Week six of the Mexican Apertura is going to feature some key games in the fight to stay in La Primera. Some teams all of you may be familiar with are in really bad shape while others are mid-table waiting for that spark to put them at the top. After the break, we give a short preview of when and where you can watch the games this weekend along with a Fire/MLS connection where applicable.

Morelia - Santos Laguna 9pm - Fox Deportes Herculez Gomez and Santos Laguna are top of the Clausura table after five games, with Morelia in 9th. Gomez has been coming off the bench for Santos, subbing on in the 76th last week in a win over UNAM Pumas, not playing in the 3-1 win over Tijuana the week before that, and subbing on in the 73rd in a 1-0 win over Jaguares on January 21st.

Herculez Gomez and Santos Laguna stay on top, Michael Orozco and San Luis continued their slide towards the bottom, and Jose Torres was involved in a thriller with Pachuca.

Herculez Gomez and Santos Laguna go into Week 5 on top of the table, while Jose Torres, Edgar Castillo, and Michael Orozco all sit within four points back.

DaMarcus Beasley got the game winner in Puebla's win over Jaguars, while Herculez Gomez's Santos Laguna knocked off Edgar Castillo and company take over at the top of the standings.

Photo by Stephen Brashear/ISIphotos.com

CONCACAF's two places in the women's soccer tournament at this summer's Olympics will be determined Friday night, as the U.S. women look to maintain their stretch of dominance and clinch a place in London with a win over Costa Rica.

Grant Wahl did a very interesting story about US players that are playing south of the border: DeMarcus Beasley, Herculez Gomez and Marcus Vidal. We hear all the time about US players abroad, but not quite like this. Beasley has had to pay off Puebla P.D. just so they wouldn't confiscate his drivers license, or the time when the Mexican Government seized the home stadium of the team he's been playing for.

Puebla FC is a professional football club. It is based in Mexico. USMNT player Herculez Gomez played for them. Currently, DeMarcus Beasley plays for them. In the US, teams go belly up and enter bankruptcy. In the UK, they enter administration. In Mexico, things are a bit more gun ho due to a recent tax dispute between the state and federal government, the Mexican Federal Government seized Puebla's stadium, equipment, and even their coach bus.

Less than two months ago Landon Donovan and Robbie Keane were combining on a game-winning goal that helped lead the Los Angeles Galaxy to an MLS Cup title. Today, the two will square off on the other side of the planet as Donovan's Everton and Keane's Aston Villa do battle.

Manchester United will look to keep the heat on Manchester City by knocking off Bolton, which is awaiting a work permit for newly-acquired defender Tim Ream.

Despite continued success in Mexico, Herculez Gomez has been a journeyman by playing for four teams in two years. His latest move, however, looks like it will be the best fit for the striker.

With leagues coming off their winter breaks, and England diving into FA Cup action, today's slate of matches will give us the first good schedule of activity of the new year.

The Mexican League gets its Clausura season underway this weekend, as Herculez Gomez and Santos Laguna take on Jose Torres and Pachuca.

By FRANCO PANIZO

Landon Donovan did not lead Everton to victory in his return match for the club, but he will not have to wait long to get another chance at that.

Donovan and Everton will take on lowly Tamworth of England's fifth division in a third round FA Cup match on Saturday.

Another former SKC Wizards Update, plenty of player movement this week. Jonathan Leathers, Rauwshan McKenzie, and Ryan Pore are now without clubs after not being selected in the second stage of the re-entry draft. They're joined by Shavar Thomas who also wasn't selected. Also looking for a new club, is Stephane Auvray whose was let go by the Red Bulls.

Another former SKC Wizards Update, plenty of player movement this week. Jonathan Leathers, Rauwshan McKenzie, and Ryan Pore are now without clubs after not being selected in the second stage of the re-entry draft. They're joined by Shavar Thomas who also wasn't selected. Also looking for a new club, is Stephane Auvray whose was let go by the Red Bulls.

