USMNT midweek viewing guide: Fighting for places

Many of this week’s midweek club matches feature teams meeting opponents who are just above or below them.

By Justin Moran@kickswish Jan 31, 2023, 8:03am PST

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Midweek USMNT action is here, with Americans in competition all across Europe. Let’s get into it!

Tuesday

Union Berlin v Wolfsburg, 2:45p on ESPN+ (free trial): Jordan Pefok and second-place Union go up against Kevin Paredes and Die Wölfe, who sit 7th. Paredes scored his first Bundesliga goal on Saturday, a consolation goal as Wolfsburg lost 1-2 to Bremen.

Also in action:

Luton Town v Cardiff, 2:45p: Ethan Horvath and Luton, who are just outside promotion playoffs (7th place) meet Cardiff City, who are just above relegation to League One (21st).
Bordeaux v Le Havre, 2:45p on fuboTV, Sling TV, Fanatiz: Amir Richardson and Le Havre are first place in Ligue 2, seven points clear of Bordeaux, who are second. Richardson has had a stellar season in Ligue 2, and already has a transfer move in place to join Stade Reims in Ligue 1 this summer.
Arouca v Benfica, 4:15p on GolTV USA, GolTV Español, fuboTV, Fanatiz: Benji Michel and Arouca are 7th in Portugal; they face Benfica, who are 7 pts clear atop the table.

Lille v Clermont Foot, 1p on fuboTV (free trial), Sling TV, Fanatiz: Tim Weah and Lille are 7th in Ligue 1, just above Clermont, who sit 8th.
Reims v Lorient, 1p: Folarin Balogun and Reims are 11th in Ligue 1, one place below Lorient in 6th. Balogun finished coolly in stoppage time Sunday to earn a draw vs PSG.
Hearts v Rangers, 2:45p: Malik Tillman, James Sands, and Rangers are on the road in the Scottish Premiership. Tillman has 2 goals in his last 5 league matches.

Also in action:

RB Leipzig vs Hoffenheim, 12p on ESPN Deportes, ESPN+, fuboTV: John Brooks and Hoffenheim meet Leipzig in the DFB Pokal round of 16. Brooks stepped into Hoffenheim’s starting XI Saturday, just two days after being announced as a signing. It wasn’t a great result, as they lost 1-4 to Gladbach. Brooks was involved in some of the action, specifically this goal, which Joe Scally helped create.
Trabzonspor v Antalyaspor, 12p on fuboTV, Sling TV, Fanatiz: Haji Wright has been the subject of much transfer speculation this window; Antalyaspor are 14th in Turkey, one point above relegation.
Eupen v Genk, 12:45p on ESPN+: Mark McKenzie and Genk are first in Belgium, 6 points clear atop the table. Eupen is one place above relegation. McKenzie has been praised for his performances with Genk this season.
Toulouse v Troyes, 1p on fuboTV, Sling TV, Fanatiz: Erik Palmer-Brown and Troyes are 15th in Ligue 1, 4 points and 2 places above relegation. Toulouse are 7 points above them in 12th.
Celtic v Livingston, 2:45p: Cameron Carter-Vickers and Celtic have a 9-point margin at the top of the Scottish Premiership. They face Scott Pittman and Livingston.

Real Madrid v Valencia, 3p on ESPN Deportes, ESPN+, fuboTV: Yunus Musah and Valencia are 14th in La Liga, and Valencia sacked manager Gennaro Gattuso yesterday. Not a great time to meet the reigning champions of La Liga and UEFA.

Also in action:

BK Häcken v Odd, 10:30a: Danish-American left back Kristoffer Lund has a friendly with Häcken.
Internacional v Ypiranga, 2:30p on Premiere: Johnny Cardoso in action with Internacional in Brazil. Here are some clips of Johnny’s last action vs São Luiz.

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