The UEFA Champions League quarterfinals kick off today, with Manchester United facing Bayern Munich (2:45pm, Fox Sports Espanol/FSN) and Lyon taking on Bordeaux (2:45pm, Fox Soccer Channel).
Manchester United will be looking to make its third straight Champions League final, but will need to hold off a dangerous Bayern side to do so. With Wayne Rooney and Rio Ferdinand fit for the match, the Red Devils will have
the all-France quarterfinal will have its own intrigue as long-time power Lyon battles reigning Ligue 1 champions Bordeaux. Lyon is currently in fifth place in Ligue 1, but just three points out of first place, and will be looking to ride the momentum of its round of 16 upset of Real Madrid. Bordeaux is struggling a bit, having won just once in its past four league matches.
Europe isn't the only place with Champions League action today.
Jose Francisco Torres and Pachuca take on Toluca in the first leg of their CONCACAF Champions League semifinal series (10pm, Fox Soccer Channel). Torres started in Pachuca's 1-0 win vs. Morelia in league action on Saturday, and should get the nod again tonight.
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Torres isn't the only American in action today. DaMarcus Beasley and Maurice Edu will lead Rangers against St. Johnstone today, while Jay DeMerit and Watford face Crystal Palace today.
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The action for American soccer fans isn't limited to players playing. MLS commissioner Don Garber is in Toronto today, where he will announce Toronto as the host of the 2010 MLS Cup Final in November. It will mark the first time the MLS Cup Final is played outside the United States.
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The latest European-based player to be linked to a move to MLS? Colombian goalkeeper Farid Mondragon, who currently plies his trade at German side Cologne, is reportedly pondering a move to MLS. He's 38 for those of you wondering. Why MLS would need a 38-year-old goalkeeper when established veterans Jon Busch and Kevin Hartman are currently back-ups in MLS is beyond me, but we all know how the rumor mill works.
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Who do you see winning today's UEFA Champions League matches? Will you be rooting for Torres and Pachuca through the rest of the CONCACAF Tournament?
Share your thoughts below.
I can’t see beyond a United victory, especially if Ribery and Robben don’t play. I’m expecting a United-Barca final, although it would be nice to see an upset somewhere.
OT, but, can you guys make links open in new tabs? Please?
first and loving it. come on Watford! Get the win. same for UTD
Three out of last five updates feature a pic of Rooney: Ives betraying his not-so-hidden bias?
fail… More like honorable mention…
Btw, count me as a bitter member of the ABU club…Anyone But United.
Have loved United for 15 years now – looking forward to another Champions League final and hopefully revenge…
Doubt we’ll the Columbian in MLS, he’ll surely want to be paid a high salary and with American being the land of the goalies – it wouldn’t make sense. Let’s go back to the likes of Henry and Raul coming over : )
Cant wait for the Bayern v Manchester game. Bayern needs Ribery and Robben to play and to play there best game of their careers. I am looking at a hopeful 1-0 win for Bayern.
As for Mondragon, I dont see him coming to the MLS, becuase I dont see what team would need him, especially at 38yrs old.
Maybe a posible man-crush on Rooney? Lol j/p
Lots of United updates. True, they have been in the news. But there’s only so much Rooney a man can take…
(SBI-Well, today it was either Rooney or Franck Ribery, so you tell me what would have been worse?)
Draws for both games today. Bayern will be tough at home.
United will be knocked out by Bayern and Barca will be knocked out by Arsenal.
It is very difficult to make the Champions League final 2 years in a row, let alone 3, and no team has ever won it back to back.
Also, Man United, I believe has never beat Bayern in the Champpions League knockout rounds except the final in 1999. Bayern is very dangerous this year and Van Gaal has done a fantastic job with the team.
1. Right click your desired link -> Open Link in New Tab.
2. ????
3. Profit!
Nicely done.
I look at Man U and their fans (especially the American cheering section) and I see dark navy, pinstripes, and an “NY”, and it makes me a little sick. Of course, all of these teams are the Yankees of their respective leagues (e.g., “Buyern”), but there’s something about Rooney and Co. that’s a little more contemptible.
Mondragon is excellent, and let’s remember that keepers don’t age like everyone else. He could be a difference maker for a team next season.
anyone know where to stream the ManU-BM game for free? $10 to watch the match is ridiculous…i miss espn360.
Ives- you could have put a French guy on there NOT named Ribery.
