Breakfast Links - April 7, 2023
(image via Houston Dynamo FC/Twitter)
It’s so good that it’s finally Friday. A good Good Friday. Here are your Breakfast Links.
Houston
The Houston Dynamo have been on the ultimate roller coaster ride this season. Home matches are a high, road games on the low. The team will hope to get a push up the standings this weekend as they host LA Galaxy. Chicharito might finally get minutes this 2023 season. Get your tickets and popcorn ready for this one. Houston also found out last night that they will be taking on the Tampa Rowdies in the 3rd round of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup in late April. Let’s go Dynamo!
The Houston Dash do not have a match this weekend as the NWSL is on pause do to the international window. However, on Tuesday, the Dash will square up against the Mexican women’s National team. Maria Sanchez and Diana Ordonez will suit for Mexico and face off against their club team. Should be an interesting match, friendly and all. DTFO!
Houston Dynamo 2 are still in search of their first points of the season. Tonight they will take on St. Louis CITY SC 2 for their 3rd match of season. The game kicks off at 7:00 PM CT and you can stream it on Apple TV. Vamos Dyna Dos!
Make sure you check out the latest episodes of the Bayou City Soccer Podcast, available everywhere you get your podcasts.
Major League Soccer
Four teams in each age group, U-15s and U-17s, are left standing at the 2023 Generation adidas Cup, heading towards the final two days of the competition in Bradenton, Florida. Three of the four teams left in the Under-15 age group are MLS sides, with Austin FC, Belgium's KRC Genk, Orlando City SC and the Philadelphia Union all advancing to Saturday’s semifinals.
St. Louis CITY SC have been flying high in their debut MLS season, making history as the league's first-ever expansion club to start their inaugural campaign with five straight victories. This week, they'll have to contend with their first real test of adversity.
Toronto FC have signed midfielder Alonso Coello Camarero to a first-team contract, the club announced Thursday. Coello Camarero's contract runs through 2023, and includes club options for 2024 and 2025. The 23-year-old Spaniard made two first-team appearances for TFC so far this season on a pair of short-term loan agreements from MLS NEXT Pro affiliate Toronto FC II, posting 88.1% passing accuracy in 102 minutes.
Around The World
Carlo Ancelotti will be considered for a return to Chelsea for a second spell as manager at Stamford Bridge should the Real Madrid coach leave the Santiago Bernabeu at the end of the season, sources have told ESPN. Chelsea announced former player and coach Frank Lampard as interim manager for the remainder of the season on Thursday having sacked Graham Potter last Sunday. Potter lasted just seven months in charge after replacing Thomas Tuchel last September.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp called questions about rotating his squad as a "waste of time" after he made six changes for the goalless draw at Chelsea on Tuesday. Following Liverpool's 4-1 thrashing at Manchester City last Saturday, Klopp dropped Mohamed Salah, Cody Gakpo, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson to the bench for the midweek Premier League game at Stamford Bridge.
Juventus have been given a partial stadium ban for their next home game in the Italian Cup after some of their supporters directed racist chants at Inter Milan striker Romelu Lukaku on Tuesday. Lukaku was sanctioned with a second yellow card for provoking Juve fans by holding his finger to his lips as if to silence the crowd after converting a stoppage-time penalty to earn Inter a 1-1 draw in the first leg of the semifinals.
World Cup winners Argentina topped the FIFA rankings released on Thursday for the first time in six years. Argentina's two wins in friendlies last month ended the one-year run at the top for Brazil, who lost 2-1 at Morocco and fell to No. 3.
