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
š @CruzAzulCD See y'all March 27! https://t.co/z59jyZ0tSJā 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
ššš„ššØš¦š ššØ š-ššØš°š§, @sheabayy2 and @meganoyster š¤ Weāve acquired forward Shea Groom and defender Megan Oyster in a trade with Reign FC.ā 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 āØ See you in Los Angeles on Feb. 7! https://t.co/JkWDq3x2etā 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 starĀ could be heading to MLS
Los Angeles has been waiting. @CH14_ is šµāŖļø&š”.ā 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. @FenafuthOrgā¦ https://t.co/pJeE9nxrPkā 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/45CRRhzXDrā 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, theā¦ https://t.co/ilAhubyhbCā 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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Winning consecutive series over last place teams does not mean all is well again in Astroworld, but taking five of seven games from the Orioles and Rockies stopped the bleeding which saw the Astros stumble through an awful 14-23 stretch. The regular season is now in its final month, the Astros are in the middle of three different playoff races. The high-end goal is finishing with one of the two best records in the American League to secure a bye past the two out of three lightning round Major League Baseball calls the Wild Card Series. Entering the holiday weekend the Astros sit four games behind the Toronto Blue Jays, three and a half back of the Detroit Tigers. If the Astros canāt overtake either the Jays or Tigers, they at least want to hold off Seattle to win the American League West. Winning the division for an eighth consecutive full season would be its own accomplishment, for the postseason it would at least assure the Astros of homefield advantage in a best-of-three. The race the Astros hope to need to pay little attention to is holding off Kansas City for the final wild card spot. That would be necessary should the Astros lose out on the division title to the Mariners, and finish behind both the second and third place finishers in the AL East in the wild card race, presently the Red Sox and Yankees. The Mās, Bosox, and Yanks all finishing ahead of the Astros is a clear possibility. The good news on that front is the Astros holding a five game lead over the Royals with 28 games to go, though Kansas City does win the tiebreaker should it come to that. The Astros have a significantly easier closing schedule than do the Royals. The Astros have just six games left against teams that would currently qualify for the postseason. The Royals have 12. So to miss the playoffs entirely the Astros basically have to fold, and/or the Royals need to play four weeks of spectacular baseball.
Yordan Alvarezās looooong awaited return is a big boost to the lineup. Even if he isn't peak Yordan, his presence matters. His missile of a home run to centerfield was the wow moment of his return series, but Alvarez drawing five walks in nine plate appearances speaks to what opponents think of him. Still, offense remains an Astro struggle all too often. The Rockies have the worst pitching staff in MLB. The Astros managed nine runs in three games against it. At least that was enough to win two out of three. 67 times this season the Astros have scored three or fewer runs, equaling their three or fewer total of the entire 2024 season. For a good while this year the Astros were winning an amazing percentage of their games where the offense did little. At one point the Astros were 19-27 when scoring three or fewer, which was stunning success and as I wrote at the time, wholly unsustainable. Since then, the Astros have lost 20 of the last 21 games in which they failed to score four.
Christian Walkerās power surge has been a boon, of late helping offset Jose Altuveās slump (just 10 hits in his last 60 at bats heading into the Angels series) and Carlos Correaās lack of thump (just two extra base hits and a sub-.700 OPS over his last 15 games). Over 46 games played from July 1 through Thursday, Walker has been very good hitting .279 with an .859 OPS. That doesn't undo his being wretched through June, but credit where credit is due.
Alvarez is the big bopper (remember the ex-Astro who had that nickname?) addition to Joe Espada's lineup cards, but Jake Meyers could be a lower key big return as well next week. To call Chas McCormick and Jacob Melton poor offensive players this season would be an understatement along the lines of saying Yao Ming is above average in height. When Meyers blew out his right calf it short-circuited what was his breakout big league season. Even if Meyers can't regain that form, by accident he'll still be better than what McCormick and Melton have provided.
After finishing up with the Angels on Labor Day, the Astros get the Yankees for three big games at Daikin Park starting Tuesday. Hunter Brown starting Sunday means he will not pitch against the Yankees. That's not a mistake, it's just how the rotation falls. It will be a mistake if the Astros' brain trust doesn't properly map out starting pitching ahead of the massive matchups against the Mariners September 19, 20, 21 and make sure both Brown and Framber Valdez start games in that series. After this homestand wraps, the Astro have only six home games remaining versus 15 on the road.
Oh yeah. Glenn Davis was "The Big Bopper."
For Astro-centric conversation, join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and me for the Stone Cold āStros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday. Click here to catch!
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