Liverpool gain nine-point lead over City
Soccer Recap: Seattle wins MLS Cup, Liverpool top Man City, Bayern Munich stomp Dortmund
Nov 12, 2019, 7:33 am
Credit: Major League Soccer
Seattle Sounders FC return to the pinnacle of American soccer after defeating Toronto FC 3-1 in front of 69,274 spectators on Sunday - a new record for a sporting event at CenturyLink Field. Across the Atlantic, Liverpool widened the gap between themselves and defending champions Manchester City in the Premier League title race.
Among the other top stories this week:
- USWNT picked up 3-2 win vs. Sweden, 6-0 win over Costa Rica in Andonovski's debut as Head Coach
- Judge grants class action status to USWNT in gender discrimination lawsuit
- Ecuador's Independiente del Valle wins 2019 Copa Sudamericana
- Barcelona / Real Madrid tied atop La Liga
- Bayern Munich rout rivals Dortmund
Major League Soccer
The 2019 MLS season concluded with the MLS Cup championship game on Sunday. Seattle Sounders FC and Toronto FC met in the final for the third time in the last four years. Seattle defeated Toronto by a 3-1 scoreline to collect their second MLS Cup - joining the Houston Dynamo, San Jose Earthquakes and Sporting Kansas City with two league titles (only LA Galaxy and D.C. United have more with five and four, respectively).
2019 Major League Soccer Awards
- MLS Cup Champion: Seattle Sounders FC
- MLS Supporters Shield Champion: Los Angeles FC
- Most Valuable Player: Carlos Vela (Los Angeles FC)
- Defender of the Year: Ike Opara (Minnesota United FC)
- Goalkeeper of the Year: Vito Mannone (Minnesota United FC)
- Coach of the Year: Bob Bradley (Los Angeles FC)
- Rookie of the Year: Andre Shinyashiki (Colorado Rapids)
- Newcomer of the Year: Carles Gil (New England Revolution)
- Comeback Player of the Year: Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders FC)
- Golden Boot: Carlos Vela (Los Angeles FC) with 34 goals [MLS record]
- Humanitarian of the Year: Matt Lampson (LA Galaxy)
- Referee of the Year: Allen Chapman
- Assistant Referee of the Year: Brian Dunn
- Goal of the Year: Josef Martínez (Atlanta United FC)
- Save of the Year: Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake)
2019 MLS Best XI
Goalkeeper - Vito Mannone (Minnesota United FC) / Defenders - Ike Opara (Minnesota United FC), Miles Robinson (Atlanta United FC), Walker Zimmerman (LAFC) / Midfielders - Eduard Atuesta (LAFC), Carles Gil (New England Revolution), Maxi Moralez (New York City FC), Alejandro Pozuelo (Toronto FC) / Forwards - Zlatan Ibrahimović (LA Galaxy), Josef Martínez (Atlanta United FC), Carlos Vela (LAFC)
The offseason is officially underway with a temporary trade window until Wednesday, followed by a series of offseason drafts. It is important to note that the current Collective Bargaining Agreement is set to expire and will be an additional story to follow.
English Premier League
Most of the focus in the Premier League was on the battle of the top two teams from last season. Liverpool expanded the gap in the title race to a nine-point lead over Manchester City after a 3-1 win at home.
Top six: Liverpool (34), Leicester City (26), Chelsea (26), Man City (25), Sheffield Utd (17), Arsenal (17)
Scoring leader: 11 - Jamie Vardy (Leicester City)
Assists leader: 9 - Kevin De Bruyne (Man City)
Spanish La Liga
Lionel Messi scored three in Barcelona's 4-1 win over Celta Vigo. Real Madrid collected a 4-0 win at Eibar. The two Spanish giants share the top of the table on points and are on a collision course towards their December 18th meeting.
Top six: FC Barcelona (25), Real Madrid (25), Atletico Madrid (24), Sevilla (24), Real Sociedad (23), Athletic Bilbao (20)
Scoring leader: 9 - Karim Benzema (Real Madrid)
Assists leader: 4 - Several players tied
German Bundesliga
Bayern Munich looks to be back on the right course, responding to the dismissal of their Head Coach Niko Kovac with a 4-0 win over rivals Borussia Dortmund. Borussia Monchengladbach lead the Bundesliga standings at the moment.
Top six: Monchengladbach (25), RB Leipzig (21), Bayern Munich (21), Freiburg (21), Hoffenheim (20), Dortmund (19)
Scoring leader: 16 - Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
Assists leader: 6 - Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich), Thorgan Hazard (Dortmund)Italian Serie A
Top six: Juventus (32), Inter Milan (31), Lazio (24), Cagliari (24), Atalanta (22), Roma (22)
Scoring leader: 14 - Ciro Immobile (Lazio)
Assists leader: 8 - Luis Alberto (Lazio)French Ligue 1
Top six: PSG (30), Marseille (22), Angers (21), St-Etiene (21), Lille (19), Montpellier (19)
Scoring leader: 9 - Moussa Dembele (Lyon), Wissam Ben Yedder (Monaco)
U.S. Women begin new era
Newly appointed U.S. Women's National Team Head Coach Vlatko Andonovski got his first wins in a pair of friendlies after a 3-2 win over Sweden and a 6-0 rout of Costa Rica.
