Don't like to brag, but you could do worse than get snowed in Sunday morning with only Fox Soccer Channel for a diversion.
Yes, I am aware that there are folks in North America who will be following another form of football this Sunday, but our lineup from Italy and the EPL ain't bad. In fact, it makes you wonder if the folks who program the schedule-making computers take particular delight in assigning the Euro big guns with especially daunting challenges right after a Champions League/Europa League program.
Our Sunday starts in Rome where Lazio hosts AC Milan (9 a.m., Eastern), continues at Stamford Bridge, London for the little matter of Chelsea vs. Manchester United (11 a.m.) and continues at 2:30 p.m. in Milano where the other half of the Roma-Milano derby day takes place as Inter hosts AS Roma.
The match of the weekend clearly is the one at Chelsea and Manchester United will never be better-placed to get a win than Sunday morning.
Remember, Sir Alex Ferguson did not have to use his full side on Tuesday against CSKA Moscow because United's Champions League business had been perfectly attended to beforehand.
And United was at home Tuesday while Chelsea played Atletico Madrid a day later and on the road. Allowing for the travel weariness and the shorter time to prep, Carlo Ancelotti can be forgiven for thinking that the visitors are getting a Sunday leg-up that they don't really need.
Of course none of this will mean much if the teams play to their EPL form. Chelsea has looked stronger from day one, more robust even when dropping points last month. United has gotten the job done but without the usual elan. They have relied more on energy than creativity this season.
The match winner? We'll be watching Didier Drogba and Wayne Rooney, but the United defenders had better keep control of that Chelsea Michael Essien-Michael Ballack-Frank Lampard bunch or they will be in trouble.
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If you have actually been in front of the set from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. you're obviously a soccer fanatic so stay tuned for the Sunday finale on ESPN2 at 7:30 p.m. when the LA Galaxy and Chivas collide in what looks like the most inviting of the three MLS second leg playoff games this weekend.
We've got the Chicago-New England Saturday night match (8 p.m.) while Telefutura will show Houston-Seattle at 3 p.m. Sunday.
The remaining three winners will join Salt Lake, who downed the Crew 3-2 to advance. It was a stinging loss for the Crew, who went up 2-0 after just 35 minutes… and then collapsed.
DAILY READS
Speaking of collapsing: the Dispatch rips the Crew
Chelsea get reprieve as transfer ban suspended by CAS
Two tier EPL with the Scots on board?
Tax strike in Spain?
TV: (All times ET, our picks are in bold)
FRIDAY
Bayer Leverkusen v Frankfurt 1430 GolTV
Derby v Coventry 1445 Setanta
SATURDAY
Melbourne v CC Mariners 0300 FSC
Swansea v Cardiff 0745 Setanta
Bayern Munich v Schalke 0925 ESPND/360
Hoffenheim v Wolfsburg 0930 GolTV
Tottenham v Sunderland 1000 ESPN2
Man City v Burnley 1000 Setanta
Blackburn v Portsmouth 1000 Setanta X
Aston Villa v Bolton 1000 FSC/FSE
Rangers v St. Mirren 1000 Setanta P
Getafe v Coruna 1200 ESPN360
Tenerife v Malaga 1200 DTV
Catania v Napoli 1200 ESPN360/RAI
Wolverhampton v Arsenal 1230 FSC/FSE
PSG v Nice 1300 Setanta
Barcelona v Mallorca 1400 GolTV
Atalanta v Juventus 1430 FSC/FSE
Sochaux v Lens 1500 Setanta
Atletico v Real Madrid 1600 ESPND/360
Recife v Cruziero 1630 GolTV
Cruz Azul v Puebla 1800 Azteca
Nacional v I Medellin 1800 GolTV
Tigres v Atlante 2000 Telemundo
Indios v Jaguares 2000 Azteca/ESPND
Fire v Revs 2000 FSC/FSE
San Luis v Santos 2000 Telefutura
Atlas v Chivas 2145 Telemundo
SUNDAY
CSKA v Rubin Kazan 0600 Setanta
Falkirk v Celtic 0645 Setanta P
Hull v Stoke 0830 Setanta
AZ v Feyenoord 0830 ESPND/360
ADO Den Haag v PSV 0830 ESPN360
Lazio v AC Milan 0900 FSC/FSE
Genoa v Siena 0900 ESPN360
Wigan v Fulham 1000 Set X (SDD Setanta 1300)
West Ham v Everton 1000 (SDD FSC 1700)
U17WC: Colombia v Turkey 1000 ESPN360/Gala
Gijon v Espanyol 1100 DTV
Santander v Bilbao 1100 DTV
Lille v Bordeaux 1100 Setanta
Chelsea v Man U 1100 FSC/FSE
Werder v Dortmund 1125 ESPN360 (SDD 1500 ESPND)
Valencia v Zaragoza 1300 ESPN2/D/360
Fluminense v Palmeiras 1300 GolTV
Maritimo v Porto 1300 ESPN360
Morelia v UNAM Pumas 1300 FSE
Toluca v Pachuca 1300 Telemundo
U17WC: Suisse v Italy 1300 ESPN360
Inter v Roma 1430 FSC
Sevilla v Villarreal 1500 GolTV
Lyon v Marseille 1500 Setanta
Dynamo v Sounders 1500 Telefutura
America v Monterrey 1730 Univision
Tecos v Queretaro 1800 Galavision
LA v Chivas 1930 ESPN2
MONDAY
Liverpool v Birmingham 1455 ESPN2
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LOL... oh how I love the over-hyped matches of the "big guns!" Which always seem to fall flat. And Sundays Blues-Devils match didnt fail to give such a result. It was a combination of rugby and boredom.
Dex05:04 PM EST