Yet again, this weekend wouldn’t be a bad weekend to lose your remote. Well, you might want to find it sometime between 9 pm Saturday and 9 am Sunday and switch from GolTV to Fox Soccer Channel. If you can do that without your remote, I’m impressed.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
WCR Weekend Soccer Television Schedule
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Status Update - Dutch Eredivisie; Portuguese Liga Sagres
Thus far this season, it’s hard to deny that the Eredivisie has been the most fun league among the top leagues in Europe. Every time a club moves to the top, it gets knocked off the apex by another contender. This week, it was Ajax being dropped from first to third after falling 0-2 to the new leader, AZ Alkmaar. Currently, there are seven clubs within five points of the top and another three within five points of that group. This usually is PSV’s league to lose, and it still may be, but with five matches in PSV’s loss column, this league is anybody’s for the taking, at least for now. One factoid of the weekend that made the matches a little less interesting is the fact that no fewer than seven of the nine matches were decided by two goals or more.
With so many clubs near the top, you would think there would be multiple matches involving contending clubs each week. This week, there is only one, but it should be a good one. On Friday, FC Groningen will host AZ Alkmaar. A win by AZ likely will leave it atop the standings. Any other result, and there is no way to tell who will be leading this time next week.
Tables:
1. AZ Alkmaar (8-2-2) 26 +18
2. NAC Breda (8-2-2) 26 +12
3. Ajax (8-1-3) 25 +11
4. Groningen (7-2-3) 23 +17
5. PSV Eindhoven (7-0-5) 21 +10
6. Twente (6-3-3) 21 +7
7. Willem II (6-3-3) 21 +3
8. NEC Nijmegen (5-4-3) 19 +3
9. Heerenveen (5-4-3) 19 -3
10. Utrecht (5-2-5) 17 +1
11. Feyenoord (4-3-5) 15 +6
12 Heracles (3-4-5) 13 -7
13. Sparta Rott. (3-3-6) 12 -12
14. ADO Den Haag (3-1-8) 10 -7
15. Vitesse (2-4-6) 10 -12
16. Roda JC (2-3-7) 9 -11
17. De Graafschap (2-2-8) 8 -16
18. Volendam (2-1-9) 7 -20
Recent Matches:
Volendam 3-1 Roda JC
(De Lange 6, de Wit 40, Hofstede 51; Oper 16)
NAC Breda 1-1 NEC Nijmegen
(De Graaf 58; Schone 27)
PSV Eindhoven 4-0 Heracles
(Rodriguez 15, Afellay 29, Lazovic 32, Dzsudzsak 38)
Twente 6-0 Heerenveen
(N’kufo 23, 41, 72; Perez 35, 45; Arnautovic 47)
De Graafschap 3-3 Sparta Rotterdam
(Keller 20, 40, Buijs 45; Dissels 15, Slot 55, Knol 90)
Feyenoord 3-1 ADO Den Haag
(Makaay 16, Fer 43, Bruins 54; Knopper 10)
AZ Alkmaar 2-0 Ajax
(De Zeeu 22 (p), Ari 51)
Utrecht 4-0 Vitesse
(Keller 30, De Gun 50, Boussaboun 66, 74)
Willem II 3-0 Groningen
(Akgun 17, Demouge 22, 37)
Upcoming Matches:
AZ Alkmaar at Groningen
Roda JC at De Graafschap
Twente at ADO Den Haag
Willem II at Heracles Almelo
PSV Eindhoven at Heerenveen
Feyenoord at Vitesse
Utrecht at Ajax
NAC Breda at Sparta Rotterdam
Volendam at NEC Nijmegen
PORTUGAL
Seven matches, fourteen clubs, nine goals. That was it. That is including a pair of goalless draws in matches involving Maritimo/Sporting Braga and Vitoria Guimaraes/Pacos Ferreira. Leixoes and Benfica combined for four of the nine goals scored in the Liga Sagres last week and they both also won to stay atop the league table.
Some weekends are better than others. This weekend, none of the top six teams in Portugal will face each other. That means that most weekends are better than the one coming up. I guess that if you want to look for something, you can watch to see if any of the clubs can top the two goal mark.
Table:
1. Leixoes (7-1-1) 22 +6
2. Benfica (6-3-0) 21 +8
3. Nacional (5-2-2) 17 +4
4. Sporting CP (5-1-3) 16 +3
5. Maritimo (4-3-2) 15 +6
6. Porto (4-2-2) 14 +5
7. Sp. Braga (3-4-2) 13 +5
8. Naval (3-2-4) 11 E
9. Amadora (3-2-3) 11 -4
10. Guimaraes (2-4-3) 10 -2
11. V. Setubal (3-1-5) 10 -3
12. Academica (2-3-4) 9 -4
13. Rio Ave (1-4-4) 7 -3
14. Belenenses (1-4-4) 7 -6
15. Pacos Fer. (1-3-5) 6 -6
16. Trofense (1-1-7) 4 -9
Recent Matches:
Rio Ave 1-2 Leixoes
(Matias 43; Wesley 35, China 67)
Maritimo 0-0 Braga Sporting
Naval 0-1 Sporting CP
(Liedson 15)
Nacional 1-0 Trofense
(Oliveira 23)
Vitoria Guimaraes 0-0 Pacos Ferreira
Academica Coimbra 0-2 Benfica
(Amorim 31, Cardozo 47 (p))
Veitoria Setubal 2-0 Os Belenenses
(Anderson 44, Elias 90)
Upcoming Matches:
Naval at Leixoes
Maritimo at Os Belenenses
Amadora at Pacos Ferreira
Rio Ave at Trofense
Nacional at Braga Sporting
Vitoria Guimaraes at Sporting CP
Academica Coimbra at Porto
Veitoria Setubal at Benfica
Brazil Serie A, French Ligue Un - Status Updates
With a 2-1 victory over Vasco Da Gama, coupled with Vitoria’s 4-2 defeat of second-place Gremio, Sao Paulo has extended its lead to five points in the Brasileiro Serie A with only two matches remaining. There is excitement near the top, however, as the top four spots in Serie A advance to the Copa Libertadores and there are five clubs vying for those spots – and only three points separating second through fifth.
With a victory this weekend over Fluminense, Sao Paulo can clinch the championship. It can also clinch if Ipatinga upsets Gremio. None of the top teams are playing each other this weekend. Also, none of the bottom clubs face-off. The bottom four in the league will be relegated to Serie B for 2009 and there are still eight teams that can, at least mathematically, fall into the relegation zone over the next two weeks. Serie A may be worth following for that reason alone.
