The game of the year in European soccer, between Barcelona and Real Madrid, headlines today's packed schedule of soccer action, but it is hardly the only marquee match-up on the slate, with London rivals Chelsea and Arsenal set to collide this morning in a match with plenty of implications.
Arsenal and Chelsea are both fighting for the precious spots in the English Premier League's top four and both need a win today to ensure their places. The Gunners are fighting Tottenham for third place while Chelsea are in dire need of a win today to try and climb back into the Top Four picture again.
The match everyone is waiting for takes place this afternoon, with Barcelona taking on Real Madrid in a match that will go a long way in determining the Spanish Premier League champion. Real Madrid currently holds a four-point lead on Barcelona in the La Liga standings, but a Barca victory today would reduce that lead to a single point with four weeks remaining in the season. Barcelona is undefeated at the Camp Nou this season, having won all but one of their league matches played there this season.
If you will be watching today' soccer 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
7:30 a.m. – Fox Soccer Plus - St. Johnstone vs. Dundee United
7:45 a.m. - ESPN2/ESPN3.com/ESPN Deportes - Arsenal vs. Chelsea
9:30 a.m. - GOLTV - Werder Bremen vs. Bayern Munich
10 a.m. - Fox Soccer Channel - Newcastle vs. Stoke City
10 a.m. - Fox Soccer Plus/FoxSoccer2Go - Aston Villa vs. Sunderland
10 a.m. - FoxSoccer2Go - Blackburn vs. Norwich City
10 a.m. - FoxSoccer2Go - Fulham vs. Wigan Athletic
10 a.m. - FoxSoccer2Go - Bolton vs. Swansea City
10 a.m. – FoxSoccer2Go - Bristol City vs. Barnsley
10 a.m. - FoxSoccer2Go – Heart of Midlothian vs. Rangers
12 p.m. - Fox Soccer Plus/FoxSoccer2Go/ESPN3.com - Chievo vs. Udinese
12 p.m. - ESPN3.com - Benfica vs. Maritimo Funchal
12 p.m. - DirecTV - Sporting Gijon vs. Rayo Vallecano
12:20 p.m. - FoxSoccer2Go - Middlesbrough vs. Southampton
12:30 p.m. - Fox Soccer Channel - Queens Park Rangers vs. Tottenham
1 p.m. - FoxSoccer2Go - Brest vs. Stade Rennes
1 p.m. - FoxSoccer2Go - Caen vs. St. Etienne
1 p.m. - FoxSoccer2Go - Dijon vs. Lille
1 p.m. - FoxSoccer2Go - Evian Thonon Gaillard vs. Toulouse
1 p.m. - FoxSoccer2Go - Montpellier vs. Valenciennes
1 p.m. - FoxSoccer2Go - Nice vs. Auxerre
2 p.m. - GOLTV/ESPN3.com/ESPN Deportes - Barcelona vs. Real Madrid
2:45 p.m. - Fox Soccer Channel/ESPN3.com - Napoli vs. Novara
3 p.m. - FoxSoccer2Go - Bordeaux vs. Marseille
3:30 p.m. - NBC Sports Network - Toronto FC vs. Chicago Fire
4:30 p.m. – DirecTV - Sevilla vs. Levante
6 p.m. - Azteca America - Cruz Azul vs. Estudiantes Tecos
6 p.m. - Telefutura - Queretaro vs. Toluca
6 p.m. - Univision Deportes - San Luis vs. Tijuana
7:30 p.m. - MLS Live/Direct Kick - Columbus Crew vs. Houston Dynamo
8 p.m. - Telemundo - Chivas de Guadalajara vs. Atlante
8 p.m. - Univision Deportes - Santos Laguna vs. Tigres UANL
9 p.m. - MLS Live/Direct Kick – Colorado Rapids vs. Los Angeles Galaxy
10 p.m. - MLS Live/Direct Kick - Vancouver Whitecaps vs. FC Dallas
10 p.m. - Univision Deportes - Monterrey vs. Pachuca
10:30 p.m. - MLS Live/Direct Kick - Portland Timbers vs. Sporting Kansas City
10:30 p.m. - MLS Live/Direct Kick - San Jose Earthquakes vs. Real Salt Lake
10:30 p.m. - MLS Live/Direct Kick - Chivas USA vs. Philadelphia Union
Today is a dark day for football. It is inconceivable that Barca could lose at home. We should all wear black tomorrow to mourn.
Attacking soccer is when you shoot at the goal, not when you have the ball all the time and pass sideways all the time.
Barcelona play possession soccer and not attacking soccer.
DEAL WITH IT.
PRICELESSSSSSSS
BARCE TRENDIESSSS, WHERE ARE YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA MADRIDDD OLE OLE OLE OLE IVES??? ANYWHERE???
lol that is why MLS is such a joke sometimes
Chicago’s Dom Oduro tries to blow by a Toronto defender who after realizing he is beaten clotheslines the Chicago player with an elbow to the face. And he only gets a yellow.
