EaDo is rapidly emerging as Houston's next great drinking and dining destination.
Already home to the Chapman & Kirby, which has become one of Houston's hottest nightclubs based on alcoholic beverage sales, 8th Wonder Brewery, and popular restaurants like Pappa Charlies Barbeque, SeaSide Poke, and Hyunh, the imminent arrival of concepts like Agricole Hospitality's bar/restaurant/pizza shop trio of Miss Carousel, Indianola, and Vinny's plus restaurants like Rodeo Goat and Nancy's Hustle would be enough for EaDo to earn its rising star status, and a new project coming next spring will only enhance that reputation.
Former Dynamo star Brian Ching announced Monday that he's getting into the mix by opening a massive, soccer themed sports bar called Pitch 25 (after the word for a soccer field and the number he wore during his Dynamo career). Located steps away from BBVA Compass Stadium at 904 Hutchins, the 25,000-square foot space will feature both an indoor soccer field and an outdoor beer garden.
“Houston is such a diverse city – people from around the world live here, and there are very few bars to watch soccer matches,” Ching said in a statement. “I’m really excited to create an environment that truly matches the excitement of the soccer experience, and create a nationally-recognized soccer destination as the sport continues to increase in popularity in the U.S.”
While Ching may know soccer — he's the Dynamo's all-time leading scorer and led the team to two MLS Cup championships — he doesn't know food and beverage. To handle that side of the business, he's partnered with The Kirby Group. Owners Andy Aweida and Jeff Barati are the duo behind a number of successful projects, including Wooster's Garden in Midtown, Heights Bier Garten, and the upcoming Holman Draft Hall.
Pitch 25 aims to raise between $250,000 and $550,000 for its build out via the NextSeed platform. Unlike Kickstarter, NextSeed users earn a return on their money — in this case one-and-a-half times their investment paid out over a four year term — in addition to the usual perks like access to a pre-opening party and swag.
Paul Pogba and Manchester United look to extend their 11-match unbeaten streak in the UEFA Champions League. Credit: Adidas
The second week of February always brings supporters across the world a feeling of love with the reboot of the UEFA Champions League. Europe's club championship, and arguably the most important tournament in soccer after the FIFA World Cup, returns with the round of 16 as the road to the final in Madrid continues. A list of TV listings for this week's UCL and other matches can be found at the end of this article.
English Premier League
Manchester City v. Chelsea | PREMIER LEAGUE EXTENDED HIGHLIGHTS | 2/10/19 | NBC Sports
www.youtube.com
Sergio Agüero equaled the legendary Alan Shearer for most hat-tricks in the Premier League with his 11th such in Sunday's 6-0 win over Chelsea. The win puts City equal with Liverpool for first place, albeit with one extra match in the books, and dropped Chelsea down to sixth. The loss also benefits Manchester United, who are back in the top four after an 11-match unbeaten streak since Ole Gunnar Solskjær took over as the interim manager. A top four finish guarantees teams a spot in next season's UEFA Champions League and the prize money that comes with it. Should Chelsea and Arsenal not be able to regain a top four spot, winning the UEFA Europa League would be their only way in.
Top six: 1. Manchester City (65), 2. Liverpool (65), 3. Tottenham (60), 4. Manchester United (51), 5. Arsenal (50), 6. Chelsea (50)
A 3-1 win in the Madrid Derby helped Real Madrid jump back into the top two and start thinking seriously about potentially catching rivals Barcelona for the top spot in the league, if certain results were to go their way. At least for this week, that was the case as Bacelona drew 0-0 with Athletic Bilbao.
Top six: 1. FC Barcelona (51), 2. Real Madrid (45), 3. Atlético Madrid (44), 4. Sevilla (37), 5. Getafe (35), 6. Alaves (35)
The Houston Dynamo continued their preseason preparations out in Tucson, AZ with a 0-0 draw on Wednesday against Minnesota United and a 3-2 win over Seattle Sounders FC on Saturday night. They Dynamo enter their second and final week in the desert before focusing on their Concacaf Champions League match at Guatemalan club Guastatoya next Tuesday.
Liga MX
Top eight: 1. Monterrey (14), 2. Tigres UANL (13), 3. Leon (11), 4. Necaxa (11), 5. Chivas Guadalajara (11), 6. Atlas (10), 7. Pachuca (10), 8. Club America (9)
Scoring leader: 5 - Rogelio Funes Mori (Monterrey) / Brian Leonel Fernández (Necaxa)
Assists leader: 4 - Carlos Rodríguez (Monterrey) / Angel Mena (Cruz Azul)
Superliga Argentina
Top four: 1. Racing Club (42), 2. Defensa y Justicia (42), 3. Boca Juniors (32), 4. Atletico Tucuman (32)
Scoring leader: 14 - Lisandro Lopez (Racing)
Assists leader: 5 - Luis Miguel Rodriguez (Atletico Tucuman) / Mauro Zarate (Boca Juniors) / Walter Montillo (Tigre)
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Upcoming Matches (All Times CT):
Tuesday, Feb. 12
2:00 p.m. - [UEFA Champions League] Manchester United vs. PSG (TNT/UniMas/Univision Deportes)
2:00 p.m. - [UEFA Champions League] Roma vs. Porto (B/R Live/Galavision)
Wednesday, Feb. 13
2:00 p.m. - [UEFA Champions League] Ajax vs. Real Madrid (B/R Live/UniMas/Univision Deportes)
2:00 p.m. - [UEFA Champions League] Tottenham vs. Dortmund (TNT/Galavision)
5:00 p.m. - [MLS Preseason] Houston Dynamo vs. Sporting Kansas City (HoustonDynamo.com)
Thursday, Feb. 14
12:00 p.m. - [UEFA Europa League] BATE vs. Arsenal (B/R Live)
12:00 p.m. - [UEFA Europa League] Galatasaray vs. Benfica (B/R Live)
2:00 p.m. - [UEFA Europa League] Malmo vs. Chelsea (B/R Live/UniMas)
Friday, Feb. 15
1:30 p.m. - [Bundesliga] Augsburg vs. Bayern Munich (FS2)
Saturday, Feb. 16
6:30 a.m. - [FA Cup] Brighton & Hove Albion vs. Derby County (ESPN+)
8:30 a.m. - [Bundesliga] Schalke 04 vs. SC Freiburg (FS2)
8:30 a.m. - [Bundesliga] Stuttgart vs. RB Leipzig (Univision Deportes)
9:15 a.m. - [La Liga] Rayo Vallecano vs. Atletico Madrid (beIN Sports)
11:30 a.m. - [FA Cup] Newport County vs. Manchester City (ESPN+)
11:30 a.m. - [Bundesliga] Hertha BSC Berlin vs. SV Werder Bremen (FS2)
1:45 p.m. - [La Liga] Barcelona vs. Real Valladolid (beIN Sports)
Sunday, Feb. 17
5:00 a.m. - [La Liga] Real Madrid vs. Girona (beIN Sports)
Monday, Feb. 18
1:30 p.m. - [FA Cup] Chelsea vs. Manchester United (ESPN+)