Table:
1. Sao Paulo (20-11-5) 71 +29
2. Gremio (19-9-8) 66 +19
3. Cruzeiro (20-4-12) 64 +13
4. Palmeiras (19-7-10) 64 +11
5. Flamengo (18-9-9) 63 +21
6. Coritiba (14-11-11) 53 +10
7. Goias (14-10-12) 52 +11
8. Internacional (14-9-13) 51 +2
9. Botafogo (14-8-14) 50 +8
10. Vitoria (14-6-16) 48 +2
11. SPORT (13-9-14) 48 +2
12. Atletico-MG (12-11-13) 47 -9
13. Fluminense (11-10-15) 43 +1
14. Santos (11-10-15) 43 -9
15. Atletico-PR (11-9-16) 42 -10
16. Nautico (10-10-16) 40 -11
17. Figueirense (9-11-16) 38 -28
18 Vasco Da Gama (10-7-19) 37 -16
19. Portuguesa (9-10-17) 37 -19
20. Ipatinga (9-7-20) 34 -27
Recent Matches:
Figueirense 4-3 Nautico
(Tadeu 2, Xavier 9, Diogo 44, Perone 82; Felipe 1, 71, Vagner 15)
Portuguesa 0-0 Goias
Coritiba 5-1 Santos
(Keirisson 26, 47, 75 (p), 80, Ariel 69; Molina 55)
Botafogo 2-2 Atletico-PR
(Flavio 22, Zarate 64; Bahia 61, ? 73)
Vitoria 4-2 Gremio
(Domingues 49, Willans 62, Jackson 70, Cordeiro 74; Anderson 25, Ogunjimi 86)
Vasco Da Gama 1-2 Sao Paulo
(Madson 30; Vagner 21, Hugo 48)
Cruzeiro 3-2 Flamengo
(Fernandinho 33, Thiago 65, Ramires 85; Ibson 55, Obina 72)
SPORT 3-0 Atletico-MG
(Durval 83, Ciro 85, 89)
Palmeiras 2-0 Ipatinga
(Kleber 13, Pierre 37)
Internacional 0-2 Fluminense
(Romeu 15, Washington 66)
Upcoming Matches:
Palmeiras at Vitoria
Fluminense at Sao Paulo
SPORT at Portuguesa
Atletico-PR at Nautico
Gremio at Ipatinga
Cruzeiro at Internacional
Goias at Flamengo
Vasco Da Gama at Coritiba
Figueirense at Botafogo
Santos at Atletico-MG
FRANCE
If you’re a fan of goals, this was not a particularly interesting week for you in Ligue Un. Six of ten matches netted only a single goal, or less. One of the clubs held scoreless was Lyon, falling 0-1 to PSG. Every time it begins to look like Lyon is going to run away with yet another title, it manages to come back to make things a tad bit more interesting. Once again, however, Marseille failed to take full advantage, taking only one point from its match with Lille and allowing Nice to move into second place.
This weekend’s matches do not appear to be the most intriguing weekend on the French schedule, at least at first glance. PSG, coming off its victory over Lyon, will take on Stade Rennes in the only matchup of teams making up the top quarter of the schedule. In the bottom quartile, Nantes and Le Havre will have a similar honor.
Tables:
1. Lyon (10-3-2) 33 +11
2. Nice (8-4-3) 28 +6
3. Marseille (7-6-2) 27 +11
4. Rennes (6-8-1) 26 +9
5. Paris S.G. (8-2-5) 26 +5
6. Bordeaux (7-4-4) 25 +8
7. Toulouse (7-4-4) 25 +2
8. Lille (6-6-3) 24 +6
9. Caen (5-6-4) 21 +5
10. Le Man (6-3-6) 21 E
11. Grenoble (5-5-5) 20 -3
12. Monaco (5-4-6) 19 +1
13. Lorient (5-4-6) 19 E
14. Auxerre (5-4-6) 19 -1
15. Nancy Lor. (4-7-4) 19 -2
16. Le Havre (3-3-9) 12 -12
17. Nantes (3-3-9) 12 -13
18. Sochaux (1-7-7) 10 -7
19. Valenciennes (2-4-9) 10 -10
20. St. Etienne (3-1-11) 10 -16
Recent Matches:
Valenciennes 2-2 Sochaux
(Saez 62, Audel 67; Erding 39, Previtali 86)
St. Etienne 0-1 Nice
(Echouafmi 21)
Lorient 1-0 Toulouse
(Gameiro 73)
Grenoble 0-0 Le Havre
Caen 1-0 Auxerre
(LeMaitre 56)
Bordeaux 1-1 Rennes
(Gourcuff 59; Thomert 19)
Paris St. Germain 1-0 Lyon
(Giuly 25)
Nantes 0-1 Nancy lorraine
(Hadji 72)
Monaco 3-0 Le Man
(Alonso 47, Andre 49 (og), Licata 52)
Marseille 2-2 Lille
(Samassa 47, Zenden 90; Rami 11, Bastos 37)
Upcoming Matches:
Grenoble at Nice
Valenciennes at Lyon
Lorient at Lille
Caen at Le Man
Nantes at Le Havre
Monaco at Auxerre
Bordeaux at Sochaux
Marseille at Toulouse
St. Etienne at Nancy Lorraine
Paris St. Germain at Rennes
Spanish La Liga, German Bundesliga - Status Update
SPAIN
The only good result near the top of the Primera Division standings this week belonged to Real Madrid, who defeated last-place Recreativo 1-0. Barcelona managed only a draw with Getafe and Sevilla and Valencia drew with each other. That is not even to mention the embarrassing 0-3 loss that Villarreal suffered at the hands of Real Valladolid.
Coming up, the match of the weekend will take place in Sevilla, where Barcelona will come to visit as it begins the tough part of its schedule, after taking on many of the minnows in La Liga. Whether Barcelona can hold on or Sevilla can make a run, we’ll begin to learn this weekend.
