Soccer Saturday: Your Running Commentary | Soccer By Ives

While Dimitar Berbatov has been stealing most of the headlines during Manchester Uniteds unbeaten league run, Mexican striker Javier Hernandez has also played a pivotal role, scoring seven league goals and threatening Wayne Rooney for a starting role.

Hernandez should get another chance to work his magic today as Manchester United takes on Southampton in FA Cup action. Everton faces Chelsea to kick off the FA Cup proceedings this morning.

The match of the day is in Qatar, where Australia and Japan will face off in the Asian Cup Final. If you cant watch that match, there are great matches in Spain (Hercules-Barcelona), Italy (Lazio-Fiorentina) and Mexico (Pachuca-Cruz Azul) to satisfy your appetite.

If you will be watching todays action, please feel free to share your thoughts, opinions and some play-by-play in the comments section below.

Enjoy the action (Todays TV Schedule is after the jump):

TODAYS SOCCER ON TV

7:30am- Fox Soccer Channel-Everton vs. Chelsea (FA Cup)

9:30am- GolTV-Werder Bremen vs. Bayern Munich

10am- Fox Soccer Channel-Birmingham City vs. Coventry City(FA Cup)

10am- FoxSoccer.tv-Torquay United vs. Crawley Town (FA Cup)

10am- FoxSoccer.tv-Stevenage vs. Reading(FA Cup)

10am- No American TV-Australia vs. Japan

Noon- Fox Soccer Plus-Lazio vs. Fiorentina

Noon- DirecTV-Mallorca vs. Sporting Gijon

Noon- DirecTV-Levante vs. Getafe

Noon- GolTV-Real Sociedad vs. Almeria

12:15pm- Fox Soccer Channel-Southampton vs. Manchester United (FA Cup)

1pm- FoxSoccer.tv-Arles vs. Paris St. Germain

1pm- FoxSoccer.tv-Caen vs. Auxerre

1pm- FoxSoccer.tv-Lorient vs. Brest

1pm- FoxSoccer.tv-Saint Etienne vs. Toulouse

1pm- FoxSoccer.tv-Sochaux vs. Stade Rennes

1pm- FoxSoccer.tv-Valenciennes vs. Lyon

2pm- ESPN3.com-Hercules vs. Barcelona

2pm- GolTV-FC Kaiserslautern vs. Mainz 05(Delayed)

2:45pm- ESPN3.com-PSV Eindhoven vs. Willem II

2:45pm- Fox Soccer Channel-Catania vs. AC Milan

3pm- FoxSoccer.tv-Lille vs. Lens

4pm- ESPN3.com-Deportivo La Coruna vs. Sevilla

4:30pm- GolTV-Ponte Preta vs. Sao Caetano

6pm- Azteca America-Jaguares vs. Santos Laguna

6pm- Telefutura-Queretaro vs. Necaxa

8pm- Telemundo-Tigres UANL vs. Toluca

8pm- Telefutura-Pachuca vs. Cruz Azul

10pm- Telefutura-Atlas vs. Club America

10pm- Galavision-Atlante vs. Puebla

1am- Fox Soccer Channel-Melbourne Victory vs. Gold Coast United

Bradley heading to Aston Villa on loan | Soccer By Ives

After weeks of speculation about where Michael Bradley could wind up, the U.S. national team midfielder is heading to England to play for a team with plenty of American ties.

Bradley is heading to English Premier League side Aston Villa, sources confirmed to SBI on Saturday.

Bradley leaves Borussia Moenchendgladbach after two and a half seasons and the loan to Aston Villa, first reported by German media on Saturday morning, is sure to be followed by a permanent move away from the German club in the summer. He will have one year remaining on his contract with Moenchengladbach when the season ends.

Bradley had been targeted by English club Sunderland, but Darren Bents surprise transfer move to Aston Villa put that move on hold. While several other European clubs, including Galatasaray and Palermo, were interested in buying Bradley outright, the loan move to Aston Villa should allow Bradley to boost his stock ahead of this summers transfer season. It was a scenario I laid out in my recent Fox Soccer piece on Bradleys club status.

