USMNT weekend viewing guide: The need to improve

It’s still very early in the respective European seasons, but a number of clubs with USMNT interest, including traditional powers like Juventus and FC Barcelona along with some newcomers like Greuther Fürth and Norwich City, are off to some pretty slow starts. Here’s where you can follow along this weekend to see if they can start to turn things around.

Friday

Hertha Berlin v Greuther Fürth - 2:30p on ESPN+

Julian Green and Greuther Fürth continued their rough start to the 2021-22 Bundesliga campaign last weekend with a 2-0 loss to league-leading Wolfsburg. Fürth has just one point on the season, while only scoring 2 goals in 4 matches while conceding 11. It seems a bit ridiculous to call the fifth game of a 34-match season a “must win,” but Fürth will be facing a 16th place Hertha Berlin side who may also be relegation candidates and Fürth need some positive momentum to avoid falling into a total tailspin.

Hertha picked up their first points of the season last weekend in a 3-1 win over VfL Bochum and will be looking to build some momentum off of that. Julian Green has started all four matches for Fürth to start the season, but his lone goal contribution has been in a first found DFB-Pokal win over Babelsberg.

Other notes:

• Inter Miami face the New York Red Bulls in the opening match of the MLS weekend. You can check out Kyle Duncan, Caden Clark, and the rest of the NY Red Bulls on FS1 at 7p.

Saturday

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

Joe Scally continues to be a regular presence and positive contributor for Borussia Mönchengladbach. Last weekend, he started out on the right hand side with ‘Gladbach coming out in a 3-4-2-1 and the team picked up their first win of the season over Arminia Bielefeld. It’s been a bit of a roller coaster for ‘Gladbach to start the season. The team picked up a solid draw against Bayern Munich in their opener, dropped the next two, and then got their first win last weekend. This weekend, the club will be facing an Augsburg side that has drawn twice but has also twice lost while giving up four goals. It looks like this match should see some goals as ‘Gladbach are looking for their first clean sheet of the season, and both clubs have surrendered eight goals through their first four games.

Other notes:

• Paul Arriola and Bill Hamid have returned for DC United and will face Miles Robinson and George Bello at 3:30p on TUDN and Univision.
• The night train rides as Ricardo Pepi and FC Dallas face the Houston Dynamo at 10p on TUDN and Univision. Justin Che has also been seeing regular minutes for Dallas and looking good, while the social admins for the club would like to see a few others brought in with Pepi for the next window:

Streaming overseas:

• Chris Richards has stepped right back into the starting lineup for Hoffenheim, as the team faces Arminia Bielefeld at 9:30a on ESPN+.
• Josh Sargent missed last weekend’s Norwich City match with a minor hamstring injury but has returned to full training and should be available for the Canaries as the team face Watford at 10a on Peacock.
• Timothy Weah remains out for Lille, who could really use his services as they look to get their season back on track. The reigning champions of Ligue 1 have just five points through five matches. They face a fifth place Lens side that has yet to loose a match. The teams meet at 11a on beIN Sports.
• RB Leipzig enter a stretch with some very winnable matches and will need to get some results to keep Jesse Marsch’s seat from getting any hotter. Tyler Adams and the rest of the Leipzig crew will face Köln at 12:30p on ESPN+.
• Matt Miazga received his first La Liga start in a 3-0 loss to Valencia prior to the international break but did not make it off the bench last weekend against Villarreal. Deportivo Alavés will face Osasuna at 3p on ESPN+.

MLS mashup (all games on ESPN+):

• Matt Turner and the New England Revolution face Gyasi Zardes and the Columbus Crew at 7p in a matchup that pits USMNT striker vs goalkeeper.
• Walker Zimmerman and Nashville SC face Toronto at 7:30p.
• James Sands and NYCFC take on FC Cincinnati at 7:30+.
• The San Jose Earthquakes, with Jackson Yueill and Cade Cowell, take on Austin FC, where Sebastian Berhalter saw his first start recently. The match will kickoff at 8p.
• Indications are we should know more about the future of dual-nat Julian Araujo by the October window. For now his club, the LA Galaxy, face Minnesota United at 8p.
• Real Salt Lake take on Cristian Roldan and the Seattle Sounders at 9:30p.

Sunday

Juventus v AC Milan - 2:45p on CBSSN

A well rested Weston McKennie (minutes wise anyways) got the start last weekend for Juventus. The club got out to a 1-0 lead over Napoli, but Napoli would respond with two unanswered goals of their own for the win. The loss leaves Juventus with just one point through their first three games. It’s obviously still early, but it is also a very rough start for a club with league title aspirations. McKennie came off the bench midweek with his side already up 3-0 over Mälmo in Champions League action and Juve cruised to victory by the same score line. The lack of minutes midweek could mean we see McKennie get another chance to start this weekend in a crucial matchup against AC Milan.

Other notes:

• A little Sunday afternoon MLS action as the Philadelphia Union take on Orlando City at 4p on ESPN. Philadelphia have a number of younger players still looking to make their mark, while Daryl Dike leads the line for Orlando.

Streaming overseas:

• Matthew Hoppe’s new club Mallorca take on Villarreal at 8a on ESPN+.
• Pellegrino Matarazzo and Stuttgart face Bayer Leverkusen at 9:30a on ESPN+. Matarazzo has his club middle of the table again to start the season.
• Konrad de la Fuente and Olympique de Marseille take on Rennes at 11a on beIN Sports. Currently Marseille sit in third place, with three wins and a draw through four matches.
• Christian Pulisic’s Chelsea FC face Tottenham at 11:30a on Peacock. Pulisic remains out with an ankle injury.
• Likewise, Giovanni Reyna remains out as Borussia Dortmund face Union Berlin at 11:30a on ESPN+.
• League leading Wolfsburg and John Brooks face a struggling Eintracht Frankfurt side at 1:30p on ESPN+.
• Yunus Musah has returned from injury, but is still looking for more than just a last minute sub appearance. Valencia face Real Madrid at 3p on ESPN+.

MLS mashup:

• Kellyn Acosta, Cole Bassett, and the Colorado Rapids face the Vancouver Whitecaps at 9p on ESPN+.

Monday bonus action:

• Sergiño Dest and Barcelona look to bounce back from a midweek Champions League drubbing at the hands of Bayern Munich when they face Granada at 3p on ESPN+.

Which matches are you looking forward to having on your television? Hit the discussion in the comments.