Photo by Ben Queenborough/ISIPhotos.com
By JUSTIN FERGUSON
A top-three clash in the English Premier League highlights a busy Soccer Saturday of action from all over the world.
First-place Arsenal look to continue their recent success against third-place Liverpool, who are led by one of the hottest goalscoring tandems on the planet. Daniel Sturridge and Luis Suarez have outscored more than half of the league’s clubs by themselves this season, but they will face a tough test against an Arsenal team they have not beaten in league play since August 2011. The league leaders would love to get all three points Saturday before next week’s road matches at Borussia Dortmund and Manchester United.
In other EPL action, second-place Chelsea are on a six-match winning streak across all competitions heading into their visit to up-and-down Newcastle United. Elsewhere, Fulham host a Manchester United squad trying to turn their season around, and Manchester City welcome a struggling Norwich City squad to Ethiad Stadium.
Over in the Bundesliga, first-place Bayern Munich face a trip to face a Hoffenheim squad capable of scoring and/or allowing a multitude of goals each match. In Spain, Real Madrid will follow up their seven-goal explosion earlier in the week with a trip to Rayo Vallecano, who have allowed the most goals in La Liga this season. Finally, in Italy, AC Milan look to end their winless skid against Giuseppi Rossi and sixth-place Fiorentina.
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):
8:45am – Newcastle vs. Chelsea – NBCSN
9am – U17 World Cup – Argentina vs. Cote d’Ivoire – ESPN3
10:30am – Hoffenheim vs. Bayern Munich – GolTV USA
11am – Fulham vs. Manchester United – NBC Sports Network
11am – Hull City vs. Sunderland – NBC Sports Live Extra
11am – Manchester City vs. Norwich City – NBC Sports Live Extra
11am- Stoke City vs. Southampton – NBC Sports Live Extra
11am – West Bromwich Albion vs. Crystal Palace – NBC Sports Live Extra
11am – West Ham United vs. Aston Villa – NBC Sports Live Extra
11am – Real Sociedad vs Osasuna – beIN Sport en Español
11am – St. Mirren vs. Ross County – Fox Soccer Plus
12pm – U17 World Cup- Uruguay vs. Nigeria – ESPN3
12pm- Rennes vs. Olympique Marseille – beIN Sport Play
1pm – Almeria vs. Real Valladolid – beIN Sport en Espanol
1pm – Parma vs. Juventus- beIN Sport USA
1:30pm – Arsenal vs. Liverpool – NBC
1:30pm – Eintracht Frankfurt vs. Wolfsburg – GolTV USA
1:45pm – Ajax vs. Vitesse – ESPN3
3pm – Rayo Vallecano vs. Real Madrid – beIN Sport USA/beIN Sport en Español
3pm – Ajaccio vs Valenciennes – Univision Deportes
3pm – Olympique Lyon vs Guingamp – beIN Sport PlayÂ
3:45pm – Milan vs. Fiorentina – beIN Sport Play
3:45pm – Napoli vs. Catania – beIN Sport USA
3:45pm – PSV Eindhoven vs. PEC Zwolle – GolTV USA
5pm – Sevilla vs. Celta Vigo – beIN Sport en Español
7pm – Veracruz vs. Monterrey – Univision Deportes
7pm – Cruz Azul vs. Morelia – UniMas
8pm – New England vs. Sporting KC – NBC Sports Network
9pm – Tigres UANL vs. Club Leon – Univision Deportes
10pm – Seattle Sounders vs Portland Timbers – NBC Sport Network
11pm – Chiapas vs. Santos Laguna – Univision Deportes
If SKC gets eliminated, does Vermes lose his job? There’s a lot of talent on that squad to come up empty yet again.
Not so sure there is as much talent on SKC as there is on NE,….Ngyen, Rowe, Fagundez, Goncalves, Reis? Think you might have it backwards?
yeah…I agree with BrianK. NE has more overall talent. but they are younger. That being said, SKC should win.
I can understand the SKC supporters being upset. That’s very normal in a big match that has a bunch of questionable calls. The MLS bashing is getting to be a bit much, though. I’ve seem much worse officiating and much worse announcers. SKC plays a conservative style, so the game was not a gem, but neither are most Chelsea matches, and the lines? Who really cares about the lines? Whatever. The league is growing and had a great year, but they can’t compete with the NFL. There’s no shame in that. Not a fan of the over the top MLS bashing. It’s not perfect, but it’s getting a heck of a lot better.
Seattle was outdone for ugliest surface on which to watch a soccer match played by only a few minutes before taking back the title.
Go Seahawks!!! Classy!
I must say,…I love the football lines. They really add to viewing experience. Makes the game look world class.
How long can it take to roll out the carpet? I can’t believe they don’t have enough time between the end of the game tonight and a 4:05 local time game tomorrow. What am I missing here? They didn’t want to pay overtime? Is it painted fresh every week? I thought there was a different surface for the Sounders and the Seahawks.
Did I mention how much I like the NFL logo on the due of the box? What a sh$tshow!
Seahawks are down 1-0!!!
The Seahawks have to do better when they are in the Red-Zone!
The Seahawks need to pay Eddie Johnson! Now!
How can the referee be sure that when he puts the shaving cream on the 15 yard-line to mark the ball,….and then puts the shaving cream on the 5 yard-line,….that he has actually marked 10 yards?
