. But like you said, the first yellow on Beltran was questionable.

    Reply
  4. Pontius has been phenomenal. I hope he’s not seriously hurt, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s got a broken leg.

    Davies has be benifited tremendously from Pontius’ efforts. He’s bagged a hat-trick, but he should have four goals and an assist, if he’d been sharper..and less selfish.

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  5. I finally decided to find some hoffenheim highlights and I have not been disappointed. His passing this game and the way he turned those two players near the corner flag and then draw the foul against Augsburg is something to be excited about. I laugh when people try to put him as left back, when he’s really dangerous at AM or RM. Also, Williams looked good DM in the highlights. If they both play continuously in the middle together; they may knock out some established players out of the running. Something to keep an eye on.

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  6. He looks a talent, man. I’ve watched every one of his games this year, and he’s played extremely well. He’s somebody could immediately make a huge impact with the nats.

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  7. I hope someone, somehow, at some time, advises Mr. Vaughn to turn in his whistle. Errors are part of the game, but two egregious ones in as many minutes are part of a depressing pattern with this Center who needs to be put out to pasture.

    Reply
  8. What is this the NBA? We are only going to eject or more appropriately we’re going have to see MLS players get “fouled out”?

    And no you are wrong, it is very easy to not show your studs, you keep you foot on the damn ground, and if you need to reach higher or have momentum carrying you forward twist your damn foot so the top of your shoe not the sole is the one hitting the players foot and/or leg. Pull back damn it lots of times is the carelessness in which players launch themselves with that causes injuries and it happens even more on the follow thrus.

    If you’re going ot slide like that, try to not be RIGHT on the guys foot and don’t go in with your leg COMPLETELY flexed out like a sphere.

    What tha hell does history have to do with a dirty foul or careless one? So if you have had a good record you get a free pass? WTF? No, you are SUPPOSE TO play clean any way, that is the default minimum standard of a player, just because one abides by it for a while or most of their career or in a game doesn’t earn you a freebie.

    The whole “he has a history for being a diver/dirty player” can be over played, see Carlos Ruis who Philly now miss dearly. But the worst is when you start conditioning fouls on how if you haven’t fouled in a while you somehow are subject to more lenient refereeing?

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  9. Btw, LOVE RSL, and the fact that their colors are similar to my beloved Barca is no coincidence… HA

    Especially when they are “Real” team, with hints of a link to Real Madrid, which I believe existed at one point, even if superficial for minor PR move. but I never knew why people were so upset about it, there’s TONS of Real teams around the globe?

    But yeah good job, can’t wait to see Wingert get back in like 3 weeks max, and then in October Morales for the playoff push with an in form and experienced Gil now lol I just love the kids talent and also Alvarez and Paulo for depth I have a feeling RSL vs LA might be the West Final..

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  10. Well they do have a VERY deep front line, Sapong had some success as soon as Bunbury quiet down, and I believe scored on the opener vs Chivas USA, hell I think it was the 2nd or 1st SKC goal of the season? lol

    But Bravo, Kamara and even Zusi scoring from a midfield position have help make it competitive. Even Saad has 1 or 2 goals?

    Wonder what Ocho Cinco would of done….. lol kidding kidding!

    Reply

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