Even as other major league sports prepare to restart, soccer leagues here and abroad are reaching their climax.
This Sunday is the final day of the English Premier League season, with all 20 teams in action at 10am, July 26 on various NBC networks. And while Liverpool‘s Reds wrapped up the title ages ago, there’s still plenty to play for. Best bets: Manchester United and Leicester go head-to-head for the last Champions League spot, and Chelsea plays Wolves with both teams needing a result to hold their CL and Europa League spots, respectively. And at the other end of the table, Aston Villa, Watford, and Bournemouth are all trying to stay in the top division; only one will succeed.
The MLS Is Back Tournament group stage ends with three games today, Thursday, July 23; the round of 16 runs Saturday through Tuesday, July 25-28: two games a night on ESPN or FS1, counting down toward an Aug. 11 final. The intensity has picked up as the tournament has gone on, even if the level of play still feels decidedly preseason.
The NWSL Challenge Cup winds up this Sunday, with the championship final at 11:30am on CBS between the Houston Dash and either Chicago Red Stars or New York’s Sky Blue FC, who are meeting in the second semifinal as we go to press. The young Dash team – whom many picked to finish last in the eight-team field – have been the breakout success story of the tourney so far.
This just in: The Austin Bold have postponed their next two games – tonight at home and at OKC on Sunday, after “one of Austin Bold FC’s covered persons testing positive for COVID-19” in routine weekly testing. They’re scheduled for home games at Bold Stadium the next two Saturdays, Aug. 1 & 8; more word next week on how those games will play out.
This article appears in July 24 • 2020.