THE SOCCER REPORT
Dynamo stop the bleeding with home draw; La Liga, Bundesliga kick off
Aug 20, 2019, 8:26 am
THE SOCCER REPORT
The Houston Dynamo put an end to a four-match losing streak with a 2-2 result at home against the Colorado Rapids last Saturday. It was the first match under Interim Head Coach Davy Arnaud after the firing of the previous manager earlier in the week. In the bigger picture of still making the playoffs, the Dynamo will need to start winning again and see results fall their way as soon as possible. The team's next match is Sunday (7:00 p.m.) at rival FC Dallas.
The Women's local team, the Houston Dash, had a bye week and will be back at home against Sky Blue FC and former Dash Carli Lloyd on Saturday night.
⚠️ Sold Out ⚠️ Tuesday's Leagues Cup match between Tigres and Club América is officially SOLD OUT https://t.co/ml2rI0I2hh— BBVA Stadium (@BBVA Stadium) 1566152199.0
The Leagues Cup tournament continues with Mexican powerhouses Tigres UANL and Club America facing off in the semifinals at BBVA Stadium on Tuesday night. The match has been announced as sold out however tickets are still being sold - the cheapest being a $45 standing room only ticket.
Here are the rest of the top stories from the past week:
English Premier League
Every goal from Premier League 2019/20 Matchweek 2 | NBC Sportswww.youtube.com
Matchday 2 Results
2/38 #PL https://t.co/rTrhZTPSlJ— Premier League (@Premier League) 1566282004.0
Spanish La Liga
Highlights Athletic Club vs FC Barcelona (1-0)www.youtube.com
Matchday 1 Results
CLASIFICACIÓN | ¡Ya está de vuelta #LaLigaSantander! 🔥 https://t.co/WeJdsCZzWN— LaLiga (@LaLiga) 1566166352.0
German Bundesliga
Emotional Fan Choreography - Union Berlin's Touching Tribute To Deceased Fanswww.youtube.com
Matchday 1 Results
The first of 34 ✅ https://t.co/cVe6E4oJpc— Bundesliga English (@Bundesliga English) 1566200202.0
French Ligue 1
Matchday 2 - Top Results
Netherlands Eredivisie
Matchday 3 - Top Results
LAFC became the first club of the 2019 season that has clinched a spot in the playoffs. Atlanta United had a big week, winning the Campeones Cup (MLS vs. Liga MX Supercup) 3-2 over Club America on Wednesday, that finished with a 2-0 away win at Portland Timbers in an MLS Cup 2018 rematch.
This following week features plenty of rivalry games including LAFC vs. LA Galaxy and Dallas vs. Houston in the Texas Derby.
East top seven: 1. Atlanta (45), 2. Philadelphia (45), 3. NYCFC (41), 4. D.C. United (39), 5. NY Red Bulls (38), 6. New England (35), 7. Montreal (34)
West top seven: 1. x - LAFC (58), 2. Minnesota (42), 3. LA Galaxy (41), 4. Real Salt Lake (40), 5. Seattle (40), 6. San Jose (38), 7. Portland (37)
Scoring leader: 24 - Carlos Vela (LAFC)
Assists leader: 16 - Maxi Morales (NYCFC)
________ will finish on top of the East. 🤔 https://t.co/H8z7kP2Nt2— Major League Soccer (@Major League Soccer) 1566219638.0
Five points separate 2️⃣ through 8️⃣ in the West... Which three teams will claim a first-round home game in the Au… https://t.co/kmVAi8O4gv— Major League Soccer (@Major League Soccer) 1566219913.0
Liga MX
Top Eight: 1. Queretaro (13), 2. Club America (13), 3. Santos Laguna (12), 4. Tigres UANL (10), 5. Pumas (9), 6. Monterrey 9), 7. Atlas (9), 8. Cruz Azul (8)
Scoring leader: 4 - 4 players tied
Assists leader: 4 - Luis Quinones (Tigres)
Superliga Argentina
El debut de De Rossi en la Bombonerawww.youtube.com
Roma legend De Rossi made his long awaited debut at home for Boca Juniors in the 2-0 league win over Aldosivi. The 18-year Serie A veteran could make his debut in Copa Libertadores on Wednesday.
