Saturday, February 28, 2009

Weekend Preview and Saturday Open Thread

Tranny John Terry is happy that we finally made it to the weekend!


First thing's first. We're looking to make this weekend preview/open thread a permanent fixture, but we need your help coming up with a good name. The best entry will earn eternal fame and a modicum of our gratitude!

Looking over the fixture list, in the infinite wisdom of the European football gods, there's plenty of Sunday action, not as much Saturday. No big standouts but still plenty of footy. Roundup after the jump.


On Sunday, it's the Worthlessingtoncarling Cup between Man U and Tottenham. Is this the first step on Man U's try for the quadruple? Or will the Spurs supporters have more "silverware" to gloat about? All we know is that both teams will be fielding weakened squads. 'Nuff said.


And in the EPL (times are EST)....

Saturday:
7:45 Everton v. WBA
10:00 Chelsea v. Wigan
10:00 Middlesbrough v. Liverpool
10:00 Arsenal v. Fulham

The Arsenal-Fulham match is on FSC and also available for free from Arsenal TV.

Sunday:
7:30 Hull v. Blackburn
7:30 West Ham v. Man City
8:00 Bolton v. Newcastle
10:00 Aston Villa v. Stoke

Aston Villa-Stoke on FSC and available for free online. (h/t Keith)

(There's also a full schedule of midweek fixtures coming up.)


Last weekend we skipped over Serie A altogether because the matches were especially yawn. This weekend....

Saturday:
12:00 Lazio v. Bologna - Zzzzzzzz
2:30 Juve v. Napoli - Eh, it's Juve.

Sunday:
12:00 Sampdoria v. AC Milan - Can Milan get back on track against Crazy Cassano?
2:30 Inter v. Roma - An injury-decimated Roma needs a victory to keep their CL chances alive.

All matches are on FSC. Let me tell you about my love affair with Proactiv!


And in La Liga...

Saturday:
2:00 Espanyol v. Real Madrid - Can Espanyol beat the top two back to back?

Sunday:
11:00 Sporting Gijon v. Mallorca - Only 8 points separate 9th place from relegation.
1:00 Atletico Madrid v. Barcelona - Will Barca rebound after earning only 1 point in their last two matches?


In the Bundesliga (all games at 11:00 EST)...

Saturday:
Hertha v. Borussia Monchengladbach - Hertha faces bottom of table club to stay in title chase.
Energie Cottbus v. Vfl Bochum - The good ol' relegation six-pointer.

Sunday:
Werder Bremen v. Bayern - Both squads coming off mid-week triumphs in Europe, who keeps the mo'?
Hamburg v. Vfl Wolfsburg - Table toppers have two teams hot on its tail.


As always, there's much more: Dundee United versus Hearts in a battle for third in the SPL. Wolves versus the Green Scum of Plymouth in the Championship. Bigus's Norwich versus Coventry (go Canaries!). And my own Exeter City take on point-docked Darlington in a key League Two match. But that's all we got for now.

(And remember to help us out naming this here feature.)

44 comments:

Eladio said...

Considering the lack of interest so far, I'd have to label the open thread "The Black Hole".

When in doubt, always go with The Clash: "Lost in the Supermarket".

Spectator said...

Heh. Just wait until the Liverpool and Arsenal games start, everyone will show up.

Saha with a great goal to put Everton up 2-0. I still don't see anything to suggest that WBA will be finishing anywhere north of 20th this season.

BurgerBrother said...

LBaines man of match for me. What a wicked left foot. Ashley Cole, watch your England place mate.

The NY Kid said...

wow - Vela in the starting lineup.

Spectator said...

That's a lineup for Arsenal that says "We need 3 points."

BurgerBrother said...

FSC shows us Proactive for 2 years - now gets us going with eharmony.com. I guess if our acne is gone, we can definitely pick up some online dates.

BurgerBrother said...

I've got Chelsea via Mesopotamia goals and Arsenal on TV here - two screens for fantasy footie monitoring of course.

Sarah said...

It's a good thing Andy Johnson seems to be as poor a finisher as Bendtner.

One of the commentators keeps calling Clichy "Cliché".

Spectator said...

Arsenal maybe shouldn't hit their crosses right to Hangeland. Just an idea.

Goat said...

I don't even know what to say anymore.

