Football

Champions League draw gives massive matches; NWSL season kicks off with Gotham vs. Wave in Challenge Cup

Published

8m ago

Mar 16, 2024 / 5340 Views

Evan Walker

Ladies and Gentlemen... The Weekend! The excitement of a weekend of games, with the NWSL season kicking off, has only been heightened by the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League quarterfinals being drawn. This is Jonathan Johnson and I am here to get your ready for all of it. Here it is!

📺 Footy fix

All times U.S./Eastern

Friday, Mar. 15
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 WSL: Chelsea vs. Arsenal, 2 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+
🇺🇸 NWSL Challenge Cup: NJ/NY Gotham FC vs. San Diego Wave 8 p.m. ET ➡️ Prime Video

Saturday, Mar. 16
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 FA Cup: Manchester City vs. Newcastle United, 12:30 p.m. ➡️ ESPN+
🇮🇹 Serie A: Frosinone vs. Lazio, 2:45 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+

Sunday, Mar. 17
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 WSL: Brighton and Hove Albion vs. Manchester City, 7:30 a.m. ➡️ Paramount+
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 FA Cup: Manchester United vs. Liverpool, 10:30 a.m. ➡️ ESPN+
🇮🇹 Serie A: Inter vs. Napoli, 2:45 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+
🇪🇸 La Liga: Atletico Madrid vs. Barcelona, 3 p.m. ➡️ ESPN+
🇺🇸 NWSL: Seattle Reign vs. Washington Spirit 6 p.m. ET ➡️ NWSL+

⚽ The Forward Line

🇪🇺 UCL Draw

The UEFA Champions League quarterfinals draw has arrived and it has produced some superb European ties this Friday. Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona have been reunited with Luis Enrique now leading the French giants having won the title in 2015 with the Catalan giants. Overall favorites Real Madrid and Manchester City will face off in the final before the final which will see one big name fall before the semifinals.

Quarterfinals

Arsenal vs. Bayern Munich.
Atletico Madrid vs. Borussia Dortmund.
Real Madrid vs. Manchester City.
PSG vs. Barcelona.

Arsenal and Bayern Munich is a matchup dripping with continental pedigree which offers both sides a shot at the semis. Atletico Madrid up against Borussia Dortmund is also appetizing given the passion on both sides and the potential for an underdog to make it into the semis or further.

Semifinals

Atletico or Dortmund vs. PSG or Barca.
Arsenal or Bayern vs. Real or City.

The draw has perhaps now opened up for a side like PSG, Atleti and Barca while arguably the favorite for the title will emerge on the other side with City and Real then going up against Arsenal or Bayern just to reach the final.

Final

Atletico, Dortmund, PSG or Barca vs. Arsenal, Bayern, Real or City.

🔗 Midfield Link Play

👊 NWSL season kicks off: Five storylines to follow

by Sandra Herrera

1. Larger playing field: The league is expanding once again with the introduction of Bay FC and Utah Royals FC. With 14 teams officially part of the NWSL landscape, the league playoff line is also evolving. This year eight teams will battle for a spot in the post season.

2. International iNFLux: The offseason provided plenty of excitement around incoming players as the league welcomed 22 players from international clubs. In an effort to keep up with the evolving market, U.S. soccer recently approved raising the number of international slots on rosters from five to seven.

3. Another strong rookie class: The 2024 NWSL draft had plenty of movement with 56 players selected. The incoming class of rookie players has plenty of talent, but keep an eye on Washington Spirit. The D.C. side recently signed five rookies to new contracts.

4. Our teenage overlords: Speaking of rookies, Bay FC's No. 2 overall pick 19-year-old Savy King signed a three contract with the expansion side. She is one of a handful of the latest up and coming prospect taking her talents pro. She's joining a league now led by 18-year-old Olivia Moultrie and 19-year-old Jaedyn Shaw.