Matchday 3 - Top Results
National Women's Soccer League
Standings: 1. Portland Thorns (33), 2. Chicago Red Stars (29), 3. North Carolina Courage (28), 4. Utah Royals (27), 5. Reign FC (27), 6. Houston Dash (22), 7. Washington Spirit (21), 8. Sky Blue FC (13), 9. Orlando Pride (11)
Scoring leader: 12 - Sam Kerr (Chicago)
Assists leader: 5 - Lynn Williams (North Carolina) / Yuki Nagasato (Chicago)
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Tuesday, August 20
7:30 p.m. - [Copa Libertadores] Gremio vs. Palmeiras (beIN Sports)
7:30 p.m. - [Leagues Cup] Club America vs. Tigres (ESPN2, TUDN)
9:30 p.m. - [Leagues Cup] LA Galaxy vs. Cruz Azul (ESPN2, TUDN)
Wednesday, August 21
5:15 p.m. - [Copa Libertadores] LDU Quito vs. Boca Juniors (beIN Sports)
7:00 p.m. - [MLS] DC United vs. NY Red Bulls (UniMas, TUDN)
7:30 p.m. - [Copa Libertadores] Flamengo vs. Internacional (beIN Sports)
9:30 p.m. - [MLS] LAFC vs. San Jose Earthquakes (UniMas, TUDN)
Thursday, August 22
5:15 p.m. - [Copa Libertadores] River Plate vs. Cerro Porteño (beIN Sports)
7:30 p.m. - [Copa Sudamericana] Corinthians vs. Fluminense (beIN Sports)
8:30 p.m. - [MLS] Sporting KC vs. Minnesota United (ESPN)
Friday, August 23
1:30 p.m. - [Bundesliga] Koln vs. Borussia Dortmund (FS2)
2:00 p.m. - [Premier League] Aston Villa vs. Everton (NBC Sports)
3:00 p.m. - [La Liga] Levante vs. Villarreal (beIN Sports)
7:00 p.m. - [MLS] Orlando City vs. Atlanta United (ESPN)
9:00 p.m. - [MLS] Portland Timbers vs. Seattle Sounders (ESPN)
Saturday, August 24
6:30 a.m. - [Premier League] Norwich vs. Chelsea (NBC Sports)
8:30 a.m. - [Bundesliga] Dusseldorf vs. Bayer Leverkusen (FS1, TUDN)
9:00 a.m. - [Premier League] Manchester United vs. Crystal Palace (NBC Sports)
11:30 a.m. - [Premier League] Liverpool vs. Arsenal (NBC)
11:30 a.m. - [Bundesliga] Schalke vs. Bayern Munich (FS1, TUDN)
12:00 p.m. - [La Liga] Real Madrid vs. Valladolid (beIN Sports)
6:00 p.m. - [MLS] NYCFC vs. NY Red Bulls (ESPN2)
7:30 p.m. - [NWSL] Houston Dash vs. Sky Blue FC (YahooSports.com)
Sunday, August 18
8:00 a.m. - [Premier League] Bournemouth vs. Manchester City (NBC Sports)
10:30 a.m. - [Premier League] Tottenham vs. Newcastle (NBC Sports)
12:00 p.m. - [La Liga] Leganes vs. Atletico Madrid (beIN Sports)
3:00 p.m. - [NWSL] Portland Thorns vs. Chicago Red Stars (ESPNews)
5:00 p.m. - [MLS] FC Cincinnati vs. Columbus Crew (FS1)
7:00 p.m. - [MLS] FC Dallas vs. Houston Dynamo (FS1)
9:00 p.m. - [MLS] LAFC vs. LA Galaxy (FS1)
Sunday night matchups don't get much exciting than this, as the Houston Texans host the Detroit Lions in prime-time at NRG.
The Lions come into this game on a six-game winning streak looking every bit of the best team in football. Houston on the other hand has lost two of their last three games with a struggling offense unable to protect their quarterback.
CJ Stroud has only one passing touchdown over this span, and is clearly having trouble adjusting to life without Stefon Diggs and Nico Collins.
If Houston is going to come away with an upset victory, they will need big performances from Tank Dell and Joe Mixon. After catching 4 passes against the Colts two weeks ago, Mixon not only failed to catch a single pass against the Jets, but he wasn't even targeted.
Considering the Texans' offensive line issues, choosing not to use Mixon as a pass catcher is hard to fathom. Especially since he and Dell are the team's top 2 playmakers.
What's working in the Texans' favor?
They play this game at home, where they are undefeated this season. A lot of the team's protection issues have popped up on the road, so communication should be easier for the offense on their home turf.
Bulls on Parade
We have good news and bad news about the defense this week. On the positive side, Azeez Al-Shaair and Jimmy Ward have returned to practice. If they're able to contribute on Sunday night, that would give the defense a lift.
And now for the bad news. Will Anderson has yet to practice this week after rolling his ankle in the Jets game. If he is unable to practice on Friday, it's hard to imagine he'll be active against Detroit.
X-factors
The Texans have to show some improvement on the offensive line this week.
Houston must lean on Joe Mixon again, as Nico Collins isn't expected to play.
Lions' Amon-Ra St. Brown is one of the best receivers in the league, and he does most of his damage from the slot. If the Texans continue to deploy Jalen Pitre against premier receivers in man coverage, St. Brown is going to light up the scoreboard.
What would a win over the Lions mean to Houston?
The Texans are no longer considered a true championship contender because of their losses to the Packers, Vikings, and Jets. In fact, the Bills are the only team with a winning record that the Texans have beaten.
An upset win over the streaking Lions would change that narrative.
What does Vegas think?
The Lions are currently favored by 3.5 and the total is set at 49 points.
Don't miss the full preview of Texans-Lions in the video above!
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