If you happen to have a free weekend to watch as much soccer as you want, then you picked the right weekend to have off.
Manchester United takes on Chelsea and the Los Angeles Galaxy faces the New York Red Bulls in this weekend's headliner matches. The Premier League title could very well be decided by the Red Devils-Blues clash, while we'll see five Designated Players on the field at the same time for the first time in MLS history when the Red Bulls battle the Galaxy.
The action hardly ends there. Roma will try to play spoiler to AC Milan's championship party, while French powers Lyon and Marseille do battle. Love your South American soccer? Then the Corinthians-Santos Brazilian League playoff match will be worth your while.
On the MLS front, RSL looks to rebound from consecutive losses against red-hot Chivas USA, while the Portland Timbers play host to the Philadelphia Union tonight in the debut of Soccer Night in America on Fox Soccer Channel.
Here is this weekend's Soccer on TV, as well as SBI's Top Ten (or so) Matches to Watch:
SBI's TOP TEN MATCHES TO WATCH
1. Manchester United vs. Chelsea. The English Premier League title will be decided by this match, or at least go a long way toward determine who the champion is.
2. Los Angeles Galaxy vs. New York Red Bulls. Five Designated Players, superstars from North America and Europe, as well as two of the strongest teams in MLS. It's a match no MLS fan should miss.
3. Roma vs. AC Milan. Milan is looking to secure the Scudetto in Rome, but Roma has other ideas, and another goal in mind (locking up an automatic Champions League place).
4. Lyon vs. Marseille. Two of the top teams in France square off in what should be an entertaining and intense affair.
5. Portland Timbers vs. Philadelphia Union. The Timbers dangerous attack against Philly's stingy defense? Yes please.
6. Corinthians vs. Santos. Brazilian playoffs+Neymar and Ganso? Don't miss it.
7. Udinese vs. Lazio. Top Italian teams fighting for a European spot. Goal-fest
8. Real Salt Lake vs. Chivas USA. RSL is back at Rio Tinto taking on red-hot Rojiblancos in Robin Fraser's return to Utah.
9. Everton vs. Manchester City. Tim Howard tries to slow down the bazillionaires in blue.
Honorable Mention: Barcelona vs. Espanyol. Barcelona derby. Always a heated affair. America de Cali vs. Deportiv Cali. Colombia's Cali Clasico. Worth a watch.
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THIS WEEKEND'S SOCCER ON TV
TONIGHT
10:30pm– Fox Soccer Channel- Portland Timbers vs. Philadelphia Union
SATURDAY
7:45am- Fox Soccer Plus– Queens Park Rangers vs. Leeds
9:30am- ESPN3.com– St. Pauli vs. Bayern Munich
9:30am- GolTV– Werder Bremen vs. Borussia Dortmund
9:30am- ESPN3.com– Schalke 04 vs. Mainz 05
10am- Fox Soccer Channel– Everton vs. Manchester City
10am- Fox Soccer Plus– Aston Villa vs. Wigan Athletic
10am- FoxSoccer.tv– Bolton vs. Sunderland
10am- FoxSoccer.tv– Newcastle vs. Birmingham City
10am- ESPN2– West Ham United vs. Blackburn
Noon- DirecTV– Getafe vs. Almeria
Noon- GolTV– Valencia vs. Real Sociedad
Noon- DirecTV– Sporting Gijon vs. Deportivo La Coruna
Noon- ESPN3.com– Hercules vs. Racing Santander
Noon- Fox Soccer Plus– Palermo vs. AS Bari
12:30pm- Fox Soccer Channel– Tottenham vs. Blackpool
1pm- FoxSoccer.tv– Arles vs. St. Etienne
1pm- FoxSoccer.tv– Auxerre vs. Montpellier
1pm- FoxSoccer.tv– Bordeaux vs. Sochaux
1pm- FoxSoccer.tv– Brest vs. Nice
1pm- FoxSoccer.tv– Caen vs. Lens
1pm- FoxSoccer.tv– Monaco vs. Paris St. Germain
1pm- FoxSoccer.tv– Lorient vs. Toulouse
