Soccer By Ives

Stephen Colbert talks American soccer

While he may not boast the soccer resume of Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert is apparently a soccer fan now. You can thank the U.S. national team's run through the Confederations Cup for making it happen.

Enjoy this clip of Colbert discussing the sport we love, with his own unique spin:

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Is it Time to Care About Soccer?
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If you liked that, then you'll also enjoy Colbert's interview with Alexi Lalas:

ESPN strikes deal for La Liga rights

 

If you are an American fan of the Spanish First Division (and who isn't?) then you will be able to see many more La Liga games starting next season after ESPN struck a deal with GolTV to partner in multimedia broadcast coverage of the league that boasts world powers FC Barcelona and Real Madrid.

The new deal will allow ESPN to show La Liga matches on ESPN, ESPN Deportes as well as ESPN360.com. More than 95 matches will be shown on Deportes, with at least 114 matches set to be streamed on ESPN360.com. ESPN2 will televise select matches ('Super Clasico anybody?) while ESPN Mobile TV will also air matches. GolTV will continue to air its 120 La Liga matches throughout the year.

What do you think of this news? Excited at the chance to see even more of Real Madrid, Barcelona, Sevilla, Villarreal, Atletico Madrid and more?

Share your thoughts below.

Evening Ticker: Italy holds off New Zealand, Setanta's struggles and CONCACAF Champions League draw set for Thursday

Fielding a team of reserves, the Italian national team went into halftime trailing New Zealand 2-1 in their international friendly on Wednesday. A few second-half subs later and Italy had rattled off three goals to score a 4-3 victory against the Kiwis in a friendly in South Africa.

Vincenzo Iaquinta's pair of second-half strikes proved to be the difference as Italy overcame some first-half goalkeeping blunders from back-up Marco Amelia.

Alberto Gilardino scored Italy's first two goals while New Zealand's Christopher Killen netted a pair after Shane Smeltz opened the scoring.

New York Red Bulls defender Andrew Boyens started and played 90 minutes for New Zealand while American-born striker Giuseppe Rossi started and played 45 minutes for Italy.

Italy opens Confederations Cup play on Monday against the United States, while New Zealand faces Spain on Sunday.

Here are some other notes from the soccer world:

Soccer Saturday: Your Running Commentary

 

Today is the big day.

This is effectively the last weekend of the European club season (of the major leagues at least) and also the last weekend for some Americans to bring home some silverware.

U.S. national team goalkeeper Tim Howard will be at the front of that line today as he tries to lead Everton to an FA Cup victory against Chelsea (10am, Fox Soccer Channel). Rangers duo Maurice Edu and DaMarcus Beasley will also be trying to win a trophy as Rangers plays in the Scottish Cup final.

There is also a full slate of MLS action. Check back in later today for posts on those matches.

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.

Morning Ticker: Crew top Quakes, Hejduk not ruled out vs. Costa Rica and Libertadores quarters begin

 

                                                                               Photo by ISIphotos.com

Goals from Eddie Gaven and Guillermo Barros Schelotto helped the Columbus fight back from an early deficit to top the San Jose Earthquakes, 2-1, on Wednesday night at Crew Stadium.

The victory helps the Crew edge out of its tie for last place in the East with the Red Bulls and moved past New England into fifth place in the conference.

Here are some other stories from this morning and Wednesday to get your day going:

Hejduk not ruled out vs. Costa Rica

According to a U.S. national team source, defender Frankie Hejduk has NOT been ruled out for next week's World Cup qualifier vs. Costa Rica because of the groin injury that kept him out of the Crew's win vs. San Jose.

A television report during the Crew's victory against the Earthquakes stated that Hejduk would miss the Costa Rica match, but Hejduk is expected to be re-evaluated by U.S. national team doctors before a decision is made on his availability for Wednesday. (UPDATE- Hejduk will remain in Columbus, where his progress will be tracked by the Crew medical staff and where a decision will be made on whether he can actually join the national team, be it in Miami or San Jose. So no, Hejduk hasn't been ruled out yet.)

