CH14 doubles Zlatan's sales
Soccer: Chicharito's MLS impact, USWNT perfect in Olympic Qualifying, Houston in talks to host Concacaf Nations League
Feb 4, 2020, 6:59 am
Photo: LA Galaxy
Liverpool continue to run rampant in England, Real Madrid have taken a solid hold of the top spot in Spain and transfer talk continues in Major League Soccer with less than a month left from the beginning of the 2020 season.
Houston Dynamo announce Liga MX friendly; GK Marko Maric arrives
👋 @CruzAzulCD See y'all March 27! https://t.co/z59jyZ0tSJ— Houston Dynamo (@Houston Dynamo) 1580490191.0
It looks like Alberth Elis and Mauro Manotas are here to stay after another transfer window has passed and both went unsold to European suitors. The Dynamo will need every bit of firepower they can get as they kick off the season on Feb. 29 against the LA Galaxy.
Offseason signing Marko Maric has arrived to the club and is expected to be the starting goalkeeper this season. You can learn more about the Croatian international in his interview on Soccer Matters with Glenn Davis.
Houston Dash continue offseason roster turnover
𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐇-𝐓𝐨𝐰𝐧, @sheabayy2 and @meganoyster 🤘 We’ve acquired forward Shea Groom and defender Megan Oyster in a trade with Reign FC.— Houston Dash (@Houston Dash) 1580756484.0
The Houston Dash have traded away fan favorites Amber Brooks and Sofia Huerta, both starters in 2019, to add to the offseason turnover that saw Kealia Ohai also traded earlier this offseason. What looks like a fresh start for all involved is shaping up to be James Clarkson's most challenging season yet in only his second year in the women's game.
USWNT open 2020 with sweep in Olympic Qualifying group matches in Houston
PERFECT IN GROUP PLAY ✨ See you in Los Angeles on Feb. 7! https://t.co/JkWDq3x2et— U.S. Soccer WNT (@U.S. Soccer WNT) 1580787094.0
As expected, the United States Women's National Team went three for three at BBVA Stadium to start their Olympic Qualifying campaign. They await either Canada or Mexico in the semifinals for a spot at Tokyo 2020.
Results:
- January 28 - USA 4-0 Haiti
- January 31 - USA 8-0 Panama
- February 3 - USA 6-0 Costa Rica
Upcoming Matches:
- February 7 - USA vs. Canada/Mexico [win punches ticket to Tokyo Olympics]
- February 9 - Olympic Qualifying Tournament Final
USMNT open 2020 with 1-0 win over Costa Rica
Eighteen-year-old Ulysses Llanez scored his first international goal in the U.S. Men's 1-0 win over a "B-team" Costa Rica in a non-FIFA date friendly at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California over the weekend. It was the first friendly of the year for the USMNT who culminate their annual January Camp with a W.
Impact of Chicharito arrival, another Mexican star could be heading to MLS
Los Angeles has been waiting. @CH14_ is 🔵⚪️&🟡.— LA Galaxy (@LA Galaxy) 1579624158.0
The Mexican star and the national team's all-time goalscorer has been the talk of the MLS offseason with his arrival to the Los Angeles Galaxy. The former Chivas of Guadalajara, Manchester United and Real Madrid striker is slated to be the highest-paid player in league history and has already had "double" the impact on season ticket sales than when Zlatan Ibrahimovic joined the Galaxy. LA open the season on the road in Houston on Feb. 29.
Hernandez might not be the last Mexican star joining the league this winter as David Beckham's Inter Miami CF is about to sign Monterrey's Rodolfo Pizarro, according to reports including The Athletic's Paul Tenorio. MLS also signed reigning Liga MX joint goalscorer Alan Pulido this offseason, joining Sporting Kansas City.
Houston to host Concacaf Nations League semis in June
Hearing that the @CNationsLeague doubleheader will take place in Houston June 4th with @USMNT v. @FenafuthOrg… https://t.co/pJeE9nxrPk— Glenn Davis (@Glenn Davis) 1580776490.0
The Men's national teams of USA, Mexico, Honduras and Costa Rica are heading to Houston this summer for the semifinals of the Concacaf Nations League, as first reported out of Honduras. The latest report locally (from Glenn Davis) is that the matches could be hosted in two separate venues on the same night - as opposed to the usual doubleheaders at NRG for Concacaf Gold Cup action.
The Dynamo's BBVA Stadium would host USA vs. Honduras while Mexico vs. Costa Rica would take place at the Texans' NRG Stadium. The final would be at the Dallas Cowboys AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX. Negotiations are still taking place but an official announcement could come as early as this coming week, according to reports.
