The battle for fourth place in the EPL, and the final Champions League berth that goes with it, continues today as Manchester City takes on Liverpool in Sunday's match of the day.
Today offers a plethora of quality action from a variety of locations. Be it Italy, where Inter Milan faces Sampdoria, or Brazil, where Sao Paulo rivals Palmeiras and Sao Paulo will do battle, there is something for every taste.
There are plenty of Americans in action as well. From Carlos Bocanegra at Rennes, to Jose Francisco Torres at Pachuca, to Daniel Williams at Freiburg, if you want to follow Americans Abroad, today has options for you.
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):
TODAY'S SOCCER ON TV
8:30am– ESPN360.com/ESPN Deportes- PSV Eindhoven vs. Rotterdam
9am– Setanta USA- Aston Villa vs. Burnley
9am– ESPN360.com/FSE- AS Roma vs. Catania
9am– ESPN360.com- Bologna vs. Juventus
9:30am– ESPN360.com- SC Freiburg vs. Hertha Berlin
10am– FSC- Manchester City vs. Liverpool
10:30am– ESPN Deportes- SC Freiburg vs. Hertha Berlin (Delayed)
11am– DirecTV- Athletic Bilbao vs. Tenerife
11am– DirecTV- Malaga vs. Espanyol
11am– DirecTV- Real Zaragoza vs. Sporting Gijon
11am– Setanta USA- Marseille vs. AS Nancy Lorraine
11:15am– FSE- Wigan vs. Tottenham
Noon– FSC- Wigan vs. Tottenham (Delayed)
1pm– GolTV- Almeria vs. Atletico Madrid
1pm– Setanta USA- Fulham vs. Birmingham (Delayed)
1pm– Telemundo- UNAM Pumas vs. Atlante
1pm– FSE- Manchester City vs. Liverpool (Delayed)
2:45pm– FSC/FSE- AS Bari vs. AC Milan
3pm– Setanta USA- Stade Rennes vs. Lille
3pm– ESPN Deportes/ESPN360.com- Real Madrid vs. Villarreal
3pm– GolTV- Palmeiras vs. Sao Paulo
3:15pm– ESPN360.com- FC Porto vs. Sporting Braga
5pm– Univision- Club America vs. UANL Tigres
5pm– Telefuturas- Santos Laguna vs. Tecos
5pm– FSC- AS Roma vs. Catania (Delayed)
5pm– ESPN Deportes- Indios vs. Cruz Azul (Delayed)
5pm– FSE- River Plate vs. Arsenal de Sarandi
5pm– GolTV- Werder Bremen vs. Bayer Leverkusen (Delayed)
5pm– Azteca America- Jaguares vs. Pachuca (Delayed)
10pm– Setanta USA- Everton vs. Manchester United (Delayed)
——————–
They are certainly playing with pace, but each team is sorely lacking the necessary skill in the final third to do anything. Flying down the field with speed and then losing the ball on a bad touch or bad pass doesn’t mean the defense is playing great, just means there’s bad football being played. Sure, there’s been 2-3 timely tackles but there have been a lot, and I can’t stress that enough..A LOT more bad passes and bad touches by these players that good defensive plays.
I saw the entire game. And Freddy was just as good or bad I guess as the rest of the guys. Replacing Freddy was a wash. But I do think your comment about the team being tired is right on and that might have been Freddy’s issue and for the rest of the team.
A late winnner for Zamora…I think England has really got to consider him over Heske for that target forward role
sitting on their *draw*. sorry.
Lots of turnovers but I do see it differently than you do, MSH. I think the pace is so fast, and the tackles so tough, that it’s just tough to accomplish much. The teams are trying and not sitting on their lead.
I’m pretty impartial on the game too so I think we are just noticing different things.
You must be watching a different game than I am because no, there’s nothing good about this game, in my opinion. The only redeeming value I can take away as an impartial fan is the fact that Torres is back on the pitch. Certainly don’t expect to see much out of him but it’s nice to see him back out there, healthy again.
Unfortunately Adu wasn’t doing that well with set pieces either in the first half.
The whole team was probably tired. It was their fifth game in 15 days, 4 of them played in the rain on mediocre/bad pitches.
Is it possible both for Liverpool and City to be deducted points for this game? This is terrible, terrible football. Mistake after mistake after giveaway after giveaway. They should be forced to lose points for this display.
These announcers are down on this game but I don’t think that the teams are playing that badly. I think that it is a very good tactical game. There have been a LOT of timely tackles. Lots of ‘smart’ fouls.
Thoughts?
Played 90.
Is Eddie still on the pitch?
Villa has to be happy with a draw in this game. They are still very much in it for 4th place.
Wow. Not for nothing but the Aris FC guys are really bad taking set pieces. In the last 5 to 7 minutes of this game they’ve had at least 4 corners and they gone to the keeper or over everyone. Freddy could have done that and better I think.
theres nothing new here.
what you said…..twice.
GREAT READ FROM AN EVERTON FAN ON DONOVAN
It has all the promise of a long term relationship, he is everything Evertonians want in a player – fiercely committed, skilled, intelligent – and hopefully we are everything he could want – singing him to success. Welcome to Hotel Everton, Landon. You can check-out any time you like, but you can never leave.
http://timesonline.typepad.com/fanzine_fanzone/2010/02/everton-landon-donovan-hes-the-one-that-we-want.html
Moyes preparing approximately $11M offer for Landon Donovan Transfer!
IVES GET ON THIS
DONOVAN TRANSFER NEWS
A player striker by players in the MLS could see Landon Donovan extend his stay at Everton or even push through a permanent move to the Premier League.
