THE SOCCER REPORT
Messi, Rapinoe headline FIFA Football Awards winners; Houston Dash end home schedule on ESPN2
Sep 24, 2019, 6:54 am
Credit: Adidas
Monday's FIFA Football Awards winners left plenty to talk about, and debate, as Lionel Messi and Megan Rapinoe were named The BEST players in their category. On the local spotlight, the Houston Dynamo picked up a second win under Interim Manager Davy Arnaud while the Houston Dash prepare to close out the season with a nationally televised home match on Wednesday.
Make sure you get to @BBVAStadium early on Wednesday! @BBVA_USA will be giving out these sunglasses to the first 1,… https://t.co/4vWhejlvpp— Houston Dash (@Houston Dash) 1569280500
Here is the recap of the previous week followed by a schedule of upcoming matches:
The Best FIFA Football Awards 2019
The 2019 edition of FIFA's annual award ceremony took place Monday night in Milan. The following are the winners of each category:
Men's Player: Lionel Messi
Women's Player: Megan Rapinoe
Men's Coach: Jurgen Klopp
Women's Coach: Jill Ellis
Men's Goalkeeper: Alisson
Women's Goalkeeper: Sari van Veenendaal
Puskás Award: Daniel Zsori
Fan Award: Silvia Grecco
Fair Play Award: Marcelo Bielsa
Men's World11: Alisson; Matthijs de Ligt, Marcelo, Sergio Ramos, Virgil van Dijk; Frenkie de Jong, Eden Hazard, Luka Modric; Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi
Women's World11: Sari van Veenendaal; Lucy Bronze, Nilla Fischer, Kelley O'Hara, Wendie Renard; Julie Ertz, Amandine Henry, Rose Lavelle; Marta, Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe
Major League Soccer
The race to the 2019 MLS Cup Playoffs continues with two weeks left in the regular season. Houston, mathematically still in contention, avoided elimination with a 2-1 comeback win over Orlando City on Saturday night at BBVA Stadium. The Dynamo traveled to Los Angeles on Monday and will play twice this week - Wednesday at LAFC and Sunday at Real Salt Lake.
Sunday's matches will air simultaneously by conference. The matches in the East will air at 4 p.m. CT with the West matches following at 6:30 p.m. CT. FS1 will feature a doubleheader with updates from all matches.
East top seven: 1. x - NYCFC (58), 2. x - Atlanta (54), 3. x - Philadelphia (52), 4. x - D.C. United (48), 5. x - NY Red Bulls (47), 6. x - Toronto (46), 7. New England (41)
West top seven: 1. x - LAFC (65), 2. Seattle (50), 3. Minnesota (49), 4. LA Galaxy (48), 5. Real Salt Lake (47), 6. FC Dallas (45), 7. San Jose (44)
Scoring leader: 29 - Carlos Vela (LAFC)
Assists leader: 19 - Maxi Morales (NYCFC)
National Women's Soccer League
Standings: 1. s - North Carolina Courage (46), 2. x - Chicago Red Stars (41), 3. x - Portland Thorns (39), 4. Utah Royals (31), 5. Reign FC (31), 6. Washington Spirit (26), 7. Houston Dash (25), 8. Sky Blue FC (19), 9. Orlando Pride (14)
