All 8 matches of the Round of 16 of the World Cup tournament will be available in English on the networks of ESPN (ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC) and in Spanish on Univision and Telefutura. While a cable television subscription is required to view ESPN and ESPN2, ABC, Univision and Telefutura are available via free Over-the-air programming (OTA).

Online Coverage
- ESPN3.com will broadcast matches not shown on ABC live
- UnivisionFutbol.com will broadcast ALL matches live

Re-broadcasts
- ESPN Classic and ESPN2 will combine to re-air all 8 matches of the Round of 16 of the 2010 FIFA World Cup beginning Saturday, June 26th. Each match day, ESPN Classic and ESPN2 will present all of the matches played earlier in the day on ESPN starting at 6:00 PM ET. All matches shown on ESPN3.com will be available for on-demand viewing.
- Telefutura will re-broadcast the marquee matches of each match day at 7:00 PM Eastern for the duration of the World Cup.

All times shown are U.S. Eastern and reflect the start of the match broadcasts (including pre-games). Matches will kick-off 30 minutes after the start of the broadcasts.

Liverpool set to announce Roy Hodgson as manager

Liverpool are confident of bringing Roy Hodgson to Liverpool. Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Guardian
Liverpool expect to finalise the appointment of Roy Hodgson as the club’s new manager following his return from South Africa today. The Fulham manager, who has been commenting at the World Cup for the BBC, has been the frontrunner for the Liverpool job since Rafael Benítez left Anfield this month and could be confirmed as the Spaniard’s successor within days.

Liverpool have considered several candidates for the position, including the former Real Madrid and Villarreal coach Manuel Pellegrini, but Kenny Dalglish, the club legend asked to conduct the managerial search alongside the managing director, Christian Purslow, is not in the running.

Anfield officials are confident of securing a deal with Hodgson now that he has returned from South Africa and with his prospects of being offered the chance to succeed Fabio Capello as England manager diminished by the national team’s World Cup victory over Slovenia.

It is understood the make-up of Hodgson’s backroom staff is one of the issues to be resolved prior to his appointment, with the 62-year-old keen to bring the Fulham assistant manager, Mike Kelly, with him to Merseyside. (Guardian)

Well this is a respectable source and the news is interesting. Is this a good choice? I think so. Clearly there are a wealth of other continental names we were linked with who may have been more attractive appointments but maybe at this stage in the history of Liverpool Football Club this is the right man for the job.

He has a proven track record from all over Europe and has been there and done it. We are in a period of transition and under the current administration things are looking pretty dire. Hodgson has done wonderfully well at Fulham and despite the club being bankrolled by Mohamed Al Fayed the Croydon born boss didn’t have that much to spend and he may well have little to play with at Anfield.

If he does come expect us to be linked with the top talent at the west London club and one can only hope that Bobby Zamora doesn’t follow him!

JOHANNESBURG(AP) — Defending champion Italy was eliminated Thursday from the World Cup with a humbling 3-2 loss to Slovakia, which advanced.

Slovakia finished second in Group F to Paraguay. The Italians were last, the first time they’ve ever finished at the bottom of an opening-round group.

“I take full responsibility,” Italy coach Marcello Lippi said. “If the squad went out with fear in their legs and hearts it means the coach didn’t prepare the match well tactically or psychologically.”

For the third consecutive game, the Azzurri allowed an early goal and this time they never recovered.

Robert Vittek put Slovakia ahead in the 25th minute, taking advantage of an errant pass from midfielder Daniele De Rossi. Vittek doubled the lead from close range in the 73rd following a corner kick.

Antonio Di Natale scored for Italy in the 81st, but Kamil Kopunek ended Italy’s chances eight minutes later, even though Fabio Quagliarella scored in injury time for the four-time champions.

It was Italy’s first loss at the World Cup since allowing a golden goal to South Korea in the second round in 2002. And it marked the end of an era for Italy captain Fabio Cannavaro and Gennaro Gattuso, who already announced their retirement from the national team after the tournament. Lippi, who led Italy to the 2006 championship, is also moving on, with Cesare Prandelli already chosen as his successor.

