Soccer on TV: Christian Pulisic in FA Cup final, MLS quarterfinals, Serie A relegation race
Pulisic goes for his first trophy at Chelsea as the Blues face London rival Arsenal at Wembley Stadium. In MLS, there are three tournament quarterfinals in prime time.
It’s a fairly quiet weekend in the soccer world, but the games that are happening are pretty big.
Here’s your viewer’s guide to what to watch on TV and online.
Orlando City vs. Los Angeles FC
Friday, 7:30 p.m. (FS1, UniMás, TUDN)
Led by Diego Rossi’s seven goals, LAFC is the favorite to win the MLS tournament. Chris Mueller, Nani, and Orlando City have done well to reach the quarterfinals but haven’t played a team this good.
Arsenal vs. Chelsea
Saturday, 1 p.m. (ESPN+)
Hershey native Christian Pulisic goes for his first trophy at Chelsea, as the Blues face London rival Arsenal in the FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium. The stakes are bigger for Pierre-Emerick Aubemeyang and Arsenal, as they can qualify for the Europa League with a win.
San Jose Earthquakes vs. Minnesota United
Saturday, 8 p.m. (ESPN2, ESPN Deportes)
San Jose hasn’t been the best team in the MLS tournament, but it’s been perhaps the most entertaining: 11 goals in four games, including a 5-2 win over Real Salt Lake in the round of 16. Minnesota upset Columbus in a penalty shootout with some goalkeeping heroics from South Jersey native Tyler Miller.
New York City FC vs. Portland Timbers
Saturday, 10:30 p.m. (FS1, UniMás, TUDN)
After languishing in the group stage, NYCFC exploded in the round of 16 with an impressive 3-1 win over Toronto FC. Now, Maxi Moralez leads his team against fellow Argentine playmaker Diego Valeri, whose Timbers needed penalty kicks to beat FC Cincinnati.
Genoa vs. Hellas Verona
Sunday, 2:45 p.m. (ESPN+)
Lecce vs. Parma
Sunday, 2:45 p.m. (ESPN+)
The last day of the season in Italy’s Serie A has a final act of drama — 18th-place Lecce, in the last relegation spot, has 35 points; 17th-place Genoa has 36. Lecce captain Marco Mancosu is the team’s top scorer with 14 goals and is the brother of former Montreal Impact forward Matteo Mancosu. Genoa captain Domenico Criscito, who played for Italy at the 2010 World Cup, is the club’s No. 2 scorer with eight goals — as a left back.
Santos Laguna vs. Chivas
Sunday, 8 p.m. (FS1, Fox Deportes)
Mexico’s league is plowing ahead despite players contracting COVID-19. Chivas, Mexico’s most popular team, has had six cases — including star forward Oribe Peralta and former Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder Uriel Antuna. Manager Luis Fernando Tena has tested positive, too. Santos players know the risks from experience: 12 of them tested positive in May.