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CBS Sports Golazo

Hello weekend! While we're all preparing to set our clocks forward, we here at the Golazo Starting XI newsletter are counting down the days and hours until the launch of CBS Sports Golazo Network, a first-of-its-kind free, 24/7 streaming network in the United States dedicated to the Beautiful Game. Mark your calendars for the April 11 launch!

Igor Mello and Mike Goodman are tag-teaming this special edition of the newsletter to share the ins and outs of this exciting news. Let's get to it!

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📺 Top picks

All times U.S./Eastern.

Friday
🇮🇹 Serie A: Spezia vs. Inter, 2:45 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+

Saturday
🇮🇹 Serie A: Napoli vs. Atalanta, 12 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+

Sunday
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Women's Super League: Chelsea vs. Man United, 8:30 a.m. ➡️ CBS Sports Network
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Women's Super League: Arsenal vs. Reading, 2:45 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+
🇮🇹 Serie A: Juventus vs. Sampdoria, 3:45 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+
🇦🇷 Argentina: River Plate vs. Godoy Cruz, 6:15 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+
🇦🇷 Argentina: Banfield vs. Boca Juniors, 8:30 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+

📺 Elsewhere ...

All times U.S./Eastern.

Saturday
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Premier League: Bournemouth vs. Liverpool, 7:30 a.m.
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Premier League: Leicester vs. Chelsea, 10 a.m.
🇺🇸 MLS: Charlotte FC vs. Atlanta United, 12 p.m.
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Premier League: Crystal Palace vs. Man City, 12:30 a.m.

Sunday
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Premier League: Fulham vs. Arsenal, 10 a.m.
🇺🇸 MLS: LAFC vs. New England Revolution, 10:30 p.m.

⚽  The Forward Line

Meet the 'Morning Footy' crew

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CBS Sports Golazo Network

The cat is out of the bag. CBS Sports Golazo Network is coming your way April 11 and it's launching with its flagship morning show "Morning Footy" from 7-9 a.m. ET with a cast of characters covering the ins and outs of the game domestically and overseas. What better way to start the day with a cup of coffee and some "Morning Footy" on your viewing device of choice? Let's get to know the familiar faces of the show:

  • Susannah Collins: Your "Morning Footy" host, anchoring the program. Collins previously worked at Major League Soccer as a host and reporter and was co-host and co-creator of the league's first women-led podcast "The Call Up." 
  • Nico Cantor: Best known as the host of "The Golazo Show," CBS Sports' live whip-around program for UEFA club competitions on Paramount+ and CBS Sports Network, Cantor joins Collins as a host for "Morning Footy." Cantor also contributes as a reporter to CBS Sports' Concacaf coverage and UEFA Champions League Today.
  • Charlie Davies: The retired United States men's national team forward has served as a studio analyst for CBS Sports' Concacaf coverage and will do the same for "Morning Footy." Davies, a former analyst for both Major League Soccer and the New England Revolution, is also part of the CBS Sports "In Soccer We Trust" podcast with former USMNT players Jimmy Conrad and Heath Pearce.
  • Alexis Guerreros: Co-host and creator of "The Cooligans," a soccer-comedy podcast, Guerreros enters the fray as an analyst for the morning show. He's been a professional comedian for 13 years with multiple sketches on Comedy Central under his built, as well as voicing three characters on Netflix's iconic animated comedy, "BoJack Horseman."
  • Jenny Chiu: The former Mexican women's national team player rounds out the crew as a reporter on the show, providing the latest updates from the top stories of the day from the world of soccer. Chiu has served as a reporter on a number of properties across CBS Sports, including Champions League, Europa League, Concacaf and the NWSL.

And remember, all of your soccer needs -- from Champions League to Serie A to NWSL and so much more -- are available on Paramount+. You can try one month free by using the code: ADVANCE.

