By FRANCO PANIZO

The emotions of winning a trophy must be cast aside. There are crucial league games to be played.

Ventura Alvarado and Club America may have come out on top in the CONCACAF Champions League on Wednesday, but a place in the Liga MX playoffs is far from secure. America sits in seventh place with two matches remaining, and only one point separates them from falling to ninth and out of the postseason picture. Alvarado and America could come closer to assuring that it finishes in a top-eight spot when it returns home to host Toluca, but overcoming a quick turnaround will be necessary as the game takes place on Saturday.

Another player hoping to lift a trophy over his head is U.S. Under-20 Men’s National Team defender Desevio Payne. While the Eredivisie takes a brief break, Payne and FC Groningen  will attempt to win the KNVB Cup final against PEC Zwolle on Sunday. Groningen enters the match with plenty of confidence, boasting a six-game unbeaten run across all competitions that includes a 3-0 victory over Excelsior in the last round of the KNVB Cup.

If that does not satisfy your weekend cravings, then watching John Brooks and Fabian Johnson square off might do the trick. Brooks and Hertha Berlin are looking to bounce back and move further away from the drop zone after last week’s narrow defeat to Bayern Munich, but there is plenty for Johnson and Borussia Moenchengladbach to play for as well. Moenchengladbach remains with a slight advantage in the quest to lock up the Bundesliga’s final guaranteed UEFA Champions League berth, and only a victory can assure the club that it remains in that position.

Here is who the Americans Abroad battle with this weekend:

FRIDAY

Jonathan Bornstein and Queretaro play Morelia.

Greg Garza, Joe Corona, Paul Arriola, Alejandro Guido and Club Tijuana play Edgar Castillo and Atlas.

SATURDAY

Brad Guzan and Aston Villa play Tim Howard and Everton.

Geoff Cameron and Stoke City play Swansea City.

Tim Ream and Bolton Wanderers play Jonathan Spector and Birmingham City.

Oguchi Onyewu and Charlton Athletic play AFC Bournemouth.

Zak Whitbread and Derby County play Danny Williams and Reading. (Whitbread is out injured.)

Emerson Hyndman and Fulham play Norwich City. (Hyndman is out injured.)

Eric Lichaj and Nottingham Forest play Cardiff City.

Joe Gyau and Borussia Dortmund play TSG 1899 Hoffenheim. (Gyau is out injured.)

Timmy Chandler and Eintracht Frankfurt play Werder Bremen.

Conor O’Brien and FC Magna Wiener Neustadt play Austria Vienna.

Michael Orozco, Herculez Gomez and Puebla play William Yarbrough and Club Leon.

Ventura Alvarado and Club America play Toluca.

Jose Torres and Tigres UANL play Chivas de Guadalajara. (Torres is out injured.)

Gabrial Farfan and Jaguares de Chiapas play Monterrey.

SUNDAY

DeAndre Yedlin, Brad Friedel and Tottenham Hotspur play Manchester City.

Julian Green and Hamburg SV play Mainz 05.

John Brooks and Hertha Berlin play Fabian Johnson and Borussia Moenchengladbach.

Bobby Wood and FC Erzgebirge Aue play Karlsruhe.

Jann George and SpVgg Greuther Furth play Fortuna Dusseldorf.

Terrence Boyd and RB Leipzig play St Pauli. (Boyd is out injured.)

Andrew Wooten and SV Sanhausen play Heidenheimer SB.

Alejandro Bedoya and FC Nantes play Paris Saint-Germain.

Desevio Payne and FC Groningen play PEC Zwolle in the KNVB Cup Final.

Zarek Valentin and FK Bodo/Glimt play Aalesund.

Cole Grossman and Stabaek IF play Mjondalen IF.

Freddy Adu, Stephen McCarthy and Kuopion Palloseura play Mariehamm.

MONDAY

Gedion Zelalem and Arsenal play Hull City.

Alfredo Morales and FC Ingolstadt 04 play FC Nurnberg.

Josh Gatt, Ethan Horvath and Molde FK play Viking.

Heath Pearce and IFK Goteborg play Falkenberg.

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Which of these matches are you most anticipating? Do you see Alvarado and America avoiding a letdown after winning the CONCACAF Champions League crown on Wednesday? Think Payne and Groningen will advance?

Share your thoughts below.