Soccer By Ives

This Weekend's Soccer on TV

The latter stages of the FA Cup always seem to pit lower-tier underdogs against powerhouses, and this weekend's Round of 16 is no different.

Seven of the eight matchups have Premier League teams squaring off with lower-tier competition as they try to stave off upsets him hopes of reaching the quarterfinals. Some of the more intriguing battles include Gary Smith-led Stevenage hosting Tottenham, Chelsea taking on promotion candidate Birmingham City and Everton going up against Blackpool in the final match of Landon Donovan's loan spell (although the American star might not play because of the flu).

Outside of England, Paris-St. Germain and Montpellier tangle in Europe's highest-profile match of the weekend, as the two Ligue 1 front-runners do battle with first place on the line. A pair of Mexican powers meet over the weekend as well, as Santos Laguna clashes with Monterrey.

Here is this weekend's soccer on TV:

This Weekend's Soccer on TV

While the marquee game of the weekend, Sunday's African Cup of Nations final between Zambia and Ivory Coast, is not being widely televised throughout the United States, there is still plenty of top-rate action to catch.

This weekend has the potential to be a landmark one for a number of Americans looking to make their mark on the European game. Tim Ream, George John and Charlie Davies are all in position to see the field for the first time since joining or returning to their resepctive clubs, growing the pool of active Americans overseas even more.

In the more high-profile matches of the weekend, Liverpool and Manchester United meet in a clash of two of the Premier League's historical powerhouses with Luis Suarez and Patrice Evra taking center stage, while Landon Donovan, Tim Howard and Everton will look to put another dent into Chelsea's dwindling hopes

For those looking for something other than the usual slate of European matches, the U.S. women's national team returns to action after capturing first place at CONCACAF Olympic qualifiers, welcoming New Zealand to FC Dallas Stadium in Frisco, Texas. In Brazil, Corinthians and Sao Paulo do battle in the Campeonato Paulista on Sunday, with both level on points atop the table through six matches in the state championship.

Elsewhere, Herculez Gomez' Santos Laguna is the hottest team in Mexico as winners of four straight, and that streak will be put to the test Friday night on the road at Morelia.

Here is this weekend's soccer on TV:

This Weekend's Soccer on TV

Not too long ago, Chelsea and Manchester United were fighting each other for league titles and UEFA Champions League superiority. Now, the Blues are just hoping to chip away at a 12-point table deficit that keeps mounting by the week.

The two English giants battle Sunday at Stamford Bridge in a nationally televised game on the Fox network, with United looking to maintain its place atop the league while dealing perhaps the final blow to Chelsea's faint title hopes and forcing the club into a fight for a place in Europe next season.

Elsewhere of note in England, Landon Donovan will look to continue his run of form on the road when Everton faces Wigan Athletic. Meanwhile, Clint Dempsey will look to replicate what Donovan did this past week -- contribute in a win over Manchester City.

Italy might be blanketed with snow, but there are still mouth-watering matchups in Serie A, including the AC Milan-Napoli and Roma-Inter Milan tilts that are sure to entertain. In Mexico, Tijuana's American triumvirate of Joe Corona, Edgar Castillo and Greg Garza face Puebla and DaMarcus Beasley, who is coming off a goal-scoring performance last weekend.

Here is this weekend's soccer on TV:

This Weekend's Soccer on TV

Photo by Stephen Brashear/ISIphotos.com

CONCACAF's two places in the women's soccer tournament at this summer's Olympics will be determined Friday night, as the U.S. women look to maintain their stretch of dominance and clinch a place in London with a win over Costa Rica. Canada and Mexico duel it out in the nightcap at BC Place, where one of the region's powers will end up missing out on the summer festivities.

FA Cup action dominates the slate in England, with Liverpool-Manchester United and Arsenal-Aston Villa being among the more attention-grabbing games of the weekend. The Queens Park Rangers-Chelsea bout will also be one to watch, as it pits Anton Ferdinand against John Terry for the first time since their incident that resulted in the latter being criminally charged with racial abuse.

