Bayern Munich have gotten off to a perfect start in the 2012-13 edition of the Bundesliga, winning each of their first three games. On Saturday, though, they face a difficult test as they travel to Gelsenkirchen to take on Schalke 04.
In what is probably the day's best matchup not just in Germany but all throughout Europe, a Bayern team that has won its first five games across three competitions faces a Schalke side that will feature American international Jermaine Jones. Schalke, like Bayern, enter the match on a high having won in the Champions League this past week, and they will look to take advantage of a Munich team that will likely be without dangerous winger Franck Ribery.
If you're looking for some English Premier League action, league leaders Chelsea host a Stoke City team that includes two Americans in Geoff Cameron and Maurice Edu. Tim Howard and Everton also are in action, traveling to Swansea City in the day's first matchup.
Later tonight, the Major League Soccer stretch run continues with several games that have playoff implications. The Chicago Fire host the Columbus Crew in a crucial Eastern Conference game, while the Seattle Sounders play host to the San Jose Earthquakes in what is a must-win situation for the Sounders if they have any hopes of capturing the Supporters' Shield.
If you will be watching any of today's games, 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):
7:45am – ESPN2 – Swansea City vs. Everton
9:30am – GolTV – Schalke 04 vs. Bayern Munich
10am – Fox Soccer Channel – Chelsea vs. Stoke City
10am – Fox Soccer Plus – West Bromwich Albion vs. Reading
10am – FoxSoccer2Go – Southampton vs. Aston Villa
10am – FoxSoccer2Go – West Ham vs Sunderland
10am – FoxSoccer2Go – Wigan Athletic vs. Fulham
10am – BeIN Sport – Real Zaragoza vs. Osasuna
11am – Univision Deportes – Bastia vs. Paris St. Germain
11:30am – GolTV – Hamburg vs. Borussia Dortmund (Delay)
Noon – beIN Sport Espanol – Parma vs. Fiorentina
1pm – MLS Direct Kick – Montreal Impact vs. Sporting Kansas City
2pm – beIN Sport – Real Betis vs. Espanyol
2pm – Univision Deportes – Loriente vs. Nice
3:30pm – ESPN3.com – Porto vs. Beira-Mar
4pm – beIN Sport – Barcelona vs. Granada
7:30pm – MSG/MLS Direct Kick - NE Revolution vs. NY Red Bulls
8pm – NBC Sports Network – Real Salt Lake vs. Portland Timbers
8:30pm – MLS Direct Kick – Chicago Fire vs. Columbus Crew
10:30pm – MLS Direct Kick - LA Galaxy vs. Toronto FC
10:30pm – MLS Direct Kick – Seattle Sounders vs. SJ Earthquakes
If LD10 signs with everton this winter the toffees could really make run at the top 4 year assuming they keep felliani
Nice stop by Howard at the end of the half.
Jeez, this second half has started with a storm. Both keepers have made sharp stops in the first 8 minutes of the half.
Howard has been superb. Not a jinx.
Dyer really changed the second half until he promptly got red carded.
Geoff Cameron starting at right back today
One of the best performances I’ve seen from Everton in the 12 years I’ve been supporting them. They should’ve have 5 or 6. Timmy had a couple of crucial saves.
And I’m gonna say it… Marouane Fellaini is one of the 3 best all-around footballers in the world. He does it all. Today we won everything in the air (like always), had a goal, an assist, and a hockey assist.
EvertonBrian,
So how much do you think Everton will get for get for him this January?
Robbie Findley just assisted in his debut Gilliganham.
How about Edu not even making the bench, that can’t be good for the NT
Stoke has got to be one of the tallest teams in the World.
Oh, I hate to think that it could happen (but it probably will).
£20m would be nice?
he’s clearly “depth” at best. I wonder why he didn’t sign with a French or Turkish club. Money perhaps?
Eric Lichaj starting on defense for Aston Villa.
I hope he gets a call in October…
I agree it was a great performance and Fellaini is playing ball right now. Top-3? My first thought would be no but then I got to trying to name ‘all-arounders’ that are better. I suppose it’s how you define it but yeah, sure. Why not? He’s a beast, that much is true.
Not surprising since they signed like 50 CMs this summer.
This dude Cameron is a complete star of the future except that he’s 27. I see him as a starter for 2014. But unsure of who will partner him. I doubt Boca or Gooch. No way Goodson. Maybe Gonzalez or Ream
It wouldn’t be worth it selling at that price. Since they already paid 17m for him.
Cameron is fighting hard back there. He has been making some good plays. Gave it away once but passing out of the back is tough against Chelsea with the speed lineup in the game.
Hat trick for Jozy tomorrow?
