Landon Donovan's first home game for Everton will see him face red-hot Manchester City.
Everton-City is can't-miss action for American fans, but all soccer fans will want to be watching the La Liga battle between Barcelona and Sevilla. If you want some non-European soccer, then Boca Juniors-Estudiantes should provide enough spice in one of Argentina's top rivalries.
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):
SATURDAY SOCCER ON TV
7:30am- ESPN2- Stoke City vs. Liverpool
9:30am- Setanta USA- Manchester United vs. Burnley
9:35am- ESPN Deportes- Mainz vs. Bayer Leverkusen
10am- FSC- Chelsea vs. Sunderland
Noon- GolTV- Osasuna vs. Espanyol
12:15pm- FSC- Everton vs. Manchester City
12:30pm- ESPN Deportes- Wolfsburg vs. Stuttgart
2pm- GolTV- Athletic Bilbao vs. Real Madrid
2:30pm- FSC- Bari vs. Inter Milan
4pm- ESPN Deportes- Sevilla vs. Barcelona
5pm- FSC- Portsmouth vs. Birmingham
5pm- Setanta USA- Tottenham vs. Hull City
6pm- Azteca America- Jaguares vs. Cruz Azul
6pm- Telemundo- Monterrey vs. Indios
7pm- FSC- Cagliari vs. Livorno (Delayed)
7pm- FSE- Boca Juniors vs. Estudiantes
8pm- Telemundo- Chivas de Guadalajara vs. Toluca
8:30pm- Setanta USA- Wolves vs. Wigan (Delayed)
10pm- Telemundo- Atlante vs. Queretaro
11pm- FSC- Boca Juniors vs. Estudiantes (Delayed)
Bayern Munich back on top in the Bundesliga.
Interesting to see how LD does today at Goodison Park and the response from the home fans
Not quite awake, but pretty sure Boca Jr is in Argentina, not in Spain….
dont think Ives was awake either
Lot of good ballin going on today. Stoke putting a final nail in Rafa’s trip to the unemployment line would be nice. However, it might be nice if Cesspool wins today and we get to hear one more round of ‘Our season starts today.’
Announcers have the right of it in this Stoke-’Pool game…nobody expected a glowing offensive display here and we are not getting it.
I guess Beasley is still injured . . . but it’s nice to see Edu get the start.
flshes of the old liverpool in some of the passing sequences but overall not a lot happening in this match.
clean sheet by Stoke today or what?
Maurice Edu has yet to show he is an improvement over Ricardo Clark this season. His first half performance against Hamilton was not impressive.
Honest question, if the premier league didn’t have guaranteed contracts how many of the guys on liverpools team would still be playing today? I say three Mascherano, carragher,daegan thats it.
Edu needs a strong cup of coffee. As do the rest of Rangers.
Boy, you know the game’s boring when there’s a shot of three guys standing on the grass eating pizza.
Hey, does anybody have a stream for any of the matches?
is it me or do people avoid edu like the plague…. dudes been open made times and the guy will look at him and pass it to someone else
Considering they’re missing the best striker in the world, one of the top midfielders in the world, and a guy who knocks in some important goals every season (Benayoun), I’d say 1-0 would be a pretty good result for Liverpool today.
link to atdhe.net
Thoughts from Stoke Pool:
-Stoke has a GREAT long throw in… That is their most dangerous offensive weapon, just like my high school team.
-Pool is pushing their defense all the way up to attack the bunkered down Stoke, which means we get to watch Carragher make some runs, which is hilarious.
-Stoke’s supporters can sing.
That’s all that this game has.
You can’t blame Edu too much for this. Rangers have relied almost exclusively on long balls over the top.
Poor performance from Maurice Edu today. Bob Bradley was never a supporter of Edu and poor displays as seen today will not change his opinion. Bob Bradley has several medfielders ahead of Maurice Edu (Dempsey, Bradley, Clark, Donovan, Holden, Jones*, Torres, Feilhaber, Beasley*).
Edu is not competing with Donovan, Dempsey, Holden or injured Beasley, he is an idiot and thus Torres is unused, Jones is not going to be fit, period, and Feilahber is an attacking option in the center. That narrows the list down to three defensive midfield spots. In my book, he regains form and easily makes the trip.
Hull is supposedly signing Egyptian striker Zaki on loan. Not good for Jozy boy at all.
Zaki is a liability. Hes walked out on two club teams as well as the Egyptian National team if I recall correctly. If hull does sign him it would be a HUGE risk for them.
Great ending to that game… worth watching the first 85
You are correct in your assessment, however Bob Bradley has not shown much indication of including Maurice Edu when healthy into the national team. Jermaine Jones, much like Oguchi Onyewu, is capable of returning to form prior to the World Cup. Jose Franciso Torres is well ahead, in terms of skill defensively and offensively, of Maurice Edu. In my opinion, based on recent performances, Maurice Edu will have to wait for 2014.
Mike Bradley and BMG losing 1-0 at home in the first half — 12th minute goal for Bochum by Slovakian Stanislav Sestak. Another Slovakian in Bochum 1st XI is Zlatko Dedic.
Also in Bundesliga, Steve Cherundolo starting for Hanover. Still 0-0 vs Hertha Berlin.