Tables:
1. Barcelona (9-2-1) 29 +28
2. Real Madrid (8-2-2) 26 +12
3. Villarreal (7-4-1) 25 +7
4. Valencia (7-3-2) 24 +13
5. Sevilla (7-3-2) 24 +10
6. Atletico (5-3-4) 18 +6
7. Deportivo (5-3-4) 18 -1
8. Real Betis (5-2-5) 17 3
9. Valladolid (5-1-6) 16 -4
10. Racing San. (4-3-5) 15 -1
11. Malaga (4-3-5) 15 -4
12. Almeria (4-3-5) 15 -6
13. Sporting G (5-0-7) 15 -7
14. Getafe (3-5-4) 14 -4
15. Mallorca (3-4-5) 13 -5
16. Espanyol (3-3-6) 12 -8
17. Numancia (3-2-7) 11 -10
18. Athletico (2-3-7) 9 -10
19. Osasuna (1-5-6) 8 -6
20. Recreativo (1-4-7) 7 -13
Current Matches:
Villarreal 0-3 Valladolid
(Sesma 24, 44, Sanchez 45)
Real Madrid 1-0 Recreativo de Huelva
(Sneijder 39)
Sevilla 0-0 Valencia
Sporting Gijon 1-2 Real Betis
(Castro 26; Monzon 52, Ermana 59)
Real Mallorca 2-2 Malaga
(Josemi 18, Webo 66; Barrios 14 (og), Baha 24)
Osasuna 3-1 Almeria
(Pandiani 14, Pellerano 71 (og), Valdozc 90; Negredo 7 (p))
Racing de Santander 3-0 Espanyol
(Marcano 10, Serrano 26, Jonathan 58)
Numancia 1-1 Atletico de Madrid
(Bakero 90 (p); Forlan 34)
Barcelona 1-1 Getafe
(Keita 72; Manu 19)
Deportivo La Coruna 3-1 Athletic de Bilbao
(Castro 20, Fernandez 44 (p), Guardado 90; Agnaba 73)
Upcoming Matches:
Real Madrid at Getafe
Barcelona at Sevilla
Sporting Gijon at Espanyol
Deportivo La Coruna at Almeria
Osasuna at Malaga
Real Mallorca at Valladolid
Villarreal at Recreativo de Huelva
Real Betis at Valencia
Racing de Santander at Atletico de Madrid
GERMANY
This past weekend was a high-scoring weekend in the Bundesliga with eight of nine matches having at least three goals. With a 3-1 victory in Cologne, TSG Hoffenheim maintained its position at the top spot of the League. Leverkusen slipped, losing 1-2 to Arminia Bielefeld, but managed to hold on to second place by virtue of goal differential. Bayern Munich restarted its charge towards the top spot of the Bundesliga with a 4-1 victory over last-place Energie Cottbus.
The top match of the upcoming weekend will take place on Saturday, when Bayern Munich will host Bayer Leverkusen in a battle of the clubs that are currently tied for second place in the Bundesliga.
Table:
1. Hoffenheim (10-1-3) 31 +17
2. Leverkusen (9-1-4) 28 +15
3. Bay. Munich (8-4-2) 28 +12
4. Her. Berlin (8-3-3) 27 +3
5. Hamburger (8-2-4) 26 0
6. B. Dortmund (6-6-2) 24 +7
7. Schalke 04 (6-5-3) 23 +9
8. Wolfsburg (6-4-4) 22 +10
9. W. Bremen (5-5-4) 20 +6
10. Cologne (6-1-7) 19 -5
11. Stuttgart (5-3-6) 18 -2
12. E. Frankfurt (4-4-6) 16 -4
13. Hannover 96 (3-4-7) 13 -12
14. A. Bielefeld (2-6-6) 13 -12
15. M’Gladbach (3-2-9) 11 -12
16. VfL Bochum (1-7-6) 10 -6
17. Karlsruher (3-1-10) 10 -13
18. En. Cottbus (2-3-9 9 -16
Recent Matches
Karlsruher 0-1 Borussia Dortmund
(Zidan 25)
Bayern Munich 4-1 Energie Cottbus
(Ribery 29, Demichelis 38, Klose 54, Toni 59; Skela 25)
Schalke 04 3-1 Borussia Monchengladbach
(Hall 17, 45, Farfan 23 (p); Friend 30)
Wolfsburg 4-0 VfB Stuttgart
(Gafite 51, 76, Dzeko 79, 85; Lanig 17)
Eintracht Frankfurt 4-0 Hannover 96
(Lyberopoulos 26, 86, Russ 40, Fenin 90)
VfL Bochum 2-3 Hertha Berlin
(Sestak 51, Mieciel 74; Rafael 25, Kacar 33, Santos 39)
Arminia Bielefeld 2-1 Bayer Leverkusen
(Wichniarek 53, Halfar 69; Helmes 78)
Cologne 1-3 TSG Hoffenheim
(Petit 78; Ba 32, Ibisevic 67, 88)
Hamburger 2-1 Werder Bremen
(Guerrero 6, Olic 74; Refas 24)
Upcoming Matches:
Cologne at Hertha Berlin
Karlsruher at Hannover 96
Arminia Bielefeld at TSG Hoffenheim
Bayern Munich at Bayer Leverkusen
Energie Cottbus at Borussia Monchengladbach
Eintracht Frankfurt at Werder Bremen
Wolfsburg at Borussia Dortmund
Hamburger at VfL Bochum
Schalke 04 at VfB Stuttgart
Status Update - English Premier League; Italian Serie A
The big story out of the English matches this past weekend was the impotence of the powerhouse clubs. The top five clubs in the Premiership table combined to score zero goals this week. In contrast, Manchester City managed to score three against Arsenal to add to the Gunners’ recent bad form. For the record, I want to not that Newcastle United has now picked up a point this season both at Stamford Bridge and Old Trafford – and they are still in the relegation zone. Tough league.
Whenever two of the Big Four take on each other, it’s got to be the match of the weekend. Chelsea, the top club in the world, will host Arsenal, one of the coldest clubs in the Premiership. Chelsea hasn’t been perfect either, though, and whenever you get this much talent on the pitch, there’s no telling what is possible. The Manchester derby should also prove to be an exciting match and may be even more entertaining.
Table:
1. Chelsea (10-3-1) 33 +28
2. Liverpool (10-3-1) 33 +13
3. Man United (7-4-2) 25 +15
4. Aston Villa (7-3-4) 24 +6
5. Arsenal (7-2-5) 23 +7
6. Hull City (6-4-4) 22 -2
7. Everton (5-4-5) 19 -3
8. Portsmouth (5-4-5) 19 -5
9. Fulham (5-3-5) 18 +1
10. Midd’brough (5-3-6) 18 -6
11. Man City (5-2-7) 17 +7
12. Bolton (5-2-7) 17 -2
13. West Ham (5-2-7) 17 -5
14. Stoke City (5-2-7) 17 -10
15. Wigan (4-4-6) 16 -2
16. Tottenham (4-3-7) 15 -3
17. Sunderland (4-3-7) 15 -8
18. Newcastle (3-5-6) 14 -5
19. Blackburn (3-4-7) 13 -11
20. West Brom (3-2-9) 11 -15
Recent Matches:
Stoke City 1-0 West Bromwich Albion
(Sidibe 84)
Portsmouth 2-2 Hull City
(Crouch 20, Johnson 63; Turner 54, Pamarot 89 (og))
Middlesbrough 1-3 Bolton Wanderers
(Pogatetz 77; Steinsson 8, Taylor 10, Elmander 79)
Liverpool 0-0 Fulham
Chelsea 0-0 Newcastle United
Manchester City 3-0 Arsenal
(Ireland 45, Robinho 56, Sturridge 89 (p))
Aston Villa 0-0 Manchester United
Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 Blackburn Rovers
(Pavlyuchenko 9)
Sunderland 0-1 West Ham United
(Behrami 20)
Wigan Athletic 1-0 Everton
(Camara 51)
Upcoming Matches:
Fulham at Aston Villa
Newcastle United at Middlesbrough
Hull City at Stoke City
Bolton Wanderers at Sunderland
West Bromwich Albion at Wigan Athletic
Manchester United at Manchester City
Blackburn Rovers at Portsmouth
Everton at Tottenham Hotspur
Arsenal at Chelsea
West Ham United at Liverpool
ITALY
Of course, the match of the week took place at the San Siro where Inter Milan was able to score a second-half goal to hold off Juventus 1-0 and extend its lead in Serie A. There were other matches, though. Napoli scored a late goal and then gave up an even later one to finish with a 2-2 draw against Cagliari. Roma scored three in a shutout victory over Lecce. Has Napoli run out of steam? Has Roma found its steam? We’ll see.
