Five-and-a-half hours to go before kickoff at this writing, but a game this big this early in the season, and with Tim Howard's participation for Manchester United in it notwithstanding, it's never to early to start the game thread. Top two teams in the Premiership, and Howard has been playing magnificently for United so far this season. Howard has seen Arsenal before, with his heroic performance against the Gunners in the Community Shield match where his saves in the penalty shootout began to earn him cult status to the Old Trafford faithful, and his legend there has only blossomed from that. Round-up of pregame articles (please add to this list as required)... [*]From the Beeb: "Arsenal out to restore pride" (general match preview)... http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_prem/3125198.stm [*]Also from bbc.co.uk, an overview of the game... http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_prem/3084372.stm [*]From sportinglife.com: "Howard surprises Ferguson" (has also appeared on other websites in various forms, due to mass syndication by the UK's Press Association)... http://www.sportinglife.com/footbal.../09/20/SOCCER_Man_Utd_Howard.html&TEAMHD=manu [*]Also from sportinglife.com, the team news feature... http://www.sportinglife.com/footbal...3/09/19/manual_095319.html&TEAMHD=premiership [*]From Arsenal's official site, the match preview from the Gunners' perspective... http://www.arsenal.com/sportsappcon...e&type=com.sportapps.news.NewsItem&id=4083873 [*]From Manchester United's official site, the match preview from their perspective (includes probable teams)... http://www.manutd.com/footballnow/matchreport.sps?reportid=2789&iEventID=11023&compid= [*]Also from manutd.com, manager Sir Alex Ferguson's thoughts, and includes comments about Tim Howard (pretty high up in the interview)... http://www.manutd.com/news/fullstory.sps?iNewsid=43318&itype=466&icategoryid=122 [*]From skysports.com: match preview, suggests probable teams... http://www.skysports.com/skysports/article/0,,7-1104374,00.html [*]Also from skysports.com: Rodney Marsh's column (mentions Howard, briefly)... http://www.skysports.com/skysports/article/0,,7-1104374,00.html [*]Also from skysports.com, "Ferguson: Stop the dive cheats", more mind games from the master... http://www.skysports.com/skysports/article/0,,7-1104543,00.html [*]From Soccernet: "Howard hopes to continue perfect start" (short article, but great quote from Howard)... http://soccernet.espn.go.com/headlinenews?id=277601&cc=3436 [*]Soccernet's match preview... http://soccernet.espn.go.com/feature?id=277593&cc=3436 [*]From the Manchester Evening News: any of a variety of articles.... http://www.manchesteronline.co.uk/s...terunited/stories/Detail_LinkStory=68100.html http://www.manchesteronline.co.uk/s...terunited/stories/Detail_LinkStory=68103.html (feature on Howard) http://www.manchesteronline.co.uk/s...terunited/stories/Detail_LinkStory=68086.html http://www.manchesteronline.co.uk/s...terunited/stories/Detail_LinkStory=68013.html http://www.manchesteronline.co.uk/s...terunited/stories/Detail_LinkStory=68029.html That should do it with the articles, but feel free to add more... As far as the TV angle goes, live on pay-per-view in the USA at 8 a.m. PT/11 a.m. ET, and live on Fox Sports World-Canada, and we've got it live here in Australia, too, via Fox Sports 1 at 1 a.m. Sunday night/Monday morning Melbourne time. But as I said on another thread, I don't get that channel here on my cable system, and I'll be tuning in to the webcast on Man Utd's website, as well as complementing that with text commentary from www.sportinglife.com. That webcast is free, but you have to register for it. That's the best option for webcasts, as arsenal.com is a pay service. Can't wait to get started!
Will also point out that FSW generally carries the Sunday PPV on tape delay on Wed. nights,so if that holds true this will be on 8 ET Wed.
Confirmed. Good onya, Russ. A pattern we all should remember, methinks... doesn't do me any good, but a nice pattern nonetheless.
Hey, what time (ET) does the game start??? I'm here at work (Yes, on a Sunday morning), but maybe I'll be able to run to the pub next door and catch most of it when I get off from here. If not, I'll just go to Soccernet.com for their matchtracker, and also keep up with you guys here of course for comments.
Here's to hoping ManUre's backline abandons Tim, he makes 25 miraculous saves beaten only by a Rio botched clearance for an OG and the 1-0 win by Arsenal. actually I should just make that a macro, and just replace the "Arsenal" with the opponent of each match.
Nope, it's free, but you have to register for it. Only takes a few minutes, and all you have to do is go to Manchester United's official site at www.manutd.com and follow the prompts.
You don't, honest. Go here, http://www.manutd.com/home/default.sps, and click on the MU.tv link at the top of the page. That's you free gateway to the live audio.
Can they make that registration any more confusing? I did the whole thing twice, then they ask for a username to log in, but they never gave me one! So now they got all my personal info, and I get jack *#*#*#*#.
It is confusing, I agree. I had to register and re-register three times over the last couple of weeks before I got my subscription to work. I hope this isn't happening with everyone, now or ever. For the record, I would try and log in at 15 minutes before the hour (eg., 7:45 am PT, 10:45 am ET, etc.). I just got audio, but it was from last week's Premiership game against Charlton. So I think the live webcast comes on at quarter-to. And it seems to be working spot-on for me in IE, as opposed to Netscape (usually my preferred browser). Oh, and footyfreak007, check your PM's.
Taking a break from the technical issues, the lineups are out-- and to no one's surprise, Howard starts for Man Utd. From sportinglife.com's live coverage: MANCHESTER UNITED 14. Tim Howard 2. Gary Neville 5. Rio Ferdinand 27. Mikael Silvestre 22. John O'Shea 7. Cristiano Ronaldo 16. Roy Keane 3. Phil Neville 25. Quinton Fortune 11. Ryan Giggs 10. Ruud van Nistelrooy Subs: 13. Roy Carroll (GK) 8. Nicky Butt 19. Eric Djemba-Djemba 21. Diego Forlan 24. Darren Fletcher ARSENAL 1. Jens Lehmann 12. Bisan Lauren 28. Kolo Toure 5. Martin Keown 3. Ashley Cole 15. Ray Parlour 4. Patrick Vieira 19. Gilberto Silva 8. Fredrik Ljungberg 10. Dennis Bergkamp 14. Thierry Henry Subs: 33. Graham Stack (GK) 7. Robert Pires 11. Sylvain Wiltord 17. Edu 18. Pascal Cygan
will, the links are not showing up on the PM you sent me. Do you mind sending them to my email? devils1432003@yahoo.com thanks
No worries, will try. Which is the webcast that you're looking for? The audio, or the video? The audio is free (and I'm listening to it now), but I think that the streaming video requires an upgrade to a pay service. But I'll e-mail you the links again.
i thought you might now some undercover websites which carry the streaming video without having to pay.
Oh, heavens no, I'm not that good. Just the mainstream stuff, though. Just e-mailed you, per your request.
Just double-checked via Soccernet, and it's no oversight, Bergkamp starts with Wiltord on the subs bench. Indeed, a good break for Howard. Not like he needs it, though, in the way that he's been playing lately.