If Hejduk cannot play, Jonathan Spector or Marvell Wynne would be expected to fill in for him.

Soccer Sunday: Your Running Commentary

Today marks arguably the most important day of the year in the English Premier League, the final day of the season, the last chance for teams to avoid being relegated and avoid losing out on the millions of dollars (er, pounds) that come with life in the EPL.

Four teams are battling to avoid falling into one of the two remaining relegation spots alongside West Bromwich Albion. Sunderland, Hull City, Newcastle and Middlesbrough are all in jeopardy and all four have tough tasks. Sunderland (vs. Chelsea) and Hull (vs. Manchester United) have extremely difficult opponents at home, while Sunderland (at Aston Villa) and Middlesbrough (at West Ham) face daunting road tests.

The EPL relegation race is the marquee event of the day, but just one of many highlights on this busy Soccer Sunday. You have matches in MLS, Argentina and France just to name a few.

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 schedule is after the jump):

Soccer Saturday: Your Running Commentary

The German Bundesliga title race will come to an end today as three teams remain alive for the championship.

Wolfsburg, Bayern Munich and Stuttgart are all alive for the German title and all are in action today in the final matchday of the Bundesliga season. Then you have the relegation race, where Michael Bradley's Borussia Moenchengladbach is looking to avoid the drop.

These are just some of the storylines heading into this Memorial Day weekend Saturday. Whether it's title races in Germany and France, or the Mexican League playoffs, there is something for everybody to watch today.

If you will be watching today's soccer action, please feel free to share your thoughts opinions, and some play-by-play on today's matches in the comments section below.

Enjoy the action (Today's TV schedule is after the jump).

Howard to appear on ESPN Sunday morning

 

by GIANFRANCO PANIZO

If you have always wanted a more in-depth look at U.S. men's national team goalkeeper Tim Howard then Sunday morning will be perfect for you.

Howard, who is coming off his record 16th cleansheet for Everton, is set to appear on ESPN's Sunday Conversation this Sunday at 10 a.m ET as reporter Chris Connelly dives into topics ranging from Howard's time with the Toffees to how he dealt with tourette's syndrome growing up.

If you are not a morning person or if you have plans Sunday morning, then you can look for the segment to re-air at 6 p.m. ET.

The roster for the Costa Rica and Honduras World Cup qualifiers is also set to be released on ESPN's SportsCenter Sunday morning.

Will you be up to watch the feature on Tim Howard Sunday morning? Or will you be TiVoing it? Upset that you have to wait until Sunday to see the U.S. roster for the upcoming qualifiers?

Share your thoughts below

This weekend's Soccer on TV

 

by GIANFRANCO PANIZO

This weekend's schedule of soccer matches on TV will provideus with a final chance to see Champions League finalists Barcelona and Manchester United in action before their date with destiny on May 27th. Barcelona will host relegation-battling Osasuna, while Manchester United looks to avoid any injuries against Hull City, which is attempting to avoid relegation.

It is also the final weekend of the German Bundesliga and Werder Bremen, which just came off a disappointing loss to Shakhtar Donetsk in the UEFA Cup final, will be looking to avenge their midweek defeat as they take on first-place VfL Wolfsburg. Wolfsburg needs to win in order to guarantee themselves the German title as Bayern Munich is only two points back.

Wondering what other games might be worth watching? Here is this weekend's full slate of televised games:

Soccer Saturday: Your Running Commentary

Good morning all. If you are a Manchester United fan then you've spent your morning celebrating your team's latest EPL championship. For the rest of you, the day has just begun in terms of soccer to watch.

There are great match-ups from Spain to MLS, Mexico to Italy, so if you're stuck in the house due to rainy weather (or just a soccer fanatic), it will be a fun day in front of the television.

If you will be watching today's matches, please feel free to share your thoughts, opinions and some play-by-play in the comments section below.

Enjoy the action (Today's schedule is after the jump).

This weekend's Soccer on TV

 

by GIANFRANCO PANIZO

With so many high-profile matches on this weekend's slate of games, a recurring story line throughout  Europe's top leagues is teams attempting to win their respective league titles.

