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Soccer Wednesday: Your Running Commentary

TimReam (Getty Images)

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

Comments

  1. Okay, so getting your head smashed into a bill board and maybe having a severe concussion is less of a concern that hammie or an ankle injury? Ever hear the expression brain bruise?

    Are we talking long term or short term here?

    Interesting priorities.

    Reply
  2. It wasn’t awkward at all. Ream’s CB partner got caught out and turned, Ream raced back to block Sandro off a spinning rebound. Sandro handled in front of both the ref and linesman. The resulting corner got Spurs an undeserved goal, though the Bolton midfielder (not Ream) gave Modric too much time and spaced. Ream has his own problems, no need to make stuff up.

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  3. Big news out of Germany for Fabian Johnson and Company. Bremen Goalkeeper Tim Wiese has signed for Hoffenheim. This has been rumored for the past day or two, but nonetheless is a major surprise and is very good news for the young Hoffenheim team to bring an experienced crazy competitive maniac like Wiese.

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  4. I’m trying very hard not to get to attached to the idea, to be honest. After watching the Cisse goal though, its hard not to get carried away.

    Winning the next two games is a big ask, though I think its feasible. Howard Webb is reffing the game against Manchester City after all.

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  5. I am hoping, praying that NC can help us, ‘cos Lord knows we can’t win this thing on our own (Man United that is). To be honest at this point I don’t think we deserve to win the title and if it were any other club I would not mind so much (well scratch that, if it were Liverpool I would mind BIG time) but this is City winning one. Man that’s gonna burn something hot for a while.

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  6. So for a newcastle fan, how optimistic are you of a top four finish? Seems like city are being handed the trophy despite a trip to st jameses’s still on the calendar.

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  7. Context isn’t everything but sure is important. Not knocking on Eric or anyone else for that matter. But if you read his post (which is a response to Polo’s) within the context of the discussion it would appear that he’s going out of his way to associate Ream to the corner. No biggie just saying that’s how I read it and it is quite clear that you had your read into it as well (though while I see where you are coming from, I don’t see how you get there from that response alone but it’s all good).

    Anyway thanks for your laudry list of Ream’s past follies. I was looking at the past 10 plays but your history book on the “messups of Ream” really hammer home the point.

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  8. That’s it, I’m getting on with my day. Can’t watch this anymore. Let’s hope the points add up and they can stay in the Prem – though it’s not looking good.

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  9. I don’t disagree that he earned criticism from his play with both RBNY and the Nats, but it’s over the top. I see plenty of “world class” center backs get torched for goals. It’s part of being the last line of defense. Ream makes his share of mistakes, but it seems to me that people really want him to fail.

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  10. I think Eric clearly made the point that while Ream was involved in the play considering he caused the play to lead up to the corner, he was NOT at fault because after Ream’s challenge Sandro got away with handling the ball and THEN there was a corner awarded….

    I’d be willing to be Eric is just trying to point out Tottenham got a bit of help with the non-call rather than trying to blame Ream for the play that next lead to a corner, off of which Modric scored a scorching outside the box shot…..

    Hard to cover everyone outside the box really so not sure why you think Eric is really banging on Ream, who btw no matter what you Kosh OR Eddie say….Ream earned every bit of criticism he got after the Gold Cup, the friendly vs Honduras in October and the horrible form he showed with New York from about May to October….

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  11. I think Polo is right, and this sounds A LOT LESS severe than a muscular type of injury, he probably hit his head pretty hard and could have a concussion which in month he could have more than enough time to get back, although from the translated description it could just been a nasty cut that needed stitches and they couldn’t really “stitch him up” quickly enough to get him back in the game….

    Either way it’s not a pulled or torn harmstring or calf or anything of that sort or an ankle which is a nagging little injury

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  12. Not saying that I would make a difference in the numbers but I’m sure many people that would otherwise watch are running into that same problem

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  13. I have Dish and I don’t get NBC Sports. I would love to be able to watch MLS but it’s not an option. That’s why the numbers are so bad

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  14. He can get the league scoring record back, but Messi just broke a 40 year all-time European top flight scoring record.

    He’s also about to become (unless Gomez scores a hat-trick in the final) the first player in history to be CL/European Cup top scorer 4 seasons in a row.

    Reply

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