I saw that too and thought the same thing…uh-oh. Also, Jozy does not make starting XI or the bench today. Bad bongos.
thats his first start since being back i think we can give him some time….
he was givin a leave of absence to track down friends in haiti
ricardo clark has also yet to blow out his knee in the rugby-ball of the SPL. give edu some time, he could very well be the midfielder we crave who tackles, keeps the ball and makes strong runs forward. if he gets healthy he is exactly who we want next to bradley
Thats cos they don’t trust him to do anything with it
does anyone know why fsc isnt full screen for this chelsea sunderland game
and its like that fake HD stuff
honestly i’m kind of relieved jozy isn’t playing today. i would invariably have to watch hull vs. spurs. i would invariably get angry at hull’s style of play. i would invariably be disappointed at jozy’s lack of opportunities and the few missed ones he had. and i would invariably leave the game less fulfilled as a human being than when i entered it
That’s why it is a loan. He is way better than Jozy so Altidore might not smell the pitch for a while.
so true on the long throw in, i always wondered why we didn’t see that more often in the pro game, my team in high school was more dangerous on a throw in than on a corner
TWO GOALS BY TWO SLOVENIAN PLAYERS
Against M’Gladbach
Sloveia is the team to scout, not Aleria.
And that’s why he’s not doing much of anything for Hull. I understand the whole Haiti crisis but what is he going to do? Call people? Go over there and search? This might have been one of the last weeks he would have had the chance to see the field and he’s tracking down friends in Haiti from thosands of miles away. I don’t care for this at all.
Amen
Zlatko Dedic is Slovenian but Stano Sestak is Slovak
ouch for fagan
Zaki refused to sign with Portsmouth b/c he won’t play with Israelis. He’s a cancer and an a*****e.
Wow…. definitely done watching that chelsea game… looks like it could easily end 6-0
We play Slovenia at the WC. It’s a different country from Slovakia.
Is Jemal Johnson still alive? He never even makes the bench for MK Dons. I still don’t understand the drastic fall from grace from this time last year to now.
Just to clarify.
My bad on the Slovak/Slovene confusion — not awake yet, I guess! Yes, Sestak is Slovakian. But Dedic is Slovenian and will likely start vs USA in South Africa. Hanover also down 0-2 to Hertha Berlin at half. Bad day for Yanks in Deutschland.
I’m not 100% sure that JJ is healthy but I’m pretty sure he is…
He needs a new club. Hello MLS? He’d tear it up.
You guys are truly clueless… Zaki will come in and play but is a cancer far worse than Geovanni and Fagan has been seeking a move along with Cousin… JVH has not been the answer either… Jozy will still play.. he was given compassionate leave today.
He’s tracking down family. They could be dead for all he knows. His priorities are in the right place- give it a rest.
FSC is doing an HD broadcast today but since nobody has a provider that is carrying it yet… you get the down-convert.
Ok so he needs 90 more minutes to track down family who he hasn’t heard from all week? I’m seeing it as an excuse to not play. I just don’t see any drive in this kid at all. He’s lucky to make the bench for Hull for the rest of the season.
Edu was lined up to go to the confed cup until his injury
I kind of agree. Military and relief organizations are having a hard enough time to get there…I’m sure private citizens like Jozy aren’t going to get into the country to….do what exactly? I’m sure I’m coming off as insensitive, but the best course of action would be for the emergency services to do their work, and for Jozy and his family to keep trying to contact the relatives from a distance. He’s a rich young man and I’m sure he feels a duty to help out his poor countrymen and women, but he just needs to sit down and think rationally. My prayers are with his family members. The last thing we need to be concerning ourselves with is the USMNT, but I struggle to see how a leave of absence from Hull is accomplishing much for Haiti and his family there…
I wouldn’t put it that way, TomM. I feel for Jozy, but to call this an excuse to not play is WAY out of order.
Dang, Chelsea vs. Sunderland is looking like Chicago vs. Red Bull right now…
That’s basically summing up my thoughts in a much better/kinder way lol. I just think he has a job to do like the rest of the world. By taking a leave of absence it just makes him look less dedicated to Hull than he already does. Adebayor was in a bus attacked by rebels and he took a leave of absence, that’s a little different.
Ives, I liked it better when you posted Saturday and Sunday soccer TV listings on Friday — very helpful for planning the weekend. My two cents. Thanks for all that you do.
(SBI-Been a hectic few weeks with the MLS Combine and Draft stuff. The Soccer on TV schedule will return to normal next week.)
i looked in to going down and volunteering and the relief services literally said they do not want volunteers, they want money. unless you had a very specific skill (i.e. doctor) they did not want you down there in any way as you were more of a burden to house/feed than to help. I wish jozy the best for he and his family of course but i don’t think he’d even be able to get into haiti, and if he’s just taking time to clear his head it’s understandable but many athletes find going out there and distracting yourself for a few hours is the best remedy.
Sunderland are so poor without Cattermore. Have to feel sorry for Liverpool.
I agree. I don’t plan my games until your post and it would be nice to have ahead of time. Cheers!
You are unbelievably selfish. There are thousands upon thousands of people missing. No one is looking specifically for Jozy’s family members except for Jozy’s family. And I’m not sure if you can quite comprehend how it feels when 100,000 people in your parents’ country die. If Jozy feels like he needs to go down there himself, that is 100% OK. There are more important things than soccer.
folks, this is a global level tragedy and the kid is Haitian. A leave of absence for one when there are dozens of people missing that he knows/is related to is pretty reasonable. This can’t be seen as a statment about the kid’s dedication.
I mean, really, c’mon.
