<div id="attachment_2589" style="width: 510px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><div><figure class="image"></figure></div>The Roscón de Reyes is traditionally eaten on Epiphany, January 6. A round, candied sweet bread, there is a hidden "Jesus doll" inside the bread, and the person who ends up with the doll is crowned "King of the Day."</div>
Only the players know whether Los Magos (The Magi) left them with treats or a lump of coal in their shoes on Epiphany, but with this weekend’s matches upcoming, they can begin the process of maintaining their good form or making up for their naughty play from last year.&nbsp; The preeminent fixture will be the Real Madrid – Mallorca clash on Sunday.
Mallorca has risen to fourth place mainly due to their home form, where they have won all eight matches played at the ONO Estadi this season.&nbsp; The only other team that has a 100% record at home?&nbsp; Real Madrid.&nbsp; Mallorca has won only once out of eight on their travels, and the trend should render a Real Madrid at home, but Mallorca was not supposed to be in the top four at this point of the season, so trends and past history do not mean anything to them at this moment.
Valencia will feel strange playing on the traditional Sunday 5:00 PM local time, as all of their previous games have been at the Saturday or Sunday marquee times.&nbsp; The reason: they are at El Chapín to visit cellar-dweller Xerez.&nbsp; Not the sexiest game ever, and thus, Valencia has been bumped off the glamour TV times.
The times listed are Eastern Standard Time (EST) and include the pregame pleasantries, although sometimes the matches on the DIRECTV La Liga specific channels may not go to match coverage until right before kickoff.
Jan. 9
Real Valladolid vs. Atlético Madrid – 11:55 AM on ESPN Deportes/ESPN 360
Sevilla vs. Racing Santander – 1:55 PM on Gol TV
Villarreal vs. Almería – 3:45 PM on DirecTV channel 456
Jan. 10
Sporting Gijón vs. Getafe – 10:45 AM on DirecTV channel 456
Espanyol vs. Real Zaragoza – 10:45 AM on DirecTV channel 457
Deportivo La Coruña vs. Osasuna – 10:55 AM on Gol TV
Xerez vs. Valencia – 10:55 AM on ESPN Deportes/ESPN 360
Real Madrid vs. Mallorca – 12:55 PM on Gol TV
Tenerife vs. Barcelona – 2:55 PM on ESPN/ESPN Deportes/ESPN 360
Unfortunately, the Málaga – Athletic Bilbao matchup at La Rosaleda will not be seen on US TV.
Copa del Rey
After exciting first legs to the Round of 16 of the Copa del Rey, these teams will meet again in the second legs this coming midweek.&nbsp; Except for Atlético Madrid’s embarrassing show against Recreativo Huelva, all other ties are either tied or are separated by a slim goal.&nbsp; Will Barcelona be able to overturn their deficit against Sevilla to continue their defense of the title?&nbsp; Could all five lower division teams actually progress to the quarterfinals?&nbsp; For a competition that most La Liga teams see as a time to play their fringe players or their academy players, they may not have that luxury in these second legs.
Jan. 12
Villarreal vs. Celta de Vigo – 4:55 PM on Gol TV (Villarreal 1-1 Celta de Vigo after the first leg)
Jan. 13
Racing Santander vs. Alcorcón – 1:55 PM on ESPN 360 (Racing Santander 2-3 Alcorcón after the first leg)
Deportivo La Coruña vs. Valencia – 1:55 PM on ESPN Deportes/ESPN 360 (Deportivo La Coruña 2-1 Valencia after the first leg)
Sevilla vs. Barcelona – 3:55 PM on Gol TV (Sevilla 2-1 Barcelona after the first leg)
Jan. 14
Mallorca vs. Rayo Vallecano – 1:55 PM on Gol TV (Mallorca 1-2 Rayo Vallecano after the first leg)
Atlético Madrid vs. Recreativo Huelva – 3:55 PM on ESPN Deportes/ESPN 360 (Atlético Madrid 0-3 after the first leg)
UPDATE: The Racing Santander – Alcorcón second leg will no longer be shown on ESPN 360.

