It is Judgment Day in the English Premier League, and while the Rapture Hoax came and went without a ripple, there will be two Premier League teams that will see their time in the EPL ended.
Wolverhampton and Blackburn face off in a battle of teams looking to avoid relegation, while Birmingham City will try to take points from its trip to Tottenham to avoid the drop as well.
It isn't just relegation on the line today. Manchester City can lock up third place in the Premier League, and the automatic Champions League berth that comes with it, with a win today, while Arsenal will be hoping to knock off Fulham and have City slip up to jump back into third place.
The action today isn't just limited to the Premier League, either, as Real Salt Lake and FC Dallas are set to do battle in a key Western Conference clash in MLS, and Pumas and Morelia play the final leg of the Mexican Clausura championship after drawing, 1-1, earlier in the week.
If you will be watching today's action, please feel free to share your own 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
11 a.m. - Fox Soccer Channel - Tottenham vs. Birmingham City
11 a.m. - Fox Soccer Plus - Wolverhampton vs. Blackburn
11 a.m. - Fox Deportes - Fulham vs. Arsenal
11 a.m. - ESPN2/ESPN3.com/ESPN Deportes - Manchester United vs. Blackpool
12 p.m. - ESPN3.com - Inter Milan vs. Catania
1 p.m. - Telemundo - Pumas UNAM vs. Morelia (Mexican Clausura final second leg)
2:45 p.m. - Fox Soccer Channel/Fox Deportes/ESPN3.com - Udinese vs. AC Milan
2:45 p.m. - ESPN3.com - AS Roma vs. Sampdoria
2:45 p.m. - ESPN3.com - Lecce vs. Lazio
2:45 p.m. - ESPN3.com - Juventus vs. Napoli
5 p.m. - GOLTV - Defensor Sporting vs. Penarol (delayed)
7 p.m. - MLS Direct Kick/MatchDay Live - FC Dallas vs. Real Salt Lake
7 p.m. - MLS Direct Kick/MatchDay Live - Colorado Rapids vs. Toronto FC
7 p.m. - Fox Soccer Channel - Western New York Flash vs. MagicJack
Man I hate that Wigan stayed up. Nobody, not even their own fans, enjoy watching that team play. Wish Blackpool could have pulled it off.
seems like whitehartlane missed an exciting final day of premier league football with all the crazy second half goals in the relegation battle
If Bradley were a forward, than you could yammer on about his goal production. But he’s not. He’s a midfielder. Scoring goals is not the sole purpose of his position, something you seem determined to ignore.
Brent, baby, this statement of yours ain’t true at all:
“”If Bradley doesn’t score that one, then Landon’s goal against Algeria is meaningless.”””
How you figure that? England drew 0-0 with Algeria, giving England 2 pts, Algeria were on 1 pt, we would have had 1 pt with all to play for in the third match, against Algeria therefore.
You’re the idiot, Brent, baby, a big one at that.
Im starting to think that this Whitehartlane and his/her other 3 aliases is really Sacha Kljestan trying to start a Smear-Bradley jr-Campaign in order to improve his odds of playing in the middle. Dont tell me your not Kljestan until you have proper citation. (see what i did there?)
HAH! GOOD F**KN ONE!!!! lol i was scrolling down reading this guys comments and people’s replies to him just so i could chuckle at him, then i read yours and u made it totally worth it haha. NICE
Tell you what, you give me a link to a database of international statistics that includes assists and I will find you another CM with 50+ caps and 0 assists.
There has to be such a database or you wouldn’t be able to make your claim, so failure to provide it will make your statement null and void.
i dont understand you. Soccer is a team sport. TEAM. When a goal is scored, it takes more players than the goal scorer and the player dishing out the assist, it takes a team effort. To imply that Bradley provides nothing going forward already suggests that you dont know what you are talking about. I guess thats what you expect from a person who nit-picks his stats. Thats the funny thing about statistics, you can make them mean whatever you want. Exhibit A: some guy attacks Bradley for zero assists in 50 caps but gives no credit to where its due when it comes to goals. Talk about nit-picking your stats.
Whl: Wow dude. ppl like you make SBI literally retarded. You sound like those imbeciles at Philip Morris who claim that there is no scientific evidence linking between cigarettes and cancer. How do you prove something is valid just because nobody has the energy to bother proving you false? The way you argue makes you sound like that guy who keeps on talking in class and doesn’t know he sounds like an idiot.
Real amazing play from Bradley. Just top class. 100% pass completion. 100% dribbles completed.
I agree. That was an incredible goal — very high degree of difficulty — and incredibly important too. If Bradley doesn’t score that one, then Landon’s goal against Algeria is meaningless.
BTW, how do you think your loverboy Jermaine Jones came to play for the US? Think Bradley might have had anything to do with it? Whitehartlane you are an idiot. Enjoy watching the Europa League, loser.
Really interesting scenario NF. I recall (maybe wrong?) that leading up to the 2002 WC, the prevailing sentiment was Keller should start. Not sure if anything tangible separates Keller, Howard and Friedel skill wise when each is at his best(can argue Howard is more athletic) but Friedel does have a presence about him with the USMNT that (and I’m not saying this is demonstrable, just my opinion others are free to disagree with) I’m not sure the others have.
Cheers.
Whitehartlane’s favorite player making a 90th-minute cameo.
I sometimes wonder how things would have been different if he had not retired from the national team. Keller and Howard are obviously also top class, but I think Friedel had the edge until very recently. It would have made for some interesting decisions.
Lucky toe poke? He slid in from running full speed and put it in on a half volley to tie a world cup game. Coming back from being down 2-0, essentially keeping their hopes of getting out of the group, and he’s supposed to act like nothing happened?