Although I suspect few of us really know much about Bordeaux and Lyon.
not sure where you are, but it will be on MSG+ in english here in nyc
Agree. But unless he’s just fed up with Germany and Europe in general, it’s hard to imagine that this isn’t just a bargaining chip for a contract extension with Cologne.
People are forgetting to mention that Schweinsteiger is out for today’s match. That’s a big loss for Bayern. Hopefully they just defend the crap outta Rooney
Erik, if both of these come to pass, I will hail you long and loud as the Prophet of the Champions League!
Personally, I don’t see either one of these things happening. The Mancunians will drive right through Bayern, while Barca will do the Gunners like United and Chelsea did them.
But hey, big props to you for putting out these underdog predictions. After the ties are over, if you’re right, you need to get on here and let it be heard!!
There’s nothing wrong with a 38-year old keeper if he’s still got it. Some are still at or near their peak at that age. Others are simply old. However, one has to wonder about what team would bring him in. You don’t waste an international slot on a back-up goalie. Mondragon might want to come to MLS, but where would he land?
FSC is tape delaying this match? What is going on with them? This is an okay match but it’s only the first leg and I would expect a live transmission. Ridiculous imo.
(SBI-Fox Soccer Channel is showing the Lyon-Bordeaux match live, while Fox Sports Espanol and FSN are showing Manchester United-Bayern live. If you don’t get those channels, you can always subscribe to Foxsoccer.tv.
It’s live on the Fox sports channel around Boston which in turn broadcasts in HD. And it’s not part of the sportspackage so mostly everyone will be able to see this match.
I can’t remember does FSC show highlights or the other game even though it’s playing it next?? I don’t know if I will watch live if they are ruining the second game as I’m watching the first.
Arjen Robben is a dashing lad, if I do say so myself. A bit James Bondish, huh?
I sure how this works but I get the Horse Racing Channel, The Channel but no FSC in espanol
I agree. Bold predictions Erik. You’ll deserve some props if they come true.
It looks like most local fox sports stations are showing the game live in HD – make sure you check out your local fox sports station.
I’m kicking myself right now, actually I should be throwing myself off a bridge.
Not only did I sign up for classes this semester on Wednesdays from 2:30-7, but I’ve also scheduled a tax appt. tonight at 4 O CLOCK. As a die-hard soccer fan, I need to schedule my life around the Champions League, but I have failed. I have failed myself and become a laughing stock.
Predictions: Munich 2 United 2 … Bordeaux 1 Lyon 2
I don’t think either of those predictions are all that far fetched. Bayern has been really good this year and barca might have a hard time with another team that can possess with almost as much technical ability as themselves.
You would, if you anted up to get the sports tier, or whatever it’s called on your system.
No — they don’t show highlights or give a score.
A stream, as in, on the internet… I’m at work. I’m in Dallas.
That’s why G-d invented the DVR…
I did and that’s how I got Horse Racing Channel, Tennis Channel, and a bunch of other obscure sports channels with no audience but no Espanol
God invented it?? Are you sure?
If you don’t get those channels, you can always subscribe to Foxsoccer.tv.
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Really? I already “subscribe” when I get the cable bill. Of course, there are live streams on the net, but I expect it to be live on the network that owns the rights, FSC. Total morons on this board.
(SBI-Stanley, just because that’s the game YOU want to see doesn’t mean the network is obligated to show that game. How is it that you have FSC but you don’t have any of the stations that will show the Man United-Bayern game in English? FSN is showing it, as should a few other Fox affiliates. If you choose not to subscribe to the package that includes all the soccer coverage then don’t complain when there’s a game you can’t see.
You might also want to watch the insults.)
Certainly it is difficult to do such things, but I don’t think anyone can argue United clearly have a better team than Bayern Munich, especially with Robben out. Bayern have a good team, but it is not of the same caliber as United in all areas except for the flanks. And also, so what if United hasn’t beaten Bayern in a knockout round ever, that has no bearing whatsoever on this game. I’m not saying United will win easily, or even win this game, but I do expect them to win over two legs. As for Arsenal, I can see them doing well at home, but Barca will kill them at the Nou Camp…
I appears some TIVO company is attempting to take the credit.
To me the Manchester Yankees have 22 field players that are true starters on virtually every other premier team except the top 5 or 6 clubs. For me it’s not Rooney per se, but the constant depth of talent that isn’t groomed so much as pilfered from other clubs, (even though Rooney was pilfered from Everton).
Manu fans will rebut that you didn’t have to sell the players.
Ribery isn’t so photogenic is he? I guess he does make Rooney look handsome by comparison. But Igor sure can play. Come on Bayern!
