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Soccer Wednesday: Your Running Commentary

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A highly anticipated match in the UEFA Champions League highlights the action on Wednesday.

Pep Guardiola will face his former team, Barcelona, for the first time as Manchester City’s manager when they square off in a pivotal game in Group C. The winner would occupy first place heading into the final three rounds. Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, Arsenal and Napoli are all slated to play on Wednesday as well.

The Champions League focus then switches to CONCACAF as the Portland Timbers battle Costa Rican giants Saprissa, with the winner advancing to the quarterfinals.

The U.S. Women’s National Team is also in action as it faces Switzerland in a friendly on Wednesday night.

Enjoy the games.

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

2:45 p.m. – Fox Sports 1/Fox Sports GO/Fox Soccer 2GO/ESPN Deportes/WatchESPN – Barcelona vs. Manchester City

2:45 p.m. – Fox/Fox Deportes/Fox Sports GO/Fox Soccer 2GO – Bayern Munich vs. PSV

2:45 p.m. – Fox Sports 2/Fox Sports GO/Fox Soccer 2GO – Arsenal vs. Ludogorets

2:45 p.m. – ESPN2/WatchESPN/Fox Soccer 2GO – PSG vs. Basel

2:45 p.m. – ESPN3/WatchESPN/Fox Soccer 2GO – Celtic vs. Borussia Monchengladbach

2:45 p.m. – ESPN3/WatchESPN/Fox Soccer 2GO – Napoli vs. Besiktas

2:45 p.m. – ESPN3/WatchESPN/Fox Soccer 2GO – Dynamo Kyiv vs. Benfica

2:45 p.m. – ESPN3/WatchESPN/Fox Soccer 2GO – Rostov vs. Atletico Madrid

CONCACAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

8 p.m. – Facebook Live – Sporting Kansas City vs. Central FC

10 p.m. – Facebook Live – Portland Timbers vs. Saprissa

10 p.m. – Facebook Live – Olimpia vs. Pachuca

COPA SUDAMERICANA

7:45 p.m. – Fox Soccer 2GO – Coritiba vs. Atletico Nacional

7:45 p.m. – Fox Soccer 2GO – Junior vs. Chapecoense

WOMEN’S INTERNATIONAL FRIENDLIES

9 p.m. – ESPN 2/WatchESPN – USWNT vs. Switzerland

Comments

    • If Chandler can make it back after declining callups because he didn’t want to fly, he’s got a shot. But in the crowded midfield he might have forfeited whatever good impression he made.

      Reply
      • i don’t think he’s out of the picture going forward either, just seems to be one of those things. On the one hand i can’t blame Nagbe for feeling like he’s being wasted on the bench every call up, and there are guys getting opportunities that can’t hold a candle to him but on the flip side we don’t know whats going on in training either. JK has had a habit of bringing new players along slowly but even when Nagbe was at his best last year and even during Copa, you got the feeling that something wasn’t right because he rarely saw the field. It’ll be interesting to see how this one plays out!

      • Kljestan, too, was a missing person for several years. Jozy didn’t get called in for a round of qualifying several years ago. It’s up to Nagbe and if he has the perseverance and the drive to succeed.

    • JK will only be here for two more years and then Nagbe can have a shot again. Nagbe’s problem is that he doesn’t fit into the diamond midfield formation the US likes to play and Wood/Altidore don’t fit into some sort of lone striker formation that would allow Nagbe to play where he likes. The truth is he hasn’t been stellar for Portland all season.

      Reply
      • johnnyrazor

        This one is on Nagbe. He has not seized the playmaker role and instead let others pass him. He has not had a good year, but Klinsman kept calling him in. He has not impressed for his team or the USMNT, so you ride the bench. The issue is some players (and some fans) feel that they are entitled to play for the USMNT. This includes some players from the past. Play well and play hungry if you want to be included (in depth allows it).

    • Since we are referencing other articles, I thought this was interesting from Washington Post last week:

      “If you watched the U.S. men’s national team friendly on TV on Tuesday, you might have been under the impression that a good-sized crowd had attended the match against New Zealand at RFK Stadium. After all, the east-side lower bowl, which serves as the backdrop for the primary camera angle, was almost full of bouncing, tifo-raising spectators.

      The other side of the stadium, however. was almost empty. To avoid bad TV optics, organizers did not sell tickets in the premier sideline sections behind the team benches. Instead, everyone was compressed into the the camera-friendly far side.”

      Basically USA friendly attendance has been horrible last couple of years except for Mexico games.

      Oct. 13, 2015: Costa Rica in Harrison, N.J. (9,214)
      Jan. 31, 2016: Iceland in Carson, Calif. (8,803)
      Feb. 5: Canada in Carson, Calif. (9,274)
      May 25: Ecuador in Frisco, Tex. (9,893)
      May 28: Bolivia in Kansas City (8,894)
      Oct. 11: New Zealand in Washington (9,012)

      Reply
      • I was at the New Zealand game, and yeah it was bad from an attendance and viewing perspective. RFK in its decrepit state, will only attract so many bodies whether it’s for United or the Nats because it’s just not a enjoyable set of circumstances. With that being said, the team came out flat and seemingly uninspired but that was to be expected considering many of the first teamers went back to their clubs and left a mix of new comers and second to third teamers behind to gain some experience.

      • In order to draw big numbers you need to attract the casual fan an those teams aren’t going to do it. The die hard fan probably spent some good money on the Copa America or is saving up for qualifying matches. I’ve heard from people who live in these markets that the marketing of these matches have been pretty poor and I’m not sure the Friday/Tuesday schedule works very well in the US either.

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