USA v Wales: Group B - FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022

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Welcome to the Golazo XI newsletter! I'm Roger Gonzalez and happy Friday to all. Are you guys ready for the big game on Sunday? Me too. Leeds United vs. Manchester United should be fun 😉. Let's get right into it.

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📺 On Paramount+ or CBS Sports Network

All times U.S./Eastern

🇮🇹 Serie A action
⚽ Milan vs. Torino, Friday, 2:45 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+
⚽ Empoli vs. Spezia, Saturday, 9 a.m. ➡️ Paramount+
⚽ Lazio vs. Atalanta, Saturday, 2:45 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+
⚽ Udinese vs. Sassuolo, Sunday, 6:30 a.m. ➡️ Paramount+
⚽ Bologna vs. Monza, Sunday, 9 a.m. ➡️ Paramount+
⚽ Juventus vs. Fiorentina, Sunday, 12 p.m. ➡️ CBS Sports Network and Paramount+
⚽ Napoli vs. Cremonese, Sunday, 2:45 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+
⚽ Hellas Verona vs. Salernitana, Monday, 12:30 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+
⚽ Sampdoria vs. Inter, Monday, 2:45 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 FA Women's Super League
⚽ Man City vs. Arsenal, Saturday, 7:30 a.m. ➡️ Paramount+
⚽ Tottenham vs. Man United, Sunday, 7 a.m. ➡️ Paramount+

🇩🇪 Frauen-Bundesliga
⚽ Bayern Munich vs. Eintracht Frankfurt, Saturday, 7 a.m. ➡️ CBS Sports Network

🇦🇷 Argentine Primera Division
⚽ Central Cordoba vs. Belgrano, Friday, 7:30 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+
⚽ Colon vs. Sarmiento, Friday, 7:30 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+
⚽ San Lorenzo vs. Godoy Cruz, Saturday, 3 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+
⚽ Defensa y Justicia vs. Newell's, Saturday, 3 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+
⚽ Platense vs. Atletico Tucuman, Saturday, 5:15 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+
⚽ Velez Sarsfield vs. Independiente, Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+
⚽ Talleres vs. Boca Juniors, Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+
⚽ Banfield vs. Gimnasia, Sunday, 3 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+
⚽ Rosario Central vs. Arsenal de Sarandi, Sunday, 3 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+
⚽ River Plate vs. Argentinos Juniors, Sunday, 5:15 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+
⚽ Instituto vs. Huracan, Sunday, 7:30 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+
⚽ Racing Club vs. Tigre, Sunday, 7:30 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+
⚽ Barracas Central vs. Union, Monday, 3 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+
⚽ Estudiantes vs. Lanus, Monday, 6 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+

And remember, all of your soccer needs -- from Champions League to Serie A to NWSL and so much more -- are available on Paramount+. Try one month for free by using the code: SERIEA.

📺 What else we're keeping an eye on

⚽ Club World Cup final: Real Madrid vs. Al Hilal, Saturday, 2 p.m.
⚽ Premier League: Leeds United vs. Manchester United, Sunday, 9 a.m.
⚽ La Liga: Barcelona vs. Villarreal, Sunday, 3 p.m.

⚽ The Forward Line

🏆 Napoli are serious UCL contenders

We're counting down the mere days until the Champions League returns next week on Paramount+ with the round of 16 getting underway. It's an exciting time as always as it will be two-legged battles through the semifinal round until the final in Istanbul on June 10.

So much has changed since the group stage ended, with Liverpool and PSG slumping, Real Madrid looking inconsistent and Manchester City going from favorite to questionable contenders.

One thing that hasn't changed is Napoli's absolute dominance. They are running away with the Serie A title race, boasting a 13-point lead over second-place with a staggering 51 goals scored in 21 games and 15 conceded. They won Group A in UCL with a 5-0-1 record and 20 goals scored, and their form has been beyond exceptional.

Our James Benge put Luciano Spaletti's team atop his Champions League Power Rankings:

Benge: "I do appreciate how ludicrous this might appear to some. This is not a side with great recent pedigree in this competition, one that rather emerged from nowhere at the start of the season, fully formed as a runaway Serie A champion. Those sides do not always translate their domestic form to the top tier of European football; there is something to be said for gaining experience at this level before you can be viewed as a really convincing contender. Set against that are a few more convincing arguments. For starters, a fair few of the other favorites are bunched up against each other (whoever comes out of the Bayern Munich vs. PSG tie promises to be a leading contender) and the rest have cratered in the form table. Napoli returned from the World Cup and picked up exactly where they left off and have still lost only two games in all competitions. There are a few question marks to be asked over their defense, which gave up 8.4 expected goals (xG) in a tough group before Christmas, but who would doubt that they have the attacking firepower to overwhelm any opponent?"

