Three of the U.S. national team's most valuable players are in action on Tuesday as they aim to close out their respective seasons in good form before joining training camp later this month ahead of friendlies and World Cup qualifiers.
Michael Bradley's Chievo Verona held AS Roma to a 0-0 draw under a downpour and on a waterlogged pitch in Italy, with the American emerging unscathed after turning in a productive 79-minute shift that included a number of pivotal passes that ultimately did not end up leading to goals.
Clint Dempsey and Tim Howard take center stage with the later games, as both look to maintain their teams' presence in the top 10 of the Premier League table. Dempsey has done just about everything for Fulham this season, scoring 22 goals in all competitions, but he'll try to guide the Cottagers to their first-ever win at Anfield when they take on Liverpool. Fulham can pull even with Liverpool on points for eighth place in the Premier League with a win.
Howard and Everton, meanwhile, are enjoying their typical late-season surge, going 5-1-2 over their last eight games to move into seventh place. The Toffees bring that run of form into a match at Stoke City.
If you will be watching any of Tuesday's matches, please feel free to share any thoughts, opinions and some play-by-play in the comments section below. Enjoy the action (TV schedule is after the jump):
TUESDAY'S SOCCER ON TV
12 p.m. – Fox Soccer Channel/ESPN3.com – Chievo Verona vs. Roma
12 p.m. - ESPN3.com/ESPN Deportes – Granada vs. Espanyol
2 p.m. – GOLTV – Sporting Gijon vs. Villarreal
2:45 p.m. – Fox Soccer Channel - Stoke City vs. Everton
2:45 p.m. – ESPN2/ESPN3.com/ESPN Deportes – Liverpool vs. Fulham
2:45 p.m. – Fox Soccer Plus/FoxSoccer2Go – Heart of Midlothian vs. Motherwell
2:45 p.m. – Fox Deportes/ESPN3.com – Napoli vs. Palermo
3 p.m. – FoxSoccer2Go – Montpellier vs. Evian Thonon Gaillard
Flying Donkeys. That has to be one of the best team nicknames ever!
Juventus F.C. takes the cake for me: La Vecchia Signora, which translates in English to “The Old Lady”
Holy crap, this field is a puddle. This game will not be a thing of beauty.
I hope MB doesn’t break anything in this mess.
The Italia game is slow enough already without being played in a shallow pond.
lol it’s like one big slip ‘n slide. Have fun and be safe lads!
haha… this pitch is totally f’ed.
I always forget Bradley is only 24. He plays alot older…he is more than competant on Chievo…tranfer to a bigger club coming?
Let’s pump the brakes. He was with arguably a “bigger club” at Villa and it didn’t work out (for a number of reasons). He is settling in here and doing well, cheers to him!
At what point do you call a game from weather? Does it need to be a near monsoon. You never see enough football in blinding snow. I’d like to see that.
Michael Bradley loves playing in the slop. His fatha was a mudda. His mutha was a mudda. Loves the slop. Eats it up. Born in the slop.
Mikey has had three really nice through balls this game, one leading to a break away that the forward shot right to the keeper.
+1…Get OUT!
Anyone have a link for a live stream?
Hey I’m just asking the same question the ESPN3 commentator asked about 5 minutes after I made this post…
espn3.com
firstrowsports.eu
The Villa loan was not a good situation. As you said, there were a number of reasons but primarily, the manager didn’t really want him.
I’m not disagreeing that maybe he should stay another year at Chievo but I wouldn’t put any stock in the Villa situation.
MB having another good, controlled game, and he’s pushing forward more. But don’t they install drainage on professional soccer fields?
LOL at the groundskeeper’s solution to this problem… lightly tap the field with a rake in random places.
MB shot outside of right foot – right at keeper
Great balls played by MB in the last 10 min or so
Bradley subbed? that’s got to be a first (or maybe a second). He’s been a staple in their midfield the entire season. and one of the best in this game. Strange
MB coming off – he was one of the few bright spots for Cheivo. I’ll turn it off now…..
Could be a sign that they consider him a valuable player that shouldn’t get injured in slip n slide games.
With the exception of maybe the left winger Hetmaj(sp) Mikey was the best player for Chievo today. As he is subbed off in the 77th.
Hahaha Classic
Exactly. MB subbed off? my TV is now off. He was the best player on the field for Chievo today seemed to me
agreed
As a U.S. fan, glad to see Michael Bradley both play well and avoid injury today. I do not mind him being subbed off early; he has a heavy workload coming up.
I believe with that point Chievo officially cannot be relegated (they are now 10 points clear with 3 games left fot 18th place team
Dempsey with great run and past to set up own goal on Liverpool.
yeah, brilliant build-up play from Deuce there. great start for Fulham with the og.
What a chip. Man, after watching MB and Demps today I am getting super excited for these upcoming friendlies.
God it’s quiet at Anfield, Macnameran’s right, you can hear individual fans shouting. Also seem to be a lot of cheers when a Fulham player does something good.
Isn’t Moechengladbach (sp), his prior team, also the donkeys or some cloven hoof horse-like quadriped?
