USMNT midweek viewing guide: Action aplenty

A brand new week has begun, and with it have come a flurry of fixtures to fulfill the souls of ardent USMNT watchers. We’re nonetheless a great distance off from the mouth-watering fixtures of the Champions League, however there’s fairly a little bit of motion, particularly within the Bundesliga, Championship, and Premier League. Hope you’ve gotten ESPN+!

Tuesday

• Borussia Mönchengladbach v Werder Bremen – 12:30p on ESPN+: Josh Sargent has began Bremen’s first three video games of 2021, although every in numerous setups: as a lone striker, alongside Davie Selke, and alongside Manchester United loanee Tahith Chong. US U-20-eligible RB Joe Scally not too long ago joined ‘Gladbach from NYCFC, however he’ll start with ‘Gladbach II so far as I can inform.
• Royal Mouscron v Waasland-Beveren – 12:45p: American striker Joe Efford and Waasland-Beveren tackle Mouscron in a relegation struggle.
• Derby County v AFC Bournemouth – 1p on ESPN+: Cameron Carter-Vickers is a possible starter for Bournemouth as they proceed their promotion push on this Championship conflict. Duane Holmes has been omitted of the squad for dire Derby’s final three video games, and he’s rumored to return to his boyhood membership Huddersfield City on a £1m switch.
• Bayer Leverkusen v Borussia Dortmund – 2:30p on ESPN+: Gio Reyna missed Dortmund’s Saturday match with a throat an infection, so hopefully he’ll return to face Leverkusen on this top-four conflict.
• FSV Mainz 05 v VFL Wolfsburg – 2:30p on ESPN+: John Brooks has began the final three matches for Wolfsburg; they’ll be trying to get three factors in opposition to bottom-dwellers Mainz.
• Rotherham United v Stoke Metropolis – 2:45p: Matthew Olosunde isn’t a reputation talked about by USMNT followers every single day, however he turned in a Man of the Match efficiency in a 2-1 further time loss to Everton within the FA Cup final week, scoring Rotherham’s solely objective. The U-23-eligible RWB additionally began within the victory over Derby, ruining Wayne Rooney’s first match as a supervisor. Whereas proper again is a stacked place for the US, Matt is unquestionably one to regulate.
• RSC Anderlecht v Charleroi SC – 3p: Nice alternative for Matt Miazga on this one, with solely 5 factors separating third from Eleventh within the Belgian league desk. Anderlecht sit seventh, one level behind upstarts Charleroi.
• Leicester City v Chelsea FC – 3:15p: Christian Pulisic and Chelsea want to choose up factors as they face third-place Leicester, who’ve 11 factors from their final 5 matches.

Wednesday

• FC Emmen v SC Heerenveen – 10:30a: Uly Llanez will search for minutes on this KNVB Cup matchup in opposition to Emmen, the Eredivisie’s backside membership, who don’t have any wins from 17 league matches.
• KV Kortrijk v Sint-Truidense VV – 10:30a: Chris Durkin and Brendan Hines-Ike face off in Belgian league motion.
• FC Lugano v BSC Younger Boys – 12p: French dual-national Jordan Siebatcheu has been in good type of late in Switzerland; he will get one other scoring change in opposition to Lugano within the league.
• Schalke 04 v FC Köln – 12:30p on ESPN+: One can solely Hoppe for a fast finish to all these puns. Will his scoring streak proceed?
• Manchester City v Aston Villa – 1p: Ederson’s return from covid has returned Zack Steffen to the bench for the previous two Metropolis matches; they face an Aston Villa aspect that has stunned many within the Premier League this yr.
• Cardiff Metropolis v Queens Park Rangers – 2p: Geoff Cameron and Charlie Kelman face off in opposition to Cardiff, who’re comfortably mid-table.
• Nottingham Forest v Middlesbrough – 2p: England U18 winger and US dual-nat Alex Mighten will get one other probability to impress vs Middlesbrough.
• RB Leipzig v Union Berlin – 2:30p on ESPN+: Tyler Adams and Leipzig are painfully shut, solely trailing Bayern by 4 factors. To maintain up their progress, they’ll want a win in opposition to Fifth-place Union.
• FC Augsburg v Bayern Munich – 2:30p on ESPN+: Bayern have a better job in opposition to Eleventh-place Augsburg; Chris Richards has seen minutes arduous to return by not too long ago, taking part in extra with Bayern II.
• Membership Brugge v KV Oostende – 3p: Ethan Horvath is a participant who performs for Brugge (not often). At this level, it’s extra fascinating to look at transfer rumors fly to hope he can get out from below Simon Mignolet’s shadow.
• Fulham v Manchester United – 3:15p: Antonee Robinson and (perhaps) Tim Ream face a surging United aspect that’s prime of the desk. Some extent can be an enormous victory for Fulham, who’ve work to do to stave off relegation.
• Livingston FC v Celtic FC – 3:15p on ESPN+: We’ll see if U20 winger Cameron Harper will get one other cameo with Celtic, as they face off in opposition to Livingston and Scottish dual-nat attacking mid Scott Pittman.
• Sao Paulo FC v Internacional – 7:30p: Johnny Cardoso made his first Brazilian Serie A look shortly in Internacional’s final sport in opposition to Fortaleza. He’ll search for extra minutes in our night viewing in opposition to Sao Paulo.

This one is definitely on TV:

• Juventus v Napoli – 3p on ESPN 2, ESPN Deportes: Supercoppa closing! It’s not typically you see Individuals elevate trophies in top-5 European soccer leagues, however this will really be the day.

Thursday

• UE Cornella v FC Barcelona – 3p on ESPN+: Dest and Konrad face third-tier Cornella, as they appear to recuperate from their Supercopa defeat to Athletic Bilbao on Sunday. They might be short-handed if Messi is suspended following his crimson card in opposition to Bilbao.
• RSC Genk v KAA Gent – 3p: A Mark McKenzie debut? A Genk-vs-Gent complicated all American watchers? The distinction is that Genk are second within the desk, whereas Gent are all the best way down at thirteenth.
• Atletico San Luis v Chivas de Guadalajara – 10p: Ventura Alvarado has been joined at San Luis by U20 FC Dallas attacking mid David Rodriguez, on mortgage from Dallas’s second workforce, North Texas SC.

That’s it! Did I miss something? Let me know within the feedback beneath. Let’s see who impresses this week!