“We were a disappointment and everyone saw it,” regular goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon said. “The difference between 2006 and 2010 is that there are no longer enough players like (Francesco) Totti and Alessandro (Del Piero). He (Prandelli) will have to start a new cycle and I hope he’s got his ideas in order, because the current situation of Italian football isn’t great.”

Italy’s squad featured nine players 30 or over and Prandelli will be charged with a major overhaul. Italy hasn’t won since beating Sweden 1-0 in a friendly in November, drawing five times and losing twice.

Never have the previous World Cup finalists both failed to advance in the next tournament when both qualified. France, which lost to Italy on penalty kicks for the 2006 title, went out earlier this week in Group A.

Slovakia plays Monday in Durban against the winner of Group E. Many of the Slovak players were in tears at the end of the match, and the reserves gathered in a circle, jumping up and down in celebration. It is the first World Cup for Slovakia as an independent nation.

Slovakia finished with a win, a draw and a loss for four points. Italy had two draws and Thursday’s bitter defeat.

Italy also allowed early goals in its 1-1 draws with Paraguay and New Zealand and the Azzurri attack struggled in all three games – save for the final 10 minutes against Slovakia, when the Italians got desperate.

Vittek’s opening goal came on a low shot just beyond the reach of goalkeeper Federico Marchetti, who again replaced the injured Buffon. He then went around Giorgio Chiellini from close range following a corner kick for his second goal.

Di Natale slid in a rebound from Quagliarella’s shot and, with four forwards on, Quagliarella nearly equalized in the 85th, but was ruled offside by the smallest of margins.

Slovakia restored its two-goal lead in the 89th when substitute Kopunek lifted a bouncing ball over Marchetti.

Quagliarella finally found the target in the second minute of added time with a delicate lob.

Still, for 80 minutes Italy’s forwards were unable to find the net, and no forward scored in open play during the Azzurri’s opening two matches.

Midfielder Andrea Pirlo came on in the 56th minute for his first action since injuring his left calf in a friendly against Mexico three weeks ago. The crafty playmaker gave Italy’s sagging attack a much-needed boost, but it was not enough.

The early exit left the soccer-crazed nation in shock and anger.

The online editions of Corriere della Sera, the country’s largest newspaper, said “Azzurri, Farewell to the World Cup.” Repubblica wrote that “it’s worse than with Korea,” recalling the shocking exit at the hands of North Korea in 1966.

Fans who gathered in a Rome park to watch the match on giant screens began leaving as Slovakia’s goals piled up.

Reaction, naturally, was just the opposite in Bratislava.

“A fantasy,” read the headline of the Internet version of Pravda, a major Slovak newspaper.

“The footballers shocked Italy,” another daily, Sme, said.

Fans who were watching the match in front of a giant screen in downtown Bratislava screamed in joy at the final whistle.

“It was not a miracle, but reality on the pitch in Johannesburg,” Slovak President Ivan Gasparovic said in a text message sent to The Associated Press through his spokesman. “Our players were doing all they could, played fantastic and deserved to win. I’m absolutely delighted and so is the entire Slovakia.”

PRETORIA, South Africa (AP) — Landon Donovan scored in injury time as the United States advanced to the round of 16 at the World Cup with a 1-0 win over Algeria.

England joined the United States in the next round from Group C with a 1-0 win over Slovenia.

The Americans missed two earlier chances Wednesday.

TV replays appeared to show Clint Dempsey to be onside when he tapped into the net from close range after being fed by Herculez Gomez in the 21st minute. Dempsey hit the post in the 57th and missed the rebound.

Rafik Djebbour went close to scoring Algeria’s first tournament goal in the 6th, with the striker’s shot hitting the crossbar after U.S. defender Jay DeMerit failed to clear a long ball.

South Africa seemed on course for miraculous progress to the knockout stages of the World Cup but ultimately missed out despite a 2-1 victory over France.

