Soccer Watch
By Nick Barbaro, Fri., July 7, 2017
Is it Deutschland über alles for the next decade of international football? Sure looks that way, after Germany swept the two major tournaments of the summer, the European U-21 Championship last Friday, and then the FIFA Confederations Cup on Sunday – both with essentially second-string lineups, because head coach Joachim Löw picked a very young squad, and let the first-string team – the defending world champs – sit at home, rest up, and cheer on their younger countrymen. With that, Germany becomes the favorite not just for next summer's World Cup, but 2022 and 2026 as well.
The 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup kicks off this Fri., July 7, with all 24 games broadcast live on Fox Sports. U.S. coach Bruce Arena's 23-player roster is heavily MLS-based and young, with four players who've never played for the full national team, and six others with five or fewer caps. They kick off against Panama this Sat., July 8, 3:30pm in Nashville. Their other group games are Martinique on Wed., July 12, 7:30pm in Tampa, and Nicaragua on Sat., July 15, 6pm in Cleveland.
Liga MX comes to Centex: San Antonio FC hosts Santos Laguna at 7:30pm Sat., July 8, in San Antonio. Tickets are $10-55 through Ticketmaster. Or see Santos take on Toluca at the Dell Diamond in Round Rock, 7:30pm Wed., July 12. $29-85 at www.roundrockexpress.com.
