CBS Sports lands EFL and Carabao, remains home of the thrilling Serie A

Welcome to the weekend! The tournaments might be over but the excitement is already building for the 2024-25 season, where you'll be able to watch even more of the best soccer out there on our networks. I'm James Benge, here to guide you through the biggest stories of the last few days and give you a taste of what's to come.

📺 Footy fix

All times U.S./Eastern

Friday, July 19
🇦🇷 Primera Division: Belgrano vs. Deportivo Riestra, 6 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+
🇺🇸 USL: Louisville City vs. Colorado Springs, 8 p.m. ➡️ CBS Sports Golazo Network
🇺🇸 USL: Phoenix Rising vs. El Paso Locomotive, 11 p.m. ➡️ CBS Sports Network

Saturday, July 20
🤝 Preseason friendly: Rapid Wien vs. Milan, 11:30 a.m. ➡️ ESPN+
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 League Cup: Dundee United vs. Ayr United, 12:15 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+
🇺🇸 USL: Orange County vs. San Antonio FC, 10 p.m. ➡️ CBS Sports Golazo Network
🏆 Summer Cup: Angel City vs. Club America, 10 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+

Sunday, July 21
🇺🇸 USL: Oakland Roots vs. Sacramento Republic, 4 p.m. ➡️ CBS

⚽ The Forward Line

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 EFL, Carabao heads to CBS Sports

We start with what is, in this particular UK-based correspondent's view, one of the most exciting pieces of broadcast news this summer. The EFL is coming to CBS Sports and Paramount+. Three of the most invigorating, unpredictable leagues in soccer and you'll be able to follow every twist and turn with us. 

And you really should expect a lot of them. While I can tell you right this moment who will be the Premier League's top three next season or give you a particularly confident call on who's going to be vying for La Liga's crown, good luck trying to call the Championship. As is the case for League One and League Two, this is a high-octane competition where every fan approaches the new season firmly believing that this could be their year. Relegation candidates from 12 months earlier might find themselves on the cusp of the promised land. There is no guarantee that those who slip down from the Premier League don't slip further.

So what are you getting next season? Well, at least 250 matches from not only the Championship, League One and League Two but also the EFL Cup and EFL Trophy. On opening weekend (August 9-12) we will have nine games from the Championship -- the pick of which might just be promotion favorites Leeds taking on a returning Portsmouth -- one from League One and another two from League Two. As EFL chief executive Trevor Birch explains, there's a lot to look forward to.

• Birch: "We believe that American fans will embrace the excitement, tradition, and competitiveness that is embodied by our EFL competitions. This is an exciting time for the league and our clubs, and we look forward to sharing our matches with viewers across the United States."

For those of you that like your football with a USMNT flavor, you'll be able to see Josh Sargent, Haji Wright and Brenden Aaronson, among others, do their thing in the Championship. Meanwhile, in the stands, the likes of Tom Brady and Ryan Reynolds might just be watching on, wracked with anxiety in yet another absorbing twist on these brilliant leagues. 

Oh and we're not done there when it comes to the best Football on our airways...

Sponsored by Paramount+

🔗  Midfield Link Play

🇮🇹 Calcio continues on CBS Sports

If you're anything like me, you'll have been loving the last three years of Serie A coverage on our airwaves. We've had the emergence and establishment of true global superstars such as Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Rafael Leao and Lautaro Martinez, customary off-field drama and three separate champions. Why wouldn't we want some more of that?

Paramount+ will be your home for every Serie A Game -- 380 of them a year -- as well as every Supercoppa Italiana match and at least 25 from Coppa Italia. Select matches will air directly on CBS with select Games also on CBS Sports Network and CBS Sports Golzao Network. Christian Pulisic, Timothy Weah, Gianluca Busio beamed directly to your living room.

And so Serie A will be back on CBS Sports which will surely be packed with yet more drama. Who is to say that 2024-25 won't bring another champion now that Thiago Motta is at the Juventus helm? Napoli will be looking to rediscover their previous swagger and winning qualities under Antonio Conte -- so will Milan under Paulo Fonseca -- while some intriguing pickups by Lazio have me wondering whether they might be able to build on last season's seventh-placed finish.

One team I'm going to have a close eye on will be Atalanta. La Dea started a little slowly in 2023-24 but their form in the back half of the campaign was outstanding, particularly given they were balancing their pursuit of a top-four finish with a Europa League run that concluded in Dublin with Gian Piero Gasperini's side being the only one to down Bayer Leverkusen all season long. Their depth has been improved through the additions of Nicolo Zaniolo and Everton's Ben Godfrey, who'll be bidding for the same career revival as his one-time club mate Ademola Lookman, and the brightest stars of last season are still at the club.

One thing is for sure, Serie A is going to have that unpredictability factor that we all crave in an era where so many of Europe's top leagues look to be done and dusted before a ball has been kicked. You've got a few weeks to settle your affairs folks. Then it's high drama football all the way.

🔗  Top Stories

🥇 Olympics on the horizon: It's only a week until the opening ceremony in Paris but the soccer tournaments kick off even sooner, with the U.S. Under-23 men's side to face off against hosts France on July 24 in Marseille. Here is everything you need to know about the men's and women's sides going into the tournament.

🩹 Messi on the mend: After that painful ankle injury in the Copa America final, it will be a while before Lionel Messi takes to the field again. Inter Miami have confirmed he will be out of this weekend's Game against the Chicago Fire.

🇦🇷 Argentine official out: On the subject of Messi, a story that shines a light on his status in his homeland, where the undersecretary of sport stepped down after calling for the superstar to apologize on behalf of his teammates in light of racist chants during their Copa America celebrations.

🇲🇽 El Tri in turmoil: Jaime Lozano is out as Mexico manager so what happens now for a nation with great expectations and a roster that may not be capable of delivering them?

🌱 MLS record breaker: A major moment in U.S. soccer on Wednesday night where Cavan Sullivan, aged 14 years and 306 days, became MLS' youngest player when he entered the field for Philadelphia Union against DC United.

🤔 Ballon d'Or contenders: Rodri? Jude Bellingham? Vinicius Junior? Messi? Just who is going to take home the biggest individual prize in football?

🔀 Copa transfers: It has been a star-making summer in the Copa America but which players could parlay their tournament form into a big move?

✅ Morata to Milan: The Rossoneri have signed the striker they've been hunting to replace LAFC-bound Olivier Giroud. Alvaro Morata will be their new center forward after they paid his $14.2 million release clause to Atletico Madrid.

💰  The Back Line

💵 Best bets

• EFL Championship: Promotion
  💰 THE PICK: Coventry City (+450) -- As I mentioned above, picking so much as a game in the EFL is a fool's errand. But it's a bright summer's day in London and I'm here writing a newsletter. A fool I must be. At their best last season Coventry looked like a side who could repeat the previous year's run to the playoff final even without Viktor Gyokores and this season they won't have to adjust to life without one of the sport's emerging striker talents. Keep an eye on the Sky Blues as a team who could make the top six at the very least in 2024-25.
  

📺 What's on CBS Sports Golazo Network

☀️ Morning Footy (Weekdays 8-10 a.m.): Hosts Susannah Collins, Charlie Davies, Nico Cantor and Alexis Guerreros help fans get their day started 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 night): A weekly podcast where Jimmy Conrad, Charlie Davies and friends cover all things USMNT and the state of the beautiful game in the United States. You can also catch the show streaming live on YouTube every Monday at 11 a.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+.