Soccer on TV: Mexico vs. Panama is Wednesday’s big game in Concacaf

Tuesday, 11 a.m. (Paramount+)

Asia’s men’s World Cup qualifiers haven’t gotten a lot of attention here because they’re usually in the very early morning Eastern time. But this game will be easy to watch, and it’s a big one.

Australia is in third place in its group, one point between second-place Japan. Second place qualifies for Qatar automatically, while third place goes to a one-game playoff to advance to the inter-confederation playoffs in June. That team will play South America’s fifth-place finisher, which is a big challenge even on neutral ground in Qatar.

» READ MORE: More Asian World Cup qualifiers to watch

Tuesday, 2:45 p.m. (Paramount+)

Scotland’s Edinburgh derby is worth checking out, with the added bonus that there might be an American on the field. Chris Mueller joined Hibs from Orlando City at the start of January, and has already played three games. Hearts’ squad includes Gary Mackay-Steven, formerly of Celtic and New York City FC.

» READ MORE: Media’s Auston Trusty joins Arsenal from the Colorado Rapids, and the Union are likely to profit

Wednesday, 2 p.m. (beIN Sports, beIN Sports Español)

Although Burkina Faso is the least-famous of the Africa Cup of Nations’ semifinalists, don’t be so surprised that the Stallions are here. As noted in the last Soccer on TV column, this is their third time in the semifinals in the last five tournaments.

Senegal is definitely the favorite, though, as Sadio Mané tries to lead the Lions of Teranga to their first AFCON title.

Wednesday, 2:45 p.m. (CBS Sports Network)

This could be James Sands’ debut in Scotland’s famed Old Firm rivalry. Sands is the ninth American to play for Rangers, dating back to Claudio Reyna from 1999-2001.

Wednesday, 7 p.m. (Universo, Paramount+)

Mathematically, Andre Blake and Jamaica aren’t eliminated from World Cup qualification yet. But they know they’re all but out, trailing Panama by 10 points with four games to go. A win here would be a big morale boost, and potentially put a big hole in fifth-place Costa Rica’s hopes of catching Panama.

» READ MORE: Jim Curtin can’t help but be excited about the best Union team he’s had

Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. (FS1, Univision 65, TUDN)

By the time kickoff arrives amid the single-degree temperatures in St. Paul, Minn., you’ll need a plow to clear out all the angst over the U.S. team, not just any snow that’s around.

The home team knows as well as anyone that this is a must-win. It always has been, no matter how much manager Gregg Berhalter talks about taking things one game at a time. Get the three points here, and the Americans will have three shots to get one win in March and finish the job. It’s that simple.

Pregame coverage starts at 7 p.m. on FS1 and Univision, and at 5 p.m. on TUDN with that channel’s various studio shows.

» READ MORE: U.S. men’s soccer team loses at Canada, 2-0, in World Cup qualifying

Wednesday, 9 p.m. (Universo, Paramount+)

El Salvador is flying high after a long-awaited road win at rival Honduras. Canada is flying highest of all in Concacaf, in first place by four points thanks to an era-defining win over the United States. Will Canada sweep the window, or will El Salvador pull off an upset?

Wednesday, 10 p.m. (Univision, TUDN, Paramount+)

The last game of the night is the biggest one. Mexico has a one-point lead over Panama in third place, and is under a heap of pressure after a scoreless tie at home vs. Costa Rica on Sunday. Fourth-place Panama continues to prove that its qualification for the 2018 World Cup was no one-off.

On top of that, while Mexico leads Panama by just one point, it’s tied with the U.S. on points and just one goal back in goal difference. If El Tri’s attack gets into gear and the U.S. only beats Honduras by one goal, Mexico would move into second.

Thursday, 11:30 a.m. (FS2, Fox Deportes)

As further proof that the soccer world never stops turning, FIFA’s Club World Cup kicks off this week in the United Arab Emirates. The opening game is the first of eight in the knockout tournament that includes the champions of each continent’s club tournament, with two exceptions – and they’re these two teams.

The host country gets a team in automatically, which you can be sure had had the attention of people who want the United States to host the tournament. That’s Al Jazira here, the champion of last season’s UAE Pro League.

Pirae, of Tahiti, is Oceania’s representative, but it wasn’t supposed to be. After the Oceania Football Confederation canceled last season’s Champions League, Auckland City of New Zealand was picked as the representative through a multi-year statistical ranking system. But the club pulled out of the World Cup because of omicron-enforced restrictions at home. Pirae was then picked to sub in.

Thursday, 2 p.m. (beIN Sports, beIN Sports Español)

Olivier Mbaizo made his second appearance of the Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon’s 2-0 quarterfinal win over Gambia. This will be the Indomitable Lions’ biggest test yet, and hopefully a great duel of strikers between Vincent Aboubakar and Egypt star Mo Salah.

Thursday, 3:30 p.m. (ESPN+)

We won’t try to guess exactly who will play in this Copa del Rey quarterfinal, since it’s right after the FIFA window. But we will tell you to read up on Athletic’s Iñaki and Nico Williams, brothers and Bilbao stars whose rise to prominence in the Basque Country is a great story.

» READ MORE: The rest of the Copa del Rey quarterfinal schedule