Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images Europe

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AFP

Wayne Rooney scored the goal that gave Manchester United a record 19th English title in a 1-1 draw away to Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park on Saturday.

United needed just a point from this game to regain the Premier League title from Chelsea and they got it when England striker Rooney scored from the penalty spot 17 minutes from time after Rovers keeper Paul Robinson brought down Javier Hernandez.

Australia’s Brett Emerton had fired Rovers, still not certain of top-flight survival, into a 20th minute lead before Rooney settled United’s nerves with a powerful spot-kick.

The result gave United, now in sole possession of a record they had shared with arch-rivals Liverpool an unassailable seven-point lead at the top of the English Premier League table, with closest pursuers Chelsea only able to win a maximum of six points from their two remaining matches.

“I was terrified, the ref took a long time to give it,” Rooney told Sky Sports in relation to the penalty.

“I had to compose myself, I’d been practising all week.”

Rooney, who earlier in the season stunned United by handing in a transfer request, added: “After the year I’ve had, with the ups and downs, this is for the fans and the team.”

United’s latest triumph gave both manager Sir Alex Ferguson and Ryan Giggs a 12th English title.

“It’s a tough league to win and it’s still as special as ever,” Giggs said.

Asked about suggestions the current team was not as good as previous United sides, he added: “We’re champions and in the Champions League. We’re rubbish aren’t we?

“Twenty years ago we were nowhere near Liverpool. It’s great credit to the club, the manager and the players and it’s a good feeling to be ahead of our greatest rivals.”

Photo by: Bruce Ely/ The Oregonian

*ALL TIMES ARE EASTERN

FRIDAY, May 13

FOX SOCCER PLUS
Football League Championship: READING v CARDIFF CITY, Championship semifinal, 1st leg (live) 2:30 pm.

SATURDAY, May 14

ESPN2
EPL: BLACKBURN v MANCHESTER UNITED (live) 7:30 am.
MLS: SEATTLE v PORTLAND (live) 11 pm.

FOX SOCCER CHANNEL
EPL: SUNDERLAND v WOLVERHAMPTON (live) 7:30 am.
FA Cup Final: MANCHESTER CITY v STOKE CITY (live) 10 am.
EPL: WEST BROM v EVERTON (live) 12:30 pm.
Serie A: AC MILAN v CAGLIARI (live) 2:30 pm.
International (Women): USA v JAPAN (live) 6:30 pm.
MLS: SALT LAKE v HOUSTON (live) 8:30 pm.

FOX SOCCER PLUS
EPL: BLACKPOOL v BOLTON (live) 7:30 am.
Serie A: LAZIO v GENOA (live) Noon.
FA Cup Final: MANCHESTER CITY v STOKE CITY (delay) 8 pm.

FOX DEPORTES
FA Cup Final: MANCHESTER CITY v STOKE CITY (live) 10 am.
EPL: WEST BROM v EVERTON (live) 12:30 pm.
Serie A: AC MILAN v CAGLIARI (live) 2:30 pm.

ESPN DEPORTES
EPL: BLACKBURN v MANCHESTER UNITED (live) 7:30 am.
Bundesliga: BAYERN MUNICH v STUTTGART (live) 9:45 am.
MLS: SEATTLE v PORTLAND (live) 11 pm.

GOLTV
Bundesliga: BORUSSIA DORTMUND v FRANKFURT (live) 9:25 am.
Categoria Primera A: PEREIRA v NACIONAL (live) 1:55 pm.

MLS DIRECT KICK
MLS: TORONTO v CHICAGO (live) 7 pm.
MLS: NEW ENGLAND v VANCOUVER (live) 7:30 pm.
MLS: D.C. UNITED v COLORADO (live) 7:30 pm.
MLS: DALLAS v PHILADELPHIA (live) 8:30 pm.
MLS: LOS ANGELES v KANSAS CITY (live) 10:30 pm.
MLS: SAN JOSE v COLUMBUS (live) 10:30 pm.

ESPN3.com
EPL: BLACKBURN v MANCHESTER UNITED (live) 7:30 am.
Bundesliga: BAYERN MUNICH v STUTTGART (live) 9:30 am.
Bundesliga: FREIBURG v BAYER LEVERKUSEN (live) 9:30 am.
Serie A: AC MILAN v CAGLIARI (live) 2:40 pm.
Ligue 1: LILLE v PSG (live) 2:45 pm.
Primeira Liga: MARITOMO v PORTO (live) 3:15 pm.
MLS: SEATTLE v PORTLAND (live) 11 pm.

