USMNT midweek viewing guide: Club games begin once more

Just days after the World Cup closes up shop, club football is already preparing to kick into gear. We have a few friendlies and cup games to keep our eyes on, as well as regular-season action in Scotland and the English Championship. For any new soccer fans who enjoyed the World Cup, there’s also Manchester City-Liverpool on Thursday for a top-quality match. Let’s get into it!

Tuesday

• Spezia v Groningen, 9a: Ricardo Pepi and Groningen face Italian side Spezia in a friendly.
• Aberdeen v Rangers, 3p: Malik Tillman picked up 2 assists in Rangers’ 3-2 win over Hibs last Thursday. He teams up with James Sands as they face American striker Christian Ramirez and Aberdeen in the Scottish Premiership.

Also in action:

• Hoffenheim v Greuther Fürth, 8a: Timothy Tillman and Julian Green lead Fürth in a friendly match.
• Antalyaspor v Manisa BBSK, 9a: Haji Wright and Antalyaspor are in the fifth round of Turkey’s cup competition.
• Antwerp v Standard Liège, 2:45p on ESPN+: Sam Vines (Antwerp) will likely miss this one due to a broken leg. Marlon Fossey has played in 7 of Liège’s last 8. The clubs meet in the Belgian cup round of 16.
• Academico Viseu v Boavista, 3:15p: Reggie Cannon and Boavista are in the Portuguese League Cup quarterfinal.
• Atletico Paso v Espanyol, 4p on ESPN+: Canadian dual-national winger Luca Koleosho could suit up for Espanyol in this Copa del Rey second-round match.

Wednesday

• Leeds United v AS Monaco, 2p: “Leeds United States” has a friendly match, led by manager Jesse Marsch, and players Tyler Adams and Brenden Aaronson.
• Coventry v West Brom, 2:45p: Daryl Dike has returned from injury, picking up a goal and an assist for West Brom vs Sunderland on Monday the 12th. This is a regular-season Champinship match.
• Genk v Anderlecht, 2:45p on ESPN+: Mark McKenzie and Genk are in the Belgian cup round of 16.
• Celtic v Livingston, 2:45p: Cameron Carter-Vickers and Celtic host Scottish-American midfielder Scott Pittman and Livingston in the Scottish Premiership.

Also in action:

• Paris FC v Troyes, 9a: Erik Palmer-Brown and Troyes are in friendly action.
• Lens v Stade Reims, 10a: Dual-national striker Folarin Balogun has a friendly with Reims.
• PAS Giannina v Olympiacos, 1p: Konrad de la Fuente is unlikely to play in this Greek league match for Olympiacos. Rumors say Konrad’s loan is likely to be ended in January, and parent club Marseille will look for a new loan destination.
• Coria v Real Sociedad, 3p on ESPN+: Jonathan Gómez got some time with La Real’s first team over the World Cup break. The club is in action in the second round of the Copa del Rey.

Thursday

• Valencia v AZ Alkmaar, 6a: Yunus Musah and Valencia have a friendly against Dutch side AZ, who recently signed Djordje Mihailovic from CF Montreal in MLS. Mihailovic won’t be able to officially register with AZ until the January transfer window, but he might be able to take part in unofficial matches like this.
• Gernika v Celta Vigo, 1p on ESPN+: Luca de la Torre and Celta Vigo are in the second round of the Copa del Rey.
• Manchester City v Liverpool, 3p on ESPN+ (free trial): There are no Americans involved in this game, but if you want to watch a fantastic game, look no further than Man City-Liverpool. These two sides are always entertaining. They meet in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup.

That’s it! Did I miss anything? Let me know in the comments below. Let’s see who impresses this week!