THE SOCCER REPORT

Messi, Rapinoe headline FIFA Football Awards winners; Houston Dash end home schedule on ESPN2

Messi, Rapinoe headline FIFA Football Awards winners; Houston Dash end home schedule on ESPN2
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.

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)

    Assists leader: 4 - Jadon Sancho (Dortmund)

    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)

    Assists leader: 4 - Lorenzo Pellegrini (Roma)

    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)

    Assists leader: 3 - Four players tied

    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:

    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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    The Clippers host the Rockets on Wednesday night! Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images.

    Houston Rockets (52-27) at Los Angeles Clippers (46-32)
    Wednesday, 10:30 p.m. EDT | Inglewood, CA
    Line: Clippers -6.5 | O/U: 219

    The Houston Rockets head west to face the Los Angeles Clippers in a high-stakes Western Conference matchup between two teams hitting their stride at the right time.

    What’s at stake:
    With both teams locked into the top half of the playoff picture, Wednesday’s showdown could carry big implications for seeding. The Rockets have won eight of their last 10, surging into second place in the West. The Clippers, winners of five straight, are looking to secure home-court advantage in the first round.

    Team comparisons:
    Houston enters with a 31-18 mark against the Western Conference and has leaned on defense and rebounding, ranking fifth in the league in defensive boards per game (34.0), thanks largely to Alperen Sengun.

    The Clippers, meanwhile, are 26-23 within the conference and have outscored opponents by 4.5 points per game on the season. They're averaging 112.6 points this season. And shooting a strong 50.9% from the field over their last 10 games.

    Key players to watch:

    • Rockets: Jalen Green continues to lead the scoring charge, averaging 23.4 points over his last 10 games. Sengun, who is day-to-day with a back issue, remains central to Houston’s identity with 19.2 points and 10.4 rebounds per game.
    • Clippers: Ivica Zubac has been a steady force inside with 16.5 points and 12.5 rebounds per game, while Kawhi Leonard (20.4 points over the last 10) remains a game-time decision due to rest.

    By the numbers:

    • Both teams are red-hot offensively, with the Rockets averaging 119.1 points and the Clippers 119.0 over their past 10 contests.
    • The rebounding battle could be key—Houston holds a slight edge (49.5 to 44.8 per game, over the past 10 contests).
    • Both defenses are holding opponents under 108 points per game during that span.

    Injury watch:
    Houston may be without Jabari Smith Jr. (groin), Fred VanVleet (ankle), and Sengun (back), while the Clippers could be without Kawhi Leonard, Amir Coffey, and Patty Mills.

    Bottom line:
    This could be a playoff preview, and with both teams in form, the game may come down to execution late. If the Rockets can control the boards and match LA’s shot-making, they’ll have a shot to leave Inglewood with a big win.


    *ChatGPT assisted.

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