THE SOCCER REPORT
Dynamo lose 0-4 away at Sporting KC, Coronavirus halts Italian Serie A
Mar 9, 2020, 9:07 pm
THE SOCCER REPORT
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:
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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.
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)
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.
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)
The Astros didn’t leave Seattle with a series win, but they may have gained something just as important: a reminder that resilience still runs deep in this group.
After a grueling extra-inning loss on Saturday, one that included the loss of Isaac Paredes to a hamstring injury, Houston regrouped on Sunday and hammered the Mariners 11-3. Christian Walker provided the turning point with a much-needed go-ahead home run in the sixth inning, while Taylor Trammell added a two-run double and a solo shot of his own. With Chas McCormick back from the injured list but still finding his footing, Trammell is quickly making his case as the best option in center field moving forward.
Manager Joe Espada continues to juggle a lineup that’s been in constant flux. Rookie Cam Smith, who had a clutch two-run double in Sunday’s win, has struggled as of late, going just 2-for his last 24. While his ability to get hits in clutch situations has been extremely valuable, the lack of a consistent spot in the batting order may be taking its toll. Giving Smith a stable home in the cleanup spot, even temporarily, might be a helpful reset.
Then again, the cleanup role hasn’t been kind to everyone.
Last night, Christian Walker, batting 4th, went 0-4, 2 K
- Walker for the season, batting 4th: .167 BA, .498 OPS
- Both are MLB worst (min. 75 AB batting 4th, 51st of 51)
- His 210 AB batting 4th are 6th most in MLB
- He's hitting .317 w/ .887 OPS when batting anywhere but 4th
— Adam Wexler (@AdamJWexler) July 19, 2025
Walker has been markedly less effective when hitting fourth this season, a trend that continues despite his strong Sunday performance. Sometimes, the data is clear: the four-hole might not be for him. He's literally been the worst cleanup option in baseball this season. Hit him fifth.
Behind the plate, Victor Caratini continues to impress, while Yainer Diaz is back in a cold stretch. Since the break, Diaz is just 1-for-14, raising questions about his timing and confidence as the summer grind deepens.
On the mound, the biggest developments are happening off the field. Cristian Javier and Spencer Arrighetti both completed three-inning rehab outings with Double-A Corpus Christi, while Luis Garcia threw two innings in a rehab start with Low-A Fayetteville. The trio’s return could mark a major turning point for the Astros, especially as Lance McCullers continues to struggle in his own comeback. McCullers lasted just 2 2/3 innings in Saturday’s loss, allowing four runs and showing little of the form that once made him one of the rotation’s anchors.
There’s been hesitancy to replace McCullers with someone like Arrighetti while he’s still building back arm strength, but the argument grows thinner each time McCullers falters. If healthy, even a three- or four-inning version of Javier or Arrighetti could give Houston more consistency at the back of the rotation.
Despite the weekend loss, the Astros still hold one of the best offenses in baseball, second in batting average, 12th in OPS, and 11th in slugging. The pitching staff remains stout, ranking sixth in ERA and second in WHIP. This team is far from unraveling.
With reinforcements on the way and a lineup that’s still capable of putting up crooked numbers, the Astros aren’t panicking. If anything, Sunday’s blowout win showed they’re ready to weather whatever’s next.
There's so much more to get to! 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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