I hope that is not really true, but if it is, Hull (or any other team for that matter) shouldn’t even be considering him.
Yeah so very selfish indeed haha. My whole week depends on Jozy and whether he will finally score a goal lol and this whole earthquake just ruined my week. Wow you’re clueless. Tell me one good reason why Jozy isn’t playing today and I will maybe see things differently. What’s he going to do? Start searching through the rubble for his family? Just simply shows he’s not dedicated to his career because when Zaki comes in Jozy is gonna be on the reserve team. I am in no way saying that he shouldn’t be mourning his loss but the joy of playing would be somethiing to help him in moving forward.
link to soccernet.espn.go.com
“I refused their offer before, but now joining Portsmouth is no longer an option for me,” Zaki said on his official website.
“After Portsmouth signed an Israeli player and also hired an Israeli football director a possible move was ruled out. On top of that, no way could I play at Portsmouth with an Algerian within in their ranks.”
but wait, doesnt he absolutely deserve a call up from bradley? I thought he was the answer to our attacking problems! What’s that you say? He doesn’t see the pitch in League 1? hmmmm.
90 minutes for M. Bradley is good.
Jon Paul Pittman scores for Wycombe. His 2nd goal in 2 games. 9th of the season.
I’m glad that you used my post as a springboard to promote your pro-Bradley agenda
But yeah it doesn’t seem like he was the answer. Although, it doesn’t really seem like Altidore is the answer either does it? We’re going to be extremely hard-pressed for goals this summer.
I absolutely agree. His soul is in Haiti right now, he wouldn’t have his heart anywhere near the pitch. He needs to focus on finding answers to some very important family questions.
Seriously, some of you people are sounding scary insensitive.
According to Univision….
Michael Orozco is transfering to Philly Union to catch the eye of BB before the world cup.
very interesting….he would probably play rightback for them
if that Orozco story is true ives, would Orozco be put in the allocation or is that only for returning U.S. players that were previously in MLS?
I thought players that were never in MLS previously but were American could be signed by anybody in the league, but people on Bigsoccer are confusing me
Sick of my Yanks losing though. The one Yank playing consistently for a winner — Señor Friedel at Villa — doesn’t even play FOR the Yanks anymore!
well played sir…well played indeed
Maybe Timmy and LD will get the win today Omar….it IS getting a little grim out there for the Yanks’ teams.
If a player is considered part of the national team pool, then they would have to go through the allocation process, no matter if they have been in the league or not.
I guess the big question for Orozco would be if he is officially considered part of the pool. When was he last in the Full camp?
Links to the Everton match?
Wolves may be losing 2-0 to Wigan, but Hahnemann saved a PK right at the end of the half
Have FOX Soccer Channel? The game will be there.
Donovan in the starting XI:
Howard; Neville, Heitinga, Distin, Baines; Donovan, Fellaini, Cahill, Pienaar, Bilyaletdinov; Saha.
It’s not if he’s part of the “pool”. technically any american is considered part of the pool. I think it’s if you’ve been capped by the National team, which Orozco has.
today is going to be a great day. Lil Everton, then some Madrid topped by Sevilla beating Barca and deflating the gigantic heads that have now filled up the Camp Nou. talk about egos…
p2p4u
As long as the guys are getting there minutes that is all I really care about. Winning is good and all but just stay away from relegation and keep playing 90 mins and I personally don’t care haha. Bang in some goals whle there at it is also a plus. Donovan will score today I’m calling it.
I think they earned those egos…
Even though Anti-semitism is common in the Arab world, guys like Zaki need to be banned from football,
ahahahah and I thank you for that opportunity. but yeah, altidore is not going to be scaring anyone at the World Cup. Only Donovan and Dempsey are capable of that on their day. That’s the reality, unfortunately.
agreed, best side of the decade. no one can hang with them on their day.
didn’t say they didn’t earn them…just said they had them. i think a few people who barca fans say have large egos deserved theirs as well…
alright, game time…come Everton!
anybody have a feed for the everton game for those who don’t have fox?
Is this the same Zaki who played for Wigan until the manager sent him home packing?
link to p2p4u.net
I love the City third kits
atdhe.net has one (look on the sit, I don’t want to post the actual url or they might take it down)
It shouldn’t even need to come this. If I was a Hull fan and they were picking up a player like this, assuming the quotes posted by Omar V. are correct, I would be pissed. Teams shouldn’t even be considering him. You think there are players on any team in the EPL that don’t have jewish freinds. He’s gonna rip the locker room apart and be a complete cancer. It’s beyond me that any team would even be considering him if he really said those things.
Ha, you hypocrite. You can act like you care (as in your previous four comments) or you can act like you don’t (as in your last one), but you can’t have it both ways, so pick one. You clearly don’t understand what’s going on over there. Maybe Jozy will actually aid in the search, or maybe he’s there provide support to all of his family members who have lost someone. Either way, it’s a very good reason to not be playing a game. This is a tragedy of unimaginable proportions. Are you really naive enough to believe you can step into his shoes and know what will bring him “joy” and “help him in moving forward”?
Some good passes by Landon
perfect cross by Donovan
Donovan looks very nice up the right wing. A couple of crafty, threatening passes.
Everton just dodged a bullet. Horrible marking by the everton defenders.
