USA vs Belgium May 29, 2013

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Several downtown streets are closed to film scenes for “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” set for spring 2014 release. No sign of Scarlett Johansson. Crews, cranes, stuntmen, extras and smashed-up police cars — just another day on the banks of Lake Erie. (I kid because I love — Wife of Insider’s hometown.) A few blocks north at FirstEnergy Stadium, America’s team (with captain Clint Dempsey) will begin the busiest stretch of an important year with an 8 p.m. ET friendly against Belgium. Washington is the next stop for Sunday’s tune-up against Germany, then World Cup qualifiers at Jamaica on June 7, vs. Panama in Seattle on June 11 and vs. Honduras in Utah on the 18th. Coverage tonight has moved to ESPN from ESPN2, and will appear on UniMas in Spanish as well.

The United States and Belgium face off in a high-profile friendly ahead of key World Cup qualifying matches next month. Both sides are in the process of reincorporating players as their European club seasons come to an end.

 June will be a busy month for the American squad. It starts with a friendly against Germany, and three qualifiers follow, including two at home. Building some chemistry and momentum ahead of those important clashes is the biggest key Wednesday night.

Ecuador vs Germany May 29, 2013

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When Germany and Ecuador meet on Wednesday afternoon, two of the top 10 teams in FIFA's rankings (Germany is currently No. 2, while Ecuador is No. 10) will do battle. However, this friendly will mean very different things for the two countries.

For Germany, this is the first game in a U.S. tour and a chance for several younger players to make their mark. For Ecuador, this game is more like a warm-up for the team with big World Cup qualifiers against Peru (June 7) and Argentina (June 11) on deck.

Any way you look at it, this is an intriguing matchup between two very strong countries. Let's break down this international friendly.



When: Wednesday, May 29 at 2:30 p.m. ET

Where: FAU Stadium, Boca Raton, Florida

England vs Ireland May 29, 2013

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For the first time since 1995, England will face Ireland in an international match, this one a friendly being played at Wembley Stadium.

When these teams last met inside Dublin's Lansdowne Road stadium, the game was halted after 28 minutes amidst riots. The hope is that history won't repeat itself.

While England won't have key players such as Tom Cleverley, Jack Wilshere, Steven Gerrard and Andy Carroll for this match, the team will have some of the game's biggest stars, including Wayne Rooney, Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole.

But don't expect Ireland to just roll over and concede defeat because England has more talent. This game is going to be fun, folks. Let's break it down.



Where: Wembley Stadium, London, England

When: Wednesday, May 29 at 3 p.m. ET

Spurs vs Grizzlies May 27, 2013

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The San Antonio Spurs are on the brink of their first NBA Finals since 2007, and they will look to finish off the Memphis Grizzlies in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals on Monday at the FedExForum.

More: Spurs coverage at Pounding The Rock Grizzlies coverage at Grizzly Bear Blues NBA playoff coverage
The Spurs appeared in danger of letting the Grizzlies back in the series early in Game 3, falling behind by 18 in the first quarter. But things quickly turned around in the second quarter, and the deficit was just four at halftime. The game remained close the rest of the way, with the game going to overtime after Mike Conley missed a shot as time expired.

Tim Duncan and Tiago Splitter dominated the overtime period, with the two big men combining for 13 of the Spurs' 18 points to grab a 104-93 victory. Duncan had 24 points, 10 rebounds and five assists for the game.

Miami Heat vs Indiana Pacers May 26, 2013

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It's official, folks: The Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers are going to make the 2013 Eastern Conference Finals interesting.

After LeBron James drove to the rim and stole Game 1 from the Pacers—a win Indiana thought it had locked up—there was the sense it might not get that close again. The underdogs pushed the defending champs and the Heat still pulled it out. Was that as close as Indy was going to get?

That concern flew out the window in Game 2.

Conspicuously missing inside when LeBron hit the game-winner in the opener, Roy Hibbert responded with 29 points and 10 rebounds, disrupting the Heat at both ends of the floor as Indy bullied its way to a four-point win.

As the Heat travel to the unfriendly confines of Bankers Life Fieldhouse, they are playing without home-court advantage and without a sure strategy on how to beat the Pacers.

James is certainly doing his job. He was spectacular in Game 2, pouring in 36 points on 14-of-20 shooting, even as Paul George challenged him with his second-team All-NBA defense.

That said, LeBron received a troubling lack of support in the loss. Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh did not live up to their star reputations, and no other Heat players scored in double digits. With so little else to fear, Indy was able to overcommit to LeBron and force him into two late victory-clinching turnovers in Game 2.

Can LeBron and company put it together on the road, where their opponent has yet to lose this postseason? Or are the Pacers about to defy all expectations and wrest control of the series from the Heat juggernaut?