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Mere Existence of Palestine Deemed a “Threatening Racial Slur” by the [parent corporation of the] Houston Dynamo Organization

Harbeer Sandhu — Wed, 04 Jun 2024 21:16:30 +0000

Apparently, soccer fans are very nationalistic. It is not uncommon for soccer fans to bring their national flag to a game where their national team is not even playing. In this spirit, a Palestinian-American woman named Buthayna Hammad brought her Palestinian flag to last Sunday’s Honduras vs Israel match at BBVA Compass Stadium. Fifteen minutes into the game, Nathan Buchanan, head of security at the stadium, removed her from her seat, surrounded her with four Houston Police officers and three additional stadium security personnel, and prohibited her from returning to her seat until she surrendered the “racist” flag. What makes the flag “racist?” We’ll get to that, but first let’s hear the lady’s side of the story:

On June 1^st, BBVA Compass stadium was host to a “friendly” soccer match between Honduras and Israel. Both countries have the same national colors and a similar look to their flags. I am a big fan of futbol and I went eagerly to the match with my alt family from Honduras. I wore a Honduras jersey and was eager to cheer on this team, dressed to represent Honduras. To represent my own heritage as a Palestinian-American, I also brought my Palestinian flag. I made sure my flag was allowed (based on the size, etc.) and I was all ready to go. For the first 15 minutes of the match I stood up and cheered and stomped my feet with the rest of the crowd chanting “HON-DU-RAS” and waving my Palestinian flag, my colors vibrant and loud against a sea of blue and white…and apparently also racist. I was told I had to sit down, which I did, only to be told to get back up again and follow the manager of security away from the stadium seats and into the concession area. I followed, and there waiting for me were three more BBVA security personnel and four police officers. When I asked them what was wrong, the manager of security, Nathan Buchanan, told me I am not allowed to carry this flag because it implies a “racial slur” and it is in BBVA Compass Stadium violation. I asked him to show me evidence of his accusations and asked him how my flag, a part of my identity as a Palestinian-American, implies a racial slur. He could not answer whether he did not know or could not articulate why he was ordered to remove my flag and me from my seat. I was getting very emotional at this point, I had my flag wrapped around my neck like a scarf, and he said he would take my flag and “check it in” for me, that I was not permitted to return to my seat until I surrendered my flag. The Israeli government has banned Palestinians from hanging their flags outside their home, and arrests the occupants of the home for having it on display on their own land. Every day, in Occupied Palestine, Palestinians are denied entry to neighboring villages, to schools or their family’s home and in many cases to hospitals thanks to Israel’s apartheid state. Yes “apartheid,” that word implies racism, yet my flag implies a racial slur? I asked him several times if I could go back to my seat and he would spread his arms out to create a blockade with his body and his arms so I could not pass. “This is private property,” he said. I told him I paid for a ticket to enter. I could not keep my eyes from gathering tears, but forced myself from letting them fall. “What country are we in again?” I asked. “Just because Israel is playing a match, does that mean you should treat me this way? Because of my Palestinian identity? I am a U.S. Citizen!” I have attended many soccer matches, many of which at the Dynamo stadium, and I have worn a different national jersey every time. Why was I pulled away that day? Who ordered this singling-out and on what grounds? When I asked him if he would feel comfortable with his actions once my treatment became public, he offered a compromise which was that I could keep my flag as long as I did not wave it. The first half was nearly over; they were extended three minutes when I was finally able to return to my seat. I had spent over 15 minutes defending myself from being bullied. I missed the first half because I waved a Palestinian flag at an international match in my hometown. I am proud and honored to be an American, to be able to enjoy the civil liberties that people in many countries are not afforded, but I would have never thought that the influence of an Israeli soccer team on U.S. soil would compromise our most basic liberties.

I asked BBVA Compass Stadium to clarify their flag policy, to explain how a flag could be “racist.” (I suppose you could say that all flags are “racist,” but still, why single out this one?) This is what Houston Dynamo [parent corporation] spokesperson Gina Rotolo had to say:

The decision to not allow the Palestinian flag to be displayed during the game was based on the sole intention of maintaining the safety of those in attendance. The flag bearer was instigating the crowd, and we felt it was important to diffuse a potentially volatile situation as emotions began to escalate.