The questions from the prior paragraph may be answered this week. Napoli will face an even tougher opponent this weekend when it travels to Milan to take on Internazionale. Roma will host Fiorentina in a matchup of Champions League clubs that have had disappointing domestic campaigns thus far. In another potentially entertaining match, AC Milan will head to Sicily to take on Palermo. Overall, it should be a fun weekend in Serie A.
Table:
1. Inter Milan (9-3-1) 30 +13
2. AC Milan (8-3-2) 27 +9
3. Juventus (7-3-3) 24 +8
4. Napoli (7-3-3) 24 +6
5. Lazio (7-2-4) 23 +8
6. Fiorentina (7-2-4) 23 +6
7. Udinese (6-3-4) 21 +7
8. Genoa (6-3-4) 21 +5
9. Catania (6-3-4) 21 E
10. Atalanta (5-2-6) 17 -1
11. Palermo (5-2-6) 17 -2
12. Siena (4-4-5) 16 -1
13. Sampdoria (4-4-4) 16 -2
14. Cagliari (4-2-7) 14 -3
15. Roma (4-2-6) 14 -3
16. Torino (3-3-7) 12 -5
17. Lecce (2-6-5) 12 -6
18. Reggina (3-2-8) 11 -12
19. Bologna (2-3-8) 9 -11
20. Chievo Ver. (1-3-9) 6 -15
Recent Matches:
Fiorentina 4-2 Udinese
(Mutu 52 (p), Montolivo 63, 78, Gilardino 79; Flores 29, Di Natale 83)
Inter Milan 1-0 Juventus
(Muntari 72)
Sampdoria 3-0 Catania
(Bellucci 6, Cassano 62, 90)
Reggina 3-1 Atalanta
(Cozza 10, Corradi 21, 79; Doni 90)
Napoli 2-2 Cagliari
(Hamsik 9, Lavezzi 85; Lopez 55, Conti 90)
Lecce 0-3 Roma
(Vucinic 10, Juan 38, Totti 49)
Lazio 1-1 Genoa
(Dabo 80; Milito 69)
Chievo Verona 0-2 Siena
(Galloppa 82 (p), Massimo 90 (p))
Bologna 1-1 Palermo
(DiVaio 20; Succi 90)
Torino 2-2 Milan
(Stellone 25, Rosina 78 (p); Pato 29, Ronaldinho 34)
Current Matches:
Lecce at Catania
Reggina at Juventus
Lazio at Atalanta
Sampdoria at Cagliari
Bologna at Genoa
Napoli at Inter Milan
Torino at Siena
Chievo Verona at Udinese
Fiorentina at Roma
AC Milan at Palermo
Monday, November 24, 2008
WCR - Top 25 Clubs in the World - Zero Edition
What was the big story of the past weekend? Let’s see if we can come up with a story by doing a little math. I like math. The top five clubs in the top league in the world scored how many goals this weekend? Let’s add them up together. Chelsea scored zero (in a 0-0 draw with Newcastle United). Liverpool also scored zero (in a 0-0 draw with Fulham). How about third and (then-)fifth place Aston Villa? Let’s see . . . a 0-0 draw. And Arsenal? Goals were scored in that match, three of them as a matter of fact, but none by the Arse. I don’t have a calculator handy, but let’s see if we can work this out together. Chelsea’s zero plus Liverpool’s zero plus Manchester United’s zero plus Arsenal’s zero plus Aston Villa’s zero adds up to .. . .let’s see . . . carry the one . . . ZERO. Almost unbelievable. Thank goodness for the Bundesliga.
Goals were scored in other countries, of course. Some were even important. The one scored by Inter Milan was important because it allowed Inter to beat Juventus and remain in first place in Serie A. The one scored by Real Madrid was important because it allowed Real to beat Recreativo 1-0 and move into second place in La Liga. In matches involving multiple goals, AZ Alkmaar defeated Ajax quite handily to move on top of the Eredivisie table and Sao Paulo scored a bunch of them to move into what appears to be an insurmountable lead in the Brasileiro Serie A.
Let’s look ahead, why don’t we, and assume we live in a world in which top English clubs will once again score goals some day. We have Matchday Five coming up in the Champions League, but the only matchup among WCR Top 25 clubs coming up in the next round takes place on Tuesday, when Manchester United heads to Spain to take on Villarreal. Over the weekend, there will be three matchups of WCR Top 25 Clubs. On Saturday, the second- and third-place clubs face off in Germany, where Bayer Leverkusen will host Bayern Munich. On Sunday, we have a pair of matches. Top-ranked Chelsea will host slumping Arsenal and Inter Milan will host upstart Napoli in Serie A play.
A lot has come and gone. A lot is still to come. The WCR Top 25 is on its way:
World Club Rankings – Top 25 Clubs in the World – November 24, 2008 :
1. Chelsea (Eng) (1) – Poor Newcastle United now has a point from both Stamford Bridge and Old Trafford. And what do they have to show for it? Fear of relegation. I guess there are worse things in the world. This Week: Chelsea starts the week in the middle, in France, taking on Girondins de Bordeaux in the Champions League. The big match, however, will take place over the weekend, when Chelsea hosts slumping Arsenal.
2. Barcelona (Esp) (2) – After a long stretch of abusing the minnows in La Liga, Barcelona met its match, evidently, this weekend, drawing 1-1 with Getafe. This Week: Barcelona will head off to Portugal to take on Sporting CP in Champions League play. Domestically, the tough part of the schedule begins for Barca as they will take on a good Sevilla club over the weekend.
3. Inter Milan (Ita) (3) – It wasn’t easy, but Internazionale remains on top of the Italian Serie A after defeating an improving Juventus club 1-0. This Week: In the Champions League, Inter will host Panathinaikos. Domestically, on Sunday, Inter Milan will host impressive Napoli.