You need a hobby dude, because all this hate is not healthy.
We “scored” 2 minutes after that? If you’ve been to so many World Cups how do you know so little about how important to the team Bradley is? The central midfield pairing has to be Edu-Bradley. It was the most consistant at the World Cup. Its been the best in recent friendlies. But ya how about the Brace against Mexico in the Hex that must really have gotten your panties in a bunch huh?
I remember Friedel’s penalty saves in the 2002 WC. He’s been consistently a top class keeper and hope he still has a couple more seasons in the tank.
Eric, you wanna talk Mikey’s lucky toe-poke against Slovenia, Mikey celebrated like we had won the WC, not merely leveled against one of most piss-poor goalies I’ve ever seen in WC competition and I’ve seen alot more than you (my 7th WC, first WC match seen was South Korea vs Italy, Mexico 86).
The proper response from Mikey should have been to grab the ball out of the net, place it on the midfield dot and not celebrate, we’re here to win, not draw with Slovenia.
Just 4 days after his 40th birthday, Brad Friedel is still a great goalkeeper. He just had a great save.
I cant wait for him to start against Canada. You’ll be so mad. 82 minute against Slovenia. Guy came up big.
Holy Cow! Sweet flick on the goal by Blackpool to go up 2-1. Terrific to see their aggressive play rewarded.
See above you Jackwagon!
Unfortunately for you, your average for how many intelligent thoughts you have every 90 minutes is below Miichael Bradleys GPM average.
It’s simple really, man.
Name another CM in international football with 50 or more caps and zero assists.
That’s it, get cracking old boy….
Tomorrow afernoon.
Well, I couldn’t resist, Mikey has 52 caps, which I multiplied by 90 (actually it’s more, cause Mikey plays 120 minutes too, like against Ghana, his performance shocking that day).
So, you get 4680 minutes played for Mikey (52 x 90) You divide that by Mikey’s “8” wonderstrikes, and you get Mikey averging 1 goal for every 585 minutes played! Think about that. Atrocious, really….
That’s if he has 8, too, which I doubt.
Anyone have any idea about Freddy and Rizespor today?
“a lucky toe poke against Slovenia”
A rational person recognizes that even players he doesn’t like have qualities and good moments. You are arguing like a jilted lover or an angry school boy when you say this. It’s absurd and makes it easy to dismiss everything else you say.
Are you having a conversation with yourself again?
Hey, how come you can make a wild claim without having to back it up, but when I state an actual fact you insult me and demand proof?
….and if you want to divide Mikey’s “8” wonderstrikes by his minutes played for USMNT, well, as we all know, Mikey goes 90 almost EVERY time, his goalscoring avg must be one of the worst in history, so there, pos….
OK first of all, the insults are not needed. I never characterized his goals, I simply stated that they existed.
So here:
1st goal against Switzerland 2007
scored against Barbados 2008
game winner against T&T 2008
got both goals against Mexico in Feb 2009
scored against Egypt at Confed Cup 2009
scored against Costa Rica 2009
scored against Slovenia in the WC 2010
….and even if Mikey does have 8 goals, that would make an average of 1 goal for roughly every 7 matches played, hardly earth shattering, I dare say….
Also, listening to Mikey’s interview regarding his loan move to AV in his fake Dutch/German accent, was one of the funniest things I’ve ever heard, he said something bout proving to AV players that he can be counted on in big matches, hey Mikey, what big matches do AV play anyways???? None as long as you around that club, that’s for sure.
Get over it. The situation at Blackburn is not comparable to Villa’s. Their is a lot more competition for a midfield spot at Villa.
D: I just gave you the citation, it’s from me, prove otherwise and I’ll be the first to post otherwise. Tell me another CM with no assists and more than 50 international caps, it’s your job to prove me wrong, not the other way round.
This nobody replies that Mikey scored 8 times for USA, no way, a lucky toe-poke against Slovenia in the last WC, 1 or 2 against MX in qualifying, and that’s it, or did he score a couple against Bermuda or something????
So, why don’t you document thes “8” wonderstrikes from Mikey, cause I think you’re full of it, okay?
“the only midfield player in the history of international football with 50 or more caps and not a single assist”
(citation needed)
YES Blackpool!
You’re not serious, are you? It’s hard to tell over the internet…
Because even if he is the only midfielder in the history of international football with more than 50 caps with no assists (and where would you even find out something like that?), so what? I didn’t realize the only way to measure a midfielder’s performance is by the number of assists they have.
Also, he’s got 8 goals. Would it make a difference to you if he had 8 assists and 0 goals instead of 0 assists and 8 goals?
Jermaine Jones, on the other hand, is playing well for Blackburn today, watching it right now, Blackburn just went-up 2- nil. Jones had his first assist for the USMNT in his first match, took only 12 minutes, a long pass over the top to Lazy Out-the-door, who scored (against Poland, friendly)….
This is the stupidest thing I’ve read on here in a while, which is saying a lot.
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzz……….
lol so predictable and so ridiculous…
No Mikey for AV, hasn’t started and gone 90 for a club since December, 2010, a 0-3 loss for Gladbach. Yet, come opening match against Canada, there he will be, standing 10 yards in front of the back 4, the only midfield player in the history of international football with 50 or more caps and not a single assist, not one, astonishing. Does that fact make Mikey the worst player in the history of the game? I dare say so.
Why are the fans wearing costumes at the tottenham v birmingham game?
ESPN3 pulling its best foxsoccer.tv impression.
MagicJack? like the phone service??
So lame
Waitng for a game too?
Urgh espn3.com