Two months after Santos Laguna lifted the trophy for winning the Mexican Clausura championship, the club's championship defense begins with the start of the Mexican Apertura season.
A full slate of action is on tap this weekend in Mexico, where U.S. men's national team forward Herculez Gomez and Santos Laguna play San Luis to open their campaign. The match of the weekend takes place at the home of last year's Apertura champion and reigning CONCACAF Champions League winner Monterrey, who welcome Club America to Estadio Tecnologico.
After kicking off in Seattle on Wednesday night, the World Football Challenge resumes this weekend as well, with Toronto FC hosting Liverpool at Rogers Centre and Chelsea squaring off with headline makers Paris-St. Germain at Yankee Stadium.
To get you in the mood for the Olympics, a pre-Olympic friendly involving two of the top teams in the Olympic field is on the docket, as CONCACAF power Mexico plays Asian qualifier Japan Saturday morning.
In MLS, a trio of regional rivalries takes center stage, with the New York Red Bulls hosting the resurgent Philadelphia Union, Real Salt Lake and the Colorado Rapids battling in the Rocky Mountain Cup and the Los Angeles Galaxy and Chivas USA meeting in another installment of the SuperClasico.
Here is this weekend's soccer on TV:
THIS WEEKEND'S SOCCER ON TV
FRIDAY
10 p.m. – Univision Deportes – Tijuana vs. Puebla
SATURDAY
9 a.m. – Telefutura – Mexico Olympic squad vs. Japan (friendly)
9 a.m. – Fox Soccer Channel – Ajax Cape Town vs. Manchester United (friendly)
11 a.m. – GOLTV – Birmingham City vs. Borussia Monchengladbach (friendly)
1 p.m. – GOLTV – Fenerbahce vs. Newcastle (friendly)
2:30 p.m. – ESPN/ESPN3.com – New York Red Bulls vs. Philadelphia Union
4 p.m. – Fox Soccer Channel – Toronto FC vs. Liverpool (WFC)
5:30 p.m. – GOLTV – Vasco de Gama vs. Santos
5:30 p.m. – Univision Deportes – Queretaro vs. Leon
7:30 p.m. – MLS Live/Direct Kick – Columbus Crew vs. D.C. United
7:30 p.m. – Chicago-Fire.com live stream – Chicago Fire vs. Aston Villa (friendly)
8 p.m. – Univision Deportes – Monterrey vs. America
8 p.m. – Telefutura – Santos Laguna vs. San Luis
8:30 p.m. – MLS Live/Direct Kick – Sporting Kansas City vs. New England Revolution
8:30 p.m. – MLS Live/Direct Kick – Houston Dynamo vs. Montreal Impact
9 p.m. – MLS Live/Direct Kick – FC Dallas vs. Portland Timbers
10 p.m. – MLS Live/Direct Kick – Real Salt Lake vs. Colorado Rapids
10 p.m. – Univision Deportes – Atlas vs. Pumas UNAM
10 p.m. – Telefutura – Los Angeles Galaxy vs. Chivas USA
SUNDAY
1 p.m. – Univision – Toluca vs. Chivas de Guadalajara
3 p.m. – ESPN3.com – Figueirense vs. Sao Paulo
3:30 p.m. – Fox Soccer Channel – AS Roma vs. Zaglebie Lubin (friendly)
7 p.m. – Telefutura – Atlante vs. Pachuca
7 p.m. – Fox Soccer Channel – Chelsea vs. Paris-St. Germain (WFC)
7 p.m. – MLS Live/Direct Kick – Vancouver Whitecaps vs. San Jose Earthquakes