THE SOCCER REPORT
MLS kicks off 24th season, Barcelona sweeps Real Madrid and other soccer results
Mar 5, 2019, 7:32 am
Fans across the country were back in their home stadiums to support their MLS teams. Photo by Diego Dlouhy/SportsMap Houston.
There's plenty to talk about around the soccer world, starting with FC Barcelona's two wins over rivals Real Madrid in the same week. The coming week will be dominated by international club soccer with knockout matches in the UEFA and Concacaf Champions League plus the start of the group stage in the Copa Libertadores.
English Premier League
Every goal from Premier League Matchweek 29 | NBC Sportswww.youtube.com
Two matchdays this week have helped Manchester City stay atop the table by a point as Liverpool's nil-nil draw against rivals Everton may prove to be a pivotal match in the latter's title hopes. As far as the top six, there's still some shifting around though Manchester United has the slight lead for the fourth and final Champions League spot.
Top six: 1. Manchester City (71), 2. Liverpool (70), 3. Tottenham (61), 4. Manchester United (58), 5. Arsenal (57), 6. Chelsea (56)
Scoring leader: 18 - Sergio Aguero (Manchester City)
Assists leader: 11 - Eden Hazard (Chelsea FC)
Spain's La Liga
Highlights Real Madrid vs FC Barcelona (0-1)www.youtube.com
Barcelona enjoyed two victories - in Madrid, no less - over rivals Real by knocking them out of the Copa del Rey with a 3-0 win and then following that up with a 1-0 win in league play. Real Madrid are only left in Champions League contention as far as any title hopes this season while Barcelona looks set for another La Liga title.
Top six: 1. FC Barcelona (60), 2. Atlético Madrid (53), 3. Real Madrid (48), 4. Getafe (42), 5. Alaves (40), 6. Sevilla (37)
Scoring leader: 25 - Lionel Messi (FC Barcelona)
Assists leader: 11 - Lionel Messi (FC Barcelona)
German Bundesliga
Dortmund's fall to Augsburg and Bayern's emphatic win over Monchengladbach have evened things up at the top of the Bundesliga table. Dortmund now has very little room for error if they still dream with winning the league while Bayern are back on track for a seventh consecutive title.
Top six: 1. Dortmund (54), 2. Bayern Munich (54), 3. RB Leipzig (45), 4. Monchengladbach (43), 5. Eintracht Frankfurt (40), 6. Bayer Leverkusen (39)
Scoring leader: 15 - Luka Jović (Eintracht Frankfurt) / Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
Assists leader: 10 - Jadon Sancho (Dortumund) / Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich)
Italian Serie A
Top six: 1. Juventus (72), 2. Napoli (56), 3. Milan (48), 4. Inter Milan (47), 5. Roma (44), 6. Lazio (41)
Scoring leader: 19 - Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus) / Fabio Quagliarella (Sampdoria)
Assists leader: 8 - Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus) / Suso (A.C. Milan)
French Ligue 1
Top six: 1. PSG (71), 2. Lille (54), 3. Lyon (49), 4. Marseille (44), 5. Saint-Étienne (43), 6. Stade Reims (42)
Scoring leader: 24 - Kylian Mbappé (PSG)
Assists leader: 8 - Nicolas Pepe (Lille) / Angel Di Maria (PSG) / Kenny Lala (Strasbourg)
Dutch Eredivisie
Top three: 1. PSV Eindhoven (61), 2. Ajax (56), 3. Feyenoord (46)
Belgian First Division A
Top three: 1. Genk (59), 2. Club Brugge (53), 3. Antwerp (49)
Portuguese Primeira Liga
Top three: 1. Benfica (59), 2. Porto (57), 3. Braga (52)
Scottish Premier League
Top three: 1. Celtic (66), 2. Rangers (58), 3. Aberdeen (50)
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Concacaf Champions League
The Round of 16 in the CCL saw a conclusion this week with the second leg matches deciding who advanced to the following round. MLS had its four U.S. representatives advance in Atlanta United, Houston Dynamo, New York Red Bulls and Sporting Kansas City while Liga MX is represented by northern clubs Monterrey, Tigres UANL and Santos Laguna. Independiente of Panama is the other team that advanced to the quarterfinals thanks to their upset of Toronto FC.
Round of 16 - second leg results:
- Toronto FC 1-1 Independiente (1-5 agg.)
- Tigres 5-1 Saprissa (5-2 agg.)
- Houston Dynamo 2-1 Guastatoya (3-1agg.)
- Santos Laguna 5-0 Marathon (11-2 agg.)
- NY Red Bulls 3-0 Atletico Pantoja (5-0 agg.)
- Monterrey 1-0 Alianza (1-0 agg.)
- Atlanta United 4-0 Herediano (5-3 agg.)
- Toluca 0-2 Sporting KC (0-5 agg.)
The quarter-finals begins on Tuesday.
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer's 24th season kicked off with plenty of draws to go around, five of them to be exact. The Dynamo were one of those teams with their season opener against Real Salt Lake ending in a 1-1 stalemate. Seattle Sounders gave new club Cincinnati a harsh welcome with a 4-1 result while Colorado and Portland played to a 3-3 draw in the snow.
