FIFA International Match Days 2013: Viewer's Guide to Week's Remaining Clashes

While world football fans wait for their favorite clubs to return to action, there are plenty of thrilling matches to watch on the international slate.

The week from Nov. 15 to Nov. 19 has been set aside by FIFA for international match play, according to the official calendar. This means that there is no league action, but instead the players get a chance to participate with their national teams.

These matches include the final set of World Cup qualifiers and some interesting international friendlies. 

There is a lot to keep track of, so feel free to ignore all of the mess and look here for the top remaining clashes of the week.

UEFA World Cup Qualifying—Second Leg

The second leg of a playoff is not always exciting. This can be seen in the inter-confederation matches for some of the final few spots in the World Cup.

Mexico earned a 5-1 advantage over New Zealand to put themselves in great shape going forward, while Uruguay has their bid all but locked up after a 5-0 result against Jordan.

However, each of the UEFA playoff matches could still go either way.

Sweden and Portugal might be the most fascinating one to watch due to the individual battle between Cristiano Ronaldo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Ronaldo got the advantage in the first match as his goal led to a 1-0 victory for Portugal.

Of course, the return to Sweden can help provide them the boost needed to get a comeback victory.

Meanwhile, France are in danger of missing out on the World Cup for the first time since 1994. They lost 2-0 to Ukraine in the first leg and will need a lot more offense out of Franck Ribery and company to secure a bid.

Croatia and Iceland finished with a scoreless draw and will now have a winner-take-all match on Tuesday, while Greece has their ticket almost punched after beating Romania 3-1. 

A lot is still yet to be decided, which makes all of these contests must-watch events.

Date	Home	Away	Time (ET)
Nov. 19	Romania	Greece	2 p.m.
Nov. 19	Croatia	Iceland	2:15 p.m.
Nov. 19	Sweden	Portugal	2:45 p.m.
Nov. 19	France	Ukraine	3 p.m.

CAF World Cup Qualifying—Second Leg

A good portion of qualifying in Africa is based on the luck of the draw. Teams had to win their group, no matter how tough it was, and then win a two-legged playoff against another squad for a spot in the World Cup.

Two of those positions will be decided by the end of Saturday with Nigeria and Ivory Coast currently holding the advantage. However, there are three more matches still to take place later in the week.

Ghana have the best chance of qualifying after a 6-1 in the first match against Egypt. Of course, the other two clashes are likely to be much more competitive.

Cameroon and Tunisia finished with a scoreless draw the last time out and should be involved in a serious battle on Sunday. Meanwhile, Burkina Faso look to pull off an upset over Algeria after gaining a 3-2 advantage in the last match.

Burkina Faso have never qualified for the World Cup in the country's history, so a bid would certainly be a momentous occasion.

No matter who you cheer for, it is worth a view to see these teams look to lock up some of the final spots in the prestigious tournament.

Date	Home	Away	Time (ET)
Nov. 16	Nigeria	Ethiopia	10 a.m.
Nov. 16	Senegal	Ivory Coast	2 p.m.
Nov. 17	Cameroon	Tunisia	9 a.m.
Nov. 19	Egypt	Ghana	11 a.m
Nov. 19	Algeria	Burkina Faso	1:15 p.m.

International Friendlies

Just because the result of a match does not matter, it does not take away from the competitive spirit of the players involved.

Many teams that already secured bids to the World Cup will now try to use exhibition matches to try to improve, while the members of the squad look to earn spots on the roster for next summer.

One match that fans should tune into early is Argentina against Bosnia-Herzegovina. Everyone knows that Argentina are a top contender to be named the best team in the world due to the elite attack featuring Lionel Messi, Gonzalo Higuain and others.

Of course, it is important to note that Bosnia-Herzegovina dominated their competition during qualifying, losing only one of 10 matches and outscoring opponents 30-6 in that stretch. The strong play has moved them up to No. 16 in the FIFA world rankings, and they should make this an excellent match.

Still, the big slate of games does not come until Tuesday, when many of the best international teams around the world are in action.

Most will want to watch England battle Germany in a classic European showdown, but there are interesting matchups throughout the day. Fans can see World Cup previews with Netherlands against Colombia, Belgium hosting Japan, Honduras battling Ecuador and plenty more.

There is certainly no shortage of exciting action set to take place in the coming days of international play.

Date	Home	Away	Time (ET)
Nov. 16	Brazil	Honduras	7:30 p.m.
Nov. 18	Italy	Nigeria	2:45 p.m.
Nov. 18	Argentina	Bosnia-Herzegovina	8:30 p.m
Nov. 19	Belgium	Japan	3 p.m.
Nov. 19	Ecuador	Honduras	10 p.m.
Nov. 19	Australia	Costa Rica	3:30 a.m.
Nov. 19	Austria	United States	2 p.m.
Nov. 19	South Africa	Spain	2 p.m.
Nov. 19	Netherlands	Colombia	2:30 p.m.
Nov. 19	England	Germany	3 p.m.
Nov. 19	Brazil	Chile	8 p.m.

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