The U.S. Open Cup pits American soccer Cinderellas against MLS teams this week | Soccer on TV

Tuesday, 2:45 p.m. (ESPN2, ESPN Deportes)

Hamburg is the only second-division team of the four German Cup semifinalists, but it’s no average second-division team. It was in the top flight for every year of the Bundesliga’s existence from its founding in 1963 until 2018. The club is a six-time German champion and three-time German Cup winner, and won the European Cup in 1983.

Hamburg is currently sixth in the 2. Bundesliga, and is unlikely to earn promotion this season. But reaching the DFB Pokal final would be great to see.

Tuesday, 3 p.m. (USA Network, Universo)

The big games keep coming for Liverpool. After two straight against Manchester City, now the Reds turn to the team that for most fans is still their biggest rival. Indeed, this clash was long England’s most famous rivalry, as the teams have the most English league titles: 20 for United, 19 for Liverpool.

United surpassed Liverpool during the Sir Alex Ferguson era, winning 13 titles from 1993-2013. Liverpool endured a drought from 1990 to 2020. If the home team can win this game, it will improve its odds of regaining a tie with the Red Devils this season in the biggest contest of all.

Tuesday, 3 p.m. (CBS Sports Network, Paramount+)

The first games of the Coppa Italia semifinals were way back on March 1 and 2. Milan’s great rivals played to a scoreless tie, then Juventus won 1-0 at one of its old rivals, Fiorentina. There will have to be a winner at the San Siro in some form this time, while Juve needs only to hold serve at home on Wednesday (3 p.m., Paramount+).

Tuesday, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN+)

Some American soccer purists bemoan the fact that the U.S. Open Cup draw is divided into geographic regions instead of being a truly national bracket. But it’s not just done to save on travel costs. There’s naturally some extra spice in a matchup like this one, pitting a vibrantly-supported lower-league team from Michigan against the MLS team from Ohio State University’s city.

ESPN+ will have live streaming of every game in this round of the tournament. Other notable contests on Tuesday include Flower City Union, of Rochester, N.Y., and the third-tier National Independent Soccer Association, hosting MLS’s D.C. United; and a Miami derby between the USL’s Miami FC and MLS’s Inter Miami. Both games will kick off 7 p.m.

The Union will enter the tournament in the next round, as the top eight teams in MLS last year received byes.

Wednesday, 1 p.m. (beIN Sports Connect)

These are two of French soccer’s grand old teams, but they’re both in major danger of relegation this season thanks to bad ownership.

Saint-Étienne, a 10-time French champion and 1976 European Cup runner-up, is two points out of Ligue 1′s relegation zone. Bordeaux has spent the last 30 years in the top flight, but the club where Zinedine Zidane became a star is in next-to-last place. Les Girondins have just 5 wins, 16 losses and 11 ties this season — including a 6-1 defeat at Lyon on Sunday.

Wednesday, 2:45 p.m. (USA Network, Universo)

Four games ago, Arsenal was in fourth place in the English Premier League. But a three-game losing streak has sent the Gunners down to sixth, and this could easily be a fourth straight. Chelsea is coming off a FA Cup semifinal win over Crystal Palace on Sunday.

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

Wednesday, 6:30 p.m. (Paramount+, ViX)

These two Brazilian giants met in last season’s Copa Libertadores final, and have combined to win the last three South American continental crowns — Flamengo in 2019, Palmeiras in 2020 and 2021. Any time they clash, it’s worth checking out.

Wednesday, 7 p.m. (ESPN+)

Thanks to a smart social media strategy and some of American soccer’s most eye-catching jerseys, Forward Madison has built a fan base that stretches far beyond Wisconsin’s capital city. But the Mingos — their crest has a flamingo, Madison’s official city bird for 13-plus years — have only played once in the Open Cup. It was in 2019, the team’s debut season, and it was on the road.

So this will be a treat. Not only is it Madison’s first Open Cup home game, but it’s against the MLS team from the next state over. Expect a lively atmosphere at Breese Stevens Field, a 96-year-old former baseball stadium that’s now a cozy soccer venue. Its masonry grandstand is the oldest existing structure of its kind in Wisconsin.

» READ MORE: The rest of this week's U.S. Open Cup schedule

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

This La Liga game has the potential to be a great clash of styles: Barcelona’s young, dynamic attack against Sociedad’s stingy defense. La Real’s 30 goals conceded this season is tied for the third-lowest total in the league.

» READ MORE: The rest of this week's La Liga schedule