USMNT weekend viewing guide: An Oktoberfest weekend

There’s a solid slate of USMNT action this weekend, beginning on Friday with a couple players plying their trade in Europe who will be resting during the upcoming international break.

Friday

Athletic Bilbao v Deportivo Alavés - 3p on ESPN+

Matt Miazga and Deportivo Alavés will look to build on a huge 1-0 win over Atletico Madrid when they face Athletic Bilbao on Friday afternoon. Miazga started and played the full 90 in the match, which was Alavés’ first win and first points through six matches. Miazga also avoided getting into a biting contest with Luis Suarez, so it was a huge win all around.

The late push wasn’t enough to earn Miazga a call up for October, but if he continues to perform in La Liga for Alavés he could make it harder and harder for for Gregg Berhalter to overlook him. There has been speculation that perhaps there was a dustup between Berhalter and Miazga during Nations League camp this summer that led to Miazga leaving early to prepare for his wedding. However, the experience of Kellyn Acosta, who was himself sent home from one of Berhalter’s first camps and has now worked himself into the clear Tyler Adams backup role, would seem to suggest that if a player keeps improving they will have opportunities down the road.

Other notes:

• Julian Green, who has also been overlooked by Berhalter, will look to lead Greuther Fürth to their first Bundesliga win when they face Köln at 2:30p on ESPN+.
• Gianluca Busio is being brought in for the October window and has been getting regular starts for Venezia, who face Cagliari at 2:45p on ESPN+ in a relegation scrap. Busio’s teammate Tanner Tessman was not called in and has been seeing spot minutes for the Serie A side.

Saturday

Wolfsburg v Borussia Mönchengladbach - 9:30a on ESPN+

Our Americans in the Bundesliga matchup of the weekend sees John Brooks and Wolfsburg taking on Joe Scally and Borussia Mönchengladbach. Brooks and Wolfsburg suffered their first defeat of the season last weekend to Hoffenheim and Chris Richards, falling to third place in the Bundesliga table. Midweek, the team drew 1-1 with Sevilla in Champions League action. Their opponent this weekend is Borussia Mönchengladbach, who picked up a 1-0 win over Borussia Dortmund last weekend. It was ‘Gladbach’s second win of the season and they now sit middle of the table with seven points through six matches. Joe Scally leads all Americans for minutes played in the Bundesliga this season, having played in every minute thus far for his side.

Other notes:

• Christian Pulisic has yet to return from his injury suffered in the September window. His Chelsea FC side face Southampton at 10a on USA Network.
• Austin FC face Real Salt Lake at 3:30p on TUDN and UniMas.

Streaming Overseas

• Tim Ream, Antonee Robinson and Fulham FC face Coventry City at 7:30a on ESPN+. Robinson was held out midweek due to injury, but it was reportedly minor so it will be interesting to see if the presumptive starting left back is available for Fulham this weekend.
• Chris Richards and Hoffenheim take on Pellegrino Matarazzo’s Stuttgart side at 9:30a on ESPN+. Richards picked up an assist last weekend in Hoffenheim’s 3-1 win over league-leading Wolfsburg.
• Josh Sargent will have some time to focus on making an impression with Norwich City, who face Burnley at 10a on Peacock.
• Matthew Hoppe and Mallorca face Levante at 10:15a on ESPN+. Hoppe did not see the field last weekend in the club’s 3-2 loss to Osasuna.
• Nicholas Gioachinni and Montpellier face Strassburg at 11a on Fanatiz USA and beIN Sports. Gioacchini has seen spot minutes for the club since joining in mid-September.
• Weston McKennie and Juventus look to continue their climb out of the early hole they dug for themselves when they face Torino at Noon on Paramount+. Juventus have won three straight, including their midweek Champions League win over Chelsea, but McKennie has been used sparingly, caught some public flack from his manager, and transfer rumors have started to swirl.
• Tyler Adams saw some minutes off the bench in a return from injury as RB Leipzig suffered a bad loss at the hands of Club Brugge in Champions League play. This just after Leipzig had seen a huge 6-0 win to relieve a little bit of the pressure from Jesse Marsch, it looks like that seat could be getting pretty warm again and a win over Bochum will be necessary. The match will be at 12:30p on ESPN+.
• Yunus Musah is seeing increasing minutes for Valencia, who currently sit in eighth place and face Cadiz at 12:30p on ESPN+.
• Sergiño Dest’s FC Barcelona have themselves in a bad spot, and it sounds as though Ronald Koeman is on his way out. The final blow could come Saturday afternoon as Barcelona face an Atletico Madrid side who were caught looking ahead last weekend in their 1-0 loss to Alaves. The match will be on ESPN+ at 3p.

MLS Mashup (all games on ESPN+):

• CF Montreal face Atlanta United with Miles Robinson and George Bello at 7p.
• FC Cincinnati take on Kyle Duncan, Caden Clark and the New York Red Bulls at 7:30p.
• Daryl Dike and Orlando City take on Paul Arriola, Kevin Paredes and DC United at 7:30p.
• Ricardo Pepi and FC Dallas face Minnesota United at 8p.
• The Vancouver Whitecaps takes on the San Jose Earthquakes in the nightcap at 10p.

Sunday

Lille v Olympique Marseille - 11a on beIN Sports and Fanatiz USA

It’s a rare USMNT matchup in Ligue 1, as Timothy Weah and Lille face Olympique de Marseille and Konrad de la Fuente Sunday morning. Weah has returned from injury and inserted himself as a key piece for Lille who have now won their last two after a rough start to the season. The mini winning streak has pulled Lille up to 9th in what looks like a crowded race for second place, as the PSG juggernaut is unsurprisingly perfect through their first eight matches and already hold a nine point lead for the league title.

Marseille saw their unbeaten streak come to an end last weekend as they lost 3-2 to Lens. Konrad has appeared in every match for the club that now sits third in the table, though the last two have come off the bench. The winger was a bit of an unexpected drop for the October roster, but he still has plenty of time to continue his growth with his club.

Other notes:

• Sporting Kansas City take on the Houston Dynamo at 4p on TUDN.
• The Portland Timbers and Inter Miami kick off at 5:30p on FS1.
• It’s another battle for LA as the LA Galaxy take on LAFC at 8p on ESPN.

Streaming overseas:

• After not having seen a minute for the first six weeks of the season Timothy Chandler has suddenly started the past two matches for Eintracht Frankfurt, a 1-1 draw with Köln in league play and a 1-0 win over Royal Antwerp in Europa League action. Next up is a matchup with Bayern Munich at 11:30a on ESPN+.

MLS Mashup (all games on ESPN+):

• James Sands and NYCFC face Walker Zimmerman and Nashville SC at Noon. The two centerbacks will perhaps have a moment to commiserate as they were dropped in the most recent call up.
• Toronto FC face the Chicago Fire at 4p. Neither team has any active USMNT player, though Toronto has a couple veterans and the Fire have a young keeper who may develop into something down the line.
• The Philadelphia Union continue to move forward with a play your kids strategy and will take on Gyasi Zardes and the Columbus Crew at 4p.
• Cristian Roldan and the Seattle Sounders take on Kellyn Acosta and the Colorado Rapids at 10p.

What are you watching this weekend? Hit the comments below and let us know how you’re warming up for the international break.