THE SOCCER REPORT
Soccer Recap: Flamengo champions of South America, Man City comeback vs. Chelsea
Nov 26, 2019, 8:25 am
THE SOCCER REPORT
Manchester City
Brazilian club Flamengo defeated Argentina's River Plate to claim the 2019 Copa Libertadores, the continental championship of South America. It is the second Libertadores in the club's history and first since 1981. River Plate held a 1-0 lead for 89 minutes before Gabriel Barbosa struck twice in the 89th minute and in second half stoppage time to turn the game on its head. Flamengo will represent CONMEBOL, the South American confederation, in December's FIFA Club World Cup.
The match was the first one-game final in the tournament's history and took place in Lima, Peru - moved from its original setting of Santiago, Chile due to the ongoing protests.
Al Hilal, the new king of Asia 👑 #ACL2019 https://t.co/7ERL4VHRP2— #ACLFinal (@#ACLFinal) 1574623582.0
Saudi Arabia's Al-Hilal claimed their third AFC Champions League title with a 2-1 aggregate win over Japan's Urawa Red Diamonds. Former MLS MVP Sebastian Giovinco won Man of the Match honors for Al-Hilal, who now head to December's FIFA Club World Cup.
Top six: 1. Liverpool (37), 2. Leicester City (29), 3. Man City (28), 4. Chelsea (26), 5. Arsenal (19), 6. Sheffield Utd (18)
Bottom three (relegation): 18. Norwich City (10), 19. Southampton (9), 20. Watford (8)
Scoring leader: 12 - Jamie Vardy (Leicester City)
Assists leader: 9 - Kevin De Bruyne (Man City)
Top six: 1. FC Barcelona (28), 2. Real Madrid (28), 3. Sevilla (27), 4. Atletico Madrid (25), 5. Athletic Bilbao (23), 6. Real Sociedad (23)
Bottom three: 18. Celta Vigo (12), 19. Espanyol (9), 20. Leganes (6)
Scoring leader: 10 - Karim Benzema (Real Madrid)
Assists leader: 5 - Lionel Messi (FC Barcelona)
Top six: 1. Monchengladbach (25), 2. RB Leipzig (24), 3. Bayern Munich (24), 4. Freiburg (22), 5. Schalke 04 (22), 6. Dortmund (20)
Bottom three: 16. Fortuna (11), 17. Cologne (7), 18. Paderborn (5)
Scoring leader: 16 - Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
Assists leader: 7 - Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich)Top six: 1. Juventus (35), 2. Inter Milan (34), 3. Lazio (27), 4. Cagliari (25), 5. Roma (25), 6. Atalanta (22)
Bottom three: 18. Genoa (10), 19. SPAL (9), 20. Brescia (7)
Scoring leader: 15 - Ciro Immobile (Lazio)
Assists leader: 9 - Luis Alberto (Lazio)Top four: 1. PSG (33), 2. Marseille (25), 3. Angers (24), 4. Bordeaux (22)
Bottom three: 18. Metz (14), 19. Tolouse (12), 20. Nimes (11)
Scoring leader: 10 - Moussa Dembele (Lyon)
🚨🚨 ¡HORARIOS DEFINIDOS! 🚨🚨 ¿Estás listo para vivir los #4tosDeFinal de la #LigaBBVAMX? Es momento de armar tu 📆… https://t.co/iFVCQeTQ9O— LIGA BBVA MX (@LIGA BBVA MX) 1574703501.0
🚨🚨TENEMOS FINALISTAS 🚨🚨 Una nueva edición de Final Regia ¿Quién es tu favorito para ser campeón? 🔁@Rayadas ❤️… https://t.co/0lkkz8PYwS— LIGA BBVA MX Femenil (@LIGA BBVA MX Femenil) 1574740782.0
Tuesday, November 26
11:55 a.m. - [UEFA Champions League] Lokomotiv Moscow vs. Bayer Leverkusen (TNT, UniMas, TUDN)
11:55 a.m. - [UEFA Champions League] Galatasaray vs. Brugge (Galavision)
2:00 p.m. - [UEFA Champions League] Real Madrid vs. PSG (TNT, UniMas, TUDN)
2:00 p.m. - [UEFA Champions League] Juventus vs. Atletico Madrid (Galavision)
Wednesday, November 27
11:55 a.m. - [UEFA Champions League] Valencia vs. Chelsea (TNT, UniMas, TUDN)
11:55 a.m. - [UEFA Champions League] Zenit vs. Lyon (Galavision)
2:00 p.m. - [UEFA Champions League] FC Barcelona vs. Dortmund (UniMas, TUDN)
2:00 p.m. - [UEFA Champions League] Liverpool vs. Napoli (TNT, Galavision)
The Houston Astros return to Daikin Park on Friday night looking to protect their lead in the AL West and build momentum as the calendar edges deeper into August. They’ll open a three-game weekend series against the Baltimore Orioles — a matchup that, on paper, tilts heavily in Houston’s favor.
Framber Valdez takes the mound for the Astros in the opener, bringing an 11-5 record, 2.97 ERA, and a 1.16 WHIP into his 24th start of the season. The left-hander has been a reliable anchor for Houston’s rotation all year, capable of handling both high-leverage situations and deep outings, and he’ll be tasked with quieting a Baltimore lineup that’s been ice cold of late.
The Orioles counter with right-hander Brandon Young, still searching for his first win in the majors. Young has endured a rough debut season, going 0-6 with a 6.70 ERA and a 1.74 WHIP. Baltimore will need him to find some early rhythm to have a chance, particularly against a Houston offense that has begun to heat up.
Carlos Correa has been Houston’s hottest bat over the past 10 games, going 16-for-40 with two home runs and seven RBIs. The Orioles’ top offensive threat remains catcher Adley Rutschman, who has nine homers and 27 RBIs, while infielder Jordan Westburg has added some pop with two homers in his last 10 games.
Baltimore has dropped six of its last 10 games, batting just .184 over that span and being outscored by 19 runs. Houston, by contrast, has gone 6-4 in its last 10, scoring enough to outpace opponents despite a 4.50 team ERA during that stretch.
This marks the first meeting between the Astros and Orioles this season. With 37 wins already at home and 14 of their next 17 games coming against teams with losing records, Houston sees this series as a prime opportunity to add wins and tighten its grip on a playoff bye — while keeping the pressure squarely on the AL West chase.
Starting lineup
Right away, you'll notice Jeremy Pena (illness) is out.
Jeremy Peña is under the weather, Joe Espada said. He reported to the ballpark today but is now seeing team doctors to see what’s wrong. https://t.co/zmYY45fLXk
— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) August 15, 2025
Altuve will DH and hit leadoff, with Correa hitting second (3B), and Jesus Sanchez batting third (LF).
For The Players.
⚾️: 7:10pm
🏟️: Closed
📺: @SpaceCityHN | SCHN2
🎙️: @SportsTalk790 | Spanish: 93.3. FM#BuiltForThis x @reliantenergy pic.twitter.com/YsFmC7xhIC
— Houston Astros (@astros) August 15, 2025
Christian Walker will hit cleanup and play first base, followed by Yainer Diaz (C), Ramon Urias (2B), Taylor Trammell (CF), Mauricio Dubon (SS), and Cam Smith (RF).
___________________________
*ChatGPT assisted.
Looking to get the word out about your business, products, or services? Consider advertising on SportsMap! It's a great way to get in front of Houston sports fans. Click the link below for more information!