052413_isi_bradleymichael_usmntjt0325131246 John Todd/isiphotos.com
5 to Watch This Weekend

Michael Bradley Eager to Win Italian Silverware

Yes, the Champions League final will dominate soccer viewing activity this weekend. But don't forget about the Coppa Italia final, which will feature a certain follicle-challenged American midfielder.
BY Eduardo Mendez Posted
May 24, 2013
12:00 PM
SATURDAY
Montreal Impact vs. Philadelphia Union
7:00 p.m. (all times Eastern)
MLSsoccer.com Stream of the Week

Before the season began, most MLS fans would have expected a name like Thierry Henry or Chris Wondolowski to lead the MLS Golden Boot race. Instead, it’s 20-year-old Jack McInerney. The young American forward leads the league with eight goals, and five of his strikes have been game winners. The Union travel to Saputo Stadium to face a Montreal side that is two points ahead of them in the Eastern Conference standings. Can Jack Mac continue his attack against the Impact? We'll be watching.

Seattle Reign vs. Portland Thorns
10:00 p.m.
YouTube

Yes, YouTube. In case you haven’t noticed, the Northwest dominates the soccer culture in this country. Look no further than the weekly passionate crowds at JELD-WEN and CenturyLink Field for evidence. The same holds true for the NWSL. The last time these two Cascadian rivals squared off, a record-setting crowd of 16,479 packed JELD-WEN Field to witness Alex Morgan’s dominance in a 2-1 victory for Portland. Now, it’s time for Seattleites to show their support in the return leg.

SUNDAY
Lazio vs. A.S. Roma
12:00 p.m.
beIN Sport

It’s literally a matter of life and death whenever Lazio and Roma do battle on the field, as six fans were reportedly stabbed ahead of last month’s derby. That match would ultimately end in a 1-1 draw—thanks to a Francesco Totti penalty in the 56th minute—but there will be no ties in the Coppa Italia final. It’s a winner-take-all showdown featuring the top-ranked player in the ASN 100. A win on Sunday would give Michael Bradley the first club trophy of his career.

Sporting Kansas City vs. Houston Dynamo
3:30 p.m.
NBC Sports Network

A few weeks back Sporting Kansas City became the first competitive team to defeat Houston at BBVA Compass Stadium. It’s been two weeks since that defeat and the Dynamo still haven’t recovered. A 2-0 loss at home to the New England Revolution extended Houston’s home losing streak to two and now the Dynamo face a tricky road match against a talent-rich SKC. The Dynamo will be without Bobby Boswell, who is serving the first of his two-game suspension for delivering a headbutt to New England’s Dimitry Imbongo last Saturday. With Brad Davis scheduled to leave for U.S. national team duty after the match, Houston will be desperate to win. This has the makings of a real cracker.

Los Angeles Galaxy vs. Seattle Sounders
11 p.m.
ESPN 2

It's hard to believe that ESPN2/MLS couldn't find a way to play this game a few hours earlier so that East Coast audiences could enjoy this contest. No team in MLS has been as dominant as Seattle in recent weeks. After a sluggish start, the Sounders are riding a six-game unbeaten streak and have defeated their last two opponents by a combined score of 8-2. The Galaxy, on the other hand, have lost three of their last four. This Western Conference showdown should be riveting, but fans in Detroit and Atlanta and Washington D.C. and Philadelphia and New York will have to stay up until 1 a.m. Monday to see what happens. Bananas.

BEST OF THE REST
MLS: New York Red Bulls vs. Columbus Crew (5:00 p.m., Sunday, UniMas)—It’s not 2015 yet, but there’s already one New York franchise atop the Supporters’ Shield standings.

NO U.S. ANGLE BUT...
Champions League: Borussia Dortmund vs. Bayern Munich (2:45 p.m., Saturday, FOX Network)—These might not be the two teams you were expecting to see, but you'll be watching anyway. Us too.

Liga MX: America vs. Cruz Azul (9:00 p.m., Sunday, Univision)—Only 90 minutes separates Cruz Azul from its first Liga MX championship since 1997.

So what are you watching this weekend? Let us know below.

Eduardo Mendez is a Brooklyn-based writer based and an ASN contributor.

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