League Soccer took a break last weekend to make way for international competition. Highlights this past weekend - UEFA Nations League Belgium v. England on ESPN (215k) and USA v. Wales on FS1 (205k).
ESPN, FS1, and UniMas will broadcast a bunch of MLS Playoff games starting on Nov. 20th.
Relatively light soccer on cable week. No doubt, since these are US viewers, the prolonged election news coverage impacts this. That said, Liga MX is in full stride on TUDN (in about half the homes of ESPN, FS1, NBCSN).
On network TV, the Premier League NBC game last Saturday did well with nearly 900k viewers, while the MLS game on ABC on Sunday disappointed again by not topping 400k. MLS had three Sundays in a row on ABC and they couldn't seem to build interest as their regular season wrapped up.
After putting these together for the past decade I've started to be able to tease out a player or two worth noting. This year it's Cole Bassett, who has been identified by foreign clubs including Arsenal, who had him over for some U-23 training recently. Colorado and Arsenal share ownership, so it isn't all that unexpected that he's getting a chance to show his talents.
MLS is reporting that several German clubs are looking at him, but who isn't getting a look from German clubs right now. The last two USMNT coaches have obvious ties to that region, Jürgen Klinsmann and now Gregg Berhalter.