Is the audio on my television not working? There is no way Anfield is that quiet.
+1
I can’t believe Jay Spearing still starts for a professional club.
This Liverpool reserve side is struggling. Since I really don’t like the club, this makes me happy. And Fulham is normally SO bad on the road this is a bonus.
imagine how schwartzer felt as the ball goes through his legs
The Mig-effect is in full force. I say the above and then the ‘Pool almost score immediately.
Always easy to see Dempsey….bright orange shoes can’t be missed.
It is really a pleasure to watch Dempsey move the ball. He plays it more quickly than most of the players on the field, whether it’s a pass or a touch-and-turn. Very quick of thought out there.
what?
Man Macca is dumb. This guy has to be like the English equivalent of Alexi Lalas.
Not that bad but he ain’t the brightest bulb on the porch.
Carroll is playing well for Liverpool. I haven’t seen much of him this year but he certainly looks better than his press clippings indicate.
Our Yanks abroad are benefiting from own goals today!
This says it all:
john g mcgrorryâ€@johnmcgrorry23
I’d argue that if Dempsey was in the opposing team this evening, Liverpool would be boasting a much higher league position #BBCFootball
Chievo is near the bottom for goals scored in all types of weather.
Liverpool/Fulham game looks more like a friendly scrimmage where nobody wants to get injured. Alexander Kacaniklic is destroying Fulham attacks never getting the ball back into the middle. Perhaps Frei will come in.
I like Macca because he’s out-spoken, not afraid to disagree, and seldom goes with the consensus thoughts.
Wow they are playing Warren G at Anfield.
Lebron’s idea?
Couldn’t disagree more about Macca. He’s articulate, funny, doesn’t overtalk, expresses clear opinions, and doesn’t just regurgitate conventional wisdom. He and Darke are a terrific team.
Maybe John Henry is a fan.
Liverpool has to be feel really poorly done by that they have Carrol instead of Torres for money in similar ball parks.
I think both ‘Pool and Chelsea would like redo’s on their respective deals. Newcastle are the only ones happy withe their end of the respective deals
Now that I can agree with Macca on. There is little quality in this match, it’s painful.
John R Riise taking a 45 yard shot on the run and almost hitting the corner flag is painful.
Pool is putting a 17 year old kid on the pitch. And I mean kid, he can’t be more than 5’5, 140.
Amazing save denies Deuce a goal.
Clint was so close!!!!! f*ck!!!!!!!
Does Dembele have naked photos of all EPL commentators?
I’m sorry but I do not see this incredible talent people speak about. And they just quickly dismiss the fact that he doesn’t score any goals as if it’s just a minor segment of the match.
They act like he’s a world beater and I just don’t recall ever hearing him criticized.
I’m going to disagree with you there. This guy is really smooth and to me, at least, he’s getting better with his passing and positioning.
But he MAY have those pictures because they do fawn over him, at bit.
He’s definitely smooth on the ball. But he’s a bad teammate, doesn’t play defense, and is consistently in poor positions. I can think of so many times when Dempsey was through on goal or in a lot of space where he just ignored him.
He doesn’t score goals any more because he has been converted from a support striker to a box to box midfielder. He focuses more on maintaining possession and winning the ball back so Fulham are able to play Dempsey, Ruiz, Duff, Frei, etc can focus more on attacking.
Okay this 17 year old is lightening quick.
He considered to be one of the most exciting prospects in England.
Dempsey just raised his arm as if he was calling for a sub. I hope he’s not injured.
Woefully bad free kick. Maybe 10 yards over the net? Yikes.
This is horrible soccer. Liverpool gets a free kick at the time and the official lets them have it. Instead of waiting for players to get into the box, a Liverpool player inexplicably takes the kick when nobody is paying attention and just lofts it into an almost empty box where it’s just cleared out.
Well at least it’s over. Good for Fulham, at least.
I quite like the two of them.
MB gets a 6.5 in the Cheivo v Roma report card. Second to Cruzado’s 7.0 top rating.
link to tuttomercatoweb.com
that’s actually why I like Lalas too. Even if what they’re saying is dumb, it’s refreshing when a commentator or analyst isn’t afraid to say something.
Had to use the Google to get the reference, but +1 for a great joke.
Agree with sam, I think Macca and Darke are a great pair. Darke being kind of a traditional, conservative commentator, with Macca adding color and not afraid to speak his mind (whether I agree or disagree).
BMG are called the Foals.
There is no English equivalent to the vapid Lalas. He can’t hold a candle to Macca in just about any way.
Macca is very opinionated, is willing to say what he thinks and does not give a damm what anyone thinks. You may not agreee with him but there is at least a basis for what he says.
Look up his record sometime; Macca has Champion’s league winner’s medals and played with some of the best players the game has ever seen. He gets paid well to do things just about everyone on this blog would kill for a chance to do.
We should all be so dumb.
Being a great player doesn’t make you a great commentator. Just look at how English fans view Alan Shearer the pundit or Joe Morgan the baseball commentator.
You mean if someone says stupid things it is refreshing or something like that. Watch the 3 stooges movie for more high brow comedy!