THE SOCCER REPORT
Dynamo lose 0-4 away at Sporting KC, Coronavirus halts Italian Serie A
Mar 9, 2020, 9:07 pm
The Houston Dynamo fell in their first road test of the season. Photo: Houston Dynamo
Coronavirus concern has seeped into the soccer world, especially in the Italian Serie A where matches have gone from being played in empty stadiums to the league being postponed altogether. Major League Soccer had a few matches on the West coast that could potentially have been played behind closed doors - all where played with spectators. As of Monday, MLS has joined other U.S. sports leagues in closing access to locker rooms for media members.
https://t.co/RHUutfl1OS— MLS Communications (@MLS Communications) 1583793931.0
Here is the week that was in the beautiful game:
English Premier League
Top six: 1. Liverpool (82), 2. Man City (57), 3. Leicester City (53), 4. Chelsea (48), 5. Manchester United (45), 6. Wolves (43)
Bottom three (relegation): 18. Bournemouth (27), 19. Aston Villa (25), 20. Norwich City (21)
Scoring leader: 19 - Jamie Vardy (Leicester City)
Assists leader: 16 - Kevin De Bruyne (Man City)
Spanish La Liga
Top six: 1. FC Barcelona (58), 2. Real Madrid (56), 3. Sevilla (47), 4. Getafe (46), 5. Atletico Madrid (45), 6. Real Sociedad (43)
Bottom three: 18. Mallorca (25), 19. Leganes (23), 20. Espanyol (20)
Scoring leader: 19 - Lionel Messi (FC Barcelona)
Assists leader: 12 - Lionel Messi (FC Barcelona)
German Bundesliga
Top six: 1. Bayern Munich (55), 2. Dortmund (51), 3. RB Leipzig (50), 4. Bayer Leverkusen (47), 5. Monchengladbach (46), 6. Schalke 04 (37)
Bottom three: 16. Fortuna (22), 17. Werder Bremen (18), 18. Paderborn (16)
Scoring leader: 25 - Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
Assists leader: 16 - Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich)
Italian Serie A
Top six: 1. Juventus (63), 2. Lazio (62), 3. Inter Milan (54), 4. Atalanta (48), 5. Roma (45), 6. Napoli (39)
Bottom three: 18. Lecce (25), 19. SPAL (18), 20. Brescia (16)
Scoring leader: 27 - Ciro Immobile (Lazio)
Assists leader: 12 - Luis Alberto (Lazio)
French Ligue 1
Top four: 1. PSG (68), 2. Marseille (56), 3. Rennes (50), 4. Lille (49)
Bottom three: 18. Nimes (27), 19. Amiens (23), 20. Toulouse (13)
Scoring leader: 18 - Kylian Mbappe (PSG)
Assists leader: 14 - Angel Di Maria (PSG)
Major League Soccer
The Houston Dynamo continue winless in their first two matches under new Head Coach Tab Ramos after a 0-4 loss at Sporting Kansas City over the weekend. Offseason signing Darwin Quintero made his debut with the club as a second half substitution while star forward Alberth Elis continues to be out injured.
The Dynamo host Seattle Sounders FC on Saturday at BBVA Stadium.
Liga MX
Clausura 2020
Top eight: 1. Cruz Azul (19), 2. Leon (18), 3. Club America (17), 4. Pumas UNAM (15), 5. CD Guadalajara (15), 6. Juarez (14), 7. Queretaro (14), 8. Pachuca (14)
Scoring leader: 8 - Jonathan Rodriguez (Cruz Azul)
Superliga Argentina
Felicitaciones a @BocaJrsOficial por la obtención de la #Superliga 2019/20, presentada por Quilmes Clásica 🏆 ¡Salu… https://t.co/aSe2svjWQh— Superliga Argentina (@Superliga Argentina) 1583633727.0
Boca Juniors crowned themselves champions of Argentina in dramatic fashion by winning 1-0 over Gimnasia, the team led by BOCA Legend Diego Maradona, and finishing top of the league by one point over archrivals River Plate.
