The Week in Soccer
THE WEEK IN SOCCER West Ham United at Manchester City 10 a.m. Sunday (NBC10, Telemundo) NBC concludes its wildly successful first season of broadcasting the English Premier League with the likely coronation of this season's champions. A win for City, led by commanding midfielder Yaya Touré, would clinch the team's second title in three years.
THE WEEK IN SOCCER
West Ham United at Manchester City
10 a.m. Sunday (NBC10, Telemundo)
NBC concludes its wildly successful first season of broadcasting the English Premier League with the likely coronation of this season's champions. A win for City, led by commanding midfielder Yaya Touré, would clinch the team's second title in three years.
Newcastle United at Liverpool
10 a.m. Sunday (NBC-SN, mun2)
On the final weekend of the Premier League season, all 20 teams play their final games at the same time. Fans of second-place Liverpool will be keeping half an eye on the action in Manchester, as a City loss and a Reds win would bring the title to Anfield instead. If it happens, it would be the final twist in a surprising season. The Reds, who were in the driver's seat for weeks, seemed to have fumbled the opportunity away with a loss to Chelsea and a tie with Crystal Palace (blowing a three-goal lead).
Manchester United at Southampton
10 a.m. Sunday (Syfy)
It's been a terrible season for Manchester United. The reigning champions won't just lose their title, they'll finish way out of reach of a Champions League berth. But if they win this game and Tottenham Hotspur loses to Aston Villa (10 a.m. Sunday, USA Network), the Red Devils would qualify for the Europa League. (And, yes, this game is on a channel known for science fiction, not sports - but NBC is using every outlet it owns to televise all of Sunday's action.)
Malaga at Atlético Madrid Barcelona at Elche Real Madrid at Celta Vigo
1 p.m. Sunday (beIN Sport)
With two weeks to go, Spain's top league takes a page out of England's playbook. All three title contenders play at the same time, and beIN Sport will have "whip-around" coverage of every game.
If Barcelona beats Elche, Lionel Messi and company will need to get by visiting leaders Atlético and Diego Costa at Camp Nou next week to claim the title. Real Madrid's 1-1 tie with relegation-threatened Real Valladolid on Wednesday, plus injuries to Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale, make a domestic title look doubtful for the Champions League finalists. (They face Atlético on May 24 in Lisbon).
Los Angeles Galaxy at Portland Timbers
2:30 p.m. Sunday (NBC-SN)
After going winless through their first eight games of 2014, the Timbers finally got off the mat last weekend. If Darlington Nagbe and Diego Valeri are to keep up the momentum, Portland will have to beat star-studded Los Angeles. Landon Donovan is one goal away from setting the all-time Major League Soccer scoring record. His last game before leaving for World Cup training camp would be a fine time to make history.
Poland at Germany
2:45 p.m. Tuesday (ESPN3.com)
The countdown to the World Cup begins in earnest as one of the United States' group rivals takes the stage at home in Hamburg. Germany's big names are well-known, but keep an eye on two under-the-radar rising stars: midfielder Julian Draxler and goalkeeper Marc-André Ter Stegen. Poland, though not a World Cup squad, features midfielder Ludovic Obraniak, who plies his trade with Werder Bremen.
- Jonathan Tannenwald