The NY Kid said...

there should already be approximately 237 goals in this match

Spectator said...

Xavi own goal?

Precious Roy said...

Thank god I can only follow this match on gamecast. Methinks I'd have thrown a shoe through the TV by now.

Spectator said...

Are you doing the free broadcast from Arsenal TV?

I hate to say it, but starting Diaby over Song was a mistake... Diaby has about zero match fitness at the moment.

Precious Roy said...

I thought it turned out that was just the audio.

Spectator said...

I'm pretty sure it's the full deal with video. You should check it out for the second half.

Spectator said...

Nevermind... You're right, audio only. Video is only pre and post game (whee).

Spectator said...

At least we aren't losing to Middlesbrough, but if Arsenal end up with another 0-0 draw I'm throwing myself out the window.

Eladio said...

New song at the Emirates:

"Nil-nil to the Arsenal, nil-nil."

Gallas, Toure and Clichy look to have cement boots today.

Eladio said...

Norwich 0 - 1 Coventry. The rest of the UF boys must have their hands full with Bigus today.

Eladio said...

And while I'm here, can I just say how much I fucking hate FSC? Why do they never show the starting line ups or game reserves before the game? They feel such a need to have idiots in LA talking about Clint Dempsey that they never get around to the line ups.

Eladio said...

Just hit the target, RvP!

The NY Kid said...

@Eladio - they do all that stuff from 9:30-10:00 in the Fox Soccer Match Preview

Magnakai Haaskivi said...

So is Benitez going to give Benayoun a chance to save this game, or will he sit on the bench until 75'?

Eladio said...

And the Canaries tie it up at Carrow Rd.

@NYK: That doesn't help me when I set the Tivo to tape at 10.

Magnakai Haaskivi said...

I mean this with all due respect, but what the fuck is up with Liverpool?

Eladio said...

Wow...when was the last time 'Boro won again? 2004 or something?

Magnakai Haaskivi said...

Oh, yeah, David N'gog. That makes sense. Way to go, Rafa!

Spectator said...

15 minutes to make Arsenal's season

Magnakai Haaskivi said...

Lucas sporting a nice new haircut. Funny, it looked better on the bench...

BackBergtt said...

I just woke up. So thats seven straight years they haven't won at the riverside.

Any injuries?

Eladio said...

Wigan ties it up at the Bridge. I guess ManUre really will clinch the league by the Ides of March.

Spectator said...

Wigan equalize against Chelsea

BackBergtt said...

Liverpool have scored one time at Riverside in the last seven games. And that one goal was Torres last year.

Absurd. Absolutely absurd.

United can play Tevez when they need striking depth, Liverpool have Kuyt and El Zhar. Nobody is going to stop united for the next five years.

Spectator said...

In other news, Exeter about to go up to fifth in League Two. Get in!

Spectator said...

I now can finally, officially say that Arsenal have done nothing this season to show that they deserve to finish better than fifth.

Anonymous said...

Lampard!

Eladio said...

Spectator: You think they've done enough to even be fifth? They could finish 6th and be out of Europe alltogether, dependent on League & FA cup finals.

Magnakai Haaskivi said...

@ Mike: No injuries yet, but there may be a lynching when they get back to Merseyside.

Oh, wait...do you count pride?

The NY Kid said...

ah, the smell of the UEFA Cup.

What shite.

Spectator said...

@Eladio: Nah, they'll end up fifth. Everton won't get the results to overtake Arsenal. Late season surge when the injured players come back. But the gap is too big with the top 4 and Villa have nothing to distract them from the league.

BackBergtt said...

according to soccernet Gerrard was injured
'with the Reds' misery compounded by an injury to Steven Gerrard.'

Great. Whoever the fuck is conditioning this team needs to be fired as well.

30f said...

Great to see Fulham play that well away from home. I was concerned they would go into a defensive shell at the Emirates, but Fulham looked to be trying to win that match, even right at the end. Of course, that won't stop Arsene from bitching in the post-games about how Fulham 'didn't come to play football.'

Nice result for FFC on the road against a team (just barely) ahead of them in the table.

BackBergtt said...

Time to predict the Rafa post horrible performance cliche!

Odds on favorite: We still have plenty to play for
Darkhorse: We deserved a result
Cinderella: I quit and am taking half this shit team with me.