5. USWNT staples: The league is entering year 12 and is miles ahead as a professional league since their first season. Founded in part as a pro domestic league to provide a consistent competitive environment for the U.S. national team, it is still a place where USWNT players sharpen their skills. With the 2024 Summer Olympics on the horizon, look for players to make their case for a roster spot in the Paris Games through league play.

🔗 Top Stories

🆙 UEFA Champions League rankings: Taking a look at the UCL runners and riders with a stacked final eight which sees Manchester City and Real Madrid remaining favorites despite Arsenal's mettle.

⬆️ UEFA Europa League rankings: Assessing the UEL field ahead of the quarterfinals with Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool and Christian Pulisic's Milan leading the way ahead of Xabi Alonso's Bayer Leverkusen.

🧮 UEFA coefficient update: How the Champions League, Europa League and Europa Conference League round of 16 results have impacted European soccer's overall rankings system.

😮‍💨 USMNT star Christian Pulisic scores: The U.S. international with a neat finish as Italian giants Milan advanced in the UEFA Europa League vs. Slavia Praha -- his third straight scoring game.

🫂 Kylian Mbappe and Luis Enrique: The departing French superstar is seeing some benefits from the Spanish tactician's tough love stance as PSG advanced to the Coupe de France semifinals thanks to an Mbappe goal vs. OGC Nice.

🇺🇸 USMNT roster picks: Gregg Berhalter talks us through his latest squad after leaving out some notable names: 'This was the hardest roster that we've ever had to pick'

🤕 Lionel Messi is hurt: The legendary Argentina international is injured again so we ask if it is time to start worrying about the GOAT and the impact on Inter Miami of his unavailability.

🆓 NWSL one-stop shop: We have the latest as the new NWSL season nears with power rankings ahead of regular season kick-off and free agency becoming a key part of strategy.

💰 The Back Line

💵 Best bet

La Liga: Osasuna vs. Real Madrid, Saturday, 10:15 a.m.
💰 THE PICK: Rodrygo to score assisted by Vini Jr. (+1000) -- Real Madrid are away at Osasuna in La Liga on Saturday with Los Blancos seven points clear of Girona. Carlo Ancelotti's side can notch a 22nd La Liga win of the season this weekend while their hosts are in 10th and seven points off the pace for Europe. Girona beat Osasuna 2-0 last week to end a four-game unbeaten run for Jagoba Arrasate's men while consistency has been an issue for them. A strong Real side will be a tough challenge for the home side given that the league leaders are the best road side in the Spanish topflight. The Pamplona outfit went down 4-0 to Los Merengues at Santiago Bernabeu earlier in the campaign while Real's record at Osasuna is good and included a 2-0 win last year. The visitors should be able to capitalize on Osasuna's shaky form and continue their strong run at El Sadar although a narrow winning margin is possible.

📺 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.

📦 Box 2 Box (Weekday afternoons): The news-driven show quickly recaps all the latest headlines from around the world with panelists previewing the top matchups of the day. Catch Box 2 Box on CBS Sports Golazo Network on the CBS Sports app, PlutoTV and Paramount+.

3️⃣ Attacking Third (Monday, Wednesday and Friday evening): The leading women's soccer podcast and social brand is now a live studio show. Just because the NWSL season is over doesn't mean that our coverage of the women's game is going anywhere. Our analysts will be breaking down the USWNT. NWSL offseason and European domestic season all winter long.

👟 Kickin' It (Tuesdays): CBS Sports Golazo Network's new unfiltered interview show returns Tuesday Hosted by Kate Abdo, Clint Dempsey, Mo Edu and Charlie Davies, the group chat candidly with the biggest names from the Beautiful Game and share their stories from on and off the pitch.

⚽ Call it What You Want (Monday night): A weekly podcast where Jimmy Conrad, Jesse Marsch and Charlie Davies cover all things USMNT and the state of the beautiful game in the United States.

🥅 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+.