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Soccer Sunday: Your Running Commentary

RomaLazio (Getty)

As far as intense rivalries go, you can't find many more intense than the Rome Derby.

Roma and Lazio always produce some of the most intese matches in Europe, and today should be no different as the Serie A powers collide. Both teams have gotten off to slow starts in league play, and are currently tied on points, but today's derby could help catapult one of them up the standings.

In England, surprising Newcastle will look to keep riding an unbeaten start as the Magpies take on Tottenham in a key clash.Arsenal is also in action today as the Gunners look to knock off Sunderland to start their climb back up the Premier League standings.

Looking for some Americans to watch play? You can look no further than Serie A, where Michael Bradley and Chievo play host to Juventus, while Steve Cherundolo and Hannover take on FC Cologne.

In MLS, the 'SuperClasico' doesn't have much on the line, but when the Galaxy and Chivas USA meet, there always seem to be fireworks of some kind.

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

8 a.m. - FoxSoccer.tv - Birmingham City vs. Leicester City

8:30 a.m. - Fox Soccer Plus/FoxSoccer.tv - Arsenal vs. Sunderland

9 a.m. - Fox Soccer Channel/ESPN3.com - Chievo Verona vs. Juventus

9 a.m. - ESPN3.com - Genoa vs. Lecce

10 a.m. - ESPN3.com/ESPN Deportes - Real Zaragoza vs. Real Sociedad

11 a.m. - Fox Soccer Channel - Newcastle vs. Tottenham

11 a.m. - FoxSoccer.tv - Ajaccio vs. Paris-St. Germain

11 a.m. - FoxSoccer.tv - Valenciennes vs. Sochaux

11:30 a.m. - ESPN3.com - FC Cologne vs. Hannover 96

12 p.m. - DirecTV - Levante vs. Malaga

1 p.m. - Azteca America/ESPN Deportes - Puebla vs. Queretaro

1 p.m. - Telemundo - Pumas UNAM vs. Atlas

2 p.m. - GOLTV - Palmeiras vs. Fluminense

2:45 p.m. - Fox Soccer Channel/ESPN3.com - Lazio vs. Roma

3 p.m. - Fox Soccer Plus/FoxSoccer.tv - Stade Rennes vs. Lorient

4 p.m. - GOLTV - Sevila vs. Sporting Gijon

9 p.m. - ESPN/ESPN3.com - Los Angeles Galaxy vs. Chivas USA

Comments

  1. I don’t watch a whole lot of it, but I just did watch Lazio-Roma and will say it was a pretty exciting finish, for what that’s worth! ha

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  2. Is there a more boring big league in any professional sport than Serie A? Pretty much all 0-0 draws, and close to unwatchable. And the attendance reflects that: most of the games seem to be getting like 10-15k.

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  3. Was subbed in and looked good to my uneducated eye. I believe that they said he is a regular starter but came late from international duty, but don’t quote me on that.

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  4. I’ll never understand comments like these. “He does seem better than other options now”. I have news for you, MB has been our most intelligent, composed, hard-working, and accomplished center mid for quite some time.

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  5. I don’t know that that was the case – I never thought Clark or Edu (the realistic options at the time) were better than him. I thought he was clearly in the small group of players in the last cycle who were automatic: Donovan, Dempsey, Gooch (preinjury), Dolo, Boca. I didn’t see the argument that Bradley was not among that group.

    That said, he needed to get better. He shows every sign of responding. The difference the last two games between the first half (when he sat) and the second when he played was plain to see. Doesn’t mean he’s the new Patrick Viera. It just means he’s our best choice and has been for awhile

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  6. I’m just glad he’s had a period when his place on the field with the USMNT was not guaranteed. He does seem better than other options now, but he was never so good as to be assured of 90 minutes every game. Now he’s fighting for it and appears to be winning.

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  7. Agreed 100%. I watched the entire match. In fact, over the last 30 mins, Juve seemed to get flustered and had real trouble getting any scoring chances. Chievo was actually more dangerous over the last 30 mins (Juve had to clear the ball off of the line off a MB corner). Chievo will be a difficult match for any team in Serie A. Well organized and very good off of the counter…their strikers have enough technical ability to cause some trouble.

    As for MB, a solid 90 mins. Played disciplined and organized. Defended well and got better as the game went on. Did nothing flashy, but was solid.

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  8. Brilliant finish to Tottenham-Newcastle, a draw seemed to be the right result.

    I can’t believe Argentina can’t use Coloccini considering the state of their defense. He made about five or six tackles to break up goal scoring chances and/or goals.

    The referee had a great game, I think. He used his assistants well, and kept the game under control. He also got the penalty decisions right. It was a clear penalty which he gave, and he was right on the noncall for the handball. I only saw one replay, and his arm was tight to his body, if he even hit it with his arm. The only way it’d be a penalty is if the player cradled it between hand and body, and it didn’t look like it.

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  9. Bradley had two passes early that were too weak and did not reach their target. (This was epidemic among his teammates however.) After that, I thought he was their best player the rest of the first half and was at least their most active in the second.

    The game was not an advertizement for Serie A by any means. More whistles than a strip club, players looking at the ref like little boys pleading with their mothers, and more camera time for the center ref than any player. But Chievo was obviously playing for a tie. Serie A is seldom fast paced, but it is often intelligent, tense and highly strategic. As a national team, we need players experienced in every type of game. Which is why I for one wish their were more Yanks in Serie A.

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  10. Five of six ended 0-0, something wrong in Serie A.
    Jose Mourinho must be salivating. Will someone with imagination and ambition please stand up.

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  11. So, there were six Serie A games that kicked off at 9AM (EST).

    Five of them ended 0-0.

    Bologna was kind enough to beat Novara 2-0.

    Kind of glad we don’t have more Yanks in this league. Bleh…

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  12. MB looked steady and cool in the first half. While he’s not as inventive or exciting as the other Chievo mids (like Hetemaj), he fits well with the organized pressing Chievo defense. And he gets forward now and then. And Chievo’s doing well with MB starting – I like it!

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  13. Not exactly pulsating stuff Chievo v Juve. MB w a nice touch to a teammate who punts the ball to nowhere. His touches, while not creating attacking opportunities, certainly look appropriately weighted and within Chievo’s scheme.

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