THE SOCCER REPORT
Dynamo trio score in international competition; Maradona returns to coaching
Sep 11, 2019, 7:10 am
Credit: Houston Dynamo
The September FIFA break brought a pause to league matches all around the world for international competitions and friendlies. Here are the top stories from the week, followed by a schedule of some of the more compelling upcoming matches.
Dynamo fall in the standings in bye week, three players score in international play
šš¾ @alberthelis17 https://t.co/6xMdnIIO19ā Houston Dynamo (@Houston Dynamo) 1568172102.0
Houston Dynamo fell to 11th (out of 12) in the Western Conference despite not playing this weekend thanks to the Colorado Rapids win over Seattle Sounders. The Dynamo have two matches this week and, depending on results, could still fall to last place in the Western Conference.
Not everything was bad news for the Dynamo as five of their players featured for their national teams during the international break.
Defender Aljaz "Kiki" Struna scored for Slovenia in a 2-0 win against Poland last Friday. Struna started in the 3-2 win over Israel on Monday but was subbed off in the second half due to injury. Slovenia is currently second in their group and is well positioned to qualify for next summer's EURO 2020.
Darwin Ceren scored off a penalty in El Salvador's 3-0 win over Saint Lucia in Concacaf Nations League. He also featured in the 0-1 loss at the Dominican Republic on Tuesday.
Alberth Elis and Maynor Figueroa saw action in Honduras' 2-1 home win in a friendly against Jose Bizama's Chile. Elis scored the tying goal for Honduras while Bizama, a summer signing for the Dynamo, came off the bench in the 75th minute.
The Dynamo are back home on Wednesday against Minnesota Untied (7:30 p.m. CT, KUBE 57)
Houston Dash lose 0-3 at Chicago Red Stars, virtually ending playoff hopes
The Houston Dash fell to 7th place (out of 9 teams) in the National Women's Soccer League standings with a road loss against likely playoff-bound Chicago Red Stars. The loss puts Houston nine points behind fourth place Utah, who the Dash will host on Friday night.
U.S. Men's National Team lose to Mexico, draw with Uruguay
A rematch of this summer's Concacaf Gold Cup final, just over a month after that encounter, ended in a 0-3 loss for the United States in front of a pro-Mexico crowd at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey last Friday.
The USMNT recovered from that heavily scrutinized match with a 1-1 draw against an alternate Uruguay squad at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri on Tuesday.
Cristiano Ronaldo has a four-goal performance in Euro 2020 qualifiers
Cristiano Ronaldo continues to wreck it at the international stage at the age of 34, getting a "poker" against Lithuania in EURO 2020 qualifiers. His four-goal performance extends his mark of international goals to 93 with Portugal.
Diego Maradona is presented as head coach of Argentina Superliga club Gimnasia
There's one word that can never be used when Diego Maradona is in the news - boring. The legendary FIFA World Cup winner, regarded as one of the greatest to ever play the game, has returned to his native land as the Manager of Argentina top division team Gimnasia La Plata.
Maradona was unveiled over the weekend at the club's 33,500-seat stadium to a capacity crowd of supporters and worldwide media.
Gimnasia's first match with Maradona at the helm comes Sunday 9:00 a.m. CT in league action against defending champions Racing Club.
