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:
🇭🇳 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)
It’s been an excellent weeklong stretch of games for the Astros tempered by the news of yet another season-ending injury to a starting pitcher. To get the bad news out of the way, it comes as no surprise that Ronel Blanco needs Tommy John surgery and is done until at least the middle of next season. While Blanco had not been nearly as good through nine 2025 starts as he was last season, he was still taking his regular return and on average getting into the sixth inning. Blanco turns 32 years old at the end of August. He’s not even salary arbitration-eligible until 2027. That last fact may be good news for him. The Astros will likely keep Blanco next year in hopes he can contribute in the second half of the season, since they will pay him barely the Major League minimum salary ($780,000 next year) That’s in contrast to Jose Urquidy, who in the midst of his salary arbitration years would have cost about three and a half million dollars to keep, so the Astros non-tendered him.
With Blanco joining Hayden Wesneski in the “See you next year! Hopefully.” club, it struck me as interesting that the Astros let Lance McCullers throw 102 pitches in his Wednesday outing vs. the Athletics. That’s eleven more than he had thrown in any of his prior four starts. McCullers holding up physically would be a huge boost, but the new essentials in the Astros’ rotation are Framber Valdez and Hunter Brown. Framber has settled in to the tune of a 1.93 earned run average over his last four starts. Brown’s season ERA is 2.00. Brown has had five days of rest before all eleven of his starts this season. This Sunday is Brown’s presently next scheduled outing. He would work on four days of rest if on the mound Sunday against the Rays.
Taking the last two games from the Mariners was huge (for the second half of May anyway). Keeping the good times rolling by sweeping the two-game miniseries from the A’s was less significant but still nice. Maybe not quite nice enough to have Frank “The Tank” from the movie Old School belting out “We’re going streaking!!!” but it did give the Astros their first four game winning streak of the season. They still have not lost more than three straight.
On a heater!
Speaking of streaking, time for annual mention of one of my all-time favorite baseball factoids. The 1916 New York Giants hold the MLB record for the longest win streak with an incredible 26 in a row. Earlier in the season the Giants ripped off 17 in a row. Combine the two streaks and that’s 43-0! The 1916 New York Giants finished in fourth place. In all their other games the Giants went 43-66. The American League’s longest ever winning streak is of fairly recent vintage. The 2007 Cleveland Indians won 22 straight. There have been only two other winning streaks since 1900 of at least 20 games. The 1935 Chicago Cubs won 21 straight. The Art Howe-managed 2002 Oakland A’s won 20 in a row, and were the inspiration for the movie Moneyball. The Astros have three 12 game winning streaks as the longest in their history.
Expect the unexpected
Tuesday’s win over the A’s brought the Astros to the one-third completed point of the regular season. Isaac Paredes was definitely their best offensive player to that milepost. His “on pace for” numbers were the best on the ballclub 33 home runs and 93 runs batted in. Paredes also led in runs scored with 29. The last Astro to lead the team in all three of those categories was Alex Bregman who did it in both 2018 and 2019. That Bregman was clearly a better player than this Paredes, but Isaac healthy and making “only” 6.625 million dollars this season is a heck of a lot better value than Bregman at 40 mil for the Red Sox, especially given that while Bregman was off to a sensational start for Boston, he’s now out for at least a month with a quad injury.
Hunter Brown is on pace to win 20 games. The last Astro to get there was Gerrit Cole on the last day of the 2019 regular season. The day before that Justin Verlander won his 21st game.
The Cleveland Guardians’ bullpen was awesome last season, by far the best in the league with four relievers who each pitched in at least 74 games posting ERAs of 1.92 or lower, headlined by closer Emmanuel Clase’s microscopic 0.61. One-third of the way through this season for the Astros: Bryan Abreu sat at 1.90, Steven Okert 1.82, Josh Hader 1.57, Bryan King 1.52.
For Astro-centric conversation, join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and me for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday. Click here to catch!
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