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)
What looked like a minor blip after an emotional series win in Los Angeles has turned into something more concerning for the Houston Astros.
Swept at home by a Guardians team that came in riding a 10-game losing streak, the Astros were left looking exposed. Not exhausted, as injuries, underperformance, and questionable decision-making converged to hand Houston one of its most frustrating series losses of the year.
Depth finally runs dry
It would be easy to point to a “Dodger hangover” as the culprit, the emotional peak of an 18-1 win at Chavez Ravine followed by a mental lull. But that’s not the story here.
Houston’s energy was still evident, especially in the first two games of the series, where the offense scored five or more runs each time. Including those, the Astros had reached that mark in eight of their last 10 games heading into Wednesday’s finale.
But scoring isn’t everything, not when a lineup held together by duct tape and desperation is missing Christian Walker and Jake Meyers and getting critical at-bats from Cooper Hummel, Zack Short, and other journeymen.
The lack of depth finally showed. The Astros, for three days, looked more like a Triple-A squad with Jose Altuve and a couple big-league regulars sprinkled in.
Cracks in the pitching core
And the thing that had been keeping this team afloat, elite pitching, finally buckled.
Hunter Brown and Josh Hader, both dominant all season, finally cracked. Brown gave up six runs in six innings, raising his pristine 1.82 ERA to 2.21. Hader wasn’t spared either, coughing up a game-losing grand slam in extra innings that inflated his ERA from 1.80 to 2.38 in one night.
But the struggles weren’t isolated. Bennett Sousa, Kaleb Ort, and Steven Okert each gave up runs at critical moments. The bullpen’s collective fade could not have come at a worse time for a team already walking a tightrope.
Injury handling under fire
Houston’s injury management is also drawing heat, and rightfully so. Jake Meyers, who had been nursing a calf strain, started Wednesday’s finale. He didn’t even make it through one pitch before aggravating the injury and needing to be helped off the field.
No imaging before playing him. No cautionary rest despite the All-Star break looming. Just a rushed return in a banged-up lineup, and it backfired immediately.
Second-guessing has turned to outright criticism of the Astros’ medical staff, as fans and analysts alike wonder whether these mounting injuries are being made worse by how the club is handling them.
Pressure mounts on Dana Brown
All eyes now turn to Astros GM Dana Brown. The Astros are limping into the break with no clear reinforcements on the immediate horizon. Only Chas McCormick is currently rehabbing in Sugar Land. Everyone else? Still sidelined.
Brown will need to act — and soon.
At a minimum, calling up top prospect Brice Matthews makes sense. He’s been mashing in Triple-A (.283/.400/.476, 10 HR, .876 OPS) and could play second base while Jose Altuve shifts to left field more regularly. With Mauricio Dubón stretched thin between shortstop and center, injecting Matthews’ upside into the infield is a logical step.
*Editor's note: The Astros must be listening, Matthews was called up Thursday afternoon!
The Astros are calling up Brice Matthews, their top prospect on @MLBPipeline
via @brianmctaggart pic.twitter.com/K91cGKkcx6
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) July 10, 2025
There’s also trade chatter, most notably about Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins, but excitement has been tepid. His numbers don’t jump off the page, but compared to who the Astros are fielding now, Mullins would be a clear upgrade and a much-needed big-league presence.
A final test before the break
Before the All-Star reset, Houston gets one last chance to stabilize the ship, and it comes in the form of a rivalry series against the Texas Rangers. The Astros will send their top trio — Lance McCullers Jr., Framber Valdez, and Hunter Brown — to the mound for a three-game set that will test their resolve, their health, and perhaps their postseason aspirations.
The Silver Boot is up for grabs. So is momentum. And maybe, clarity on just how far this version of the Astros can go.
There's so much more to discuss! 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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*ChatGPT assisted.
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