Scoring leader: 18 - Sam Kerr (Chicago)
Assists leader: 8 - Yuki Nagasato (Chicago)
UEFA Champions League
Group Stage - Matchday 1 Standings
Group A: PSG (3), Club Brugge (1), Galatasaray (1), Real Madrid (0)
Group B: Bayern Munich (3), Tottenham (1), Olympiacos (1), Red Star Belgrade (0)
Group C: Dinamo Zagreb (3), Man City (3), Shakhtar Donetsk (0), Atalanta (0)
Group D: Lokomotiv Moscow (3), Juventus (1), Atletico Madird (1), Bayer Leverkusen (0)
Group E: Red Bull Salzburg (3), Napoli (3), Liverpool (0), Genk (0)
Group F: Slavia Prague (1), Inter Milan (1), FC Barcelona (1), Dortmund (1)
Group G: RB Leipzig (93), Zenit (1), Lyon (1), Benfica (0)
Group H: Ajax (3), Valencia (3), Chelsea (0), Lille (0)
English Premier League
Matchday 6 Results
- Southampton 1-3 Bournemouth
- Leicester City 2-1 Tottenham
- Burnley 2-0 Norwich City
- Everton 0-2 Sheffield Utd
- Man City 8-0 Watford
- Newcastle 0-0 Brighton
- West Ham 2-0 Man United
- Crystal Palace 1-1 Wolves
- Arsenal 3-2 Aston Villa
- Chelsea 1-2 Liverpool
Top six: Liverpool (18), Man City (13), Leicester City (11), Arsenal (11), West Ham (11), Bournemouth (10)
Scoring leader: 8 - Sergio Aguero (Man City)
Assists leader: 7 - Kevin De Bruyne (Man City)
Spanish La Liga
Matchday 5 Results
- Osasuna 0-0 Real Betis
- Villareal 2-0 Valladolid
- Levante 0-0 Eibar
- Atletico Madrid 0-0 Celta Vigo
- Granada 2-0 FC Barcelona
- Getafe 4-2 Mallorca
- Espanyol 1-3 Real Sociedad
- Valencia 1-1 Leganes
- Athletic Bilbao 2-0 Alaves
- Sevilla 0-1 Real Madrid
Top six: Athletic Bilbao (11), Real Madrid (11), Granada (10), Real Sociedad (10), Sevilla (10), Atletico Madrid (10)
Scoring leader: 5 - Gerard Moreno (Villareal) / Karim Benzema (Real Madrid)
Assists leader: 3 - Ander Capa (Bilbao) / Angel Montoro Sanchez (Granada) / Dani Carvajal (Real Madrid)
German Bundesliga
Matchday 5 Results
- Schalke 04 2-1 Mainz
- Hertha Berlin 2-1 Paderborn
- Bayern Munich 4-0 Cologne
- Freiburg 1-1 Augsburg
- Bayer Leverkusen 2-0 Union Berlin
- Werder Bremen 0-3 RB Leipzig
- Monchengladbach 2-1 Fortuna
- Eintracht 2-2
- Wolfsburg 1-1 Hoffenheim
Top six: RB Leipzig (13), Bayern Munich (11), Dortmund (10), Freiburg (10), Schalke 04 (10), Monchengladbach (10)
Scoring leader: 9 - Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
Italian Serie A
Matchday 4 Results
- Cagliari 3-1 Genoa
- Udinese 0-1 Bescia
- Juventus 2-1 Verona
- Milan 0-2 Inter
- Sassuolo 3-0 SPAL
- Sampdoria 1-0 Torino
- Lecce 1-4 Napoli
- Bolognia 1-2 Roma
- Atalanta 2-2 Fiorentina
- Lazio 2-0 Parma
Top six: Inter Milan (12), Juventus (10), Napoli (9), Roma (8), Lazio (7), Atalanta (7)
Scoring leader: 5 - Domenico Berardi (Sassuolo)
French Ligue 1
Matchday 6 Results
- Strasbourg 2-1 Nantes
- Marseille 1-1 Montpellier
- Nice 2-1 Dijon
- Bordeaux 2-2 Brest
- Reims 0-0 Monaco
- Metz 1-2 Amiens
- Nimes 1-0 Toulouse
- Rennes 1-1 Lille
