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Soccer Tuesday: Your Running Commentary

Mario Balotelli AC Milan (Getty Images)

By FRANCO PANIZO

From high-profile Champions League games in Europe to an intriguing match stateside with plenty at stake, there’s something for every American soccer fan to watch on Tuesday.

The afternoon’s slate of fixtures is littered with interesting battles and a few of them will pit some of the biggest clubs in Europe against one another. There’s Borussia Dortmund’s clash with Olympique Marseille, Ajax’s battle with AC Milan and Celtic’s tilt with Barcelona, mouth-watering match-ups that will attract plenty of eyeballs in the U.S. and world wide.

At night, D.C. United will look to pull off a massive upset again Real Salt Lake in the U.S. Open Cup final at Rio Tinto Stadium. Not much has gone right for United this season in league play, but they can somewhat redeem themselves by picking up some hardware against an in-form RSL side determined to win the 100th edition of the tournament in front of its home crowd.

If you will be watching any of today’s games, please feel free to leave your thoughts, play-by-play and analysis in the comments section below.

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

12:00pm – Zenit vs. Austria Vienna– Fox Soccer Plus/Fox Deportes

2:45pm- Basel vs. Schalke 04– Fox Soccer 2Go

2:45pm- Steaua BucureÅŸti vs. Chelsea– Fox Soccer 2Go

2:45pm- Borussia Dortmund vs. Olympique Marseille– Fox Soccer 2Go

2:45pm- Arsenal vs. Napoli–  Fox Soccer Plus

2:45pm- Porto vs. Atlético Madrid– Fox Soccer 2Go

2:45pm- Ajax vs. Milan– Fox Sports Net

2:45pm- Celtic vs Barcelona– Fox Deportes/Fox Soccer 2Go

9pm- Real Salt Lake vs. D.C. United– GolTV

Comments

    • Only saw the second half but man xolos were dreadful. Gomez looked like a island out there, even with a strike partner. Absolutely no creativity. I liked coronas defense of work but you can tell he’s a little confused on when to go up field. Castillo and Ariola were very good going forward, with much of the attack coming down Castillos left flank

      Reply
  1. Wow,Ozil is amazing. I don’t think I gave him enough credit at Madrid, but you see when Ronaldo wanted to keep. He does things while making it look effortless.

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  2. I posted recently how valuable a #10 type of play-maker can be to a team. Ozil. Nuff said. Ronaldo’s comments about how valuable Ozil it. Nuff said. This link says plenty:

    http://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/season=2014/matches/round=2000479/match=2011786/postmatch/report/index.html#ozil+leads+arsenal+victory+against+napoli

    For the USMNT Donovan is that #10 player play-maker, but Donovan WILL ACTUALLY score more goals than Ozil will while playing the same role.

    All opinions welcome:

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    • I really hope you’re not insinuating Donovan is better than Ozil.
      If Ozil played for the Galaxy he would score way more goals than Donovan.
      In the national team Ozil has Gomez, Klose and Kruse to finish his plays. Donovan has Altidore.
      Donovan play in MLS
      Ozil plays in the EPL.
      What’s your point?

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      • Donovan’s goal scoring prowess speaks for itself. He is a better goal scorer than Ozil, who is a great playmaker who gets the occasional goal. He is not a great finisher. Donovan has scored at every level. But this is a silly argument. It’s just a thing of beauty to see Ozil on the ball. He has his Arsenal teammates thinking they are all equally as good. Aaron Ramsey the new Gareth Bale.

      • Donovan will score more goals than Ozil playing the same role. That is the point. Did not say anything about MLS or Bundesliga or this or that player is better than the other. This team has that player as a forward. You read too much into it. You insinuated. Make your own original post.

    • The only thing I may be insinuating is Donovan needs to play this role for the rest of the qualifiers and into the World Cup. He could be a valuable offensive hub.

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  3. The red in the Barca game was a joke and Balo’s dive in the Milan game was disgraceful. Dortmund with a nice bounce back performance after their one against Napoli two weeks ago. If Arsenal can take care of things at home in the next two games they will be through more than likely.

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      • to be fair, the fact that the internet is debating this on every soccer website right now shows there was nothing “clear” about that call.

      • I guess the joke is more about Neymar’s reaction to the love tap, he was barely touched and acted as if he was being tortured.

      • Just to further clarify, kicking out like that is stupid and probably deserves a red. However acting like youve just been stabbed and writhing in pain is a joke when all that happened is you barely got kicked.

  4. Barca fans/players are seriously some of the biggest babies in the game. unbelievable. i was expecting to see Neymar taken the F out and he was hardly touched and pulled out his best Busquets “Sniper” impression.

    Celtic v. Barca is an awful game anyway.

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  5. Scott Brown intentionally kicks Neymar after fouling him on the fast break. Yellow card followed by a straight red card.

    Pathetic joke of a team.

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  6. Jeez Celtic are a bunch of thugs. No wonder the SPL has such an awful reputation. If THIS is your top team? Elbows everywhere. Late cheap shots. Shoves.

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  7. Whitbread with a goal in his debut with Derby County against Ipswich. At least I think it’s his debut. Derby are down 1-3 in the 20′ however.

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