Commentary

The American weekend preview

by Paul Kennedy @pkedit, Apr 28, 2023

Jordan Morris enters Seattle's game at Real Salt Lake with eight goals in nine MLS games, including one in the 2-0 win over RSL in March. Photo: Jane Gershovich / Sounders FC Communications.

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There is almost a full slate of games in MLS, the NWSL and USL Championship this weekend.

The LAFC-Houston game in MLS was postponed to allow the defending MLS champion to get the weekend off between matches in the Concacaf Champions League semifinals against the Philadelphia Union, which already had a bye.

Soccer on TV: Weekend viewing

SATURDAY

• Lille vs. Ajaccio (Ligue 1, 11 am. ET, beIN Sports, beIN Sports en Espanol)

With the return of Brazilian left back Ismaily from injury, Tim Weah is back on the Lille bench, but his run on the backline served its purpose.

It added to his portfolio, attracting considerable interest from French giant Marseille, which prizes his versatility for what could be a Champions League campaign in 2023-24. He is expected to leave Les Dogues this summer after four years on a five-year contract though clubs in other European top 5 leagues have an eye on the 23-year-old American.

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• Major League Soccer

It's New England vs. FC Cincinnati, tied for first place, in a top-of-the-table clash in the Eastern Conference, while St. Louis City and Seattle share the Western Conference lead.

St. Louis City SC will host Portland after beating the Timbers on the road, 2-1, six weeks ago. The Sounders will be at Real Salt Lake, which they dominated in Week 2 with a 2-0 victory at home. Victories are not assured in the return matches.

In a battle of conference basement teams, Sporting KC will look to get its first win of the season when it hosts CF Montreal, which has the worst goal difference (minus-12) in MLS.

• Reading: Top two clash in MLS's Eastern Conference

Saturday:
APPLE TV/MLS SEASON PASS
*Nashville SC vs. Atlanta United 1:30 pm. (free)
Columbus vs. Inter Miami 7:30 pm. (free)
D.C. United vs. Charlotte FC 7:30 pm. (free)
New England vs. FC Cincinnati 7:30 pm.
Orlando City vs. LA Galaxy 7:30 pm.
Toronto FC vs. NYCFC 7:30 pm.
Austin FC vs. San Jose 8:30 pm.
Chicago vs. NY Red Bulls 8:30 pm.
Sporting KC vs. CF Montreal 8:30 pm.
St. Louis City vs. Portland 8:30 pm. (free)
Real Salt Lake vs. Seattle 9:30 pm.
Vancouver vs. Colorado 10:30 pm.
*Also on FOX and FOX Deportes.
Sunday:
APPLE TV/MLS SEASON PASS
Major League Soccer
Minnesota United vs. FC Dallas 9 pm.
*Also on FS1 and FOX Deportes.
Note: All times ET.

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• National Women's Soccer League

The defending champion Portland Thorns sit atop the NWSL after four weeks, one point ahead of OL Reign, San Diego and Gotham FC.

Sophia Smith, the 2022 NWSL MVP, will lead the unbeaten Thorns against Angel City FC. She has four goals and four assists in four games. Her eight goal contributions are twice as many as the next most by a player in the NWSL.

Saturday:
CBS SPORTS NETWORK
San Diego vs. Orlando 10 pm.
CBS SPORTS GOLAZO NETWORK/PARAMOUNT+
Portland vs. Angel City FC 10:30 pm.
PARAMOUNT+
Racing Louisville vs. OL Reign 7:30 pm.
Chicago vs. Washington 8 pm.
Note: All times ET.

• USL Championship

Sac Republic FC will put its unbeaten record on the line when it travels to FC Tulsa.

The 2022 U.S. Open Cup runner-up leads the overall USL Championship standings with a 5-0-2 record and is still alive in the Open Cup, where it will host MLS's Colorado Rapids in the round of 32 after opening with wins over the NPSL's Crossfire Redmond (5-4) and the Oakland Roots (1-0).

Russell Cicerone, signed from the Pittsburgh Riverhounds, shares the Republic scoring lead with four goals. He is one of four newcomers who have started every USL game along with defenders Jared Timmer and Shane Wiedt, another Pittsburgh pickup, and Venezuelan import Arnold Lopez.

Saturday:
ESPN+
Detroit City FC vs. Tampa Bay 4 pm.
FC Tulsa vs. Sac Republic FC 6 pm.
Indy Eleven vs. Pittsburgh 7 pm.
Charleston vs. Colorado Springs 7:30 pm.
Memphis 901 vs. Louisville 8 pm.
San Antonio FC vs. Las Vegas 8:30 pm.
New Mexico vs. Orange County 9 pm.
Monterey Bay vs. Rio Grande Valley 10 pm.
San Diego vs. El Paso 10 pm.
Oakland vs. Miami FC 10 pm.
Phoenix vs. Loudoun United 10:30 pm.
Sunday:
ESPN+
Birmingham vs. Hartford 5 pm.
Note: All times ET.

SUNDAY

• Cadiz vs. Valencia (LaLiga, 8 am. ET, ESPN Deportes, ESPN+)

Yunus Musah's Valencia climbed out of the relegation zone with a 2-1 comeback win over last-place Elche on Thursday.

The 16th-place Los Che can improve their chances of staying up with a win at 17th-place Cadiz. After that, the final run gets tricky: home games against Villarreal and Real Madrid and away games against Celta and Mallorca.

• Rangers vs. Celtic (Scottish Cup semifinals, 8:30 am. ET, Paramount+)

With 10 goals and five assists across all competitions, 20-year-old Malik Tillman has been nominated for Rangers’ Player of the Year award, in addition to the Young Player of the Year and Goal of the Year awards.

But he is still looking for his first Old Firm win. Rangers is winless in four encounters against Celtic in 2022-23: two losses and a tie in the Premiership and a 2-1 loss in the League Cup final.

• Fulham vs. Manchester City (Premier League, 9 am. ET, USA Network, Telemundo)

After two straight drops, Fulham will stay on its third try. The Cottagers, sitting in 10th place, are already assured of playing in the Premier League next season.

They can now play spoilers in the Premier League title race, where Man City's 4-1 win over Arsenal put it in a commanding position to retain its crown.

Tim Ream is a big favorite of City manager Pep Guardiola, who told Ream after the first City-Fulham meeting -- 2-1 City win in Manchester -- that he'd be playing for him if he was 24, not 34. Ream's response: "It’s too bad, I’m not even 34, I’m 35!"

• Genk vs. Club Brugge (Jupiler League championship round, 12:30 pm. ET, ESPN+)

The Belgian second season begins for Genk's Mark McKenzie.

It was 15-1-1 at the World Cup break, but blew a huge lead, taking just 13 out of 30 points in its final 10 games in the Jupiler League's first stage.

Genk enters the championship round -- the four teams retain half their points from the first round -- in a tie with Union St. Gilloise.

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• KC Current vs. Gotham FC (NWSL, 6 pm ET, Paramount+)

With three wins in four games, Gotham FC has been the NWSL's surprise.

A big factor has been the play of Lynn Williams, acquired from the Current in an offseason trade. She has scored in all three regular-season wins as well as in the 1-0 win over Washington in the NWSL Challenge Cup.

Sunday:
PARAMOUNT+
KC Current vs. Gotham FC 6 pm.
Note: All times ET.