By Tony Edwards - San Jose, CA (Dec 13, 2011) US Soccer Players -- In today's edition, Tony asks about the Galaxy's strategy in the Re-Entry Draft, an American getting a chance to coach aboard, and a big move for Herculez Gomez. Where's Omar Bravo playing next season? Not Kansas City. He's headed back to Mexico to play for Cruz Azul next season.

As Camp Junior Mint (U-23) gets underway in Florida this week, Jurgen Klinsmann should be shortly submitting his roster for who gets an Evite to the annual Camp Cupcake in Carson, CA.

This will of course be Klinsmann's first time selecting for the camp that normally sees predominant enrollment of fringe US and Nordic domestic league players.

Sounders Will Likely Have To Contend With Herculez Gomez During CCL

US international Herculez Gomez has reportedly joined Santos Laguna, the Seattle Sounders' opponent in the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals. Santos Laguna is currently playing in the Mexican Primera's Apertura final.

While Santos Laguna is busy trying to climb out of a one-goal deficit in the Mexican Apertura final, the club has an eye on sustaining its success during the Clausura campaign as well. A piece of that puzzle involves Herculez Gomez.

Cash-strapped Estudiantes Tecos has sold Gomez to Santos Laguna, putting the U.

Ever read those posts on SI.com, Fox Soccer, or ESPN.com with the "five thoughts about ..." and then, well, lo and behold, they offer you five random thoughts about a topic?

Yeah, I always thought they were mailing it in too, too rushed or whatever to come up with a lede, coherent structure for the column, etc.

Last Friday we witnessed the US National Team in a tepid display against France. If you missed it, count yourself lucky as it was rough to watch. Tomorrow the team will have a chance at redemption against Slovenia. We're likely to see much of the same though. Jurgen Klinsmann hasn't done much to reassure fans of anything in the past months string of friendlies.

What happened to kicking the tires?

With the announcement of another conservative, heavily German-born roster for the upcoming friendlies against France (Friday, Nov. 11, 3pm on ESPN2) and Slovenia (Tuesday, Nov. 15, 12pm on ESPN2), apprehension has begun to creep to the front of many US fans' minds.

In the last fixture for the Apertura, DaMarcus Beasley and Herculez Gomez will look to put up a final strong performance to cap off their sterling seasons.

Photo by Perry McIntyre/ISIphotos.com

It happens every time the U.S. national team releases a roster for a friendly or meaningful game. Fans and pundits clamor that a certain player or certain players who didn't make the cut deserved the call-up.

Thursday's roster release for the November friendlies against France and Slovenia was accompanied with a similar reaction.

Juergen Klinsmann picked 22 players for the U.S. men's national team friendlies at France on Nov. 11 (3 p.m. ET, ESPN2, Univision, ESPN3.com) and Slovenia on Nov. 15 (noon ET, ESPN2, Galavision, ESPN3.com).

A few surprises but mostly what you would expect from Klinsmann at this point. It seems as though Orozco Fiscal has replaced Jonathan Bornstein as the weird defensive call-up that makes no sense.

The final U.S. men's national team matches of 2011 are fast approaching, and with a pair of European road games on the slate, there is a good bet we will see plenty of familiar faces, but hopefully at least a few new faces.

The MLS playoffs could mean that some players don't make the trip across the pond, like Landon Donovan, though U.

DaMarcus Beasley and Puebla had the only positive result over the weekend, as Herculez Gomez suffered his second straight loss and Michael Orozco settled for a draw.

Herculez Gomez looks to return to his scoring ways for Tecos while DaMarcus Beasley looks to build on another strong performance as Puebla hosts America.

One thing that always bugs me about sports coverage....and reason #345 why we started The Shin Guardian...is that no one ever goes back and evaluates their predictions in great detail. Nobody calls themselves out!

About the domestic league...

This happens all the time in the business world.

