Breakfast Links - June 9, 2023
(image via Houston Dash)
Happy Friday. We’ve got another big weekend of soccer ahead so let’s jump right into the links.
Houston
The Dynamo will kick things off in Houston soccer this weekend as they welcome reigning MLS Cup champion LAFC to Shell Energy Stadium tomorrow night. This will be the first of two straight matches against LAFC with Houston traveling to LA for a Wednesday game next week. The Dynamo are coming off a 4-1 win over Chicago Fire in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup and they found out yesterday that they will host the semifinal in August against Real Salt Lake. Unfortunately, the Dynamo were drawn last in priority for the final, meaning they can’t host. If they manage to beat RSL, Houston will play the final on the road in either Cincinnati or Miami.
The Dash are also at home this weekend as they will host NJ/NY Gotham FC on Sunday. Juan Carlos Amoros returns to Houston as Gotham’s head coach. He helped lead the club to their first playoff appearance last season before leaving to take the Gotham job. Sam Laity’s club will look to make it three straight wins, and four wins in five Sunday evening.
Dynamo 2 also play Sunday evening, as they’re on the road to take on Minnesota United 2. Dynamo Dos have climbed to fourth in the Western Conference standings after picking up eleven points in their last four matches.
Be sure to check out the latest episodes of the Bayou City Soccer Podcast, available everywhere you get your podcasts. We’ll have a new episode out later today.
Major League Soccer
Messi Mania has fully taken over MLS, and he hasn’t even officially signed yet. If you want to know just what kind of impact the World Cup champion might have on the league, look no further than Inter Miami’s social media accounts. The club added nearly 5 million followers on Instagram in the last couple of days. And did I mention, ticket sales to every Miami match on the road are upwards of $500. It’s going to be a wild summer in Major League Soccer.
The best team in MLS might be about to get much better. FC Cincinnati are finalizing the acquisition of striker Aaron Boupendza from Saudi club Al-Shabab FC. The Gabon international will reportedly join for a $7 million transfer fee. He will replace Brenner who is leaving Cincinnati this summer to join Udinese in Italy’s Serie A.
The Vancouver Whitecaps lifting a trophy this week, winning their second straight Canadian Championship. The Caps beat Montreal 2-1 on Wednesday tonight to lift the trophy again and book a place in next year’s Concacaf Champions Cup.
Around the World
Manchester City will look to complete a treble tomorrow when they take on Inter Milan in the UEFA Champions League Final. City won the English Premier League and FA Cup and can add a third jewel to their crown with a win in Turkey.
Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, and now Riyad Mahrez? Saudi club Al Ahli will look to tempt the Algerian winger with a 100 million euro deal. N’Golo Kante looks to be leaving England for Saudi Arabia and Mahrez could be right behind him.
Ticket sales for this summer’s Women’s World Cup have surpassed 1 million. The event in Australia and New Zealand is set to become the most attended standalone women’s sporting event in history. The United States will look to lift the trophy again and they will enter the tournament as the number 1 ranked team in the FIFA world rankings.