Copa Sudamericana
Ecuador's Independiente del Valle defeated Argentine side Club Atlético Colón with a 3-1 result at the Estadio General Pablo Rojas in Asunción, Paraguay on Saturday. This marked the first time the tournament was decided by a one match final in a neutral location. It is also Independiente del Valle's first international title. The Copa Sudamericana is South America's secondary international tournament, similar to the UEFA Europa League.
TV listings (All Times CT):
Tuesday, November 12
1:00 p.m. - [International Friendly] Netherlands vs. Slovenia (GolTV)
Wednesday, November 13
10:00 a.m. - [AFCON qualifying] Cameroon vs. Cape Verde (beIN SPORTS)
Thursday, November 14
10:00 a.m. - [AFCON qualifying] Egypt vs. Kenya (beIN SPORTS)
11:00 a.m. - [EURO qualifying] Turkey vs. Iceland (ESPN2, TUDN)
1:00 p.m. - [AFCON qualifying] Ghana vs. South Africa (beIN SPORTS)
1:45 p.m. - [EURO qualifying] Czech Republic vs. Kosovo (ESPNEWS)
1:45 p.m. - [EURO qualifying] France vs. Moldova (ESPN+)
1:45 p.m. - [EURO qualifying] France vs. Moldova (ESPN+)
1:45 p.m. - [EURO qualifying] Portugal vs. Lithuania (TUDN)
Friday, November 15
6:00 p.m. - [Concacaf Nations League] France vs. Moldova (ESPN2, UniMas, TUDN)
8:00 p.m. - [Concacaf Nations League] Portugal vs. Lithuania (Univision, TUDN)
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A new challenge awaits, and the Astros know what’s at stake
Jun 27, 2025, 2:05 pm
The Houston Astros didn’t just sweep the Philadelphia Phillies. They sent a message.
In three tightly contested games against one of the best teams in baseball, the Astros leaned on their elite pitching and timely offense to secure a statement sweep. Hunter Brown was electric in the finale, shutting down the Phillies’ lineup and showing the kind of dominance that’s become a defining feature of his game. Bryan Abreu slammed the door with four strikeouts to close out the win, and rookie Cam Smith delivered the deciding blow — an RBI single in the eighth to drive in Isaac Paredes, lifting the Astros to a 2-1 victory.
It wasn’t a series filled with offensive fireworks, but that’s exactly the point. Both teams sent out top-tier pitching throughout the series, and Houston was the team that kept finding a way. For much of the season, the Astros’ inconsistent offense might’ve been a concern in a series like this. But this time, it felt different. The bats showed up just enough, and the pitching did the rest.
Now, with Houston on pace for 96 wins at the halfway point, the question becomes: Is the league officially on notice?
Maybe. Maybe not. But one thing is certain, the Astros have the third-best record in baseball, they’re 17-7 in one-run games, and they’re playing with the kind of rhythm that’s defined their near-decade of dominance. Unlike last year’s uneven campaign, this version of the Astros looks like a team that’s rediscovered its edge. Whether or not they need to take care of business against the Cubs to validate it, their recent run leaves little doubt: when Houston is clicking, there are very few teams built to stop them.
Off the field, however, a bit of long-term uncertainty is starting to creep in. Reports surfaced this week that extension talks with shortstop Jeremy Peña have been put on hold as he recently signed with super-agent Scott Boras. The combination has led many to wonder if Peña might follow the same free-agent path as Alex Bregman, Carlos Correa, and others before him. Boras clients rarely settle early, and Peña, now one of the most valuable shortstops in the game, could command a price tag the Astros have historically avoided paying.
If Peña and even Hunter Brown are likely to get priced out of Houston, the front office may need to pivot. Isaac Paredes could be the most logical extension candidate on the roster. His approach — particularly his ability to pull the ball with authority — is tailor-made for Daikin Park and the Crawford Boxes. Last year, Paredes struggled to leave the yard at Wrigley Field, but in Houston, he’s thriving. Locking him in long term would give the Astros offensive stability and the kind of value they’ve typically targeted.
As for Cam Smith, the breakout rookie is far from free agency and will remain a cost-controlled piece for years. That’s exactly why his contributions now, like his clutch eighth-inning knock to beat Philadelphia, matter so much. He's one more reason why the Astros don’t just look good right now. They look dangerous.
And the rest of the league is starting to feel it.
There's 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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