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Soccer Sunday: Your Running Commentary

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Robin van Persie of Manchester United celebrates scoring his goal to make the score 1-2

By MICHAEL KLINE

The David Moyes era at Manchester United will officially begin today, when the Red Devils take on Wigan in the Community Shield.

The Latics have been relegated, and lost manager Roberto Martinez to Everton, but they will look to pull off a major upset against Moyes and a Manchester United side ready to play for someone other than Sir Alex Ferguson for the first time in a quarter century.

Moyes’ former club, Everton, will compete later in the afternoon on GolTV when they face Real Betis in the club’s last preseason friendly before the start of the 2013/14 Barclays Premier League season.

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

9am – Fox Soccer Channel – Manchester United vs Wigan Athletic – Community Shield

10am – GolTV – Everton vs Real Betis

1pm – ESPN Deportes – Puebla vs Veracruz

1pm – Univision – Toluca vs Santos Laguna

3pm – GolTV – Fluminense vs Flamengo

3pm – beIN Sport – Guingamp vs Olympique Marseille

8pm – ESPN2 – Dallas vs Los Angeles Galaxy

11pm – UniMás – Chivas USA vs Colorado Rapids

Comments

  1. No matter how bad the officiating in the LA-Dallas game was, an adequate keeper could have stopped at least two of Dallas’ goals this evening. So why did Bruce start our same old terrible one and leave Penedo on the bench?

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  3. Donovan with a classic Donovan goal for LA. Flip over the top, LD rounds the keeper with a header and puts the ball in the back of the net.

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  4. I think Klejstan is a tweener. Not fast enough and he doesn’t possess the guile, speed or fear factor of a pure winger nor does he have the tackling of a hard man, lungs and stamina of a box to boxer or the creative play making and passing of a 10. Not a 6,7,8,10 or 11 … Not it the 23 for ’14

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  5. Klejstan or Zusi on the wing? For some reason Klinnsman puts Zusi in front of Klejstan on the depth chart. Can anyone tell me why? I put a lot of stock into a player who has earned his starting position in Europe, is an important gear in the team that makes things run, and does so consistently. Klejstan is a well rounded player.

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    • Klejstan has never proved effective out wide for the nats.While not being a natural winger Zusi has done a decent job at RM.He has shown an abilty to get crosses in to the box and get up and down the wing, covering his fullback pretty well.

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      • Zusi has provided increasingly effective offensive service from out wide while being extremely effective at providing defensive wing cover.

    • Klejstan is a Defensive Midfielder at Anderlecht. For the USMNT he is played on the wing. For the DM position we usually have 2: Bradley, Jones, Edu, D Williams, Holden, Diskerud, Torres, and Beckerman. I would put Klejstan, overall, as the 3rd rated DM on our roster at the moment. No wonder why Klejstan has not looked good lately for the USMNT on the wing…it is not his BEST position. Why not make Altidore a winger or would he be out of position?

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    • I saw on twitter that Klejstan has been called in, along with Brooks, Johannsson, and Boyd. Same reporter said Altidore isn’t going. He is staying at Sunderland, apparently. I don’t know the accuracy of this report, though. I would think we will know today.

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      • AJ’s switch has not gone through, but he can still participate in training.

        Just saw where Alfredo Morales is being called-up as well. Also, it looks like Jozy will be staying with his club and Chandler is not getting a call either.

      • Supposedly the paperwork was filed a day before the announcement of him switching sides to the USMNT. I dont see why FIFA couldnt have finalized it by now

      • It took a couple of months, but that was just went the rule went into place. It was averaging about 2 months, but now is supposedly down to one month, if there aren’t any problems.

      • I would have to ask why? In every chance Klejstan has been given for the USMT, he has failed to produce.

      • I would not like to see him back on the USMNT. I humbly disagree with your opinion. He is not going to help progress us forward.

      • Klejstan looks like a surplus to requirements player within the USMNT. I think he is a more complete player and should be in front of Zusi on the depth chart, but Klinnsman has his opinion of the depth chart. We are at the mercy of Klinnsman, or Herzog, when Klinnsman is not banned a game. So far the middle of the midfield guy has been Dempsey or Donovan playing the #10 role and it’s more of a withdrawn forward role. They come back into midfield to help with distribution and they get into the box after we have possession to finish. Klejstan is more of a central mifield type of player without the game of a forward. Dempsey and Donovan are ahead of Klejstan in the same position, but I think Klejstan is ahead of Zusi on the wing. I cannot help but notice Zusi runs like he has a half inflated wheel.

      • Zusi has performed well in every chance given to him by the USMT. The same cannot be said if Klejstan. THAT us the reason Zusi us ahead if Klejstan on the USMT depth chart.

      • Tell you what makes me particularly happy. That we have a player like SK who has played quality soccer for a few years for a championship side in a decent European league and CL appearances, yet…… I think his being left off the NT is a fair and reasonable assessment of his place on the depth chart..

      • Agree that it is a good place to be. I would say that he’s just generally in a pinch–not good enough at dmid or in a string-puller role to displace any of the (relatively) more specialized MF, and clearly not as good a box-to-box guy as what we have.

        He used to play more on the wing, I thought, and if he were there more lately I’d be down with seeing him a time or two more. For now, though, he’s just below the standard of play a bit.

        I don’t understand the Zusi hardon–he’s been fair, not great.

      • Zusi doesn’t have eye catching athleticism or speed which is a limitation on the wing, particularly in the Int’l game. . Think he kind of kind of found his way in by way of a lack of other options at the time. However…. he has kept himself there by being very steady, reliable and hardworking on both ends of the field. And… there has been steady progression in his game. Fans don’t always love this kind of player, but managers sure do. Will be interesting to see what happens w/ the re-emergence of LD and progress w/ other options. To keep a starting spot,he has to continue t get better but, at the very least, I think we see him on the bench in Brazil.

      • I really liked what I saw from Corona on the right in the Gold Cup, but Zusi had a fantastic set of qualifiers. Aside from his two crosses to Jozy, he also was great from set pieces and made that fantastic flick-on to Fabian Johnson in the Hondurus game that opened the defense and allowed Jozy to score.

  9. Galaxy looking to make Eto’o their next dp according to Italian newspaper.Eto’o is a big name and only 32.Would be a great signing imo.

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  10. Bundesliga is back!!! I have my German Koffee (Tchibo) and making plans to see Eintracht Frankfurt in September live!!! German Koffee and the Bundesliga. Fall is around the corner.

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  11. Schalke is having issues with their defense. They don’t seem to know what to do when the ball not on the ground…. including the keeper…

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