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Soccer Saturday: Your Running Commentary

JonesBayernSchalke (Bundesliga)

By JUSTIN FERGUSON

A loaded weekend of action from all over the soccer world kicks off today with several high-profile matches from Germany and England.

USMNT midfielder Jermaine Jones and Schalke 04 look to make it five straight wins across all competitions when they host second-place Bayern Munich. The defending champions of Germany and Europe are undefeated in league play under new manager Pep Guardiola, but they trail rivals Borussia Dortmund by two points heading into this weekend’s matches.

After their first loss of the season, a 2-1 Champions League defeat at the hands of Napoli, Dortmund eye a bounce back win against Timmy Chandler and struggling Nurnberg. Dortmund have five wins in five matches in the young Bundesliga season, so look for them to get it turned around against an early-season relegation favorite.

In England, Liverpool are at the top of the table with an undefeated start to their campaign. The league-leading Reds host Southampton, a side that defeated them 3-1 at St. Mary’s Stadium in their last meeting. The day’s EPL action will wrap up in West London, where Chelsea welcome local rivals Fulham to Stamford Bridge.

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):

7:45am – NBC Sports Network – Norwich City vs Aston Villa

9:30am – GolTV – Nürnberg vs Borussia Dortmund

10am – NBC Sports Network – Liverpool vs Southampton

10am – NBC Sports Live Extra – Newcastle United vs Hull City

10am – NBC Sports Live Extra – West Bromwich Albion vs Sunderland

10am – NBC Sports Live Extra – Everton vs. West Ham

10am – beIN Sport en Español – Real Sociedad vs Málaga

12pm – beIN Sport – Cagliari vs Sampdoria

12:30pm – NBC Sports Network – Chelsea vs Fulham

12:30pm – GolTV – Schalke 04 vs Bayern München

2pm – Univision Deportes – Montreal Impact vs Whitecaps

2pm – beIN Sport – Rayo Vallecano vs Barcelona

4pm – MLS Direct Kick – Toronto FC vs Sporting Kansas City

4pm – beIN Sport en Español – Real Valladolid vs Atlético Madrid

6pm – Univision Deportes – América vs Chiapas

7:30pm – MLS Direct Kick – New England Revolution vs DC United

7:30pm – MLS Direct Kick – Columbus Crew vs Chicago Fire

8pm – UniMás – Pachuca vs Santos Laguna

8pm – Univision Deportes – Atlante vs Pumas UNAM

9pm – MLS Direct Kick – Real Salt Lake vs San Jose Earthquakes

9:05pm – Telemundo – León vs Guadalajara

10:30pm – NBC Sports Network – Los Angeles Galaxy vs Seattle Sounders

Comments

  1. Lee Nguyen has some good skill with the ball. I wonder if he may get a call into a January camp? Not being a 2 way midfielder may be his hindrance as his offensive output, especially finding that pass is high percentage.

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    • Yeah.

      Incredible that while already on a yellow card, Collin managed to escape an incident where he intentionally elbowed someone in the head with only a foul and not the rightful ejection.

      And then the penalty not called? Crazy. And to further eject the coaching staff for complaining? Crazy.

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  2. Just to throw my two cents in, lets stop pretending every move to the EPL is a brilliant step up. While I understand it from the player perspective of simply getting a better salary, someone going to a terrible EPL team is going to struggle through no fault of their own. The EPL is not the end all be all of soccer and frankly, Jozy is better than Sunderland and should have gone elsewhere.

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  3. I spent almost the entire night finishing some work nonsense. Should have gone to sleep, but just as I was finishing the EPL games started. So here I am, still awake. Exhausted. Pointlessly watching a DVR replay of the Portland-Colorado game that didn’t really interest me enough to turn it on when it was live. But if anybody else saw this– have you ever seen anybody that you were less convinced would score than Ryan Johnson when he received the ball about 5 yards clear of everybody. He looked utterly terrified – as though you could actually see his brain considering switching careers entirely once he inevitable played the ball right into the keeper’s mitts. But he didn’t even get that far. Our old pal Marvell Wynne came sprinting full-stop from his normal, typically flawless position just outside the stadium parking lot and produced the challenge of the century. Well not really, but I applaud everybody bringing their best/worst to that moment. The headlines on SBI suggest that the Timbers won 1-0, but I think we can agree we are all winners for getting to enjoy that. No need to finish the DVR — I can now go to bed

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  4. What the heck was Di Canio doing standing in front of the Sunderland supporters after the game? That was bizarre, even for Di Canio.

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  5. Alright, someone explain to me how this Schurrle guy starts for Chelsea over Mata? I’m not a Chelsea fan, but I watched the Man U game and the Everton game. This guy is pretty subpar.

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    • Is it possible that Paolo di Canio looked more like an adult 15 years ago? Scoring badass goals will do that for you.

