Welcome to the weekend! Jonathan Johnson here to look ahead to everything coming this weekend. From massive games across the Premier League and La Liga to Major League Soccer playoffs and USWNT, let's get to it!
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📺 Footy fix
All times U.S./Eastern
Friday, Dec. 1
🇪🇺 UEFA Women's Nations League: England vs. Netherlands, 2:45 p.m. ➡️ CBS Sports Network
🇮🇹 Serie A: Monza vs. Juventus, 2:45 p.m. ➡️ CBS Sports Golazo Network
🇲🇽 CONCACAF W Gold Cup: Puerto Rico vs. Mexico, 7 p.m. ➡️ CBS Sports Golazo Network
Saturday, Dec. 2
🇮🇹 Serie A: Milan vs. Frosinone, 2:45 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+
🏴 EPL: Newcastle United vs. Manchester United, 3 p.m. ➡️ USA Network
🇺🇸 International Friendly: USWNT vs. China ➡️ TNT
🇺🇸 MLS Playoff semifinals: FC Cincinnati vs. Columbus Crew, 6 p.m. ➡️ MLS Season Pass
🇺🇸 MLS Playoff semifinals: LAFC vs. Houston Dynamo 9:30 p.m. ➡️ MLS Season Pass
Sunday, Dec. 3
🏴 EPL: Manchester City vs. Tottenham Hotspur, 11:30 a.m. ➡️ USA Network
🇮🇹 Serie A: Napoli vs. Inter, 2:45 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+
🇪🇸 La Liga: Barcelona vs. Atletico Madrid, 3 p.m. ➡️ ESPN+
⚽ The Forward Line
💥 Mega EPL and La Liga matchups
This weekend has some particularly attractive games across Europe with the Premier League offering not only Manchester City vs. Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, but also Newcastle United vs. Manchester United on Saturday and Chelsea vs. Brighton and Hove Albion on Sunday. As if that was not enough, La Liga is also teeing up a superb Barcelona vs. Atletico Madrid on Sunday afternoon should you not be tempted by Serie A's very own mammoth showdown between Napoli and Inter.
The Red Devils vs. the Magpies on Saturday is particularly intriguing given United's latest setback in the UEFA Champions League -- a 3-3 draw with Galatasaray despite leading 3-1 in the second half. Erik ten Hag's men need a result to keep the pressure off of the Dutch tactician who refused to go after goalkeeper Andre Onana despite a costly pair of errors in Istanbul which contributed towards a torrid time in Turkey overall.
"He is OK," ten Hag said after the match. "It is not about individuals. Of course, individual errors in football can make a difference and you take responsibility for it, but it is always about the team. This team is good, all the players in the squad are good and deserve the best, to play for Manchester United, because they are brilliant players. And that counts for the whole squad."
Pardeep Cattry went into Onana's numbers in depth as part of the postmortem of United's latest European debacle:
- Cattry: "In some ways, Onana has improved upon his time in Italy in the early days of his United stay. His save percentage in Premier League play is 75.8%, up from last season's Serie A figure of 70.9%, and is averaging 3.92 shots a game in England, a significant jump from 2.58 in Italy. The goalkeeper's Champions League play this season has been an entirely different story, though -- he is averaging 3.6 saves a game and his save percentage sits at an unimpressive 56.3%."
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😈 Hell is Real Derby in MLS semis
The Major League Soccer playoffs are back this weekend with FC Cincinnati vs. Columbus Crew arguably the pick of the semifinal games given its title of the Hell is Real Derby. Not only is it a battle for supremacy in Ohio, it is also is game which will decide who hosts the MLS Cup. However, given that this is the pair's first playoff meeting, this could be the matchup which turns the Hell is Real Derby into a mainstream rivalry in the American soccer landscape. Chuck Booth breaks it down for you.
- Booth: "These two teams are only separated by 102 miles on I-71 and had their first meeting in 2017 while FC Cincinnati was still a member of the second division in the United Soccer League, meeting in the fouth round of the U.S. Open Cup. Cincinnati went on to win that match 1-0 but that past is prologue to the story of the name. It was Cincinnati's arrival in Major League Soccer that helped spark the rivalry despite Cincinnati's poor start to life in the league finishing at the bottom of the Eastern Conference for three years running.
