USMNT weekend viewing guide: watching for love

All your football friends are here and there are plenty of matches to love this weekend, or to help you fill that lonely void. Unfortunately, there is also heartbreak as injuries continue to have a major impact on the weekend viewing guide. Just as Timothy Weah nears a return a new injury to Tyler Adams has come up that will keep him out of action this weekend and at least through the teams Champions League match mid-week according to the team.

So, we won’t be watching Tyler this weekend but what else can we keep an eye on? Let’s see what we have to watch.

Friday

Borussia Dortmund v Eintracht Frankfurt - 2:30p on FS2

In a match-up that could see America’s youngest Bundesliga player facing off against the most in form American player Giovannni Reyna’s Borussia Dortmund face Timothy Chandler’s Eintracht Frankfurt on Friday afternoon.

Giovanni Reyna played the second half last weekend, coming on as a substitute in the 46th minute for an injured Julian Brandt. Brandt’s injury will keep him out of this weeks action which could lead to additional playing time and perhaps a first start for Reyna.

Unfortunately, Dortmund gave up two goals in the last 10 minutes allowing Bayer Leverkusen to come behind and giving up crucial points in the race for top of the table. The team is now four points behind first place Bayern Munich and just two points ahead of Bayer Leverkusen who are in 5th place and just outside of the Champions League positions.

BVB will be playing an Eintracht Frankfurt team that are in 9th place but on a good run recently, undefeated in their past five matches including the dfb Pokal and including two wins over RB Leipzig, knocking them out of first place in the Bundesliga and knocking them out of the Pokal. Frankfurt’s recent run of results is thanks in no small part to Timothy Chandler who has been starting on the right wing and has produced four goals in their past four Bundesliga matches.

Other Notes:

• Owen Otasowie has not made another bench appearance for the Wolverhampton Wanderer’s since their January 4th FA Cup match, the team plays Leicester City at 3p on NBSCN. However, unless we catch some glimpses of Owen with the full team in the near future these matches will be dropping off the viewing guide.

Saturday

RB Leipzig v Werder Bremen - 9:30a on FS2

If you’re more the Valentines heartbreak sort of person then this is the match for you. As was mentioned above Tyler Adams will be out this weekend with a new injury as his team tries to cling to hopes of a first place Bundesliga finish. The team has drawn their past two games, against Bayern Munich and fourth place Borussia Monchengladbach, so a match against the struggling Werder Bremen side comes at just the right time.

Werder Bremen have fallen all the way to 17th in the table, are just one point ahead of cellar dwelling Paderborn, and are four points back of safety. The team has lost seven of their past eight games and Josh Sargent has gone back to coming off the bench in the past two as he has struggled to find the back of the net. It’s not an issue that’s been exclusive to Sargent,

the team as a whole has just three goals over those past eight games, which includes a four game stretch during which Sargent was unavailable due to injury. The team will need to find a way to score consistently if they’re going to avoid relegation but that will be easier said than done against the stingy RB Leipzig defense.

Other Notes:

• Fortuna Dusseldorf and Borussia Monchengladbach meet at 12:30p on FS2. Zack Steffen’s injury is concerning enough that he’s gone back to parent club Manchester City for additional testing but Alfredo Morales continues to see time for Dusseldorf. Fabian Johnson has seen very limited time for Gladbach this season.

Looking through the paywall:

• John Anthony Brooks seems to have been demoted for a Wolfsburg side that is sitting squarely in the middle of the table, he’s remained on the bench for the club’s past three matches. This weekend they face Hoffenhein at 9:30a on Fox Soccer Plus.

Sunday

Arsenal v Newcastle United - 10:30a on NBCSN

DeAndre Yedlin continues to see regular playing time for Newcastle when healthy though he has suffered three different injuries this season that have kept him out for several weeks at a time. Newcastle once again sit in the middle of the table at 12th place, seven points out of relegation and eight points below European qualifying positions. This weekend they will be facing 10th place Arsenal who have drawn their past four league games and are on a five game unbeaten streak. Arsenal won the first match between the two teams, a 1-0 victory on the opening weekend of league play way back in August.

Other Notes:

• Indiana Vassilev appears to be back with the U23’s but in the event he’s called up to the senior side for the weekend their match against Tottenham Hotspur will be viewable on NBCSN at 9a Sunday morning.
• Weston McKennie and Schalke will face Mainz at Noon on FS2. Schalke currently sit in sixth place and need to pick up points against the likes of fifteenth place Mainz.
• Sebastian Saucedo has been getting regular time for Pumas UNAM in Liga MX, the team faces Toluca at 1p on Univision
• Ventura Alvarado continues to captain sixth place Necaxa who are coming off a rare loss. They play fifth place Queretaro at 6p on TUDN USA.

Looking through the paywall:

• Timothy Weah is reportedly back from injury and available for selection this weekend for fourth place Lille. Weah has missed the past several months due to injury and seems likely to be worked back in slowly. The team plays second place Olympique Marseille at 3p on beIN Sports Connect.

Additional Note:

• Christian Pulisic’s Chelsea play Manchester United on Monday afternoon, 3p on NBCSN, but heading into the weekend Frank Lampard has confirmed that Pulisic remains unavailable.

Let us know what else you’re watching in the comments below.