THE SOCCER REPORT
River-Boca on tap, Houston Dynamo playoff hopes end
Oct 1, 2019, 8:25 am
THE SOCCER REPORT
The Houston Dynamo are officially eliminated from playoff contention, sentencing their absence from the MLS Cup Playoffs in five of the past six seasons. The Dash are off this week but will be heading down to Monterrey, Mexico for a friendly with Liga MX side Tigres on Saturday night.
On the global scale, one of the most heated rivalries in the sport takes place on Tuesday night as Argentina's River Plate and Boca Juniors face off in the Copa Libertadores semifinals. The matchup is a rematch of the Libertadores finals from last year, a series that had to be finished in Spain because it was not deemed safe to conclude in Argentina.
Here is a review of the past week in soccer:
Last Wednesday, LAFC demolished the Houston Dynamo by a scoreline of 3-1 to clinch the best record in MLS and home field throughout the playoffs. The Supporters Shield is the two-year club's first major trophy. Four other Western Conference teams clinched a playoff spot, leaving only two to be decided for the final day of the regular season.
In the East, NYCFC clinched the top spot and a bye in the first round. New England defeated NYCFC on Sunday to secure the final playoff spot in the conference.
Every match will be played simultaneously on Sunday in MLS' "Decision Day." Aside from the final two playoff berths, seeding in the playoffs is also to be decided. Spots 2-4 in each conference host in the first round.
With two goals this week, Carlos Vela tied the single-season scoring record (31) set by Atlata's Josef Martinez in 2018. Zlatan Ibrahimovic is not far behind in the Golden Boot race with 29 as the Galaxy come to Houston on Sunday.
East top seven: 1. y - NYCFC (61), 2. x - Atlanta (55), 3. x - Philadelphia (55), 4. x - D.C. United (49), 5. x - NY Red Bulls (48), 6. x - Toronto (47), 7. x - New England (45)
West top seven (and playoff hopefuls): 1. s - LAFC (69), 2. x - Minnesota (53), 3. x - Seattle (53), 4. x - LA Galaxy (51), 5. x - Real Salt Lake (50), 6. Portland (46), 7. Dallas (45), 8. San Jose (44), 9. Colorado (42)
Scoring leader: 31 - Carlos Vela (LAFC)
Assists leader: 20 - Maxi Morales (NYCFC)
The four teams in the NWSL playoffs have been decided with only the semifinal matchups to be decided as the league enters it's final two weeks. The Houston Dash will miss out on the postseason once more, a feat never accomplished in club history.
Standings: 1. s - North Carolina Courage (46), 2. x - Chicago Red Stars (44), 3. x - Portland Thorns (39), 4. x - Reign FC (37), 5. Utah Royals (31), 6. Washington Spirit (30), 7. Houston Dash (26), 8. Sky Blue FC (20), 9. Orlando Pride (15)
Scoring leader: 18 - Sam Kerr (Chicago)
Assists leader: 8 - Yuki Nagasato (Chicago)
Matchday 7 Results
Top six: Liverpool (21), Man City (16), Leicester City (14), Arsenal (12), West Ham (12), Tottenham (11)
Scoring leader: 8 - Sergio Aguero (Man City)
Assists leader: 8 - Kevin De Bruyne (Man City)
Matchday 6 Results
Matchday 7 Results
Top six: Real Madrid (15), Granada (14), Atletico Madrid (14), FC Barcelona (13), Real Sociedad (13), Sevilla (13)
Scoring leader: 6 - Gerard Moreno (Villareal)
Assists leader: 3 - Five players tied
Matchday 6 Results
Top six: Bayern Munich (14), RB Leipzig (13), Freiburg (13), Schalke 04 (13), Monchengladbach (13), Bayer Leverkusen (13)
Scoring leader: 10 - Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
Matchday 5 Results
Matchday 6 Results
Top six: Inter Milan (18), Juventus (16), Atalanta (13), Napoli (12), Roma (11), Lazio (10)
Scoring leader: 5 - Four players tied
Matchday 7 Results
Matchday 8 Results
Top six: PSG (18), Angers (16), Nantes (16), Lille (14), Marseille (13), Nice (13)
Scoring leader: 6 - Three players tied
Matchday 8 - Top Results
Top four: Ajax (20), PSV (20), AZ Alkmaar (19), Vitesse (17)
Scoring leader: 8 - Donyell Malen (PSV Eindhoven)
Assists leader: 8 - Dusan Tadic (Ajax)
Matchday 7 - Top Results
Top four: Famalicao(19), Benfica (18), Porto (18), Vitoria (12)
Scoring leader: 6 - Pizzi (Benfica) / Ze Luis (Porto)
Assists leader: 4 - Bruno Fernandes (Sporting)
Matchday 7 - Top Results
Top four: Celtic (19), Rangers (18), Motherwell (13), Aberdeen (11)
Scoring leader: 6 - Jermain Defoe (Rangers) / Ryan Christie (Celtic)