La Liga US TV Listings for Jornada 17: Jan. 9 and Jan. 10 - World Soccer Talk

La Liga US TV Listings for Jornada 17: Jan. 9 and Jan. 10

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The two late Saturday matches headline Round 14 of La Liga with the 150th edition of El Derbi Barceloní between local rivals FC Barcelona and Espanyol and a top-three clash with 3rd place Valencia hosting 2nd place Real Madrid.&nbsp; Two other intriguing matches include high-flying Mallorca hoping to take their stellar home form and infuse it into their mediocre away record against Osasuna in Pamplona and El Derbi Decepción (The Disappointment Derby) between perennial high finishers Atlético Madrid and Villarreal.&nbsp; Currently Atleti is 13th and Villarreal is 11th, but both have had a string of decent results in the past few weeks and will look to continue their good play against each other.
The times listed are Eastern Standard Time (EST) and include the pregame pleasantries, although sometimes the matches on the DIRECTV La Liga specific channels may not go to match coverage until right before kickoff.
Dec. 12
Real Zaragoza vs. Athletic Bilbao – 11:55 AM on GOL TV
Barcelona vs. Espanyol – 1:55 PM on GOL TV
Valencia vs. Real Madrid – 3:55 PM on ESPN Deportes/ESPN 360
Dec. 13
Osasuna vs. Mallorca – 10:45 AM on DirecTV channel 456
Getafe vs. Tenerife – 10:45 AM on DirecTV channel 457
Real Valladolid vs. Málaga – 10:45 AM on DirecTV channel 458
Almería vs. Deportivo La Coruña – 10:55 AM on ESPN Deportes/ESPN 360
Atlético Madrid vs. Villarreal – 12:55 PM on GOL TV
Sporting Gijón vs. Sevilla – 2:55 PM on ESPN Deportes/ESPN 360
Unfortunately, the Racing Santander – Xerez match will not be shown on US TV.
UEFA Europa League
Also in the midweek, the last round of matches in the UEFA Europa League group stage commences with two of the three Spanish teams already securing their places in the Round of 32 knockout stage.&nbsp; Villarreal will finish second in their group with Red Bull Salzburg as the top team, and Athletic Bilbao will face group leaders Werder Bremen with a chance to top their group.&nbsp; Athletic would either have to beat Bremen by three goals or defeat Bremen by two goals and concede one or less away goals to finish first in the group, but knowing that their passage to the next round is secure should relax the Basques.&nbsp; Valencia’s future is not fully settled, but as long as they do not lose to Genoa at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris, they will head into the Round of 32 as the winner of Group B.&nbsp; The only way Valencia does not advance to the next stage is if they lose to Genoa and Lille defeat Slavia Prague.
Athletic Bilbao vs. Werder Bremen – Wednesday, December 16 at 3:00 PM on GOL TV
Genoa vs. Valencia – Thursday, December 17 at 12:55 PM on GOL TV
Villarreal vs. Red Bull Salzburg – Thursday, December 17 at 3:00 on DirecTV channel 462 (462-1 for HD)
FIFA Club World Cup
FC Barcelona will travel to the United Arab Emirates next week for the FIFA Club World Cup, and Pep Guardiola will look to continue his undefeated record in all competitions entered since he became manager of Barcelona in the summer of 2008.&nbsp; Pedro Rodríguez will hope to score in the Club World Cup to extend his record of scoring in six different competitions in one season.&nbsp; He has already scored in the UEFA Super Cup, the Supercopa de España, La Liga, Copa del Rey, and the UEFA Champions League.
FC Barcelona vs. the Auckland City/Atlante winner – Wednesday, December 16 at 11:00 AM on Fox Soccer Channel