TV listings (All Times CT):
For full info on soccer TV listings and streaming services in the United States, visit worldsoccertalk.com
Tuesday, March 10
3:00 p.m. - [UEFA Champions League] RB Leipzig vs. Tottenham (TNT, UniMas, TUDN)
3:00 p.m. - [UEFA Champions League] Valencia vs. Atalanta (Galavision)
7:00 p.m. - [Concacaf Champions League] Montreal Impact vs. Olimpia (FS1)
7:30 p.m. - [Copa Libertadores] Boca Juniors vs. Medellin (beIN Sports en Español)
7:30 p.m. - [Copa Libertadores] Palmeiras vs. Guarani (beIN Sports)
Wednesday, March 11
2:30 p.m. - [Premier League] Manchester City vs. Arsenal (NBC Sports)
3:00 p.m. - [UEFA Champions League] Liverpool vs. Atletico Madrid (TNT, UniMas, TUDN)
3:00 p.m. - [UEFA Champions League] PSG vs. Dortmund (Galavision)
5:15 p.m. - [Copa Libertadores] River Plate vs. Binacional (beIN Sports en Español)
5:15 p.m. - [Copa Libertadores] Colo-Colo vs. Atletico-PR (beIN Sports)
6:00 p.m. - [SheBelieves Cup] USWNT vs. Japan (ESPNEWS, TUDNxtra)
7:00 p.m. - [Concacaf Champions League] NYCFC vs. Tigres (FS2)
9:30 p.m. - [Concacaf Champions League] Club America vs. Atlanta United (FS2)
Thursday, March 12
1:00 p.m. - [UEFA Europa League] LASK vs. Manchester United (UniMas)
3:00 p.m. - [UEFA Europa League] Olympiacos vs. Wolverhampton Wanderers (UniMas)
9:30 p.m. - [Concacaf Champions League] LAFC vs. Cruz Azul (FS2)
Friday, March 13
3:00 p.m. - [La Liga] Real Madrid vs. Eibar (beIN SPORTS)
Saturday, March 14
7:30 a.m. - [Premier League] Watford vs. Leicester City (NBC Sports)
10:00 a.m. - [Premier League] Manchester City vs. Burnley (NBC Sports)
12:30 p.m. - [Premier League] Aston Villa vs. Chelsea (NBC Sports)
12:30 p.m. - [Bundesliga] Union Berlin vs. Bayern Munich (UniMas, TUDN)
7:30 p.m. - [MLS] Houston Dynamo vs. Seattle Sounders FC (KUBE57)
Sunday, March 15
9:00 a.m. - [Premier League] West Ham vs. Wolves (NBC Sports)
11:30 a.m. - [Premier League] Tottenham vs. Man United (NBC Sports)
Monday, March 16
3:00 p.m. - [Premier League] Everton vs. Liverpool (NBC Sports)
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What were the takeaways from the Texans-Panthers preseason game?
We’re getting close to cuts, so the stakes are high with one last chance to make a lasting impression in the final preseason game. In the Texans’ win over Carolina, the biggest takeaway was the offensive line and running game — they looked good. Pass protection held up, and C.J. Stroud put together a nice touchdown drive capped off with a fourth-down throw to Nico Collins. Both rookies Jayden Higgins and Jalen Noel caught passes, and Nick Chubb looked sharp running with the starters.
How did the O-line look?
The line already looks much improved from last season. Pass protection was solid, run blocking was effective, and they were able to grind out yards while giving Stroud a clean pocket. Rookie Aireontae Ersery continues to impress, and there’s a real chance he ends up as the starting left tackle over big ticket free agent Cam Robinson. Robinson is back at practice, but Ersery has looked good with the first unit — and he was drafted to take Laremy Tunsil’s spot anyway, so why not speed up the process?
In practice the starters have been LT Ersery, LG Laken Tomlinson, C Jake Andrews, RG Ed Ingram, and RT Tytus Howard. If Robinson slides back to left tackle, Ersery could move to right tackle with Howard shifting inside to guard. It’ll be interesting to see what combo the Texans roll out against the Rams in Week 1.
Did the running backs impress?
Chubb looked good behind the line, finishing with 5 carries for 25 yards and a reception. He seemed comfortable in the scheme and showed some burst — it’s obvious he knows what he’s doing. If Joe Mixon isn’t ready for the start of the season, Houston should be in good hands with Chubb.
Damien Pierce is still out, which has given rookie Woody Marks more opportunity. He made the most of it with 40 yards on 7 carries against Carolina. He’s also shown he can help on third down with his ability in the passing game, which could earn him a real role.
How did the receivers look?
Rookie receivers Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel both caught passes. Nico Collins, Christian Kirk, and Justin Watson each added a couple of grabs too. Based on last year, Stroud tends to funnel targets to his top two options. A season ago it was Collins and Stefon Diggs before injuries hit. This year, Kirk looks capable of filling that Diggs role out of the slot. He just fits.
Reaction to the John Metchie–Harrison Bryant trade
The Texans needed more tight end depth with Brevin Jordan hurt, and Metchie wasn’t going to make the team. Bryant gives them another option, and it looks like tight ends may play a bigger role in the offense after Irv Smith Jr. led the team in catches and yards against Carolina.
Special teams also factored in. Metchie doesn’t play there, while Braxton Berrios and Justin Watson do, which gives the Texans more flexibility. Collins, Kirk, Higgins, Noel, and Hutchinson all look like locks at receiver, so moving Metchie made sense. It will be interesting to see who the final pieces will be in the Texans receiver room. Will they keep Watson and/or Berrios? We'll find out on Tuesday when the final cuts are made. Stay tuned!
What to watch for against the Lions
It’s all about the offense at this point. The defense is expected to be elite, so the spotlight shifts to Stroud and the rest of the unit. If the offensive line holds up against Detroit and the operation looks sharp, the Texans should be well-positioned to open the regular season on the right foot.
There's so much more to break down! Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
The NFL season is almost upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Texans on Tap podcast, which drops each Thursday during the preseason! More episodes will ramp up when the regular season begins! We'll go live on YouTube after every regular-season game.
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