Joining Stuart Holden and Jermaine Jones as fellow American midfielders who have made the move to England in the past year, Bradley will join an Aston Villa side with Americans Brad Friedel, Brad Guzan (currently on a short loan with Hull City) and Eric Lichaj, as well as American owner Randy Lerner.

What do you think of this development? Love the idea of Bradley playing in the Premier League? Relieved he didnt go to Galatasaray?

Share your thoughts below.

MLS Training Camp Preview: New England Revolution | Soccer By Ives

By IAN HOLLIDAY

After missing the playoffs for the first time under Steve Nicol last season, the Revolution enters the 2011 season with more questions than answers.

The Revs have been in transition since Taylor Twellman first sustained the head injury that would eventually end his career midway through the 2008 season. With Twellmans retirement in November, the team can no longer be seen as waiting to get its star striker back, and must instead focus on finding a productive goalscorer and a creative midfielder to supply him. Shalrie Joseph has the skill to fill either of these roles capably, but his best position is as a holding midfielder. While Serbian imports Marko Perovic and Ilija Stolica showed flashes last season, it remains to be seen whether their production over the course of a full season will be enough to get the Revs back to the playoff promised land.

The team will once again spend much of its preseason training indoors in Foxborough, with trips planned to Orlando in February and Atlanta in March. During the Atlanta trip, New England will take part in the inaugural Atlanta MLS Challenge, a three-team exhibition tournament featuring the Revs, the Columbus Crew and the Houston Dynamo.

Here is a closer look at the New England Revolutions preseason plans:

NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION

Training schedule: Jan. 31-Feb. 13 in Foxborough; Feb. 14-24 in Orlando, Fla.; Feb. 28-March 2 in Foxborough; March 3-13 in Kennesaw, Ga.

Tentative game schedule: matches in Orlando TBA; March 6 vs. Columbus Crew; March 9 vs. Columbus Crew; March 13 vs. Houston Dynamo

Key arrivals: D A.J. Soares, D Didier Domi, D Ryan Cochrane

Key departures: F Taylor Twellman, D Cory Gibbs, D Emmanuel Osei

What to watch for: The Revolution gave up a league-high 50 goals last season, and their offseason transactions were almost all aimed at bolstering the back line. Gone are the unpredictable Osei and the oft-injured Gibbs, and added are veteran Frenchman Domi, former Dynamo Cochrane, and Superdraft selection Soares. The newcomers will join third-year pros Darrius Barnes and Kevin Alston, both of whom will be looking to improve after less-than-stellar sophmore seasons. Depending on how quickly the group gels and how quickly the talented Soares adjusts to life in MLS, the unit has the potential to be much improved this season.

Of note: In addition to giving up a lot of goals, the Revs had a lot of trouble scoring in 2010, managing only 32 goals in 30 games. With few changes to the midfield and forward corps, the team seems likely to struggle again in this department. One potential long-term solution worth watching is Diego Fagundez, the Revs first homegrown player. The 15 year-old has scored goals in bunches with the clubs U-16 team, and signed a contract with the senior team in November. Fagundez will not be joining the full squad during the preseason, but expect Steve Nicol to give him a look sometime during the summer, especially if the team is having trouble finding the back of the net.

MLS Training Camp Preview: Sporting Kansas City | Soccer By Ives

By JOSE M. ROMERO

PHOENIX No MLS team will spend more time in the desert than Sporting KC, around four weeks in all.

Thats OK, because the newly-branded club (formerly the Kansas City Wizards) could use the on the road experience to prepare for the MLS regular season, when it will play its first nine or 10 games away from home before opening its new 18,500-seat soccer-specific stadium in June.

SKC has plenty to be excited about with the new stadium and a talented striker combination in young Teal Bunbury and veteran Kei Kamara. A mix of returning players and the potential addition of some solid international talent, and things appear to be looking up in the heartland.

The team is talking like it believes this could be a special year. Theres talk of trophies, but first, a two-year playoff drought must be ended.