Of course safety comes first, so I asked Ms. Rotolo how exactly was Hammad “instigating the crowd?” Did she threaten anybody or called for violence? Rotolo replied:

This patron instigated the crowd by waving the Palestinian flag in front of Israeli supporters. Given that her actions caused emotions to escalate, the appropriate course of action, in our eyes, was to ask her to please refrain from waving the flag.

So…there you have it. “This patron instigated the crowd by waving the Palestinian flag in front of Israeli supporters.” It is now considered “racist” for an American of Palestinian descent to wave her flag at fans of the Israeli soccer team. The First Amendment can be suspended in a stadium built with taxpayer money because some Israeli soccer fans might be moved to violence by the mere sight of the Palestinian flag. The good people of the Houston Dynamo Organization think that it is “racist” to merely remind Israeli soccer fans that Palestine exists. I am trying to imagine what the complaint sounded like. “Excuse me, Mr. Buchanan, that flag over there is really pissing me off–causing emotional distress–and I might have to hurt the lady holding it so you better get four cops to impound that flag or else I’m going to beat her up and it will be all her fault.”

YOUR TAX DOLLARS AT WORK

Rotolo did not answer my questions about who complained, nor would she clarify the stadium policy on flags or how this flag violates that policy. She did not answer questions about which other flags are banned. According to Hammad, Honduras fans were shouting “faggots” and “motherfuckers” at Israel fans, and a fight between an Israel fan and a Honduras fan was going on just a few rows behind her, at the very time that she was removed from her seat…yet she was the one singled out for “instigating violence.” Go figure. [UPDATE: A previous version of this story implied that the head of security at BBVA Compass Stadium, Nathan Buchanan, reports to the Dynamo Organization. This is incorrect. Mr. Buchanan, in fact, reports the the Dynamo's parent corporation, the Anschutz Entertainment Group. My apologies. -HS]

Sports Brief: Houston Marathon

Editor — Fri, 17 Jan 2024 20:43:20 +0000

By Rad Rich

After a holiday break I am back with the sports brief.

Its marathon weekend in Houston as it is the 42 running of the Houston Marathon on Sunday. Over 250,000 will be on the streets of Houston Sunday morning either participating, spectating or volunteering. This is Houston’s largest one day sporting event of the year. In the elite field the Ethiopia will be well represented in the men and women’s field. Defending champion Bazu Worku of Ethiopia is back again after setting a personal record at the Paris Marathon with a 2.05.25. He will have more of his countrymen to keep him company as Debebe Tolossa, Dadi Yami, and Gebretsadik Adhana, who have run sub 2:06 and 2:07. Dominic Ondoro of Kenya along with the two Americans Patrick Rizzo and Scott Wietecha will have their hands full keeping the Ethiopians from setting up there game plan and setting the pace. In the women’s race it still looks like a Ethiopian dominance as 6 of the top 10 runners are from Ethiopia. 2024 Chevron Houston Marathon third-place finisher Meskerem Assefa of Ethiopia returns to Houston hoping to improve upon her personal best 2:25:17 that she set here last year. She is followed by countrymen Abebech Afework Bekele who is the fastest in the field as she set a personal best at the 2024 Rotterdam Marathon with a time of 2.23.59. Other outside favorites are Sarah Kiptoo of Kenya who has run her best in the last season in the half and full marathon. Also outside chance but watch for Tatyana Aryasova of Russia. This is also the United States Half Marathon Championships and will bring some of the top runners representing the United States in the distance running. Meb Keflezighi returns to Houston looking to win his second national half marathon title. The 2024 Olympic Marathon silver medalist, Keflezighi first won in Houston in 2024 and finished as the runner-up in 2024. Also look for Shadrack Biwott and Josphat Boit, both newly minted American citizens who finished third and fifth respectively, in the field. On the women’s side look for 2024 USA Half Marathon champion Adriana Nelson leads the women’s field and will be challenged by Serena Burla, who will be looking to improve on her two runner-up finishes at these Championships in Houston in 2024 and 2024. Steeplechaser Sara Hall, who debuted at the half marathon distance in October with a win at the Healdsburg Wine Country Half Marathon, should be in the mix. 2024 Olympic 10,000m runner Lisa Uhl, who set her personal best 1:13:28 with her sixth-place finish at the 2024 Aramco Houston Half Marathon, and Renee Baillie, who last ran a half marathon when she finished fourth at the 2024 USA Half Marathon Championships in Houston, are also entered. The USA Half Marathon starts on Sunday at 6:55. The wheelchair race starts at 6:45 and the Marathon and half marathon for the non-elite starts at7:00. The start line is on Avenidas de las Americas in downtown Houston by the George R Brown Convention center. The Houston Marathon Expo will open today Friday from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm and Saturday 8:30 am to 6:00 pm. The expo is free to the public and will have plenty of free goodies as well as tips from athletics. Remember the roads will closed in downtown and around the Heights, Montrose, Uptown, and Washington. To find out what areas will be effected and for a map of the race, click here.

