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Soccer Tuesday: Your Running Commentary

John Terry of Chelsea and Didier Drogba of Galatasaray

By RYAN TOLMICH

Tuesday is once again a Champions League day with a trio of second legs headlining a full night of action.

Chelsea legend Didier Drogba will make his return to Stamford Bridge when Turkish side Galatasaray heads to London for the second leg of their Champions League clash. Drogba, whose Galatasaray side were able to muster a 1-1 draw in their home fixture, played for Chelsea from 2004-2012 and famously won the Blues their first Champions League title via a penalty shootout with his final kick in a Chelsea uniform. He will now return to face old manager Jose Mourinho, whose “little horse“of a club is currently in contention for a Premier League title.

Elsewhere in Europe, Real Madrid will wrap things up with German opponent Schalke 04. Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema each scored a brace in the opening contest, as the Spanish giants pounded Schalke 6-1. The second leg should be little more than a formality, as it has become not if Madrid will knock of Schalke, but by how many. For those wondering, the Champions League record for widest margin in a round of 16 matchup is 12-1 (Bayern Munich over Sporting CP in 2009).

Finally, the CONCACAF Champions League will also feature a crucial second leg matchup when the LA Galaxy head south to take on Club Tijuana. The Galaxy head to the Estadio Caliente with a 1-0 advantage to take on a Xolos side that rested numerous key starters over the weekend. The Galaxy will also have the benefit of fresh legs after enjoying a weekend without league action. The Galaxy defense will be tested throughout the night by a Xolos attack that boasts Americans Hercules Gomez, Joe Corona and Edgar Castillo.

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):

3:45pm – Chelsea vs. Galatasaray – Fox Sports 1

3:45pm – Real Madrid vs. Schalke 04 – Fox Sports 2

10:00pm – Club Tijuana vs. LA Galaxy – Galavision/ Fox Soccer 2Go

11:15pm – Santos Laguna vs. Anzoátegui – Fox Deportes

Comments

  1. I thought it was a good game. The Galaxy defense was really caught with its pants down for the first three goals. But in the end they only missed by one goal. Maybe the Earthquakes can show their stuff now.

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  2. showed up scared again for a big CL game and it took too long to find their balls and by the time they did it was too late. very bitter pill to swallow

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  3. That looked like a USA vs — place central american club or national team here– game.

    Damn you MLS. So disappointing once again.

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  4. Lol the keeper needs to locate his balls. Omar grabs his legs, dude acts like he was shot. This is coming from a TJ and LA fan…

    And yes, LA is who I am rooting for.

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  5. It’s the same story from last year against Monterey, they are blowing it against a mid table Mexican team. In all seriousness I am not surprised, regardless of TJ’s form they have exceptional players.

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  6. Tijuana’s 3-5-2 is absolutely dominating the Galaxy. There are red jerseys everywhere. Galaxy are ridiculously predictable, no movement from them. This is bad. Real bad.

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      • Keane clearly not recovered from off season surgery to both Achilles, he looks old and gimpy. Landon a big fat zero so far, not hustling or running hard, looks nervous

  7. we are simply not good enough and it has to be in klinsi words lack belief and the instinct is just fading with every bad pass it looks like keane is disinterested more and more

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  8. When I heard there was a player named Dario Benedetto playing for Tijuana, I was disappointed that he had neither the red hair of The Count of Monte Cristo’s bad apple, nor the dyed beard and knives of George R. R. Martin’s sellsword captain. There’s still time, young man.

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    • he runs hard if that’s a thing and that’s about all he’s
      good for and again he gets manhandled as i type this a total Waste of a start but its not like we have a decent defender outside of Gonzalez any way

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      • Don’t apologize for me, I’m just a casual MLS watcher who wanted to see an American team make a run at glory. I feel bad for the fans who have a vested interest in the Galaxy’s performance. Still got my fingers crossed for you guys!

      • So I don’t get a chance to watch Liga very much, have only seen TJ a few times, but riddle me this batman…. Garza seriously passes the eye test the few times I’ve seen him play… he looks like the real deal.. am I missing something?

  9. man that turf is like glue whenever a long ball is launched over. Garza has a great shot on him and were lucky not to be down 3 and there is zero teamwork Between zardes and anyone else

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  10. Wow, watching a lot of the second team for Real Madrid play today in what the commentators described as “second gear” was scary. I haven’t seen them play much, but dang are the good.

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    • I decided to check to see if either bothered to win the African Cup of Nations. Eto’o won it in 2002. Sooo I guess its him by virtue of not totally choking.

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      • Are you serious? Don’t be a fool the Ivory Coast have been pathetic in the ACN. They have by far the best team and the biggest stars. Guess what they do? Choke.

        2013 – 1st knock out round
        2012 – 2nd Place: Lose to Zambia on Penalties
        2010 – Quarterfinals to Algeria
        2008 3rd place
        2006 2nd Place Lose to Egypt on Penalties

        So I may sound like huge Prick but you are a huge Prick.

        Drogba can’t do it when matters for his national team so guess what? Eto’o is better. Don’t be a baby and type snippy comments when you have no idea what you are talking about. Ask some Ivorians if they think their team has lived up to their reputations?

  11. O/T why didnt Dempsey considering moving to Galatarsaray. They offer big wages to some players and are always in the CL. That could be Clint playing with Drogba and Sneijder instead of coming back to MLS. But hey $$$$$$$ get that cash

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    • What makes you think Gala wanted him. A player can’t really tell a team to sign him, pay him loads of money and make sure he is in good form.

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    • If we are going to play the what if game here is a better one: what if Dempsey had gone to Liverpool as he was close to doing instead of Spurs. Now that is an interesting one to contemplate. When it first came out that ‘Pool was after him they were an upper mid-table team, since he claimed to be seeking a Champions League team it didn’t make too much sense at the time, but if he had gone to ‘Pool he could be competing for the Premier League title this year. Oh well, best not to dwell on, as is the problem with the what if game.

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  12. Hope Gala win tonight but at the same time

    would it help Liverpool’s title chances if Chelsea was still busy in the CL?

    let Fate decide

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  13. I feel good about the Chelsea-Galatasaray match. Mancini out-coached Mourinho in Istanbul and I think he can do it again.

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