THE SOCCER REPORT
U.S. Women win fourth World Cup title; Brazil and Mexico kings of their region
Jul 9, 2019, 2:28 am
Getty Images
Mexico are champions of Concacaf, Brazil are kings of CONMEBOL and the United States successfully defended their FIFA Women's World Cup title to cap off the week in soccer. With the African Cup of Nations entering the quarterfinal stage, international competition is winding down as preseason intensifies with European clubs.
Locally, the Houston Dynamo and Houston Dash continue to battle the rigors of their respective seasons and are currently mid-table in the standings.
FIFA Women's World Cup
USA v Netherlands - FIFA Women's World Cup France 2019™ - THE FINALwww.youtube.com
The United States Women's National Team successfully completed their title defense with a 2-0 win over the Netherlands in the final on Sunday. Team USA defeated England 2-1 in the semifinal round earlier in the week. Sweden finished third with a 2-1 win over England.
USA is the most successful nation with four titles and only the second to repeat as champion since Germany at the 2003 and 2007 World Cups. The team will be honored with a ticker-tape parade in New York City on Wednesday.
Golden Ball - Megan Rapinoe (USA)
Golden Boot (Top Scorer) - Megan Rapinoe (USA)
Golden Glove (Top Goalkeeper) - Sari van Veenendaal (Netherlands)
FIFA Young Player Award - Giulia Gwinn (Germany)
FIFA Fair Play Award - France
Concacaf Gold Cup
90 in 90: United States vs. Mexico | 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup Highlightswww.youtube.com
Mexico are the champions of Concacaf after defeating the United States Men's National Team 1-0 at Soldier Field in Chicago. LA Galaxy midfielder Jonathan dos Santos had the game-winning goal that awarded Mexico their 8th Gold Cup trophy.
Golden Ball - Raúl Jiménez (Mexico)
Golden Boot - Jonathan David (Canada)
Golden Glove - Guillermo Ochoa (Mexico)
Best Young Player - Christian Pulisic (USA)
Fair Play Award - United States
CONMEBOL Copa America
Brasil vs. Perú: 3-1 Goals & Highlights | Copa América | Telemundo Deporteswww.youtube.com
Hosts Brazil completed the task expected of them and hoisted the Copa America (South American Championship) for the ninth ocassion with a 3-1 win over Peru. Argentina finished third with a 2-1 win over Chile in a rematch of the two previous Copa America finals.
Golden Ball - Dani Alves (Brazil)
Golden Boot - Everton (Brazil)
Golden Glove - Alisson (Brazil)
Fair Play Award - Brazil
AFC Africa Cup of Nations
Egypt v South Africa Highlights - Total AFCON 2019 - R3www.youtube.com
Liverpool star Mohammed Salah and hosts Egypt were eliminated from the tournament with a 1-0 loss to South Africa in the Round of 16. Defending champions Cameroon also exited the tournament, meaning a new champion will be crowned in over a week. The quarterfinals begin on Wednesday.
------
Major League Soccer
Houston Dynamo vs. New York Red Bulls | HIGHLIGHTS - July 3, 2019www.youtube.com
The Houston Dynamo snapped a three match road losing streak with a 4-0 home win over the New York Red Bulls on Tuesday. The road woes returned, however, with a 3-2 loss at expansion team FC Cincinnati.
East top seven: 1. Philadelphia (36), 2. D.C. United (31), 3. Atlanta (30), 4. Montreal (30), 5. NYCFC (29), 6. NY Red Bulls (28), 7. Toronto (23)
West top seven: 1. LAFC (43), 2. LA Galaxy (34), 3. Seattle (32), 4. Minnesota (30), 5. Dallas (29), 6. San Jose (28), 7. Houston (27)
Scoring leader: 19 - Carlos Vela (LAFC)
Assists leader: 12 - Carlos Vela (LAFC)
National Women's Soccer League
Standings: 1. Reign FC (20), 2. North Carolina Courage (19), 3. Portland Thorns (19), 4. Washington Spirit (18), 5. Utah Royals (17), 6. Chicago Red Stars (14), 7. Houston Dash (13), 8. Orlando Pride (8), 9. Sky Blue FC (5)
Scoring leader: 9 - Sam Kerr (Chicago)
Assists leader: 4 - Jaelene Hinkle (NC Courage) / Lynn Williams (NC Courage) / Yuki Nagasato (Chicago)
------------
Upcoming Matches (All Times CT):
Tuesday, July 9
7:30 p.m. - [Friendly] Club America vs. Pumas UNAM (Univision Deportes)
Wednesday, July 10
11:00 a.m. - [Africa Cup of Nations quarterfinals] Senegal vs. Benin (beIN SPORTS)
2:00 p.m. - [Africa Cup of Nations quarterfinals] Nigeria vs. South Africa (beIN SPORTS)
Thursday, July 11
10:30 a.m. - [Friendly] - West Ham vs. Rheindorf Altach (ESPN3)
11:00 a.m. - [Africa Cup of Nations quarterfinals] Ivory Coast vs. Algeria (beIN SPORTS)
1:30 p.m. - [Friendly] Tranmere Rovers vs. Liverpool FC (B/R Live)
2:00 p.m. - [Africa Cup of Nations quarterfinals] Madagascar vs. Tunisia (beIN SPORTS)
Friday, July 12
10:30 a.m. - [Friendly] - Dortmund vs. Schweinberg (ESPN3)
