Soccer on TV: We’ll learn the Union’s next playoff opponent on Tuesday night

Tuesday, 12:45 p.m. (UniMás, TUDN, Paramount+)

Ole is no longer at the wheel. A disastrous 4-1 loss at Watford on Saturday was the last straw for Ole Gunnar Solskjær as Manchester United manager, and he was fired on Sunday. Former Red Devils player Michael Carrick was given the helm in the interim, and this will be his first game in charge. But how long he’ll be in the job isn’t clear yet.

Tuesday, 3 p.m. (Paramount+, TUDN.com)

A week after being together with the U.S. national team in Jamaica, Lille’s Tim Weah and Salzburg’s Brenden Aaronson will be on opposite sides of the field in the Champions League.

» READ MORE: Brenden Aaronson’s rocket ride to stardom is at its highest point yet

Tuesday, 3 p.m. (Paramount+, PrendeTV)

Christian Pulisic scored in his return to Chelsea on Saturday, a 3-0 win at Leicester, and Weston McKennie played all 90 minutes of Juventus’ 2-0 win at Lazio. Will we see them play against each other in the Champions League?

Tuesday, 8 p.m. (FS1, Fox Deportes)

The winner of this game will come to Subaru Park to face the Union on Sunday.

Nashville’s stingy defense, led by Walker Zimmerman and Alistair Johnson — now regulars for the U.S. and Canadian national teams, respectively — conceded just 33 goals in 34 regular-season games this year, tied with Seattle and the New York Red Bulls for the fewest in MLS. Nashville lost just four games this year, none of which was at home, and tied the MLS record for ties in a season with 18.

Orlando has big-time attacking players in Nani and Daryl Dike, the latter of whom might have come in handy when the U.S. offense stalled in Jamaica in World Cup qualifying. Dike ended the regular season with goals in four straight games, and in seven of Orlando’s last nine. Had he not missed four games in August with a shoulder injury, Orlando would likely have finished higher than sixth in the East.

Then again, Orlando won just two of those seven games in which he scored. That’s on the Lions’ defense. Nashville’s MVP candidate Hany Muhktar, who had 16 goals and 10 assists this season, will be ready to pounce on it.

» READ MORE: Union will start 2022 season vs. Minnesota on Feb. 26, and open Nashville’s new stadium May 1

Tuesday, 10:30 p.m. (FS1, Fox Deportes)

No team owns the MLS postseason more than Seattle. The Sounders have made the playoffs in all 13 years they’ve spent in the league, and made four of the last five finals — winning them in 2016 and 2019. They’ve been a power in the regular season, too, finishing second in the Western Conference every year since 2017.

Heading into these playoffs, the Sounders don’t just have the firepower of striker Raúl Ruidíaz and the dynamic craft of MVP-caliber midfielder João Paulo. Jordan Morris is finally back from a long-term injury absence, and could be the ace in the hole who leads Seattle on another deep run.

Can RSL pull off the upset? It’s got the attackers in midfielders Damir Kreilach (16 goals and 8 assists this season) and Albert Rusnák (11 and 7). But the defense gave up 54 goals this season, tied for third-worst in the West and fifth-worst in the league overall.

Wednesday, 10:30 a.m. (TUDN, Paramount+)

There’s a Europa League game before Wednesday’s Champions League games, and it’s a big one. Napoli tops its group with seven points, but last-place Spartak is just three points back. If the Russian club can pull off an upset at home, it will set up a chaotic last day of the group stage next month.

Wednesday, 3 p.m. (Paramount+, PrendeTV)

Sheriff’s win in Madrid on Sept. 28 wasn’t just the biggest upset of this Champions League season, it was the biggest upset of almost any Champions League season. Now the controversy-laden team from Trisnastria, an officially unrecognized breakaway nation from Moldova, gets to host Karim Benzema and the rest of Real’s galacticos.

Wednesday, 3 p.m. (Univision 65, TUDN, Paramount+)

The two superpowers meet again, this time in Manchester. City leads PSG by one point in the standings, but the visitors should have all four of their attacking stars — Lionel Messi, Neymar, Kylian Mbappé, and Ángel Di María — ready and fully healthy.

Wednesday, 3 p.m. (Paramount+, TUDN)

Both of these teams need a win to have a chance of overtaking second-place Porto in the standings. Porto has five points with two games to go, Atlético has four, and Zlatan Ibrahimović and Milan have just one.

Wednesday, 3 p.m. (Paramount+, TUDN)

Jesse Marsch, Tyler Adams and Leipzig still have a shot at finishing third in their Champions League group and going to the Europa League. But they must win this game to overtake Brugge, then hope their result on the last day is better than Brugge’s.

» READ MORE: The rest of this week's UEFA men's Champions League schedule

Thursday, 12:45 p.m. (Paramount+, TUDN.com)

Mark McKenzie and Genk (though he hasn’t been playing much) must get an upset win in Croatia to have a chance of finishing second in their Europa League group and advancing to the knockout rounds.

» READ MORE: The rest of this week's Europa League schedule

Thursday, 12:45 p.m. (Paramount+, TUDN.com)

Let’s go a little out of the way for a moment. This will be the last European game of the season played in Gibraltar, a British territory off the southern tip of Spain, because Lincoln is in last place in its Europa Conference League group by seven points. But an upset win here over the visitors from Denmark would give the home fans something to cheer about.

» READ MORE: The rest of this week's Europa Conference League schedule

Thursday, 4:30 p.m. (Fox29, Fox Deportes)

You can be sure Fox and MLS didn’t want Colorado, with a starless team and one of the league’s smaller fan bases, in a network TV playoff showcase on Thanksgiving. But the Rapids, whose roster includes former Union defenders Auston Trusty and Keegan Rosenberry, earned the big stage by finishing atop the Western Conference. So let’s give them some respect.

Portland’s 3-1 win over Minnesota on Sunday will certainly be respected. Sebastián Blanco overcame a back injury and scored two highlight-reel goals to power the victory.

» READ MORE: Jakob Glesnes’ epic playoff game-winning goal set off one of the Union’s all-time celebrations