La Liga US TV Listings for Jornada 14: Dec. 12 and Dec. 13 - World Soccer Talk

La Liga US TV Listings for Jornada 14: Dec. 12 and Dec. 13

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Hurricane Clásico passed through the shores of Spain with a FC Barcelona win, and now normalcy can somewhat return to La Liga.&nbsp; The two most important matches in terms of the championship race are 5th place Deportivo La Coruña vs. league leaders FC Barcelona and 8th place Athletic Bilbao vs. 4th place Valencia.&nbsp; The most intriguing game, however, could be the Villarreal – Getafe matchup on Sunday.&nbsp; Villarreal’s rise from the dead hit a snag with a 0-1 loss at El Molinón vs. Sporting Gijón last weekend, and their possible return to their seemingly patented European place continues versus a 9th place Getafe club that has been inconsistent all season, with surprising wins against Valencia and Athletic Bilbao but bad losses against Osasuna and Real Zaragoza.
The times listed are Eastern Standard Time (EST) and include the pregame pleasantries, although sometimes the matches on the DIRECTV La Liga specific channels may not go to match coverage until right before kickoff.
Dec. 5
Xerez vs. Atlético Madrid – 11:55 AM on ESPN 360/ESPN Deportes
Sevilla vs. Real Valladolid – 11:55 AM on GOL TV
Real Madrid vs. Almería – 1:55 PM on GOL TV
Deportivo La Coruña vs. Barcelona – 3:55 PM on ESPN 360/ESPN Deportes
Dec. 6
Espanyol vs. Racing Santander – 10:45 AM on DIRECTV channel 458
Mallorca vs. Real Zaragoza – 10:45 AM on DIRECTV channel 457
Málaga vs. Osasuna – 10:45 AM on DIRECTV channel 456
Villarreal vs. Getafe – 12:55 PM on GOL TV
Athletic Bilbao vs. Valencia – 2:55 PM on ESPN2/ESPN 360/ESPN Deportes (on ESPN2, immediately preceding this match is the NCAA Women’s Soccer Championship (go Tar Heels, my alma mater), and depending if it is won in regulation or in extra time, the Athletic – Valencia may start later than expected on ESPN 2)
Unfortunately, the Tenerife vs. Sporting Gijón match will not be shown on US TV.
As always, if you are unable to see any of these matches this weekend, La Liga 360 shows the highlights from all these matches at 9:00 PM on GOL TV.
In the midweek, the final round of matches in the UEFA Champions League group stage occur, and of the four Spanish teams involved, only Sevilla knows where they are going come the knockout stage.&nbsp; Barcelona and Real Madrid control their own destiny: win and their in the next phase.&nbsp; If results do not go their way, however, they could amazingly be eliminated from the Champions League.&nbsp; Atlético Madrid also controls their own destiny in parachuting into the UEFA Europa League, but if they lose to FC Porto and APOEL Nicosia somehow defeats a probable second-string Chelsea side, Los Colchoneros will be out of Europe altogether.
UEFA Champions League
Atlético Madrid vs. FC Porto – Tuesday, December 8 at 2:30 PM on DIRECTV channel 466 (466-1 for HD)
Marseille vs. Real Madrid – Tuesday, December 8 at 2:30 PM on FSN and FSN HD/Fox Sports en Español
Dynamo Kyiv vs. FC Barcelona – Wednesday, December 9 at 2:30 PM on Setanta Sports and Fox Sports en Español
Sevilla vs. Rangers – Wednesday, December 9 at 2:30 PM on 464 (464-1 for HD)

La Liga US TV Listings for Jornada 13: Dec. 5 and Dec. 6 - World Soccer Talk

La Liga US TV Listings for Jornada 13: Dec. 5 and Dec. 6

This weekend’s round of fixtures is highlighted by El Clásico, the rivalry between Barcelona and Real Madrid.&nbsp; Not only are they the two most successful teams in the history of Spanish football, they occupy the top two spots in this season’s table.&nbsp; Real Madrid has a one point lead over Barcelona heading into this pivotal match.&nbsp; Not to be overshadowed is another top six clash between 4th place Valencia and 6th place Mallorca at the Mestalla on Saturday.
The times listed are Eastern Standard Time (EST) and include the pregame pleasantries, although sometimes the matches on the DIRECTV La Liga specific channels may not go to match coverage until right before kickoff.
Nov. 28
Sporting Gijón vs. Villarreal – 11:55 AM on GOL TV
Valencia vs. Mallorca – 1:55 PM on ESPN Deportes/ESPN 360
Sevilla vs. Málaga – 3:55 PM on GOL TV
Nov. 29
Racing Santander vs. Deportivo La Coruña – 10:45 AM on DIRECTV channel 456
Almería vs. Athletic Bilbao – 10:45 AM on DIRECTV channel 457
Real Zaragoza vs. Osasuna – 10:45 AM on DIRECTV channel 458
Atlético Madrid vs. Espanyol – 2:55 on ESPN2/ESPN 360
El Clásico: Barcelona vs. Real Madrid – On GOL TV, coverage starts at 11:00 AM with a thirty minute program called “El Clásico Goles Historicos,” detailing the most important goals in the history of the Barcelona – Real Madrid rivalry.&nbsp; At 12:00 PM, there is an hour pre-game show before kickoff at 1:00 PM, followed by the match itself, and then an hour post-game show following the match.
On ESPN Deportes and ESPN 360, coverage begins at 12:00 PM with their own one-hour pregame show before the 1:00 PM kickoff.&nbsp; After the match on both ESPN Deportes and ESPN 360, there will be a ninety minute post-game show on ESPN Deportes.
Unfortunately, this match will not be show in high definition in the United States.
The Getafe – Xerez and the Real Valladolid – Tenerife matches will not be shown on US TV.
Also in mid-week, Match Day 5 of the Europa League commences with three Spanish teams fighting to make it into the knockout stages.&nbsp; The most intriguing match involving a La Liga team is Valencia hosting Lille at the Mestalla; Valencia is tied with Genoa for second in the group with six points, one point behind Lille.
UEFA Europa League
Levski Sofia vs. Villarreal – Wednesday, December 2 at 12:45 PM on DIRECTV channel 463 (463-1 for HD)
Valencia vs. Lille – Wednesday, December 2 at 3:00 PM on DIRECTV channel 462 (462-1 for HD) and delayed at 8:00 PM on GOL TV
Austria Wien vs. Athletic Bilbao – Thursday, December 3 at 12:45 PM on DIRECTV channel 462 (462-1 for HD)