- Angers 4-1 St-Etienne
- Lyon 0-1 PSG
Top six: PSG (15), Angers (12), Nice (12), Rennes (11), Marseille (11), Lille (910)
Scoring leader: 5 - Moussa Dembele (Lyon) / Victor Osimhen (Lille)
Netherlands Eredivisie
Matchday 7 - Top Results
- Twente 2-3 Heracles
- Vitesse 4-2 Fortuna Sittard
- FC Emmen 3-3 Feyenoord
- Den Haag 0-1 AZ Alkmaar
- PSV 1-1 Ajax
Top four: Ajax (14), PSV (14), Vitesse (14), AZ Alkmaar (13)
Scoring leader: 7 - Donyell Malen (PSV Eindhoven)
Assists leader: 6 - Dusan Tadic (Ajax)
Portuguese Liga Nos
Matchday 6 - Top Results
- Belenenses 0-2 Rio Ave
- Moreirense 1-2 Benfica
- Porto 2-0 Santa Clara
- Sporting 1-2 Famalicao
Top four: Famalicao(16), Benfica (15), Porto (15), Rio Ave (10)
Scoring leader: 6 - Pizzi (Benfica) / Ze Luis (Porto)
Assists leader: 4 - Bruno Fernandes (Sporting)
Scottish Premiership
Matchday 5 - Top Results
- Motherwell 1-2 Ross County
- Livingston 0-2 Aberdeen
- St. Johnstone 0-4 Rangers
- Celtic 3-1 Kilmarnock
Top four: Celtic (18), Rangers (15), Aberdeen (11), Motherwell (10)
Scoring leader: 5 - Jermain Defoe (Rangers) / Odsonne Edouard (Celtic) / Ryan Christie (Celtic)
Assists leader: 4 - James Forrest (Celtic)
Mexican Liga MX
Matchday 10 Results
- Atlas 0-1 Toluca
- Monarcas 1-0 Chivas Guadalajara
- Necaxa 2-4 Leon
- Atletico San Luis 2-3 Santos Laguna
- Monterrey 3-2 Puebla
- Pachuca 4-1 Xolos Tijuana
- Club America 2-2 Queretaro
- Pumas UNAM 1-1 Cruz Azul
- CD Juarez 2-0 Veracruz
Top Eight: 1. Santos Laguna (20), 2. Leon (18), 3. Queretaro (18), 4. Necaxa (17), 5. Club America (17), 6. Monarcas (16), 7. Monterrey (15), 8. Tigres UANL (14)
Scoring leader: 8 - Julio Furch (Santos)
Assists leader: 4 - Four players tied
Liga MX clubs Tigres UANL and Santos will face off in a club friendly in Houston during the October FIFA International window. Tickets on sale at BBVAStadium.com
Argentina Superliga
Matchday 7 Results
- Union 0-0 Rosario Central
- Argentinos Juniors 3-1 Cordoba
- Estudiantes 1-0 Patronato
- Defensa y Justicia 0-1 Huracan
- San Lorenzo 0-2 Boca Juniors
- Atletico Tucuman 0-1 Independiente
- Newell's 2-0 Aldosivi
- Godoy Cruz 0-2 Banfield
- Lanus 3-2 Colon
- Racing Club 2-1 Arsenal
- River Plate 1-2 Velez
- Talleres Cordoba 2-1 Gimnasia
Top four: Boca (17), Talleres (16), Argentinos Juniors (15), Lanus (14)
Scoring leader: 4 - Nicolas Dominguez (Velez)
Assists leader: 2 - Several players tied
Soccer on the radio:
đź‡đź‡ł Alberth Elis Hear from the @HoustonDynamo / @FenafuthOrg forward on Tuesday night when he joins #SoccerMatters… https://t.co/d55baFxti8— Soccer Matters with Glenn Davis (@Soccer Matters with Glenn Davis) 1569292215
Soccer Matters with Glenn Davis airs every Tuesday 7-9 p.m. on KFNC 97.5 FM - ESPN Houston. This week's guests include Houston Dynamo forward Alberth Elis and former U.S. Women's National Team player and national broadcaster Aly Wagner.