Heres a closer look at the Sporting KCs preseason in Arizona:

SPORTING KANSAS CITY

Length of stay:Jan. 31-Feb. 15, Feb. 21-March 3 at Reach 11 complex (North Phoenix); March 4-6 in Tucson (preseason games).

Tentative training game/scrimmage schedule: Feb. 5 vs. Columbus, Feb. 12 vs. Colorado, Feb. 15 vs. Houston and U.S. MNT U-18, Feb. 26 vs. Portland Timbers and Montreal Impact, March 5 vs. New York Red Bulls in Tucson.

Key Arrivals:F Omar Bravo, M Luke Sassano, F C.J. Sapong.

Key Departures: D Jimmy Conrad, F Josh Wolff.

What to watch for: A lot of eyes will be on Kamara and Bunbury, but the Wizards also have to address some lost depth on defense after Jonathan Leathers was lost in the expansion draft.Sassano is coming off an ankle injury from last season. Bravo, a veteran of El Tri (Mexican national team), is another one to watch, as well as the interesting mix of rookie draft picks. Keep an eye on a guy who has impressed in camp prior to the teams departure to Arizona, wing Adda Djeziri.

Of note: Sporting KC, in addition to its games against MLS teams and USMNT U-18s, will play an intrasquad scrimmage on Feb. 9 and face local club Arizona Sahuaros in Tucson March 4 The clubs time at Reach 11 coincides with baseballs Kansas City Royals annual spring training in Surprise, Ariz., not more than a half-hour to the west on the freeway.

Southampton 1, Manchester United 2: The Highlights | Soccer By Ives

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Everton 1, Chelsea 1: The Highlights | Soccer By Ives

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Soccer Sunday: Your Running Commentary | Soccer By Ives

Clint Dempsey and Fulham arent challenging for a European place, and are more concerned with avoiding relegation, but the FA Cup is still the clubs best chance at glory and the Cottagers will need to knock off mighty Tottenham today to keep that dream alive.

Fulham-Tottenham headlines the days FA Cup offerings, with Arsenal taking on Huddersfield Town in a battle of powerhouse vs. minnow.

Serie A has plenty of action, with Scudetto challengers Napoli and Roma both in action, along with Inter Milan.

If youre up for some nostalgia, Sao Paulo takes on Santos today in a clash of Brazilian powerhouses, and in a match that should feature the Sao Paulo debut of legendary Brazilian star Rivaldo.

If you will be watching todays action, please feel free to share your thoughts, opinions and some play-by-play in the comments section below.

Enjoy the action (Todays TV Schedule is after the jump):

TODAYS SOCCER ON TV

6:30am- Fox Soccer Plus-Brescia vs. Chievo Verona

7am- Fox Soccer Channel-Arsenal vs. Huddersfield Town(FA Cup)

9am- Fox Soccer Channel-Inter Milan vs. Palermo

9am- ESPN3.com-Bologna vs. AS Roma

9am- ESPN3.com-Napoli vs. Sampdoria

9am- Fox Soccer Plus-Notts County vs. Manchester City

11am- GolTV-Atletico Madrid vs. Athletic Bilbao

11am- FoxSoccer.tv-Bordeaux vs. Nice

11am- FoxSoccer.tv-Nancy vs. Montpellier

11:30am- Fox Soccer Channel-Fulham vs. Tottenham(FA Cup)

11:30am- ESPN3.com-Eintracht Frankfurt vs. Borussia Moenchengladbach

1pm- GolTV-Osasuna vs. Real Madrid

1pm- Azteca America-Morelia vs. San Luis

1pm- Telemundo-UNAM Pumas vs. Monterrey

2:45pm- Fox Soccer Channel-Juventus vs. Udinese

3pm- Fox Soccer Plus-Monaco vs. Marseille

3pm- ESPN3.com-Espanyol vs. Villarreal

3pm- GolTV-Santos vs. Sao Paulo

–

Edu helps Rangers reach League Cup final with splendid strike | Soccer By Ives

Maurice Edu closed out January with arguably his best outing since recovering from a knee injury, playing 90 minutes and scoring a beautiful goal as Rangers reached the Co-operative Insurance Cup final.