English Premier League
Top six: 1. Liverpool (73), 2. Man City (51), 3. Leicester City (49), 4. Chelsea (41), 5. Tottenham (37), 6. Sheffield (36)
Bottom three (relegation): 18. West Ham (24), 19. Watford (23), 20. Norwich City (18)
Scoring leader: 17 - Jamie Vardy (Leicester City)
Assists leader: 15 - Kevin De Bruyne (Man City)
Spanish La Liga
Top six: 1. Real Madrid (49), 2. FC Barcelona (46), 3. Getafe (39), 4. Sevilla (39), 5. Valencia (37), 6. Atletico Madrid (36)
Bottom three: 18. Leganes (18), 19. Celta Vigo (17), 20. Espanyol (15)
Scoring leader: 14 - Lionel Messi (FC Barcelona)
Assists leader: 8 - Lionel Messi (FC Barcelona)
German Bundesliga
Top six: 1. Bayern Munich (42), 2. RB Leipzig (41), 3. Dortmund (39), 4. Monchengladbach (39), 5. Bayer Leverkusen (34), 6. Schalke 04 (24)
Bottom three: 16. Werder Bremen (17), 17. Fortuna (16), 18. Paderborn (15)
Scoring leader: 22 - Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
Assists leader: 12 - Jadon Sancho (Dortmund), Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich)
Italian Serie A
Top six: 1. Juventus (54), 2. Inter Milan (51), 3. Lazio (49), 4. Atalanta (39), 5. Roma (39), 6. Cagliari (32)
Bottom three: 18. Genoa (16), 19. Brescia (15), 20. SPAL (15)
Scoring leader: 25 - Ciro Immobile (Lazio)
Assists leader: 11 - Luis Alberto (Lazio)French Ligue 1
Top four: 1. PSG (55), 2. Marseille (43), 3. Rennes (40), 4. Lille (34)
Bottom three: 18. Amiens (19), 19. Nimes (18), 20. Toulouse (13)
Scoring leader: 15 - Wissam Ben Yedder (Monaco)
Assists leader: 8 - Angel Di Maria (PSG)
Liga MX
Clausura 2020
Top eight: 1. Leon (9), 2. Queretaro (9), 3. Pumas (8), 4. Juarez (7), 5. Necaxa (7), 6. Guadalajara (6), 7. Atletico San Luis (6), 8. Atlas (6)
Scoring leader: 5 - Angel Mena (Leon)
Throwback moment: First MLS Jersey Unveiling
It's called fashion, sweetie. Look it up. #NYFW https://t.co/45CRRhzXDr— Major League Soccer (@Major League Soccer) 1550004698.0
Ahead of this week's jersey unveiling in New York City for MLS' 25th season, here's a look back at the first ever jersey announcement. Current Houston Dynamo Head Coach Tab Ramos was the model for the NY/NJ MetroStars.
TV news: FOX Sports locks down Concacaf broadcasting rights
FOX Sports and Concacaf announce an exclusive multi-year agreement, highlighted by the 2021 and 2023 Gold Cups, the… https://t.co/ilAhubyhbC— FOX Sports PR (@FOX Sports PR) 1580137906.0
TV listings (All Times CT):
For full info on soccer TV listings and streaming services in the United States, visit worldsoccertalk.com
11:30 a.m. - [German Cup] Frankfurt vs. RB Leipzig (ESPN3, ESPN Deportes)
1:30 p.m. - [German Cup] Werder Bremen vs. Dortmund (ESPN3)
2:00 p.m. - [Ligue 1] Nantes vs. PSG (beIN Sports)
2:00 p.m. - [English FA Cup] Oxford United vs. Newcastle (ESPN+)
2:00 p.m. - [Copa del Rey] Granada vs. Valencia (ESPN+)
Wednesday, February 5
11:30 a.m. - [German Cup] Bayer Leverkusen vs. Stuttgart (ESPN3)
1:45 p.m. - [German Cup] Bayern Munich vs. Hoffenheim (ESPN3)
1:45 p.m. - [English FA Cup] Tottenham vs. Southampton (ESPN+)
1:45 p.m. - [Serie A] Lazio vs. Hellas Verona (ESPN+)
Thursday, February 6
12:00 p.m. - [Copa del Rey] Real Madrid vs. Real Sociedad (ESPN+)
2:00 p.m. - [Copa del Rey] Athletic Bilbao vs. Barcelona (ESPN+)
Friday, February 7
1:30 p.m. - [Bundesliga] Frankfurt vs. Augsburg (FS2, TUDN)
1:45 p.m. - [Serie A] Roma vs. Bologna (ESPN+)
9:00 p.m. - [Liga MX] Puebla vs. Santos Laguna (TUDN)
9:00 p.m. - [Liga MX] Tijuana vs. Toluca (FS2)
Saturday, February 8
6:30 a.m. - [Premier League] Everton vs. Crystal Palace (NBC Sports)
8:30 a.m. - [Bundesliga] Wolfsburg vs. Dusseldorf (FS1)
8:30 a.m. - [Bundesliga] Schalke 04 vs. Paderborn (TUDN)
11:30 a.m. - [Premier League] Brighton vs. Watford (NBC Sports)
11:30 a.m. - [Bundesliga] Bayer Leverkusen vs. Dortmund (FS2, UniMas, TUDN)