Italy's top match of the weekend involves two top-three teams, as Juventus and Udinese tangle with major Serie A implications on the line. Real Madrid and Barcelona return to league action in Spain after their heated Copa del Rey encounter, and highlighting the action in Mexico, the American contingent at Tijuana goes up against Herculez Gomez and Santos Laguna.

Here is this weekend's soccer on TV:

FSC to air Everton-Fulham FA Cup bout

 

Photos by ISIphotos.com

U.S. national team stars Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey have not shared a field together since the CONCACAF Gold Cup final, but Friday they are slated to do so -- as opponents.

Everton and Fulham meet in a fourth-round FA Cup match at Goodison Park, and Fox Soccer Channel has picked up the 3 p.m. broadcast for American viewers to able to catch the showdown. Both players are in form for their respective clubs, with the on-loan Donovan having a hand in goals in three of his five games with the Toffees and Dempsey notching hat tricks in two of his last three games for Fulham.

The last time Donovan and Dempsey were opponents on the same field was May 6, 2006, when Dempsey's New England Revolution turned in a 4-0 beating of Donovan's Los Angeles Galaxy. They've yet to play together as teammates under U.S. national team manager Jurgen Klinsmann, but that could very well change next month, when the United States plays Italy in Genoa on Feb. 29.

As for Everton and Fulham, the two clubs last met in October, with Tim Howard and Everton getting the better of Dempsey's side in a 3-1 final, although the reigning U.S. Soccer Male Athlete of the Year did manage an assist on a Bryan Ruiz goal.

This Weekend's Soccer on TV

Photo by ISIphotos.com

For the U.S. men's and women's national teams, it's a big weekend.

The women kick off their qualifying campaign for the 2012 Olympics Friday night in Canada, going up against the Dominican Republic. Just a couple of days later, Pia Sundhage's charges are at it again, facing Guatemala and hoping to secure maximum points before a final group showdown with Mexico.

As for Jurgen Klinsmann's men, they'll kick off 2012 in Arizona, taking on Venezuela Saturday night as part of the culmination of January training camp.

Across Europe there are plenty of entertaining matches as well, with some of the top teams in England going head-to-head. Arsenal-Manchester United and Manchester City-Tottenham provide two of the more high-profile club games of the weekend. One of the more entertaining bouts, though, could take place in the Netherlands, where Jozy Altidore's AZ Alkmaar and Ajax continue their escalating rivalry with a league match on the heels of their pitch-invader-induced Dutch Cup replay.

Here is this weekend's soccer on TV:

Arsenal-United on Fox to be USA's first live Premier League network broadcast

Photo by ISIphotos.com 

Sunday will mark a significant milestone in the progession of soccer in America. 

When Fox airs the Arsenal-Manchester United match at 11 a.m., it will be the first live Premier League broadcast in the United States on network television. With the match being played during the build-up to the day's NFL conference championship games, there is not only a high potential for a large viewing audience, but it also provides the chance to gauge the audience and demand for more broadcasts like it in the future.

Fox has carried a few tape-delayed Premier League matches this season, doing so for the Manchester United-Chelsea match on Sept. 18, the Tottenham-Arsenal match on Oct. 2 and the Chelsea-Liverpool match on Nov. 20. In the past, the UEFA Champions League semifinals has been carried live on FX, while the UCL final has been on Fox for the last two years. Sunday's U.S. broadcast, however, will be the first of its kind.

Sunday's match is the precursor for Fox's second live Premier League broadcast: the Chelsea-Manchester United match on Feb. 5 -- Super Bowl Sunday.

Excited for Sunday's broadcast? Expecting big ratings? Hope it is a sign of more to come?

Share your thoughts below.

This Weekend's Soccer on TV

Inter Milan seems to finally have found its form, and after winning five straight matches and outscoring its last two opponents 9-1 and getting Wesley Sneijder back from injury, the club faces bitter rival and first-place AC Milan with a chance to make a statement in Serie A. 

