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Soccer Saturday: Your Running Commentary

WayneRooneyManUnited3-Arsenal2014EPL (Getty)

By DAN KARELL

Manchester United have a chance to remain in the top four of the English Premier League for another week when they take on Hull City on Saturday morning.

On a run of just one defeat in their last seven games, Man United have jumped up the charts and are expected to add Radamel Falcao and Marcos Rojo back to the gameday squad for this weekend. Hull City meanwhile are close to the relegation zone and could need to draw or win to stay out of the bottom three.

Elsewhere in EPL action, injury-ravaged Arsenal visits West Bromwich Albion, Liverpool hosts Stoke City, and Chelsea visit Sunderland and the Stadium of Light, a stadium they’ve had trouble in during recent years.

Real Madrid attempt to keep pace at the top of La Liga when they face Malaga. Real have won each of their last 15 games in all competitions. Bayern Munich take on Hertha Berlin at the Olympiastadion, and Paris Saint-Germain face Nice.

In North America, the MLS Cup playoffs continue as the New England Revolution host the New York Red Bulls, while the Liga MX playoffs continue with high-profile matches between Club America and Pumas UNAM and Tigres UANL and Pachuca.

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 Soccer TV Schedule is after the jump):

7:15 a.m. – beIN Sports USA – Charlton Athletic vs. Ipswich Town

7:45 a.m. – NBCSN – West Bromwich Albion vs. Arsenal

9:30 a.m. – GolTV USA – Hertha Berlin vs. Bayern Munich

10 a.m. – NBCSN – Manchester United vs. Hull City

10 a.m. – beIN Sports en Español – Getafe vs. Athletic Bilbao

10 a.m. – Premier League Extra Time – Liverpool vs. Stoke City

10 a.m. – Premier League Extra Time – Swansea City vs. Crystal Palace

10 a.m. – Premier League Extra Time – Queens Park Rangers vs. Leicester City

10 a.m. – Premier League Extra Time – West Ham United vs. Newcastle United

11 a.m. – beIN Sports USA – PSG vs. Nice

12 p.m. – beIN Sports en Español – Sassuolo vs. Hellas Verona

12:30 p.m. – NBC – Sunderland vs. Chelsea

12:30 p.m. – GolTV USA – Hoffenheim vs. Hannover 96

2 p.m. – beIN Sports USA – Malaga vs. Real Madrid

3 p.m. – NBCSN – New England Revolution vs. New York Red Bulls

4 p.m. – beIN Sports en Español – Celta de Vigo vs. Eibar

6 p.m. – Univision Deportes – Club America vs. Pumas UNAM

8 p.m. – Univision Deportes – Tigres UANL vs. Pachuca

Comments

  1. I’m genuinely surprised at how positionally sound Jermaine Jones is with the Revs. I expected his positioning to be as reckless as his challenges. But, Heaps has him in his best role.

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  2. Meanwhile Real Madrid continues to struggle. Btw, the best two CONCACAF strikers substituted late in their respective team games to alleviate the bench sores. However, Chicharito does play for Real Madrid..

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  3. I don’t dislike the guy but talk about rose tinted glasses. This is an embarrassing level of praise for someone that made a cameo, got some cardio in and continues to make little to no difference on the pitch.

    Just stop it people.

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    • No i would say the refusal to allow for good play without a goal needs to stop. The announcers spoke often of his play. He was not world class but he definitely belonged.

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      • Actually, Poyet used that exact same criteria to heap praise on Connor Wickham, who’s scored 1 goal despite starting every game this season.

      • I thought Poyet didn’t know anything, misused Altidore and was the main contributor for Jozy’s lack of production. That’s what my latest Jozy Altidore Fan Club letter said anyway.

        Now Poyet knows what he’s talking about? I can’t keep up.

      • I’ve never heard of this Roker Report before, but then again I don’t think many people have with only 12k followers. So, you’ll have to excuse me for not immediately acknowledging this as some sort of reference.

