By JUSTIN FERGUSON
Two English Premier League clubs with modest winning streaks face off at historic Goodison Park on this packed Soccer Sunday of action.
Fourth-place Tottenham Hotspur takes their sparkling defensive record in league play to sixth-place Everton, who are within striking distance of a top-four spot with a win today. With only five goals allowed all season, Andre Villas-Boas’s squad definitely knows how to play lockdown defense, but they will need to overcome their recent offensive struggles in EPL play in order to keep pace with the rest of the league’s giants. Everton is unbeaten at home this season and have bounced back from a loss to Manchester City with two straight league victories heading into today’s battle with Spurs.
The second EPL match of the day will definitely be a heated battle as bitter rivals Swansea City and Cardiff City square off for the first time in top-flight league play. Matches in the South Wales Derby are known for their fierceness, and hosts Cardiff City would love nothing more than to distance themselves from the drop zone with a win against Swansea.
Elsewhere, Radamel Falcao and second-place AS Monaco look to maintain pressure on league-leading Paris Saint-Germain in their trip to third-place Lille. In Italy, Michael Bradley and AS Roma will try to extend their perfect start to 11 straight wins in a road match with Torino.
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):
7:30 am – Motherwell vs Hibernian – Fox Soccer Plus
8:30am – Everton vs. Tottenham – CNBC
9am- Lazio vs Genoa – beIN Sport en Español
9am – Udinese vs. Inter Milan – beIN Sport USA
11am – Cardiff City vs. Swansea City- NBC Sports Network
11am – Montpellier vs. Nantes – beIN Sport USA
11am – Atletico Madrid vs. Athletic Bilbao – beIN Sport en Español
11:30am – Werder Bremen vs. Hannover 96 – GolTV USA
1pm – Levante vs. Granada – beIN Sport en Español
1pm – Toluca vs. Atlas – Univision
1pm – Puebla vs. Pachuca – ESPN Deportes/Azteca America
2:45pm- Torino vs. AS Roma- beIN Sport USA
3pm- Lille vs. Monaco – Univision Deportes
3pm – Malaga vs Real Betis – beIN Sport en Español
3:30pm – Houston Dynamo vs. New York Red Bulls – NBC
6pm – Chivas de Guadalajara vs. Pumas UNAM – UniMas
9:00pm – LA Galaxy vs. Real Salt Lake- ESPN
L.A. completely dominating RSL. They should be up at least 2-0.
Keane by himself should have scored two. Galaxy are terrible wasteful tonight. It may come back to bite them when they play at RSL.
MOTM – Redcardo Salazar. Way to put your mark on the game
whenever he refs he makes sure you know who the ref is
Wow. I really flipped out there. Didn’t think refs could still get so much under my skin. 🙂
What??!? That should have been a penalty
I agree.
” Determination” by Houston? That, a little help from the fef.
ref
Yeah that call ticked me off too.
Dynamo! Cummings with the late equalizer!!
Why is Carney in this game other than to watch goals go in?
Total effing BS.
If the Dynamo don’t score, there will be 95 minutes of stoppage time.
Just get through this match without strangling the ref, NY.
Oh come ON!!!
WTF!!! It’s this Dbags goal in life to give every effing RB player a card!!
Mike! Sub for Henry! Hello!
NYRB now scared to even breathe on Houston.
Need to get IWP and Sam in there to keep Houston honest.
But MLS wants the red bulls to winte cup and there’s a conspiracy against Houston!!!!
That is NOT a red card. No way, no how.
Salazar getting a little something extra in his check for Houston tonight.
Two BS yellows and a BS straight red all on NY with Houston way down. Pretty fishy.
Ageed. Totally malecowpoop call.
There’s your makeup call boys. Gonna be a good one in New York.
Oh god. More absolutely bat$hit insane and meddling MLS officiating.
That’s not even a yellow. It’s a tackle. He got ball.
They showed the replay, he didn’t come anywhere near the ball. He aimed for Cummings and got what he deserved for that.
