The first International Break of 2019 is upon us, with some interesting friendly games to be played between March 20 and March 26.
This will be the only chance some coaches will get to work with their best footballers before the summer, when some international competitions such as the UEFA Nations League Finals, the CONCACAF Gold Cup or the Copa América take place. With that in mind, this might be the only chance some of them will get to see which players can step up to fill key spots in their lineups.
There will be some highly-anticipated matches, such as the one between Argentina and Venezuela. Lionel Messi will return to La Albiceleste for one final crack at winning an international title with the South American titans. Other top-notch games include the clash between the USMNT and Ecuador, Germany vs Serbia and Mexico vs Chile, to name a few.
Without further ado, here are the top five friendlies you need to keep an eye on.
Germany vs Serbia
Die Mannschaft has been involved in controversy over the past few days, with coach Joachim Löw's decision to snub Mats Hummels, Thomas Müller and Jerome Boateng from future call-ups. Now, the team will try to forget about a disastrous 2018, and the game set to take place on March 20 against Serbia seems like a good chance to get off to a good start.
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USA vs Ecuador
These teams have met several times in both friendly and competitive matches, and Gregg Berhalter's men will try to keep up the good work with another win against the South American side. It's been almost three years since the last meeting between these sides, which ended in a 2-1 win for the Stars and Stripes. Now, with a new coach, the American Outlaws will try to keep their three-game streak without a loss against La Tricolor on March 21.
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Argentina vs Venezuela
Lionel Messi's return to La Albiceleste will take place in this game. The Argentine ace will make a short return to the national team, as he will only be around to play the clash against La Vinotinto on March 22, since he's been excused by coach Lionel Scaloni from playing against Morocco four days later. Either way, Argentine fans -and football fans- will not want to miss this game, as it will hint what could happen with the South American titans in the next few months, now that their biggest star has stepped out of his self-imposed hiatus.
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Brazil vs Panama
It's been almost three years since the last game between Panama and Brazil. Los Canaleros are expected to live a transition period, following their World Cup debut in 2018. Apparently, their coach does not believe in slow starts, and facing Brazil on March 23 will be the way to go for them. Fun fact: Brazil has not conceded against Panama in any of their four previous games; will their streak continue?
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Nigeria vs Egypt
Both teams will be fresh off their AFCON Qualifier matches, and their coaches will surely use this March 26 game as a warmup for their upcoming fixtures. Egypt's coach Javier Aguirre decided to leave Mohamed Salah out of the squad to give him some time off, and only time will tell if this decision backfires on them for both of these games, especially when they visit Gernut Rohr's men.
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International Coverage:
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Botswana: SuperSport 3 Africa, SuperSport MaXimo 1, SupserSport Select GO
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Cape Verde: SuperSport 3 Africa, SupserSport Select GO, SuperSport MaXimo 1
Central African Republic: SupserSport Select GO, SuperSport MaXimo 1, SuperSport 3 Africa
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Zimbabwe:
List of international friendly games during March's International Break (U.S. listings included)
March 20
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Germany vs Serbia - ESPN3, UDN
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Wales vs Trinidad and Tobago - ESPN3
March 21
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China vs Thailand - GolTV
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Kosovo vs Denmark - ESPN3
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USA vs Ecuador - ESPN2, UDN
March 22
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Japan vs Colombia - TBA
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Uzbekistan vs Uruguay - GolTV
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Peru vs Paraguay - Pay Per View
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Argentina vs Venezuela - beIN SPORTS, beIN SPORTS en Español, Fanatiz, fuboTV
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Mexico vs Chile - Univision NOW, UniMás, Univision Deportes En Vivo, Univision Deportes
March 25
- Brazil vs Panama - beIN SPORTS en Español, beIN SPORTS CONNECT, Fanatiz, fuboTV
March 25
- Azerbaijan vs Lithuania - ESPN3
March 26
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Morocco vs Argentina - beIN SPORTS en Español, beIN SPORTS CONNECT, beIN SPORTS, Fanatiz, fuboTV
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Czech Republic vs Brazil - ESPN3
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Gibraltar vs Estonia - ESPN3
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Honduras vs Ecuador - Pay Per View
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USA vs Chile - UniMás, Univision Deportes, ESPN2, Univision NOW, Univision Deportes En Vivo
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Peru vs El Salvador - Pay Per View
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Mexico vs Paraguay - Univision Deportes, Univision Deportes En Vivo
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Costa Rica vs Jamaica - TBA
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*Click here for further info on all of the friendly games being played during the international break, including broadcast and streaming info.