Michael Orozco was yellow carded four minutes into San Luis's 2-1 win over Queretaro on a crowded Wednesday schedule in Mexico's Primera Division. Alfredo Moreno scored twice for the home side in the 57th and 72nd minutes before Queretaro pulled a goal back from the penalty spot in the 81st. In a battle of National Teamers, DaMarcus Beasley's Puebla beat Herculez Gomez's U.

Here is this week's former Wizards update.
Active without a club or unknown
Chris Brunt
Doug DeMartin
Mauro Fuzetti
AJ Godbolt
Willy Guadarrama
Santiago Hirsig
Eddie Johnson
Michael Kraus
Ryan McMahen
Michal Mravec
JT Murray
Anthony Noriega
Ofori Sarkodie
Sam Scales
Ryan Smith
Ivan Trujillo
Lance Watson
MLS
Stephane Auvray - New York - Dressed but did not play in New York's 1-0 win over Philadelphia.

Herculez Gomez and DaMarcus Beasley square off while Edgar Castillo and Michael Orozco try to get back on the field for Wednesday's Week 15 action.

Is it getting hot in here? Image Credit: Facebook.

Saturday

- Sarah Brandner turned up the heat with her latest photo shoot for none other than GQ. We still kick ourselves for turning down their internship offer in order to party our uni days away.

- Can someone please enlighten us with their (or Emmanuel Frimpong's) definition of DENCH?

Herculez Gomez scored twice to lead Tecos to victory over Santos, DaMarcus Beasley went the full 90 in Puebla's loss to Toluca, while Michael Orozco and Edgar Castillo both failed to see action.

USSN takes a look around the web for latest news and opinion on the United States men's national team. Here is a round up of the best of the web this week;

Bayern Munich president regrets hiring Klinsmann Bayern president Uli Hoeness told a German newspaper this week that hiring Klinsmann was an expensive mistake.

It's a weekend of Americans trying to escape the bottom of the table as DaMarcus Beasley takes on Toluca, Herculez Gomez takes on Santos, and Edgar Castillo takes on Chivas.

Active without a club or unknown
Chris Brunt
Doug DeMartin
Mauro Fuzetti
AJ Godbolt
Willy Guadarrama
Santiago Hirsig
Eddie Johnson
Nikos Kounenakis
Michael Kraus
Ryan McMahen
Michal Mravec
JT Murray
Anthony Noriega
Ofori Sarkodie
Sam Scales
Ryan Smith
Ivan Trujillo
Lance Watson
MLS
Stephane Auvray - New York - Came off the bench and played 7 minutes in New York's 2-0 loss to KC.

By FRANCO PANIZO

It's been over a year since Herculez Gomez last represented the U.S. men's national team, but that drought could soon end after Gomez's latest goal-scoring performance.

For the fourth straight game that he's played in, Gomez scored a goal.

So let me get this straight: Tecos are down 5-1 past the hour, set to lose for the third time in four as they slowly drop away from the playoff zone, and THEN they call on Herculez Gomez. Oh, did I not mention that he deftly capped the scoring against Chivas with his team-high sixth goal in 575 minutes of play this season (good for 13th among the team's field players)?

Photo by ISIPhotos.com

One of the oldest and fiercest rivals in European soccer resumes today as Manchester United travels down the M6 to take on Liverpool (7:45am, ESPN2) in the latest installment of the North West Derby.

Manchester United is currently in first place in the English Premier League, tied with Manchester City, while Liverpool will try to crack the Top Four with a win.

A week of very little action for former SKC Wizards due to the international break this week, but there were some games this past week involving former players. Here is this week's update.
Active without a club or unknown
Chris Brunt
Doug DeMartin
Mauro Fuzetti
AJ Godbolt
Willy Guadarrama
Santiago Hirsig
Eddie Johnson
Nikos Kounenakis
Michael Kraus
Ryan McMahen
Michal Mravec
JT Murray
Anthony Noriega
Ofori Sarkodie
Sam Scales
Ryan Smith
Ivan Trujillo
Lance Watson
MLS
Stephane Auvray - New York - No game this week.