TV listings (All Times CT):
Tuesday, September 24
12:00 p.m. - [Serie A] Hellas Verona vs. Udinese (ESPN+)
1:45 p.m. - [English League Cup] Arsenal vs. Nottingham Forest (ESPN+)
1:45 p.m. - [English League Cup] Colchester vs. Spurs (ESPN+)
1:45 p.m. - [English League Cup] Preston vs. Man City (ESPN+)
2:00 p.m. - [La Liga] FC Barcelona vs. Villarreal (beIN Sports)
2:00 p.m. - [Serie A] Brescia vs. Juventus (ESPN+)
Wednesday, September 25
11:30 a.m. - [Eredivisie] PSV vs. Groningen (ESPN+)
12:00 p.m. - [La Liga] Mallorca vs. Atletico Madrid (beIN Sports)
12:00 p.m. - [La Liga] Roma vs. Atalanta (beIN Sports)
1:45 p.m. - [English League Cup] Chelsea vs. Grimsby (ESPN+)
1:45 p.m. - [English League Cup] MK Dons vs. Liverpool (ESPN+)
2:00 p.m. - [English League Cup] Man United vs. Rochdale (ESPN+)
2:00 p.m. - [La Liga] Real Madrid vs. Osasuna (beIN Sports)
2:00 p.m. - [Serie A] Inter Milan vs. Lazio (ESPN+)
7:30 p.m. - [NWSL] Houston Dash vs. Washington Spirit (ESPN2)
9:30 p.m. - [MLS] LAFC vs. Houston Dynamo (KUBE 57)
Saturday, September 28
6:30 a.m. - [Premier League] Sheffield United vs. Liverpool (NBC Sports, Universo)
6:30 a.m. - [Scottish Premiership] Hibernian vs. Celtic (B/R Live)
8:00 a.m. - [Serie A] Juventus vs. SPAL (ESPN+)
8:30 a.m. - [Bundesliga] Paderborn vs. Bayern Munich (FS2, TUDN)
9:00 a.m. - [Premier League] Chelsea vs. Brighton (NBC Sports, Universo)
9:00 a.m. - [La Liga] Getafe vs. Barcelona (beIN Sports)
10:30 a.m. - [Ligue 1] Bordeaux vs. PSG (beIN Sports)
11:00 a.m. - [Serie A] Sampdoria vs. Inter (ESPN+)
11:30 a.m. - [Premier League] Everton vs. Manchester City (NBC)
11:30 a.m. - [Bundesliga] Dortmund vs. Bremen (FS2)
2:00 p.m. - [La Liga] Atletico Madrid vs. Real Madrid (beIN Sports)
6:00 p.m. - [Superliga Argentina] Boca Juniors vs. Newell's Old Boys (Fanatiz)
7:00 p.m. - [Liga MX] Monterrey vs. Tigres UANL (FOX Deportes)
9:00 p.m. - [Liga MX] Club America vs. Guadalajara (Univision, TUDN)
Sunday, September 29
8:00 a.m. - [Serie A] Udinese vs. Bologna (ESPNEWS, ESPN Deportes)
10:30 a.m. - [Premier League] Leicester vs. Newcastle (NBC Sports, Telemundo)
9:00 a.m. - [La Liga] Getafe vs. Barcelona (beIN Sports)
11:00 a.m. - [Bundesliga] Cologne vs. Hertha Berlin (FS2)
1:45 p.m. - [Serie A] Milan vs. Fiorentina (ESPN+)
2:00 p.m. - [Primeira Liga] Rio Ave vs. Porto (GolTV)
4:00 p.m. - [MLS] NY Red Bulls vs. D.C. United - with Eastern Conf updates (FS1)
6:30 p.m. - [MLS] Minnesota vs. LAFC - with Western Conf updates (FS1)
Monday, September 30
2:00 p.m. - [Premier League] Manchester United vs. Arsenal (NBC Sports, Universo)
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Cal Raleigh becomes the first catcher, switch-hitter to win the Home Run Derby. Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images.
Cal Raleigh approached the All-Star Home Run Derby like a day on the lawn. Dad was on the mound and baby brother was behind the plate.
Only this time, there were tens of thousands looking on at Truist Park and a $1 million prize.
“It goes all the way back to him coming home and me forcing him to throw me a ball and hit it in the backyard or in the house or something probably shouldn’t be doing,” a beaming Cal said, flanked by Todd and Todd Jr. after defeating Tampa Bay’s Junior Caminero 18-15 in the final round Monday night.