GAHHHHHHHHHHHHH DONOVAN SO CLOSE
LD with a scary looking cross…almost goes in on its own. He looks best on pitch right now.
donovan needs to stay in the EPL, he’s too good for MLS, looking good so far today, nearly had his first goal
Nice play by Donovan, shoulda had that one though, although i think it was those half crosses half shots that could work either way. It was good
Oh man. Landy looks dangerous. Wish he’d chipped the keeper earlier.
I think he was going for goal, very close by Donovan.
Hear the USA, USA chants?
chants of U-S-A from the Goodison Park faithful. gotta love that!
to be honest, i think phil brown just wants someone to score goals.
I agree, they look fantastic. Nice the way the shirt sponsor is reduced in size and placed beneath the club badge too. Very classy. Not a fan of City, but I do like this shirt
please come up with the cash Everton, some how miraculously to be able to buy Donovan
I don’t know if it’s just cuz I’m a huge fan but I feel like the crowd really gets behind LD when he has the rock.. They anticipate great play from him, which says a lot about the caliber player they feel he is!
Donovan is already installed as the guy taking all the corners. That didn’t take long. And the great delivery on the set corner play to Fellaini at the far post shows why.
What are the chances of donovan getting a pass on the right from phil neville today?
not that it matters, but when will Landon finally be the captain of the USMNT, presumably our new coach after the WC will give him the band
for not being a real CM pienaar has done a helluva job dictating the pace of play against a strong duo of barry- de jong. if edu isn’t 100% ready this summer i’d be happy to see if feilhaber or torres could function in a similar role
everton definitely dominating play right now
this game is a lot of fun! great from donovan to track back and win the ball. he looks switched on.
I really have always thought of Pienaar as one of the most underrated players in football. He always looks solid… I agree.
Pienaar right on cue!
goal! pienaar. great near post sneaker!
Nice free kick Peanut!
That’s a beautiful goal…
golazo
Wow. Excellent kick.
ewwwwwww pienaaar. he is sick!
It is ridiculous how personally we take this stuff sometimes, but as a long time Donnovan supporter, I feel like telling the Donovan doubters to form a line and kiss my hairy behind.
lucky for everton that s.africa is not playing in the cup of nations
This game is about to get a lot more exciting. You hear that crowd? This is great for LD
Mexico should be afraid of Pienaar in their first game, much prefer our group to Mexico’s
Fellaini is a badass
if only MLS had some 3rd kits… Sounders owner Adrian Hanauer says there should be a “surprise” whenever we ask him about it.
So MEX and URU give RSA set pieces at their own peril with Pienaar hitting shots like that.
Agreed. And I think he’s much better in midfield instead of up top.
Its a loan deal. What part of loan deal does not register in your head?
Donovan not at his sharpest. Fellaini is a beast and a great goal by Pienaar.
donovan is playing very well! his chemistry with neville is a bit off but he’s looked very dangerous so far. i think city paying him a lot of respect on the right has opened things up on the left and middle
fellaini is bossing it at the moment. immense.
Where is Fellaini from? Can we invade his country, annex it as the 51st state and insert him into the US midfield?
Gareth Barry = overrated
not nearly as impressed with tim cahill right now as the rest of the squad.
what the hell was neville doing there? you cant lethim get that shot off.
belgium. they are going to be ridiculous in 2014. fellaini is 22, kompany is 24, lukaku is 16, hazard is 19, they have arguably the world’s best crop of youngsters coming through for the next cycle.
penalty. wow, seems a bit harsh to me
isnt Felliani from Belgium or Germany?
I don’t think we’re annexing Belgium anytime soon…
Does Landy get the PK?
The guys on FOX Espanol are have said that Garrido is not pushing forward for fear of being punished by Landon. That made me laugh.
forgot witsel (20) and vermaelen as well.
guess not. gol.
Donovan is playing very active football. Had a real good chance but opted to loft the ball to the far post but the run wasn’t there. A couple good corners and playing solid defense… Everton up 2 nill!
GO LANDON and the LA GALAXY!
Harsh but fair. Them’s the rules, don’t break ‘em
He’s from Belgium.
definitely was a foul, just stupid defending to pull the jersey like that in the box, everton deserves their lead
That 2nd Everton goal doesn’t happen if Donovan doesn’t win the 50/50 ball to start the break.
RSL>LAG
Donovan started off really well but started to die off in the end. His set piece are looking good though. Pienaar is top class. Felliani has been played as behind the striker, box to box, and now holding mid. He has finally found his position. What a performance by Everton this half.
Not to defend the indefensible, but Richards first grabbed the jersey OUTSIDE of the box. I could see why he might argue that the foul was outside the box.
everton sucks at holding leads though. 2-0 is not nearly a big enough lead.
Good point, Fischy. I was wondering if anybody noticed that nice piece of play in as he came to the middle.
I hate that my citeh is down 2-0 at half, but Donovan’s done well so far….a few mistakes, but he has been involved through corners and making good dangerous plays….he almost scored as well getting off 2 shots for himself
This would keep allocation trades hot. DC went top to grab Perkins, Philly would have to go top or near top to grab Orozco, and Dallas is trying to finagle Lee Nguyen home. Anybody else wanna come to MLS? Things could get really interesting in the trade market if these players start comin home.
Fellaini and Pienaar were….stunning.
LD performing well. Biggest point about LDs play is that he is keeping City from attacking on their left….that means that he and Neville are controlling Bellamy who was the best player on the pitch for City for the last two games. Good stuff.
agreed.