4. Liverpool (Eng) (4) – Liverpool had an opportunity to move into the top spot of the Premiership this weekend, but it could fare no better against Fulham than Chelsea did against the Magpies, drawing 0-0 at home. This Week: In one of the better Champions League matchups, Liverpool will host Marseille at midweek. The weekend Premier League match could be entertaining, as well, when Liverpool hosts West Ham United.
5. TSG Hoffenheim (Ger) (9) – Unlike Liverpool, Hoffenheim took advantage of a slip-up in front of it to move to the top of the Bundesliga, defeating FC Cologne 3-1. This Week: No European action for the newly-promoted TSG, so it will wait until the weekend to take on Arminia Bielefeld.
6. Manchester United (Eng) (6) – Like other top clubs in England, Manchester United scored nothing this weekend, as it drew 0-0 against a really good Aston Villa club. This Week: In THE top match of the Champions League’s Matchday Five, Manchester United heads to Spain to take on Villarreal. Over the weekend, we have one of the most fun, if underrated, derbies in the world when Manchester United crosses town to take on Manchester City.
7. Real Madrid (Esp) (18) – Big jump this week for Real Madrid by virtue of its loan goal against Recreativo de Huelva in its 1-0 victory. This Week: Real Madrid heads to Georgia or Belarus or Azerbaijan or wherever BATE Barisov plays for a Champions League match at midweek. Over the weekend, Real will see if they can do what Barcelona couldn’t and beat Getafe.
8. AC Milan (Ita) (7) – My formulas for the WCR Top 25 are all math-based, but sometimes there’s a tie and I get to decide. Milan was tied with Real Madrid this week, but I decided that AC Milan had to move down a notch after giving up a lead and drawing Torino 2-2. This Week: Nothing in the Champions League for AC because they sucked last season. They did make the UEFA Cup this year, though, and they will take on Portsmouth in England on Thursday. Domestically, Milan will travel to Sicily over the weekend to take on Palermo.
9. AZ Alkmaar (Ned) (BU) – The Eredivisie has been crazy thus far this year and nobody exemplifies that more than AZ, who have gone from first to fourth to first after beating, handily, Ajax 2-0 on Sunday morning. This Week: In what has the potential to be one of the better matches of the weekend, AZ hits the road to take on FC Groningen this weekend. I’m hoping it will be on ESPN 360, but I’m doubting it since it doesn’t involve Ajax or PSV.
10. Bayer Leverkusen (Ger) (5) – Surprisingly upset (though I guess, by definition, all upsets are surprising) 1-2 at the hands of Arminia Bielefeld. This Week: If Leverkusen thought A.B. was tough, wait until it gets a load of Bayern Munich over the weekend.
11. Sao Paulo (Bra) (10) – With a five-point lead and two matches left, it appears that Sao Paulo will have little trouble defending its Brasileiro Serie A title after beating Vasco da Gama 2-1. This Week: San Pablo can clinch yet another title with a victory this weekend against Fluminense.
12. Juventus (ita) (13) – Juve moves up a notch this week despite losing its match, but in Juventus’ defense, it did lose to third-ranked Inter Milan, on the road, and only by a 0-1 score. This Week: Juve heads east, way east, to take on Zenit St. Petersburg in the Champions League on Tuesday. Domestically, the road gets a tad bit easier this weekend as Juve gets to host Reggina.
13. Celtic (Sco) (16) – Frankly, I’m tired of the SPL. Just let me know when Celtic takes on Rangers. Otherwise, it just doesn’t matter. Unsruprisingly, Celtic defeated St. Mirren this weekend by a 3-1 score. This Week: Celtic travels to take on Aalborg in Champions League play before hosting another non-Rangers Scottish club, this time Inverness, in SPL play.
14. Lyon (Fra) (14) – I assume that believing it was a League Cup match, Lyon fell to Paris Saint Germain this weekend, 0-1. Perhaps, Lyon felt it was time to play with the other clubs in Ligue Un to make them feel as if they still had a chance. In any event, it lost. This Week: Lyon heads to the boot-shaped country to take on Italy in what could be a really good Champions League match. Domestically, Lyon will take on Valenciennes over the weekend.
15. Bayern Munich (Ger) (20) – With a convincing 4-1 victory over last-place Energie Cottbus this weekend, Bayern stayed within striking distance of the top clubs in the Bundesliga table. This Week: Bayern will host Steaua Bucuresti this week in the Champions League, but the big matches for Bayern that are coming up are domestic. Bayer will warm up with Bayer Leverkusen this weekend, in preparation for TSG Hoffenheim next weekend.
16. Valencia (Esp) (11) – Valencia drops despite faring as well as the top clubs on the chart, drawing in scoreless fashion against a very good Sevilla club. This Week: Valencia heads to Norway to take on Rosenborg in the UEFA Cup before returning home to host Real Betis over the weekend.
17. Villarreal (Esp) (8) – Obviously, Arsenal getting punked by Manchester City was embarrassing – more on that later – but the upset of the week had to be Villarreal falling 0-3 to Real Valladolid. This Week: If the Yellow Submarine does not pick up its play, it’ll be in trouble when it hosts Manchester United in the Champions League at midweek and travels to take on Recreativo de Huelva in Primera Division play.
18. Aston Villa (Eng) (25) – Well, if you’re a Villa fan, you can’t complain about the past two weekends, taking four points with a victory over Arsenal last week and a scoreless draw against Man United this weekend. This Week: No UEFA Cup action for Aston Villa this weekend, but they will get to host Fulham over the weekend.
19. NAC Breda (Ned) (19) – NAC remains in second-place in the Eredivisie, and nineteenth in the rankings, after a 1-1 draw with NEC Nijmegen this weekend. This weekend, NAC will head to Rotterdam to take on Sparta.
20. Rangers (Sco) (24) – Rangers played an SPL match against somebody other than Celtic and won. What a shocker. This week, it was a 2-0 victory over Aberdeen. This Week: No more European action for Rangers, so it’s just a match against Hearts of Midlothian to look forward to this weekend.
21. Gremio (Bra) (22) – After leading the Brasileiro Serie A for most of the season, Gremio has pretty much abandoned the title to Sao Paulo after a 2-4 loss to Vitoria Salvador. This Week: Though it needs a lot of help, Gremio also needs to help itself this weekend against Ipatinga.
22. Napoli (Ita) (23) – Napoli managed only a 2-2 draw with Cagliari this week, hurting its chances of maintaining its current Champions League position. This Week: Things get even tougher this week for Napoli as it heads on to Milan to take on Internazionale on Sunday.
23. Arsenal (Eng) (15) – Let me hear it Gunner supporters, but it’s hard to support the club being higher after two consecutive humiliating defeats, including the 0-3 loss to Manchester City this weekend. Next Week: Dynamo Kyiv will come to Emirates Stadium for a Champions League matchup. From there, it gets even more difficult when Arsenal heads to Stamford Bridge to take on top-ranked Chelsea.