2pm- GolTV– Atletico Madrid vs. Malaga
2:45pm- Fox Soccer Channel– AS Roma vs. AC Milan
2:55pm- FoxSoccer.tv– Nancy vs. Lille
4pm- GolTV– Sevilla vs. Real Madrid
4pm- Telefutura– Real Salt Lake vs. Chivas USA
4pm- Fox Soccer Plus– Bolton vs. Sunderland (Delayed)
5pm- Fox Soccer Channel– Newcastle vs. Birmingham (Delayed)
7pm- Direct Kick– Toronto FC vs. Houston Dynamo
7:20pm- GolTV– Deportivo Cali vs. America de Cali
7:30pm- Direct Kick– New England Revolution vs. Colorado Rapids
7:30pm- Direct Kick– D.C. United vs. FC Dallas
7:30pm- Direct Kick– Columbus Crew vs. Seattle Sounders
8pm- Telemundo– Tigres UANL vs. Chivas Guadalajara
8:30pm- Direct Kick– Chicago Fire vs. Vancouver Whitecaps
9:30pm- GolTV– Deportes Tolima vs. Nacional de Medellin
10pm- Telefutura– Atlante vs. Cruz Azul
11pm- ESPN2– Los Angeles Galaxy vs. New York Red Bulls
SUNDAY
6am- DirecTV– Mallorca vs. Villarreal
7am- Fox Soccer Plus– Wolverhampton vs. West Bromwich Albion
9am- ESPN3.com– Udinese vs. Lazio
9am- Fox Soccer Plus– Inter Milan vs. Fiorentina
9:05am- Fox Soccer Channel– Stoke City vs. Arsenal
11am- FoxSoccer.tv– Valenciennes vs. Stade Rennes
11:10am- Fox Soccer Channel– Manchester United vs. Chelsea
1pm- ESPN3.com– Barcelona vs. Espanyol
1pm- Telemundo– UNAM Pumas vs. Monterrey
2:45pm- Fox Soccer Channel– Genoa vs. Sampdoria
3pm- ESPN3.com– Real Zaragoza vs. Osasuna
3pm- Fox Soccer Plus– Lyon vs. Marseille
3pm- GolTV– Corinthians vs. Santos
3:15pm- ESPN3.com– FC Porto vs. Pacos de Ferreira
5pm- GolTV– Penarol vs. Nacional (Delayed)
6pm- Fox Soccer Channel– Philadelphia Independence vs. Boston Breakers
9pm- Azteca America– Morelia vs. Club America
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Man, the boy wonder looks like a geezer.
Man up?
Lol.
If you’re going to pick a top 10, man up and don’t have a three-way tie for your #10.
(SBI-Why does it have to be an exact ten? There were multiple derby/clasico matches I wanted to highlight for people. Most weeks it’s a ten, but I’ll make it more if and when I think the time is right, and this was one of those times. Tell you what, I’ll start including an honorable mention if that’ll make you feel better. Haha)
it’s a top 10 for a reason
Ives the Mexican liguilla (playoffs) started and they are not in your top 10….good games there including yes Monterrey (beat our best in RSL) vrs Pumas (great season and finish on top behind Tigres) and/or Chivas (if you think Agudelo is good then also watch el Cubo and youth flair) vrs Tigres (Bornstein coming off the bench anyone and they finish as #1 in league play)…
(SBI-I mix in Mexican games pretty regularly in the Top 10. Didn’t this time. You could make the argument that one of the playoff series second legs was worthy of this list, but remember this list is Top Ten matches for American fans to watch and, for better or worse, most American fans could care less about Mexican League soccer. Pachuca being the obvious exception.)
West Ham v Blackburn is on ESPN 2 as well, I believe.
I like the fact that every single week Ives picks the picture of the English Chicharito.
Consistency!
HC
All Mexican quarter finals should be scorching! Especially Tigres vs Chivas, and Pumas vs. Monterrey!
If I remember correctly, Tim Howard was a-frickin-mazing last time Everton played City. Another interesting plot twist is if Arsenal will keep Aaron Ramsey out of the starting lineup this weekend when the meet Stoke because Shawcross was the one who broke his leg, and he just got better.