This weekend marks the opening of the Bundesliga and Ligue 1 seasons overseas, with U.S. men's national team midfielder Jermaine Jones seeking a fresh start with Schalke and American goalkeeper Quentin Westberg getting a chance to start in Evian Thonon Gaillard's first match since being promoted to France's top flight.
Barcelona is also in action, as it looks to close out the World Football Challenge in style with a friendly against Club America at Cowboys Stadium in Texas.
MLS rounds out the day with a full slate of crucial matches, including Dwayne De Rosario's first game against Toronto FC since being traded earlier this season and Los Angeles and FC Dallas vying for first place in the Western Conference and pole position in the race for the Supporters' Shield.
If you will be watching any of Saturday's matches, please feel free to share any thoughts, opinions and some play-by-play in the comments section below. Enjoy the action (TV schedule after the jump):
SATURDAY'S SOCCER ON TV
9:30 a.m. – GOLTV – Stuttgart vs. Schalke
10 a.m. – Fox Soccer Plus/FoxSoccer.tv – Brighton vs. Doncaster Rovers
12:20 p.m. – Fox Soccer Plus.FoxSoccer.tv – Southampton vs. Leeds United
12:30 p.m. – Fox Soccer Channel – Liverpool vs. Valencia (Friendly)
12:30 p.m. – ESPN3.com – Hertha Berlin vs. FC Nuremberg
1 p.m. – ESPN3.com – Benfica vs. Arsenal (Friendly)
3 p.m. – FoxSoccer.tv – Brest vs. Evian Thonon Gaillard
3 p.m. – FoxSoccer.tv – Ajaccio vs. Toulouse
3 p.m. – FoxSoccer.tv – Caen vs. Valenciennes
3 p.m. – FoxSoccer.tv – Marseille vs. Sochaux
3 p.m. – FoxSoccer.tv – Montpellier vs. Auxerre
3 p.m. – FoxSoccer.tv – Nancy vs. Lille
3 p.m. – FoxSoccer.tv – Nice vs. Lyon
3 p.m. – Fox Soccer Channel – Paris-St. Germain vs. Lorient
4 p.m. – ESPN/ESPN3.com/ESPN Deportes – Barcelona vs. America (WFC)
5:30 p.m. – GOLTV – Flamengo vs. Coritiba
6 p.m. – Azteca America – Cruz Azul vs. Atlante
6 p.m. – Telefutura – Queretaro vs. Pachuca
6 p.m. – ESPN3.com – Ecuador vs. Costa Rica (U-20 World Cup)
6 p.m. – ESPN3.com/ESPNU – Spain vs. Australia (U-20 World Cup)
7:30 p.m. – MLS Direct Kick/MatchDay Live – New England Revolution vs. Chivas USA
7:30 p.m. – MLS Direct Kick/MatchDay Live – D.C. United vs. Toronto FC
8 p.m. – MLS Direct Kick/MatchDay Live – Philadelphia Union vs. Houston Dynamo
8 p.m. – Telefutura – Santos Laguna vs. Tijuana
8 p.m. – Telemundo – Chivas de Guadalajara vs. Pumas UNAM
8:30 p.m. – MLS Direct Kick/MatchDay Live – Sporting Kansas City vs. Seattle Sounders
9 p.m. – MLS Direct Kick/MatchDay Live – Real Salt Lake vs. New York Red Bulls
9 p.m. – ESPN3.com/ESPNU – Saudi Arabia vs. Nigeria (U-20 World Cup)
9 p.m. – ESPN3.com – Croatia vs. Guatemala (U-20 World Cup)
10 p.m. – Telemundo – Monterrey vs. Morelia
10:30 p.m. – MLS Direct Kick/MatchDay Live – Los Angeles Galaxy vs. FC Dallas
10:30 p.m. – MLS Direct Kick/MatchDay Live – San Jose Earthquakes vs. Portland Timbers
On a more serious note, this has to be the best of both worlds for Chandler. He gets to play for the US (his stated wish) AND play for the greatest German player of his generation.
But don’t let this stop anyone from assuming the German National team is controlled from Al Qudia operatives hiding in Area 51, plotting to destroy our democracy by denying up our right back of the future.
