FRIDAY

Tijuana vs. Atlas
10:30 p.m. (all times Eastern)
ESPN Deportes
Club Tijuana—the unofficial American franchise in Liga MX—kicks off its 2013 campaign with a visit from club Atlas. Gold Cup contributors Joe Corona and Edgar Castillo won’t be available for selection, but newly signed forward Herculez Gomez is now en route to Estadio Caliente. Look for this trio of Americans to try to achieve something special this season.

SATURDAY

Philadelphia Union vs. Portland Timbers
7:30
MLS Live
Welcome back, Jack McInereny. You’ve been sorely missed. The 20-year-old sensation failed to make his national team debut this summer—apparently his meteoric rise in MLS wasn’t enough to supplant a bevy of international veterans. Now, with a return to the Union, Jack Mac will look to continue his stellar campaign against Caleb Porter’s Timbers this Saturday.

Real Salt Lake vs. Sporting Kansas City
10:00
MLS Live
No. 1 in the East visits No. 1 in the West...that’s what the MLS standings want you to believe. In reality, the battle between Real Salt Lake and Sporting Kansas City is a battle for Midwest supremacy. Both teams have lost key personnel to the Gold Cup, but the Claret and Cobalt have taken a mightier blow to its roster. RSL must now rely on its depth and the fervent faithful at Rio Tinto Stadium to neutralize a gap in talent.

SUNDAY

Puebla vs. UNAM
1:00 p.m.
ESPN Deportes, ESPN 3
Club Tijuana won’t be the only Mexican club worth following in 2013, not with American favorites DaMarcus Beasley and Michael Orozco Fiscal at Puebla. The two are still away on Gold Cup duty, but the show must go on for Los Camoteros. The two-time champions begin its 2013 campaign with a visit from Pumas on Sunday.

United States vs. El Salvador
4:00 p.m.
FOX, Univision
El Salvador has never defeated the United States in senior competition. With the additions of Eddie Johnson, Matt Besler, and Alan Gordon to the Gold Cup roster (Omar Gonzalez will be joining the team if it makes it to the semifinals), don’t expect that to change at M&T Bank Stadium.

BEST OF THE REST

MLS: Seattle Sounders vs. Colorado Rapids (4:00 p.m., Saturday, MLS Live)—A win at home against the visiting Rapids is of the utmost importance for the Sounders this week. Either right the ship or sink with it, Seattle.

NO U.S. ANGLE BUT...

Gold Cup: Costa Rica vs. Honduras (7:00 p.m., Sunday, Fox Soccer Channel, Univision)—The winner has the dubious honor of facing the United States in the semifinals. That alone is reason enough to pay attention to this battle between these two Central American powers.

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

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