Their path starts with Eintracht Frankfurt, who they are expected to beat. From there, who knows, but one thing we do know is no team in the world has looked as good as this side since the season began in August.

🔗 Midfield Link Play

🇲🇽 Mexico hire new coach, 🇺🇸 USMNT playing catchup

The Mexico national team have found their replacement for Gerardo Martino, reaching a deal with another Argentine, Diego Cocca of Tigres. The 50-year-old has coached in Argentina and Mexico, among other places, leading Atlas to their first league title since 1951 before jumping to Tigres.

Your move, U.S. men's national team. The Americans are still without a coach after Gregg Berhalter's contract expired in December, but there are some interesting names out there to consider. Jesse Marsch remains one to keep an eye on after his sacking at Leeds, and he's publicly expressed interest in coaching the team, even telling me a few years back during an interview when he was at RB Salzburg.

Our Chuck Booth took a look at some of the candidates, even including Philadelphia Union's Jim Curtin, Seattle Sounders' Brian Schmetzer and Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard.

All are incredibly interesting names, and while I want the national team to make a big splash like when England brought on Fabio Capello for entertainment purposes, I do think that Curtin could be right person for the job.

Here's what Booth says about the talented manager:

Booth: "Curtin understands the path that everyone on the pitch has been through and he is still young enough to connect with a youthful team, especially currently starting plenty of 18- to 20-year-olds in Philly. If Curtin wants to continue the 4-4-2 diamond with the national team, that could also help get the best out of Christian Pulisic and Gio Reyna, bringing them both central to play off of an active striker like Josh Sargent. The rest of the team can provide width around the three providing the USMNT with a solid setup to overwhelm teams."

As for the big, foreign names, Booth mentions former Spain boss Luis Enrique and World Cup-winner Joachim Low, who led Germany to glory in 2014.

But here are three coaches I'd love for them to consider:

Mauricio Pochettino (former Tottenham and PSG boss, speaks English)
Marcelo Gallardo (legendary River Plate coach, played in MLS)
Rafa Benitez (Former Valencia, Liverpool, Inter Milan and Real Madrid boss, among others, fluent in English)

And now let's get to some links:

🔗 With Kylian Mbappe already hurt, Lionel Messi could miss PSG's Champions League clash.
🔗 The Super League idea is back with a new twist and Benge explains it all right here.
🔗 Christian Atsu remains missing after the earthquake in Turkiye.
🔗 Francesco Porzio looks at how Inter Milan changed Hakan Calhanoglu's position.
🔗 The NWSL schedule is finally out, and Sandra Herrera tells you all you need to know.
🔗 In Soccer We Trust: Has Jesse Marsch's reputation among USMNT fans damaged?
🔗 House of Champions: Pa Modou Kah and Michael Johnson join our Black History Month roundtable to talk about soccer's problematic hiring practices.
🔗 And remember, all of your soccer needs -- from Champions League to Serie A to NWSL and so much more -- are available on Paramount+. Try one month for free by using the code: SERIEA.

💰 The Back Line

💵 Best bets

We're looking for intrigue the next couple of days. All odds courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook and all times U.S./Eastern.

Serie A: AC Milan vs. Torino, Friday, 2:45 p.m.
💰 THE PICK: AC Milan (-126) -- Milan are reeling, going seven games without a win and potentially playing themselves out of a Champions League spot. They enter the day in sixth with 38 points but just one point behind Lazio. With a date vs. Tottenham in the Champions League on Tuesday, what better way to rebuild momentum than by beating Torino to stop the bleeding? Follow SportsLine's best parlays for the weekend here.
Premier League: West Ham vs. Chelsea, Saturday, 7:30 a.m.
💰 THE PICK: Both teams to score (-110) -- The Hammers are finding a little more momentum in attack as of late, and while both teams haven't scored in any of Chelsea's last three games, they continue to drop points. They need to risk it a bit, and West Ham know they can kick the Blues while they are down as they look to escape relegation. Expect an open game with plenty of chances from long range and for both sides to find the back of the net. Follow SportsLine's best parlays for the weekend here.