The MLB comparisons as I see them:
United = Yankees (annoying, very rich, but back it up)
Chelsea = Red Sox (annoying, newly very rich, think they invented the game)
Liverpool = Cardinals (annoying, rich history, 1 recent big championship)
Not sure Robben can take the pain like Bond…
God failed to get a patent….wait that isn’t possible….
some people, like myself, became United fans because they were stationed in England in the military (I served at RAF Lakenheath while in the USAF in the early 80′s). others were exposed to United because, when American TV first started showing weekly EPL games back in the early to mid nineties, there were a disproportionate number of games showing United. This is the same thing that happened when Ted Turner’s TBS “superstation” began beaming Braves games all across the country and suddenly you had Atlanta Braves fans everywhere because that’s the team they were exposed to. That is how people become fans, and it is nothing to apologize for. It just upsets you that United can kick your teams arse.
You just called SBI a moron. You should get a prize!
As much as I don’t want it to happen Manu gets an away goal today. Bayern 1 Manu 1. I’m going against the grain, albeit a small grain, I’ll take Bordeaux 1 over Lyon 0 today.
Why’d you choose United?
The best solution is to buy the rights to the games yourself, then you can watch WHATEVER, WHENEVER. Of course that bill may sting a bit.
because the only local team of note at the time i was stationed in England was Ipswich Town. who would you pick?
In Stanley Villa’s defense I get FSC and FSC plus on DirectTV. The Bayern game is not being shown on either channel in my market. It is being broadcast live on MSG and CSN, not Fox. I am not sure if I get either channel, I think I do though.
Just wondering why you wouldn’t have picked one of the closer London teams if you were in Suffolk.
To be fair, as you indirectly pointed out, the vast majority of American United fans were not stationed at a US base in England. They picked the most successful team during the ’90s when the Premier League was picking up steam and TV stations started showing the games. If this happened in the ’80s, it would have been Liverpool or Everton.
Not a all? Or not live?
No, people do not “become fans” by simply picking a really good team they can watch frequently. That is how people become frontrunners.
The Braves example is kind of ridiculous in that they have not been able to maintain a wide-ranging national fan base despite some success, probably because listening to their announcers was like being slowly suffocated to death by a decomposing elephant carcass.
listening to any baseball game is “like being slowly suffocated to death by a decomposing elephant carcass.”
how americans call soccer boring but love baseball still boggles my mind.
ironically, the Braves can’t fill their own stadium and when the Cubs, another network-driven team comes through town, close to a majority of fans are Cubs fans….
DAMARCUS BEASLEY DOES NOT MAKE RANGERS SQUAD TODAY
Would love to see ManU go down today. So sick of that team. Bayern will have their hands full though. I’m liking Lyon as my darkhorse to win this thing
I’m a novice to this topic: why is the game broadcasting in HD on FSN but not yet capable on the flagship FSC?
You probably needed to ante up for the “Spanish” or “Latino” package, which often means ESPN Deportes and FSE are included, not to mention Telefutura, which carries some MLS games and is usually but not always the broadcast home of US games on the Univision networks. That last is important for those of us who have to DVR the games, ESPN often switches channels while Univision family almost always has the games a go on the channel they list at first.
Sadly, I think many baseball fans prefer reading spreadsheets of stats to watching (let alone thinking about) the game. I like baseball, but I’m with you. Soccer is more gripping, more fluid, and has every bit as much drama. (Most on this blog would say a lot more.)
Baseball does, however, provide the “advantage” of numerous opportunities to break away for a word from our sponsors.
And many of us then become meteorite fans.
Whichever team overspends wildly only to fight endless battles with injuries, incompetent management, and infighting, loses every “derby” and ends up relegated = Mets
As an Atlanta resident, I second this sentiment. In Atlanta, at least, it may have something to do with the lack of Atlanta-born citizens. People often say it’s hard to find many people ACTUALLY born and raised in Atlanta. Lots of folks here from other areas (e.g. NY, Chicago fans). Interesting “fans” we have here.
not live for sure, i didn’t check to see if it was replayed.
According to ESPN Beasley did not play today.
Well after yesterday, Manchester is in a good position to move forward with the away goal.
However, Bayern completed dominated Man U yesterday and have a better overall team. Man U without Rooney is still a hell of a team, but not a Champions League or EPL winner. They are completely reliant on him for goals and you saw Demichellis and Van Buyton mark him out of the game…
However, Fergusons tactics were a bit negative for most of the game.