24. Leixoes (Por) (BU) – Last season, people accused me of being Portuguese, not that there’s anything wrong with that. This season, we’ve gone week without any clubs from Liga Sagres in the rankings. Leixoes returns to the rankings, however, after several weeks in first place, after defeating Rio Ave 2-1. This Week: There’s no European action for the Portuguese leaders, so the next match is over the weekend when Leixoes hosts Naval.
25. Lazio (Ita) (BU) – Lazio returns to the rankings after a 1-1 tie with Genoa leaves the club in fifth place in the Italian Serie A. This Week: Lazio will take on Atalanta on Sunday.
Bubbling Under (alphabetically): Ajax (Ned), Benfica (Por), FC Groningen (Ned), Marseille (Fra), Sevilla (Esp).
Next Five UEFA: (31) Nice (Fra), (34) Fiorentina (Ita), (35) Stade Rennes (Fra), (36) Hertha Berlin (Ger), (37) Udinese (Ita).
Matches Between Top 25 Clubs This Week:
Sunday, November 23, 2008
New Format - Asking for Spam
As I sit around watching this afternoon's matches, preparing to draft the next WCR Top 25, I've come to the realization that it's time to change a little bit around on the site.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
WCR Weekend Soccer Television Schedule - 22/23 November
If you do happen to catch other action this weekend, Valencia will take on Sevilla (which you can turn to after the Juventus/Inter Milan match if your remote turns up) and, on Sunday, the 2008 MLS Cup will take place on a variety of media outlets (although, officially, the MLS died to me when DC United was eliminated from playoff contention). If you have a computer as well as a television, which would come in handy to see this schedule and follow the WCR Top 25 Clubs, you can also wake up early on Sunday to catch the Ajax/AZ matchup on ESPN 360. There are other matches on, of course, but not as many now that the MLS season is ending and the Mexican Apertura playoffs are set to begin. Below are the Top Five Matches of the Weekend. Below that is all of the action on television this weekend. Below that is even more action. Have a great weekend!!!
Top Five Matches of the Weekend:
1. Juventus at Inter Milan (Saturday, 2:30 pm, FSC)
2. Manchester United at Aston Villa (Saturday, 12 noon, FSC)
3. Valencia at Sevilla (Saturday, 4:00 pm, GolTV)
4. Ajax at AZ Alkmaar (Sunday, 6:30 am, ESPN 360)
5. Columbus Crew vs New York Red Bulls (Sunday, 3:30pm, ABC)
Saturday, November 22, 2008
3:00 am – Sydney FC at Adelaide United (ESPN 360)
6:00 am – Lokomotiv Moscow at Rubin Kazan (ESPN 360)
10:00 am – Newcastle United at (1) Chelsea (FSC)
10:00 am – Fulham at (4) Liverpool (Setanta USA)
11:30 am – Energie Cottbus at (20) Bayern Munich (Delayed) (GolTV)
12:30 pm – (6) Manchester United at (25) Aston Villa (FSC)
2:00 pm – Recreativo de Huelva at (18) Real Madrid (GolTV)
2:30 pm – (13) Juventus at (3) Inter Milan (FSC)
2:45 pm – Heracles Almelo at PSV Eindhoven (ESPND, ESPN 360)
3:00 pm – (14) Lyon at Paris Saint Germain (Setanta USA)
4:00 pm – (11) Valencia at Sevilla (GolTV)
4:30 pm – Udinese at Fiorentina (Delayed) (FSC)
5:00 pm – (15) Arsenal at Manchester City (Delayed) (Setanta USA)
6:15 pm – Deportivo Cali at Junior Barranquilla (GolTV)
8:00 pm – West Bromwich Albion at Stoke City (Delayed) (FSC)
8:00 pm – Atlante at Tigres (Telemundo)
11:00 pm – FC Tokyo at Vissel Kobe (ESPN 360)
Sunday, November 23, 2008
2:00 am – Omiya Aradija at Albriex Niigata (ESPN 360)
2:00 am – Perth Glory at Queensland Roar (FSC)
2:30 am – Changchun Yatai at Tianjin Teda (ESPN 360)
3:45 am – Bolton Wanderers at Middlesbrough (Delayed) (Setanta USA)
6:30 am – (12) Ajax at AZ Alkmaar (ESPN 360)
8:30 am – Blackburn Rovers at Tottenham (Setanta USA)
9:00 am – Genoa at Lazio (FSC, ESPN 360)
9:00 am – Roma at Lecce (ESPN 360)
11:00 am – Werder Bremen at Hamburger (Delayed) (GolTV)
11:00 am – West Ham United at Sunderland (FSC)
1:00 pm – Getafe at (2) Barcelona (GolTV)
2:30 pm – (7) AC Milan at Torino (FSC)
3:00 pm – Lille at (21) Marseille (Setanta USA)
3:30 pm – Columbus Crew vs New York Red Bulls (ABC, TeleFutura, ESPN 360)
5:00 pm – Atletico Nacional at La Equidad (GolTV)
5:00 pm – Boca Juniors at San Martin (Delayed) (FSC)
Non-Televised Matches Involving Top 25 Clubs
Sat., 7:30 am – (16) Celtic at St. Mirren
Sat., 9:30 am – (5) Bayer Leverkusen at Arminia Bielefed
Sat., 9:30 am – (9) TSG Hoffenheim at Cologne
Sat., 10:00 am – Aberdeen at (24) Rangers
Sat., 12:45 pm – NEC Nijmegen at (19) NAC Breda
Sat., 2:00 pm – Real Valladolid at (8) Villarreal
Sun., 8:30 am – (17) FC Groningen at Willem II
Sun., 9:00 am – Cagliari at (23) Napoli
Sun., 2:00 pm – (10) Sao Paulo at Vasco da Gama
Sun., 2:00 pm – (22) Gremio at Vitoria Salvador
Monday, November 17, 2008
WCR Top 25 Clubs in the World - Congratulations Al Ahly and Gamba Osaka Edition
I’ve been checking out the rankings from this time last year and I’ve noticed that the rankings are a lot less static this season. I guess that’s a good thing. Things are starting to settle down a little bit, but most of the best leagues are still only a match away from having a new leader. This week, Ajax took over the lead of the Eredivisie from AZ Alkmaar, for instance. Chelsea, Inter Milan, Barcelona, Bayer Leverkusen and Sao Paulo all lead their respective leagues, but not by margins that are very wide. This is neither here nor there, I just found it interesting.
The big news of the week, match-wise, has to be the filling out of the Club World Cup field. Congratulations are in order for Egypt’s Al Ahly and Japan’s Gamba Osaka for winning the CAF Champions League and Asian Champions League, respectively. They now get their chance to take on Manchester United, LDU Quito and Pachuca (along with a few others) in Japan beginning December 11. They will be underdogs, no doubt, but they have proven their worth.