Apparently a different replay was showing in your brain than the one everyone else saw.
No, but I guess the NBC cameras must be Houston biased as well.
The commentators said it was BS too! What are you talking about?
So are you going to ignore the commentators calling for what they thought was a clear penalty at the end? It all evens out eventually, even with Salazar.
@Matt: That hardly made it even. For one thing, we still lose Olave for Wednesday. For another, that situation likely doesn’t even happen without the red card.
“aimed for Cummings”? Are you serious? Look, if Jamison Olave aims for someone, he leaves no doubt.
Watching Holgersson trying to overlap Alexander is like watching one glacier passing another.
I don’t understand why that has to be a yellow card.
Absurd yellow. I guess according to this ref, you are not allowed to try for the ball in the general vicinity of the keeper?
And when he realized he wasn’t going to get it, he turned away and made sure there was no serious contact with Hall. Salazar is just lost.
Can carney clear a ball? Jeez
Alexander/ Holgersson has to be one of the slowest right sides in MLS history.
Lol
Gooooooooaaaaalllll!! EZ E, baby! Slowest counter ever! I think everyone in the building except for Kofi knew E was cutting that back, but it worked! Two nil, baby!
And Henry celebrates by taking a little pensive stroll through the tulips, contemplating ennui and Proust novels.
For the life of me cannot even imagine what triggered the moderation there, ha!
Goooooooaaaallll! Henry to Cahill! You beautiful Big headed ba$tard!!,
Commentators on Hou-NYRB game mentioned how narrow the field is. Anyone know why they designed the new stadium so narrow?
Ha! So Brad Davis doesn’t have to cover wide??
They didn’t, you didn’t hear when 1 of the commentators said that Dominic Kinnear LOVES having it like that to really put “some pressure” on their opponents? Look at it & you’ll notice that there’s more than enough space between the wrap-around ribbon video board & the sideline the way they have it drawn on the field of their stadium. There’s probably another 2 yards or a yard & a half behind the ad boards too. I think their field is about 6-8 yards narrower than most of the stadiums around MLS that are relatively new or Soccer-specific stadiums if you will, on each side, they could easily add about 6 yards on each side
Thanks guys. I didn’t hear the comment about Kinnear. I did notice that there was more room around the outside.
Roma takes the lead!
Kljestan 7 league goals in 13 league matches
Video of all his goals are on the RSCA website. Watching them, he scores most of them by poking in rebounds after horribly defended set pieces. Two or three were great goals.
Sooooo, you’re saying he’s a typical goal scorer.
+1
Just saying let’s not get carried away. I don’t want to go back to relying on set pieces to score.
Kind of like Chicharito.
MB struggling to keep up with the Torino wings in the open field.
Ya, his own team had trouble too. heh
That Cerci guy is crazy fast…. He ended up more or less outrunning all his teammates too.
Was gearing up for today’s playoffs and came across the Klose to the Galaxy rumor…. So anyone thinking LD to Europe?
Loose would be an utter disaster. I wouldn’t touch him. He’s a big game performer who is bored during the regular season in the Bund. I can’t even imagine his effort level in MLS. Hes got Lothar written all over him. The foreign stars that do well are the guys that have that natural competitive drive to win no matter what like Keane, Cahill, etc.
Klose not Loose, stupid autocorrect
Seeing as how he doesn’t even play in the Bundesliga I’m going to go ahead and disregard your entire post.
So I guess you didn’t realize Bremen and Bayern aren’t in the Bund? Duh.
AJ, I see. You thought I meant he was currently in the Bund., obviously not. If you want to get all grammar police on me for not switching tenses, fine, but are your memories really that short that you don’t remember that he spent most of his career in the Bund? You know what I meant!!
If you’re saying you think he was bad at Bremen then I will continue to disregard anything you say.
Ya, Klose is also a total professional. Sooo he won’t just do nothing.