Although not involved in the attack much 2nd part of the half, Donovan is doing great defensively; City cannot attack down his side – same as Arsenal. I hope he gets a whole 90 because I think he is best in the last 20 minutes when he is still going full speed. He was involved in the play leading to the PK.
Fellaini is dominating the mid-field for Everton. Half, Everton 2 City 0. In the few games I’ve seen, he’s one of the best CMs in the EPL.
actually agree with that….I hope Vieira replaces him instead of De Jong
Barry has been a big dissapointment for us since coming from Villa
yeah, his pass to pienaar allowed him to get forward and get it to saha. LD has been good today, he looks dangerous.
welp, considering they havent blown a two goal lead yet this season, not sure there’s any reason to believe they won’t hold on today.
Landon’s been alright, but i agree Fellaini has controlled the game
2-0 Everton
There are rumors that Chelsea wants him.
MLS should definitely do 3rd kits. If Dynamo ever came out with a simple, all-Houston-Oiler-blue adidas shirt, I know me and all my buddies would buy it in a heartbeat.
Not good, but not the end of the world…Hull could run Ronaldo up top and still not find a way to feed him the ball.
i’d pay a lot of money to know what mancini just told benjani. from benjani’s face it looked as if mancini told him there were aliens landing outside goodison park
So I guess Zaki’s non-existent chance at going to Chelsea is gone now. What a complete turdburglar he is.
I wish he was on the same side as Baines
He told him if he didnt score he’d be shipped of to Hull City!!
I thought he hurt Villa as much as he helped last year. He tends to screw of the flow of attack. His play always seems somewhat out of synch with everyone around him.
just thinking the same thing. baines is an actual threat.
i cant stand Bellamy.. Id love to pop him one in the nose
pathetic dives by City on clean steals by Everton (including one by Donovan). Shambolic officiating. City doesn’t look interested in doing anything but diving on the turf (I’m talking a out you, Mr. Tevez).
speakeasy:
Donovan has been substatintailly better than “all right”. In fact his control of his sided of the feild has freed Fellani to stay in the middle.
It’s obvious that he has added shape to the mid field. Everton is a great fit for him
For some reason, I’ve always liked Belgian football — probably from watching their 1990 World Cup team in Italy. The game against Uruguay in that competition was fantastic.
who scored everton’s 2 goals? i just turned the game on now
haha geez, Fellaini just turned that guy around
Mancini showing some guts.
Robinho = “a little boy lost” — hahaha, perfect
no advantage on that?
Pienaar (FK) and Saha (PK)
from the guardian commentary…great stuff
58 min: Robinho is walking around and moaning a lot, yakking in the referee’s ear about what appears to be bugger all. He is proving himself to be a complete waste of space.
60 min: Robinho – the substitute – is substituted! What a lacklustre clown he is. Shaun Wright-Phillips replaces him.
weak sauce!!!
Wow. Ref plays advantage there and Donovan probably scores.
Landon is getting beat physically. Clear not as big or strong, but at least he is using his quickness to make an impact. He could be even better in Spain.
LD has become a much better defender than he used to be. He backtracks so well now and, while he certainly won’t provide a crunching tackle, he is quite capable of harassing the opponent and winning the ball on occasion. I hope Freddie Adu is paying attention.
landon looks like he’s tiring. his normal crispness on the ball isn’t there right now, footwork getting a little sloppy
Bellamy picks his nose more than anyone else in football
has everton had many clean sheets this season?
Man, Landon really should have done better there.
no where close to last year
he should have hit donovanHo in the middle…..damn
just 3 in the league, tied for fewest in the prem
landon didn’t take one of the corner kicks, but still a solid showing for him and everton, he should only get better as he gets more match fit and used to the team
Yeah, doesn’t seem 90 minutes sharp after the lay off. I could see taking him off for a more defensive mid
My only gripe is that LD has played it a little “too safe” today.. Like hes afraid to make a mistake.. he needs to run at people more, and take the shot when u have a chance IMHO
“donovan won a few more friends today” from the British commentator on the feed i’m watching
Wow 3 players in front of goal and he hits it way over the bar. selfish shot.
beautiful corner kick from Landon, fellaini nearly finished it
Does saha ever pass the freakin ball. I know he’s a striker but come on……
I don’t remember Landon’s corner kicks looking this good when he plays for the U.S. or for Galaxy. I wonder, is it just a matter of having better targets?? (e.g., Fellaini, Cahill)
Of course, Gooch and Boca aren’t slouches in the air, but still it makes me wonder….
rumor is mancini is fired after this match.
id take felliani over either of those two.
obviously, fellaini is a beast, shocked if he doesn’t land on a big 4 club in the next 2 years
Whatever happened to Anton Peterlin? Isnt he still with Everton Reserves
he’s a project, Moyes has no intention of him seeing the pitch for a while
was not a huge fan of fellaini coming into this game, i think i’d only seen him playing more forward behind the strikers, but today’s match has been nothing short of dominant for him
David Moyes…pure class
Lando-Great first 20 minutes, average 70 minutes. He gets a great ovation when subbed on 90min.
Guardian MBM: “Donovan – who has put in an impressive performance tonight – is replaced by Jose Baxter, allowing the USA international to receive a standing ovation on his debut.”
according to transfrmkt.co.uk anton perlin has started 7 reserves games so far this season. looks like he is one of regular reserves …. jose baxter has the most starts with 9 for what that’s worth
Classy move by Moyes. Subbing Donovan off in the 91st to a standing ovation.
according to transfrmkt.co.uk anton perlin has started 7 reserves games so far this season. looks like he is one of regular reserves …. jose baxter has the most starts with 9 for what that’s worth.