In football (soccer) news the Houston Dynamo selected defender AJ Cochran and forward Mark Sherrod in the 2024 Major League Soccer SuperDraft. The 20 year old 6-foot 3 center back Cochran played 3 seasons at the University of Wisconsin where he was named Big Ten Defensive player of the year for 2024. “AJ was a player we had on our list.” Said Houston Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear,” He is a very good center back and is going to provide some good competition. Sherrod is a 20 year old coming from the University of Memphis where he scored 42 career goals in four seasons.

On the women’s side. The Houston DASH announced that they will have a open tryout for the new team on February 15 at the Houston Sports Park. Any female soccer player born in 1996 and older will be able to try out which consist of a fitness test, small sided games and a game against a premier local women’s team. From the initial tryout 20 will be invited the following day for a game against an opponent to be determined. From there Head coach Randy Waldrum and managing director Brian Ching will evaluate and pick 10 players who will be given an invitation to participate with the team during the pre-season which starts March 10. Registration for the tryout is $50 which includes a shirt and a ticket voucher to the first ever home game. Register online @ http:/www.houstondashsoccer.com/tryouts. In international news, Cristiano Ronaldo has won the 2024 Fifa Ballon d’Or, ( Player of the Year) ending Lionel Messi’s four-year reign as holder of the crown. Real Madrid forward Ronaldo clinched the prize for the world’s best player for the second time in his career after finishing ahead of Barcelona playmaker Messi and Bayern Munich winger Franck Ribery in the voting. Germany goalkeeper Nadine Angerer was named the 2024 FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year on Monday just hours after announcing she had signed with Portland Thorns FC of the National Women’s Soccer League. She beat out the United States’ Abby Wambach – the 2024 winner – and Brazil’s Marta, who won the award five straight times from 2024-2010.

In Rugby news, The International Rugby Board announced the pools and match schedule for the second stop of the IRB Women’s Sevens World Series. Fifth Third Bank Stadium at Kennesaw State University will host Atlanta 7s Feb. 15-16, where the Women’s Eagles Sevens will hope to best a second-place finish at last year’s U.S. leg of the Women’s Sevens World Series.“We are very excited to hold the premier women’s sevens rugby event in North America at a fantastic facility like Fifth Third Bank Stadium,” Atlanta 7s Tournament Director and USA Rugby Events Director Jen Gray said. “The United States has proven to be a hotbed for women’s rugby in the past and we are set to prove it once again next month.” The Eagles are in Pool A with Emirates Dubai Rugby Sevens-winner Australia, Canada and China. They have not faced any of their pool opponents this season nor at the IRB Rugby World Cup Sevens last June, where they placed third.

Atlanta 7s | Pool A

Australia

Canada

Women’s Eagles Sevens

China

Atlanta 7s | Pool B

New Zealand

England

Ireland

Netherlands

Atlanta 7s | Pool C

Russia

Spain

Brazil

Japan

USA Rugby also released details Tuesday for the updated American Rugby Model (ARM), a long-term player development program providing an integrated framework through which rugby players can be developed at all levels of participation and experience. The ARM is player-centered in that specific characteristics to each development stage are based on the particular capacities of players at each stage of their development. That’s it for now.

