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Soccer Sunday: Your Running Commentary

AndreaPirlo (Getty)

Juventus has been the revelation of the young Serie A season, and with former AC Milan playmaker Andrea Pirlo leading the attack and a defense that has allowed just seven goals in nine matches, the Bianconeri look like a worthy challenger to unseat defending champion AC Milan.

If Juve is going to maintain its one-point lead atop the Italian standings, they will need to beat a dangerous Napoli side today. Though Napoli haven't exactly lit up Serie A, currently just sixth in the table, Napoli still has a dangerous attack capable of torching any opponent.

(UPDATE-As you may have figured out by now, the Juventus-Napoli match was postponed due to flash flooding.)

Today's schedule of soccer matches includes a good assortment of international contests from around the world. The London Derby between Fulham and Tottenham should provide some good morning entertainment, while FC Barcelona travels to Athletic Bilbao hoping to close ground on first-place Real Madrid.

Sunday's schedule is headlined by tonight's MLS Conference Finals, which will determine the teams that will take part in the 2011 MLS Cup Final. SBI will be providing full coverage of both the East and West finals so be sure to join us for both.

If you will be watching today's action, please feel free to share your 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

1 a.m. - Fox Soccer Channel - Sydney FC vs. Gold Coast United

6:30 a.m. - Fox Soccer Plus/FoxSoccer.tv/ESPN3.com - Genoa vs. Inter Milan

8:30 a.m. - Fox Soccer Plus/FoxSoccer.tv - Wolverhampton vs. Wigan Athletic

8:30 a.m. - ESPN3.com - AZ Alkmaar vs. ADO Den Haag

9 a.m. - ESPN3.com - Lazio vs. Parma

9 a.m. - Fox Soccer Channel/ESPN3.com - AC Milan vs. Catania 

9:30 a.m. - GOLTV - Real Madrid vs. Osasuna (delayed)

10 a.m. - FoxSoccer.tv - Bolton vs. Stoke City

10 a.m. - ESPN3.com/ESPN Deportes - Real Zaragoza vs. Sporting Gijon

11 a.m. - Fox Soccer Channel - Fulham vs. Tottenham

11 a.m. - FoxSoccer.tv - Auxerre vs. Toulouse

11 a.m. - FoxSoccer.tv - Caen vs. Dijon

11 a.m. - FoxSoccer.tv - Lorient vs. Ajaccio

11 a.m. - FoxSoccer.tv - Marseille vs. Nice

11 a.m. - FoxSoccer.tv - Nancy vs. Brest

11 a.m. - FoxSoccer.tv - Stade Rennes vs. Valenciennes

11 a.m. - FoxSoccer.tv - St. Etienne vs. Montpellier

11 a.m. - FoxSoccer.tv - Sochaux vs. Lyon

11:30 a.m. - GOLTV - Augsburg vs. Bayern Munich

12 p.m. - DirecTV - Rayo Vallecano vs. Real Sociedad

12 p.m. - DirecTV - Espanyol vs. Villarreal

1 p.m. - Telemundo - Pumas UNAM vs. Tijuana

1 p.m. - ESPN3.com - Sporting Braga vs. Benfica

1 p.m. - Azteca America - Puebla vs. Tigres UANL

2 p.m. - ESPN3.com/ESPN Deportes - Athletic Bilbao vs. Barcelona

2 p.m. - GOLTV - America Mineiro vs. Corinthians

2:45 p.m. - Fox Soccer Channel - Napoli vs. Juventus

3 p.m. - Fox Soccer Plus/FoxSoccer.tv - Bordeaux vs. Paris-St. Germain

4 p.m. - GOLTV - Getafe vs. Atletico Madrid

5:30 p.m. - Fox Soccer Channel - Sporting Kansas City vs. Houston Dynamo

9 p.m. - ESPN - Los Angeles Galaxy vs. Real Salt Lake

 

Comments

  1. That was a great goal worthy of Brazil Ronaldo in his prime. Tremendous effort and vision to split the defenders and follow up on his through ball, and nice footwork to avoid the goalie and hit the shot. His raw talent is cooking nicely.

    Reply
  2. I did a google search in Portuguese – and it looks like he has a groin strain. Also, kinda worrying are his club’s site stats that say he’s played 5 matches, while others have played 9. Not sure if that an indication of performance or what.

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  3. Barcelona LB Adriano should be out of the game for pulling back striker going in on goal. Linesman had to see it, he should have called ref over.

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  4. Frankly, since he was about 17, I felt that it would be a massive disappointment is he didn’t become the best striker we ever had and didn’t eventually beat Donovan’s Nats goal scoring record.

    Anything can happen with a young player, but to everyone who has slammed Jozy over the last couple years I say:

    17 to go.

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  5. Yes, we have nice, young depth coming up at the striker position. Sapong and Mwanga (if he becomes eligible) also have potential. It may behoove Klinsi to switch to a 2 striker formation.

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  6. I think he does sometimes lose focus off the ball. The great strikers are constantly probing and looking to exploit every little advantage. Keep in mind his youth and inconsistent playing time up to this year. Focus usually improves with maturity and playing time.

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  7. Jozy is the best striker we have. He’s starting and scoring goals for a good team in a top European league. He could be our number 1 striker for the next 5-10 years. Very little competition really.

    Buddle and Gomez will play roles in qualifying but don’t expect to see them at the next WC. Agudelo, Bunbury, Braun are rookies and getting to the level we need and should be ready by 2014.

    Reply
  8. Good point. The announcers for the AZ-ADO match were commenting about how it’s easy to forget he’s only 22, and that’s the most important part, period.

    That’s the same age as a lot of MLS rookies.

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  9. It’s really incredible at the duration of Friedel’s high level play; I really think he is possibly the most underappreciated NAT ever… I mean before 2002 nobody really believed in him

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  10. meh. I didn’t see Brian’s comments that way. Some people are really into body language and think its very important. Others are like, “Body language? Really?”

    I’m not big into it, but if I had to choose, I’d rather he keep the demanding the ball body language and lose the slumped shoulders, sulky act. I like to see him confident with a little swagger.

    Reply
  11. Fulham pepper the goal with over 20 shots but put only one in. Deuce denied a tying goal by Moldric block on the line. Spurs would have lost this type of game last year, but Friedel and Parker are major upgrades.

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  12. How does Sidwell not even get called for a foul, when he was clearly trying to bowl over Parker before he crossed onto the penalty area?

    Dempsey’s gonna be seeing Friedel and Modroc in his nightmares tonight.

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  13. It does suck but its good in that it shows he’s dangerous even when he doesn’t score.

    Jozy had a long slump when nothing would go in for him, but he still had good games and was dangerous in that period.

    I think people got too frustrated with his lack of production and wanted to call up prospects that weren’t ready or vets that clearly didn’t have it at the Nats level when he was clearly the better option.

    He will almost certainly have more slumps, it happens a lot at the forward position even to great players. Doesn’t change the fact he’s one of the best we’ve ever had.

    Reply

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