Liga MX
Top eight: 1. Tigres UANL (22), 2. Monterrey (21), 3. Leon (20), 4. Club Tijuana (16), 5. Chivas Guadalajara (14), 6. Santos Laguaa (14), 7. Pachuca (14), 8. Club America (13)
Scoring leader: 9 - Angel Mena (Leon)
Assists leader: 6 - Angel Mena (Leon)
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Copa Libertadores
Third round - second leg results:
- Caracas FC 2-1 Melgar (2-3 agg.)
- Palestino 2-1 Talleres Cordoba (4-3 agg.)
- Atletico Mineiro 0-0 Defensor Sporting (2-0 agg.)
- Atletico Nacional 1-0 Libertad (1-1 agg., Libertad wins 5-4 on penalties)
The group stage begins on Tuesday.
Superliga Argentina
Top four: 1. Racing Club (51), 2. Defensa y Justicia (48), 3. Boca Juniors (41), 4. Atletico Tucuman (39)
Scoring leader: 16 - Lisandro Lopez (Racing)
Assists leader: 8 - Walter Montillo (Tigre)
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Upcoming Matches (All Times CT):
Tuesday, Mar. 5
2:00 p.m. - [UEFA Champions League] Borussia Dortmund vs. Tottenham (B/R Live, Galavision)
2:00 p.m. - [UEFA Champions League] Real Madrid vs. Ajax (TNT, UniMas)
6:30 p.m. - [Copa Libertadores] Jorge Wilstermann vs. Boca Juniors (beIN SPORTS en Español)
7:00 p.m. - [SheBelieves Cup] U.S. Women's National Team vs. Brazil (FS1)
7:00 p.m. - [Concacaf Champions League] New York Red Bulls vs. Santos Laguna (YahooSports.com)
9:00 p.m. - [Concacaf Champions League] Houston Dynamo vs. Tigres UANL (YahooSports.com)
Wednesday, Mar. 6
2:00 p.m. - [UEFA Champions League] Porto vs. Roma (B/R Live, Galavision)
2:00 p.m. - [UEFA Champions League] PSG vs. Manchester United (TNT, UniMas)
6:30 p.m. - [Copa Libertadores] Alianza Lima vs. River Plate (beIN SPORTS en Español)
7:00 p.m. - [Concacaf Champions League] Independiente vs. Sporting KC (YahooSports.com)
9:00 p.m. - [Concacaf Champions League] Monterrey vs. Atlanta United (YahooSports.com)
Thursday, Mar. 7
11:55 a.m. - [UEFA Europa League] Eintracht Frankfurt vs. Inter (B/R Live, UniMas)
11:55 a.m. - [UEFA Europa League] Rennes vs. Arsenal (B/R Live, Galavision)
2:00 p.m. - [UEFA Europa League] Chelsea vs. Dynamo Kiev (B/R Live, UniMas)
2:00 p.m. - [UEFA Europa League] Napoli vs. Red Bull Salzburg (B/R Live, Galavision)
6:00 p.m. - [Copa Libertadores] LDU Quito vs. Peñarol (beIN SPORTS en Español)
8:00 p.m. - [Copa Libertadores] Deportivo Lara vs. Emelec (beIN SPORTS en Español)
Friday, Mar. 8
1:30 p.m. - [Bundesliga] Werder Bremen vs. Schalke 04 (FS2)
1:30 p.m. - [Serie A] Juventus vs. Udinese (ESPN+)
Saturday, Mar. 9
6:30 a.m. - [Premier League] Crystal Palace vs. Brighton (NBC Sports)
8:30 a.m. - [Bundesliga] Bayern Munich vs. VfL Wolfsburg (FS1)
8:30 a.m. - [Bundesliga] Borussia Dortmund vs. VfB Stuttgart (FS2)
9:00 a.m. - [Premier League] Southampton vs. Tottenham (NBC Sports)
9:00 a.m. - [Premier League] Newcastle vs. Everton (CNBC)
11:30 a.m. - [Premier League] Manchester City vs. Watford (NBC)
11:30 a.m. - [La Liga] Barcelona vs. Rayo Vallecano (beIN Sports)
2:30 p.m. - [MLS] FC Dallas vs. LA Galaxy (Univision)
4:00 p.m. - [MLS] Houston Dynamo vs. Montreal Impact (KUBE57)
Sunday, Mar. 10
7:00 a.m. - [Premier League] Liverpool vs. Burnley (NBC Sports)
9:00 a.m. - [Premier League] Chelsea vs. Wolves (NBC Sports)
11:30 a.m. - [Premier League] Arsenal vs. Manchester United (NBC)
2:45 p.m. - [La Liga] Valladolid vs. Real Madrid (beIN Sports)
4:00 p.m. - [MLS] Atlanta United vs. Cincinnati (ESPN)
6:30 p.m. - [MLS] LAFC vs. Portland Timbers (FS1)
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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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