You have got to have a plan these days.

Given the preponderance of soccer viewing options and the distribution of American players around the globe, no self-respecting fan of the United States men’s national team should wake up Saturday morning and simply try to wing it.

Why not? Well, consider the matches available for viewing Saturday beginning at 10 a.m Eastern: the Bayer Leverkusen-Cologne match (ESPN Deportes) will be a half-hour old when Aston Villa-Newcastle (Fox Soccer), Everton-Wigan (Fox Deportes), Wolverhampton-Queens Park Rangers (Fox Soccer Plus), Bolton-Norwich City (foxsoccer.tv) and Swansea-West Bromwich Albion (foxsoccer.tv) all get underway.

The neutral fan can and should go with his or her gut — or perhaps even channel surf among these options — but the rabid United States national team supporter is practically obliged to watch the game that features the most compelling American activity.

At first blush, the Villa-Newcastle match might make the most sense. Brad Guzan and Eric Lichaj both “play” for Aston Villa, but Guzan is a perpetual bench warmer and Lichaj is out for months rehabbing an injury. Neither is likely to see action this weekend, which means the Bolton-Norwich City game is probably your best bet, right? Not necessarily.

Stuart Holden is close to returning to the Wanderers, but is unlikely to play Saturday according to his coach, Owen Coyle. And yes, Zak Whitbread plays for the Canaries, but he too is recovering from a knock and will not play. Maybe we should check out David Yelldell, the German-American goalkeeper with Leverkusen. Good idea. Watching him play would be intriguing … but he has been sitting on the bench so far this season, playing second banana to the German keeper Bernd Leno, 19.

So, upon closer inspection, the Everton-Wigan game, which will almost certainly feature the New Jersey native Tim Howard in goal, is the best bet for U.S. national team obsessives.

Yes, it is a lot to consider. So you need a map, guiding you to this weekend’s televised games that are most likely to have an impact on the national team (all times Eastern, as they say).

Saturday

7:30 a.m. Jermaine Jones does not play for Rovers any more and, despite the rumors, Clint Dempsey never made it to Highbury, so feel free to skip the Blackburn-Arsenal match (ESPN2). If you cannot resist watching these two underachieving clubs, try to limit yourself to 30 minutes because the top of the hour has something to offer.

8 a.m. Robbie Findley should be leading the line when Nottingham Forest plays Derby County (Fox Soccer Plus) in this English Championship contest. Though his time at Nottingham has been marred by injury thus far, the former Real Salt Lake striker is off to a good start this season and should be ready to play. (The American Conor Doyle, 19, is on the books at Derby County, but has not been a factor yet this season.)

10 a.m. See above. Everton-Wigan is the one to watch.

1:30 p.m. The Spanish, German and French TV offerings do not provide much U.S. national team relevance, but the M.L.S. game between Toronto and Colorado (M.L.S. Direct Kick) should offer a look at two players who have suited up for the national team this year — Anthony Wallace and Jeff Larentowicz. Wallace, 22, a defender, is worth watching, especially if you do not know his game.

4 p.m. Is Heath Pearce a potential answer at left back? Decide for yourself when Chivas USA takes on Chicago (Telefutura).

6 p.m. Edgar Castillo has not impressed so far with the national team, but if your TV provider offers the Azteca America network you can get a glimpse of the diminutive fullback as his club team, Club América, faces Jaguares de Chiapas.

8:30 p.m. Yes, the 7:30 p.m. M.L.S. game between Philadelphia and Columbus (M.L.S. Direct Kick) has some national team ramifications, as do the 8 p.m. Mexican league games featuring Puebla (DaMarcus Beasley; Telemundo) and Pachuca (Jose Torres; Telefutura). The Dallas-Red Bulls game (M.L.S. Direct Kick, MSG Plus in New York area) is the one to watch, however, as it features two rising stars on the U.S. squad — Brek Shea and Tim Ream — as well as another defender, George John, who could become a major factor in the months and years ahead. If you are an ardent American supporter, this is probably the best game on TV this weekend.

10:30 p.m. The second-best game? You could make a case for the Los Angeles-Vancouver tilt, which features the national team regular Landon Donovan as well as three intriguing defenders — Omar Gonzalez, Sean Franklin and A. J. DeLaGarza — who deserve consideration for Jurgen Klinsmann’s side.

Sunday

10:30 a.m. How much of a hardcore U.S. fan are you? That will be put to the test Sunday morning, as you will have to choose between watching the Yanks’ best outfield player, Dempsey, and the tasty Manchester United-Chelsea match that starts a half-hour later. Dempsey and Fulham will host Manchester City (Fox Soccer Plus), and if you opt for this game over the Red Devils-Blues game (which will be shown on the main Fox network before its N.F.L. coverage), you are officially obsessed with the U.S. national team.

11:30 a.m. At halftime of whatever match you decide to watch, check in on the Schalke-Bayern Munich game (GolTV) to see if Jones starts. (Fearless prediction: probably not.)

3 p.m. The Tijuana-Estudiantes Tecos match (ESPN Deportes) is worth a look for several reasons. Yes, the American-born midfielder Joe Corona is leaning toward playing for Mexico rather than the U.S., but there is always a chance he could change his mind. Regardless, Corona is fun to watch, and so are the offensive-minded Xoloitzcuintles de Caliente. As an added bonus, U.S. striker Herculez Gomez will likely be starting for Tecos, and he is off to a solid start this season.

What will you be watching this weekend? Tell us in the comments section below.

John Godfrey obsessively tracks the progress of American soccer players and is a regular contributor to the Goal blog. He also comments about soccer constantly on Twitter: @jhGodfrey.