The 16 teams that will advance to the next round of the Europa League will be finalized on Thursday afternoon, meaning there should be plenty of quality matches for soccer fans to see as teams face do-or-die situations.
Some of the day's games are already underway, but perhaps the biggest one to American fans takes place later in the afternoon when Sacha Kljestan and Jozy Altidore's clubs clash for a spot in the next round. Kljestan and Anderlecht will be playing at home as they attempt to erase a 1-0 deficit on aggregate to Altidore and AZ Alkmaar.
Another American likely to be in action later today is Jermaine Jones, who is serving an eight-week ban that does not prevent him from playing in non-league games. Jones started last week for Schalke 04 as they played to a 1-1 draw with Viktoria Pizen, and he is likely to do so again in Schalke's home leg of the series.
If you plan on watching today's action, please feel free to use the comments section below to share your thoughts, opinions and play-by-play. TV schedule is after the jump.
THURSDAY'S EUROPA LEAGUE ON TV
1 p.m. - DirecTV - Valencia vs. Stoke City
1 p.m. - GolTV/DirecTV - Athletic Bilbao vs. Lokomotiv Moscow
1 p.m. - DirecTV – FC Twente vs. Steaua Bucuresti
1 p.m. – DirecTV – Standard Liege vs. Wisla Krakow
1 p.m. – DirecTV – PAOK Salonika vs. Udinese
1 p.m. – DirecTV – PSV Eindhoven vs. Trabzonspor
1 p.m. - DirecTV - Club Brugge vs. Hannover 96
3:05 p.m. - DirecTV - Legia Warsaw vs. Sporting CP
3:05 p.m. - DirecTV - RSC Anderlecht vs. AZ Alkmaar
3:05 p.m. - GolTV/DirecTV - Manchester United vs. Ajax
3:05 p.m. – DirecTV – Atletico Madrid vs. Lazio
3:05 p.m. – DirecTV – Besiktas vs. Sporting Braga
3:05 p.m. – DirecTV – Olympiakos vs. Rubin Kazan
3:05 p.m. - DirecTV – FC Metalist Kharkiv vs. SV Salzburg
3:05 p.m. - DirecTV – Viktoria Pizen vs. Schalke 04
Hmmm…maybe if you can try a bootable linux disk/thumbdrive from which to boot, you could get around your work’s download/plug-in restrictions.
Jones is still suspended. He’s a Schalke starter.
yeas I’ve always thought that everything is life is zero-sum, so clearly he’s either a candidate for the balloon d’or or wasting “yet another” chance. c’mon.
Players have ups and down. Goals and starting assignments aside, JA is playing at a higher intensity and consistency than anyone has ever gotten out of him. Every time he’s piut on a NATS jersey he has looked better and better. He’s fine as long as he keeps pushing and gets pushed. This coach knows exactly what he’s doing.
United lost to Ajax but not enough for them to go through, nearly a dream day.
Jozy played well, some good first touches, half a dozen nice passes, however he never received one return pass. Beerens was the major culprit shooting from nearly the end line three times.
Sasha also played well, with one free kick tipped away from the upper right.
danke
I meant 2-0 aggregate, sorry for the confusion.
2-0? Why am I still seeing 1-0 22 minutes later.
Sweet defensive play by Sasha, breaking up a gimme.
especially in the EU. Doesn’t work for me here at work unfortunately, plug-ins needed
2-0! I’d be surprised now to see any more offense from AZ, so I don’t know if Altidore can really do much this game.
I hate hoping for injuries…. but I do 🙂
wait what. Benschoop is injured. Might be a chance for Jozy to regain his starting role and maybe he can CEMENT it.
As fans of the usmnt we probably give our guys too much credit for ‘flashes of brilliance.’ Any forward with few matches under his belt in a top flight league has shown flashes here and there.
We just don’t care when some crystal palace guy has an incredible performance in the fa cup, or whatever.
If you’re in the First Row of Sports, you can always find a feed…
is there a feed?
Jozy on before the half…
Sacha with a great free kick. Produced an acrobatic sav, and now, Altidore is on for Benschop who may have picked up a knock.
Jozy on in the first half!! Injury to Benschop.
Close for Sacha!!
Sacha almost nailed a free kick for a goal. Keeper tipped it over the bar.
supposedly that Charlie Benschoop guy has been looking great in training and has been scoring the goals over the past month. Hope Jozy can regain it inside him to retake his spot.
You’re probably right, but it does seem as though he shows flashes and then fades and maybe that’s all he has. He’s not good enough to have consistent “flashes of brilliance”. I just think if that’s the case, he shouldn’t be the assumed shoe-in to hold down the striker spot for the US.
Nice goal by Chicharito.
“Ruining a chance” and being “not quite good enough” are two different things. Nobody is guaranteed soccer superstardom.
It’s not like he had a torres-esque career collapse. Maybe being a competent part time forward is all jozy will ever be. No shame in that.
It looks like Jozy has officially lost his starting spot. It’s been 5 games or so since he got a start. Not that I know what goes on in the locker room, but it seems like Jozy might be close to ruining yet another golden chance to right his career.
Wow, attacking line-up for United. Could be a fun game!
———– De Gea —————
Rafael- Jones – Smalling – Fabio
Nani – Park- Cleverley – Young
——Chicharito — Berbatov
Bench:
Amos, Evans, Evra, Giggs, Scholes, Carrick, Welbeck
FIFA really needs to start enforcing their “Respect” campaign in regards to referees and players surrounding them. As a lifetime soccer fan and apologist (having always to defend the sport against those who deride it), even I’m exhausted of all the players’ bickering and complaining on the field. FIFA needs to clamp down and take a hard stance. Maybe start carding anyone other than the captain who approaches him. Something anything. Yesterday I watched a Europa league match where the German ref pointed to his Respect patch on his arm and mouthed the word. It was awesome. But not enough refs seem to take a hard line against that crap.
But Messi still couldn’t do anything against the mighty Stoke.
Yep Jozy on the bench and Kjlestan starting. It’s a shame Sascha didn’t get a call up this time. I know he doesn’t have an electrifying history with the Nats, but does ANY of our US guys have a perfect sparkling record with the senior national squad? Not even Dempsey or Donovan have always been on top their games. I say let’s look at Kjlestan again.
Jones not even on the bench, Cherundolo not even on the bench (calf injury still? gonna be interesting to see what’s up in 6 days), and Altidore will likely be on the bench (soccernet doesn’t have lineups yet for that game).
Interesting that the only that can crack the starting lineup is the one that got the snub from the national team.
Valencia is about to knock out the almighty Stoke City. Stoke need at least 2 second half goals without conceding.