Welcome to the weekend! Domestic league action is back this weekend with Arsenal vs. Aston Villa, Juventus vs. Milan and Manchester United vs. Brighton and Hove Albion all notable on top of the U.S. men’s national team taking on Venezuela. This is Jonathan Johnson bringing you up to speed with everything in the soccer world.
📺 Footy Fix
All times U.S./Eastern
Friday, January 17
🇩🇪 Bundesliga: Eintracht Frankfurt vs. Borussia Dortmund, 2:30 p.m. ➡️ ESPN+
🇮🇹 Serie A: Roma vs. Genoa, 2:45 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+
🏴 EFL Championship: Burnley vs. Sunderland, 3 p.m. ➡️ CBS Sports Golazo Network
Saturday, January 18
🏴 EFL Championship: Cardiff City vs. Swansea City, 7:30 a.m. ➡️ CBS Sports Golazo Network
🏴 EFL Championship: Sheffield United vs. Norwich City, 10 a.m. ➡️ CBS Sports Golazo Network
🇮🇹 Serie A: Juventus vs. Milan, 12 p.m. (noon) ➡️ Paramount+
🏴 EPL: Arsenal vs. Aston Villa, 12:30 p.m. ➡️ NBC
🇺🇸 Friendly: USMNT vs. Venezuela, 12:30 p.m. ➡️ TNT
Sunday, January 19
🏴 EFL Championship: Leeds United vs. Sheffield Wednesday, 7 a.m. ➡️ CBS Sports Golazo Network
🏴 EPL: Manchester United vs. Brighton and Hove Albion, 9 a.m. ➡️ Peacock Premium
🇮🇹 Serie A: Inter vs. Empoli, 2:45 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+
⚽ The Forward Line
🇺🇸 USMNT back in action
Getty Images
The United States men’s national team has international friendly games lined up this month against both Venezuela and Costa Rica with Mauricio Pochettino opting to call upon primarily North American-based talents given the winter window in Europe. This presents a chance to impress for a number of domestic-based talents who could be in line for their first minutes with the new-look Stars and Stripes including Inter Miami’s Drake Callender, CF Montreal’s George Campbell, Real Salt Lake’s Emeka Eneli and current free agent Matko Miljevic.
There are some familiar faces on the roster with Colorado Rapids goalkeeper Zack Steffen, captain Tim Ream of Charlotte FC, Nashville SC’s Walker Zimmerman, FC Cincinnati’s Miles Robinson and FC Dallas’ Shaq Moore. However, the Venezuela and Costa Rica scrimmages will give Pochettino an indication of the sort of depth he has at his disposal without the Europe-based contingent of regular starters. Fort Lauderdale will host the Vinotinto clash while Orlando is the venue for Los Ticos as we build towards the CONCACAF Nations League semifinals which se the USMNT going up against Panama in Inglewood.
One player who might have been involved and adding to his four current USMNT caps had he not just made the move to Europe with German Bundesliga side Holstein Kiel is John Tolkin. The 22-year-old just left New York Red Bulls after a nine-year affiliation from academy to starting XI but it was about time according to Chuck Booth, who views it as a necessary step now that it has been confirmed earlier in the week. “He helped lead the Red Bulls to an appearance in the MLS Cup last season while also being a key part of the United States men’s U-23 team that went to the Paris Olympics.”
- Booth on Tolkin: “After 114 appearances for the Red Bulls in all competitions during his career, the 22-year-old is embarking on a risky new adventure, and it is a good thing he is. Even after defeating Dortmund, Holstein Kiel are 17th in the Bundesliga, only off the bottom of the league via goal difference and in real danger of relegation. They see Tolkin as a piece of the puzzle of improving a defense that has allowed a league-high 43 goals, hence them spending a club record €2.5 million to secure Tolkin’s services. While we’re in a time of more Americans than ever playing abroad, the instances of them making 40-plus appearances in MLS before making the jump are rare.”