Lando’s first touch looked a little off today. He also had trouble connecting with he teammates and beating his man cleanly. Part of this must be due to rust and legs. He still backtracked extremely well and shut down his side of the pitch. His corners were also very good and he provided good pressure on the wing. This is excellent practice for him to figure out how to beat English defenders this summer!
Ok dude you know everything. All I know is dude is weak and wouldn’t be in my starting XI for the World Cup anymore and not just because of this week. His whole stay in England has been weak as well as his stay at Xerez.
And there probably isn’t much joy in playing like shite so I guess that’s why he opted to leave.
Jeremiah White almost came back but went to the midddle east instead…..Clarence Goodson’s contract is up in 2010 but i dont think he would come back just yet, maybe Demerit, Boca, and Cherundolo will think about it once this world cup is over
Landon played the full 90. (I think they pulled him out in the 91st just to get a little love from the crowd at Goodison Park.) Donovan certainly strikes a corner well, doesn’t he? He certainly seemed to pick out the towering Fellaini with every one.
After years of saying I think Donovan should play in MLS, I’m going to change camps now. I now think Donovan should play in the EPL. He looks capable. I think he could “figure it out,” as Wynalda would say.
Baby steps forward for Landon today. I think he’s still trying to get used to the quickness of the game in England. There were a few times today where he’d pass and then stand around, and you just can’t do that in the Premiership – have to always be moving. He also gave it away too easily a few times. He needs to correct that before his teammates stop passing to him. A promising start to the game though, and something to build on.
the fact he can come in and play two top 6 teams and play a quality game both days speaks quite highly of him, many “world class” players have had trouble jumping into a team/league like that
I think we all like to over analyze every American playing abroad. Donovan had a fine game, the team won 2-0. Like every player some good and some bad touches. Yes he belongs. Enough said.
From Skysports player ratings:
Marcus Hahnemann 7- Wolves’ best player
Tim Howard 7- Had very little to do but did it well
Landon Donovan 7- Adapting well to the Premier League well
Jozy- Understandably wasn’t there. Whether or not he can do anything matters little to me. Somethings are slightly more important, and, lets face it, did anybody really want to see Jozy go up against Tottenham. That could have been really bad. Get back soon Jozy and best wishes.
Right, so Moyes should drop him right now and send him back to LA.
What a fool he was to start Donovan!
Landon has done a great job at Everton so far. He needs to stay there at Everton. Great club, great supporters and the best league in the world.
Torres isn’t nearly as good as edu defensively, but thats not what makes Torres good. Torres range of passing, creativity, and ability to keep possesion. Edu on the other hand is much more a defensive midfielder.
Kyle, shot your trap, you’re an a**hole. How can you even compare a game to maybe the worst natural disaster in human history. You have NO IDEA what Altidore may be going through, yet you judge. Had Hull thought in more important to play, they would not have granted him leave. They obviously HAVE a clue. Yours are as despicable as Rush Limbaugh’s comments. Put a sock in it.
i dont think the “english” matters so much. the level of play is high, that’s all he needs.
You guys are jokers. If Richards does not pull Saha, the so-called ball your golden boy won is irrelevant. PLEASE stop the BS, he was okay. Had an opportunity in the 1st half and did what shanked it. Typical MLS product.
agree with you, joamiq.
Best in the last 20 minutes? Really where was he then in this game? Wearing the blinders as usual.
Landon played well today. True, his first touch did let him down a few times and he definitely looked a little gassed the last 20 minutes, but I am proud of how he played.
Real Madrid is down 1 nil at half to Athletic-Aupa Athletic!
A 3 second shirt pull in the area is harsh?
He better be playing defense or else his behind will making appearances on the bench. Moyes will only tell him once.
Ref gave advantage to Saha initially, but he just kept on tugging.
I thought I was the only one who noticed that.
Let’s see, he was “okay” in 90 minutes against the hottest team in the EPL. If that’s a “typical MLS product”, I’ll take it. But obviously you know more than Moyes, that’s why you’re on this site.
This is the EPL not MLS.Run at who? Garrido was able to play him square. He got a gimmie against Arsenal wth Traore, Clichy would have taken care of business. He had a chance n the 1st half and what did he do with it? He is an okay player, nothingout of the ordinary.
Is anyone else worried that our team captain has not got a minute on the field in 12 matches -while healthy- at Rennes?
I just can’t believe people are not freaked out about this turn of events.
At least someone is objective
Hull let him go because he has been playing like crap.
Uh… wait what? I’m pretty sure I didn’t say anything remotely like that. He made mistakes, but he’s acquitted himself well so far. It’s extremely difficult to come from MLS and immediately get thrown into the starting lineup in the Premiership and perform to the point that the manager takes you out in the 90th so you can get a hand in just your second game. Hopefully next time he can make quicker decisions, move off the ball more, and sharpen his touch. He certainly looks like he belongs.
Let’s go Barca!!!
The US Soccer boards are tougher on Landon than the British media! Jeez, those guys are looking for a chance to make fun of our players, had plenty of doubts before he made his debut, and have been overwhelmingly positive. And the Everton fans are obviously appreciative.