1:45 p.m. - [Serie A] Hellas Verona vs. Juventus (ESPN+)
5:00 p.m. - [Liga MX] Cruz Azul vs. Pachuca (UniMas, TUDN, ESPN Deportes)
7:00 p.m. - [Liga MX] Tigres vs. Chivas (Univision, TUDN, ESPN Deportes)
9:00 p.m. - [Liga MX] Leon vs. Monterrey (Univision, TUDN)
Sunday, February 9
8:00 a.m. - [Serie A] Napoli vs. Lecce (ESPN2, ESPN Deportes)
8:00 a.m. - [Premier League] Sheffield United vs. Bournemouth (NBC Sports)
8:30 a.m. - [Bundesliga] Borussia Monchengladbach vs. Cologne (FS1)
10:30 a.m. - [Premier League] Manchester City vs. West Ham (NBC Sports)
11:00 a.m. - [Bundesliga] Bayern Munich vs. RB Leipzig (FS2)
12:00 p.m. - [Liga MX] Pumas UNAM vs. Club Atletico de San Luis (Univision, TUDN)
1:45 p.m. - [Serie A] Inter vs. AC Milan (ESPN+)
6:00 p.m. - [Liga MX] Queretaro vs. Club America (TUDN)
8:00 p.m. - [Liga MX] FC Juarez vs. Necaxa (TUDN)
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The Houston Astros wrapped up yet another series win this week, this time taking two of three from the struggling Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Despite missing several key players and a bullpen that wasn’t fully available, the Astros continued their recent run of success, pushing their record to 52-35.
Manager Joe Espada appeared to be playing the long game in the rubber match on Thursday. After Houston rallied to tie the game in the seventh inning, Espada stuck with reliever Jordan Weems instead of turning to his high-leverage arms. That decision, while frustrating to some fans hoping for the sweep, underscored the team’s cautious approach to workload management as they navigate a long season.
One bright spot continues to be rookie Cam Smith, who delivered again in the clutch with a two-run triple in the seventh inning on Thursday. Smith has been Houston’s most dependable bat with runners on base and is quickly settling into the cleanup role—a rarity for a first-year player but one he’s earned with his poise and production.
Astros cleanup hitter RBIs this season:
Cam Smith: 10 RBIs in 7 games
All others: 28 RBIs in 80 games
— Matt Kawahara (@matthewkawahara) July 3, 2025
Off the field, the biggest storyline continues to be Yordan Alvarez’s injury. After reports surfaced that the slugger had experienced a setback in his return from a fractured hand, the team clarified that the issue is inflammation, not the fracture itself. Astros general manager Dana Brown said Alvarez received injections to address the irritation and is expected to rest for now. Encouragingly, the Astros say the fracture is no longer a concern, and while there’s still no definitive timeline for his return, the overall tone from the club was optimistic.
The transparency around Alvarez’s situation is part of a larger shift. After being criticized in recent seasons for vague injury updates, the Astros have begun issuing daily availability reports. It’s a move that signals the front office is trying to regain some trust with the media and fans after a stretch of frustrating ambiguity around player health.
Now, the Astros head to Los Angeles for a marquee matchup with the defending champion Dodgers. Friday’s opener will feature Lance McCullers Jr. making just his second start since returning from the injured list. McCullers gave up eight runs in his return against the Cubs and will be under the spotlight as he looks to settle back into form. Control will be the key, as walks have long been McCullers’ Achilles’ heel.
Saturday sets the stage for one of the most anticipated pitching matchups of the season: Framber Valdez versus Shohei Ohtani. With both teams fighting for positioning in their respective divisions, this weekend in LA should serve as a measuring stick—and perhaps a postseason preview.
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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