Friday’s soccer news starts with the International Football Association Board announcing its March meeting with substitutes on the agenda. As it stands, the IFAB lets leagues choose whether or not to allow five substitutes under the current pandemic exceptions. That temporarily alters rule 3 of the laws of the game, a situation that runs out at the end of 2022. The Premier League opted against that, staying with three.
The IFAB announced at the end of October that the five substitutes rule could become permanent. As an agenda item for March’s meeting, it specifically references 2022-23. Extending the five substitutes option for another season would further normalize it, allowing for its eventual adoption as the rule across soccer.
It creates an interesting tactical situation for Premier League managers guiding their teams in European competition. The Champions League and the rest of UEFA’s club tournaments allow for five substitutions. That means switching from the domestic league mentality of having three, something that can broadly impact tactics and strategy.
At some point, continuity across European soccer has to be the goal for the stakeholders. There’s no sense in having a different number of substitutes for league and European play, especially if there’s any advantage for clubs from domestic leagues also allowing five subs.
Major League Soccer allows five substitutions and is one of the leagues involved in the concussion substitution pilot program, specifically protocol B. That’s also on the IFAB agenda next month, with soccer needing to address the concussion issue as it happens. That’s how the trial works, allowing two additional substitutions in situations where a player has suffered a concussion.
In the soccer news, Soccer America’s Paul Kennedy looks at Luca de la Torre’s performance against Honduras. The Columbus Dispatch’s Matthew Arace highlights the situation with advantages in Concacaf. The NY Times’ Tariq Panja reports on Champions League broadcast rights in the United States. The Independent previews this weekend’s FA Cup games. The Ringer’s Musa Okwonga profiles Real Madrid player Eden Hazard.
WEEKEND SOCCER TV
Saturday has the Super Lig on beIN Sport: Trabzonspor vs Kasimpasa at 8am. beIN en Espanol has Fenerbahce vs Baseksehir at 11am. Primeira Liga on GolTV: Maritimo vs Estoril at 10:30am. Serie A on CBS Sports: Inter Milan vs Milan at 12pm.
Liga MX on TUDN: Necaxa vs Pachuca at 6pm. Univision has Club America vs San Luis at 8pm and Juarez vs Chivas at 10pm. Tijuana vs UNAM Pumas at ESPN Deportes at 10pm.
Sunday has the Club World Cup on FS2: Al Hilal vs Al Jazira at 11:30am.
Ligue 1 on beIN Sport: Lorient vs Lens at 7am, Nice vs Clermont at 9am, and Lille vs PSG at 2:45pm. beIN en Espanol has Strasbourg vs Nantes at 9am and Rennes vs Brest at 11am. La Liga on ESPN Deportes: Valencia vs Real Sociedad at 8am. Bundesliga on ESPN Deportes: Borussia Dortmund vs Bayer Leverkusen at 9:30am. Scottish Premiership on CBS Sports: Motherwell vs Celtic at 8:30am and Rangers vs Hearts at 11am. Primeira Liga on GolTV: Arouca vs Porto at 1pm and Sporting vs Famalicao at 3:30pm.
Liga MX on TUDN: Queretaro vs Puebla at 5pm, Atlas vs Santos Laguna at 7pm, and Tigres vs Mazatlan at 9pm.
Monday has the Primeira Liga on GolTV: Tondela vs Benfica at 2pm. Liga MX on UniMas: Leon vs Cruz Azul at 10pm. All Times Eastern
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Logo courtesy of the IFAB
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