Assists leader: 4 - James Forrest (Celtic)
Matchday 11 Results
Matchday 12 Results
Top Eight: 1. Santos Laguna (23), 2. Necaxa (21), 3. Club America (21), 4. Leon (19), 5. Pachuca (18), 6. Queretaro (18), 7. Tigres (17), 8. Pumas (17)
Scoring leader: 8 - Julio Furch (Santos)
Assists leader: 8 - Miller Bolanos (Tijuana)
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
Matchday 13 Results
Top Eight: 1. Monterrey (30), 2. Pachuca (26), 3. Tigres (25), 4. Guadalajara (23), 5. Atlas (21), 6. America (21), 7. Tijuana (21), 8. Monarcas (18)
Scoring leader: 13 - Mónica Monsiváis (Monterrey)
Matchday 8 Results
Top four: Boca (18), San Lorenzo (16), Talleres Cordoba (16), Arsenal Sarandi (15)
Scoring leader: 4 - Bruno Pitton (San Lorenzo) / Nicolas Dominguez (Velez)
Assists leader: 3 - Mathias Abero Villan (Patronato)
The first matchday in Argentina's female football featured the first Boca vs. River matchup of the professional era.
Matchday 1 Results
Top four: SAT (3), Boca Juniors (3) Racing Club (3), Rosario Central (3)
Tuesday, October 1
12:00 p.m. - [UEFA Champions League] Real Madrid vs. Club Brugge (TNT, UniMas, TUDN)
1:45 p.m. - [English Championship] Leeds vs. West Bromwich (ESPN+)
2:00 p.m. - [UEFA Champions League] Tottenham vs. Bayern Munich (TNT, Galavision)
2:00 p.m. - [UEFA Champions League] Juventus vs. Bayer Leverkusen (UniMas, TUDN)
2:00 p.m. - [UEFA Champions League] Galatasaray vs. PSG (B/R Live)
2:00 p.m. - [UEFA Champions League] Lokomotiv Moscow vs. Atletico Madrid (B/R Live)
2:00 p.m. - [UEFA Champions League] Manchester City vs. Dinamo Zagreb (B/R Live)
7:30 p.m. - [Copa Libertadores] River Plate vs. Boca Juniors (beIN SPORTS)
Wednesday, October 2
12:00 p.m. - [UEFA Champions League] Slavia Prague vs. Borussia Dortmund (TNT, Galavision)
12:00 p.m. - [UEFA Champions League] Genk vs. Napoli (UniMas, TUDN)
2:00 p.m. - [UEFA Champions League] FC Barcelona vs. Inter Milan (TNT, UniMas, TUDN)
2:00 p.m. - [UEFA Champions League] Liverpool vs. Salzburg (Galavision, B/R Live)
2:00 p.m. - [UEFA Champions League] RB Leipzig vs. Lyon (B/R Live)
2:00 p.m. - [UEFA Champions League] Valencia vs. Ajax (B/R Live)
2:00 p.m. - [UEFA Champions League] Lille vs. Chelsea (B/R Live)
7:30 p.m. - [Copa Libertadores] Gremio vs. Flamengo (beIN SPORTS)
Thursday, October 3
12:00 p.m. - [UEFA Europa League] AZ Alkmaar vs. Manchester United (TUDN, B/R Live)
12:00 p.m. - [UEFA Europa League] Feyenoord vs. Porto (Galavision, B/R Live)
12:00 p.m. - [UEFA Europa League] Wolfsburg vs. Roma (B/R Live)
12:00 p.m. - [UEFA Europa League] Besiktas vs. Wolves (UniMas, B/R Live)
12:00 p.m. - [UEFA Europa League] Young Boys vs. Rangers (B/R Live)
2:00 p.m. - [UEFA Europa League] Sevilla vs. APOEL (UniMas, B/R Live)
2:00 p.m. - [UEFA Europa League] Sporting CP vs. LASK (Galavision, B/R Live)
2:00 p.m. - [UEFA Europa League] Arsenal vs. Standard Liege (TUDN, B/R Live)
2:00 p.m. - [UEFA Europa League] Rosenborg vs. PSV Eindhoven (B/R Live)
2:00 p.m. - [UEFA Europa League] Celtic vs. Cluj (B/R Live)
So where does one turn now in Houston for mediocre, overpriced salsa? I kid, I kid. While wondering if Breggy Baked Beans are on the horizon. Congrats to Alex Bregman and agent Scott Boras for landing an on its face outlandish three-year 120-million dollar contract with the Boston Red Sox. With deferred money part of the deal the contract will be valuated in the neighborhood of “only” three years 90 million. Would Bregman have taken that from the Astros if offered? The Astros’ six-year 156-million dollar proposal was 26 mil per season. Bregman has the right to opt out after each of the first two seasons of his BoSox deal. If his decline (while still a very good player) of the last two seasons continues, or even if he holds steady, there is near zero chance of Bregman opting out unless he hates life in New England. At the end of the three years, will Bregman be able to land a three-year 66 million-dollar deal when he’s about to turn 34 years old? That plus the 90 mil with deferrals accounted for in his new deal would total 156 million. Massachusetts taxes personal income of just over a million dollars and upward at a nine percent rate. Playing half his games in the Bay State, Bregman will pay Massachusetts tax on half his salary.
