Let’s hope that the officiating is better than in the Arsenal-Sunderland game. Only live games are listed, home teams are listed first and all times are EST.
English Premier League:
The first one is a big one: seventh place Liverpool (WWWDL) faces first place Manchester United (WLWWL)at Anfield Stadium 8:30 a.m on Fox Soccer Channel. Might be a good day to DVR CBS Sunday Morning . . .
Nineteenth place Wolverhampton Wanderers (LWLDW) hosts fifth place Tottenham Hotspur at Molineux Stadium at 11:00 a.m. on Fox Soccer Channel.
Italian Serie A:
If you’re up early – or out late if you’re out west – you can catch eighteenth place Cesena (DLLDW) facing fourteenth place Sampdoria (LWLDL) at Stadio Dino Manuzzi at 6:30 a.m. on Fox Soccer Plus.
Second place Inter Milan (WLWWW), clearly on the rise since the departure of Rafa Benitez and the hiring of Leonardo to replace him as coach, squares off against tenth place Genoa (DDWWL) at the San Siro Stadium at 9:00 a.m. on Fox Soccer Plus.
Fourth place Lazio (DDWWL) meets eighth place Palermo (WWLLL) at the Stadio Olimpico at 2:30 p.m. on Fox Soccer Channel.
Spanish La Liga Primera:
Nineteenth place Málaga (DDDWL) welcomes sixteenth place Osasuna (DLWLD) at the Estádio La Rosaleda on ESPN Deportes at 11:00 a.m.
Sixth place Athletic Bilbao (WLLLL) plays seventh place Sevilla (DLWDW) at San Mamés Stadium at 1 p.m. on Gol TV.
Ninth place Racing Santander (DWWDD) hosts second place Real Madrid (WWWDW) at the Estádio El Sardinero at 3 p.m. on Gol TV.
Time for a trivia question: what are the only teams in the Spanish La Liga Primera that have never been relegated?
French Ligue 1:
Third place Marseille (DWWWW) faces second place Lille (WDWLD) at the Stade Vélodrome at 3 p.m. on Fox Soccer Plus.
Yutsano
No such situation exists in nature.
Randinho
@Yutsano: I do it regularly in case I sleep in.
Yutsano
@Randinho: I’m just being a butthead, though I think you figured that out. :)
Randinho
@Yutsano: Don’t be so hard on yourself! If it was Wigan v Wolverhampton, I’d watch Sunday Morning :-)
Yutsano
@Randinho: An alternative for those with no such technology in possession (yes those still exist) is rapid channel flipping. Or picture in picture if your TV supports that function.
Mark S.
Barcelona and Real Madrid?
Hey Randinho, if Barcelona were to win the Champions League and La Liga, where would you rank them among the greatest teams?
wengler
Two of those teams weren’t exactly surprising, but the third team never relegated sure was.
Pooh
An ArseFan complaining about officiating instead of dealing with yet another lifeless, substandard performance from their team? NFW.
Arsenal is the sports equivalent of American Exceptionalism.
Head Like An Orange
I’m calling it… Andy Carroll will make his Liverpool-debut and score a couple of goals leading Pool to an upset victory. Rooney will blame the loss on the lackluster effort of ManU-fans…
Rosalita
Good morning
Woody
The Gunners were indeed victims of lousy officiating – but failed to take care of business during the match anyway. This match reminded me of too many Chelsea failures over the last two months.
Blues blood requires me to cheer on the Scousers today (I just threw up in my mouth).
SteveinSC
Drizzling here in central South Carolina (America’s Armpit.) Cherundolo did well against Bayern and Ribery. Television? No way. Off to play pick-up with the Mexicans. They stick my old bones in as keeper–not for skill but I’m taller than any of them and apparently can do less damage there.
Please keep us up-to-date on the the Innocents Abroad aka US Internationals.
SRW1
Barcelona CF,Real Madrid,and the Bask national team, Athletic Bilbao.
Randinho
SRW1 for the win!
@Pooh: Perhaps, but also a great performance from the Sunderland keeper.
As for lifeless performances, kindly bear in mind that the Gunners who have faced extended periods without Robin Van Persie, Samir Nasri, Thomas Vermaelen, Cesc Fabregas and arguably their best keeper, Lukasz Fabianski, yet are only three points behind the leaders with a game in hand.
Jim C
@Randinho:
I’m beginning to question whether or not Vermaelen really exists anymore. He’s the Arsenal equivalent of the American Middle Class.
Randinho
@Mark S.: I would have to say that they would be arguably one of the best of all time. Of course, the 2008-2009 team won six trophies: La Liga, Copa del Rey, Champions’ League, UEFA Supercup, Spanish Supercup and World Club Championship and that’s a pretty high bar to reach.
Pending today’s Real Madrid v Racing Santander match, Barça are 10 points ahead with a +65 goal differential and 74 out of a possible 81 points. I would consider that impressive.
LGRooney
Kuyt reminds me more of Heskey each day. Consistently denigrated for not showing enough control of the ball, not taking enough shots, bottling the occasional opportunity, running too slowly, etc. Both of them have shown their abilities through the unending work rate, the genuine awareness of their own positioning and that of their teammates. In other words, neither one is the flashiest player, both of them routinely were castigated for their mistakes (rare as they are), and both have a very important sense of where they need to be and make efforts to be in the right place at the right time. The big difference is that Heskey took the criticism too personally while Kuyt seems to let it roll off his back. Of course, some of that could come down to managers who do a better job of building confidence in players vs. those who assume they can deal with it.
Eli Rabett
ESPN360 rocks
Don SinFalta
People actually watch CBS Sunday Morning? Why? Blood pressure too low?
Jim
Arsenal have 2 goals taken away (well ok, one goal and a 70% chance at another from the PK), plus Sunderland not having to go a man down for 30+ mins or whatever, and it’s a sign that they didn’t take care of business. Sorry, but that’s bs. I don’t care what team it is, losing the opening goal in a match (especially when the other team is sitting with 10 guys behind the ball) is going to cause large problems. Losing a 2nd is going to be even worse.
But yes, except for the 2 goals Arsenal created, and the clean sheet, they sucked. Should have been 3-0 I guess, like most EPL games.
Tony J
Liverpool 3 – 1 Manchester United
Kuyt scores all three.
My fingers are inhibited by the sticky, oozing joy I feel.
Nothing further to report.
Randinho
@Tony J: Amen.
wils02
ok