The American league is facing the possibility of a strike action by MLS players in protest at the collective agreement which decides salaries.
The players are ready to strike at the start of the new 2010 MLS season and this means Donovan could extend his loan spell at Goodison Park.
Everton manager David Moyes has been impressed with Donovan’s displays in England and is reportedly preparing a seven million pound move to sign the all-time top goal scorer for the US national team from LA Galaxy.
Moyes said yesterday after Everton’s 3-1 win over Manchester United: “I know Landon would like to stay longer than we’ve agreed until March, but I’ve not said much about that out of respect to his club.”
http://www.imscouting.com/global-news-article/MLS-strike-action-aids-Everton-bid-for-Landon-Donovan/5923/
Man if I owned man city I would be pissed, but all they did was take marginal epl players and paid them more money they didn’t pick up anyone good. This game is like a track meet.
alright slow down about adu guys, this would be his third game in a week, after hardly playing for years, i think its fatigue just as much as anything
On a brighter note, I can’t stand liverpool, I don’t know what it is but I can’t stand em.
Thanks, i was just wondering because I know even for like College sports tickets are ridiculous, it just amazes me that these teams can’t make money. I don’t see how AC Milan makes money that stadium is always half full.
His game was off today.
Maybe fatigue got to him, he went from not playing for months, to starting three straight games in 8 days.
Freddy did not look very good. Not really threatening on the ball, usually played it back rather than attacking. When he did attack it was usually stripped from him. His crosses were not sharp…
He did well on the defensive end again, which is a good sign, but that should not be the positive you remember most for a player like Adu.
The goals have helped raise his profile, but he still has a long way to go to get back in form. The good thing though is that he does realize his defensive responsibilities (something he didn’t do before), the ball skills (which he has proven he has) should come back with more playing time.
Of course, it’s still pretty ridiculous. 🙂
Pretty much the same as US sports, really (other than Baseball)
…I went to Chelsea vs. West Ham last year at Upton Park.
I payed about 50 pounds for a “cheap seat” (close to 90 USD). Pretty Ridiculous.
I was watching. Eddie and Freddy both looked not so great. Freddy miss hit some crosses and corners. Eddie gave the ball away a few times but was semi dangerous. Aris is down 1-0.
He wasn’t playing bad, I have no idea why he was taken off at the half. hope it’s not injury related…
Serie A games are expensive. I saw Juventus at Lazio in Rome and the worst seats were $30 or $40 each and went up pretty quick after that.
Question for the SBI Mafia: Do we think there is a lot more depth to the EPL this year? I hear these Brits announcing and doing pundit shows criticizing the big 3 or 4 or whatever saying that they’re dropping points, etc.
Might it just be that with ManCity’s new owners, a typically strong trio of Tottenham/Villa/Everton and good seasons from Birminham, etc. that it’s just hard to put together long winning streaks?
Adu off at the half. Anybody see how he was playing? I guess not very well . . . .
How much does it cost to go to a prem game? I mean with the salaries they have to support it must be pretty high right? I’ve never been just kind of wanted to gauge it.
Nah, Arsene Wenger has probably already sent the private jet to ‘Nam to get his newest prize.
fair enough, GG.
Benitez didn’t build on last season, and he is ultimatley to blame for a poor season by their standards. However that won’t stop fans from other teams taking the piss out of their owners.
Villa got their act together all of sudden. 4 goals in 12 minutes or so. Poor Burnley.
He couldn’t come to a deal with MLS and it looks like HAGL was his only option abroad. With the transfer window closed his only option is MLS or USL/NASL.
Benitez had all the money he needed. He just purchased poorly, didn’t get the most out of what he had (Babel, et.al.), and only has a job because he’s too expensive to fire.
It’s not the American owners who have caused their struggles.
And frankly, what struggles? Second last year, top 4 just about every year. The injuries have screwed them this year and they’re STILL hanging around the top 4.
No, it’s because the American owners are running Liverpool into the ground.
I heard that too. Maybe they’re happy Landon broke Cole’s ankle so Bridge can play for England. Strange though…
probably was trying to get out of the contract…
still, it doesn’t sound good
Were the Man City fans just chanting USA?? Thats just a low blow to the already suffering Liverpool fans.
http://ellinarasgrtv.dom.gr/
Lee Nguyen’s contract with HAGL terminated.
HAGL’s representative stated that Lee Nguyen’s attitude in training and HAGL’s recent games had been unacceptable. In the last match versus Hoa Phat Ha Noi, Lee Nguyen was excluded from the starting eleven and later he refused to come in as substitute. Bad relationship between Lee and Kiatisuk added more problems to struggling HAGL that currently stays at the bottom of V-league 2010 standings. As a result, HAGL leaders have decided to end Lee’s contract to retain discipline.
http://vietfootball.blogspot.com/2010/02/lee-nguyens-contract-officially.html
never mind, found one
Anything good yet this AM? Stuey didn’t make the bench for Bolton, and the Trotters got destroyed at Ewood Park. Don’t know what’s going on with Holden but if the team sucks when he’s not playing, he may get some time soon.
AEK away could be a tough game for Aris. Historically AEK has been in the top 3 Athens clubs with Olympiakos and Panathinaikos. They hit some hard times in the last few years, but they were champions and in Europe in the 90s (Frank Klopas played for them back then but was injured often). I think their president now is Demis Nikolaidis, who was on the Euro 04 winning team.
link?
Freddy Adu and Eddie Johnson are both starting for Aris against AEK Athens