I hate when people defer to one or two random Brit opinions (“I was watching at the bar with an Arsenal fan, and HE SAID…”) because in most matters I think we’re just as smart and watch/read as much as any fan base in the world. But the overwhelming opinion, dare I say consensus, is that Donovan is playing great, and they’ve seen a long line of top shelf players fail in year one of their EPL careers. Watching critically is good, but keep it in perspective.
And the comment that Donovan isn’t running enough is the dumbest thing I’ve heard all day. There is something called a team formation, and you play within it. LD makes great runs, and is beating people with his speed, but he isn’t going to just tear up the field on every play or Everton would be exposed to counter attacks.
I’m worried, but he went 120 in the last League Cup game. Hopefully that gets him back into the picture. I think part of the reason we’re not freaking out is because DeMerit is a strong deputy. But I’d still rather have both in top form, of course.
If you’re referring to my comment, I didn’t say he wasn’t running enough. He ran a lot, especially on defense. His motor is a big plus for him. I think he has just had a tendency to make a pass and watch it rather than staying in motion, and that’s not a good thing. He did this a couple of times when he moved into the middle of the field, and it clogged things up.
One other note about today’s Everton-City match – how annoying was it that the ref didn’t play advantage that one time when Landy came away with the ball and was streaking in on goal all alone? Infuriated me. Could have been a big play for him.
Gotcha, sorry for scanning comments. You definitely know what you are talking about.
It’s all good. You still make good points
Can somebody block this idiot troll?
Those in the Arab world would contend that there is a diffference between being anti-Israel and anti-Semitic (not saying I agree)…
How did Landon do today? I missed the game ARG!!!!
I’m pretty sure Orozco is left footed, and prefers playing CB. But is capable of playing LB.
I’m surprised Zaki is willing to go to Hull considering there is an Algerian internationl at the club in Kamel Ghilas.
The hottest team in EPL is Birmingham City. Not Everton, please why do i bother on these people developing when it comes to football? Bunch of bs as always, typical.
You also forgot Steven Defour.
you are the joker. the point is, the ball wouldn’t have even made it that far if LD hadn’t split the defender and got it to pienaar to pass on to Saha. from there, Richards can be bad or good…either way, it doesnt take away from the chance that LD helped create.
Don’t forget Defour.
You say that now that you’ve been called on your condescending tone but reading your posts on this thread you sound like Donovan was doing poorly.
Frankly, in terms of a first and second games I’ve seen far worse debuts in the EPl. The fact is, not every player in the EPl is flawless.
Compare LD’s to Robinho. That guy has twice the talent Donovan will ever have but you tell me who you’d rather have on your team. There is a lot more to being a player than just skill. At the EPL level LD is showing himself to be a direct, honest, straight forward player. Moyes likes guys like that.
Zaki is a true thug, as someone who was an exchange student in Egypt and follows Egyptian footy i can assure you that he is a bigoted selfish prick
What on EARTH are you talking about? I made two comments about Landon during the game, one of which was “Oh man. Landy looks dangerous.” Then in the comment you replied to, I started it by saying he took steps forward today and ended it by saying “A promising start to the game though, and something to build on.” Just because I pointed out a few things he needs to work on doesn’t mean I’m not impressed by his start. We’re on the same side here!
John clearly meant Man City not Everton smarta$$… which was hotter than Birmingham. Take your arrogance elsewhere please
Askn his coaches, Everton fans and the British media, very, very well.
Ask web-dwelling US soccer fans, he played like a club-footed hunchback with jock rot.
You Donovan defenders are an uptight bunch. He did ok, had several nice corners but he was invisible for large parts of the game. I think it was a confidence thing. The game was played around him quite a bit with his teammates not passing to him. That said he had a few nice one touches that showed vision. I think he can adjust to the high tempo but it would take more time than he has on this loan.
overall a middling performance by donovan. he can play much better and more confidently on offense. he did work his ass off on d though
I liked your post. Thanks!
Considering Hull has an Algerian player, I’m surprised he’s considering going there…
The Donovan critics who are now saying he was “just average” were the same ones who were saying he’d get his jock handed to him two weeks ago. When he gets his first goal, it’ll be a lucky one, and when he makes the weekly EPL first XI for the first time it won’t be deserved. Donovan (and probably all of the other Americans overseas) can never please these type of soccer know-it-alls. Donovan played well, not spectacularly, in his first two games at Everton. But one thing he has clearly done is show that he can play at the EPL level, as a starter, something that any objective USMNT follower knew with a certainty already. Are some people getting OVER-excited about his performance? Sure, but so what? The naysayers are off by a mile, the over-excited folks are off by a foot.
You’re so right in so many ways. I love how people on this site like to cheer basic stuff a player should already be doing. Now they’re giving second assists. If Richards doesn’t pull the shirt, there’s no penalty. Anyone who actually watches the game on a regular basis knows that. Apparently when you win a 50-50 ball and pass it to a teammate, you’re instantly the catalyst for a goal which is the result of a penalty. I know these people love LD, but c’mon. If you want to give anyone on Everton a credit, give it to Piernar, or no one. Glad to know there’s an actual soccer fan on this site, instead of these losers who are only watching because the NFL is not on.
WTF are you smoking?
Landon looked good. No denying it. The fans acknowledged it when he came off. Plus it’s probably not a coincidence that Everton looks like a top 10 or better all of a sudden.
He wasn’t GREAT.. ok we accept that but Landon is proving that he has what it takes to be a good EPL player.. not bad.
On that specific play Everyon was fortunate to get the PK. I think if Landin keeps that ball he has space to run and the play is actially more dangerous than it should have been.
