THE SOCCER REPORT
De Gea posts 11 saves in Manchester United win; Dynamo mulling offer for Alberth Elis
Jan 15, 2019, 7:40 am
Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea came up big in the 1-0 win over Tottenham. (Credit: adidas)
European leagues are past the halfway of their seasons, meaning the stakes are just getting higher. Liverpool, Barcelona and Dortmund all have good leads but not good enough while PSG and Juventus look to cruise in their domestic leagues.
In Houston, the stakes are also being raised as the city looks to secure host city stature for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The Houston Sports Authority appointed John Arnold as chairman of the bid committee last Friday, which you can read about here.
For everything else, here is the latest in the soccer world:
English Premier League
Every goal from Premier League Matchweek 22 | NBC Sportswww.youtube.com
Liverpool may be sitting at the top of the table with a four-point lead but they know taking the foot off the pedal now would spell trouble. The leaders kept marching forward with a 1-0 win over Brighton thanks to a 50th minute penalty by their goalscorer, Mohamed Salah. Second place Manchester City took care of their own business with a 3-0 win over Wolves to keep pace while Chelsea put away Newcastle with a 2-1 victory to keep the gap between the top four. Arsenal were not so lucky, losing 1-0 against London rivals West Ham United. Everton, Watford, Burnley and Southampton also picked up three points this weekend.
The match circled on everybody's calendar, however, was the heavyweight bout between third place Tottenham and sixth place Manchester United. Heavyweight may be a term people may have been reserved about before the match due to United's fall from grace in recent title races but caretaker Ole Gunnar Solskjær has everyone believing after leading the Reds to five consecutive wins, across all competitons, since the firing of former manager Jose Mourinho. The former United goalscorer has reinvigorated the current squad but many wondered how much of their run has been due to the quality of their opponents. Well, there's nothing to scoff about a 1-0 win over a top four club like Tottenham. Thanks to a standout 11 saves from David De Gea and a 44th minute goal by Marcus Rashford, United are believing again and now stand only six points out of a Champions League spot.
The elation by Houston Manchester United supporters was no different as the beer flowed and the chants were well heard in EaDo.
Top six: 1. Liverpool (57), 2. Manchester City (53), 3. Tottenham (48), 4. Chelsea (47), 5. Arsenal (41), 6. Manchester United (41)
Scoring leader: 14 - Harry Kane (Tottenham) / Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) / Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Arsenal)
Assists leader: 10 - Eden Hazard (Chelsea FC)
Spain's La Liga
Earlier this season, it seemed that others were primed to knock down the champion Barcelona or at least the hope was alive and well. That hope has since disseminated as one of the best in the world, and considered by some the best ever, took care of that. Lionel Messi stands alone at the top of both the individual standings in scoring and assists and reached another record by becoming the first player to score 400 goals in one of the major European leagues. Despite the two major Madrid clubs picking up wins this weekend, it looks very much like it will be Barcelona's year in La Liga.
Top six: 1. FC Barcelona (43), 2. Atlético Madrid (38), 3. Sevilla (33), 4. Real Madrid (33), 5. Alavés (32), 6. Getafe (28)
Scoring leader: 17 - Lionel Messi (FC Barcelona)
Assists leader: 10 - Lionel Messi (FC Barcelona)
Nobody comes close to Lionel Messi. https://t.co/cFuus2U1ba— ESPN FC (@ESPN FC) 1547413211.0
German Bundesliga
Top six: 1. Dortmund (42), 2. Bayern Munich (36), 3. Monchengladbach (33), 4. RB Leipzig (31), 5. Wolfsburg (28), 6. Eintracht Frankfurt (27)Scoring leader: 12 - Luka Jović (Eintracht Frankfurt) / Paco Alcacer (Dortmund)
Assists leader: 8 - Sébastien Haller (Eintracht Frankfurt)
Italian Serie A
Top six: 1. Juventus (53), 2. Napoli (44), 3. Inter Milan (39), 4. Lazio (32), 5. Milan (31), 6. Roma (30)Scoring leader: 14 - Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus)
Assists leader: 8 - Suso (A.C. Milan)
French Ligue 1
Top six: 1. PSG (50), 2. Lille (37), 3. Lyon (33), 4. Saint-Étienne (33), 5. Montpellier (31), 6. Strasbourg (29)Scoring leader: 14 - Kylian Mbappé (PSG)
Assists leader: 7 - Memphis Depay (Lyon) / Nicolas Pépé (Lille)
Dutch Eredivisie
Top three: 1. PSV Eindhoven (48), 2. Ajax (46), 3. Feyenoord (36)
Scoring leader: 14 - Luuk de Jong (PSV)
Assists leader: 8 - Arbër Zeneli (Heerenveen) / Steven Berghuis (Feyenoord)
Belgian First Division A
Top three: 1. Genk (48), 2. Club Brugge (41), 3. Antwerp (38)
Scoring leader: 15 - Mbwana Samatta (Genk)
Assists leader:12 - Hans Vanaken (Brugge)
Portuguese Primeira Liga
Top three: 1. Porto (43), 2. Benfica (38), 3. Braga (37)
Scoring leader: 12 - Dyego Sousa (Braga)Assists leader: 7 - Pizzi (Benfica)
Scottish Premier League
Top three: 1. Celtic (42), 2. Rangers (42), 3. Kilmarnock (41)
Scoring leader: 12 - Alfredo Morelos (Rangers)
Assists leader: 8 - James Tavernier (Rangers)
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Major League Soccer
The MLS college draft, known as the SuperDraft, took place last week with some clubs placing more priority on the event than others. Clubs are making their final preparations as most would have started their preseason training by this time next week. The Houston Dynamo, along with their five counterparts who will take place in the Concacaf Champions League, begin their preseason training this week.
