USMNT weekend viewing guide: Big returns

After a great midweek of action, we enter the weekend with several USMNT players looking to build on their performances for their clubs. Let’s get into it...

Friday

Lille v Olympique Lyonnais - 3p on beIN Sports

Tim Weah and Lille get the weekend started on Friday looking to improve on their 6th place position in Ligue 1. Weah has been starting regularly for Lille but it has typically been at the left-back position and last week he was moved to right back due to an injury. It’s not an ideal situation for the winger who has consistently performed better for country than he has for his club, though the minutes are good to see. Lille are currently 6 points back of qualifying for European competition and this weekend they will face 10th place Lyon who trail them in the table by 6 points as well.

Saturday

Leicester City v Chelsea FC - 10a on USA Network

Christian Pulisic returned for Chelsea midweek in their 2-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund in Champions League round of 16 play. Pulisic saw just 7’ off the bench but it was his first time on the field in over two months. Chelsea’s 2-0 win was enough to overcome a 1-0 deficit from the first leg and advance in the competition which is about the only thing still headed in the right direction for the club as they currently sit in 10th place in the Premier League. The team is 11 points back of Tottenham for 4th place, and the coveted qualification spots for next season’s Champions League play and they needed a 1-0 victory over Leeds last weekend to snap a five match winless streak. Presumably they will take it slowly with Pulisic’s return after two months off, but it was good to see him back on the pitch after an extended time away.

Other notes:

• Joe Scally and Borussia Mönchengladbach face RB Leipzig at 9:30a on ESPN+. Scally started last weekend in a scoreless draw with Freiburg.
• Brenden Aaronson, Tyler Adams, and Weston McKennie look to dig themselves out of the relegation zone when they face 8th place Brighton & Hove Albion at 10a on Peacock.
• Miles Robinson has returned for Atlanta United, who face Charlotte FC at Noon on Fox.
• Gio Reyna saw extended minutes for the first time in several weeks when he came on for an injured Julian Brandt just five minutes in to BVB’s loss to Chelsea midweek. Dortmund now face rival Schalke at 12:30p on ESPN+.
• Luca de la Torre and Celta Vigo face Rayo Vallecano at 12:30p on ESPN Deportes and ESPN+. Celta Vigo have worked their way up to 12th place but are still just 3 points out of the relegation zone in a very crowded bottom half of the La Liga table.
• Yunus Musah and Valencia currently sit in the 2nd relegation spot in that crowded La Liga race to avoid the bottom. They face Osasuna at 3p on ESPN Deportes and ESPN+.

Sunday

Wolfsburg v Union Berlin - 2:30p on ESPN+

Battle of the Bundesliga Backups on Sunday afternoon as Kevin Paredes and Wolfsburg take on Jordan Pefok and Union Berlin. Paredes has appeared in eight of Wolfsburg’s last nine matches, missing one due to illness but coming off the bench in all the others. He’s been playing on the left win and has looked solid if not electric for the eighth place side. Meanwhile Jordan Pefok has started just once in the past eight matches for Union Berlin, though he has seen significant minutes off the bench in all the matches that he did not start. Unfortunately, Pefok hasn’t been able to find his early season goal scoring form and Union Berlin is slipping as well, they’ll be looking for their first win in four league matches and they’ve fallen five points behind Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund for the league lead.

Other notes:

• Tim Ream, Antonee Robinson and Fulham face league leading Arsenal at 10a on Peacock. Matt Turner did get the midweek start in Arsenal’s Europa League draw with Sporting CP but will presumably be back to the bench for league play this weekend.
• John Brooks is also back on the bench in Hoffenheim where his team are tied with three other sides for last place and will be looking for their first win in 15 matches when they face fifth place Freiburg who have ambitions to qualify for Champions League play.

Hit the comments and discuss all of this week’s action!