And So It Begins
With the return of MLS action today, there’s interesting footy on offer than can be found reasonably easily from morning to night. From Germany, France, Italy, Ingerland, and across the pond to the US and Canada, there’s something bound to catch your attention when you should otherwise be outside perhaps playing football, spending time with loved ones, or doing something productive–such as solving the world’s problems.
I could go into details about some of the more intriguing matches on the day, but I’ve chosen to save the space instead so you may behold all the wonders technology will allow us to sample. Of note on the opening weekend of MLS, though, is the match of league newbies Portland Timers against the defending champs Colorado Rapids. This game is a prime-time affair on Fox Soccer, so make sure to put down your busted March Madness brackets and tune into this one.
Times are Eastern. Matches of interest in bold.
8:45 am Tottenham v West Ham United (ESPN2, ESPN3.com)
10:30 am Freiburg v Bayern Munich (GolTV)
11:00 am Aston Villa v Wolverhampton (FS.tv)
11:00 am Manchester United v Bolton (FSC)
11:00 am Stoke v Newcastle (FS.tv)
11:00 am West Brom v Arsenal (FS+, FS.tv)
11:00 am Wigan v Brum (FS.tv)
1:00 pm Lazio v Cesena (FS+, FS.tv)
1:30 pm Everton v Fulham (FSC)
1:30 pm Borussia Dortmund v Mainz 05 (ESPN3.com)
2:00 pm Auxerre v Sochaux (FS.tv)
2:00 pm Brest v Lille (FS.tv, TV5)
2:00 pm Lorient v Saint-Etienne (FS.tv)
2:00 pm Montpellier v Lens (FS.tv)
2:00 pm Toulouse v Nice (FS.tv)
2:00 pm Valenciennes v Bordeaux (FS.tv)
3:00 pm Barcelona v Getafe (GolTV)
3:45 pm Palermo v AC Milan (ESPN3.com, FSC)
4:00 pm Lyon v Rennes (FS.tv)
5:00 pm Atletico Madrid v Real Madrid (ESPN3.com)
6:30 pm Vancouver v Toronto FC (Direct Kick, TSN)
7:30 pm DC United v Columbus Crew (Direct Kick)
7:30 pm NY Red Bulls v Seattle Sounders (Direct Kick)
8:30 pm FC Dallas v Chicago Fire (Direct Kick)
8:30 pm Houston Dynamo v Philly Union (Direct Kick)
9:00 pm Colorado Rapids v Portland Timbers (FSC)
10:30 pm Chivas USA v Sporting KC (Direct Kick)
10:30 pm San Jose v Real Salt Lake (Direct Kick)
Darmian is a good young Azzurri prospect
Pinkos on the board.
Crap, very weak defending on the corner, 1-0 Palermo
TAXI FOR MILAN!!!!
.
Seriously, why play defense when you can just raise your hands in the air and wave them like you just don’t care (that you conceded)
NO!! Antonini due to replace Jank
What a horrible challenge from Silva! He should be off (sarcasm, didn’t touch him, crowd freaking out over nothing)
Shoot Pato!
Dive! Pato!
Very open game
@Orr, Indeed, though Cassano wasted that chance…
Uncharacteristically shaky in the back this half
There is a serious gremlin in the system–crashed my browser again.
Oh that was very close
van Bommel with a yellow card. How’s that possible?
Not the best half, not the worst. Some good possession, just missing that final ball, I’d like to see some long range effort test the keeper also
All this possession for nothing, and then we give it away cheaply for them to run at us every once in a while, can’t win playing this way
Good stop from Sirigu, I’d take anyone but Flamini on the end of that though, damnit
@OM: I do not envy PR today; this is one ugly bug.
Also, Pato engaging in some Laimbeer-esque floppery today.
Someone finish please!
Now scouting the opposition; Benzema with a goal in the Madrid derby. Assist from Khedira.
Atletico captain’s tactic to eliminate threat of Crissy–step right on his foot. Hope Charlie’s up to the task of Queen Floppy.
@OM: Wait, forwards score goals? Surely you’ve made some error in your account.
@OM: We need to send Charlie a tape of the Phil Neville follow-up tackle.