The news around the Dynamo, however, has most loudly been about the potential departure of one of their most important players in 22-year-old forward Alberth Elis. The Honduran has been linked with a reported $6 million offer to Turkish club Fenerbahçe but the Dynamo don't seem willing to part with one of their young attackers - at least not for that price. The interest seems real, however, and this situation may drag out until the end of the European transfer window later this month. The Turkish club is currently second to last in the league standings and is looking to affordable options to offset their debt situation. Fenerbace do have a Houston tie as Chairman Ali Koç is a Rice University alumnus.
Elis arrived from vacation on Sunday afternoon and has reported with the team for preseason. In an interview I did with the player, he stated he is waiting for the club to make a decision on his future and is ready for whatever that decision may be.
Alberth Elis back in Houston for preseason with the Dynamowww.youtube.com
Liga MX
Monterrey vs. Club Leon | 2018-19 Liga MX Highlightswww.youtube.com
Week two in the Clausura 2019 season took place over the weekend in Mexico, with some of the usual suspects immediately surging to the top. Historical club Chivas of Guadalajara, who have seen a downturn during recent seasons are off with two straight wins but time will tell how this season ends. As a famous Mexican song goes, "it's not about arriving first but knowing how to arrive."
Top eight: 1. Toluca FC (6), 2. Chivas Guadalajara (6), 3. Lobos BUAP (6), 4. Monterrey (4), 5. Tigres UANL (4), 6. Club America (3), 7. Necaxa (3), 8. Atlas (3)
Scoring leader: 3 - Enrique Triverio (Toluca)
Assists leader: 3 - Carlos Rodríguez (Monterrey)
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Upcoming Matches (All Times CT):
Wednesday, Jan. 16
11:30 a.m. - [Italian Supercoppa] Juventus vs. Milan (ESPN2, ESPN Deportes)
2:30 p.m. - [La Liga] Leganes vs. Real Madrid (beIN Sports)
Thursday, Jan. 17
12:30 p.m. - [Copa del Rey] Real Sociedad vs. Real Betis (beIN Sports)
2:30 p.m. - [Copa del Rey] Barcelona vs. Levante (beIN Sports)
Friday, Jan. 18
1:30 p.m. - [Bundesliga] Hoffenheim vs. Bayern Munich (FS1)
1:45 p.m. - [Scottish Cup] Cowdenbeath vs. Rangers (ESPN+)
Saturday, Jan. 19
6:30 a.m. - [Premier League] Wolves vs. Leicester City (NBC Sports)
8:00 a.m. - [Serie A] Roma vs. Torino (ESPNews)
8:30 a.m. - [Bundesliga] Bayer Leverkusen vs. Monchengladbach (FS1)
9:00 a.m. - [Premier League] Liverpool vs. Crystal Palace (NBC Sports)
9:00 a.m. - [Premier League] Man United vs. Brighton (CNBC)
11:30 a.m. - [Premier League] Arsenal vs. Chelsea (NBC)
Sunday, Jan. 20
7:30 a.m. - [Premier League] Huddersfield vs. Manchester City (CNBC)
10:00 a.m. - [Premier League] Fulham vs. Tottenham (NBC)
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The Houston Astros are finally starting to show signs of turning the corner. After a sluggish start to the season, the offense is beginning to click, the pitching staff remains dominant, and the impact of the Kyle Tucker trade is starting to look like a clear win.
One of the more encouraging developments has been the recent plate discipline from Christian Walker. Known for his power but also for chasing pitches out of the zone, Walker has now drawn multiple walks in four straight games. It's a sign that his approach is tightening up—and he's recovered from his oblique discomfort, starting every game this season.
Yainer Diaz has also provided a much-needed spark. After a quiet stretch at the plate, Diaz came alive with a grand slam against the Angels, his most impactful swing of the year and a potential sign that his bat is heating up.
But the biggest buzz in Houston may be around the players acquired in the Kyle Tucker trade. Cam Smith has looked like he belongs in the big leagues, holding his own at the plate and flashing confidence in the field. Isaac Paredes, meanwhile, has posted a higher OPS than Alex Bregman, while right-hander Hayden Wesneski turned heads by striking out 10 Angels in a dominant start. Early returns suggest the deal could pay off big for the Astros.
Statistically, the Astros offense is still a work in progress, but it's no longer at the bottom of the barrel. After sitting dead last in slugging and near the bottom in OPS last week, Houston has climbed to 23rd in team OPS—right in the mix with the Rangers and Mariners. Slugging percentage still lags behind (27th overall), but there's some movement in the right direction.
Houston has scored the 21st-most runs in the league—better than only the Rangers in the AL West. Yet thanks to strong pitching, the Astros sit at +2 in run differential, the only team in the division with a positive mark.
That pitching has been the backbone of the team so far. Houston ranks 13th in ERA at 3.69, is third in opponent batting average (.190), and leads all of Major League Baseball in strikeouts with 166. It’s a staff that keeps them in every game and has the potential to dominate when the offense catches up.
The early season numbers still reflect a team trying to find its footing, but the signs are there. If the recent progress continues—Walker’s improved discipline, Diaz’s power, and the emergence of new contributors—Houston could soon be back to the top of the AL West.
We have so much more to cover. Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday!
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