THE SOCCER REPORT
Soccer Recap: Liverpool win FIFA Club World Cup, Dynamo eye Liga MX goalkeeper
Dec 24, 2019, 7:40 am
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Saleh/Liverpool
The year may be winding down but the soccer schedule sure isn't. The Premier League will have the spotlight for Boxing Day while a new Liga MX champion will be crowned. Below is a list of upcoming matches plus a review of the past week in the world's most popular sport.
Liverpool FC conquer first Club World Cup title
European Champions Liverpool joined the 2019 FIFA Club World Cup with a 2-1 win in stoppage time over Concacaf Champions Monterrey in the semifinal midweek. They would close out the deal with an extra time 1-0 win over South American Champions Flamengo. Brazilian forward Roberto Firmino was the hero with the late goals in both of the matches.
Monterrey defeated Asian Champions Al-Hilal 4-3 on penalties after a 2-2 draw in the third place match. Monterrey now returns to Mexico with their sights set on the Liga MX final for the Apertura 2019 season.
Liga MX talent continues immigration to MLS
Officially official. #Crew96 x @Lucazelarayan31 https://t.co/5ceL6unfyE— Columbus Crew SC (@Columbus Crew SC) 1576862798.0
Lucas Zelarayan was the latest name this week to go from a Liga MX club to Major League Soccer this offseason. The former Tigres UANL midfielder joins Columbus Crew on a reported $8 million transfer fee.
Other Liga MX to MLS moves this offseason:
- Alan Pulido - CD Guadalajara to Sporting Kansas City (~ $9.5 million)
- Lucas Cavalini - Puebla to Vancouver Whitecaps FC ($6 million)
Among the transfer season hot stove between the two leagues are the Houston Dynamo who have shown interest in former U.S. Men's National Team goalkeeper William Yarbrough, a two-time Liga MX champion with Club Leon. The move would reunite the Mexican-born goalie with new Dynamo coach Tab Ramos, a former USMNT assistant under Jurgen Klinsmann.
ESPN 97.5 FM host Glenn Davis has confirmed interest in the player by the Houston club, citing transfer fee negotiations as the "final hurdle." The Athletic's Jeff Reuter has added that a loan deal could be a possibility.
European Roundup
English Premier League
Top six: 1. Liverpool (49), 2. Leicester City (39), 3. Man City (38), 4. Chelsea (32), 5. Sheffield Utd (28), 6. Wolves (27)
Bottom three (relegation): 18. Aston Villa (15), 19. Norwich City (12), 20. Watford (12)
Scoring leader: 17 - Jamie Vardy (Leicester City)
Assists leader: 10 - Kevin De Bruyne (Man City)
Spanish La Liga
Top six: 1. FC Barcelona (39), 2. Real Madrid (37), 3. Sevilla (34), 4. Atletico Madrid (32), 5. Real Sociedad (31), 6. Getafe (30)
Bottom three: 18. Celta Vigo (14), 19. Leganes (13), 20. Espanyol (10)
Scoring leader: 13 - Lionel Messi (FC Barcelona)
Assists leader: 6 - Four players tied
German Bundesliga
Top six: 1. RB Leipzig (37), 2. Monchengladbach (35), 3. Bayern Munich (33), 4. Dortmund (30), 5. Schalke 04 (30), 6. Bayer 04 (28)
Bottom three: 16. Fortuna (15), 17. Werder Bremen (14), 18. Paderborn (12)
Scoring leader: 19 - Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
Assists leader: 11 - Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich)
Italian Serie A
Top six: 1. Inter Milan (42), 2. Juventus (42), 3. Lazio (36), 4. Roma (35), 5. Atalanta (31), 6. Cagliari (29)
Bottom three: 18. Brescia (14), 19. SPAL (12), 20. Genoa (11)
Scoring leader: 17 - Ciro Immobile (Lazio)
Assists leader: 11 - Luis Alberto (Lazio)
French Ligue 1
Top four: 1. PSG (45), 2. Marseille (38), 3. Rennes (33), 4. Lille (31)
Bottom three: 18. Amiens (17), 19. Nimes (12), 20. Toulouse (12)
Scoring leader: 13 - Wissam Ben Yedder (Monaco)
Assists leader: 7 - Three players tied
TV listings (All Times CT):
Thursday, December 26
6:30 a.m. - [Premier League] Tottenham vs. Brighton (NBC Sports)
9:00 a.m. - [Premier League] Bournemouth vs. Arsenal (NBC Sports)
11:30 a.m. - [Premier League] Manchester United vs. Newcastle (NBC Sports)
2:00 p.m. - [Premier League] Leicester vs. Liverpool (NBC Sports)
7:30 p.m. - [Liga MX Final - 1st leg] Monterrey vs. Club America (FS1, FOX Deportes)
Friday, December 27
1:45 p.m. - [Premier League] Wolves vs. Manchester City (NBC Sports)
Saturday, December 28
6:30 a.m. - [Premier League] Brighton vs. Bournemouth (NBC Sports)
9:00 a.m. - [Premier League] Newcastle vs. Everton (NBC Sports)
11:30 a.m. - [Premier League] Norwich vs. Tottehnam (NBC)
1:45 p.m. - [Premier League] Burnley vs. Manchester United (NBC)
Saturday, December 29
8:00 a.m. - [Premier League] Arsenal vs. Chelsea (NBC Sports)
10:30 a.m. - [Premier League] Liverpool vs. Wolves (NBC Sports)
7:00 p.m. - [Liga MX Final - 2nd leg] Club America vs. Monterrey (Univision, TUDN)
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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