USMNT weekend viewing guide: Trophies, triumphs, and relegation

It’s the end of the season in Germany and England, with teams at opposite ends of the spectrum in the two countries. It’s a busy weekend of USMNT club action, all packed into two days, so let’s get to it.

Saturday

Borussia Dortmund v Mainz - 9:30a on ESPN+

Gio Reyna and Borussia Dortmund can break Bayern Munich’s ten-year Bundesliga reign with a win on Saturday over 9th place Mainz. Dortmund won last weekend over Augsburg, while Bayern suffered a 3-1 defeat at the hands of RB Leipzig which allowed Dortmund to take a two point lead heading into the final weekend of the season. Bayern still hold a significant goal differential advantage so anything but a win by BVB will open the door to Bayern to reclaim their title.

Union Berlin v Werder Bremen - 9:30a on ESPN+

Jordan Pefok and Union Berlin are in fourth place and tied on 59 points with SC Freiburg. Union Berlin hold a four goal advantage in the goal differential tie breaker for the final Champions League qualification spot, so a win nearly guarantees their spot for next season. However, Union are coming off a loss to Hoffenheim and have lost two of their past three matches.

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

Joe Scally has been getting a bit of a break as the season winds down with just one minute in ‘Gladbach’s past four matches. ‘Gladbach are safe heading into the final weekend, while Augsburg could technically be overtaken if both Bochum and Stuttgart were to win this weekend.

Eintracht Frankfurt v Freiburg - 9:30a on ESPN+

Paxten Aaronson and Eintracht Frankfurt would need a 6 goal victory and losses by Leverkusen and Wolfsburg to break into the top 6. Aaronson didn’t see the field last weekend, so it’s disappointing that he wasn’t allowed to participate in the U-20 World Cup. However it has been a pleasant surprise that he’s received any minutes since joining his new club in February.

Wolfsburg v Hertha Berlin - 9:30a on ESPN+

Kevin Paredes will join the U-20 team at the World Cup following Wolfsburg's final match on Saturday. The club trail Bayer Leverkusen by one point for 6th place and the Europa Conference League qualifying position. Paredes saw 7 minutes off the bench last weekend in Wolfsburg’s 2-0 loss to Freiburg.

Stuttgart v Hoffenheim - 9:30a on ESPN+

John Brooks, Pellegrino Matarazzo, and Hoffenheim are three points clear of the relegation playoff spot and need a result or a loss by any of Augsburg, Stuttgart, or Bochum to secure their position in Germany’s top flight for next season. Hoffenheim defeated Union Berlin last weekend and have 16 points from their last nine matches since breaking their 15 game losing streak.

Coventry City v Luton Town - 11:45a on ESPN+

Ethan Horvath and Luton Town look to win a place in next year’s Premier League when they face Coventry City in the English Championship Promotion Playoffs Final on Saturday morning. It would be the second straight successful promotion battle for Horvath, who was on the bench for most of Nottingham Forest’s successful promotion campaign before coming in late to secure the victory for Forest in the Final.

Lille v Nantes - 3p on beIN Sports

Tim Weah was back at right back last weekend. Weah has played over 1,600 minutes this season, with the majority of those coming at right or left back, which has been pretty unexpected. With two matches remaining, Lille sit in fifth place, two points back of Monaco for fourth place and Europa League qualification.

Olympique Lyonnais v Reims - 3p on beIN Sports

Folarin Balogun picked up his twentieth goal of the season last weekend for Reims in a 2-2 draw with Angers. It was a bad result against a team that has just fifteen points through 36 matches, but Reims are solidly middle of the table and neither competitive for European competitions nor threatened by relegation.

Saturday

Chelsea FC v Newcastle United - 11:30a on Peacock

Christian Pulisic saw 30 minutes off the bench but Chelsea were easily handled by Manchester United midweek and suffered their 16th loss of the season. It has been a lost season for 12th place Chelsea, and it seems likely that Pulisic will be moving on this summer.

Crystal Palace v Nottingham Forest - 11:30a on Peacock

It appears that Chris Richards has some work to do over the summer to break through with Crystal Palace. The team is rumored to be moving on from at least one of their starting centerbacks, but Richards has just one appearance in the past two months for a side who’s spot in the table has been largely settled.

Leeds United - Tottenham Hotspur - 11:30a on CNBC

Weston McKennie, Brenden Aaronson, and Leeds United have failed to win any matches (and have just two points) from their last eight attempts and now need a victory over Tottenham along with both a loss by Everton and a loss or draw by Leicester City. Both teams hold the goal differential tie breaker over Leeds and will advance if the teams end level on points. McKennie picked up an assist on the opening goal by Leeds last weekend but once again the team fell apart defensively and lost 3-1 to West Ham.

Manchester United v Fulham FC - 11:30a on Peacock

Antonee Robinson and Fulham close out a successful campaign against Manchester United on Sunday morning. Robinson has started nearly every match this season for a Fulham side that has far exceeded preseason expectations to finish middle of the table, never particularly threatened by relegation.

Cadiz v Celta Vigo - 1p on ESPN+

Luca de la Torre and Celta Vigo are in 14th place but just two points ahead of their opponent this weekend, Cadiz who are tied for the final relegation spot with two matches to play. A win or a draw this weekend should be enough to secure safety for Celta Vigo heading into the final weekend.

Valencia v Espanyol - 1p on ESPN+

Yunus Musah and Valencia also have a relegation battle this weekend as they are tied with Celta Vigo and face 18th place Espanyol. Similarly to Celta Vigo, Valencia control their own fate and can secure safety with a win or a draw in the final two matches.

Nashville SC v Columbus Crew - 8:30p on FS1

Walker Zimmerman and Nashville SC currently sit in second place in the MLS Eastern Conference and have won their past two league matches, though they are coming off a 2-1 loss to Inter Miami in the US Open Cup. Zimmerman has missed nearly a month now due to a groin strain and his return timeline is uncertain.

Hit the comments to discuss all the great soccer coming our way this weekend!