        Since you referenced goals and speaking of referencing the Roker Report, I found this enlightening commentary in it’s archives:

        “However, he’s displayed a tendency to undertake most of his work outside of the box with his back to goal. On the few occasions he’s found himself in space, he inexplicably elects to wriggle his way beyond multiple defenders before losing possession.

        There have been high-points including his performances in two glorious derby victories over Newcastle, plus the significant contribution he made away to Chelsea during that amazing triumph. At the end of the day, though, it’s the goals scored column which matters most of all. -Roker Report”

        It’s the goals scored column which matters most of all. So, yea. Nice reference, but please read it more often.

      • way to quote a reference as somehow insightful after discrediting it originally

        and you can dump on Jozy all you want but when you jump around from here to there with your arguments you lose credibility, not that you care about that necessarily

        regarding your take on Jozy today for example, disagree and many seem to; once inserted he was in the middle of what very little Sunderland did all game going forward, no rose colored glasses needed to see it…tho black tinted ones perhaps obfuscated your abilities to see it. and he played 28+ minutes, more than a cameo like you claimed

        not enough to get his team over the hump but not an embarrassingly low bar he’s been judged against today in the draw with Chelsea

    • Yeah Jozy must suck for not scoring against unbeaten Chelsea. And getting just Cardio? Laughable comment.

      Take your own advice and “just stop it”.

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      • You’re right. Because it was Chelsea. THAT’S the reason he didn’t score.

        Haha give me a break and stop the nonsense.

      • The “it’s the team’s fault” card was already played in this thread. You’ll need to refer to another excuse.

      • What nonsense lol? You claim not to be a Jozy hater, yet you seem to have a problem with any positive comments on Jozy. This was his most significant action of the season maybe this season. He played around 40 minutes a little more than getting some “cardio”, with a few shots on goal, one deflected shot nearly leading to an Adam Johnson goal. If that’s not worthy of a few positive comments, might as well stop these visiting threads.

      • I think I was pretty clear on my criticism of praise and it was based on the feeble criteria…not simply the act of awarding positive praise.

        You’re right though. Anyone who doesn’t praise Jozy for putting on his kit correctly is a hater. For the record, I didn’t criticize Jozy…I criticized the expected commentary of people always blaming others for Jozy’s problems.

        Was there too much sunlight today or was it too cloudy? Let’s get that covered before we continue please.

      • Roker Report is a Sunderland-devoted blog; their fans would know it, thus you would not. It is one of many blogs in the world and they have their opinion. A blog having a slightly negative write up about a player and giving said player a good review for another game aren’t mutually exclusive events. Bringing this up to prove your point proves your irrelevancy. I should have assumed this of you judging as how you “quote a reference as somehow insightful after discrediting it originally” (-beachbum).

        Good day, sir.

  4. Decent shift from Jozy. My prediction is the Roker Report will give him a 6. Occupied the Chelsea defense, hold-up play was okay, passed well, and took a couple shots on goal. In spite all of the Jozy hate, he looked like he belonged. Can’t wait to see him with a better team.

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  5. The only negative on this list is having to look at that awful Revolution logo. Now that Bob the Builder and friends are gone in Columbus this final ’90s relic MUST GO!!

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  6. Despite Jozy continuing to run away from the play, he got a lot of touches and forced Chelsea to defend. Good to see him in there. Bummer he couldn’t get a goal against them.

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    • per your “run away from the play” comment, i’d disagree. watched the entire game and all around sunderland misses the open man and tries to play it into the tougher situation. and i don’t mean just pertaining to jozy; the entire game they do this. I wouldn’t say jozy had his best game but he was intensely active, lively and actually made good runs. there were a few times wickham just took a wide shot rather than passing to either side.

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    • actually not a bad game for jozy. sunderland will be playing more on the break, and they won’t really have high expectations against chelsea.

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      • i agree. there’s a few cases where they still won’t pass to him wide open. but he’s playing solid so far

  7. I’m not watching the game, but according to espn box score it looks like Hyndman is playing for Fulham. Nice to see him getting minutes – they dried up for time after Felix got fired.

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  8. Arsenal are like Barcelona. Death by possession/passing but no aim it seems. Always seem more likely to be hit on the break. Especially with this young goalkeeper.

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