Breakfast Links - March 22, 2023
(image via Houston Dash/Twitter)
Wednesday must be the most productive day of the week. We are at the prime of the work week, pushing along before we run out of steam, ha! Here are some Breakfast Link to get you over the hump.
Houston
The Houston Dynamo are still riding high after a massive win against Austin FC over the weekend. Now the team shifts their focus to hosting NYCFC on Saturday at Shell Energy Stadium. Panamanian Adalberto Carrasquilla will miss the match due to national team duty along with Juan Castilla and Xavier Valdez. Sebastian Ferreira reportedly received a late callup and it is unclear if he will travel or not. Check out the Bayou City Soccer Twitter account for a chance to win a pair of tickets for Saturday. Let’s go, Dynamo!
The Houston Dash will get the regular season kicked off at home when they host Racing Louisville Sunday night. The final roster was announced a few days back with not a lot of surprises. Now, the ladies will look to continue the great momentum built last year and hope that Sam Laity can generate a drive to make history with the Dash in his first year in charge. Check out the Bayou City Soccer Instagram account for a chance to win a pair of tickets for Sunday. DTFO!
Houston Dynamo 2 are also starting their season this week. They will be traveling to Austin to take on Austin FC II. The boys will look to pounce on the newbies and get some points on the road. We will keep you updated on everything Dos with the return of our weekly series, Dynamo 2sday. Vamos Dyna Dos!
Major League Soccer
There are worse injuries that can befall soccer players than a torn Achilles tendon, but not too many. And when Miles Robinson’s left Achilles ruptured during Atlanta United’s 4-1 home win over Chicago Fire FC last May, the worst pain that followed, even through a surgical repair and months of painstaking rehabilitation, was of the psychological variety. “I watched most of the World Cup from my couch with my family,” Robinson told reporters from central Florida on Tuesday, as he takes part in his first US men’s national team camp since the injury that denied him a place in Qatar.
Columbus Crew forward Kevin Molino's awful luck with knee injuries has continued, with the club announcing Tuesday the Trinidad and Tobago international will be out 6-8 weeks after undergoing a meniscectomy. The 32-year-old, who has suffered three torn ACLs, made substitute appearances in the Crew's first three matches of the 2023 season before getting the procedure last week.
Jakob Glesnes has committed his long-term future to the Philadelphia Union, with the club announcing Tuesday they've signed the 2022 MLS Defender of the Year to a new contract. One of the league's top center backs since joining the Union in 2020 from Strømsgodset, the 28-year-old Norwegian inked a new deal through 2025 with a club option for 2026. "Since arriving in MLS, Jakob has been a critical piece of our backline’s strong defensive record and was recognized individually as the 2022 MLS Defender of the Year," Philly sporting director Ernst Tanner said in a release.
After a nine-month pause, the US men's national team resume their 2022-23 Concacaf Nations League slate on Friday evening when visiting the Caribbean island of Grenada for a League A (Group D) fixture where they've heavy favorites.
Giovanni Reyna has been welcomed back to the United States national team, said Tim Ream, one of the group's senior players, after the family of the young midfielder sparked a feud with Gregg Berhalter that left the coach's future uncertain.
Around the World
Former Real Madrid and Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil has announced his retirement from professional football at age 34. Ozil, who was part of Germany's World Cup-winning squad in 2014, has spent the past three seasons in the Turkish Super Lig and retires after making four league appearances for Basaksehir, who he joined as a free agent last year.
Giovanni Reyna has been welcomed back to the United States national team, said Tim Ream, one of the group's senior players, after the family of the young midfielder sparked a feud with Gregg Berhalter that left the coach's future uncertain.
A consortium led by Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al-Thani will make an improved bid on Wednesday to buy Manchester United, sources have told ESPN. The offer, which follows a 10-hour meeting held with the club last Thursday, will be submitted to Raine Group before the 9 p.m. UK deadline.
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said his players need to maintain their high competitive level after beating France on penalties to win the country's third World Cup in Qatar last year. Ahead of Thursday's friendly against Panama, Scaloni spoke about the squad that will feature captain Lionel Messi and the rest of the players who were crowned champions on Dec. 18, and said his team was about to start a new process.
