Five Things to Watch: International replays, Bundesliga, Korean baseball and more

MLS Classics

Unfortunately, there aren’t any Philadelphia Union replays airing this week, but there are some solid MLS Classics to watch.

On Monday, there will be a re-airing of the 2017 match between Atlanta United FC and Orlando City SC. At the time the rivalry was new, yet exciting as this game saw six shots find the back of the net as the young and hot Atlanta United tied the underdog Orlando City in Atlanta.

Tuesday brings another remix, as MLS commentators and former players break down some of the best goals in MLS history.

Both broadcasts are at 4 p.m. and can be viewed on YouTube, the MLS app, MLSsoccer.com, and Facebook.

International Replays

There are three U.S. matches to look out for this week. 

The first is a replay of a USA vs. Mexico Gold Cup match. There are four times to watch this game stretching from later Tuesday morning to the early hours of Wednesday, but the best time to watch is 11 a.m. where you can view it on fuboTV, TUDN USA, and TUDN en Vivo. You can also view it at 7 p.m. on fuboTV or TUDN en Vivo, or 1 p.m. Tuesday and 2 a.m. Wednesday.

The next two are from junior World Cups. The first comes at 2 a.m. on Wednesday on fuboTV with a U-17 USA vs. Japan match. The second comes at 6 p.m. on Wednesday with a U-20 USA vs. France game which can be viewed on fuboTV and Fox Soccer Plus.

Bundesliga

At least some level of normalcy has returned to soccer with the return of Germany’s top league. I personally haven’t followed the Bundesliga yet (though I plan to start this week). So, with my limited expertise, I’ve assembled what look to be the best games based on current standings and game times. Unfortunately, most of the games are in the morning (I guess Germans wake up early), so your schedule will need some adjusting.

The week starts off on Friday at 2:30 p.m. with a match between Hertha BSC and Union Berlin, though it doesn’t show much potential given that both teams are in the bottom half of the standings.

The pace picks up on Saturday as Borussia Mönchengladbach (3) plays Bayer Leverkusen (5) at 9:30 a.m. Unfortunately, the 9:30 time slot is loaded up with three games, and the only other game that day not airing at 9:30 is Bayern München (1) against Eintracht Frankfurt (13).

There are three games Sunday, each taking up a different time slot though none showcasing any strong matchups. 7:30 a.m. brings Shalke (8) vs. Augsburg (14); 9:30 a.m. gives us Mainz (15) vs. RB Leipzig (4); noon showcases FC Köln (10) vs. Fortuna Düsseldorf (16).

Each of these games can be seen on some form of Fox Sports, though a few other networks will show the games as well.

The Damned United

I promised a break from the Netflix docs, and I’ve delivered. This week’s entertainment is The Damned United the story of Brian Clough’s tumultuous 44 day reign as the Leeds United A.F.C. boss. 

The movie itself doesn’t focus so much on Brian Clough’s failures at Leeds as much as why Clough ended up at Leeds and why the move was a disaster. The movie tells the story of Clough’s rivalry against Don Revy, the previous Leeds manager, and his ambition to become the best coach in the world simply to spite Revy.

The movie is also very easy to follow, so it’s even great to watch with someone who doesn’t follow soccer or sports in general. However, the movie is rated R for language, so those with younger viewers may want to show discretion. The Damned United can be streamed on Vudu for $2.99 or Google Play, YouTube, Amazon Prime, and iTunes for $3.99.

Korean Baseball

For those baseball fans out there who are missing the MLB, fear not, South Korea has you covered. 

Soccer wasn’t the only sport to return to Korea recently, as they’ve also begun playing live baseball in the KBO League. ESPN2 is broadcasting a few games each day, some live and some replays, from Korea. 

Unfortunately, the games are being played in the very early hours of the morning, which means to watch you’ll have to stay up late, wake up early, or simply record the games to watch at a more convenient time.