Todd Raleigh, former coach of Tennessee and Western Carolina, threw the pitches and Cal’s 15-year-old brother, Todd Raleigh Jr., did the catching. A first-time All-Star at age 28, Cal became the first switch-hitter and first catcher to win the title. He’s the second Mariners player to take the title after three-time winner Ken Griffey Jr., who was on the field, snapping photos.
“Anybody that’s ever played baseball as a kid dreams of stuff like this,” Cal’s dad said. “I dreamed of it. He dreamed of it. When you’re a parent, you look at it differently because you want your kids to be happy.”
Leading the major leagues with 38 home runs at the All-Star break, Cal almost didn’t make it past the first round. The Mariners’ breakout slugger nicknamed Big Dumper and the Athletics’ Brent Rooker each hit 17 homers, and Raleigh advanced on a tiebreaker for longest long ball: 470.61 feet to 470.53 — or 0.96 inches. At first, Cal wasn’t aware whether there would be a swing-off.
“An inch off, and I’m not even in the final four, which is amazing,” Cal said. “So I guess I got lucky there. One extra biscuit.”
Raleigh totaled 54 homers. He won his semifinal 19-13 over Pittsburgh’s Oneil Cruz, whose 513-foot first-round drive over the right-center field seats was the longest of the night.
Cal Raleigh's #HRDerby by the numbers:Â
Total HR: 54
HR of 425+: 31
Top distance: 471 ft
Avg distance: 430 ft
Total distance: 23,212 ft
Top exit velo: 112 MPH
Avg exit velo: 102 MPH pic.twitter.com/0pV6nGWLsA
— MLB (@MLB) July 15, 2025
Cal’s brother, nicknamed T, kept yelling encouragement to the brother he so admires.
“His swag, the way he plays, the way he hustles,” T said.
Hitting second in the final round, the 22-year-old Caminero closed within three dingers — MLB counted one that a fan outfielder caught with an over-the-wall grab. Using a multicolored bat and down to his last out, Caminero took three pitches and hit a liner to left.
“I didn’t think I was going to hit as many home runs or make it to the finals,” Caminero said through a translator.
Cal was just the second Derby switch-hitter after Baltimore’s Adley Rutschman in 2023. His dad was a righty and wanted both his sons to hit from both sides.
“Did it from the first day, when he was in diapers, literally,” Todd Sr. said. “I would take that big ball and he had a big red bat. I’d throw it slow and he’d hit it. Then I’d say stay there, pick him up, turn him around, switch his hands and do it again. I was a catcher. I played a little bit, and I just knew what a premium it was. I didn’t want either one of my boys to ever say, am I right-handed or left-handed?”
There was a downside.
“I don’t recommend it if you have two kids, they’re both switch hitters, if you want to save your arm, because that’s a lot of throwing,” said dad, who had rotator cuff surgery.
Raleigh hit his first eight homers left-handed, took a timeout, then hit seven right-handed. Going back to lefty, he hit two more in the bonus round and stayed lefty for the rest of the night.
“Was grooving a little bit more lefty so we were like, since we have a chance to win, we might as well stick to the side that’s working a little better,” Cal said.
Caminero beat Minnesota’s Byron Buxton 8-7 in the other semifinal. Atlanta’s Matt Olson, Washington’s James Wood, the New York Yankees’ Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Rooker were eliminated in the first round of the annual power show.
Cruz’s long drive was the hardest-hit at 118 mph.
Wood hit 16 homers, including one that landed on the roof of the Chop House behind the right-field wall. Olson, disappointing his hometown fans, did not go deep on his first nine swings and finished with 15, Chisholm hit just three homers, the fewest since the timer format started in 2015.fter it was all over, the Raleighs headed out. Stephanie, the boys’ mom and Todd Sr.'s wife, is surrounded by baseball.
After it was all over, the Raleighs headed out. Stephanie, the boys’ mom and Todd Sr.'s wife, is surrounded by baseball.
“We kind of leave it in the cage. We’ve got a cage at home, a building,” Todd Sr. said. “Or we leave it in the car on the rides home. There’s probably been a few times where she says, yeah, that’s enough.”