*Steven
From Stephan Goff:
In assembling his first roster on short notice, new coach Juergen Klinsmann attempted to speak to each player. He didn’t make contact with Chandler or his manager, Dieter Hecking, until after the roster was made public early Thursday afternoon. By that evening, after conversing with Chandler and Hecking, Klinsmann decided to call in FC Dallas’s Zach Loyd instead.
“With the understanding that this was the start of the Bundesliga season and Timmy is trying to secure a starting job in his first full season, the [three] agreed he wouldn’t come in for this game,” USSF spokesman Michael Kammarman told the Insider.
Instead, Chandler and Hecking committed to both U.S. friendlies next month: against Costa Rica Sept. 2 in Carson, Calif., and four days later against Belgium in Brussels.
I think your wrong. It comes down to what your priorities are and how well you think a club team will get along with you. Do you force their hand for the Gold Cup, which has the potential to get you to the Confed Cup, or do you wait and push them when it really matters, like say in a year’s time for WC qualifying. Yeah, it sucks he wasn’t there, but I’d rather fight for him for the big dance, not the dress rehearsal. And I can’t tell you how many comments I read from an overwhelming amount of idiots here who stated that no German club would ever think to do something like what they’re doing now to a fellow German like Klinsmann. I’m not advocating that JK force them into releasing him for a friendly, so much as I’m calling out posters for their blind hatred of a coach without putting two seconds into some reasoned thought.
It was the Supercup. GolTV is a little weird.
Ever since Dax’s arrival, New York’s midfield has looked a bit ginger too.
😀
In case some of you are unaware, clubs HATE having their players go on National team duty, especially if they’re friendlies.
This is a quote just now from Steven Goff (SoccerInsider twitter) ..
“Nothing to worry about on Timmy Chandler front: In exchange for missing Mex friendly, he committed to both Sept friendlies. Details to come”
Squillaci is atrocious. So bad.
There are legitimate reasons for not letting Chandler come to the Mexico friendly, even if the team went about it in a lousy manner.
If they block him from the Belgium friendly, though, that would warrant a FIFA injunction.
Yeah surprised they can’t put a consistent team together with the support and having a monopoly in Berlin. Do they still have financial issues? They haven’t been a contender for the title in a long long time.
Gold cup is more prestigious than a friendly. This proves nothing, either way.
Bradley did not exactly put Bornstein into his starting XI. He was brought in an emergency situation. He did not “let him f.up the gold cup.” He was working without much in the way of alternatives. And if you think Bornstein wasn’t going to be dropped either way after that performance, you’re clueless.
And he looked a bit ginger at a few moments as well, but that could be due to the fact that I look at my TV, not beyond it. You talk about beyond, then go an intimate something we for which no proof whatsoever exists.
“Something doesn’t smell right to me either. ”
It’s just the odor coming from the Chandler conspiracy theorists.
I guess that JK’s god like status and international cred really intimidated those Germans in a way BB never could have, huh?
Klinsi knows the deal and I doubt he is much bothered by this.
This sort of maneuvering is SOP for clubs in the club vs. national team battles. Many clubs pull this stuff all the time.
To Nuremberg the US game is a badly timed (for them), meaningless friendly that wouldn’t cap tie him to the US anyway so why are the Americans so upset about it?
If Chandler had the clout and the track record of a proven vet then maybe he they let him go but Chandler is a half season wonder and they want to make sure THEIR player (Nuremberg pay him, the US does not) gets off to a good start.
In the long run it is in the US’ best interest that Chandler establishes himself as a regular.
Yeah, true that.
And what, you think one group of people should be able to voice their opinion and the other shouldn’t? And where did he insult anyone in particular? As far as I can tell abc is insulting the very idea.
exactly, the argument that he’s not is silly
Joamiq
‘Bornstein was going to be dropped regardless of whether or not Bob stayed in charge.’
There was nothing in B. Bradley’s actions to suggest this. Letting him f.up the gold cup says the opposite.
agree very backwards spin from ussf
The idiocy lies in your assertion that a viewpoint supported by the facts is a conspiracy theory. Troll along my friend.
