After two days without soccer games to watch, a soccer fix is on the way in the form of today’s Boxing Day clashes in the English Premier League.
Manchester United saw their lead atop the English Premier League reduced to four points after a disappointing draw against Swansea City, and they will need a win against struggling Newcastle United to avoid losing even more ground to a surging Manchester City. The Citizens travel to Sunderland today, a place that has been tough for them to take points from in recent year.
American fans are in for a treat in the afternoon, with Brad Guzan and Eric Lichaj look to help Aston Villa regroup from their 8-0 shellacking against Chelsea by beating Clint Dempsey and Tottenham (Dempsey is out with a groin injury). The last match of the day features Geoff Cameron and Stoke City taking on Liverpool.
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 Soccer TV schedule is after the jump):
TODAY’S SOCCER ON TV
10am- ESPN2.com– Manchester United vs. Newcastle United
10am- Fox Soccer Channel– Sunderland vs. Manchester City
10am- Fox Soccer Plus– Norwich City vs. Chelsea
10am- FoxSoccer2Go– Everton vs. Wigan Athletic
10am- FoxSoccer2Go– Fulham vs. Southampton
10am- FoxSoccer2Go– Queens Park Rangers vs. West Bromwich Albion
10am- FoxSoccer2Go– Reading vs. Swansea City
12:30pm- Fox Soccer Channel– Aston Villa vs. Tottenham
2:45pm- Fox Soccer Channel– Stoke City vs. Liverpool
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Bobb,
Have you seen Brooks play and what can you tell me about why USMNT fans are so excited about?
Watched a full 90 of Stoke today.
Cameron really impressed. I thought he was really stout defensively, and even contributed offensively when the opportunity presented itself.
My only, albeit picky, concern- his getting accustomed to playing right back, and our needing him at center half for the national team. Am I worrying for no reason?
It’s not ideal, but as long as he plays well at Stoke, and plays well at CB with the national team, it’s hardly a major worry. Now, who sill partner with him at CB, THAT is a worry. I think we should have spent the last two years finding replacements for Boca and Dolo for 2014, but Klinsmann has wasted much of that time. We’re fine at fullback despite that, but non-Cameron-CB is our biggest issue. Hopefully Omar Gonzalez and John Anthony Brooks can make that issue go away in the next six months….
The Potters are on a 9 match unbeaten streak. It’s not pretty soccer, but they looked dangerous in a few of them.
Nice!! Stoke up 3-1 on Liverpool and Stoke fans chanting U S A everytime Cameron touches the ball!!
Nice. The Stoke defense is stout. Cameron has done his part to help this.
Stoke ties it at 1. Long ball over the top headed on by Jones, Skrtel goes down and Walters finishes it.
Cameron gets a yellow in the fourth minute for a foul on Lucas… should not have been a yellow
Cameron and Stoke down 1-0 in the first minute…Suarez fouled by Shawcross in the box…Gerrard converts the PK
Klinsmann shall furthermore direct anyone calling for Lichaj to this game.
Poor Brad. He has 12 saves in two games… and they’ve still given up 12 goals. Think about that.
… Did you guys really not realize that Lichaj was on the bench today?
That was kind of my point, sort of tongue in cheek like he can’t even make the pitch for a team this bad.
Yes, your right Lichaj looked really flat on his feet over there on the bench.
He didn’t do a very good job, sitting on the end bench defending the water cooler and tackling anyone who came by.
Klinsi is right. Lichaj isn’t ready. He was nowhere to be found on any of the goals.
That was a joke, right?
Yes, obviously, considering Lichaj didn’t play and Villa’s defense got humiliated once again.
It’s as much of a joke as Lichaj getting the blame for their 8-1 loss, when he left in the 57th minute with Villa having conceded 3 goals and they gave up 5 more after he left the game.
Oh my lord. Villa defense completely invisible. Poor, poor Guzan.
3-0, Bale completely unmarked at the penalty spot…Guzan didnt have a prayer…
I think Friedel is feeling Guzan’s pain right now. He’s sitting just behind AVB, and is cringing a little just before he gives a golf clap for each of TottHotS goals…
Poor Guzan. Villa doesn’t even look like they’re trying to defend. Spurs running rampant now
From the Guardian minute-by-minute report after Bale hit his 3rd and Spurs go up 4-0:
What has Guzan done to deserve this?
Mr. Ref,
“What has Guzan done to deserve this?”
“This” is a great opportunity for Brad.
He is he only Villa player everyone talks about and it’s usually in glowing terms.
Of course if it gets too ridiculous then he might get shell shocked but that seems unlikely. He is now getting to demonstrate his skills at the highest level short of the Champions League. If he keeps it up even if Villa get relegated he isn’t going down with them.
He needed to do something to take Howard’s job and this is as good a showcase for him as any. If the US makes the 2014 World Cup and wants to make some noise they will need a great keeper display.
First goal it looked like the right back failed to track Defoe and the CB’s kept him on.
