Games to Watch: MLS, EPL derbies, La Liga
New England Revolution at Sporting Kansas City
8:00 p.m. Friday (NBCSN)
Major League Soccer's Western Conference has bigger star power, but the East may have the more dramatic playoff race. With six games to go in the season, nine of the conference's 10 teams are still in contention. Kansas City and New England sit second and third in the standings, separated by just one game.
The key matchup will be whether Sporting's defense, led by Matt Besler and Aurélien Collin, can contain New England's dynamic young attackers: Kelyn Rowe, Lee Ngyuen and Diego Fagundez.
Everton at Liverpool
7:45 a.m. Saturday (NBCSN, mun2)
You wouldn't know from watching Liverpool's Raheem Sterling that he's just 19 years old. The midfield wizard has thrived in the Premier League's cauldron, with three goals and one assist in five games this season. He'll be in the spotlight this weekend for one of England's signature rivalry games, as Tim Howard and Romelu Lukaku lead Everton across town to Anfield.
Real Madrid at Villarreal
9:55 a.m. Saturday (beIN Sport)
Real Madrid's staggering array of talent almost seems unfair. In the summer transfer window, they added German star Toni Kroos and Colombian sensation James Rodriguez to a squad that already featured Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale.
You'd expect a squad that loaded to win all the time, but it hasn't. Real is stuck in fourth place in La Liga, with two losses in five games. A defeat to Villarreal would raise even more alarms – especially because Yellow Submarine (and Mexican national team) star Giovanni dos Santos is out with a torn hamstring.
Tottenham Hotspur at Arsenal
12:30 p.m. Saturday (NBCSN, mun2)
The scene shifts to England's capital for its signature "derby" clash. Arsenal need to rebound after being dumped from the League Cup on Tuesday. Tottenham seem to be perennially chasing their North London neighbors, and could overtake the Gunners in the standings with a win.
Tottenham has have plenty of talent, most notably Érik Lamela and Christian Eriksen. But Arsenal counters with Aaron Ramsey and Santi Cazorla – and just as importantly, a winners' mentality that Spurs always seem to lack.
Chicago Fire at Houston Dynamo
3:00 p.m. Sunday (UniMás)
Brad Davis and the Dynamo are MLS' equivalent of the St. Louis Cardinals or San Antonio Spurs: when the playoffs loom, they hit their peak and rarely stop. Right now, they're seven points back of the East's last postseason berth. A win over Mike Magee and the Fire would keep them in the hunt.
New York Red Bulls at Los Angeles Galaxy
8:30 p.m. Sunday (ESPN, ESPN Deportes)
The annual meeting between MLS' two biggest cities rarely lives up to the "One Percent Derby" hype. But this one might. New York's Bradley Wright-Phillips is three goals away from tying MLS' single-season record, thanks in no small part to a lethal partnership with Thierry Henry. Landon Donovan and the Galaxy, meanwhile, are riding a nine-game unbeaten streak.