The Soccer Report
Man City gets first PL loss since January; Houston Dash to play Tigres Femenil in Mexico
Sep 17, 2019, 6:39 am
The Houston Dash are headed to Mexico to face the Liga MX Femenil Champions. Credit: Houston Dash
With the FIFA international break over, leagues around the world resumed their calendar and with it many interesting results. Major League Soccer didn't have a big pause during the international fixtures so the league just resumed business as usual (although Zlatan was one of the many who disapproved).
“It’s a joke.” - Zlatan Ibrahimovic on MLS teams playing during the international break.— Adam Serrano (@Adam Serrano) 1568310340.0
Here are the top stories from around the globe:
English Premier League
Matchday 5 Results
- Liverpool 3-1 Newcastle
- Manchester United 1-0 Leicester City
- Sheffield Utd 0-1 Southampton
- Brighton 1-1 Burnley
- Wolves 2-5 Chelsea
- Tottenham 4-0 Crystal Palace
- Norwich City 3-2 Manchester City
- Bournemouth 3-1 Everton
- Watford 2-2 Arsenal
- Aston Villa 0-0 West Ham
Top six: Liverpool (15), Man City (10), Tottenham (8), Man Utd (8), Leicester City (8), Chelsea (8)
Scoring leader: 7 - Sergio Aguero (Man City) / Tammy Abraham (Chelsea)
Assists leader: 5 - Kevin De Bruyne (Man City)
Spanish La Liga
Matchday 4 Results
- Mallorca 0-0 Athletic Bilbao
- Real Madrid 3-2 Levante
- Leganes 0-3 Villareal
- Real Sociedad 2-0 Atletico Madrid
- Barcelona 5-2 Valencia
- Eibar 1-2 RCD Espanyol
- Alaves 0-1 Sevilla
- Celta Vigo 0-2 Granada
- Valladolid 1-1 Osasuna
- Real Betis 1-1 Getafe
Top six: Sevilla (10), Atletico Madrid (9), Real Madrid (8), Athletic Bilbao (8), Barcelona (7), Granada (7)
Scoring leader: 5 - Gerard Moreno (Villareal)
Assists leader: 3 - Ander Capa (Bilbao) / Angel Montoro Sanchez (Granada)
German Bundesliga
Matchday 4 Results
- Fortuna 1-1 Wolfsburg
- Cologne 0-1 Monchengladbach
- Dortmund 4-0 Bayer Leverkusen
- Mainz 2-1 Hertha Berlin
- Union Berlin 1-2 Werder Bremen
- Augsburg 2-1 Eintracht Frankfurt
- RB Leipzig 1-1 Bayern Munich
- Hoffenheim 0-3 Freiburg
- Paderborn 1-5 Schalke 04
Top six: RB Leipzig (10), Dortmund (9), Freiburg (9), Bayern Munich (8), Wolfburg (8), Schalke 04 (7)
Scoring leader: 7 - Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
Italian Serie A
Matchday 3 Results
- Fiorentina 0-0 Juventus
- Napoli 2-0 Sampdoria
- Inter Milan 1-0 Udinese
- Genoa 1-2 Atalanta
- SPAL 1-0 Lazio
- Brescia 3-4 Bologna
- Parma 1-3 Cagliari
- Roma 4-2 Sassuolo
- Hellas Verona 0-1 AC Milan
- Torino 1-0 Lecce
Top six: Inter Milan (9), Bologna (7), Juventus (7), Napoli (6), Atalanta (6), Torino (6)
Scoring leader: 5 - Domenico Berardi (Sassuolo)
French Ligue 1
Matchday 5 Results
- Lille 2-1 Angers
- Amiens 2-2 Lyon
- PSG 1-0 Strasbourg
- Montpellier 2-1 Nice
- Dijon 0-0 Nimes
- Bordeaux 2-0 Nice
- Brest 0-0 Rennes
- Nantes 1-0 Reims
- St-Etienne 2-2 Toulouse
- Monaco 3-4 Marseille