I tend to ignore domestic cup action. I’m going to continue that practice for now. There were numerous potentially interesting games over the weekend, though they mostly had predictable results. Struggling Roma defeated cross-town rival Lazio; Lyon extended its Ligue Un lead with a victory over Bordeaux, Ajax beat PSV Eindhoven by a surprisingly large amount and Bayer Leverkusen was able to hold off Schalke 04 in Germany. The big shocker of the week took place at Emirates Stadium, where Arsenal was embarrassed by Aston Villa at home. Villa has parlayed the upset into a well-deserved Top 25 position.
International action at midweek means that none of the WCR Top 25 Clubs play until next weekend, when all of them are in action. There are two matchups between WCR Top 25 Clubs, both involving teams that are (re)new(ed) to the rankings. In England, Aston Villa will put its ranking at risk when it hosts Manchester United on Saturday at Villa Park. In Italy, leaders Inter Milan welcome (in a sense) streaking Juventus to the San Siro for an important Serie A match. Other top matches include Valencia taking on Sevilla on Saturday and Ajax taking on AZ Alkmaar on Sunday.
World Club Rankings – Top 25 Clubs in the World – November 17, 2008
1. Chelsea (Eng) (1) – Chelsea remains the top-ranked club in the world, despite a Carling Cup defeat at the hands of Barnsley on penalty kicks, after defeating West Bromwich Albion 3-0 to pick up three big road points. This Week: On Saturday, Chelsea will host struggling Newcastle United at Stamford Bridge.
2. Barcelona (Esp) (2) – Still the hottest club in the rankings, Barcelona won twice this week, first in the Copa del Rey and then 2-0 over Recreativo in the Primera Division. This Week: Barcelona’s schedule allows them to continue to pile up points in La Liga before facing the toughest clubs in the league, this week hosting Getafe.
3. Inter Milan (Ita) (3) – An Ibrahimovic brace was the only thing Inter needed to defeat the Palermo pink boys 2-0 on Saturday. This Week: In what should be the match of the week, Inter Milan will host Juventus in a Serie A match with major implications.
4. Liverpool (Esp) (5) – Lost to defending champion Tottenham 2-4 in the Carling Cup, but ‘Pool won it mattered, defeating Bolton Wanderers 2-0 in Premiership play. This Week: Liverpool will host Fulham in domestic action on Saturday.
5. Bayer Leverkusen (Ger) (4) – Leverkusen helped to show that its Bundesliga lead is not a fluke, holding on to defeat a good Schalke 04 club by a 2-1 score. This Week: The competition should be a little easier this week, but we’ll see when Leverkusen takes on Arminia Bielefeld.
6. Manchester United (Eng) (14) – Man United took back third place in the Premiership with authority this weekend, annihilating a weak Stoke City club 5-0. This followed a 1-0 victory over Queens Park Rangers in the Carling Cup. This Week: The game of the week in the British Isles this weekend will take place at Villa Park on Saturday when Manchester United takes on the club that humiliated Arsenal this past weekend.
7. AC Milan (Ita) (8) – Another victory, this one 1-0 over Chievo Verona, gives AC Milan its best start in a few seasons in Serie A. This Week: While the other club from Milan takes on Juventus, AC Milan will take on the other club from Torino.
8. Villarreal (Esp) (10) – A pair of draws for Villarreal this week, first against Polideportivo in the Copa del Rey and then a 2-2 draw against Malaga in the Primera Division. Both results were disappointing for the Yellow Submarine. This Week: As with Barca and Real Madrid, the competitive portion of the Primera Division schedule will begin later in the season. For now, Villarreal will face Real Valladolid in the next round.
9. TSG Hoffenheim (Ger) (11) – I keep waiting for Hoffenheim to fade and they continue to win. This time, the victim was Wolfsburg by a 3-2 score. This Week: TSG takes on FC Cologne on Sunday.
10. Sao Paulo (Bra) (13) – Sao Paulo has been the club to beat in the Brasileiro Serie A for the entire second half of the season. This week was no different as Sao Paulo defeated Figueirense 3-1. This Week: In what should be a fun match, Vasco da Gama will host Sao Paulo on Sunday.
11. Valencia (Esp) (12) – Valencia advanced in the Copa del Rey, but failed to take advantage of Villarreal’s troubles, losing 2-3 to Sporting de Gijon. This Week: In the La Liga match of the weekend, Valencia will hit the road to take on Sevilla.
12. Ajax (Ned) (21) – After falling to Volendam 0-1 in extra time in the KNVB Beker, Ajax surprised many with a thorough 4-1 thrashing of PSV Eindhoven to move atop the Eredivisie table. This Week: Who was on top of the Eredivisie table? AZ Alkmaar. Who does Ajax play this weekend? AZ Alkmaar. Should be fun. Should also be on ESPN 360. Maybe even ESPN Deportes.
13. Juventus (Ita) (NR) – The beginning of the season was rough for Juventus, but the club from Turin has worked itself all the way back to third in the Serie A table following a 4-1 victory over Genoa. This Week: How far back are Juventus? We’ll see this weekend when they travel to Milan to take on Interazionale.
14. Lyon (Fra) (15) – This season was supposed to the season that Lyon’s streak of 245 consecutive Ligue Un titles (give or take) was ended. Lyon did fall 1-3 to Metz in the Coupe de la Ligue, but held off Bordeaux to score a 2-1 victory and extend its Ligue Un lead. This Week: In a battle of two of the more popular clubs in French football, Lyon heads to the capital to take on Paris Saint Germain.
15. Arsenal (Eng) (7) – It’s been a Jeckyll & Hyde existence for the Gunners this season. Arsenal did advance in the Carling Cup with a victory over Wigan Athletic, but was unexpectedly dismissed at Emirates Stadium by Aston Villa over the weekend to drop into fourth place. This Week: Arsenal heads to Manchester to take on City on Saturday in hopes of restoring some dignity.
16. Celtic (Sco) – While the SPL is always a two-team league, this year seems to be worse than most. This week, Celtic scored six points with a 3-0 victory over Kilmarnock and a 2-1 victory over Hamilton Academy. This Week: Celtic’s SPL victim this coming weekend is scheduled to be Saint Mirren.
17. Groningen (Ned) (24) – Groningen also took advantage of AZ’s failure to move up the Eredivisie table. FCG scored a 3-0 victory over Telstar in cup action and another 3-0 victory over De Graafschap in league action. This Week: Coming up for Groningen will be Willem II.
18. Real Madrid (Esp) (16) – Another rough week for Real Madrid. Despite scoring a 4-3 victory, Real Madrid was eliminated from the Copa del Rey. Real followed that up with a disappointing 0-1 loss to Real Valladolid. This Week: Real Madrid will try to change its losing ways this weekend against Recreativo.
