Are we a little too harsh on international soccer? While it’s typically been perceived as a mere blemish on the domestic landscape, some revamps to the various competitions seem to have given teams an edge, thus facilitating a much more entertaining product.

That’s certainly been the case as nations look to qualify for Euro 2016, with a host of intriguing ties to come over the weekend. In addition, there are a couple of eye-catching friendlies to savor that should make this break a little more bearable.

Here’s the pick of the games from this international break.

All times are in Eastern time. Enjoy your weekend and the games!

Scotland vs. Republic of Ireland

Friday, November 14, 2:45PM, ESPN3

While the expansion of the European Championships has received criticism aplenty in some quarters, it seems to have given hope to teams that are typically just shy of qualifying for major tournaments on a regular basis. And for Scotland and the Republic of Ireland, that added incentive has certainly galvanized their players.

Under the tutelage of Gordon Strachan, the Tartan Army have not only been much easier on the eye, but a lot tougher to beat too. They were unlucky to lose against World Champions Germany in their opening qualifier, but have followed that performance up with strong displays at home to Georgia and away to Poland.

The Irish have also been in fine form, currently sitting joint top of the qualifying group with Poland with seven points from their opening three games. Morale is high in their camp too, and if Martin O’Neill’s side can pick up three points at Celtic Park, they’ll be in an excellent position to push for automatic qualification from an engrossing group.

Expect a phenomenal atmosphere for this one, with both nations set to have massive backing. Celtic’s Irish ties are longstanding and well know, and while the Scots should still outnumber those donning Irish green, the visitors won’t be short of some typically raucous support.

United States vs. Colombia

Friday, November 14, 2:45PM, ESPN, WatchESPN, Univision Deportes & UniMas

If the clash between the those two doesn’t appeal to you, then there’s a chance to watch the USMNT in action in what’ll surely be an intriguing friendly game; they tackle Colombia at Craven Cottage. According to US Soccer, Fulham’s stadium will be packed out for this one, with 20,000 tickets having already been sold.

As is often the case following a World Cup, expect both managers to experiment with their line-ups. That certainly looks to be the case with Jurgen Klinsmann’s side, as he includes 10 MLS players for the clash with the World Cup quarterfinalists. Of those 10, Lee Nguyen of New England Revolution is involved in the national team set up for the firs time in seven years.

Radamel Falcao is not fit enough to take his place in Jose Pekerman’s squad, but the vast majority of Los Cafeteros team that entertained neutrals in Brazil last summer will be in attendance. James Rodriguez, Jackson Martinez and Juan Cuadrado should all feature at the Cottage, as should young playmaker Juan Quintero.

That should make for an exciting evening south-west in London and a big test for both sides as they look to build on their promising major tournament displays.

Netherlands vs. Latvia

Sunday, November 16, 12:00PM, FOX Sports 2, FOX Sports GO & FOX Soccer 2GO

After Louis van Gaal left his post as Dutch manager on the back of a third place finish at the 2014 World Cup, in Guus Hiddink, the consensus was that there were few better candidates to oversee a seamless transition from one regime to another.

But instead of being a streamlined shift, the Oranje set-up has endured a turbulent time of things as of late. Under Hiddink the team has lost two of their opening three games in this qualifying campaign; the game they won was against Kazakhstan, but embarrassingly, the minnows went in front before the Netherlands recovered late on to win 3-1.

The pressure is on Hiddink big time, so much so that he himself has admitted that if his team fails to beat Latvia in their upcoming qualifier—something that should admittedly be no problem for a team boasting talent like Arjen Robben, Robin van Persie and Memphis Depay—that’ll he’ll leave his post after just four months in charge.

Latvia are a side that should pose few problems for the Oranje, but if they can make things difficult early on, then the Dutch supporters in attendance could quickly turn tentative. It was something wholly apparent in their last game, as Mexico triumphed 3-2 at the Amsterdam Arena. If those emotions transcend to the Netherlands players, then it could be a nervous evening for all concerned.

Italy vs. Croatia

Sunday, November 16, 2:45PM, FOX Sports 1, FOX Sports GO & FOX Soccer 2GO

Arguably the standout match of the European Championships qualifying games will be Italy versus Croatia. Both teams play love to play passing football, and with top spot in the group up for grabs here, expect no quarter to be given by either side.

The visitors current top Group H on goal difference, and can move three points clear of the Azzurri with a win at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome. And with players like Luka Modric, Ivan Rakitic and Mario Mandzukic in their squad, there’s little denying that this Croatia outfit has sufficient quality to cause problems for their hosts.

Especially an Italy team that’ll be without their playmaker extraordinaire Andrea Pirlo. The Juventus man will miss this one with a thigh problem, but Antonio Conte has plenty of classy operators to call upon in the middle of the park. The early signs have been encouraging under the tutelage of the former Bianconeri boss, but this will be his biggest test to date.

Expect a thoroughly entertaining game here, one that—given the calibre of midfield players on show—should contain plenty of intricate manipulation of the ball. And with plenty to play for in the qualification stakes and a boisterous Rome crowd in situ, one that should have a bit of needle too.

Spain vs. Germany

Tuesday, November 18, 2:45PM, ESPN Deportes & ESPN3.com

Both of these teams are currently in the midst of transitional phases on the back of World Cup campaigns at opposite ends of the spectrum. And this friendly match should afford us an indication of the progress or otherwise made by these powerhouses of international soccer.

Spain are looking to bounce back after a disastrous major tournament showing and they’ll have to do so without the likes of Xavi and Xabi Alonso, who have retired from the set up. It’d be fair to say that things haven’t gone exactly to plan for Vincente del Bosque since the Brazil showpiece; the recent loss to Slovakia in their European Championships clash was worrying reminiscent of some of their World Cup displays.

The same applies for Germany, who are tasked with building on the back of their magnificent triumph out in South America. They too are making small steps and have yet to convince fully as they look to qualify for the 2016 European Championships. Joachim Low’s team have won one, drawn one and lost one of their three games so far.

Nonetheless, these matches between two international juggernauts are always worth tuning in for, and with names like Andres Iniesta, Thomas Muller, Diego Costa, Mario Gotze, Sergio Ramos and Toni Kroos likely to feature, it should be a fantastic, fluid 90 minutes of action.