Top six: PSG (12), Rennes (10), Nantes (10), Marseille (10), Lille (9), Nice (9)
Scoring leader: 5 - Moussa Dembele (Lyon) / Victor Osimhen (Lille)
Portuguese Liga Nos
Matchday 5 - Top Results
- Setubal 1-0 Braga
- Benfica 2-0 Gil Vicente
- Portimonense 2-3 Porto
- Boavista 1-1 Sporting
Top four: Familicao (13), Benfica (12), Porto (12), Boavista (9)
Scoring leader: 6 - Pizzi (Benfica)
Assists leader: 4 - Bruno Fernandes (Sporting)
Netherlands Eredivisie
Matchday 6 - Top Results
- Ajax 4-1 Herenveen
- AZ Alkmaar 5-1 Sparta
- PSV 5-0 Vitesse
- Feyenoord 3-2 Den Haag
Top four: Ajax (13), PSV (13), Twente (12), Vitesse (11)
Scoring leader: 6 - Donyell Malen (PSV Eindhoven)
Assists leader: 5 - Bryan Smeets (Sparta) / Dusan Tadic (Ajax)
Scottish Premiership
Matchday 5 - Top Results
- Hamilton 0-1 Celtic
- Hearts 2-3 Motherwell
- Rangers 3-1 Livingston
Top four: Celtic (15), Rangers (12), Motherwell (10), Aberdeen (8)
Scoring leader: 4 - Liam Donelly (Motherwell) / Ryan Christie (Celtic)
Assists leader: 3 - James Forrest (Celtic)
Major League Soccer
East top seven: 1. NYCFC (57), 2. Philadelphia (52), 3. Atlanta (48), 4. Toronto (45), 5. D.C. United (45), 6. New York Red Bulls (41), 7. New England (40)
West top seven: 1. x - LAFC (64), 2. Seattle (49), 3. Minnesota (48), 4. Real Salt Lake (46), 5. LA Galaxy (45), 6. San Jose (44), 7. Portland (43)
Scoring leader: 28 - Carlos Vela (LAFC)
Assists leader: 18 - Maxi Morales (NYCFC)
Mexican Liga MX
Matchday 9 Results
- Puebla 1-3 Atletico San Luis
- Veracruz 0-0 Cruz Azul
- Xolos 1-1 Tigres UANL
- Monterrey 0-2 Necaxa
- Guadalajara 1-0 Atlas
- Leon 3-1 Juarez
- Club America 1-1 Pumas UNAM
- Toluca 0-2 Morelia
- Santos 0-0 Pachuca
Top Eight: 1. Necaxa (17), 2. Queretaro (17), 3. Santos Lagua (17), 4. Club America (16), 5. Leon (15), 6. Tigres UANL (14), 7. Atleti San Luis (14), 8. Monarcas (13)
Scoring leader: 7 - Julio Furch (Santos)
Assists leader: 4 - Luis Quinones (Tigres) / Osvaldo Martinez (Atlas)
Argentina Superliga
Matchday 6 Results
- Arsenal 4-1 Union
- Cordoba 1-2 Defensa y Justicia
- Godoy Cruz 0-1 Argentinos Juniors
- Colon 2-1 San Lorenzo
- Huracan 0-4 River Plate
- Gimnasia 1-2 Racing Club
- Banfield 0-1 Talleres Cordoba
- Rosario Central 1-1 Newell's
- Independiente 2-2 Lanus
- Boca Juniors 1-0 Estudiantes
- Aldosivi 1-1 Patronato
- Velez 1-0 Atletico Tucuman
Top four: Boca (10), San Lorenzo (10), Arsenal Sarandi (9), Rosario Central (8)
National Women's Soccer League
The Houston Dash pulled themselves six points behind the fourth and final playoff spot with a 2-1 win over Utah Royals on Friday night at BBVA Stadium. The Dash play Tuesday night with an opportunity to continue to close the gap in a tough test against defending champion NC Courage.
The Dash will also become the first NWSL side to play a friendly in Mexico after announcing an October 5 friendly at Liga MX Femenil Champion Tigres UANL.
