All times are EST.
England:
No Premier League matches this weekend, due to FA Cup action, but some potentially interesting matches this weekend, including a David v Goliath matchups on Saturday and on Sunday as well, although the one with the greater disparity is the Saturday game.
Chelsea v Everton, Fox Soccer Channel, 7:30 a.m. This is a replay of a fourth round match that ended in a tie at Everton’s Goodison Park home in Liverpool. This game is to be played at Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge stadium in London. It’s also a rematch of the 2009 final which Chelsea won. The game should feature two pretty good goalkeepers and should be worth the early wake up on Saturday. Everton is fourteenth in the Premier League and Chelsea is in fifth place.
Birmingham v Sheffield Wednesday, Fox Soccer Channel, 10:00 a.m. Birmingham is sitting in fourteenth place in the Premier League, while Sheffield Wednesday is in 16th place in League One (i.e., the third division in English Football).
Stoke City v Brighton & Hove Albion, Fox Soccer Plus 10:00 a.m. Stoke City is currently in tenth place in the Premier League, while Brighton is in first place in League One.
Here’s the major David v Goliath story: Manchester United v Crawley Town Fox Soccer Channel 12 noon. Manchester United, of course, is leading the Premier League and Crawley Town is in second place in the Football Conference (i.e., the fifth division in English Football). If Crawley Town wins this would be an upset of major proportions. Don’t count on it. This sort of matchup and the possibility – however slim – of Crawley Town winning are what makes the FA Cup a great competition.
Italian Serie A:
Fourteenth place Bologna (WDDWL) hosts seventh place Palermo (WLWWL) at 12 noon on Fox Soccer Plus.
Ninth place Cagliari (LWWLW) pays a visit to third place Inter Milan (WWWLW) at 2:30 pn Fox Soccer Channel.
German Bundesliga:
League Leader Borussia Dortmund (WDWDD) hosts eleventh place St. Pauli (DWDWW), arguably the most eccentric team in any league on Gol TV at 9:30 a.m.
Spanish La Liga Primera:
Sixteenth place Sporting Gijon (WWWLD), fresh from not losing to Barcelona last weekend visits third place Valencia (WWDWW) at 12 noon on Gol TV.
Fifteenth place Levante (LLWWW) travels to the Santiago Bernabeu stadium to face second place Real Madrid (DWLWW) on ESPN Deportes at 1:55 p.m. on ESPN Deportes.
Seventeenth place Real Zaragoza (WWWDL) hosts eleventh place – and currently skidding downhill – Atlético Madrid (WLLLL) on ESPN Deportes at 3:55 p.m. on ESPN Deportes.
wengler
Stoke is the mid-tablinglist of any mid-table team. That is all.
superfly
Yeah, you know what’s on my TV this weekend? Arsenal 2-1 Barcelona.
On a loop. All !@#$%^& weekend.
With a break for Arsenal v Leyton Orient, Sunday, 8.30 am PST on Fox Soccer Channel (you forgot that one).
Fan-!@#$%^&-tastic.
Pooh
From what I understand, Crawley Town is much greater than Man U in terms of hatred inspired relative to size of club. If they were an American lobbying entity, they’d be described as AstroTurf…
SRW1
For all fans of the round football and a bit of friendly banter focused on mainly, but not exclusively, the EPL, here’s a link to the Football Weekly podcast by the Guardian. Comes out every Monday during the season with occasional Thursday editions to cover CL action.
valdemar
Crawley might well win if Man U simply field a crappy team, which is standard practice if you want to avoid the risk of your best players being injured. The Premiership matters to the big clubs, the FA Cup does not. But then I was born in Sunderland so I’m in a permanent state of confused melancholy.
Thlayli
Randinho: there is one PL game this weekend: West Brom-Wolves tomorrow, which is both a local derby and a relegation six-pointer. Blackpool and Spurs will be making up their snowed-out game on Tuesday also, too.
SRW1: what do you mean, “occasional”? Football Weekly Extraaaahhhh comes out every Thursday during the season.
superfly
@Pooh:
Yeah, apparently they have anonymous funders, and have spent a ton (relatively) of money on players from higher leagues.
SRW1
@Thlayli:
Sorry for that mistake, I thought the Thursday edition is extraaah as opposed to regular. My bad.
burnspbesq
Absorbing first half of Everton-Chelski. Not sure the announcers are watching the same game I am. The yellow to Ramires for diving was harsh, but no way that’s a penalty.
eponymous
And Everton pulls out a penalty shoot-out victory – happy, but wasn’t expecting it. I guess the players wanted it more than the supporters (Leighton Baines with an awesome free kick to send it to penalties).
Everton has a great chance to advance to next round as they have Reading at Goodison.
Thlayli
TIMMEH!!!
burnspbesq
It’s not hard to see why Crawley are in the thick of the battle for promotion to the Football League. They have some good players and they are playing smart football. ManU is not going to be able to sleepwalk through the second half and sit on their one-goal lead.
Bill Murray
@burnspbesq:
and yet they did. Crawley Town pretty much dominated the second half, but couldn’t get the goal their performance deserved. They never quite created any great chances, although Brodie’s header that I think was tipped onto the bar in added time was ever so close. ManU was pathetic in the second half. Bebe may never get a first team chance again.
Randinho
@superfly: Actually, I’m doing one day at a time so I’ll list Sunday’s games today.
JWL
Raaandino: The generation will never be born that will place soccer in America’s prime time.
That’s not said to ruffle your feathers. It is, however, the truth.
That said, Go Liverpool! I still listen to a band that hailed from that town.
Randinho
@JWL: Never say never. And for the record, that’s not a fact, it’s an opinion.