FOXSOCCER.tv
EPL: BLACKPOOL v BOLTON (live) 7:30 am.
EPL: WEST BROM v EVERTON (live) 12:30 pm.
Serie A: LAZIO v GENOA (live) Noon.
Ligue 1: MONACO v LENS (live) 1 pm.
Ligue 1: SAINT ETIENNE v RENNAIS (live) 1 pm.
Ligue 1: CAEN v MONTPELLIER (live) 1 pm.
Ligue 1: NANCY v NICE (live) 1 pm.
Ligue 1: BRESTOIS v LYON (live) 1 pm.
Ligue 1:VALENCIENNES v AUXERRE (live) 1 pm.
Ligue 1: AVIGNON v TOULOUSE (live) 1 pm.
FA Cup Final: MANCHESTER CITY v STOKE CITY (On Demand) 11:55 pm.
EPL: SUNDERLAND v WOLVERHAMPTON (On Demand) 11:55 pm.

SUNDAY, May 15

FOX SOCCER CHANNEL
EPL: CHELSEA v NEWCASTLE (live) 8:30 am.
EPL: ARSENAL v ASTON VILLA (live) 11 am.
Serie A: NAPOLI v INTER MILAN (live) 2:30 pm.
WPS: ATLANTA v PHILADELPHIA (live) 6 pm.

FOX SOCCER PLUS
Serie A: FIORENTINA v BOLOGNA (live) 6:30 am.
Serie A: CATANIA v ROMA (live) 9 am.
EPL: LIVERPOOL v TOTTENHAM (live) 11 am.
EPL: BIRMINGHAM CITY v FULHAM (delay) 1 pm.
Ligue 1: LORIENT v MARSEILLE (live) 3 pm.
EPL: WIGAN v WEST HAM (delay) 5 pm.

FOX DEPORTES
EPL: CHELSEA v NEWCASTLE (live) 8:30 am.
EPL: LIVERPOOL v TOTTENHAM (live) 11 am.
Serie A: CATANIA v ROMA (delay) 1 pm.
Serie A: NAPOLI v INTER MILAN (live) 2:30 pm.

ESPN DEPORTES
Eredivisie: AJAX v TWENTE (live) 8:30 am.
La Liga: BARCELONA v DEPORTIVO LA CORUNA (live) 3 pm.

GOLTV
Campeonato Brasileiro: SANTOS v CORINTHIANS (live) 3 pm.
La Liga: VILLARREAL v REAL MADRID (delay) 5 pm.
La Liga:ZARAGOZA v ESPNAYOL (delay) 7 pm.

GALAVISION
MLS: NEW YORK v CHIVAS (live) 7 pm.

TELEMUNDO
Primera Division de Mexico: GUADALAJARA v UNAM, semifinal, 2nd leg (live) 8 pm.

ESPN3.com

Serie A: FIORENTINA v BOLOGNA (live) 6:30 am.
Eredivisie: AJAX v TWENTE (live) 8:30 am.
Serie A: CATANIA v ROMA (live) 9 am.
Serie A: CHIEVO v UDINESE (live) 9 am.
Serie A: PARMA v JUVENTUS (live) 9 am.
Serie A: NAPOLI v INTER MILAN (live) 2:40 pm.
La Liga: BARCELONA v DEPORTIVO LA CORUNA (live) 3 pm.
La Liga: SEVILLA v REAL SOCIEDAD (live) 3 pm.
La Liga: SPORTING GIJON v RACING SANTADAR (live) 3 pm.

FOXSOCCER.tv
EPL: LIVERPOOL v TOTTENHAM (live) 11 am.
EPL: BIRMINGHAM CITY v FULHAM (live) 11 am.
EPL: WIGAN v WEST HAM (live) 11 am.
EPL: CHELSEA v NEWCASTLE (On Demand) 11:55 pm.
EPL: ARSENAL v ASTON VILLA (On Demand) 11:55 pm.
Serie A: NAPOLI v INTER MILAN (On Demand) 11:55 pm.

AP Photo/ Lynne Cameron/PA

The Associated Press

Celtic chief executive Peter Lawwell on Thursday condemned the “vile, sustained and relentless attacks” on his club on Thursday.

On the same day a man appeared in court charged with assaulting manager Neil Lennon during a match, a bullet was found in mail addressed to the coach.