Oh hey Cameron, let’s get you a run out against Torres Mata and Hazard. Enjoy!
How are Guzan and Lichaj doing for AV? Thank God Guzan is finally getting his chance at his club. Perhaps JK will give him the friendly against Russia to start. We need a solid number 3 as well. Maybe it’s time for Sean Johnson and Bill Hamid to make the move to Europe. A Scandinavian league or Holland perhaps? At least within the next year
Maybe next summer. Perhaps a Championship club will come in for them but Holland would be a great league.
what’s up with the Fulham fans hating on Dempsey? Get over it. He’s your record goal scorer and has done a lot for your club. 5.5 years of service. 50 league goals in 180 league matches I believe and some of that was as a sub.
Well Fulham are going to need a new GK soon. Maybe Hamid and Johnson will be on the potential shortlist.
Why would want them to go to Holland? So they can give up 3-4 goals a game?
There is a professional way to leave a club and there is what Dempsey did. Same reason why Arsenal fans hate Nasri
San Jose will lose and someone will blame the turf
I love Dempsey, but I sort of agree. I think a lot of people around here view Dempsey as if he can do no wrong and eeee-vil Jol was the one trying to singlehandedly keep him from his happiness.
Just my view.
Was it 17 or 15m? Either way, you make a good point. I think I subconciously underestimate that type of stuff b/c I think people overlook Everton. Let’s say 30!
Brian McBride and Eric Wynalda. which is the better striker?
Is Mikey healthy yet? Might we see him dress tomorrow?
Edu not making the bench yet doesn’t worry me. We’re stacked at DM for the MNT. Competition will only be good for him
Oscar is getting in the way of Torres or you might say that they are trying for the same space. Chelsea is playing some dominating ball but they seem to be crowding themselves in the box.
He was training with the team at some point this week but I don’t know if he’s ready yet.
They should hold out for 30m plus if selling to an English club. If they sell abroad it should be for how much Spurs got for Modric.
O/T but why is it that somany of US strikers who excel in MLS seem to flop in Europe or for the NT?
Taylor Twellman. Incredible striker. Flop for the Nats
EJ. Solid striker. Decent for a while but withered away for the Nats and did bad in England.
Josh Wolff, Edson Buddle, list goes on
Hey Ives, any luck getting reports of Canadian players in Europe? There’s Oliver Occean who starts for Frankfurt in the Bundesliga. Curious about him
Oscar has absolutely no concept of team and player positioning. This is what you get with Brazilians who have been raised to believe they are God incarnate on the field. Loads of skill, but no idea how to play as a team–and that’s why most of them fail coming over to Europe.
Also, not surprisingly it took all of 120 minutes of play for Chelsea before Oscar was booked for diving.
Wow, that’s pretty harsh on a 21 year old? He IS out of position a fair bit but you yourself said he has only played 120 minutes for the team. I’d say he just needs more time. Thoughts?
One of the worst posts on here
Oh, there are plenty of worse ones.
There it is! Duff gets a second. I’m heartened by how Fulham is playing these days.
I get it, it’s Wigan, but still…
He’s been practicing with the squad for weeks/months at this point. If this is all he’s showing on the pitch I wouldn’t hold out hope.
It’s just not a style of play that fits in a rigid system-oriented league like the EPL. You have to play your position and area on the pitch and with the speed of play/aggressiveness of defenses, causing confusion and bunching up is a nightmare giving defenses the ability to completely shut down the offense.
Like I said, he’s got loads of talent, but this is becoming a real issue with Brazilian players trying to make the jumps to non-samba leagues.
And yet a few mins after this thread, Oscar shows nice skill with the touch to set up a shot that just goes wide.
Ouch. Villa gives up 3 goals in 14 minute span. What happened?
McBride, by a good margin. He spent a much longer period of time playing at the highest level and was considered the best player on a Prem team for several years. He was also more important to the USMNT. For a long time, the MNT strategy completely revolved around BMCs hold up and target play. He was able to nick goals and maintain possession while allowing USA to play a defensive shell and clear the ball safely upfield without having to make multiple passes through our weak midfield. He was an absolute beast who left everything on the pitch.
Wow, I hate Chelsea so much…..
I believe he has fallen into the massive over generalization based on preconceived notions trap.
Big Geoff at fault on that goal? Was that him trailing? Not that he can be blamed too much. It’s asking too much for him to keep pace with Cole on a counter.
Chelsea is the only “big” team to get a win against Stoke so far.
great league to test themselves. if they can stop giving up 3-4 goals, they’ll be great
No one is saying Clint was innocent, but he didn’t badmouth the club nor the manager. He wanted a move and had been saying it for months and felt it was the time. Liverpool flirted with him but didn’t go for him. He wanted out of Fulham, why couldn’t the club respect that? all we have is the coach’s word that Clint didn’t want to play. But he did train with the reserve squad.
