There are stacked days of mid-week soccer, and then there is a day like today. Between a bevy of Americans in action overseas and races for league titles and places in Europe reaching their peak, it's a good day to be by your television and computer.
In terms of Americans, Tim Ream's relegation-threatened Bolton is in action against Brad Friedel's Tottenham, and Carlos Bocanegra, Maurice Edu and Alejandro Bedoya take aim at Dundee United while hoping to hold onto second place in Scotland. Not televised in the USA is Jozy Altidore's AZ Alkmaar facing NEC, needing three points to stay alive in the UEFA Champions League hunt.
In England, races for Champions League places are tense, as Chelsea, Newcastle and Tottenham jockey for position. The Blues might not need to finish in the top four if they can win the Champions League, but their match against Newcastle is must-see nonetheless. At the Bolton-Tottenham encounter, Fabrice Muamba will be in attendance just weeks after going into cardiac arrest and nearly dying at an FA Cup meeting between the two clubs.
In Italy, the ongoing AC Milan-Juventus feud atop the table continues. Juventus doesn't figure to have their undefeated season tested by relegation-threatened Lecce, and Milan hopes to keep pace at home against Atalanta. And in Spain, coming off a 7-0 thrashing of Rayo Vallecano, Barcelona returns to action against Champions League-hopeful Malaga, while Real Madrid can clinch their La Liga title with three points on the road at Europa League finalist Athletic Bilbao.
If you will be watching any of Wednesday's games, please feel free to share any thoughts, opinions and some play-by-play in the comments section below. Enjoy the action (TV schedule is after the jump).
WEDNESDAY'S SOCCER ON TV
1 p.m. – FoxSoccer2Go – Ajaccio vs. Sochaux
1 p.m. – FoxSoccer2Go – Bordeaux vs. Stade Rennes
1 p.m. – FoxSoccer2Go – Brest vs. Toulouse
1 p.m. – FoxSoccer2Go – Caen vs. Lorient
1 p.m. – FoxSoccer2Go – Dijon vs. Auxerre
1 p.m. – FoxSoccer2Go – Lyon vs. Valenciennes
1 p.m. – FoxSoccer2Go – Marseille vs. Nancy
1 p.m. – FoxSoccer2Go – Nice vs. Lille
2 p.m. – ESPN2/ESPN3.com/ESPN Deportes – Barcelona vs. Malaga
2 p.m. – DirecTV – Real Zaragoza vs. Levante
2 p.m. – DirecTV – Mallorca vs. Rayo Vallecano
2 p.m. – GOLTV – Sevilla vs. Real Betis
2 p.m. – ESPN3.com – Ajax vs. VVV Venlo
2:45 p.m. – Fox Soccer Channel – Chelsea vs. Newcastle
2:45 p.m. – FoxSoccer2Go/ESPN3.com – AC Milan vs. Atalanta
2:45 p.m. – FoxSoccer2Go/ESPN3.com – Juventus vs. Lecce
2:45 p.m. – FoxSoccer2Go – Rangers vs. Dundee United
2:45 p.m. – ESPN3.com – Parma vs. Inter Milan
3 p.m. – Fox Soccer Plus/FoxSoccer2Go – Bolton vs. Tottenham
3 p.m. – FoxSoccer2Go – Paris-St. Germain vs. St. Etienne
4 p.m. – GOLTV – Athletic Bilbao vs. Real Madrid
4 p.m. – DirecTV – Valencia vs. Osasuna
6:30 p.m. – Fox Deportes – Boca Juniors vs. Union Espanola
8 p.m. – MLS Live/Direct Kick – New England Revolution vs. Colorado Rapids
8 p.m. – Rogers Sportsnet – Montreal Impact vs. Toronto FC
8:30 p.m. – Fox Deportes – Emelec vs. Corinthians
9:30 p.m. – Telefutura – Pachuca vs. America
10 p.m. – MLS Live/Direct Kick – Seattle Sounders vs. Los Angeles Galaxy
10 p.m. – Rogers Sportsnet – FC Edmonton vs. Vancouver Whitecaps
10:30 p.m. – MLS Live/Direct Kick – San Jose Earthquakes vs. D.C. United
11:30 p.m. – Azteca America – Tijuana vs. Monterrey
Without a doubt. It was old several months ago and still is. His crime is not being George John or Omar Gonzalez.
From @TVSportsRatings via Twitter:
Audience of Man City vs Man Utd on ESPN U.S. was 20% non-white (which implies 80% white).
Usual audience of ESPN U.S. is 31% non-white.
==
So much for the old wisdom that “only immigrants watch soccer”.
Something tells me that Ream’s involvement could have been 10 plays ago and someone would find a way to link him to the goal. Just sayin’.
Well it was Ream’s awkward challenge that popped the ball up into Sandro’s hand that didnt get called. It was then cleared for a corner where Modric did his magic.
Thank you both.
Stu!! In the house!
Nobody’s fault. Nothing anyone could do with an upper 90 volley off a corner kick from outside the box. Nasty stuff.
No one was at fault for that one…corner straight to Modric, who’s outside of the box and blasts on a volley into the top corner…can’t blame anyone for that-just a great play
I’m guessing it means that he was pushed head first into a sideline/endline billboard… maybe chasing down a ball?