2:00 p.m. - [Friendly] - Real Betis vs. Sheffield United (ESPN3)
6:00 p.m. - [MLS] D.C. United vs. New England Revolution (ESPN)
8:00 p.m. - [MLS] Houston Dynamo vs. LAFC (UniMás)
10:00 p.m. - [MLS] LA Galaxy vs. San Jose Earthquakes (UniMás)
Saturday, July 13
11:00 a.m. - [Africa Cup of Nations semifinals] Senegal/Benin vs. Madagascar/Tunisia (beIN SPORTS)
2:00 p.m. - [Africa Cup of Nations semifinals] Ivory Coast/Algeria vs. Nigeria/South Africa (beIN SPORTS)
Sunday, July 14
2:55 p.m. - [MLS] Seattle Sounders FC vs. Atlanta United (ESPN)
5:30 p.m. - [MLS] New York Red Bulls vs. NYCFC (FS1)
Most Popular
SportsMap Emails
Are Awesome
Listen Live
After dropping a frustrating series to the Chicago White Sox, the Houston Astros find themselves in a familiar position—searching for answers, but still within striking distance. Despite their inconsistency, Houston sits just three games behind the AL West-leading Mariners, who are currently 7 games over .500 and riding an 8-2 stretch. For as up-and-down as the Astros have been, the division remains tantalizingly close.
That inconsistency was on full display throughout the White Sox series. Jake Meyers and Zach Dezenzo each played the roles of both hero and heartbreaker. Dezenzo launched a massive home run in Game 3, a moment that energized the dugout and briefly shifted momentum. But his costly defensive error later in the game flipped the script. Meyers was a spark plug in Houston’s lone win, delivering a clutch performance at the plate, only to run the team out of a rally in the finale when he was picked off second—right before Jeremy Peña ripped what would have been an RBI single.
Jose Altuve’s struggles are quietly becoming more worrisome. He’s recorded just one multi-hit game since April 19 and has only one homer since April 8. On Sunday, he swung at the first pitch after Lance McCullers had grinded through a 33-pitch inning—a decision that raised questions about his awareness in a veteran moment. Should manager Joe Espada have reminded Altuve of the situation? Or is this on Altuve, who should have known what to do as one of the team leaders?
Signs of life
There are flickers of life from the bats. Last week, Houston's team OPS was an underwhelming .667 (23rd in MLB), with a slugging percentage of .357 (25th). They've nudged those numbers up to .684 (19th) and .370 (21st), respectively. It’s modest progress, but enough to suggest this offense might be trending in the right direction. Still, their 5-5 record over the last 10 games feels emblematic of who they are right now—a .500 team with both talent and flaws.
Looking ahead
The upcoming schedule could be a turning point. Three of the next five opponents have losing records, and none of them are elite. This stretch offers a prime opportunity for Houston to finally build momentum and close the gap in the division—assuming the Mariners cool off from their current tear, which seems inevitable given their unsustainable 8-2 pace.
McCullers is officially back!
Lance McCullers returned for the first time since 2022 and, despite being limited to 3.2 innings due to command issues (three walks and a hit batter), there were encouraging signs. His velocity was there, and the stuff looked sharp. It’s a start, and perhaps a step toward stabilizing a rotation that still needs length.
Steering the ship
Manager Joe Espada, however, continues to draw scrutiny. His decision-making in the finale raised eyebrows again. Giving Isaac Paredes a day off when Yordan Alvarez was already sitting left the lineup depleted. Rather than using promising young infielder/outfielder Cam Smith, he opted for Mauricio Dubón and Brendan Rodgers—a defensive combo that didn't inspire confidence. It feels at times like Espada isn’t prioritizing winning the final game of a series, a pattern that could haunt the team down the stretch.
The plot thickens
Meanwhile, Christian Walker’s slump is dragging on. He went 0-for-5 twice in the last two series and looks out of sync at the plate. The Astros need more from their power hitters if they hope to make a real run. And with Alvarez now heading to the IL with hand inflammation, runs will be even harder to come by.
All told, this team still feels like one hovering just above or below .500. But in a division that remains wide open, the path forward is clear: play better, hope the Mariners come back to earth, and capitalize on a soft schedule. The race is far from over—but it’s time for Houston to start acting like contenders.
We have 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!
*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!