Manchester United is a positive result away from adding more hardware to their trophy cabinet. If Sir Alex Ferguson's men can at least tie a young Arsenal squad in a battle of Premier League heavyweights then they will have secured the EPL title for a second consecutive season.

Barcelona and Inter Milan could also clinch their league's titles if they can bounce back from last week's slip ups which saw both teams draw despite second-half leads. Barcelona must defeat Mallorca as visitors while Inter Milan has to take care of business at home against Siena in order to be crowned their league's champions.

Wondering what other games might pique your interest this weekend? Here is this weekend's full list of televised games:

Soccer Saturday: Your Running Commentary

 

As we enter May we are winding down the number of weekends full of quality league soccer action. This weekend isn't skimping on the great games and today has a loaded slate of games to get you through the day.

With 'El Clasico', between Real Madrid and Barcelona, looming, the day has been kicked off by the English clubs, including Clint Dempsey's Fulham, which takes on Chelsea in an all-London affair.

If you are watching today's matches please feel free to share your thoughts, opinions and some play-by-play in the comments section below.

Enjoy the action (Today's schedule of matches is after the jump):

This weekend's Soccer on TV

It is the match La Liga fans have been waiting months for.

Real Madrid takes on Barcelona on Saturday in the weekend's marquee match-up and the game that will determine whether Real Madrid has any legitimate chance to catch Barcelona atop the Spanish First Division standings.

Barcelona's lead is four points, but with the Champion League semifinal second leg vs. Chelsea looming, head coach Pep Guardiola has some tough decisions to make with regards to his lineup and who he will rest vs. Real Madrid.

"El Clasico" is just one of several high-profile matches taking place this weekend. There are great matches from Europe to South America to North America as we head into the final month of the season for many leagues around the globe.

So what are the top matches to watch this weekend? Wondering what games you will have to choose from on TV this weekend? Find out both after the jump:

Soccer Saturday: Your Running Commentary

As the European club season hits the stretch drive, teams are starting to position themselves for title runs. Some teams already have one hand on their domestic titles, while some others are embattled in tight races.

UEFA Champions League semifinalists Barcelona and Manchester United can move closer to their domestic titles with wins today, as Barcelona faces a tough Valencia squad and United takes on Tottenham.

The seasons in Mexico and MLS are still young, but there are still top matches to look for, such as the Chicago-Columbus tilt and the Pachuca-Cruz Azul showdown.

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 (And check out today's full schedule of matches on TV after the jump):

Mid-week Soccer on TV

If waiting for the weekend to catch quality soccer is just something you can't do, this is a good week for you.

No, the UEFA Champions League isn't in action this week, but a slew of mid-week games in Europe make for a strong schedule of games to choose from.

A pair of high-powered EPL tilts headline the action, with FA Cup finalists Everton and Chelsea clashing on Wednesday, while Liverpool and Arsenal do battle today. The action isn't confined to Europe. Copa Libertadores is in full swing as well, while the CONCACAF Champions League final kicks off. There are also some good mid-week MLS matches.

Here are this week's mid-week soccer matches to watch on TV (and the web):

Soccer Sunday: Your Running Commentary

 

Tim Howard is one step away from reaching the FA Cup final.

Howard and Everton take on Manchester United today in the FA Cup semifinals in the marquee game of the day. Howard faces off against his former club in what should be an exciting encounter.

There are plenty of other quality matches to watch from all over the world today. Here is a small sampling of the best matches of the day:

• 10:25am- ESPN360.com- PSV Eindhoven vs. Ajax Amsterdam

• 11am- FSC- Manchester United vs. Everton

• 3pm- Telefutura- Houston Dynamo vs. Colorado Rapids

• 6pm- Telemundo- Chivas de Guadalajara vs. Club America

• 9pm- GolTV- Valencia vs. Sevilla

If you will be watching any of today's soccer matches from around the world please feel free to share your thoughts, opinions and some play-by-play on those matches in the comments section below.

Enjoy the action.