Stoke unlucky to not escape with a point there.
October I’d wager
Oh, i’m not hating on him. But I will agree with Adrian and even posted higher up in the thread that he was crowding Torres. It should be interesting to watch the kid grow.
Eh, there’s not a lot Geoff could have done.
Good point. I agree that painting all skilled Brazilians with the same brush is a mistake.
but Wynalda scored at a WC and Copa America
They did respect that they let him move once they received a substantial offer. Dempsey should have continued to show out for the club until they found him a new club.
Come on over to the dark side, Kevin. It’s great.
What happened with villa?
How did the yanks do.
I fear the worst
Striker is a tough position to succeed in period.
For example, Japan and Korea have many good outfield players in Europe but other than Okudata and he was a long time ago, I can’t think of one who is a striker.
As a Fulham fan, I am well “over it,” thank you. You’re the one who brought it up out of the blue. Sounds like you have some issues to work out.
Yeah, Brazilians are terrible team players. That’s why they never win anything.
I didn’t watch the game, but of the four goals one was an og and one was a penalty. So the scoreline is probably a bit harsh.
Southhampton put four past Guzan and Lichaj. I didn’t watch the game,though getting four put past you can’t be good. How were their performances?
A PK which was given due to Guzan brining down Mayuka in the box.
Yeah, because when he made that comment, it was directed at you. Totally.
Guzan will continue to start. No worries
Ouch. I’m watching the Villa replay, and not a good day for our Yanks. I saw Lichaj give the ball away three straight times in the second half. First one, he commits a yellow card foul trying to recover. Second one…leads to the first goal. Zoiks. Then he gets pulled in the 67th minute.
As for Guzan, well, first goal he got his hand to it and might’ve been able to kept it out (though it was struck close), second goal he got beat between the legs (again, close range), and fourth goal I read from earlier that he commits a penalty. double ouch. Third goal was a bad deflection and not his fault, but still, not going to look good for either guys.
Dempsey has his new higher profile club and a lot of money.
Fulham has a lot money and have freshened up their team.
What went on between those two, in the greater scheme of things, was a very minor hiccup and SOP for contract/transfer disputes. Compared to what goes on in American sports it was hardly worth more than a sentence or two.
Both parties haved moved on nicely and fans should do the same.
yeah after signing Cameron and Edu, they still signed Charlie Adam and Steven Nzonzi. Bringing in 4 new players at basically the same position was pretty odd. Depth and versatility, at best.
Lichaj was unspectacular and arguably at fault for the 1st goal. He was taken off around the 65′. Guzan you can’t blame for any of the goals, Villa just were ripped apart in the second half.
The first goal, no way in hell you can blame the keeper there. That ball was hammered, if it were Rooney or Aguero striking it instead of Lambert, people wouldn’t dream of laying blame on the keeper. Second goal, again the defense was ripped apart, can’t blame the keeper. Could he have possibly kept one or both of them out? Yea, but it would’ve taken spectacular saves, no way Guzan’s fault. Third goal, huge deflection. Fourth goal, blame it on Villa getting shredded for 3 goals and completely played off the field in the 2nd half and their whole team completely shut off. Yes, Guzan gave away the penalty but I’m sure Lambert will be more upset with the turnoff by the whole team that created the chance in the first place. All in all, not a good day for Villa (especially Lichaj unfortunately), but Guzan will probably take the least amount of blame out of everybody.
McBride and Wynalda played with different personnel and with different schemes.
At his best, the USMNT had McBride , who was an excellent, classic target man as the attacking hub of a team that Reyna pulling the strings bodyguarded by Chris Armas and later, Pablo Mastroeni. And Donovan played along side McBride or Reyna as needed.
That was the basis of the 2002 WC team which is still,to me the best tournament team we ever fielded.
Wynalda is probably more famous for providing John Harkes with a good time , which resulted in the infamous 1998 team meltdown at the World Cup. However, that team was actually quite attractive but Sampson had screwed it up before the Harkes business. That same basic team nearly won the 1995 Copa America, winning their group (beating Argentina 3-0 and Chile 2-1 in the process) Beating Mexico and then losing in the semis to Brazil 1-0. It had guys like Keller, Harkes, Lalas, Balboa, Earnie Stewart, Dooley, Cobi Jones, Joe Max Moore and Wynalda in a 3-6-1 formation. You can see their highlights on You Tube.
They remain just about the most attacking oriented US team you will ever see.
Wynalda and McBride had in common that they both had the title “USMNT striker” but that was about it.
And don’t think it makes a lot of sense to compare them.