The Milan derby is the highlight of the weekend slate across Europe, one that also includes an Aston Villa-Everton game that will be of interest to U.S. fans. Even though Brad Guzan is set to resume his place as Shay Given's backup, the match features two mid-table Premier League teams looking to bounce back from losses. Tim Howard and Landon Donovan spearhead the effort for Everton, with Donovan looking to continue contributing during his loan spell.

Outside of Italy and England, Ligue 1 returns in France, as second-place Montpellier and fourth-place Lyon jockey for positioning in the league table behind leader PSG. There is also the full complement of U.S. national team players in action in Mexico, highlighted by the Pachuca-Puebla battle featuring Jose Francisco Torres and DaMarcus Beasley.

Here is this weekend's soccer on TV:

Donovan, Friedel set to face off in must-see match on Wednesday

Remember when Brad Friedel made those comments about Landon Donovan? Well, today is the day Donovan can make his former teammate eat those words.

Donovan and Friedel are set to square off on Wednesday afternoon when Everton visits Tottenham in a game American fans have been salivating over ever since Donovan agreed to a loan deal with Everton. The match, which will also see Tim Howard in action, will air live at 2:30pm on Fox Soccer.

Still in search for his first goal since rejoining the Toffees, Donovan could open his account against Friedel, who made some less-than-generous comments about Donovan to a radio show in December.

Donovan has kept mum on the subject, but a strong performance against Friedel and the Spurs might make more of a statement than any comment could.

How do you see Donovan's match-up against Friedel turning out? Have your DVR set to record? Think Donovan will score?

Share your thoughts below.

This Weekend's Soccer on TV

The third round of the FA Cup is littered with the typical David vs. Goliath matchups that the tournament boasts every year, but there is one matchup featuring a pair of giants that is sure to capture everyone's attention.

Premier League front-runners Manchester City and Manchester United square off in an early-round encounter that has plenty on the line. City, which torched United by a 6-1 scoreline the last time they met, catches United at a rather vulnerable time, as the club is dealing with injuries and uncharacterstic consecutive losses to lesser competition in league play.

Outside of England there's plenty of entertaining games on the slate, too, as Mexico's 2012 Clausura campaign gets underway. As part of the league-wide, season-opening schedule, Herculez Gomez' Santos Laguna takes on Jose Francisco Torres' Pachuca. 

League play continues around the Iberian Peninsula after a brief break. In Portugal, Oguchi Onyewu's Sporting Lisbon has a golden chance to close the gap in the Primeira Liga table with its home match against Porto. In Spain, Barcelona will have its hands full with Espanyol in the latest installment of El Derbi Barceloni. 

Here is this weekend's soccer on TV:

This Weekend's Soccer on TV

New Year's Day will usher in 2012 this weekend, but it will also provide us with a loaded menu of English Premier League matches as most of the league pulls off a two-games-in-three-days marathon over the next three days.

Brad Guzan will look to continue his stellar form for Aston Villa when his team travels to London to take on Chelsea on Saturday. Guzan won't have much time to rest though, as Villa returns to action on Monday with a match against Swansea City.

Clint Dempsey will also be seeing double-duty this New Year's weekend, with Fulham taking on Norwich City on Saturday before tangling with Arsenal in their latest London Derby encounter on Monday.

The weekend's action kicks off today, with Liverpool facing off against Newcastle at Anfield as Andy Carroll takes on his former club.

Here is a rundown of This Weekend's Soccer on TV:

This Weekend's Soccer on TV

Set your alarms for early Sunday morning, because a rare matchup between two of the world's most entertaining teams -- and players -- is on the docket.

Barcelona and Santos each took care of business to set up a meeting between the defending European champions and the South American powerhouse in the final of the FIFA Club World Cup. The match not only features two of the best teams in the world, but it also pits Lionel Messi and Neymar against each other, adding fuel to the fire on the budding rivalry between the Argentine maestro and the up-and-coming Brazilian star.

Elsewhere, Sunday's Manchester City-Arsenal bout is a can't-miss match in England, as the Gunners try to creep back into the title picture behind red-hot Robin Van Persie.