Sponsored by Paramount+
Paramount+
🔗 Midfield Link Play
🇮🇹 Juventus vs. Milan without Pulisic
Getty Images
Juventus and Milan meet again after their recent Supercoppa Italiana matchup but this time Christian Pulisic will miss out as his injury-impacted year continues. The USMNT captain picked up a minor injury in the 2-1 win over Como recently and examinations later suggested that he would be able to resume training with his teammates towards the end of the week. Although there was no guarantee that he would be fit for Saturday’s 12 p.m. ET showdown against Juve, it is not likely to keep him out for too long beyond this.
Pulisic came into contact with Como defender Marc Kempf and although the initial fear was something hamstring-related, it was closer to the tendon. It was enough for the American to signal for treatment and a substitution but Wednesday’s exams did not reveal significant damage which meant that the gamble on his fitness was with head coach Sergio Conceicao and his staff this weekend given that he has only just returned from a calf injury and was training separately. “He is out,” said the Rossoneri tactician pregame. “We do not want to risk it as he is still feeling some discomfort.”
🔗 Top Stories
💥 Erling Haaland’s new contract: Norwegian signs stunning 9.5-year, $610,000 per week Manchester City contract extension and commits to historic Etihad Stadium deal until 2034 with no release clause.
👀 Who is Abdukodir Khusanov? City near deal for Lens’ highly touted defender, per report, but the young Uzbek defender is a relative unknown despite a big expected $51 million fee.
🤩 Amad Diallo’s heroics: He may have saved Manchester United again but Red Devils are far from safe as they are 10 points above the drop zone but more inconsistent performances that don’t go their way could prove costly.
🇺🇸 Neymar to MLS: It seems to be picking up steam, but could he go somewhere other than Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami? If Neymar arrives in MLS, Inter Miami seemed like the logical choice due to his connections, but it appears other clubs are trying to land him.
💰 The Back Line
💵 Best Bet
- LaLiga: Getafe vs. Barcelona, Saturday, 3 p.m. ET
💰 THE PICK: Draw (+320) — Getafe are on a three-game winning streak and although Barcelona won this game 1-0 in Catalonia earlier this term, Jose Bordalas’ men are unbeaten against the Blaugrana at home since late 2019. Barca have been held goalless on each of their last three visits to Estadio Coliseum and their recent league form suggests that this could be tricky too. Getafe are 15th with four wins, seven draws and eight losses from 19 games for 19 points which places them three above the relegation zone. They have LaLiga’s third-best defensive record having conceded just 16 goals which is only bettered by Real Sociedad and Atletico Madrid. However, 13 goals scored from 19 games is the worst attacking record in the Spanish topflight along with Real Valladolid. Barca have only won one of their last seven games in LaLiga which came in early December against RCD Mallorca. Just one point from three games has dropped them to third in the table and five points behind Real Madrid with Atletico Madrid six points clear of Flick’s side. Another stalemate would not be a huge surprise here.
For more picks, predictions, expert tips and the latest betting news, don’t miss out on CBSSports.com’s betting home page.
📺 What’s on CBS Sports Golazo Network
Paramount+
☀️ Morning Footy (Weekdays 8-10 a.m.): Join Golazo Network as it help fans get their day started on the right foot 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.
3️⃣ Attacking Third (Monday, Thursday): The leading women’s soccer podcast and social brand is now a live studio show. The NWSL season is back and our coverage of the women’s game is stronger than ever. Our analysts will be breaking down the USWNT, NWSL and European domestic season all year long. And don’t miss Wednesday live streams on YouTube at 11 a.m. ET.
⚽ Call it What You Want (Monday and Thursday): A weekly podcast where Jimmy Conrad, Charlie Davies and Tony Meola cover all things USMNT and the state of the beautiful game in the United States. You can catch the show streaming live on YouTube every Monday at 1 p.m. ET and Thursday at 6 p.m. ET.
🥅 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+.
Read the full article here