La Liga US TV Listings for Jornada 12: Nov. 28 and Nov. 29 - World Soccer Talk

La Liga US TV Listings for Jornada 12: Nov. 28 and Nov. 29

As we head into the final weekend of Euro 2008, ESPN&nbsp;decided to take&nbsp;the occasion yesterday to put out a new press release talking about how the tournament is doing viewership wise through the quarterfinal round.&nbsp; So, what did they have to&nbsp;say?
As noted in the headline, the Spain v Italy quarterfinal shown on ESPN Sunday was the most watched Euro 2008 match before the semifinals.&nbsp; The&nbsp;game scored a 1.4 rating, with 1.39 million homes and 1.91 million viewers tuning in.&nbsp; Given these were two of the highest-profile teams in the tournament, the result doesn’t come as much of a surprise.&nbsp; Overall, in six matches shown on the ESPN, the average rating is a .9, with 835,000 homes and 1.1 million viewers.&nbsp; Compared to the same time slot (2:30-5PM eastern)&nbsp;on ESPN&nbsp;in 2007, this represents an 80% increase in rating, a 90% increase in households, and a 116% increase in total viewers from the network average.
Meanwhile, ESPN2 in 16 matches aired&nbsp;has a .5 rating with 506,000 homes and 635,000 viewers, which&nbsp;respectively represent a&nbsp;67%, 59%, and 75% increase on&nbsp;ESPN2’s average for the same time slot in 2007.&nbsp; And the online video service ESPN360 has had it’s biggest month in history between Euro 2008, the US Open, and Wimbledon, with eight of the 10 most viewed single events being Euro matches.
As for the one game broadcast on ABC, the Netherlands v Russia&nbsp;quarterfinal finished with a 1.2 rating&nbsp;and 1.84 million viewers according to ratings site <a href="http:\/\/tvbythenumbers.com/2008/06/27/top-sports-shows-june-16-22-celtics-celebration/4267">TV by the Numbers.</a>&nbsp; Compared to other Saturday afternoon sports broadcasts, it roughly fell in the middle of the pack.&nbsp;&nbsp;The match finished well behind FOX Saturday Baseball and the Men’s Gymnastics Olympic Trials on NBC, but it did finish ahead of the rest of NBC’s afternoon sports lineup and the PGA Tour on CBS.
Overall, the&nbsp;ratings seem fairly&nbsp;positive given this is an event without an obvious American interest and with most of its matches falling in the middle of the workday. Positive enough to ensure its return in four years time, or to cause ESPN to bring in more European soccer? We will have to wait and see. For now, the focus will be on a big finish with Sunday’s soccer doubleheader on ABC, with the LA Galaxy&nbsp;playing DC United in MLS action&nbsp;before the Germany v Spain final.

Spain-Italy Most Watched Match So Far And Other ESPN Euro Ratings News - World Soccer Talk

Spain-Italy Most Watched Match So Far And Other ESPN Euro Ratings News

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La Liga US TV Listings for Jornada 13: Dec. 5 and Dec. 6

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La Liga US TV Listings for Jornada 12: Nov. 28 and Nov. 29

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Spain-Italy Most Watched Match So Far And Other ESPN Euro Ratings News