Upcoming Matches (All Times CT):
Wednesday, September 11
7:30 p.m. - [MLS] Houston Dynamo vs. Minnesota United (KUBE 57)
Friday, September 13
1:30 p.m. - [Bundesliga] Dusseldorf vs. Wolfsburg (FS2, FOX Deportes)
2:00 p.m. - [La Liga] Mallorca vs. Athletic Bilbao (beIN Sports)
6:30 p.m. - [Liga MX] Puebla vs. Atletico San Luis (TUDN, ESPN Deportes)
7:30 p.m. - [NWSL] Houston Dash vs. Utah Royals
9:00 p.m. - [Liga MX] Club Tijuana vs. Tigres (FOX Deportes)
Saturday, September 14
6:00 a.m. - [La Liga] Real Madrid vs. Levante (beIN Sports)
6:30 a.m. - [Premier League] Liverpool vs. Newcastle (NBC Sports)
8:00 a.m. - [Serie A] Fiorentina vs. Juventus (ESPN+)
8:30 a.m. - [Bundesliga] Borussia Dortmund vs. Bayer Leverkusen (FS1, FOX Deportes)
8:30 a.m. - [Bundesliga] Cologne vs Borussia Monchengladbach (FS2, TUDN)
9:00 a.m. - [Premier League] Spurs vs. Crystal Palace (NBC Sports)
9:00 a.m. - [La Liga] Leganes vs. Villarreal (beIN Sports en EspaƱol)
11:30 a.m. - [Premier League] Norwich vs. Manchester City (NBC)
11:30 a.m. - [La Liga] Real Sociedad vs. Atletico Madrid (beIN Sports en EspaƱol)
11:30 a.m. - [Bundesliga] RB Leipzig vs. Bayern Munich (FS2, UniMas)
1:30 p.m. - [La Liga] FC Barcelona vs. Valencia (beIN Sports)
9:00 p.m. - [MLS] Vancouver Whitecaps vs. Houston Dynamo (KUBE 57)
Sunday, September 15
8:00 a.m. - [Premier League] Bournemouth vs. Everton (NBC Sports)
10:30 a.m. - [Premier League] Watford vs. Arsenal (NBC Sports)
2:30 p.m. - [MLS] Portland Timbers vs. D.C. United (ESPN)
9:00 p.m. - [MLS] LA Galaxy vs. Sporting KC (FS1)
Monday, September 16
2:00 p.m. - [Premier League] Aston Villa vs. West Ham (NBC Sports)
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If you were hoping the Houston Astros could survive their injury avalanche without reinforcements, this past week should shake that optimism. Getting swept at home by the lowly Oakland Athletics isnāt just an embarrassment, itās a warning flare straight to GM Dana Brownās office.
Yes, this was a wake-up call. Houstonās offense is simply too depleted to keep treading water while waiting for reinforcements. The moment Isaac Paredes went down with a hamstring injury, the offense unraveled, and the numbers back it up. In the seven days since losing their best power bat, the Astros rank 28th in runs scored, 23rd in home runs, 25th in OPS and 20th in batting average. Thatās a drastic drop-off for a team that ranks second in batting average and 12th in OPS on the season.
And itās not just Paredesā absence. Cam Smith, one of the Astros' brightest early-season surprises, is stuck in a deep slump. Over his last seven games, heās hitting .087. Stretch that to 15 games, and heās at .140 with a .175 slugging percentage. That's not a cold streak ā thatās a free fall. Perhaps giving him a regular spot in the batting order might provide more stability for the rookie.
Help is on the way!
So is there any hope left? In theory, yes. The pitching cavalry is on the way. Spencer Arrighetti has one more rehab start before returning. Cristian Javier and Luis Garcia are expected to follow soon after. JP France isnāt far off either. On paper, that could give Houston the rotation depth needed for another deep October push.
But theory only takes you so far. Injuries continue to mount. Just days after praising the rotationās resilience, Brendan Rodgers showed up with elbow inflammation and Lance McCullers Jr. landed on the IL with blister issues. If the reinforcements donāt all arrive ā and perform ā without setbacks, the Astros could be in real trouble.
Yordan Alvarezās situation adds another layer of anxiety. Dana Brown might be tempted to rush him back at less than full strength, and while 75% of Yordan may still be better than some of the current options, itās a risky bet. One wrong step could lead to a setback that erases any hope of getting him at all when it matters most.
So no, Brown canāt afford to sit on his hands at the deadline. In fact, this may be the most pivotal deadline of his tenure. With Framber Valdez likely in his final stretch in Houston and the rotation still featuring two frontline arms, the window is now.
Whether or not Brown is allowed to spend aggressively could ultimately depend on Jim Craneās willingness to cross the luxury tax line. If he greenlights an aggressive push, the Astros have enough upside, even with the injuries, to go for it. But a quiet deadline may signal that the front office sees this team as a year away.
Bottom line: if the Astros truly believe they can get Yordan and several arms back in time for a playoff push, now is the moment to act. Because after a weekend like this, itās clear the current version of the roster isnāt enough. We'll get our answer by Thursday's deadline.
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 āStros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional LIVE episode this Thursday!
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