Lennon was attacked by a fan during Wednesday’s win at Hearts. John Wilson, of Edinburgh, was charged under Scotland’s anti-sectarian laws with assault and breach of the peace, both aggravated by religious prejudice. He made no plea during a closed court appearance.

A request for bail was rejected and he was kept in custody.

Sectarianism continues to plague the Scottish game. While Celtic is traditionally supported by Irish Catholics, Glasgow rival Rangers and Hearts, based in Edinburgh, are both mainly supported by Protestants.

Police confirmed Thursday that a bullet was found in mail addressed to the manager at the club’s Celtic Park ground. It was removed for forensic tests.

In a strongly worded statement posted on Celtic’s website, Lawwell said: “It is intolerable that any football club, or individual, going about their lawful business in the name of sport should be subjected to this ongoing campaign of hatred and intimidation.

“This is Scotland’s shame and it is high time Scotland addressed it.”

Police also arrested two men on Thursday in connection with the mail bombs sent to Lennon and two prominent supporters of the Glasgow club in March and April following an ill-tempered match between Celtic and Rangers.

The devices were intercepted before reaching their targets and never exploded. The men, ages 41 and 43, were detained following raids in Kilwinning, 30 miles southwest of Glasgow.

Earlier this week, seven people were charged with possessing a fake firearm near Celtic’s training facility.

“Since moving here a decade ago, Neil Lennon has had to endure prejudice and violence both as a player and manager, having suffered no such problems elsewhere,” Lawwell said. “We are deeply appreciative of the intensive police efforts to address the criminal offenses that have come to light. All right-minded people will surely condemn these actions but, as a society, we must also address the underlying factors that lead to such behavior.”

Scotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond insisted the country is moving toward banishing sectarianism from the Scottish game.

“Throughout society substantial progress has been made,” Salmond said, citing the successful visit by Pope Benedict XVI last year. “But quite clearly surrounding and attaching themselves to the game—let’s not talk about them being part of football—we have some bigots and fools attaching themselves to the game.”

Lennon has been targeted throughout his career. He quit playing international soccer for Northern Ireland in 2002 after 39 appearances, saying he had received death threats from a paramilitary group in his home country.

Earlier this year, Lennon and players Paddy McCourt and Niall McGinn, who are also from Northern Ireland, were sent packages containing bullets.

Wednesday’s incident came in a televised match, which Celtic won 3-0 to move within a point of league leader Rangers heading into this weekend’s final games.

After Celtic scored the second goal, Wilson ran onto the field from the home section of the main stand at Hearts’ Tynecastle stadium. He appeared to lose his balance as he lunged at Lennon, but still made contact with his left hand to the back of the manager’s head.

Wilson was wrestled to the ground and taken away by police.

Lennon did not speak to reporters after the game, but posted on Twitter: “Don’t let what happened to me tonight take the shine off a wonderful team performance… I don’t walk alone.”

His assistant, Johan Mjallby, said Lennon was “shocked.”

“We have to look into this because when you work in management you should be secure in a football ground,” Mjallby said.

Hearts announced on Thursday that the fan has been banned from the club for life. The club has launched an investigation into the incident.

The Scottish Football Association is also looking into the attack, particularly in light of the breach of security.

“Clearly this kind of behavior from supporters is wholly unacceptable,” chief executive Stewart Regan said. “The safety of players, club officials and match officials is paramount on or around the field of play.

Lawwell said he was convinced the incident had wider ramifications than the soccer pitch.

“Last night’s appalling attack on Neil Lennon brings shame on Scottish football,” he said. “And it again highlights the fact that Scottish society must address fundamental and serious issues which lead to outrages of this kind.”

ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP/Getty Images

<a href="http://msn.foxsports.com/video/?vid=d5592be0-f12c-4c35-b922-c1a2126ffbd1&#038;from=IV2_en-us_foxsports_videocentral_player" target="_new" title="AC Milan are the 2010 - 2011 Champions">Video: AC Milan are the 2010 &#8211; 2011 Champions</a>

The Associated Press

AC Milan ended five years of dominance by city rival Inter Milan, clinching its first Serie A title since 2004 with a 0-0 draw at Roma on Saturday night.

Owned by Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi, AC Milan ended a streak of five straight league titles by Inter, tied AC Milan with 18 titles and closed within nine of Juventus.

After the final whistle, Milan began a champagne celebration on the field and threw first-year manager Massimiliano Allegri up into the air.