@ phil: Sorry, dozed off. Yes, apparently there exist forwards who can run with the ball their feet AND score once in a while/sigh
Perhaps the plan for CR7 should be: start Hutton, let him get the spot kicks and/or penalty that puts us a goal down out of the way, take him off after the penalty conversion, play Charlie the rest of the way to work with Azza down the right for a crucial away goal. Then for the return leg, make sure Hutton gets lost on the way back to Ingerland.
Really, Spurs are going to have to defend against Khedira and Oezil’s passing from the midfield; Benzema & Crissy look better b/c of those two.
Cazzo! Another good save from Sirigu
Bad timing on the first Serie A loss of 2011
THAT’S the goal Bolton conceded? For fuck’s sake
Firing up Matchday Live for its maiden voyage on my computer. Nice blank screen for Vancouver-Toronto right now.
Hey, now we have a frozen picture on the screen. Upgrade!
180 live games a season / $40.00 = I feel like I’m entitled to at least a $.22 refund.
Whew. Good thing I didn’t get to see Vancouver’s first goal in MLS. That would have been terrible.
2-1 now in the 26th. I really would have hated to have been able to watch this game.
@Ryan: I just signed up and it’s telling me that the Crew game is blocked. I’m hoping that’s only because it hasn’t started yet and not due to some local blackout rule bullshit.
On the bright side, this mosaic feature is cool. Can now watch 4 non-working videos all at once.
Apparently, the 42nd minute is the “Groundhog minute” for MLS. Camon Matchday, don’t let us down on Day 1. You should be better than FS.tv
Okay, now something loaded saying they’ll be back after commercial. Is the TFC match at the half or is this revamped blank screen?
NY-Seattle and DC-Columbus working for me now. Same “back after commercial” message as you OM for Toronto-Vancouver. Hope?
Yes! Columbus v DC United working! Likely America’s Hat hates us watching them play.
How does Crew not bury that one?
That’s a yellow on Duka? Okay…
How is that, as a captain, you’ve got a little more discretion when getting in a ref’s face after a foul? Please explain commentator how the elastic strip on the arm provides that.
I’m watching on mute, so I didn’t hear the exact phrasing obviously, but I think I can kind of buy that idea. In return though, I’d expect the captain to keep other players away from the official.
I just don’t understand why a captain as opposed to any other player on the field is afforded that right when he’s the one called for the foul. MLS refs seem to take a lot more guff and don’t card. I’m thinking if MLS wanted the refs to crack down on harsh fouls, hopefully they also included a seminar with the captains about how to conduct themselves and handle their teammates on the pitch.
I don’t know, I don’t think MLS refs take any more guff without carding than an EPL ref on the receiving end of Chelsea huddle or something similar.
Another MDL quibble: I think it would be cool to have the scores of the other games in the “Live Games” bar at the top of the screen. Though I guess I can understand why they don’t do that.
Ryan: There’s an option to turn them on or off. As for the refs–just thinking of some RSL matches last season where Beckermann was in a ref’s face, touching him, etc. when he was the one called for a foul.
DCU should be up a couple goals by now–been catching Crew on the break a lot; just lacking a bit of quality on the final touches around the box.
Oh, thanks for the scores tip. Should have looked around just a tiny bit. 4-2 Vancouver now.
Ah, Pontius. That was a real chance to take a shot on the GK 1 on 1
@OM, is CD9 playing?
@ Brian: No. Pontius and Wolff up front in this 1st half.
Missed this from the NYRB match: Henry blocked on a penno shot.
Evidently there’s a sellout in Dallas tonight.
Union at Dynamo in thrilling standard definition. (F*ck you, FSDallas) Wow, Garey and Bruin up top, otherwise pretty normal 4-4-2.
Been a long wait! HERE IT COMES! COME ON THE U!!
Then again, Robertson is such a POS even without lines every 5 yards that SD might be for the best…
On the Dallas broadcast, they have Brek Shea listed as a defender. No way right?
A GOAL FOR THE CAPTAIN! Off the long throw, drops right to Califf
Wow, Captain’s band on Mondragon tonight. Still, Danny’s always our first captain!
U need to tighten up in their defense, giving Houston a good amount of space right now.
Charlie Davies coming on for DCU. Are we moving the bootroom up to TFA’s liveblog?
Dammit, Dynamo, I step outside to walk the dogs and you play grade-school defense on a throw-in.
@jjf; it wasn’t pleasant, very naive defending from Houston
Liveblogging on the next post.
Nice goal from Agudelo.