He shouldn’t come but for complete different reasons. Mostly that he is likely going to be almost 36 by the time the MLS starts again….
Also Drew is correct, he is not in the Bundesliga.
There were many questions about his form and his effort when he was with Bayern. How soon everyone forgets.
LD just signed a new contract and I see no chance of him going to Europe. If anyone is going to Europe next summer it’s Omar.
Yah. That’s part of what I was getting at. Would like to see Klose in mls, but was also intrigued by the story because it would mean the Galaxy would be losing a DP.
If Omar does well in Brazil I could see someone throwing big money his way.
maybe it means more dp slots!!
Dang! This Roma side can tiki-taka with the best of them.
GORGEOUS BALL from Bradley. JUST missed by Boriello.
Inch perfect Beckhamesque 25 yard cross
Just tuned in – who is playing where in the midfield for Roma? Bradley in a deep role?
No, wide in 4-3-3. Shifting from left to right
he actually played up and down the center seam most of the game, both dropping back to initiate the attack from the back and also being the highest attacking player in the middle at times. also ran his butt off all game
I hate the new comments being at the bottom. Now it’s flippin’ scroll city everytime I want to refresh the page on my little phone. Ugh.
+1
I thought I was the only one who liked new comments on top…
Nope.
MB with 5-6 nice quick passes to start.
Man it’s good to see that shining bald noggin marching up and down the pitch again.
haha it does kind of make him easy to pick out
MB starting on left side of 4-3-3
Bradley getting the start today. Hopefully they can keep the streak going
Yup, just say that on the guardian. Roma seems to announce line ups late.
Bedoya playing high up the pitch. Unfortunately, the ball has taken up residence deep the Nantes end. I think it’s eligible for a green card at this point. Nantes can’t string together more than two passes today, so AB not seeing much of the ball.
Beautiful through ball by Bedoya but his mate can’t finish.
Bedoya starting. Looks decent. Made a bit of a goof to spoil a counter, though.
There’s not a counter out there that Bedoya can’t slow down. He’s a good guy and works hard, but his decision-making is too slow. I know he’s one of “JK’s guys” but barring injuries to other players, I don’t see him making the final 23.
Then you will be getting a surprise when the final 23 is announced in 5-6 months.
wow, I just realized how late the Galaxy/RSL match is.
Right during Sunday Night Football. Nice, huh?
Not really, most of the NFL games will be over by then – maybe that’s why MLS wanted it that late?
But seriously, 11:30 pm on a Sunday night on the day the time changes. So for me it will basically feel like 1am by the time it starts. If this was a Saturday, I could stay up.
I just think that what they lose by having it so late is greater than what they would lose to an NFL match (which, if they made the game just one hour earlier at 10:30, would nearly be over anyway).
so…ignore my comment – I read somewhere (goal. com, i think) that it was at 11:30 pm and the NY match was at 7…both wrong. ugh. Strange but I thought I double checked the times on the MLS site too. Oh well. 9 pm is much better, thank god.
This is one of my biggest gripes with MLS. I know the better teams are out West but give us in the Midwest or East a chance to watch the games.
Not to mention afternoon, rather than evening, being a nicer time to play sports this time of the year in places like Portland, Seattle, and Salt Lake. If the Seattle-Portland game yesterday had been a noon or 1:00 pm Pacific start (yes, I know, “college football”), it’s possible that they could have done without the football lines and had enough time to turn it around for the Seahawks the next day.
MLS has to put some serious brainpower into figuring out a better way to handle playoff scheduling next year. I’m not convinced that going to the FIFA-preferred winter schedule is the way to do it, given how miserable games will be in Chicago, Toronto, New York, New England during the winter (we’d probably be OK in Portland and Seattle, cold and wet but not freezing if games are played in the afternoons), but planning schedules in conjunction with the NFL/CFL for shared stadiums would be a nice advance if MLS keeps the same format as this year. This year, more midweek games during the summer would have been nice so that the playoffs started in mid-October, with the first three rounds spread out a little more and the FIFA window serving as a two week anticipatory period for MLS cup.
LAG v RSL is a 6pm West Coast kickoff, prime time East. Doesn’t seem too late to me. Can get done with church, family, errands and still make game. Sweet!
9 Minutes stoppage!
Why is Lloris still playing…. dude has no idea where he is or what’s happening….
I bet he has a concussion. He took that hit hard. Total accident though.
Wow…Lloris convinced the staff to let him stay on. I can’t believe that. Seems irresponsible. Strap him to the stretcher and drag him off if you have to.
yeah he was motionless for a bit – should have taken him out as precaution. One of the worst things you can do immediately after a concussion is keep playing…
This is not the NFL.
It’s a different culture.
maybe this is one piece of culture that can be taken from the NFL for all to benefit 🙂
The NFL’s interest in the issue is entirely self serving and is motivated entirely mega lawsuit potential.
If you removed the lawsuit threat, the NFL would immediately go back to the way it was, which was much more enjoyable to watch.
It is unclear to me if lawsuits would work the same way over there.
perhaps more enjoyable to watch but brutally devastating to the players with the concussions. I’ll stay with my original position. cheers GW
Everton/Spurs is pretty awful.
Spurs appear to have the offensive capabilities of TFC.
I don’t think it’s been terrible. Everton have really picked it up in the second and have had over 60% of the possession. They’ve had some good movement but just need the goal. Spurs have been lacking, though.
But then again, everything would look great after watching that rubbish Sunderland/Hull match yesterday or Stoke.
Well, yes, far better than that.
Hey, Old Man Friedel is coming!
^Lol.
how are you watching the game? a better question is on what channel are you watching the game?
nevermind, I looked at the article. Feel free to add comments of derision to my prior post. I deserve it.
I think we can give you a pass…this time
Shouldn’t have been a card for Mirallas.
If this guy reffed an MLS match, every player would be sent off for dissent before the end of the match.
MLS would do well next year to stress to officials that they should reel in dissent early in the season — would hate to see the playoffs decided by a switch in the officiating emphasis at this juncture, but more yellow cards and more post-match discipline for dissent would be nice to see next year.
Last night a Sounders player put his hands on Toledo. Should have been a straight red. No card, not even a warning (from what it looked like to me).
Random comment: I hope our national team starters have a good year in 2014 – too many not starting/injured/not scoring right now. There’s not much many of them can do about it, but looking at where they were with their clubs earlier this year, it makes me a bit depressed.
I should add that this comment is meant as an observation rather than a “time to freak out” comment.
Kind of a weird time with so many top USMNT players staying home or returning home, but re the guys that are over there, I’m not sure I agree. Jozy is playing major minutes for a BPL side. That’s useful experience despite his criminal lack of service. MB is playing for ESPM FC’s #2 ranked team in the world. He’s a sub right now, but that’s a first for a US field player. Mix is playing, Sacha is starring, so are Boyd and AJ. A few f our Germericans are nicked up it’s true but that’s pretty normal.
Bradley had a great showing.
But come on now, TomG. Roma is not the second best team in the world. Not even close. I think you know that.
Im sorry, but i have to take the rankings of prominent soccer analysts and pundits over Patio Furniture. ;). Just check the rankings on any major website. They just set a record for most Serie A wins to start a season. I’m not sure if you’re truly paying attention.
You serious? You think Roma is beating Barca, Bayern, Dortmond, Chelsea, City, Madrid, PSG, or even Arsenal?
They’ve beaten Inter, Lazio, and Napoli so far.
Chelsea? Really? You mean the team that just got smoked by Newcastle? So many of you tend to incredibly overrate the English teams.
They’ve been good. No doubt.
But let’s be real here. They aren’t on the level of a Barcelona or Real Madrid or Bayern, Dotrmun, Chelsea, Man City, etc.
They are ranked top 5 in the world by very major media outlet that does these rankings. They are utterly dominating a top league in the world. They are beating other top teams in the league with only ten men. These are all very convincing facts while your argument basically consists of…. Nuh uh! No way! If you are going to convince me, you’ll need more that just blank denial.
Roma are playing as well as anyone but one reason Roma are going well may be that they have no European commitments.
They didn’t qualify for Europe and haven’t done well with that for a while, which is one reason UEFA does not rank them very high. A big Italian club missing out on Europe, either CL or Europa league, is like an American team from any of the major team sports missing out on the playoffs.
Their run is impressive but there are 28 league games left and it will only matter if they qualify for Europe.
At least you’re giving me a rational argument, GW. No one else is giving me anything resembling a reason to work with. I would further qualify your mention of UEFA rankings. They really have no bearing at all on the present season since the rankings are based on the results of clubs competing in the five previous seasons of the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League.
Roma are hot right now. They are certainly the best team, domestically, in Italy today.
And if you wish to believe they are the number two team in the World or Europe or wherever for this week that’s fine. But it is unlikely to last. Roma are simply not as good as Bayern or Barca.
And they can’t prove me wrong or prove themselves worthy of your over the top praise because they won’t play either of those teams, or other top teams in Europe in a serious competition this year.
In Europe, teams that aspire to better than averageness prove it by doing well in European competition , usually against the big boys. Roma have not done well in Europe lately, comparatively speaking , which is why I mentioned the UEFA rankings.
They are only playing domestically. Not playing in Europe right now is a serious credibility deficit in the eyes of anyone who seriously evaluates these things. It gives them a big advantage over teams that do and have to split their focus and resources.
Most of all in a 38 game league schedule to go unbeaten in the first ten games speaks well of them but it guarantees nothing in terms of whether they are going to finish higher than sixth this season.
An awful lot can happen in 28 games.
I wouldn’t include Chelsea or Man city in that list. Also. Real Madrid has issues. They can lose to anyone. I would say they are Just outside the top5.
yes, good points. I was referring mainly to our starters – FJ injured, Jozy and Dempsey not scoring, and Jones and Bradley not starting. And then look at how they were doing earlier this year (no, Dempsey wasn’t starting, but he was scoring).
As you point out, there are many contributing factors that are reasonable and they are getting time, but it doesn’t look as great for them as it did earlier this year. Hope it changes in 2014.
To add – we want our starters at their best.
I’m a little concerned about JJ given his age and the high work rate required of that position, and the lack of a natural replacement, but I can’t think of any other major concerns.
Dempsey looked really good last night and FJ is just a nicked up. Nothing serious I don’t think.
altho many will tell you otherwise, he’s looked good before last night, even when he wasn’t scoring, but mixing in with a new team mid season, when injured as well, is what it is. he was also trying to do too much at the very beginning but his game and movements have looked much the same to me, but he’s more used to that team and they are more used to him. they better score first in Portland, and if so, should be a real cracker of a match!
I’d like to point out that Schalke have been winning now that Jermaine Jones has NOT been playing…
Let’s go Dynamo.
No! No more Dom! It’s time for a change! Aren’t you sick of Houston squeaking into the playoffs, maneuvering through the East and losing a boring, 10 men behinfpd the ball snoozer in the final? Dom must be stopped! Vote Petke for change!
Agreed Dom should be banished to Seattle, where he came from.
Ps. I am not a Seattle fan, rooting for a happy return for Dom and a time when the Sounders used to win in the playoffs.
Not if it means losing that boring, 10 men behind the ball snoozer at Jeld-Wen against the Timbers in early December … go Dynamo!!!
Typical selfish Timbers fan. This is why congress sucks. Everybody hates congress but everybody reelects their own congressman. It’s time to change the system, Cascades! Vote Petke!
He’s new, he’s fresh, he wears sweaters. Vote Petke!
I vote Petke! I want LA to go to RBA and win The Cup there. And, I wanna be there.
+1
All y’all haters just fuel us.