“Winning after seven years is a huge emotion,” midfielder Gennaro Gattuso said.

AC Milan (23-4-8) has 78 points with two games remaining and cannot be overtaken by second-place Inter (21-8-6), which is nine points back and hosts Fiorentina on Sunday. AC Milan holds the tiebreaker over Inter because it swept both league matches between the rivals.

Stadio Olimpico was filled with about 80,000 fans, including 10,000 for Milan who celebrated by lighting smoke in the colors of Italy’s flag,

“This is a great moment, coming after seven years,” Milan midfielder Clarence Seedorf said. “This group will grow a lot after this victory. Now we want to bring the Italian Cup home, too.”

The closest either side came to scoring was a shot by Milan striker Robinho that bounced off the post one minute into the second half.

The Steelyard (Photos by Zack Hofstad)

Soju and Soccer: A Foreigner’s View of Football in Korea

by Zack Hofstad

Imagine, if you will, getting ready to head out to support your local club at its most recent home match. You throw on your jersey, jump in the car, and hit the local mega-mart to load up on supplies. You grab a few six packs of beer (cans or bottles, whatever your preference), some assorted junk food, and then head to the stadium. Knowing full well that the idea of finding a parking lot that holds more than fifty cars is a dream, you get as close to the stadium as possible and squeeze your Hyundai into the first available (legal??) spot.

On the march to the stadium, you pass vendors selling fried chicken, squid on a stick, rice cakes which have literally just shot out of a fryer against a rubber mat, balloons, and any other number of assorted trinkets. You don’t have your tickets yet, but that’s not an issue. For a mere 10,000 won (around $8) you are soon walking away from the ticket booth and into the stadium with the most expensive ticket available.

Obviously you haven’t arrived at a match in the U.S. or Europe. This describes my experience every time I went to see my local club, the Pohang Steelers, while I was living in Pohang, South Korea.

Not many people outside of Korea have heard of Pohang, and there are good reasons for that. Known for squid, steel, and smokestacks, this blue-collar port city of 500,000 hard working and harder drinking Koreans is home to the third largest steel producer in the world, POSCO. Along with forming a massive steel company in the early 1970’s, the oligarchs behind POSCO decided having a football club sounded like a good way to round out their portfolio, hence the Steelers. In the early 1990’s POSCO built the Steelyard, the first soccer-only stadium in Korea.

The Steelyard (Photos by Zack Hofstad)

From 2009-2010 I taught at Handong International Law School just north of Pohang, and from the first time my wife and I attended a Steelers match we knew we would get used to looking forward to these matches during our time in Korea.

In fact, that first match was a bit of a learning experience, as are most “firsts” in a foreign country. We weren’t completely sure where the stadium was located, and ended up at what it turns out was the old Steelers stadium about five kilometers from the Steelyard. We stopped at a nearby arena and watched a few minutes of children’s ssireum (Korean wrestling), and when we walked back to the stadium at about fifteen minutes prior to kickoff and the place was completely empty, we finally decided we were in the wrong spot. After miming the kicking of a soccer ball to get our taxi driver to understand where we wanted to go, we arrived at the Steelyard. We were told in advance by friends that we would be able to buy tickets at the door, but when we arrived the ticket booths were closed, and there was no one at the gate taking tickets. Hearing the noise coming from the stadium we were convinced there was, in fact, a match underway, so we walked right in for free and grabbed a couple of seats. (We later surmised that because we were there on Children’s Day, a national holiday, the match was free. Every subsequent match we attended on a holiday was free as well).

The remainder of the 2009 season we attended every Steelers home match we could, and if the game wasn’t on a holiday we paid the one-price-fits-all amount of 10,000 won. With the exception of two small sections, the remainder of the 20,000 seat stadium is open seating, and only rarely were we not able to sit within twenty rows of the field. For the 2010 season we bought a special member card which granted us twenty admissions for 40,000 won. I don’t know of a greater value in professional sports or entertainment anywhere.

As mentioned above, there clearly aren’t any concerns about 1) Losing concessions money from fans bringing in their own food and drink, or 2) Rowdy fans using soju or beer cans/bottles as weapons. We couldn’t believe it when, at our first match, we saw groups of dozens of people carting in coolers full of beer along with boxes full of pizza, fried chicken, and noodles. Taking note, at our second match we made a stop before the match and did our best to fit in with the locals.

