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Soccer Sunday: Your Running Commentary

SoutKoreaU20 (Getty)

By MICHAEL KLINE

The quarterfinal stage of the U20 World Cup will grab headlines yet again, with the opening matches of the Gold Cup rounding out a solid day of soccer action.

Iraq and South Korea are scheduled to kickoff this morning, with the winner booking a ticket to face Uruguay in the semifinals. Just a few hours later, Ghana will compete against Chile for the last spot in the semis, where France will be waiting.

Later in the evening, Canada and Martinique will get the 2013 Gold Cup underway, with Mexico vs. Panama following just a few hours after.

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

SUNDAY

11am – ESPNU – Iraq vs Korea Republic – U20 World Cup

2pm – ESPNU – Ghana vs Chile – U20 World Cup

3pm – ESPN – Chicago Fire vs Sporting Kansas City

5pm – MLS Direct Kick – Columbus Crew vs Portland Timbers

5:30pm – Fox Soccer Channel – Canada vs Martinique

7pm – MLS Direct Kick – Montreal Impact vs Chivas USA

8pm – Fox Soccer Channel – Mexico vs Panama

9:30pm – MLS Direct Kick – Colorado Rapids vs DC United

10:30pm – MLS Direct Kick – LA Galaxy vs Dallas

Comments

  1. I am concerned for all these Panamanian players that are getting hurt at the end of this game. Hope they are all okay.

    Seriously though, at this point Mexico should stop giving them the ball back. Panama has gone beyond the normal behavior that winning teams will do.

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    • It’s pretty horrible. Those poor guys are just dying out there!

      This is some pretty shameless time wasting. I sorta want Mexico to magic up a win just to make all that diving worthless.

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  2. Another barn burner in Turkey. Chile up 3-2 in the 102nd minute. Great offensive talent in these U20 games and clearly a lot to learn defensively.

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  3. Some i’m SURE someone else has been a hermit like me, and watched the USA replays on FSC from the Gold Cup two years ago today??? haha. Addicted, I know. Anyway, three things stood out to me:

    -we forget Donovan has been in the USMNT doghouse before. Bradley benched him before this Panama game, and when Dempsey scores – he immediately points at Donovan as if to get the pressure of his shoulders

    -watch the Jamaica game where Agudelo comes in for Jozy (the one where Jermaine scores and does the salute)…you can’t tell me Juan Agudelo can’t do that on a team with QUALITY PLAYERS around him?? He’s so smooth, you wonder what its gonna take to get him to that next level – Europe?

    -and then watch the last twenty minutes against Panama (the second game, the one we won)…its a Freddy Adu advertisement. Seriously, you can’t watch that last twenty minutes and not just burn as to why Freddy as well can’t still help us even if he gets no club PT. He is simply out of his skin when he puts on a USA jersey. Why not give him another chance??

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    • Watching the USA/Mexico match.

      Bornstein just came in…2 goals instantly given up *facepalm*. I hate this moment in time…

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      • Yeah, I was actually at that game. It sucked, a lot. And don’t get me started on how the Mexican fans treated us.

      • I was at the game, too. It was an emotional roller coaster: crushed in the crowd trying to enter the stadium, ‘dos a cero’, big loss and covered in thrown beer while descending the steps from the upper levels of the Rose Bowl.

    • yep I said the same thing…..its as if players perform well when putting on their national team jersey. Problem w/Freddy is pretty much zero playing time w/his club currently and in the past wasn’t consistent enough, on top of his liability to defend. Trust me his offensive skills are bar none the best this country has seen with the ball at his feet. Very strange to this day on his career.

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      • I hear you,… I’m one that has said numerous time that he indeed is our Gio Dos santos. If he were a Mexican, I can literally guarantee he would be a starter on the NT with P/T or without for his club. To me personally he has waaay more to offer than Torres, Corona, Evans, Danny, Sasha, EJ, Zusi, etc. I don’t care for his defensive tactics… We have nine Ray Lewis’s on the field already. He would be perfect fit for Bradley coming out from the back with the ball and Dempsey, Donavon, and Jozy along side. Or a Bradley, Holden, & Mix along with Adu to move the ball around and attract the Defense… oh well, hopefully he gets called sometime soon

    • Agudelo will be in Europe next year. Hes been unlucky with injuries and poor club situations. Hes a player that really would have benefitted from playing every week his first couple years I rate him higher than Boyd but we probably wont see him until next cycle which is a shame. Its sad we weigh club playing time that much more than pure talent. As shown an out of form Holden still brings more to the national team than weekly starters Torres or Klestjan and the same goes for an extremely rusty Shea being better than Castillo

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    • Having watched the replay a few things stood out:

      1. What happened to our offense, was that Bornstiens fault? or was it Bradley idiotic idea of not bunkering against Mexico that killed it for us?

      2. How didn’t Duece get a red card for the studs up kick to the Mexico keeper’s groin

      3. Was this Mexico’s B team? I don’t see many of those players in Mexico’s recent games except for Hernandez and Dos Santos.

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    • I have the same reaction sometimes. From a purely offensive standpoint, you’re correct. When you factor in defense, though, it is tough to put Freddie out there because you ultimately win most of these matches by being organized and energetic on defense which are qualities that Freddie reputedly lacks. Juan is just extremely young and lacks the consistency and attention to detail you want from a striker.

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  4. Iraq had the lead 3 separate times in a 3-3 game. Penalty kicks. Throat punch to the Iraqis. Can they overcome the disappointment of a blown lead in the 122nd minute?

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