Sponsored by Paramount+

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Sponsored by Paranount+

🔗  Midfield Link Play

CBS Sports Golazo Network: What to know

Outside of the network featuring a weekday morning show, you can expected news coverage, live matches, soccer highlights and so much more. We'll have something for everyone, no matter if you're a diehard or are just getting into the Beautiful Game. Here's the gist:

  • It's free
  • It's round-the-clock soccer coverage, 24 hours a day, seven days a week
  • It's available on CBSSports.com, the CBS Sports app, Pluto TV and Paramount+
  • Did I mention it's free?

We're not done. The CBS Sports Golazo Network will have re-airs and provide pre- and post-game analysis from big games. You can also expect magazine shows, films from Paramount+ and original programming, including "Stories From the Beautiful Game." That includes "The Only," a documentary focused on U.S. women's star goalkeeper Briana Scurry, "Sir Alex Ferguson: Never Give In," and "Black And White Stripes: The Juventus Story."

Stay tuned for more details to come ahead of the April 11 launch. 

Production is led by Pete Radovich, VP of Production and Creative Director of CBS Sports, as well as Mike Nastri, the network's producer. Harold Bryant is the executive producer of CBS Sports.

And now let's get to some links:

🔗 Sporting vs. Arsenal was wild 🤪. Here's some of the best moments from the 2-2 first leg draw.
🔗 Happy belated birthday to 🇺🇸 Clint Dempsey! Let's run the tape back on his best goals in UEL.
🔗 Seeing 🇧🇷 Antony go to work on his left foot that's a scary sight. 👻
🔗 Watch Union Berlin right back 🇭🇷 Josip Juranović deliver a picture-perfect free kick. 🎯
🔗 Off to the Conference League where 🇯🇲 Michail Antonio said: Banger. 🔥
🔗 A cross or a goal? 🇲🇦 Ayoub Amraoui might have the best goal of the day.
🔗 After another quick exit ✌️in the Champions League, Jonathan Johnson look at what's next for PSG.
🔗 Don't sleep 💤 on Bayern Munich as Champions League title contenders, writes Chuck Booth.
🔗 Jamie Carragher thinks Kylian Mbappe needs to get out of PSG immediately 👋.
🔗 Manchester United 🔴 bounced back from getting hammered by Liverpool with a Europa League win.
🔗 Arsenal have a growing problem with defending set pieces 🧩, writes James Benge.
🔗 With have the Champions League quarterfinals nearly decided, Benge has your 📈 updated Power Rankings.
🔗 Booth has all your takeaways from Wednesday's Champions League action 🎬.
🔗 Attacking Third: North Carolina Courage are next up on the NWSL season preview list 📝.
🔗 House of Champions: Fabrizio Romano joins the show to talk about all things Messi, 🇫🇷 PSG and more.
🔗 In Soccer We Trust: Pulisic and Reyna 🇺🇸 meet in the Champions League, and the crew breaks it down
🔗 And remember, all of your soccer needs -- from Champions League to Serie A to NWSL and so much more -- are available on Paramount+. 📺 You can try one month free by using the code: ADVANCE.

💰  The Back Line

💵 Best bets

All odds courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook and all times U.S./Eastern. SportsLine has you covered with this weekend's best bets.

  • Serie A: Napoli vs. Atalanta, Saturday, 12 p.m. 
    💰 THE PICK: Napoli (-160) -- The world continues to underrate Napoli. Even after suffering their second loss of the season last time out against Lazio, this team is simply playing miles ahead of everybody else in Serie A and sit 23 points ahead of their foe in the table. Atalanta, by comparison, are only 24 points ahead of the relegation zone. Napoli are favored by a chunk here, but the best teams in Europe are usually favored by an even bigger number in situations like this.
  • Premier League: Tottenham vs. Nottingham Forest, Saturday, 10 a.m.
    💰 THE PICK: Forest (+625) -- The vibes are just terrible right now for Spurs. They were knocked out of the Champions League midweek, and before that lost to Wolverhampton following a cup loss to Championship side Sheffield United. They've got a manager who doesn't seem to want to be there, and Richarlison is in revolt. Sure, they've got tons more talent than Forest, but this is starting to feel like a wheels falling off situation in North London.