As an American attorney, I couldn’t go a day in Korea without noticing at least one potential personal injury liability issue. One example from Steelers matches: in Pohang, squid is a very popular meal. Concessioners at the stadium will sell you a squid which looks like it was recently flattened by a pavement roller. Perhaps to make it a little easier to consume, most Koreans take their squid, place it between two steel grates, and cook it over an open propane flame provided to them by the Steelers organization. I can’t imagine this sort of self-serve proposition going over well in our overly litigious Western legal system.

We were lucky to have been introduced to the Steelers in 2009, which turned out to be one of the best years in the history of the franchise. Led by two extremely popular Brazilians, coach Sergio Farias and striker Denilson, the Steelers played a very entertaining attacking style. Having won the Korean FA Cup in 2008, the Steelers qualified for the 2009 Asian Football Confederation’s Champion’s League, which they won in November, 2009. The following month at the 2009 FIFA Club World Cup they defeated African champions TP Mazembe before losing 2-1 to Estudiantes of Argentina. However, they bounced back to take the third place match from Atlante FC 4-3 on penalties. They finished the 2009 K-League season in second place, and also took the K-League Cup that year.

One final note of interest was the overall lack of excitement the city of Pohang had for the Steelers, which is all the more surprising considering that the Steelers are the only professional sports team within at least 120 km of the city. On the night of the Champions League final we went out with a few friends to a bar to watch the match, and the only interest most of the Koreans there had in the match was when we cheered after Pohang scored. After Pohang won, we went down to the main commercial district and outside of a group of about thirty Ultras (the generic term given any team’s primary supporters), no one seemed to care that their hometown squad was just crowned the best club in all of Asia. The recent success of the Korean men’s national team at the last few World Cups notwithstanding, Korea remains largely a baseball country.

If you’d like to share your supporters experience with us, please email us at TheEndline@theendline.com.  We do ask that you provide a well written piece and photographs for your article to be considered.  Thank you.

Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images Europe

*ALL TIMES ARE EASTERN

FRIDAY, May 6

FOX SOCCER CHANNEL
MLS: PORTLAND v PHILADELPHIA (live) 10 pm.

FOX DEPORTES
MLS: PORTLAND v PHILADELPHIA (live) 10 pm.

SATURDAY, May 7

ESPN2
EPL: WEST HAM v BLACKBURN (live) 10 am.
MLS: LOS ANGELES v NEW YORK (live) 11 pm.

FOX SOCCER CHANNEL
EPL: EVERTON v MANCHESTER CITY (live) 10 am.
EPL: TOTTENHAM v BLACKPOOL (live) 12:30 pm.
Serie A: ROMA v AC MILAN (live) 2:30 pm.
EPL: NEWCASTLE v BIRMINGHAM CITY (delay) 5 pm.

FOX SOCCER PLUS
EPL: ASTON VILLA v WIGAN (live) 10 am.
Serie A: PALERMO v BARI (live) Noon.
EPL: BOLTON v SUNDERLAND (delay) 4 pm.

FOX DEPORTES
EPL: EVERTON v MANCHESTER CITY (live) 10 am.
EPL: TOTTENHAM v BLACKPOOL (live) 12:30 pm.
Serie A: ROMA v AC MILAN (delay) 7 pm.

ESPN DEPORTES
EPL: WEST HAM v BLACKBURN (live) 10 am.
La Liga: HERCULES v RACING SANTADAR (live) Noon.
MLS: LOS ANGELES v NEW YORK (live) 11 pm.

GOLTV
Bundesliga: WERDER BREMEN v BORUSSIA DORTMUND (live) 9:25 am.
La Liga: VALENCIA v REAL SOCIEDAD (live) 11:55 am.
La Liga: ATLETICO MADRID v MALAGA (live) 1:55 pm.
La Liga: SEVILLA v REAL MADRID (live) 3:55 pm.
Categoria Primera A: CALI v AMERICA (live) 7:15 pm.
Categoria Primer A: TOLIMA v NACIONAL (live) 9:25 pm.

TELEFUTURA
MLS: REAL SALT LAKE v CHIVAS USA (live) 4 pm.
Primera Division de Mexico: ATLANTE v CRUZ AZUL (live) 10 pm.

TELEMUNDO
Primera Division de Mexico: TIGRES v GUADALAJARA (live) 7:55 pm.