Edu opened the scoring in Rangers 2-1 victory over Motherwell in the Scottish League Cup semifinal by blasting a left-footed shot from distance in the 20th minute.The goal was Edus third this season across all competitions and second this month. The U.S. national team midfielders 90-minute performance in the victory was his first since November.

The win sets up an Old Firm final as Rangers will play Celtic on March 20.

Heres the goal:

What did you think of Edus goal? Expecting Rangers to win the Co-operative Insurance Cup?

Share your thoughts below.

Adu heading to Turkish side Rizespor | Soccer By Ives

Photo by ISIPhotos.com

American midfielder Freddy Adus long and winding path through Europe has taken him to Turkey.

According to Richard Motzkin, his agent, Adu is set to move to Turkish second division club Rizespor on loan. Portuguese club Benfica, which bought Adu from Real Salt Lake in 2007, still owns Adus contract.

The move to Turkey is the latest in a saga that has seen the former youth national team star and one-time U.S. national team midfielder go from Portugal to France to Greece and now to Turkey after trials in Denmark and Germany failed to produce moves.

What do you think of this development? Disappointed to see Adu going to a Turkish second division club? Wondering when, if ever, hell make it back to MLS?

Share your thoughts below.

Americans Abroad: Weekend Rewind | Soccer By Ives

photo by John Dorton/ISIphotos.com

By FRANCO PANIZO

World Cup qualifying for the U-20 World Cup is fast approaching, and one American who is currently helping his cause to make the United States roster is Bobby Wood.

Having recently been promoted to TSV 1860 Munichs first team, Wood made his professional debut against MSV Duisburg on Saturday. The 18-year-old forward may have only played 8 minutes in the 1-1 draw, but U.S. U-20 coach Thomas Rongen must have been pleased with the performance as it gives him another offensive weapon with first-team experience to choose from when qualifying begins in April in Guatemala.

More than doubling Wood in age, grizzled veteran Marcus Hahnemann received a start for Wolves in their FA Cup fixture against Stoke City. Hahnemann kept Wolves in the match by making nine saves, but a late goal from Robert Huth and a missed last-minute penalty kick saw Wolves fall, 1-0.

Maurice Edu was responsible for the Americans Abroads lone goal this weekend. Edu scored a wonder opening goal in Rangers 2-1 victory over Motherwell when he unleashed a left-footed shot from distance. The goal was Edus third across all competitions this season.

Here is how the Americans Abroad fared this weekend:

England

PREMIERSHIP

Tim Howardstarted, played 90 minutes and made four saves in Evertons 1-1 draw vs. Chelsea in the FA Cup on Saturday.Clint Dempseystarted, played 90 minutes and drew a penalty kickin Fulhams 4-0 win vs. Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Cup on Saturday.

Eddie Johnsondid not dress for Fulham.Brad Friedelstarted, played 90 minutes and made three saves in Aston Villas 3-1 win vs. Blackburn Rovers in the FA Cup on Saturday.Eric Lichajdid not dress for Aston Villa.Marcus Hahnemannstarted, played 90 minutes and made nine saves in Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-0 loss vs. Stoke City in the FA Cup on Sunday.Jonathan Spector did not dress in West Ham Uniteds 3-2 winvs. Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup on Sunday. He is recovering from a hamstring injury.Stuart Holdencame off the bench, played 16 minutes and received a yellow card in Bolton Wanderers 0-0 draw vs. Wigan Athletic in the FA Cup on Saturday.Jermaine Jonesdressed but did not play in Blackburn Rovers 3-1 loss vs. Aston Villa in the FA Cup on Saturday.

CHAMPIONSHIP

Conor Doyleand Derby County did not play this weekend.Zak Whitbreadstarted and played 90 minutes in Norwich Citys 0-0 draw vs. Crystal Palace on Saturday.Brad Guzanstarted, played 90 minutes and made five saves in Hull Citys 0-0 draw vs. Queens Park Rangers on Saturday.Mike Grellaand Leeds United did not play this weekend.Robbie Findleydid not dress in Nottingham Forests 3-2 loss vs. West Ham United in the FA Cup on Sunday.

