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Soccer Saturday: Your Running Commentary

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Manchester City have started the English Premier League season undefeated, winning three and drawing three in the first six games of the campaign, but they still find themselves four points away from league leaders Chelsea, who are off to an unbeaten start of their own. On Saturday, City will have a chance to narrow that gap as both clubs are in action.

City host Sunderland in the first match of the day, and the Citizens will be looking to rebound from a draw with Borussia Dortmund at home in the Champions League during the week. Chelsea, meanwhile, will try to maintain its lead atop the EPL as they take on Norwich City.

In Germany, Bayern Munich returns to Bundesliga action after a shock 3-1 defeat to BATE Borisov. Munich remain perfect in domestic play, with six wins in as many matches. Today, they face a Hoffenheim side that could feature two American internationals in Fabian Johnson and Danny Williams.

Later tonight, the Superclasico will unfold in Mexico as Club America and Chivas de Guadalajara meet in the latest installment of their bitter rivalry. America find themselves in fourth place in the Liga MX, but Chivas are struggling in eleventh and have some work to do if they have postseason aspirations this year.

If you will be watching any of 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):

7:45am- ESPN2/ESPN3/ESPN Deportes- Manchester City vs. Sunderland

9:30am- GolTV- Bayern Munich vs. Hoffenheim

10am- Fox Soccer Channel/Fox Deportes- Chelsea vs. Norwich City

10am- FoxSoccer2Go- Swansea City vs. Reading

10am- FoxSoccer2Go- West Bromwich Albion vs. Queens Park Rangers

10am- Fox Soccer Plus/FoxSoccer2Go- Wigan Athletic vs. Everton

10am- beIN Sport en Espanol- Rayo Vallecano vs. Deportivo La Coruna

11am- Univision Deportes- Montpellier vs. Evian TG

12pm- beIN Sport/beIN Sport en Espanol- Chievo vs. Sampdoria

12:30pm- Fox Soccer Channel/Fox Deportes- West Ham United vs. Arsenal

1pm- MLS Live/MLS Direct Kick- Toronto FC vs. D.C. United

2pm- beIN Sport en Espanol- Real Valladolid vs. Espanyol

2pm- Univision Deportes- Lille vs. Ajaccio

2:45pm- beIN Sport- Genoa vs. Palermo

3:30pm- ESPN3- Benfica vs. Beira-Mar

3:30pm- MLS Live/NBC- New York Red Bulls vs. Chicago

4pm- beIN Sport en Espanol- Real Betis vs. Real Sociedad

5pm- beIN Sport- Real Zaragoza vs. Getafe (delay)

7pm- beIN Sport- Toulouse vs. Valenciennes (delay)

8pm- Fox Deportes- Club America vs. Chivas

8:30pm- beIN Sport- Real Murcia vs. Racing Santander (delay)

8:30pm- MLS Live/MLS Direct Kick- Houston Dynamo vs. Montreal Impact

9pm- MLS Live/NBC- LA Galaxy vs. Real Salt Lake

9pm- MLS Live/MLS Direct Kick- Colorado Rapids vs. SJ Earthquakes

11:59pm- FoxSoccer2Go- West Ham United vs. Arsenal (delay)

11:59pm- FoxSoccer2Go- Chelsea vs. Norwich City (delay)

Comments

  1. wouldn’t mind this, but I hope JJ is ready. the guy’s good, improves the team, and has shown that he can avoid being baited by the CONCACAF teams that try to get him to retaliate. he has to continue to do that and then he’s all good in that uniform imo, gets after haaaard

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  2. I agree, Jones usually plays at a higher level at Schalke than he does for the USMNT. But Schalke playes an exciting attack-oriented brand of soccer and pairs Jones with only one other DM and sometimes with a second Number 8, as Klinsmann is now describing Jones, who played very well in the Jamaica game in Columbus when Kliinsmann fielded a more offensive line-up. I think if Klinsmann stops the 3-defensive-midfield nonsense then Jones will start playing at the higher level we see him play for Schalke as one of the top defensive midfielders in the Bundesliga.

    And as a side note, everything I have said about Jones I think can be applied to Jozy, who also performs at a higher level for AZ then he has under Klinsmann. Klinsmann needs to do a better job of ensuring that guys like Jones and Jozy perform in a US shirt at the same high levels they perform for their clubs.

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  3. We are clearly watching two different games if you think Jones is the better/more important midfielder for the USMNT. He doesn’t perform even close to the level that he performs at Schalke and gives the ball away regularly. MB90 makes this team click with quality passing and good possession.

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  4. Mendes had magnificant goal, blasting past Guillermo Ochoa, to put Lille up 2-0 over some team called Ajaccio.

    BTW — DId anyone know Ochoa was playing in Ligue Une?

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  5. I don’t think you can blame the sale of 1 player on Bolton’s terrible play this season. Even if Tim Ream sucks, which is debatable, he hasn’t been playing, so you can’t blame Bolton’s poor play on him.

    They keep giving away penalties and they have a habit of conceding either right before or right after half time, which is probably mental. They switch off too early and don’t come out ready to play in the second half.

    They do have players coming back from injury, like Chung-Yong Lee, so once they’re up to starting again Bolton should improve.

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  6. We will find out tomorrow whether MB has recovered enough to dress for the Roma game and if he plays, Klinsmann will get a chance to judge his form. But after not playing since August, MB definitely will not be at 100% form. As for comparing Jones and MB, when both are healthy and playing regularly, I still think Jones is the better midfielder and more important to the USMNT at this point. But while Jones has almost certainly reached his peak, Bradley still has time to improve and it is possible he might surpass Jones at some point.

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  7. Coyle is not a good coach and they sold Cahill in January last year. His replacement was Tim Ream. Quite a big dropoff in quality.

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  8. I disagree that Jones being out is bad news as long as MB90 is good to go. It might force Klinsmann to go 4-4-2 with MB90 and Williams in central midfield flanked by Zusi and Donovan.

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  9. Tim Ream is on the bench for Bolton in the Champtionship. Does anyone have any explanation why Bolton is playing so poorly? I know Stu Holden is still out, but they were a mid table EPL team until they had a horrendous run of injuries last year and Ream played pretty well in his half season.

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  10. Williams looks like the genuine article in the center of that midfield. tough day with Ribery running at him. Seeing Johnson going forward is a thing of beauty.

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  11. FJ just missed getting sandwiched by two Bayern players, but he bailed out just in time and Muller caught a nasty elbow from his teammate.

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  12. Bad News: Jermaine Jones, who missed Wednesday’s Champions League game because of an injury Monday during training, did not dress again today for Schalke against Wolfsburg. News articles yesterday said Jones was expected to be back in the line-up. It is possible that Coach Huub Stevens is giving him more free time than normal so he can recuperate for USMNT duty on Friday, but I kind of doubt that. Stevens most likely would put club duty before country for an important game against Wolfsburg, coached by Felix Magath who was fired by Schalke and is hated by most Schalke players, including Jones, who played under him.

    Both Fabian Johnson and Daniel Williams starting for Hoffenheim against Bayern and here’s hoping both end the game injury free. With Jones and Bradley questionable for USMNT duty, looks like Williams has a good chance of starting next Friday (please as a DM, Jurgen, not as a right winger!).

    Reply

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