MLS DIRECT KICK
MLS: TORONTO v HOUSTON (live) 7 pm.
MLS: D.C. UNITED v DALLAS (live) 7:30 pm.
MLS: COLUMBUS v SEATTLE (live) 7:30 pm.
MLS: NEW ENGLAND v COLORADO (live) 7:30 pm.
MLS: CHICACO v VANCOUVER (live) 8:30 pm.

ESPN3.com
Bundesliga: ST PAULI v BAYERN MUNICH (live) 9:30 am.
EPL: WEST HAM v BLACKBURN (live) 10 am.
La Liga: HERCULES v RACING SANTADAR (live) Noon.
Serie A: ROMA v AC MILAN (live) 2:40 pm.
MLS: LOS ANGELES v NEW YORK (live) 11 pm.

FOXSOCCER.tv
EPL: ASTON VILLA v WIGAN (live) 10 am.
EPL: NEWCASTLE v BIRMINGHAM CITY (live) 10 am.
EPL: BOLTON v SUNDERLAND (live) 10 am.
Serie A: PALERMO v BARI (live) Noon.
Ligue 1: AUXERRE v MONTPELIER (live) 1 pm.
Ligue 1: LORIENT v TOULOUSE (live) 1 pm.
Ligue 1: CAEN v LENS (live) 1 pm.
Ligue 1: BRESTOIS v NICE (live) 1 pm.
Ligue 1: BORDEAUX v SOCHAUX (live) 1 pm.
Ligue 1: AVIGNON v SAINT ETIENNE (live) 1 pm.
Ligue 1: NANCY v LILLE (live) 3 pm.
EPL: EVERTON v MANCHESTER CITY (On Demand) 11:55 pm.
EPL: TOTTENHAM v BLACKPOOL (On Demand) 11:55 pm.

SUNDAY, May 8

FOX SOCCER CHANNEL
EPL: STOKE CITY v ARSENAL (live) 9 am.
EPL: MANCHESTER UNITED v CHELSEA (live) 11 am.
Serie A: GENOA v SAMPDORIA (live) 2:30 pm.
WPS: PHILADELPHIA v BOSTON (live) 6 pm.

FOX SOCCER PLUS
EPL: WOLVERHAMPTON v WEST BROM (live) 7 am.
Serie A: INTER MILAN v FIORENTINA (live) 9 am.
Ligue 1: LYON v MARSEILLE (live) 3 pm.

FOX DEPORTES
EPL: STOKE CITY v ARSENAL (live) 9 am.
EPL: MANCHESTER UNITED v CHELSEA (live) 11 am.
Serie A: GENOA v SAMPDORIA (live) 2:30 pm.

ESPN DEPORTES
La Liga: BARCELONA v ESPANYOL (live) 1 pm.
La Liga: ZARAGOZA v OSASUNA (live) 3 pm.

GOLTV
Campeonato Brasileiro: CORINTHIANS v SANTOS (live) 2:55 pm.
Primero Division de Uruguay: PENAROL v NACIONAL (delay) 5 pm.

TELEMUNDO
Primera Division de Mexico: UNAM v MONTERREY (live) 12:55 pm.

ESPN3.com
Serie A: UDINESE v LAZIO (live) 8:55 am.
Serie A: INTER MILAN v FIORENTINA (live) 9 am.
La Liga: BARCELONA v ESPANYOL (live) 1 pm.
Serie A: GENOA v SAMPDORIA (live) 2:40 pm.
La Liga: ZARAGOZA v OSASUNA (live) 3 pm.

FOXSOCCER.tv
EPL: WOLVERHAMPTON v WEST BROM (live) 7 am.
Ligue 1: MONACO v PSG (live) 11 am.
Ligue 1: VALENCIENNES v RENNAIS (live) 11 am.
Ligue 1: LYON v MARSEILLE (live) 1 pm.
EPL: STOKE CITY v ARSENAL (On Demand) 11:55 pm.
EPL: MANCHESTER UNITED v CHELSEA (On Demand) 11:55 pm.
Serie A: INTER MILAN v FIORENTINA (On Demand) 11:55 pm.

MONDAY, May 9

ESPN2
EPL: FULHAM v LIVERPOOL (live) 3 pm.

ESPN DEPORTES
EPL: FULHAM v LIVERPOOL (live) 3 pm.

ESPN3.com
Serie A: JUVENTUS v CHIEVO (live) 2:40 pm.
EPL: FULHAM v LIVERPOOL (live) 3 pm.

Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images Europe

<a href="http://msn.foxsports.com/video/?vid=2a803cfd-bf10-47db-9d32-f47e7cb4bafa&#038;from=IV2_en-us_foxsports_videocentral_player" target="_new" title="CL Highlights: Man Utd/Schalke">Video: CL Highlights: Man Utd/Schalke</a>

The Associated Press

Manchester United earned a chance to avenge its demoralizing loss to Barcelona in the 2009 Champions League final after a makeshift side swept aside Schalke on Wednesday.

A rare double from Anderson after goals from Antonio Valencia and Darron Gibson clinched a 4-1 victory to send United through to its third final in four years with a crushing 6-1 aggregate win.

The May 28 showpiece at Wembley Stadium will pit Europe’s most successful teams of recent years against each other in a repeat of the 2009 final, which Barca comfortably won 2-0 in Rome.

“Barcelona play extremely good football, it’s going to be difficult,” said United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar, who is set to play his last game in the final before retiring.

The two giants of club football are each targeting a fourth European title. Barcelona reached its third final in six years by beating Spanish rival Real Madrid on Tuesday.

The 40-year-old Van der Sar was in the side that produced United’s third European title against Chelsea on penalty kicks in 2008 before they were outclassed a year later.

“We have to make sure we learned our lesson (from 2009), be better prepared and deal with them in a different way,” Van der Sar said. “Hopefully it’ll be a better outcome.”

Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola was at Old Trafford on Wednesday, but few of the players likely to face the Spanish champions at Wembley were in action.

With a 2-0 lead from the first leg and Sunday’s potential Premier League decider against Chelsea looming, United manager Alex Ferguson retained just three players—including Van der Sar—from the side that lost at Arsenal at the weekend.

Wayne Rooney and Rio Ferdinand were left out completely, while Ryan Giggs, Nemanja Vidic and Patrice Evra sat on the bench.

“I didn’t sleep last night thinking about it,” Ferguson said of his team selection. “I woke up about four times, picking different teams. But they did me proud.”

United only had one brief scare when Jose Manuel Jurado scored for Schalke. By then, though, United had already stormed into a two-goal lead on the night.

“Wembley here we come,” Rooney wrote on Twitter. “Looking forward to Sunday now. Big result needed.”

Darron Gibson was among those brought into the United side and he sprayed the ball forward to Valencia with pinpoint precision before the winger clipped the ball past Manuel Neuer in the 26th minute.

Gibson was on the scoresheet himself five minutes later after a blunder that defied Neuer’s current standing as one of Europe’s most sought-after goalkeepers.

Neuer allowed Gibson’s strike from the edge of the penalty area to slip through his gloves into the net.

Just when United was cruising, though, a sloppy pass from Chris Smalling gave the visitors a lifeline, with Jurado scoring for Schalke.

There was a brief delay in the match as attention was averted to the high seating behind the opposite goal where Schalke fans clashed with the United stewards, let off flares and ripped up netting.

But the situation soon calmed down as United enjoyed one of the easiest matches it has played all season.

Anderson was first denied by Neuer’s fingertip save but he ended the night by doubling his United goal tally to four since arriving in 2007, having only scored twice in 125 appearances before Wednesday.

Nani darted down the right and cut the ball back to the Brazilian, who resisted Atsuto Uchida’s challenge and wriggled into space to net in the 72nd.

Again the right flank was the weak point, with Dimitar Berbatov surging forward and squaring to the feet of Anderson, who tapped into the net.

It gave United the biggest victory in a European Cup semifinal since AC Milan beat Real Madrid 6-1 over two legs in the 1988-89 season.

Now United will be returning to Wembley for a continental final for the first time since beating Benfica in 1968 to win its first European Cup. The second was won in Barcelona in 1999 by beating Bayern Munich.

Lionel Messi & Cristiano Ronaldo (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)

Today was the last of the 4 El Clásicos that we’ve had in a few short weeks. I have to admit that I was starting to get tired of this match up… but at least we’ll always have Sergio Ramos dropping the Copa del Rey as an off the pitch highlight. So with a two goal advantage, Barcelona looked to book their ticket to Wembley as they hosted rivals, Real Madrid in the 2nd leg of the UEFA Champions League Semi-final.
<a href="http://msn.foxsports.com/foxsoccer/video?vid=1f0eed69-c5ce-4f9c-a513-d505dfaf91ef" target="_new" title="">CL Highlights: Barcelona/Real Madrid</a>