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Europa League: Your Running Commentary

EuropaLeague

By AVI CREDITOR

Get out your brackets. It's UEFA Europa League time.

The Europa League will be whittled down from 16 teams to eight by day's end as the second legs will all be played Thursday afternoon.

No team has more to overcome in the early games than Panathinaikos, which yielded three away goals in a 3-1 loss to Standard Liege in the first leg. Their first kick is set for 2 p.m. EST (DirecTV 464).

Clint Dempsey and Fulham also have to overcome a 3-1 deficit – but own an away goal – as they welcome Juventus to Craven Cottage (2 p.m., GOLTV/DirecTV 465).

Here are the other second-leg matchups:

  • Marseille vs. Benfica (1-1 aggregate, 2 p.m., DirecTV 462)
  • Werder Bremen vs. Valencia (1-1 aggregate, 2 p.m., DirecTV 463)
  • Liverpool vs. Lille (Lille leads 1-0, 4:05 p.m., DirecTV 462)
  • Anderlecht vs. Hamburg SV (Hamburg leads 3-1, 4:05 p.m., DirecTV 463)
  • VfL Wolfsburg vs. FK Rubin Kazan (1-1 aggregate, 4:05 p.m., DirecTV 464)
  • Sporting Lisbon vs. Atletico Madrid (0-0 aggregate, 4:05 p.m., GOLTV/DirecTV 465)

Which game are you looking forward to the most? If you will be watching any or all of the Europa League games, please feel free to share thoughts, opinions and play-by-play in the comments section below.

Comments

  1. I beg to differ……. Trinidads midfield is servicable……. Last I checked they had quite a few players playing in England…… I remember their right winger giving us fits when we played them in the U.S. Chris Birchalls got skills….. Zamora and Jones would be incredibly tough for a lot of teams…. And than picture Dwight Yorke as old as he is playing the C. Blanco role right behind the forwards. Thats not a terrible team……..
    Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

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  2. nah more like John Terry and ashley cole try to hit on his wife and clint had to show how texans role. but then terry sucker punch him and ashley cole limp home. true story…

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  3. lol my initial thoughts were that it could of been a cross as well. if you look at it again. it doesn’t look like he hadnt sort of intention of shooting.

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  4. That goal just kind of adds to what I said about Dempsey maybe becoming the playmaker. Work rate wise, no he’s not an exemplary figure, but he knows where to be in the attack, knows the goal extremely well, can create something out of nothing, is willing to try anything on the ball, is extremely composed, and has a book of tricks. Plus, it would allow Donovan and Davies to play out wide, use their pace and skill, and they’re significantly more willing to help defensively.

    I also get the feeling that whether we put Dempsey as a playmaker or not, he’ll play right behind Jozy anyways. He did that against El Salvador, with Davies gladly took up position on the flank and he looked comfortable, using skills like the lane change stepover that nearly led to a goal for Dempsey.

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  5. Good god he’s amazing. That takes major cojones to pull that off. Those fans have to adore him for even trying it. Stuff like this, LD’s Everton shows, and CD9’s potential come back give a lot of hope.

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  6. Clint should have followed through with the Cantona impersonation by cooly walking to the sideline and bowing for the supporters. I’m amazed at how he has maintained top form while recovering from an injury.

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  7. Why Aston Villa or Tottenham? He should just stay at Fulham. If they play like they did today, they should be in the top 6.

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  8. Dempsey is GOD. He may even finish with a higher status among Fulham than say McBride and that’s something indeed. Not many Americans have had such success in Europe but Dempsey is on his way. I can see him heading to an AV or Tottenham if he has a fantastic WC and scores a goal or 2.

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  9. Roy Hodgson looks like the genius he is right now. He went for the attacking sub instead of playing for overtime. Clint Dempsey comes on and rewards Hodgson’s decision with a wonder goal.

    P.S. Dempsey also scored Fulham’s $40 mil goal against liverpool a few season’s ago. He has now scored two of Fulham’s biggest goals ever!

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  10. God wish I could have seen it. Hudson is amazing. Favorite quote of his (and just of any quote really) is:

    “Not even Messi can fit a pint of beer in a shot glass.”

    There’s a whole website devoted to his quotes.

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  11. That’s a good debate. Fulham wouldn’t be in this position if they hadn’t stayed up, but considering this is one of the greatest matches in their history I’d have to give it to this goal against Juve.

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  12. “We’re not Real Madrid, We’re not Barcelona, We’re Fulham FC and Al Fayed is our owner”

    Well done Fulham! Clint Dempsey just wrote his name in the history books. Wow!

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