Standings: 1. North Carolina Courage (40), 2. Chicago Red Stars (38), 3. Portland Thorns (36), 4. Utah Royals (31), 5. Reign FC (31), 6. Washington Spirit (26), 7. Houston Dash (25), 8. Sky Blue FC (16), 9. Orlando Pride (14)
Scoring leader: 16 - Sam Kerr (Chicago)
Assists leader: 7 - Yuki Nagasato (Chicago)
Upcoming Matches (All Times CT):
Tuesday, September 17
11:55 a.m. - [UEFA Champions League] Inter Milan vs. Slavia Prague (TNT, UniMas, TUDN)
2:00 p.m. - [UEFA Champions League] Dortmund vs. Barcelona (UniMas, TUDN)
2:00 p.m. - [UEFA Champions League] Napoli vs. Liverpool (TNT, Galavision)
7:30 p.m. - [NWSL] NC Courage vs. Houston Dash (ESPNews)
Wednesday, September 18
11:55 a.m. - [UEFA Champions League] Brugge vs. Galatasaray (Galavision)
11:55 a.m. - [UEFA Champions League] Olympiacos vs. Spurs (TNT, UniMas, TUDN)
2:00 p.m. - [UEFA Champions League] Atletico Madrid vs. Juventus (Galavision)
2:00 p.m. - [UEFA Champions League] PSG vs. Real Madrid (TNT, UniMas, TUDN)
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How Houston Rockets hold the cards for a franchise-changing summer
May 8, 2025, 5:45 pm
In Houston, the winning standard has been set so high that anything short of World Series contention now feels like failure. And yet, the 2025 Astros find themselves at an unfamiliar crossroads—caught between the fading brilliance of past stars and the uncertain promise of what comes next.
Jose Altuve is at the center of this issue. His early struggles (-0.5 WAR) may indicate more than just a temporary slump. And when he swung at the first pitch after Lance McCullers had just endured a grueling 33-pitch inning on Sunday, it raised a bigger question: who has the influence to talk to Altuve?
The Astros’ culture has long been praised for its accountability, but who inside the clubhouse has the standing to challenge or counsel Altuve or other vets when needed? With so many veteran voices gone, there’s a growing sense that no one does—and that’s a problem. That’s why the idea of bringing back Michael Brantley—not as a player, but as a respected voice—could make some sense. Brantley was always viewed as a quiet leader, and his presence could restore some of the guidance this roster desperately needs.
Batter up?
While the Astros have built a reputation for reviving pitchers' careers, their track record with hitters is far less impressive. There are few, if any, examples of a bat joining Houston and unlocking a new level. That failure in development becomes especially stark when considering how much they’re currently leaning on homegrown youth.
Which brings us to Zach Dezenzo. The 24-year-old rookie is showing he belongs—his .737 OPS makes him one of the more productive bats in a lineup that desperately needs stability while Yordan Alvarez nurses an injury. While Victor Caratini provides the Astros with the ability to switch hit, he's hitting just .217. Dezenzo should be starting every day in left, with Yordan out. Jose Altuve, who has already played too many innings this year, should be shifted to DH duties to ease his physical burden. The Astros should go with Cam Smith in right and keep Jake Meyers in center to round out the outfield.
GM Dana Brown has made clear that he views Dezenzo as a first baseman or left fielder for the future. So why not get him in the lineup while Yordan's out and see what he can do with consistent playing time?
Of course, losing Yordan Alvarez is always going to hurt. But the numbers tell a surprising story. Yordan currently holds a -0.4 WAR, right there alongside Altuve and Christian Walker as the only Astros with negative marks. On paper, the team hasn’t lost much production. But let’s not kid ourselves—Yordan’s mere presence alters how opponents pitch to this team. The lineup without him lacks fear factor, and the margins get razor-thin.
Speaking of margins, one move that may haunt this front office is the decision to sign Christian Walker. The veteran first baseman is hitting just .205 with a .617 OPS—far below the level expected from a player earning $20 million annually through 2027. Compare that to Jon Singleton, who posted better numbers in 2024 and currently boasts an .880 OPS in Triple-A with the Mets organization. Walker's defense is strong, but it's hard to argue that justifies the price tag. Singleton might not be a Gold Glover, or anything close, but he came much cheaper and was quietly more productive with the bat.
No regrets?
There’s also a broader question looming: if fans had known that Altuve’s massive contract extension would potentially cost the team the ability to re-sign current MVP candidates Kyle Tucker and Alex Bregman, would they still have supported the deal? Hindsight is cruel, but with Altuve’s decline and Tucker and Bregman thriving, it’s a fair debate. Houston might have paid for the past instead of securing its future.
Big deals on the horizon?
All eyes now turn to owner Jim Crane. This winter, Houston's payroll will have considerable room to maneuver. But will Crane commit to restocking the lineup with All-Star-caliber bats, or will his reluctance to offer long-term deals keep the Astros stuck in a holding pattern? It’s one thing to let players walk. It’s another to fail to replace them.
The Astros still have the bones of a contender, but the road back to dominance is getting steeper. The team can’t simply rely on what used to work. It’s time for difficult conversations, bold lineup changes, and a rethinking of how this organization develops—and retains—offensive talent.
We have 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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