Breakfast Links - July 21, 2023
(image via Xinhua/SIPA USA)
It’s finally Friday and I’m ready for the weekend. Let’s get it started with some Breakfast Links!
Houston
The Houston Dynamo kick off the 2023 Leagues Cup tonight against Orlando City. Houston has 2 games guaranteed in this tournament but they are both tough. The Dynamo will hope to take some points away from Orlando today before Santos Laguna visits Shell Energy Stadium next week. Let’s go Dynamo!
The Houston Dash are back in action after a week long break. The ladies will be playing tomorrow for the Challenges Cup against Kansas City Current. Last night, Michelle Aloize, Allysha Chapman, Sophie Schmidt and Nichelle Prince saw action during the Nigeria vs Canada match up that ended in a scoreless draw. DTFO!
Houston Dynamo 2 will be hosting Minnesota United 2 on Sunday at SaberCats Stadium. Check out our social media for a ticket giveaway. Dos snapped a winless streak last weekend after beating North Texas SC. Now Kenny and the boys will hope to stay the course and continue gathering points, especially at home. 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
Inter Miami CF have signed another FC Barcelona legend, announcing Thursday afternoon they have acquired left back Jordi Alba. The Spanish international defender is under contract through the 2024 MLS season with an option for 2025. He was a free agent.
The expanded 2023 Leagues Cup commences this weekend across the United States and Canada, pitting 29 MLS teams against 18 Liga MX clubs in a World Cup-style tournament that pauses both competitions over the next month. Before setting off, here’s a look at 10 players - in no particular order - plying their trade in Major League Soccer with history on either side of the border.
Messimania is in full effect! Tonight Cruz Azul and Inter Miami will face off in Leagues Cup play, in which likely be Lionel Messi’s debut with the team from South Beach. A lot of people around the world will be tuning in to see the GOAT play.
Around the World
Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and his partner, Alessia Elefante, were attacked and robbed at their home in Paris in the early hours of Friday morning, sources told ESPN. The couple were tied up at their home in the French capital but managed to escape to a nearby luxury hotel at 3.30 a.m. local time, where staff raised an alarm. The pair were later taken to hospital.
U.S. women's national team stars Rose Lavelle and Megan Rapinoe will have their minutes managed to start the Women's World Cup, while Julie Ertz is fully fit to play, U.S. coach Vlatko Andonovski said on Friday. "Rose actually has been really good -- she's trained with the team now for a good three weeks, and off-and-on she trained with us before that," Andonovski said. "She's ready to play and we're not going to force a lot of minutes from the beginning. We'll ease everything up as we move on."
Despite the drama surrounding a lack of playing time with the United States at the 2022 World Cup, Giovanni Reyna has one thing he won't have to worry about going forward: his future with the national team. Reyna, 20, played a key role for the USMNT in their Concacaf Nations League win in June and was told by U.S. Soccer's sporting director after the semifinal victory over Mexico that his long-term place in the team was guaranteed.
Netherlands have accused the Women's World Cup of amateurish organisation as they complained about their training conditions in New Zealand, but they are still using the Bay Oval in Tauranga to prepare for their opening game on Sunday. Coach Andries Jonker told reporters he feared his players could be injured on the field, which has a hard cricket pitch in the middle, and which the Dutch had asked be taken out months ago.
