As the season draws closer, the weekly schedule begins to get more regulated. With a barren spell of games on Friday, Saturday sees a plethora of contests. Buckle up, Saturday is going to be a wild ride.
Be sure to stay tuned to our Twitter (@wft_podcast) for live commentary, thoughts and analysis on tons of games throughout the season. Each matchup links to Live Soccer TV’s listings for these matchups in the USA and around the world.
*All times Eastern Standard Time
The final match of ICC Singapore will take place at National Stadium as Chelsea, who lost their opening game to Bayern 3-2, and Inter, who won their opening game to Bayern 2-0. Inter holds the first place position on goal difference (for now), but a Chelsea win would make the scoreline crucial for the final standings.
9:00 a.m. – Emirates Cup – RB Leipzig vs Sevilla – Emirates Stadium, London
The Emirates Cup kicks off in London as ESPN’s platforms will be carrying the tournament, albeit largely on streaming services. Leipzig is preparing for their second season in the Bundesliga after finishing runners-up, while Sevilla will be looking to properly prepare for the new La Liga season. This is both team’s first appearance in the tournament.
11:20 a.m. – Emirates Cup – Arsenal vs Benfica – Emirates Stadium, London
The most successful Emirates Cup team, Arsenal (duh, 4 titles if you care) will take on the only other team with history in this competition in their opening game. Benfica finished in 4th in the 2014 edition of the tournament.
The knockout round opens with hosts and Group A winners Netherlands taking on Group B runners-up Sweden. The Netherlands swept their group, beating Norway, Belgium and Denmark to top the group. Sweden beat Russia, drew eventual group-winners Germany and lost to Italy.
The second Quarterfinal sees Group B winners Germany face Group A runners-up Denmark. Germany drew Sweden and overcame Russia and Italy, while Denmark beat Belgium and Norway, while losing to Netherlands.
Ligue 1 Champions Monaco will face Coupe de France Champions PSG in the annual “curtain raiser” for French league competitions. In this competition, PSG has the second most titles (6), two behind leaders Lyon. PSG are also 4-time defending champions. Monaco is participating for the first time since 2000 and have 4 titles to their name. A win would see them move into a tie with Stade Reims and Saint-Etienne all time.
Man City and Tottenham will both be looking to stake their last claim in this tournament as this all-England clash sees two teams with one win fight for the top of the standings. Both trail Barcelona, who have 6 points, but Barcelona will also be playing later in the day. City had an impressive 4-1 win over Real Madrid in their last game while Spurs blew it against Roma in their last game.
8:00 p.m. – MLS – Sporting KC vs Chicago Fire – Sporting Park, Kansas City, Kansas
KC’s first game without Dom Dwyer will be a doozy. Two of the best teams in the league will face off in what could be a potential MLS Cup pairing. This one isn’t on national TV per se, but can be found locally, as well as Fox Sports GO.
8:00 p.m. – MLS – Houston Dynamo vs Portland Timbers – BBVA Compass Stadium, Houston, Texas
This one could have serious playoff implications in the Western Conference as both teams are fighting to climb up to 2nd place, which will guarantee them a first-round bye. It’s likely only one of these teams, if either, will acquire that spot. This one is even less available than the KC vs Chicago game, but it’s worth watching if you can.
This is the big one. This is the one “everyone has been waiting for.” For the first time in the U.S., and the second time ever, El Clasico will be played outside of Spain. If you are like us and didn’t want to pay ridiculous sums for a meaningless game, ESPN has you covered. I guess bragging rights are (kind of) on the line.