      Still it’s odd to see this thing he has been reduced to I heard Peter Crouch apologized for selling him his necktie collection — he just never expected to the guy to actually wear them himself. Per Crouch, Di Canio stated the neckties would be used strictly for strangling his enemies, and to a lesser extent, friends and family. Di Canio supported Crouch’s account of events and apologized, explaining that he used the ties over a period of the last three weeks during certain foggy episodes in which he entered a fugue-like state, during which he fought dragons, drank the blood of his enemies, slept on a stone slab at the bottom of a deep gorge, befriended dragons, and occasionally found himself coaching a football club in Sunderland, England.

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      • Jeez that was irrelevant. Oh dear… That wasn’t supposed to go in your thread.

        I suppose I should address your point before I excuse myself in embarrassment. I’ve probably watched Schurrle 5-6 times. I’ve never gotten it, either. I suppose he deserves a little more time, but the instinct is that German players are the new sexy item. Except the good ones all play for Bayern or Dortmund, or are stretching around the block to do so. As we saw in ManU-Leverkusen this week, there’s nothing new going on at Bayer these days (except perhaps Sami Hyypia– good for him). Same old respectable but defeatable side. Chelsea probably paid a premium based on the performance of two teams he has never played for. Whatever. Welcome to Europe– this is what’s fashionable now.

    • But…Schweinie header. The schalke in front of him missed his header and Jones wasn’t there to cut it off.

      And another goal while I type. Geeze

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  6. Sunderland observations …

    1) Midfield is REALLY bad. A complete lack of creativity … looks like footy 20 years ago at times.

    2) The squad is much better with Jozy in the side … that much is painfully obvious.

    3) PDC ain’t gonna last much longer.

    4) Sunderland was a bad choice for Jozy. It’s their style (or lack thereof) and their inept midfield. EPL was a good choice … just the wrong team.

    Reply
      • You think the struggles of the midfield to create anything or control the center of the pitch are a result of Jozy?

    • ” Sunderland was a bad choice for Jozy. It’s their style (or lack thereof) and their inept midfield. EPL was a good choice … just the wrong team.”

      What makes you think he had that much of a choice?

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    • I think you are overreacting. And by you, I mean everyone. It is still early. This was Ki’s second match and almost the entire team is new. We will see what happens. As long as Jozy plays, he will get an invaluable year of development in a top league. We already know he can score bushels of goals with proper service. It may actually be good for him to learn to nick his goals when he’s only given a half chance or two per match against world class defenses. It’s just too bad Fletcher aka Mr Glass went out again as they’ve looked like they work together pretty well in their limited time together.

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  7. Did Williams get on for.Reading today? Saw game for last 15 and did not see him. Also, missed Chandler turned that game on at the 75th minute not sure if he was on? If so how did each play. Readong won fairly easily and Nuremburg had a nice result with a draw against Dortmund.

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  8. That pre-game interview with Mourihno is hilarious. After getting off to the worst start in club ownership history, he has the gall to stand there and claim that Juan Mata has been dropped from the squad entirely because he isn’t consistent–yet has recently been a staple of Spain and was Chelsea’s best player last year.

    Mourihno is a spoiled little prick.

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      • His history might suggest that, but I think it’s even more. He’s an egoist of spectacular proportions.

        He stands there and hides behind claims of footballing reasons to hide his own narcissistic depravity.

        We can watch the games. I can see that Oscar does not provide the number 10 role that Mata has and can. He’s coaching and does what he wants, but I hate being lied to by a coach as if I’m stupid. Oscar is not a traditional 10. Mata is. Don’t tell me Oscar is a better 10 than Mata.

        He embarrassed himself in Spain to a point where he’s universally hated by not only Madrid fans, but Madrid staff and players.

      • Point taken but, you hate being lied to by coaches as if your stupid?? This problem isn’t exclusive to Jose…every coach in the world does that.

  9. I got two feelings…

    1.Jermaine Jones scores today against FC Bayern.

    2. Di Canio gets fired within the next 24 hours. Relgegation battle arleady on in September.

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    • also, i just noticed while watching MLS Insider that after EJ’s goal against Mexico, Jones either yells at Corona (who is on the ground) or asks him if he is ok. Meanwhile, Dempsey is helping the Mexican defender up.

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      • Watch carefully both corner kicks EJ headed on goal. In both cases, JJ is being absolutely manhandled by the defender and ‘keeper. I doubt he asked if Corona was okay.

  10. OK I stand corrected. My glass is now mostly empty on Sunderland and Jozy’s opportunities there. They don’t have the pieces. As many have said, the Midfield is horrendous. No creativity, no ideas, not much chance for improvement, even if they fire PDC.

    Wow. I hope I’m was right before, and wrong now, but….

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  11. Jozy has been good so far: good shot on goal that was blocked by a chest, then made a perfect header pass straight to Fletcher’s foot right in front of goal…and Fletcher skies it!! It gets better: Fletcher also hurts himself on the sitter and has to come out, which means Sunderland is down a man cuz they are out of subs. Jozy can’t get a break.