Messi is 3 goals ahead of him now in the La Liga scoring race, so we’ll see.
But regardless of what Ronaldo does, Messi just broke the most hallowed scoring record in football. It’s like breaking the MLB home run record… but much more prestigious.
A dang commercial popped up on my feed just as they scored. Was Ream at fault at all?
Um… so a billboard fell on his head and knocked him out? Really? Am I reading that translation wrong?
I could see that happening.
Unfortunate for Bolton. Wouldn’t have had the opportunity had that handball been called.
my thoughts exactly dude. i can’t even remember when we were at full strength last (Stu and Gooch being the guys that keep us from full strength status most frequently)
That’s just a brilliant goal by Modric…
Cristiano Ronaldo could still get:
a) the scoring record back
b) the Spanish Liga title
c) something at Euro 2012
Don’t mail the award out yet.
Or it was a Monday afternoon, male college kids, and your choices were live soccer, soap operas, or yet another “He’s not the father” episode of Maury.
Dumbest.
Demo.
Definition.
EVAR.
(Seriously, I thought it was satire when I first read it.)
great. wonderful. right before our friendlies and qualifying. i hope he is ok. for once, i would love to have an injury free camp.
Well you can just hand Messi the WPOY trophy right now, nobody else should even be considered.
not for Fios, at least not in Herndon, VA or Fairfax County. if you have ESPN you also have NBC Sports. Both are included in the first tier of cable. FSC, GolTV, ESPN Deportes, ESPN Classic, etc. require the next step up, at least.
Is that the record? MESSI DID IT!!!!!!! All time goal scoring record in history!!!!!
ESPN is basic cable. NBC sports is not. Keep that in mind.
Hat trick for Messi.
What’s his goal count right now??
To be fair, I have ESPN at my dorm but don’t have NBC Sports and thus streamed the MLS game…
UPDATE ON THE JOZY INJURY:
From a live blog following the game (translated from Dutch using Google Translate)
“20:45 CET
Jozy Altidore was just knocked out when, after a push of a billboard fell against Conboy. The American striker with a head wound of the field gone and replaced by Ruud Boymans.”
I’m very worried about Jozy, anyone have an update on how serious this is, we DO NOT need our only forward outside of Deuce who play and starts in Europe hurt…
the 10.15% vs 0.28% is god awful. people need to start watching MLS if they want it to get better.
however, the median age doesn’t surprise me that much. i think a lot of college kids probably watched Mondays game whereas a lot of people around 46 were at work. but still…
Or they want to see the best play.
From @TVSportsRatings via Twitter:
Among Male College Students living away from home, Man City vs Man Utd on ESPN Monday afternoon drew 10.15%, MLS on NBC Sports Network on Saturday drew 0.28%.
Median age of U.S. viewers of MLS on NBC Sports Network on Saturday: 46
Median age of U.S. viewers of Man City vs Man Utd on ESPN on Monday: 28
—
The young 18-34 crowd want to consume the big GLOBAL BRANDS.
yea wth happened there?
what happened to Jozy? subbed off in the 34th minute…
Did Altidore get injured?
for those wondering. Barca is up 2-1 at halftime. as it stands now, Madrid still need to win to clinch…which, by the way, the will!!!
Let me finish the article:
………..Oh yeah, there are MLS games too.
Much easier for the sales people to go to a Spanish-language advertiser and offer additional exposure on ESPN2 (or ESPN) for the same ad at 2x the ad rate than for the sales people to convince skeptical English-language advertisers to try soccer on less than 1 week notice.
This is all making as much money as possible with has little effort as possible.
State Farm started all this last September by experimenting with Spanish-language ads on NBC, E!, and Style. ESPN, Inc. has caught up.
For your amusement, search “ESPN2 Spanish” on Twitter and read the tweets.
Sochaux now down two men. Ruh roh…
wtf….http://blogs.soccernet.com/manchestercity/archives/2012/05/hodgson_appointment_good_for_t_1.php
oh and Jozy won’t be plyaing CL football next year. sad.
One minute after Sochaux scores to go up 1-0, a midfielder takes a red card….
Somethin’ tells me CD isn’t seeing the pitch today.
Oh yeah good goal by Puyol.
Lately while watching soccer and boxing on ESPN I have noticed half the commercials are in Spanish. Now today they are airing the ESPN Deportes feed of Barcelona/Malaga on ESPN2. This shows that ESPN are having a better understanding of their market.
Charlie! Nice to see him on a game day roster again…Hope he can contribute…
specific.
zzzzzzzz
Better: He misses his mark several times in Ream-ish ways leading to clear scoring chances by Tottenham early in the game. The game scoreless in stoppage time he launches a beautiful pass from just outside his own penalty area, splitting the defense for Kevin Davies at a full sprint. Friedel charges out but leveled by his own defender allowing an easy Davies tap in.
“There are stacked days of mid-week soccer, and then there’s days like today.”
Plural (days) ==> there are
Right on the first, wrong on the second.
Sorry, but it’s a pet peeve of mine.
Except he never scores goals. He doesn’t head it well enough to score off of set pieces 🙁
nice!
Ream with relegation saving goal off a set piece.