Bongani Khumalo gave Bafana Bafana the lead against the run of play, and when Yoann Gourcuff was harshly dismissed midway through the first period the hosts smelled history. The impressive Katlego Mphela struck before the break, but chances were missed and when Florent Malouda pulled a goal back for their guests, the Rainbow Nation’s dream was effectively ended.

France started the match not cutting the kind of shape that one might expect of a team in disarray, though they were hardly playing with the fizz that might be anticipated of such a star-studded unit.
A clever pass from Yoann Gourcuff, one of six new faces in les Bleus’ starting XI, created an early chance for another newcomer, Andre-Pierre Gignac, though the Toulouse striker finished tamely when well placed in the box after just three minutes. The Europeans continued to push on, but the best they could manage in their early spell was a headed flick from Djibril Cisse from the edge of the penaltybox.

With the passing of the 15 minute mark, Bafana Bafana started to push away from their penalty box and offer some threat of their own. Having not truly threatened in the early stages, the World Cup hosts grabbed the advantage when Hugo Lloris got nowhere near a corner kick, allowing Khumalo to out-jump Abou Diaby to head home.

Although Gignac quickly offered a shot over the bar as a reply from the French, South Africa looked at ease with their lead and were then given a big helping hand by Colombian referee Oscar Ruiz. Gourcuff leapt for a high ball in the South Africa penalty box and innocuously hit MacBeth Sibaya in the face. Though there was undoubtedly contact, it seemed clear that there was no intent in the midfielder’s action.

Given the circumstances, it was little surprise France grew a little ragged against a fantastically hungry home side. With the crowd right behind their favourites, South Africa found a second goal before the break. Siphiwe Tshabalala worked his way in down the left impressively, and when he fired into a dangerous area, Mphela scrambled the ball over the line.

Bernard Parker soon had the ball in Lloris’ net once again, but he was correctly ruled offside.

A Franck Ribery free kick at the other end of the field forced Moeneeb Josephs to turn the bouncing ball over his crossbar, though William Gallas might have struck had he made contact with the accurate centre.

Bafana were dominating, and they nearly had a precious third goal when Mphela’s angled drive was touched wide for a corner kick.

Needing goals, it was little surprise to see South Africa bright and breezy after the half-time interval. Bernard Parker shot into the midriff of Lloris before a terrific pass from Siphiwe Tshabalala released Mphela. With his first touch, the Mamelodi Sundowns striker swept the ball over Lloris but against the outside of the post.

Just before the hour mark, Mphela tried his luck from range, but Lloris dived to his right to make a commendable save.

France were not totally impotent. Ribery shot over when he should have instead passed to substitute Thierry Henry, who replaced Cisse, who himself had a snapshot go narrowly over just after the interval.

Such forays were rare, whereas the sight of Mphela running purposefully at the French defence was not. The striker snuck in down the right channel next, but Lloris made the block when the angle was very much against the Bafana attacker.

Against the run of play, Malouda stuck a dagger in South Africa’s challenge, silencing even the vuvuzelas. Good play in the heart of the midfield from Abou Diaby released Ribery down the right channel, and the Bayern Munich man defeated the advancing Josephs with a neat square pass to his Chelsea-based team-mate, who simply couldn’t miss.

This goal seemed to take the sting out of the game, though both coaches were still attempting to shape their sides into increasingly attacking formations. Bafana’s attacks lacked the purpose they once boasted and there would be no late miracle, with Tshabalala superbly denied by Lloris.

South Africa exit the tournament as the first host nation to fail to progress by the group stages, but at least they leave with their heads held high, which certainly cannot be said of Raymond Domenech’s men.

One of the best ways to keep up on the soccer will be to watch it streaming live. Here’s where you can find the World Cup soccer matches streaming online:

Photo by CLF.

Live Streaming Sites

ESPN 3 is the online streaming version of the popular sports network in the U.S.A. Their upcoming live streaming schedule includes the kick-off on June 10^th, the opening ceremonies on June 11^th followed by the FIFA World Cup matches.According to the NY Times, ESPN 3 will be streaming all 64 games.