Man,…EJ really needs to get paid. He should run toward the camera and rub his fingers together. Alternatively,…he could ask Clint Dempsey to lend him a few bucks. Go Seahawks!
Frighteningly horrid display of playoff soccer. The gridiron lines, the amateurs calling the game, the s**t surface. Flashback to MLS v.1. To add insult to injury, Revolution win the match increasing the odds of having to go through the same crap next week. Even in Seattle the experience is ruined. I hate the NFL.
I live in NE… sorry to say that these guys have been this bad all season long. Absolutely brutal to listen to. My apologies to the national audience that had to watch this.
“I’m not sure if there’s an elbow there.”
Wait, what? Is this for real? Nobody can be this big of a homer.
Seriously, painful to watch that match for so many reasons.
Agreed.
I was stoked for the playoffs. Not to dabble in some hyperbole, but that made me not very interested.
I might agree with Lee Ngyun there.
Done. Done watching. Goodbye MLS.
For a commentator to agree with a player complaining for getting booked after coming in a full second late with studs high and hitting a player into the advertising boards.
I just can’t. Just freaking can’t watch this.
Not getting my rating number, however small it is. F*** this.
Sorry,…but Ngyen didn’t touch him!
USA real striker depth chart
1.Jozy
2.Aron
3. Juan
4.EJ
5.Boyd
I mean honestly.
SKC player is about 10 yards onside receiving a ball and getting fouled from behind.
Assistant referee flags for the foul.
Commentators: Looks like we’ve got an offside here.
Commentators: Well, actually, no it’s a foul.
Commentators: Well, all the breaks are going against the Revs lately.
Wtf MLS. This is really bad.
Can we get some competent officiating? And get rid of the homer announcers? This is such an incredibly poor experience that I may not watch any more of the playoffs.
Total, utter turnoff to any casual fan.
I feel like I’m being peed on and told it’s rain.
Questionable calls seem to be going both ways anyway. Tough to tell with no good replays.
Wasn’t Collin offside on the goal?
It was very close and we didn’t get a great angle, but I think he was a shade offside.
Good that Revs scored first. Maybe Vermes will finally loosen the reins a bit. As successful as he’s been, Vermes is just so dang conservative and it makes for boring soccer. You have to wonder if that’s why they’ve never had playoff success. With the players they have, Vermes could play much more aggressively IMO.
This is more like it.
Everybody harps on the Quakes style of play- why I’m not sure, but this KC game plan of hoof it and beat your opponent in submission is awful to watch. Glad to see the Revs and their creative youngsters beat them.
Replay shows us NE Revs player SO FAR OFFSIDE after save by Nielson. Yards offside.
And NE feed cuts off replay immediately after that becomes clear.
Actually it was the correct call.
Homer playoff broadcasts are bush league. At least tomorrow will be an exception.
Not sure how anyone could tell anything from that replay. Full speed and no freezing at the appropriate time.
LOL- the Revs players were behind the ball-watching KC defense, but they were all behind the ball.
Ohhhhh MLS officiating.
So embarrassing. So unbelievably embarrassing. So far offside.
Shockingly, NE feed DOESN’T SHOW REPLAYS OF THE GOAL.
It was not offside. Sorry.
Why doesn’t SKC v New England have it’s own thread?
Agreed. Whoever Ives left in charge is dropping the ball. Come on guys, take some initiative!
Seriously, Tom. The quality on this site has dropped dramatically since Ives started writing for goal. So disappointing.
This is simple stuff, though. It doesn’t require any writing or effort. Just post the thread. Disappointing and Ives Seems to be oblivious since it happens over and again.
This has nothing to do with Ives writing for Goal. Games usually only get their own posts if Ives is at the game doing his own live commentary. It’s always been this way.
This is the thread.
You must be a newb. We used to have separate threads for all big games back when Ives was running the site.
Lol far from it
Also, is this a joke? The Revs announcers? We can’t even get some f*(&)* neutral announcers?
For f***s sake can you imagine the NFL broadcasting a game with the local homers? Just ridiculous.
How many fans are we losing?
Patriots and Seahawks doubleheader tonight!!!
Dempsey might only have one goal this season but I bet he scores 2 touch downs tonight.
Football lines in a plastic field. Amateur soccer at its best.
Anyone else getting Hockey on NBCSports?
Expect a double dip of embarrassing NFL lines!…After the SKC/Revs game, the Seattle/Portland match is going to have the same thing!!
Hopefully they both get knocked out so we don’t see it again later on
Man, Agudelo doing a nice job in high pressure. At his best, he’s got a great work rate, combined with his strength, creativity and skills, his potential is still sky high. He’s got so much going for him.
Picture this in Atlanta
… So this is such a big problem that Atlanta shouldn’t have a team? I hate this field as much as everyone but it can happen like 2 or 3 times a year out of the whole season.
Atlanta can havea team, they just shouldn’t put them in a NFL stadium.
Well they aren’t going to get a SSS and a new stadium for the Falcons and we both know which one of those Atlanta will choose. If NE can have a team on a football field ATL should be able to as well
Atlanta’s whole stadium issue is looking like a fiasco. Turf, sharing with a football team… MLS should say no.
NE and ATL can’t be compared. This is a different era now.
If they do what Schalke, does and just keep the field outside it would be more than fine.
They have a field that slides out of the stadium when they are not using the field. That way you can have both fields and nice pretty soft actually grass.
It probably takes 2 hours to paint that field…