Breakfast Links - July 7, 2023
(image via Tacoma Defiance)
Happy Friday! We have plenty of Houston soccer this weekend so let’s kick it off with some Breakfast Links.
Houston
The Houston Dynamo return to Shell Energy Stadium after a short spell on the road. Tomorrow night the Dynamo will be taking on Sporting Kansas City in what will be a time of celebration. The first ever Alumni Weekend will take place with a special ceremony to commemorate Oscar Boniek Garcia’s career. Check out our Instagram for a chance to win a pair of tickets and a free cut from our friends at AllPros! Let’s go Dynamo!
The Houston Dash are also back at home this weekend with their match taking place tonight at 7:30 PM. Sam Laity will hope to make the ideal squad changes after losing some very important players to the upcoming FIFA Women’s World Cup. Get some tickets and support our ladies. DTFO!
Houston Dynamo 2 will be on the road, not too far away, taking on Austin FC II tonight. Dos have had a tough stretch of games, losing most of them by a one goal difference. Kenny Bundy and his boys will want to get revenge against Austin and flip the script heading towards the final part of their season. Kickoff is set for 8:00 PM. 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 are reportedly set to bring in another former Barcelona player. Defender Jordi Alba is set to join Lionel Messi and Sergio Busquets in South Florida, according to reports.
Minnesota United FC kept the attacking reinforcements coming Thursday, announcing the signing of veteran MLS winger Ismael Tajouri-Shradi. The 29-year-old Libyan international, who last played for Cypriot first-division club AC Omonia, joins through 2023 with club options for 2024-25. The Loons are his fourth team in the league, following previous stints with New York City FC, the New England Revolution and LAFC. Tajouri-Shradi will not occupy an international roster slot.
Felipe Gutiérrez is back for a second Sporting Kansas City run, as the club announced Thursday they have signed the Chilean midfielder through the 2023 MLS season with an option for 2024. Gutiérrez, 32, previously had a three-year stint (2018-20) as a Designated Player for SKC, though missed the 2020 MLS season due to a knee injury. When healthy, he landed Sporting KC's Golden Boot honors in 2019 and was named MLS Player of the Month in March 2018.
Major League Soccer and Arsenal FC announced their 10-player rosters and lineups for the 2023 MLS All-Star Skills Challenge presented by AT&T 5G.
Around the World
Kylian Mbappé still is not planning to extend his contract beyond June 2024 at Paris Saint-Germaindespite the latest threat from president Nasser Al-Khelaifi, and he is beginning to assume he might have to leave this summer with Real Madrid as his preferred option, sources told ESPN.
AC Milan are expected to make an improved offer for Chelsea forward Christian Pulisic as confidence grows that a deal will be reached for the United States star, sources have told ESPN. Milan submitted a new bid worth over €20 million ($21.8m) for Pulisic on Wednesday, sources told ESPN.
Former Germany midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger said Pep Guardiola is partly to blame for the national team's decline, telling British radio station Talksport that Germany lost some of their values because of the way the Spaniard coached during his time in the Bundesliga.
Swiss federal judges dismissed FIFA's appeal against a ruling that overturned its life ban for the former president of Haiti's soccer federation for alleged sexual abuse of women's national team players. A verdict from Switzerland's supreme court released on Thursday rejected FIFA's request filed in March to annul a Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling that lifted Yves Jean-Bart's expulsion from the sport.
Manchester United on Thursday increased their offer for Inter Milan goalkeeper Andre Onana to €50 million ($54m) total (€45m plus another €5m in add-ons), and there is now growing confidence at Old Trafford that a deal can be agreed, sources have told ESPN.