19. NAC Breda (Ned) (NR) – NAC returns to the rankings after a pair of victories over Omniworld in the KNVB Beker and 3-0 over Heracles Almelo in the Eredivisie. This Week: NAC will take on NEC on SAT.
20. Bayern Munich (Ger) (20) – It looked like Bayern was going to take over the Bundesliga with few problems. Then there was a problem. Michael Bradley and the rest of Borussia Monchegladbach scored a 2-2 draw with the German powerhouse. This Week: Bayern Munich will take on Energie Cottbus as it tries to get back on track.
21. Marseille (Fra) (17) – Marseille fell even further behind Lyon in Ligue Un after losing 2-3 to Lorient. This Week: Marseille will hop back on the saddle against Lille on Sunday.
22. Gremio (Bra) (22) – After losing its Brasileiro Serie A lead, Gremio, all-of-a-sudden, actually started winning again. On Sunday, Gremio defeated Coritiba 2-1. This Week: Coming up, Gremio will try to continue the hot streak against Vitoria Salvador.
23. Napoli (Ita) (9) – It was fun while it lasted, but Napoli gave up two late goals to fall 1-3 to Atalanta and fourth place in Serie A. On the other hand, Napoli did defeat Salernitana 3-1 to advance in the Coppa Italia. This Week: In Serie A action, Napoli will host Cagliari on Sunday.
24. Rangers (Sco) (23) – Rangers did its part to make the SPL boring by keeping pace with Celtic with a 2-1 victory over St. Mirren, following-up on a scoreless draw with Motherwell. This Week: On Saturday, Rangers will host Aberdeen in SPL play.
25. Aston Villa (Eng) (BU) – Aston Villa scored the upset of the weekend with a 2-0 victory over Arsenal at Emirates Stadium to return to the rankings. This Week: I hope that Aston Villa wasn’t expecting it to get easier now because Manchester United will be visiting Villa Park on Saturday.
Bubbling Under (alphabetically): AZ Alkmaar (Ned), Lazio (Ita), Leixoes (Por), San Lorenzo (Arg), Sevilla (Esp).
Next Five CONMEBOL: (31) Flamengo (Bra), (36) Tigre (Arg), (38) Cruzeiro (Bra), (40) Sociedad Deportivo (Ecu), Palmeiras (Bra).
Matches Between Top 25 Clubs This Week:
22 November – (13) Juventus at (3) Inter Milan
22 November – (6) Manchester United at (25) Aston Villa
Thursday, November 13, 2008
WCR Weekend Soccer Television Schedule - 15/16 November
Fewer games on tap here in the states now that the MLS regular season is over. The falsely titled Eastern Conference Championship takes place on Saturday night (though I still can’t bring myself to rank it as a top match of the weekend), when Real Salt Lake hosts the New York Red Bulls. Beyond that, there’s not a lot of excitement this weekend, but there is still plenty of action. Have a great weekend!!!
Top Five Matches of the Weekend:
1. Lazio at Roma (Sun., 2:30 pm, FSC)
2. Aston Villa at Arsenal (Sat., 10 am, FSC)
3. Bordeaux at Lyon (Sun., 3 pm, Setanta USA)
4. Schalke 04 at Bayer Leverkusen (Sat., 8:30 pm (delayed), GolTV)
5. PSV Eindhoven at Ajax (Sun., 6:30 am, ESPN 360)
Saturday, November 15, 2008
3:00 am – Adelaide United at Central Coast Mariners (ESPN 360)
7:40 am – (5) Liverpool at Bolton Wanderers (Setanta USA)
10:00 am – Aston Villa at (7) Arsenal (FSC)
10:00 am – Stoke City at (14) Manchester United (Setanta USA)
11:30 am – (20) Bayern Munich at Borussia Monchengladbach (Delayed) (GolTV)
12:30 pm – (1) Chelsea at West Bromwich Albion (FSC)
2:00 pm – (16) Real Madrid at Real Valladolid (GolTV)
2:30 pm – (3) Inter Milan at Palermo (FSC)
3:00 pm – St. Etienne at Lille (Setanta USA)
4:00 pm – Liverpool at Penarol (GolTV)
4:30 pm – Wigan Athletic at Newcastle United (Delayed) (FSC)
6:00 pm – Puebla at Tecos (FSE)
6:00 pm – UNAM Pumas at Monterrey (Telemundo)
6:15 pm – Independiente Medellin at Tolima (GolTV)
6:45 pm – Tottenham at Fulham (Delayed) (Setanta USA)
8:00 pm – Indios at Chivas de Guadalajara (Telemundo)
8:30 pm – Schalke 04 at (4) Bayer Leverkusen (Delayed) (GolTV)
9:30 pm – New York Red Bulls at Real Salt Lake (FSC)
Sunday, November 16, 2008
2:30 am – Shanghai Shenhua at Liaoning FC (ESPN 360)
6:00 am – Rubin Kazan at CSKA Moscow (ESPN 360)
6:30 am – PSV Eindhoven at (21) Ajax (ESPN 360)
8:30 am – Middlesbrough at Everton (Setanta USA)
9:00 am – Chievo Verona at (8) AC Milan (FSC)
9:00 am – (9) Napoli at Atalanta (ESPN 360)
11:00 am – (10) Villarreal at Malaga (GolTV)
11:00 am – Manchester City at Hull City (FSC)
1:00 pm – San Luis at Toluca (Telemundo)
1:30 pm – Estrela Amadora at Benfica (ESPN 360)
2:00 pm – Velez Sarsfield at Boca Juniors (FSE)
2:30 pm – (19) Lazio at Roma (FSC, ESPN 360)
3:00 pm – Bordeaux at (15) Lyon (Setanta USA)
3:00 pm – (2) Barcelona at Recreativo de Huelva (GolTV)
5:00 pm – Santa Fe at Junior Barranquilla (Delayed) (GolTV)
5:00 pm – Club America at Necaxa (Univision)
7:00 pm – Nacional at Danubio (GolTV)
Non-Televised Matches Involving Top 25 Clubs
Sat., 9:30 am – Wolfsburg at (11) TSG Hoffenheim
Sat., 10:00 am – Hearts at (23) Rangers
Sat., 1:00 pm – Lorient at (17) Marseille
Sat., 4:00 pm – Sporting Gijon at (12) Valencia
Sun., 8:30 am – (6) AZ Alkmaar at Vitesse
Sun., 8:30 am – De Graafschap at (25) Groningen
Sun., 9:00 am – (18) Celtic at Dundee United
Sun., 9:00 am – Reggina at (24) Udinese
Sun., 2:00 pm – Figueirense at (13) Sao Paulo
Sun., 4:10 pm – Coritiba at (22) Rangers
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