ESPN Mobile TV will be streaming the kick-off, opening ceremonies and 56 world cup matches including semifinals and final to Sprint customers on the new HTC EVO smartphone, according to MarketWatch.

CBC Sports is Canada’s national public broadcaster. The CBC Sports website states “Between June 11^th and July 11^th 2010 watch every game streamed LIVE on CBCSports.ca”.

Optus is the #2 Australian telecommunications carrier and will be live streaming 2010 World Cup matches for free to customers with compatible 3G mobile devices.

TVU Networks is a live streaming Internet TV platform and, according to Ask MetaFilter, should be carrying the 2010 World Cup.

BBC Sport states that “All BBC matches will be available to watch live online in high quality video” according to this article, which also contains a schedule of which matches are on the BBC and which will be on iTV.

iTV is the biggest commercial television network in the UK. According to their FIFA World Cup Live description they will have select content from all 64 games, and be broadcasting live any matches that iTV carries.

FIFA 2010 World Cup Schedule

To find out when your team is playing, check out the official World Cup soccer schedule on FIFA’s website.

Regional Restrictions on Live Streaming

Many of these live streaming video sites are infamous for using geographical restrictions to lock out certain viewers. The BBC will almost definitely be blocking anyone not located in the UK, and other sites may have similar policies.

Liverpool have reportedly agreed a deal to appoint Manuel Pellegrini as their next manager.

Reports in Chile now claim that the former Real Madrid coach signed a deal with the Reds yesterday morning following negotiations.

Pellegrini was dismissed from his role in the Spanish capital after failing to prise the La Liga title away from Barcelona last season despite his side amassing 96 points and netting over 100 goals.

His imminent appointment is expected to be welcomed by Pepe Reina, who worked under him during his time at Villarreal. (Click Liverpool)

I hope this source is correct because Manuel Pellegrini is a top notch manager with a lot to offer us as our new boss. It took some guts for Real Madrid to sack a manager who accumulated 96 points in one season, a record total for the Bernabeu side, just so Jose Mourinho could be installed as the new boss.

Pellegrini had great success at lowly Villarreal where he took a side who had only reached the Spanish top tier for the first time just five years before he took over and then took the club to five top seven finishes in a row including a runners up spot in 07/08.

Of all the managers linked with the vacant post he is the one who excites me most. Kenny Dalglish would be a choice that my heart would be happy with but my head says Pellegrini. The Chilean would suit the club in many ways and it would be interesting to see who Tom Hicks and George Gillett finally choose to succeed Rafa. They may opt for Roy Hodgson but whilst I rate the Fulham manager highly I can’t help but feel it would be an appointment that would be a backward step for the club.

Champions Chelsea begin the defence of their Barclays Premier League title at home to newly-promoted West Bromwich Albion managed by former Stamford Bridge favourite Roberto di Matteo.

Runners-up Manchester United also kick off against a promoted side as Newcastle United visit Old Trafford. Click here to see all the fixtures in chronological format or click here to see club by club fixtures.

It is a re-run of the opening-day fixture in 2008/09 when the sides drew 1-1. At the end of the campaign, the Magpies were relegated and United went on to win the title.

The other new-boys Blackpool’s first ever Barclays Premier League fixture will be a local derby at home to Wigan Athletic. They then go to Arsenal before hosting Fulham.

But perhaps the pick of the opening day fixtures is a re-run of last season’s intriguing battle for a Champions League place.

After pipping Manchester City for fourth spot, Tottenham Hotspur begin at home to Roberto Mancini’s side while Liverpool host Arsenal who finished third last season.

It promises to be a mouth-watering start to the new campaign. Aston Villa who finished sixth begin at home to West Ham United who just avoided relegation and who will be playing their first match under new manager Avram Grant.

Local rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers and Stoke City meet at Molineux and Sunderland manager Steve Bruce faces his old club Birmingham City at the Stadium of Light.

Everton make the short journey to Blackburn Rovers while Bolton Wanderers are at home to Fulham.