Some of the weekend's other top matches, however, are taking place in Italy's Serie A, where Lazio meets Udinese in a battle of top-four teams and AS Roma takes on Napoli. It'd also be wrong to overlook Sunday's clash between Paris-St. Germain and defending-champion Lille, two teams in the thick of the Ligue 1 hunt in France.

Here is this weekend's soccer on TV:

This Weekend's Soccer on TV

Messi and Ronaldo. Guardiola and Mourinho. Barcelona and Real Madrid.

Anyway you slice it, El Clasico is the marquee match of the weekend and will command the eyes of soccer fans around the world. Real Madrid is currently in the driver's seat in La Liga, leading Barcelona by three points, placing added significance on a match that doesn't need any extra luster.

That is hardly the only match of great importance this weekend, though. The College Cup semifinals and final take place in Hoover, Ala., with North Carolina, UCLA, Creighton and Charlotte vying for the NCAA championship.

The final leg of the Mexican Apertura championship between Santos Laguna and Tigres UANL and the quarterfinals of the FIFA Club World Cup also take place on Sunday to cap off a wild weekend across the globe. CONCACAF representative Monterrey kicks off its quest for the world's club title against host Kashiwa Reysol.

Here is this weekend's soccer on TV:

Wednesday Kickoff: Milan closes in on Tevez, Mexico lines up friendlies & more

Carlos Tevez appears to be inching closer to resolution on his future.

The much-maligned Manchester City striker has a major suitor in AC Milan, which has reportedly extended an offer to take the player on loan for the rest of the season before purchasing his contract during the summer.

Milan president Adriano Galliani told Italian media that the club has already agreed to terms with Tevez and just needs the green light to go ahead with the loan.

The situation isn't completely cut-and-dry, though, as City reportedly prefers a permanant transfer for the wantaway striker in the upcoming winter transfer window as opposed to sending him on loan. The ball would appear to be in the English club's court. It has a real chance to rid itself of the Tevez headache, which has been going on for months and reached its apex when the Argentine striker would not come off the bench to appear in a UEFA Champions League game.

Here are a few more stories from around the world to get your day going:

This Weekend's Soccer on TV

 

Photo by ISIPhotos.com

American soccer fans always love a chance to glimpse the future of the U.S. national team, and this weekend will offer at least a few looks at some exciting prospects who could one day play a role on the senior national team.

The U.S. Under-17 national team is taking part in the Nike Friendlies, and while tonight's match against Turkey was an intriguing one, the match-up Americans are most anxious to see is Sunday's showdown vs. Brazil. Standouts like New York Red Bulls academy striker Wesley Wade (pictured above) should have their chance to test their skills against the perennial world powers.

The weekend's club soccer schedule is light on marquee match-ups, but there are still some matches you won't want to miss. In Germany, Borussia Dortmund and Borussia Moenchengladbach face off in a battle of teams tied for first in the Bundesliga. In England, Manchester United looks to halt its recent struggles with a win at Aston Villa. For MLS fans, the Los Angeles Galaxy continue their Asia Pacific tour with a match against the Philippines national team.

Here is a rundown of this weekend's soccer on TV:

This Weekend's Soccer on TV (& SBI's Top Ten Matches to Watch)

 

The top two teams in Serie A square off as Juventus and Lazio do battle in the weekend's top match-up.

There are some games in England this weekend that may spark more interest, but seeing Andrea Pirlo and Juve take on the Lazio squad led by Miroslave Klose and Hernanes.

The Premier League will offer up the latest contender lining up to try and hand Manchester City its first defeat as Liverpool plays host to the Citizens, while Manchester United takes on Newcastle in another clash of Top Four teams.

In Germany, red-hot Borussia Dortmund takes on rivals Schalke in a match-up of Top Four teams, while La Liga gives us an old-fashioned derby as Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid do battle.

Here is a rundown of This Weekend's Soccer on TV, as well as SBI's Top Ten Matches to Watch: