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Soccer Monday: Your Running Commentary

WayneRooneyEngland1-Poland2013 (Getty)

By RYAN TOLMICH

After a busy Sunday of Euro 2016 qualifying, some of Europe’s top sides take center-stage Sunday to kickoff qualification for the continent’s biggest international tournament.

Monday’s action is headlined by England, who will be without starting forward Daniel Sturridge in their Group E opener against Switzerland. The Swiss, who have transitioned to new manager Vladimir Petkovic, were last seen in a Round of 16 loss to Argentina at this summer’s World Cup. Meanwhile, England enter the weekend fresh off a lackluster 1-0 victory over Norway Sept 3.

The reigning European champions will also be in action, as Spain kickoff the defense of their continental crown by hosting Macedonia. La Roja, who are fresh off a memorably disappointing World Cup, enter the clash as heavy favorites. They could learn a thing or two from Iberian rivals Portugal, who were upset by European minnows Albania Sunday.

Elsewhere, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Sweden travel to Austria, Ukraine hosts Slovakia, and Slovenia visits Estonia.

If you will be watching today’s matches, 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

2:45 p.m. – Luxembourg vs. Belarus – Fox Soccer 2Go

2:45 p.m. – Spain vs. Macedonia – ESPN Deportes

2:45 p.m. – Ukraine vs. Slovakia – Fox Sports 2

2:45 p.m. – Estonia vs. Slovenia – ESPN 3

2:45 p.m. – San Marino vs. Lithuania – Fox Soccer 2Go

2:45 p.m. – Switzerland vs. England – Fox Sports 1

2:45 p.m. – Austria vs. Sweden – ESPN 3

2:45 p.m. – Montenegro vs. Moldova – ESPN 3

7:00 p.m. – St John’s vs. Florida State – ESPN 3

Comments

  1. This is a game that, from a neutral viewing stand point, is hurt by the expansion of the tournament to 24 countries. With the top 2 in the group automatically qualifying, both countries will be very strongly favored to make the 24 regardless of what happens today.

    Reply
    • Yeah, I have very little issue with it expanding from 16 to 24. People forget that when the UEFA went from 33 federations in 1988 to 54 federations today. Not to mention, the middle teams are better. There are 9 groups so the top 2 (or 18) in every group would qualify (Netherlands, Turkey, Belgium, Bosnia, Spain, Slovakia, Germany, Republic of Ireland, England, Switzerland, Greece, Hungary, Russia, Sweden, Italy, Croatia, Portugal, Serbia AND France) plus a the others than stand a decent chance of making it through 3rd place playoffs: Ukraine, Czech Republic, Poland, Scotland, Slovenia, Austria, Norway, Denmark. That is 27 teams for 24 spots if things keep to form. Are some of these not going to make it, of course. However, not many are overtly weak to be consistently be blown out 5/7-1. In fact, there are teams here that could beat the USMNT that might be outside the top 16.

      Reply
      • +1 I have seen too many of the “it makes qualifying totally uninteresting for any of the decent teams” argument. Newsflash– it was pretty dull already. This just makes a boring formality slightly more boring by filing down the few remaining “rough corners” that occassionally popped up on the final day of the competition for mediocre sides like Ukraine and England. Whatever. I will wait for Danny Welbeck’s ghostwriter to opine in an unholy autobioography that never comes to pass. What’s more important is that tournament has been less entertaining than it could be and that is an actual problem.

        Let’s see what the impact is here on the competitive spectacle I’m not sure it definitely makes it better, though it will obviously generate more money and in that sense is a victory. For somebody somewhere. Probably. A

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