An elbow clothesline to the face to stop a fastbreak and it’s only a yellow.
I love watching Barcelona fans cry. Just because their team is good at passing the ball sideways it makes them think that they deserve to win every game and get every call.
Round of applause for Cristiano Ronaldo. Dude is a beast. Keeps Mourinho an interesting villain. And Ozil to CR for the title-winning goal is appropriate. Plus, if both Madrid and Barca can turn around their CL ties, how epic would the title be now?
#searchingforthebrightside
Out of the woods? THis thing is over. There’s only one game that should give them any trouble and they’re up 7 points. ITS OVER
Ugh, subs in injury time sure shouldn’t count as ending the game!
Wow, I don’t remember seeing Messi look like he was losing his cool. Nice attack by Barca led by Cesc, but Madrid survive. But they sure don’t look out of the woods.
We need to send a bouquet of flowers to Chelsea. They have certainly influenced the lineup put out today. Sanchez instead of Tello and we probably lost 3 or 4 to 1. Man he sucked lol 😀
Bizarre lineup for Barca. Tello was terrible. Alves didn’t add much. Barca got the goal but then struggle with the ball when Xavi left. The man owns the ball.
When was the last time Barca lost any two games in a row?
Misunderstood earlier you said we and I thought you were reffering to Barca. Still disagree Ronaldo will be in the top 10 for Madrid when said and done.
Stop it.
Stop spending 2 minutes on the freaking ground. God I hate what this team has become. You were barely touched.
Deserved?
We should have given up a penalty to Barca, so just a goal works.
I’m a Madrid fan. We always have incredible players. On the list of Madridista greats, Ronaldo doesn’t touch the top 10.
He embarrasses the jersey with his antics.
Wow now I don’t want to defend these antics from Madrid, but you are cheering on Barcelona. Pedro?, Alves? Thiago?. Each team has suspects
He is also the reason why Madrid is currently winning.
And that’s why I want Ronaldo gone. Freaking pathetic piece of primadonna crap. You barely get touched by a dude getting up and you freak out like you were shot?!
That isn’t Madrid football.
Remember Barca has to win to have a chance at the title. It’s not looking good right now
And what a pass by “Avatar Eyes” Ozil
If Chealsea won by all luck. what do you call Alexis’ goal?
RONALDO! Game on, 2-1 Madrid 73!
LOL
How do we keep getting these calls? Fast break from a blatant professional foul?
Well, I’ll take it.
RONALDOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!
And Alexis with the GOAL!
Barcelona definitely deserved that goal because we definitely deserved to be given a penalty immediately prior.
Back on in less than a minute. If you force them to bring a stretcher on the field because you get hit in the head, you should be forced to have a full concussion scan. That would cut out that BS.
Wow, Xavi off but Alexis over Cesc.
He BETTER be forced to leave the field for the corner.
This is embarrassing acting from Madrid, and that’s coming from a fan. Really? A stretcher for getting hit by the ball?
Lol. Every time I start to think that Valdes should be Spain’s #1 he does something like that.
Dude is probably steaming angry that Christian Tello got the start over Cesc and Sanchez… and his now missed three open nets set up by Messi and Iniesta.
Or he’s going to make Robin Van Persie a TON of money this summer.
I didn’t see the first half, but it looks like Messi is picking up where he left off against Chelsea – dropping pretty deep in the midfield. And I don’t think that is best for Barca.
As I type he is offsides – actually a good sign. Don’t hang your head, Leo.
It hurt me as much as it hurt you. 🙁
Wow Tello might be kicked off the team after this. Wow he is singly handedly losing this for Barcelona. 3 open nets missed?!?
Totally agree. Jozy needs minutes more than anything else. Stay with what’s working!
wasted?
Sure, the US never gets upset. These weak teams just wet themselves when we walk on the field and pray that we won’t humiliate them too badly.
In fact the coaching staff should just take the time off until whenever we meet Mexico.
Let’s have Caleb Porter care-take the team until then, a reward for his efforts in his very weak Olympic qualifying group.
Like you said, a real waste.
Ian Darke? The megamind who only a few weeks ago (March 25) said that Newcastle had no chance of making the top four, yet where is Newcastle today? The guy is a brilliant as a 2-watt bulb from 1915.
Helps to refresh before posting….
So I’m not completely useless; Barca looking somewhat disjointed again, although more fluid than against Chelsea.
It’s on ESPN3
Fifth and dropping.
Too soon, man.
ESPN3.com in both English and Spanish.
U.S. Eastern Daylight Time. a.k.a. “New York Time”
I would prefer John Harkes to Ray Hudson. True story.
Ian Darke doing the commentary on Watch ESPN (formerly ESPN 3).
Valdes lookes like he could play for our U-23s on that goal.
Can’t be too expensive-I did a similar trip to Genoa for THAT game, and it was 10EUR (though the US section was jacked up to 50EUR..).