By Tim Stannard (@stannardsports)

1) USA step forward to try and seal qualification group

Take a seat, Suarez! Make yourself invisible, Messi! Go eat some ham…er…James? Team America are taking the football stage – Bleep Yeah!

Jurgen Klinsmann’s men are now in Guatemala City, where the temperature is currently a pleasing 64F and the humidity is a sticky 94%. The mission for USMNT is to grab three points in a World Cup qualifier, repeat the feat in Columbus, Ohio on Tuesday, wrap up this stage of qualification and then go onto win the Copa America and then the World Cup and drop the biggest mic in the world at the Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow. Take that Putin!

But each long journey must begin with a tiny step. Two have been taken already with the US on six points from their opening games in the CONCACAF Group C. But taking three more on Friday will not be as easy as it sounds with a feverish home crowd, unpredictable pitches, odd refereeing and Godzilla currently patrolling the outskirts of the city. beIN SPORTS will be with you every step of the way with coverage starting at 8.30PM ET, led by Sir Christopher Sullivan. You can also catch highlights of a big game for the US U-23 team as it battles Colombia in an opening play-off game to reach the Rio Olympics.

As a handy warm-up, tune into beIN SPORTS at 3.20PM ET to find out if Trinidad and Tobago can keep up their own 100% record in the USA’s group with a clash at both St. Vincent AND the Grenadines in the longest fixture in the world. And as a tremendous warm-up, to the warm-up. The Ivory Coast have a must-win match in AFCON qualifying if the side are going to be able to go to Gabon next year and defend their title. Catch the Elephants against Sudan live from 12.20PM ET.

2) POTUS moves closer to meeting Messi as Beckham splashes out in Miami

Staying with all things ‘Merica, readers might remember that trouble that President Obama was having in arranging a meeting between Leo Messi and his daughters. Well, those good people at Copa America have stepped in to offer POTUS some tickets to this summer’s centenary special to help make the meeting happen.

Heck, there’s even time for a little bit of news from MLS future with David Beckham’s franchise group revealing that it had bought some private land in Miami where the site of the planned stadium will be for the still unnamed Miami team. Hopefully, it’s built before that part of South Florida is underwater.

3) It’s Neymar v Suarez in a battle that will be better that Batman v Superman, judging by the reviews

It was a heady night of South American action on the channel on Thursday with Argentina getting revenge on the Copa America defeat with a 2-1 win over Chile, Colombia grabbing a dramatic victory at Bolivia, league leaders, Ecuador, being held to a draw by Paraguay and Venezuela picking up their first points of the qualifiers in a 2-2 draw against Peru. But there is one more game to go – the whopper between Brazil and Uruguay that sees the return of Luis Suarez to the international footballing fold, after a near two-year suspension for biting. You can chews to watch how Suarez gets on at tooth hurty over on beIN SPORTS español. Not really. Coverage starts at 7.45PM ET. Neymar says he is excited. So you should be too.

There is set to be some deliberately leaked communications between the Real Madrid’s medical staff and Brazil’s team doctor after Tuesday’s clash between Brazil against Paraguay. Dunga says that he wants the truth about Marcelo’s omission from the Brazil squad to come out.

4) Netherlands to pay tribute to Dutch giant who changed the face of football  

The Netherlands are set to play a very emotional friendly against France on Friday – a match that will act a tribute to football legend, Johan Cruyff, who passed away on Thursday. The clash in the Amsterdam ArenA will be stopped in the 14th minute for one-minute tribute for the Dutch no.14. You can see that friendly on beIN SPORTS Español from 3.40 PM ET.

Sergio Ramos has withdrawn from the Spain squad after suffering back problems during his country’s 1-1 draw against Italy on Thursday. There will now be a bit of fitness fretting from Real Madrid over whether the center back will be ready in time for next Saturday’s Clasico. Which is exclusively on beIN SPORTS, or course.

Xavi has announced that Cristiano Ronaldo is better than Leo Messi! Sorry. Got that the wrong way round. Xavi has announced rather unsurprisingly that Leo Messi is better than Cristiano Ronaldo. In fact, he says that he is much better.

5) Federer calls for more dope testing in tennis and reveals dangers of bath time

Roger Federer has called for more dope testing in tennis citing the example that he often lives in Dubai but has been tested there just the once in ten years. The world number 3 is making his comeback at the Miami Open after injuring his knee running a bath for his twin daughters.