A star-studded lineup takes to the field to celebrate Gary Neville's career as Manchester United hosts Juventus in a club friendly at Old Trafford (2:35 p.m., Fox Soccer Channel).
Manchester United's starting XI features the likes of Neville, his brother Phil and Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder David Beckham. It also features the likes of some of the Red Devils who will take on FC Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League final this Saturday, players like Wayne Rooney, Ryan Giggs, John O'Shea and Paul Scholes.
Juventus, meanwhile, features the likes of Alessandro Del Piero, Luca Toni and Felipe Melo.
If you will be watching this event, please feel free to share any thoughts, opinions and some play-by-play in the comments section below. Enjoy the game.
Great to see Manchester United with the all-white lineup…They are taking their country back!
Beckham deserves to.. all him and his friends playing together… Think about it.. his whole life is football and under the public eye… Do you think he has had any lasting friendships? any cookouts? Let him friggin play in the game… jeez… he is human.
Are you happy about this or something? Congratulations…….
I can understand you’re frustration about FSC not showing MLS, but the fact of the matter is, at 2:30 they don’t have anything better to show..
I’d rather watch ANY soccer game, friendly, beach soccer, whatever over that garbage Dream Team show that they air..
Oh no!!! Did he die or something?!?
No. FOX Soccer is in the business of building FOX Soccer. It is NOT in the business of building MLS.
FOX Soccer only has a 1-year contract with MLS, at $6.5 million.
The only reason why FOX Soccer overpaid for MLS is because FIFA will NOT accept bids for U.S. TV rights to World Cups 2018 and 2022 from any network that does NOT pay MLS a rights fee.
Recall that MLS reportedly asked FOX Soccer for $20 million/year, for a product that draws less than 80,000 TV viewers per match.
If FOX were to decide that it has no interest in bidding against ESPN Inc. for the U.S. TV rights to FIFA World Cups 2018 and 2022, FOX can dump MLS in a nanosecond and save itself $8 million/year ($6.5 million in rights fee plus production cost.)
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Manchester United has surpassed MLS as the “brand of choice” among English-speaking soccer viewers in the U.S.
Manchester United will appear on ESPN2 more times than any MLS club during the 2011 calendar year.
If you’d rather watch a European Testimonial match than MLS, I’m not sure I’d enjoy your company.
Few times a year DC fan? Sounds about right.
Because MLS is boring, the only time i actually enjoy an MLS game is when i go see DC play a few times every season.
I love how in the background of that picture, nani looks so befuddled at neville. He’s thinking “how are you being dispossed by a midget??”
I was wondering why Juve was playing Manure today.
Fox soccer is not in the business of exploiting soccer and is in the business of building MLS. A stronger league increases their revenues, so I’m not sure why they wouldn’t want to increase exposure for the league.
Bottom line:
This “glorified pickup game” will draw a bigger U.S. TV audience on FOX Soccer than any other regular-season MLS match on FOX Soccer.
The “Manchester United” brand alone will draw 200,000 viewers on FOX Soccer, regardless of which 11 players are actually wearing Manchester United uniforms.
MLS on FOX Soccer average less than 80,000 viewers per match.
TV networks are in the business of exploiting soccer for a profit. They are not in the business of building MLS.
Rooooney goal. jejeje
Niko, my beef with it is that FSC broadcasts a scrimmage, but has no MLS games on the docket last weekend nor this weekend. =/
http://www.justin.tv/ps3_tyke#/w/1249581408
A few years ago when Arsenal opened the Emirates stadium I bought a subscription to ArsenalTV Online solely so I could watch Dennis Bergkamp’s testimonial match against Ajax. I’m not a Man U fan so I don’t care to watch the Neville match. The only other match being played listed on ESPN’s scoreboard is Ireland vs. Northern Ireland in the Carling Nations Cup. We’ll all be ok.
any way i can stream this game on the internet from work?
Why don’t you suggest a substitute then? I honestly don’t see why you have a problem with this when there are no “real games” on the docket for today. Fact is there are stars in this game and I appreciate them putting on a broadcast
live broadcast and a running commentary for a testimonial match…ok
Beckham makes run down the right side, suddenly stops and exposes himself for the screaming girls to take pictures. In the process he strains his hamstring, then stays in UK for 5 months to rehab.
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Seriously though, has Beckham offered to pro rate his salary to compensate for Galaxy games he doesn’t play in, and then redistribute the money to his poor teammates? He should
Glorified pick up game sounds about right. Sure Galaxy fans are delighted the highest paid player in MLS ditched his team for a kick-about with his mates.
Never realized how much he looks like Adolph Hitler.
I always projected Hitler as a ManU player….
/confirmed
//not really
Wow Fox thanks for broadcasting this. God knows I’ve been to watch a glorfied pick-up game such as this for as long as I can remember. So much more important than a real game.
Anyone have the exact starting lineups?