Only 2 above 30 on their entire 18 the GK Schafer and Simons. Oldest guys on the team 23, 23 (bench), 24(bench), 29, 28, 32 (GK), 34.
Stop insulting people. There is no need of that. You have your opinion and they have theirs.
Its funny you call them conspiracy theories. The very next day after he got the call for the nats he got hurt.
I do think Chandler wants to play for the US, but the team management is acting like dirtbags.
The us could file a complaint against them for not releasing a player on a Fifa date and lying about a players health.
Portugal almost did it once when Real Madrid did the smae thing with Ronaldo a few years ago.
Chandler better make it to the next call up or we will know for sure that his team´s management is full of it.
All you outraged patriots should remember that it wasn’t that long ago that the US didn’t have too many players worth a club vs country struggle.
And also that the clubs pay these guys their salary not the US. Chandler is a Nuremberg player who occasionally plays for the US not the other way around.
Where I’m from you are very careful about telling your boss to **** off.
Chandler just beat his forward down the field on a breakaway when the fwd had a 30yd head start. How anyone can say the guy doesn’t look 100% is beyond anything you can see on TV today. He was very assertive. Had the pass that led up to Nurembug’s best scoring chance before the goal. He played solid D and made good confident passes out of the back. Did I mention his speed is phenomenal?
Something doesn’t smell right to me either.
Nurnberg only has 3 outfield players above the age of 23. At one point their was only 2 on the field, extremely young team especially when you compare it to Hertha’s
No I don’t expect Juergen to burn bridges, but instead like to point out the hypocrisy of people on this board that expected Bradley to burn a bridge with Nurmberg, a club that the US had just started to deal with. And that was my first comment on this board today. I don’t know who you think I am, but you can go suck a fat one with you attitude.
“Morales…German born…Klinsi…german legend…Morales…German-American…Klinsi…Wanna-be-American…Klinsi…American Coach…Morales…Skilled Center mid…USMNT…Needs Talented Midfielders…Im just sayin…”
Interesting how the overall tone of the commentary hasn’t really changed at all since Klinsi took over.
It’s as if BB never left.
imho, you play 90 minutes… your nothing less than 100%
No excuse as to why he shouldnt be with the US team to play Mexico other than Nurnberg just needing him
uhhh… The Schalke game this morning on GolTV was live.
And quit spamming comments with different user names.
Oh shut the hell up. Jurgen just got the job you expect him to burn some bridges on the first call up.
Just gonna throw this in, for not being 100% Chandler played 90 minutes for his club.
“But at some point Chandler is going to have to assert himself.”
I guess you frequently tell your boss to piss off every chance you get as well correct?
Maybe once Chandler proves himself to be anything more than a half season wonder.
The USMNT does not pay Chandler his salary.
This game does not cap tie him anyway and if he is going to hurt his knee further, better he do it for his club than for the US.
So much for the theory that JK’s enormous prestige, clout and god like status would give him an advantage over BB in these sorts of situations.
one year wonder
So where’s all the people who fervently said that Klinsmann would never had allowed the club to strongarm the US like they did Bradley? Come on folks, lets have some equal opportunity coach bashing here.
Lifesized, not to worry, a nice scarf should cover it.
Chandler has had a couple good moments in a pitiful game.
I’m not faulting Chandler. The injury was a smokescreen created by his club and country just went with it.
excatly my point
The Chandler conspiracy theories are hilarious (if you find idiocy hilarious).
Yeah I turned it on and saw it was Schalke… but not today’s game, WTF!
2nd most supported team in the World’s highest attendance league. Do the math.
Don’t worry to much about getting called up Kisseweiter, Boyd, and Brooks didn’t get called up until recently after the WC qualifying and wasn’t even on the radar until recently, Klinsmann will probably use these guys in the near future.
morales is a spanish last name so i am not suprised. Klinsi said latin players so usa better call him up.
No i am not talking to the senior team. I am saying he should get youth team looks like. U-20’S or U-18’S
I don’t think Brooks is available to play for Germany yet. I know a lot of people have said he has dual citizenship but I read that both his parents are Americans. The kid is solid though and I hope he stays with the US choice.
Wouldn’t hurt to give the kid a look.
Probably because he has yet to prove anything. When he gets first team minutes, we’ll talk about him.