CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SEMIS: UEFA's Champions League is the biggest, bestest club event in soccer, bigger and better even than the world championship the winner qualifies for. The popular notion is that the semifinal showdown between defending champ Barcelona (with the marvelous Lionel Messi) and Jose Mourinho's Inter Milan is the (ital)real(end ital) final, but don't believe it. French power Lyon can beat anybody here, and Bayern Munich, its foe on Wednesday, has been getting special stuff lately from Arjen Robben. These are first legs; next week we'll know who will play in the May 22 final in Madrid. Tuesday:
Barcelona at Inter Milan, 11:30 a.m. TV: Fox Sports en Espaņol, 11:30 a.m., 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; Fox Soccer Channel, 2 and 5 p.m. Wednesday:
Lyon at Bayern Munich, 7 p.m. TV: Fox Soccer Channel, 11:30 a.m. and 5 p.m.; Fox Sports en Espaņol, 11:30 a.m.
CONCACAF FINAL: Mexico City's Cruz Azul is a five-time club champion in CONCACAF, the region covering North and Central America and the Caribbean, and played in last year's Champions League final. Its rival Pachuca, just 55 miles outside the capital, won the title in 2007 and 2008. They meet in the championship, the first leg at Cruz Azul's home, the second next week in Pachuca.
When: Wednesday, 7 p.m. Where: Mexico City. TV: Fox Soccer Channel
COPA DECIDERS: South America's club championship, the Copa Libertadores, completes group play, and Mexico will have two of 16 spots in the knockout phase. Alas, neither Morelia nor Monterrey are moving on. Both finish their Copas with games against clubs called Nacional. Wednesday:
Morelia at Nacional (Uruguay). TV: Fox Sports en Espaņol, 3:30 p.m.
Monterrey at Nacional (Paraguay). TV: Fox Sports en Espaņol, 5:30 and 10:30 p.m.
THE OTHER EUROPEAN CUP: The English are gone from the big tournament, but they could fill both berths in the final of the Europa League, the new, fancy-pants name they gave the old UEFA Cup to drum up excitement. These semifinal first legs could be exciting enough with or without the hype. Thursday:
Hamburger SV vs. Fulham, noon. TV: GOLTV, noon.
Athletico Madrid vs. Liverpool, noon. TV: GOLTV, 5 p.m.
MLS THURSDAY: The Seattle Sounders are probably the most exciting team in MLS, but how much of that is the incredible atmosphere their fans bring to Qwest Field? Maybe we'll have a better idea after they take on a decent FC Dallas side in the league's most tomb-like arena.
When: Thursday, 5 p.m. Where: Pizza Hut Park, Frisco, Texas. TV: ESPN2/ESPN Deportes
WEEKEND IN EUROPE: The European season is in its stretch drive, and there are big games in three of the big leagues available for your viewing pleasure. Man United is chasing Chelsea in the English Premier League, and fourth-place Tottenham is trying to hold onto a spot in next year's UEFA Champions League. Bayern Munich is closing in on a Bundesliga crown. Roma takes on fourth-place Sampdoria, aiming to hold off Inter Milan for a Serie A title. The one we want to see: Fulham (will Clint Dempsey be ready?) against Everton (Tim Howard in the nets). Saturday:
Tottenham at Manchester United, 4:30 a.m. TV: ESPN2
Borussia Moenchengladbach at Bayern Munich, 6:25 a.m. TV: ESPN Deportes (also 1 p.m.)
AC Milan at Palermo, 11:30 a.m. TV: Fox Soccer Channel; Fox Sports en Espaņol (delayed, 4 p.m.) Sunday:
Fulham at Everton, 7 a.m. TV: ESPN2
Sampdoria at Roma, 11:30 a.m. TV: Fox Soccer Channel; Fox Sports en Espaņol (delayed, 2 p.m.)