Reminders...
Bregman obviously had an excellent Astros’ career, among non-pitchers he is top 10 all-time, but the excellence was frontloaded. Over Bregman’s first three big seasons he compiled a .289 batting average and .924 OPS. Elite numbers. Over the five seasons since: .261 and .795. Good, nothing legendary. After his monster MVP runner-up 2019 season (stats aided by the juiced balls of that season) Bregman was on a strong early Hall of Fame track. Now not so much, without some offensive resurgence. Fenway Park should suit Bregman well. He’ll bang singles and doubles off of the Green Monster, though the much higher than Crawford Boxes wall will not goose his home run numbers. In his time with the Astros Bregman mashed at Fenway with a .375 batting average and 1.240 OPS. That’s in a statistically not very significant 98 regular season plate appearances.
It is myth that Bregman in the postseason was some relentless hitting machine. He posted phenomenal numbers over seven Division Series batting .333 with an OPS over 1.000. Over 68 American League Championship Series and World Series games: batting average .196, OPS sub-.700.
For his career, Bregman’s worst month of performance by far has been April (plus any days in March, .737 OPS). In 2024 Bregman was baseball garbage into mid-May. Should a typical slow start happen again, we’ll see what the Fenway faithful patience level is. By far, Bregman’s best batting month has been August (.992 OPS). As it works out, both Astros-Red Sox series are in August this year. First in Boston August 1-3 then in Houston August 11-13.
Who's on third?
Over the last two seasons combined, new Astros’ third baseman Isaac Paredes has been as good offensively as Bregman. That includes Paredes pretty much stinking for two months in Chicago after being dealt from the Rays to the Cubs. Paredes, who turns 26 years old on Tuesday, was an AL All-Star last season. Bregman, who turns 31 March 30, was last an All-Star in 2019. The defensive drop-off from Bregman to Paredes is a fairly steep one.
There is no question that Bregman’s official departure weakens the Astros via a domino effect. Had Bregman wound up staying here, Paredes would have shifted to second base with Jose Altuve primarily in left field. Now, 600-plus plate appearances that Bregman would have taken project to be divided among Mauricio Dubon, Ben Gamel, Zach Dezenzo, and others. That projects as a substantial offensive downgrade. The lineup net result of the Astros’ offseason is negative. Christian Walker and Paredes joining the infield in lieu of Jon Singleton and Bregman is fine. Kyle Tucker out, hodge-podge in in the outfield, oh boy.
Alex Bregman is an unquestioned gamer, leader, and would seem to have the temperament to take well to the more intense baseball environment of Boston relative to that in Houston. Yankee fans should reeeeally love him now!
New beginnings
Considering baseball wasn’t invented until more than a century later, the poet Alexander Pope did not have baseball in mind when in 1732 he wrote “Hope springs eternal (in the human breast).” It works though. Other than the Chicago White Sox and Colorado Rockies, Major League teams have convened in Florida or Arizona thinking if things break right this could be their year! I’d probably put the Miami Marlins in with the ChiSox and Rockies. Many Astros’ fans are strongly disgruntled over the departures of Bregman and Kyle Tucker. This team still has “gruntlement” potential. The batting order appears Morganna-level (Google as necessary) top heavy, but one through five stacks well versus most other lineups. In the American League only the Mariners, Yankees, and maybe Royals have starting pitching rotations that should rate above the Astros’ rotation. Let the countdown to Opening Day begin!
Spring training is up and running. 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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