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  12. Fletcher leaves the match after missing a sitter. Sunderland down to ten men and WBA immediately scores on yet another unmarked rebound. Looks like we may never see Jozy and Fletcher together. Too bad. Jozy made a nice dummy run to help out the Fletcher chance.

    Reply
    • Whatever happened to the stodgy, stable, uninteresting Sunderland we know and love? Well, not love, but it would be better for Jozy than this mess.

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      • As long as he gets time on the pitch, it’s fine IMO. The team may come together or not but either way, Jozy will nick a few goals and will have another year in the BPL to develop his game. He will hit the WC in good shape and be able to put himself in the shop window with a good performance. I don’t think anyone will hold it against him if he doesnt score bushels of goals in a fallow system especially when PDC will turn in the sideshow we know he will.

      • I’m not convinced. Being stuck on a woeful team that can’t get the ball to him is not a healthy environment for a striker, especially one who is looking to keep his form and confidence up for a World Cup. Jozy is very strong both mentally and phsycially, but months and months of this is exactly the thing we don’t want to see for Jozy. The only thin worse would be benching, which also happens on poor teams looking to turn things around, especially when a new coach inevitably comes in. Overall, Jozy needs a goal ASAP.

      • Let’s assume Sunderland get a new coach in the next few weeks.

        Do you think they will sit Jozy?

        The transfer window is closed so who do you suppose can do a better job than him at this time?

      • Hes got two goals already. One in Cup play and one last week (albeit disallowed). If anything, this may be good for Jozy. You don’t think we will have situations in WC play where our midfield is bossed around and Jozy only gets a half chance and needs to find a way to turn in to his advantage? If he can learn to be consistently dangerous on those half chances against top defenses like he sees in BPL, he will be truly deadly. He also needs work on his aerial game and these are likely the toughest air defenses in the world. What better way to improve. He’s actually had two nice flicks the last two weeks.

  13. Down a goal, di Canio brings on Cattermole as his final sub. Why?

    Of course, moments later Fletcher gets hurt and has to leave. Down to 10, give up another goal moments later.

    What a wreck.

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      • “So he’s “injured” enough to not start, but he’s “injured” enough to come on in a losing, chaotic effort.”

        Dude, word of advice. You gotta stop watching replays of that Costa Rica game. You can spend your whole life trying to figure out solutions to these things. There are other things to do. For example, I just DVR’d the Sunderland game. Redemption time!

  14. 50/50 possession at WBA but WBA’s defense looks much tougher in the trenches. The goal came on very poor defending, allowing Anelka to sneak a foot in from behind to force the save and Sess left wide open in front of net to score the easy rebound. Ki looks good. Jonson and Giac are active though a bit wasteful on the wings. Fletcher and Borini entirely useless and invisible without service. Apparently neither has any hold up game or ability to make their own play whatsoever and they both want to simply collect service. it’s tough to have two guys like that on the field together. One of them has to at least try to do the dirty work Jozy does. People thought Jozy was unable to get involved in the first few matches but it’s obvious from watching this performance that Jozy is MUCH more involved and able to contribute without service than These two.

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  15. Meh the premier league doesn’t hold my attention when there aren’t any American fled players playing. Neither Guzan or Howard make me want to watch either.

    I am happy Guzan performed well though.

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  16. I’m also seeing things suggesting the report about Jozy’s injury is just a rumor that was spread this morning.

    We would have heard about an injury to Jozy if it happened earlier in the week.

    Di Canio is a clown.

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  17. according to espn (grain of salt, please)
    – parkhurst not dressed
    – dolo not dressed (injured still, i guess?)
    – chandler starting in defense
    – fabian starting in midfield
    – ream starting in midfield
    – lichaj starting in defense

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    • Spector continuing his starting streak at Birmingham. Not that he should necessarily be in the mix, but he was the right back during that confederations cup run four years ago. Ok ow it’s not four years ago (see CD9 🙁 )

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  18. Guzan was outstanding. Early penalty save, amazing save in the 89th to tip a sure goal over the bar, and caught absolutely everything that came in his area.

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      • PDC was compared to Verbeek because they are both taskmasters, but the difference is that Verbeek is always consistent and clear in communicating what he needs to see from each player while PDC comes across like a fickle, mercurial mental patient. Oh well, there’s nothing to do about it now other than to keep his head down and keep working and hope things sort themselves outta the Stadium of Light. It seems a silly move by PDC considering how good Jozy was last week while Borini turned in an exceedingly selfish and stupid shift in which he just kicked the ball as hard as he could in the general vicinity of the net every time he got the ball regardless of whether he actually had anything remotely resembling a look at goal. It’s pretty odd to say, “hey, my player was robbed of a goal” one moment and then bench him the next, but that’s PDC.

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