"On August 10, 2019 the first league derby between the two teams would took place and the rivalry was born, and so was the name. The term 'Hell is Real' was birthed by word of mouth, and then stuck to take over for the official Ohio Derby name. It's born from a message on a billboard on I-71 between the two cities, and it's quite an example of the organic culture that can be born in MLS.
"Initially built in 2004 by developer Jimmy Harston, the Hell is Real billboard is a reminder of the Ten Commandments but soccer had other ideas as it has become one of the most competitive rivalries in the league now with a MLS Cup berth on the line. Earlier this year he talked to the Columbia Post Dispatch about the name being adopted for a soccer match. 'It doesn't damage what I have done. I am sure the Lord is using it for what it was meant to be.'"
🔗 Top Stories
⏹️ MLS bans Cincinnati's Miazga: MLS suspends FC Cincinnati defender Matt Miazga for rest of playoffs for postgame behavior.
🔮 Latest Champions League scenarios: Arsenal and PSV lock up Group B spots, Manchester United still alive but need help.
⛄ WATCH Aberdeen's snowy golazo: Aberdeen score ridiculous goal in snow-filled game as plows and thrown snowballs force stoppage.
🆕 Racing Louisville appoint Bev Yanez: Racing Louisville FC appoint assistant Bev Yanez as new head coach to replace Kim Bjorkegren.
🔝 UEFA Europa League contenders: Ranking top five Europa League contenders as Bayer Leverkusen, Liverpool and AS Roma make the list.
🇪🇺 Euro 2024 draw: We have everything you need to know about Saturday's UEFA Euro 2024 draw.
🟠 What is a sin bin?: Explaining soccer's penalty box idea to be trialed as soon as next year.
💰 The Back Line
💵 Best bets
- EPL: Newcastle United vs. Manchester United, Saturday, 3 p.m.
💰 THE PICK: Draw (+280) -- Manchester United are on the road at Newcastle United in a game they cannot afford to lose. Their league form is decent despite their European struggles so expect the Red Devils to find some way to dig out at least a point against the Magpies at St James' Park. - EPL: Manchester City vs. Tottenham Hotspur, Sunday, 11:30 a.m.
💰 THE PICK: City to win but both to score (+145) -- It is a tough run for Spurs and things do not look like they will get any easier in Manchester this weekend. City flexed their muscles against RB Leipzig in midweek and Ange Postecoglou vs. Pep Guardiola is as enticing as it gets in terms of tactical battles.
📺 What's on CBS Sports Golazo Network
☀️ Morning Footy (Weekdays 8-10 a.m.): Hosts Susannah Collins, Charlie Davies, Nico Cantor and Alexis Guerreros help fans get their day started on the network's flagship morning show with highlights, interviews and the biggest soccer storylines. Morning Footy is also available in podcast form, so you'll never have to miss an episode.
📦 Box 2 Box (Weekday afternoons): The news-driven show quickly recaps all the latest headlines from around the world with panelists previewing the top matchups of the day. Catch Box 2 Box on CBS Sports Golazo Network on the CBS Sports app, PlutoTV and Paramount+.
3️⃣ Attacking Third (Monday, Wednesday and Friday evening): The leading women's soccer podcast and social brand is now a live studio show. Just because the NWSL season is over doesn't mean that our coverage of the women's game is going anywhere. Our analysts will be breaking down the USWNT. NWSL offseason and European domestic season all winter long.
👟 Kickin' It (Tuesday, 7 p.m.): CBS Sports Golazo Network's new unfiltered interview show returns Tuesday Hosted by Kate Abdo, Clint Dempsey, Mo Edu and Charlie Davies, the group chat candidly with the biggest names from the Beautiful Game and share their stories from on and off the pitch.
🥅 Scoreline (Daily): Scoreline is the newest place for fans to catch up on all the biggest news and results impacting global football, match highlights from the top soccer competitions and all the can't-miss goals from the day's action, starting Thursday and airing seven days a week.
📺 How to watch: CBS Sports Golazo Network is a free 24/7 channel exclusively dedicated to offering unparalleled coverage of all the top soccer competitions worldwide. You can stream for free on the CBS Sports app, Pluto TV and Paramount+.