LEAGUE ONE

Frank Simekstarted and played 90 minutes in Carlisle Uniteds 2-2 draw vs. Oldham Athletic on Saturday.Anton Peterlindressed but did not play in Plymouth Argyles 2-1 loss vs. AFC Bournemouth on Saturday.

Scotland

PREMIER LEAGUE

Maurice Edustarted, played 90 minutes and scored a GOALinRangers 2-1 win vs. Motherwell in the Co-operative Insurance Cup semifinals on Sunday.

Dominic Cervidid not dress in Celtics 4-1 win vs. Aberdeen in the Co-operative Insurance Cup semifinals on Saturday.

Spain

Jozy Altidoredid not dress in Villarreals 1-0 win vs. Espanyol on Sunday.

Germany

BUNDESLIGA

Steve Cherundolostarted and played 90 minutes in Hannover 96s 2-0 loss vs. Bayer Leverkusen on Friday.DaMarcus Beasleydid not dress for Hannover 96.Ricardo Clarkdid not dress in Eintracht Frankfurts 1-0 loss vs. Borussia Moenchengladbach on Sunday. He is recovering from a fractured cheekbone.Daniel Williamsdid not dress in SC Freiburgs 1-0 win vs. VfB Stuttgart on Sunday.Timothy Chandlercame off the bench and played 29 minutes in Nurnbergs 2-0 win vs. Hamburg SV on Saturday.Michael Bradley did not dress in Borussia Moenchengladbachs 1-0 winvs. Eintracht Frankfurt on Sunday. He has a loan deal to Aston Villa pending.

BUNDESLIGA 2

David Yeldellstarted, played 90 minutes and made two saves in MSV Duisburgs 1-1 draw vs. TSV 1860 Munich on Saturday.Luis Roblesstarted, played 90 minutes and made five saves in Karlsruhes 1-0 win vs. Energie Cottbus on Sunday.Edson Buddle came off the bench, played 29 minutes and received a yellow cardin FC Ingolstadt 04s 1-1 draw vs. RW Oberhausen on Friday.Amaechi Igwedid not dress for FC Ingolstadt 04. He is recovering from a knee injury.Bobby Woodcame off the bench and played 8 minutes in TSV 1860 Munichs 1-1 draw vs. MSV Duisburg on Saturday.Alfredo Moralesdressed but did not play in Hertha Berlins 3-1 win vs. Arminia Bielefeld on Sunday.

France

LIGUE 1

Carlos Bocanegrastarted, played 90 minutes and received a yellow card in St Etiennes 2-1 win vs. Toulouse on Saturday.Charlie Daviesdid not dress in Sochauxs 5-1 win vs. Stade Rennes on Saturday.

LIGUE 2

Quentin Westbergdid not dress in Evian Thonon Gaillards 3-0 win vs. Nantes on Saturday.

Netherlands

Oguchi Onyewudid not dress in Twente Enschedes 2-1 win vs. Feyenoord on Sunday. He is recovering from a back injury.

Belgium

Sacha Kljestandressed but did not play in RSC Anderlechts 0-0 draw vs. Mechelen on Sunday.

Mexico

Jose Torresdressed but did not play in Pachucas 4-0 loss vs. Cruz Azul on Saturday.Herculez Gomezcame off the bench and played 45 minutes for Pachuca.Edgar Castillocame off the bench and played 18 minutes in Pueblas 2-0 loss vs. Atlante on Saturday.Sammy Ochoadid not dress in Estudiantes Tecos U.A. de G.s 1-0 win vs. Chivas de Guadalajara on Friday.Sonny Guadarramacame off the bench and played 29 minutes in Atlantes 2-0 win vs. Puebla on Saturday.Jonathan Bornsteindressed but did not play in Tigres UANLs 1-0 loss vs. Toluca on Saturday.

What do you think of these performances? Are you more surprised or impressed by Woods debut? Hoping Hahnemann leaves Wolves for MLS this summer? What did you think of Edus goal?

Share your thoughts below.