Anyone notice Landon delivering the planned long corner to opposite six corner to be headed back in the mix the way the USMNT does to success?
Bottom line is that Everton is 1-0-1 with LD in the line-up and he is fitting in. He is definately adding a little spark to a team that was in desparate need. Some nice combos with Saha.
Good for LD.
What about being there for his parents who potentially lost their entire families? How about a little sensitivity towards that? I’m not directing this to you, ahm, probably a bit more towards Kyle. Whether or not he has been playing well is irrelevant. You’re saying that he’s not showing dedication to his team when his parents have potentially lost their brothers and sisters. Ok, he probably can’t be in Haiti right now, but he can be there for his parents who are probably grieving and going through hell. Perhaps you don’t understand what it means to have a close family and/or you don’t understand what tragedy is like…or maybe you’re just a cold and insensitive p.o.s., but I sure as hell hope that you’re in no position of power over people in your daily life.
Mike well said…
People hating on Donovan’s performances to this point must have forgotten how tough it is to come off of a club season, take a couple of weeks off, and then plop into a new environment and hit the ground running.
The fact that he doesn’t look lost is astonishing to me.
Ricardo clark also plays in a better league though. Outside of the top 3 teams the spl is below mls standards.
What a wanker you are!
I love soccer, play it year round. Snow, extreme humidity, I play! but family is more important! If you think that your career is more important? Then I pity you.
and some American racists would claim there is a difference between hating African-Americans and hating black people in general. In both cases, the bigots are wrong.
Josh, maybe you’re not very good at math, but the very definition of 50-50 ball precludes winning it from being something every “player should already be doing.”
If you win a 50-50 which generates a possession resulting in a goal, you deserve some credit for the goal. Coaches certainly notice and reward such results.
Donovan joins a team that is 21 games into a 38 game league schedule. He hasn’t played a game with these guys, hasn’t ever played in this league and hasn’t had a game himself for nearly a month or so. so you criticise him for being”invisible for large parts of the game” and lacking “confidence”.
What did you think, that Moyes was going to make him the focal point of the offense in his first two games? That he was going to come in and score two hat tricks in his first two games? I’ve been watching the EPL since it started and Donovan had a fine debut, especially when you consider all the expectations, hype and hoopla. As others have pointed out, people on US boards are far less generous than the Brit media critcs who are famous for being especially condescending in the extreme. Well, they can’t hold a candle to you.
He came off to a standing ovation in his second game because the coach subbed him out expressly for that purpose. I’d have to say his little loan spell is going extremely well so far. (Keep in mind he had an assist early in his first game as well).
The credibility of our country and league has probably grown by miles in the last 2 weekends – and right at the time when we need to get into the Brits heads. They’re now going to be a lot more scared to face us!
Yes please. 98% of his comments are snarky rebukes to praises of national team players. Prick
Hate to burst your bubble but it would have been better to take them by surprise. I don’t want respect or credibility for the USMNT. I want for them to win as many games as possible.
One very, very big reason we beat Spain in the Confederations Cup and ran Brazil so close was that, in spite of everything, they just couldn’t believe the US belonged on the same field with them and played accordingly. Had our goals in the Brazil game come much later,Brazil might not have had the time to recover from their refusal to take us seriously. We scored too early.
Unfortunately, if Donovan and Dempsey keep playing the way they are right now, the English will learn to respect them, learn how to cancel them out and proceed accordingly. Damm that David Moyes! And I thought Scots hated England.
Don’t conflate Israeli and Jewish players. I think his position is stupid, but in European Union it is considered anti-Semitic to conflate Israel and Jews. Zaki, if the quote is true, said Israeli, not Jewish. To pretend they are one and the same is ignorance or hasbara.
Your theoretical racist would be a rare bird indeed. I doubt any racist pretends that distinction, but in any event a false analogy.Israel is a foreign country, and a nasty one at that,see Gaza, and it certainly doesn’t represent all Jews, not to mention that 20% of Israelis are Arab.
“Unfortunately, if Donovan and Dempsey keep playing the way they are right now, the English will learn to respect them, learn how to cancel them out and proceed accordingly.”
Nah. Bob Bradley’s transparent tactics have that covered already.
Donovan did disappear at certain times, but I think that’s more how he (and the Russian kid accros from him) are being deployed by Moyes. He doesn’t seem to have the freedom yet to drift into the middle at all, he was really hugging the touchline the whole game..
This is the opposite of how Dempsey is used, as Hodgson has him really play as a Left Central Midfielder in the attacking third
It’s pretty clear from your series of posts, Kyle, that you don’t understand the Haiti crisis at all, let alone Altidore’s response.
outstanding
“Bob Bradley’s transparent tactics have that covered already”
That implies that other managers have tactics that are opaque.
You can try all the various tactical strategies you can come up with it still comes down to how well the players execute those tactics and how good those players are. Who is the smartest tactician managing today? Hiddink? Wenger? Mourinho? At the end of the day those guys all have the players. Bradley has a lot less of them.
Um, to be considered Israeli officially, you have to be Jewish.
When people like Zaki speak of Israeli’s they mean Jews, why would he hate Muslim Israelis?
Sorry, these add-ons keep coming to me one at a time. A Muslim who lives in Israeli territory is actually a Palestinian. He would say Palestinian if he meant Muslim. It’s clearly anti-Semitism.
go crawl back under your rock, you slime ball.