Premier League all set for return
As the sports world slowly resumes, few sports have returned to play quite as aggressively as soccer.
In several countries leagues have either returned to action or have plans to kick off shortly. England’s uber-popular Premier League restarts on Wednesday with its first matches since the COVID-19 pandemic halted play in March.
Soccer fans know how to navigate the massive international landscape with all its unique quirks and styles; more casual fans who are eager to watch live team competition might find it a little more challenging to find a place to start.
Here’s a rundown of the status of several major international leagues and when to expect to be able to watch a match:
Premier League (England)
The return: The Premier League is back on Wednesday with a pair of matches to get the entire league even with 29 games played. For now, games will take place at home stadiums without fans in attendance.
Appeal: The most-watched sports league in the world has a gargantuan $1 billion TV deal with NBC to broadcast games in the U.S. It’s accessible, highquality and competitive; Liverpool won last year’s UEFA Champions League but didn’t win the Premier League, losing out in a thrilling title race to Manchester City.
Match to watch: Manchester City vs. Arsenal, Wednesday, 11:15 a.m., NBCSN. A matchup of two of the league’s most successful clubs of late. City is second in the league table compared to Arsenal’s ninth, but the latter has the always dangerous Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (17 goals), the league’s second-leading scorer.
Bundesliga (Germany)
The return: One of the first leagues to return, clubs have been playing matches since May 16 with no fans, strict social distancing rules and the requirement of substitutes to wear masks on the bench.
Appeal: Like lots of scoring? Germany is the country for you. The first half of the Bundesliga season yielded a 3.2 goals per game average, the highest in Europe. Also, several budding American soccer prospects, like Weston McKennie and Gio Reyna, ply their trade here.
Match to watch: RB Leipzig vs. Borussia Dortmund, Saturday, 5:30 a.m.,
FS2. Although mighty Bayern Munich clinched the league title on Tuesday, its 30th championship, expect fireworks here between the second- and thirdplace clubs. Timo Werner has 25 goals for Leipzig, while teenage sensation Erling Haaland has 11 goals in just 12 games played for Dortmund since joining in January.
La Liga (Spain)
The return: Kicked off games again last week after coordinating a plan to play over the past few months with the Spanish government. No fans are currently allowed to attend matches.
Appeal: Barcelona and Real Madrid are two of the most well-known franchises in sports, and ooze talent throughout each starting lineup. The clubs are locked in a razor-close title race that will turn into a mad sprint to the league’s July 19 finish.
Match to watch: Sevilla vs. Barcelona, Friday, noon, beIN Sports. Thirdplaced Sevilla is gunning for a shot of cracking into the top two, and it’ll be motivated to upstage the Spanish giants. But Barça’s Lionel Messi (20 goals), who turns 33 later this month, has shown no signs of slowing down as he’s once again La Liga’s top scorer.
Serie A (Italy)
The return: Returns Saturday with a plan mirroring many of its European counterparts: No fans, frequent testing and plenty of social distancing.
Appeal: It’s another hotly contested title race as eight-time defending champs Juventus are warding off a serious challenge from Lazio, who trail by a point with 12 games left. Also, if you prefer Cristiano Ronaldo over Messi in the best-of-all-time debate, he plays here with Juventus.
Match to watch: Lecce vs. AC Milan, Monday, 9:30 a.m., ESPN. The first week of Serie A’s return features a dull slate of games, but this one is on national television in the U.S. Brash Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who most recently tore up the MLS with the Los Angeles Galaxy, should play in this match for Milan.
Major League Soccer (U.S.)
The return: While most of European soccer is traveling from home to home, America’s biggest league is going to Disney World. Play returns July 8 with the “MLS is Back Tournament” in Orlando, a month-long, World Cupstyle event with a group stage, knockout rounds and overall title to play for.
Appeal: MLS has the benefit of being an American league televised at times that appeal to an U.S. audience. “The tournament will feature a continuous schedule of matches nearly every day with matches kicking off at 9 am, 8 pm and 10:30 pm EDT,” per a release from the league, with all games televised and none overlapping.
Matches to watch: TBD. The tournament schedule is not finalized but groups are set, with tantalizing matches imminent. Inter Miami and Orlando City will officially kick off the tournament, which will total 54 games by its end, at a currently unannounced time.
National Women’s Soccer League (U.S.)
The return: NWSL also will begin to play again in a hub city using a tournament format. The NWSL Challenge Cup kicks off June 27 with two games that day in front of a fan-less audience at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman, Utah.
Appeal: The gold standard of women’s soccer worldwide thanks to star power (Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe) and a deep pool of talent, the NWSL’s return will also mark the official return of team sports in America as it’ll be the first league to resume play since the coronavirus shutdown in March.
Match to watch: North Carolina Courage vs. Portland Thorns FC, June 27, 9:30 a.m., CBS. The first game on the tournament slate is also a dandy. Courage, the two-time defending NWSL champs, take on fellow twotime title winners Portland in a showdown of the two most successful sides in league history on national television. Several names familiar to U.S. Women’s National Team fans like Portland’s Tobin Heath and North Carolina’s Crystal Dunn are expected to play.