Friday

New England vs. Kansas City
8pm; NBCSN
If the Revolution defeats Sporting Kansas City the two teams will be level on points—something that would have been inconceivable just a five or six weeks ago. Jermaine Jones has been worth every penny the Krafts spent on him, bringing grit and determination to a young side led by MLS MVP candidate Lee Nguyen and Kelyn Rowe. SKC thumped Chivas USA last time out, but does that really count for anything aside from the three points? Hard to say. But this contest should separate the contenders from the pretenders.

Veracruz vs. Tijuana
8pm; UDN
Club Tijuana matches in 2014 are sort of like Fulham matches in 2010—U.S. fans sort of have to watch. Midfielder Joe Corona, 24, has played in all nine Xolos matches this season while fullback Greg Garza, 23, has gotten eight starts. Klinsmann is a fan of both players, and every time they lace up their boots it's a chance to show the boss that they have what it takes to be regulars on the U.S. national team.

Saturday

Sunderland vs. Swansea City
10am; NBC Sports Live Extra
Can Jozy Altidore parlay his lovely midweek goal in the Capital One Cup into a Premier League start for the Black Cats? And if he does make the Starting XI for Gus Poyet's side, will he 1) get some chances and 2) bury them? If he plays, we watch. If he doesn't, we don't.

Sunday

Augsburg vs. Hertha Berlin
9:30am; GolTV
John Brooks had a bad day at the office last weekend, playing a role in both of goals Hertha Berlin conceded in a 2-2 draw with Freiburg. The affable 21-year-old needs to step it up if he wants to keep his spot in the lineup. Big day for the big central defender.

Los Angeles vs. New York
8:30pm; ESPN2
The New York Red Bulls looked like world-beaters last weekend against the Seattle Sounders, thumping the Supporter's Shield leaders 4-1 in front of a sold-out crowd in Harrison, N.J. Of course, Sounders coach Sigi Schmid left Clint Dempsey, Obafemi Martins, and DeAndre Yedlin out of his starting lineup for that match, and the home team promptly surged to a 3-0 lead. The question lingers: Are the Red Bulls for real? We'll be tuning in to see if the sometimes-leaky Los Angeles defense can stop Thierry Henry and Bradley Wright-Phillips—and because we cannot get enough Gyasi Zardes.