BICENTENARIO FINALES: The Mexican Primera Division's Clausura dubbed the "Bicentenario" this year in honor of the country's 1810 declaration of independence from Spain heads into its final weekend with six clubs (Morelia, Cruz Azul, Atlas, America, Pachuca and Gallos Blancos) battling for three remaining playoff berths. Our money's on Morelia, Cruz Azul and Atlas, but Mexico City giant America plays the final game, so it will know what is required before kickoff. Plenty of drama, all of it televised, and there's this, too: L.A.-born former Galaxy star Herculez Gomez, with Puebla, is shooting for the scoring title. Saturday:
Guadalajara at Cruz Azul, 3 p.m. TV: Azteca America (KAZA/Channel 54); ESPN Deportes (delayed, 7 p.m.)
Monterrey at Morelia, 5 p.m. TV: ESPN Deportes/Azteca America (KAZA/Channel 54)
Pachuca at UANL Tigres, 5 p.m. TV: Telemundo (KVEA/Channel 52)
Futura (KFTR/Channel 46)
Jaguares at Atlas, 6:45 p.m. TV: Telemundo (KVEA/Channel 52)
Gallos Blancos at San Luis, 6:45 p.m. TV: TeleFutura (KFTR/Channel 46) Sunday:
Puebla at Toluca, 10 a.m. TV: Telemundo (KVEA/Channel 52)
Santos at America, 2 p.m. TV: Univision (KMEX/Channel 34)
CHAMPS VS. CHAMPS: Real Salt Lake won the MLS Cup title last year. The Columbus Crew won it the year before. Expect both to be in the mix again this year.
When: Saturday, 4:30 p.m. Where: Crew Stadium, Columbus, Ohio. TV: MLS Direct Kick.
THE EDSON BUDDLE SHOW: What will the L.A. Galaxy's super striker do next? He has every one of the club's seven goals (in just four games, all wins), and his fellow players and even some MLS coaches are starting to whisper the magic words: World Cup. The Kansas City Wizards appear formidable. They, like the Galaxy, have surrendered just one goal, from a stoppage-time throw-in at Seattle on Saturday.
When: Saturday, 5:30 p.m. Where: CommunityAmerica Ballpark, Kansas City, Kan. TV: FSN West
PDL OPENER: Hollywood United FC's Hitmen side is the first of a half-dozen local teams in the USL's Premier Development League the fourth tier of American men's soccer to begin its season, playing in the league opener against the Fresno Fuego about 200 miles to the north. The rest of the SoCal contingent Lancaster Rattlers, Los Angeles Legends, Orange County Blue Star, Southern California Seahorses and Ventura County Fusion start up the following weekend.
When: Saturday, 7 p.m. Where: Chukchansi Park, Fresno. TV: None.
CHIVAS TRIES AGAIN: Chivas USA looks to right things after the weekend debacle in Houston. The Goats' foe the San Jose Earthquakes also started poorly, but they've been dynamite the past two weeks.
When: Saturday, 7:30 p.m. Where: Home Depot Center, Carson. TV: Fox Soccer Channel/Fox Sports en Espaņol
WOMEN'S DAY: A showdown between the top two teams (after two weeks) in Women's Professional Soccer: Saint Louis Athletica vs. Boston Breakers. Looking for a local angle? Saint Louis' Shannon Boxx (Redondo Beach) and Kristina Larsen (Mission Viejo) and Boston's Kasey Moore (Mission Viejo) are local girls.
When: Sunday, 3 p.m. Where: Anheuser-Busch Soccer Park, Fenton, Mo. TV: Fox Soccer Channel
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Scott French
Orange County native Scott French has been writing about soccer for more than 30 years for dozens of publications and Web sites. He was senior editor at Soccer America and was managing editor of MajorSoccerLeague Magazine from April 2007 until last summer. He has covered three World Cups for the Long Beach Press-Telegram and Los Angeles Daily News, two Women's World Cups for Soccer America, the Olympic Games, European Championship, U-20 World Cup, eight MLS Cups and all four professional women's championship games.
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