Second goal terrible defense by Villa on the counter. One could blame the center back for an awful give away and the right back even more for not just clearing it.
Lichaj’s not the only problem in the Villa defense seems like their’s a lot of blame to be shared.
benteke finally stays on, and then starts the TH counter. villa is really playing now, and they’ve apparently allowed the crowd into the stands for the second half…but, you had to worry that they’d let this attacking style get to their heads, and forget that the likeliest way to get a result against this superior team is the way they were playing in the first half.
here come the goals …
2-0…..several horrible plays by Villa lead to Bale walking in alone on Guzan…Guzan was a little indecisive as to whether or not to come out on Bale, but this one could get ugly again…
i want to say guzan has to do better there…but bale was wide open, sprinting, with a square pass. a little hesitation and he pushed the ball forward again past the keep. i think it would have frozen any top goalie, or at least left them scored on.
When a player goes in alone on a keeper that player should score.
If he doesn’t it’s a victory for the keeper.
If he does you can’t blamer the keeper.
I disagree about Guzan being indecisive. It was a 3-1 situation, Guzan stayed on his feet as long as he could, trying to make Bale uncomfortable and force him into taking a bad shot. Had Guzan played it more aggressively Bale could have simply slipped it in to Adebayor for an easy tap in. Guzan make a sound decision, Bale was just able to keep his composure.
Sometimes you have to be creative to find fault in the american player and point it out to everyone.
Sorry for the shot Adam – couldn’t resist, Happy Holidays
Guzan finally beaten…1-0 Tottenham
I think Friedel is feeling Guzan’s pain right now. He’s sitting just behind AVB, and is cringing a little just before he gives a golf clap for each of TottHotS goals…
I think Villa has had more possession in the first five minutes of the 2nd half than they had the entire first half.
Guzan doing very well.
Said the announcer, “At half time, it’s Brad Guzan nill, Tottenham nil.”
he’s been great! his communication is really good. i hope he can somehow finish with this clean sheet.
Have to feel for the guy. Sure, he could have saved one of those goals, maybe, on a perfect day. But you can’t fault the keeper entirely if the field players can’t pass, can’t control psoession, and take mental naps.
Just tuned in to AVvTH and saw 15 corners to none for Tottenham in the 40th minute. Wow, Guzan must be getting hammered once again.
Villa is just awful. Guzan is the only one holding them together.
Guzan keeping Villa in the game again. Villa has had maybe 25% of the possession and being outshot 7-0 so far.
Guzan has been incredible so far today. Spurs could easily be up 2-0 or 3-0 right now with a lesser keeper in net.
Harry Redknapp on the BBC website, “We didn’t deserve to lose that game today. No way,”
Boing, Boing Arry!
Everton win 2-1 and move into Champions League place.
YANK DISASTER! neither Dempsey nor Lichaj are starting. And damn, I based my whole day around this game!
Guzan’s starting.
🙁 me too. friedel on the bench, but no demps. guess that groin must be hurt fairly badly.
Deuce missed sunday with a groin problem and Lichaj is out with the blame for sunday’s debacle against chelsea.
sorry Dainja. Hopefully you watched the Man Utd – Newcastle game and Guzan looks like a world class keeper against Spur’s anemic attack.
I think the return to full fitness of Joe Bennett has more to do with Eric’s absence than his performance this past weekend.
And you called it! 10th minute, Guzan makes a great save on a wicked Bale shot.
Chicarito with a possible winner here in the 90th minute. 4-3 United. Whatta game.
Evra equalizes for United. A shot from outside the 18 finds its way into the back of the net. May have taken a deflection on the way in. Missed the replay.
Tim Ream in the starting 11 today.
And will be going the full 90 as Bolton’s used all their subs now. They’re losing 1-0, though.
Ream was destroyed on that goal. It was bad. I hope he can move on this week and keep fighting.
According to the Tottenham website Brad Friedel agreed to a one year extension.
Do we know if Dempsey is starting?
give it another 15 min and we’ll know
Marveaux takes a thunderous free kick that smacks off the bar and out. Still 2-1 Newcastle.
Bit on controversy now. Own goal by Evans. Demba Ba shot on goal and Evan scuffed the clearance and it went in United’s net. The AR raised his flag because Cisse was in a offside position next to Evans. Head ref overruled the AR and gave the goal. Tough decision.
United even with Newcastle. Set piece leads to a mess in front of goal where Johnny Evans puts it in back of the net after a save by Krul on Chicarito.
“Keep calm and pass me the ball.”
Chicarito played a bullet to Carrick. Carrick can’t control loses it to Demba Ba. Ba takes a shot and De Gea parries right into the path of Perch I believe. Quite a comedy of errors by United.
Nice save De Gea. Terrible goalkeeping
Newcastle scored in the 4th min against the Red Devils. Why is Carrick still at Man U?
It’s days like this, at the office and nearly alone, that having a foxsoccer2go subscription really pays off.