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Six Manchester United Preseason Matches on ESPN Networks

Catch Manchester United preseason matches on ESPN networks the next two weeks. There will be six matches broadcast, beginning with a pre-ICC international friendly match vs. Major League Soccer’s LA Galaxy on Saturday, July 15. The match will be the first for Belgium National Team star and former Everton FC striker Romelu Lukaku in a Manchester United shirt.

Two days later Lukaku and Manchester United will face MLS’s Real Salt Lake before beginning three games in the International Champions Cup against Manchester City, Real Madrid and Barcelona.

Manchester United’s ESPN appearances conclude Wednesday, August 2, vs. Italian Serie A club U.C. Sampdoria, from Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland. The full schedule is listed below and all of the games, including the full ICC schedule, are part of the Soccer on TV Calendar at SoccerSTL.net or can be found in the footer of this website.

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ESPN FC’s Alexis Nunes conducted an exclusive interview this week with Lukaku about his move to Manchester United. Lukaku and his longtime friend and now teammate Paul Pogba also discussed their friendship in a one-on-one interview, exclusive to ESPN FC.

Champions League Final Saturday, Catch it at Skinny Slims

champions-league-final-2014 A true derby, albeit it played on a stage over 600 KM from their common home, today’s Champions League final features Real Madrid vs Atlético Madrid.

As the Guardian notes – Madrid united and divided by Real v Atlético Champions League final. Whether they are travelling to Lisbon or watching in the Spanish capital, Madrileños are getting ready for a unique occasion. [Read more…] about Champions League Final Saturday, Catch it at Skinny Slims

Friday Can’t Come Soon Enough!

sacha kljestan
U.S. Men’s National Team head coach Jurgen Klinsmann has called in 20 players to begin preparations for the final matches of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Qualifying cycle. The U.S. closes out the Hexagonal with a home match against Jamaica on Oct. 11 in Kansas City, before completing the campaign on the road against Panama on Oct. 15 in Panama City.

The team will begin gathering Oct. 6 in Kansas City in advance of Friday’s match. Kickoff at sold-out Sporting Park is set for 5:30 p.m. CT, and the match will be broadcast live on ESPN, WatchESPN, UniMas and ESPN Deportes Radio. Four days later, the U.S. closes out the final round when it faces Panama at Estadio Rommel Fernandez (8:30 p.m. CT, beIN Sport). Fans can follow both matches live on ussoccer.com’s MatchTracker and on Twitter @ussoccer.

Currently ranked No. 13 in FIFA’s world rankings, the United States holds a one point lead over Costa Rica at the top of the group and has the chance to finish in first place in CONCACAF qualifying for the third-consecutive cycle. The matches have huge implications for the rest of the participants, as only two of the three automatic berths from CONCACAF have already been determined. Honduras sits in third place on 11 points, while Mexico and Panama are even with eight points in the fourth position.

“We want to finish qualifying on a high note and prove a point in our region,” said Klinsmann. “We don’t view these games as the end of World Cup qualifying. For us, it’s the start of preparations for the World Cup, and therefore we have to continue to raise the bar. We have had such amazing support from our fans throughout the last two years, and we owe it to them to put our best foot forward.”

Jurgen Klinsmann Q & A

The U.S. will hold a public training session Oct. 9 at Sporting Park. The event is free and open to the public.

In front of a raucous capacity crowd of 24,584 on Sept.10 at Columbus Crew Stadium, the U.S. MNT defeated Mexico 2-0 to earn its berth to the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. With the win, the U.S. set a new record for victories in a calendar year with 14, improving to 14-3-2 in 2013 and topping the previous record of 13 wins set in 2005 and 2009.

U.S. ROSTER BY POSITION – DETAILED ROSTER
GOALKEEPERS (3): Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Tim Howard (Everton), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake)
DEFENDERS (6): DaMarcus Beasley (Puebla), Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City) Geoff Cameron (Stoke City), Edgar Castillo (Club Tijuana), Brad Evans (Seattle Sounders FC), Omar Gonzalez (LA Galaxy)
MIDFIELDERS (6): Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Alejandro Bedoya (Nantes), Mix Diskerud (Rosenborg), Jermaine Jones (Schalke), Sacha Kljestan (Anderlecht), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City)
FORWARDS (5): Jozy Altidore (Sunderland), Terrence Boyd (Rapid Vienna), Landon Donovan (LA Galaxy), Aron Johannsson (AZ Alkmaar), Eddie Johnson (Seattle Sounders FC)

– See more at: http://www.ussoccer.com/news/mens-national-team/2013/10/klinsmann-names-roster-for-jamaica-and-panama-qualifiers.aspx#sthash.PcHXKKmC.dpuf

Soccer on TV – Week 4

ozil-arsenal
What other story is there to start the week? Mesut Özil can be Arsenal’s creative kingpin

Of course, he’s not the only transfer, we must look at Fellaini, Lamela and Willian: how will the new signings fit in?. The Guardian offers their take but I have to go back to Mesut…

Ozil has recorded more assists than any other footballer in Europe’s major five leagues over the past five campaigns but the German is also arguably the world’s greatest off-the-ball player. His appreciation of space, movement and unusual but effective runs proved crucial in Cristiano Ronaldo’s amazing goalscoring run at Real Madrid. Ozil prefers to start centrally but from there he drifts to either flank, creating overloads and allowing the wide players to dart inside. It is likely he and Santi Cazorla will dovetail to the left and provide through-balls for Theo Walcott making runs from the opposite wing. Walcott’s tendency to play high means Ozil will also drift to the right, ensuring Arsenal retain balance.

It’s Arsenal visiting the Stadium of Light that NBC Sports features at 9am, with Mesut Özil facing Jozy Altidore and Sunderland. Join us at Basso for all the games!

Champions League returns Tuesday and Fox Sports is offering three games live on both Tuesday and Wednesday. It’s some good stuff right from the start as Group Play begins. That means holders FC Bayern Munich, Manchester United (Fellaini!) and Real Madrid on Tuesday while Wednesday offer Celtic (vs AC Milan), Chelsea FC and FC Barcelona. What a start… [Read more…] about Soccer on TV – Week 4