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Soccer Wednesday: Your Running Commentary

XaviNasri (Reuters Pictures)

The UEFA Champions League knockout stage continues Wednesday with the highly anticipated Arsenal-Barcelona matchup sure to captivate most viewers. AS Roma and Shakhtar Donetsk will also play the first leg of their knockout tie.

Stuart Holden's Bolton is also in action, taking on Wigan Athletic in a FA Cup fourth-round replay at DW Stadium, though that match is not being televised in the United States. Here's the TV schedule for the day's Champions League matches:

2:45 p.m. – Fox Soccer Channel/Fox Deportes – Arsenal vs. FC Barcelona

2:45 p.m. – FoxSoccer.tv/Fox Soccer Plus – AS Roma vs. Shakhtar Donetsk

If you will be watching any of Wednesday's matches, please feel free to share any thoughts, opinions and some play-by-play in the comments section below.

Enjoy the action.

Comments

  1. Agreed. Barca play the beautiful game. Which makes it that much sweeter to beat them. BTW, I’m a die-hard Gooner who was pulling for Spurs yesterday. So there ya go.

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  2. Rested according to Stu’s twitter.

    And OF COURSE Fulham vs Bolton isn’t being shown in the United States. I’m sick of this crap.

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  3. Oh, does scoring on a counter somehow make the goal count for less? Arsenal scored twice. Barca scored once. Messi’s disallowed goal did indeed look offside on the replay. Of course everyone is free to have their own opinion, but rightly or wrongly, it was ruled offside and that’s that.

    Since when does “deserving” to win a game count more than actually winning it?

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  4. Oy vey. How many times must this be trotted out?

    That said, it’s hard for Barca to complain that much about iffy hand-ball calls.

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  5. I don’t know how anyone can say they hate Barca! Those morons hate everything that’s beautiful, graceful and of course spectacular about soccer. Everytime Barca loses I feel bad, even though I am a diehard spurs supporter, and in a way, was rooting for Arsenal today.

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  6. Fair enough…but it was sure obvious that ONLY a Man U fan would have said that! 🙂

    Even Real fans can’t make the claim….

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  7. So you can be a giant homer, but they cannot support their team?

    Arsenal was hardly deserving of a win. They were outclassed most of the game. As Adam mentioned, giving Barcelona the other goal they scored makes it a draw.

    Barcelona dominated that game. Arsenal scored twice on counters.

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  8. “or second best”? Good god, to who? I’m a Gunner fan, but even I’ll admit the so far outclass everyone else that it isn’t even funny.

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  9. I was desperately pulling for Arsenal, but they were far from “deserving” three points… Barca had 2/3rds possession and the lion’s share of legitimate scoring chances; give them the disallowed goal and it’s a draw, and any one of the numerous in-on-goal chances that they somehow all blew and it’s really not so clear, is it?

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  10. AD,

    Seriously, STFU already. You too Michael Thomas! We get it. You worship Barca. However, the Gunners deserved the 3 today and if you can’t see that you’re clearly a delusional fan.

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  11. As Spectra has noted below the handball was not malicious and it even gave Alves a better chance at scoring or playing a ball into the box. And yes there were some bad calls, but in my opinion a victory for Arsenal is not that far off, though a draw may have been more fair.

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  12. As a fan of soccer we’ve had a great week.
    Monday – Fulham v Chelsea
    Tuesday – Tottenham v AC Milan, Valencia Shalke
    Wednesday – Barca v Arsenal, Roma v Shantak

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  13. Arshavin was going for a header and missed, the ball then struck his hand not hand to ball. If that same thing would have been called against Barca you would have been heated.

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  14. Perhaps a bit of an exaggeration, sir. I do feel the need to write in Spanish from time to time, especially in regard to a Spanish soccer club. If you would like a rough translation, I basically wrote, “God damn Barcelona. There is no team I hate more.”

    Beyond that nonsense, what a fantastic match!!! An incredible comeback from Arsenal that sets up another intriguing match in Barcelona. You have to love the Champions League.

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  15. Truth. Barca’s a great team. Probably still the best or second best team in the world. No need to discredit a great effort by Arsenal.

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  16. Dude! it is unreal how much of a homer you are, He hit it with his head, his hand wasn’t outstretched or anything, it Just kind of rolled down his shoulder when his head made contact.And the ball dropped to a Barca Player!!, Yes it could have been a penalty, but it would have been HARSH in every sort of way, and it was not clear at all!

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  17. I dunno. It was pretty undeserved. Don’t really think the handball at the end was that blatant, but disallowing Messi’s goal was pretty atrocious.

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