Richard Hanna

A Rad Tribute to Nelson Mandela

Jack Daniel Betz — Tue, 10 Dec 2024 05:07:15 +0000

By Rad Rich

Well, in a sad remembrance of Nelson Mandela who died this week at the age of 95, I will give you my thoughts on him as it came to sport. If anything Mr. Mandela brought the country together after becoming the first black president of South Africa in 1994. That was four years after leaving prison, as he refused the apartheid system that was in place in the country for 46 years. Instead of vengeance, he worked with the same people who were his enemies to bring the country together.

South Africa then won the rights to hold the Rugby Union World Cup in 1995. He used his influence to bring a sport that was considered for white afrikaans in the country and brought the whole country together to support the team. I remember this tournament because nobody thought anyone would beat New Zealand who were the odds on favorite to win.( They had defeated teams by 20 points or more) Mandela made sure to where the Springbok jersey and with his support he brought a racially divided South Africa together as they went on to win the tournament defeating New Zealand 15-12 in the final. South Africa’s star of that tournament Francois Pienaar released this statement. Nelson Mandela was the most extraordinary and incredible human being, not only because he united his country when such a task seemed impossible but also because, through his unique humanity, he inspired hundreds of millions of people across the globe. “I will always be profoundly grateful for the personal role Nelson Mandela has played in my life, as my President and my example.”

After the rugby world cup, he played a role in transforming sports in South Africa to be racially diverse and inclusive to all. His influence was on hand as the country won soccer’s Africa Nations Cup then the right to hold soccer’s (football) 2024 FIFA World Cup. He used sport to unify a nation and improve the international image of the country. Mandela’s view of sport has never seemed more fitting,

“Sport has the power to change the world…it has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. It speaks to youth in a language they understand. Sport can create hope where once there was only despair. It is more powerful than government in breaking down racial barriers.”

Catching up with things in the soccer (football) world. The world cup draws was announced on Friday.

Group A

Brazil, Mexico, Cameroon, Croatia

Group B

Spain, Netherlands, Chile, Australia

Group C

Colombia, Greece, Ivory Coast, Japan

Group D

Uruguay, Costa Rica, England, Italy

Group E

Switzerland, Ecuador, France, Honduras

Group F

Argentina, Bosnia-Hercegovina, Iran, Nigeria

Group G

Germany, Portugal, Ghana, United States

Group H

Belgium, Algeria, Russia, South Korea

The toughest group, or the group of death, may be group G where the United States lie. Number one former footballer of the year Cristiano Ronaldo plays for Portugal. Former world Cup champions Germany are also in that group. Also Ghana who are always tough to play against and have surprised many including the past. U.S. Men’s National Team Head Coach Jurgen Klinsmann had this to say on the tough group. “I’m not worried at all. I’ll just take it the way it is and we’re going to prepare the best way and we’re going to be well prepared for the World Cup. We’ll build up confidence and believe that we can get good results to get into the next round. We’ll do our homework on Portugal, Germany and Ghana. We’re excited about this, big time. That’s where you want to be in a World Cup. It’s a difficult draw but we’ll find a way to go through it.” Forward Eddie Johnson looked at it the same way, when they say the Group of Death; we have to look at ourselves, as well. We’re the U.S. National Team and if it’s considered the Group of Death [because we are a part of it], it shows how far the country has come and how big football is in America. We have a lot of experience within our team with a lot of players who have proven they can play in the big leagues in Europe and can play against these players who will represent their countries. We have an unbelievable coaching staff, and I can assure you that when it comes time for the coach to pick the team, it’s going to be a good team that goes to Brazil.

In Major League Soccer, Sporting Kansas City are the new 2024 champions of MLS as they defeated Real Salt Lake Saturday in the MLS Cup. It took penalties to decide the winner as the two teams were tied at the end of play and extra time. Real Salt Lake scored first in the match with a goal in the 52 minute of play by Alvaro Saborio making it 1-0. But that score was not to last as Sporting KC came back with a goal in the 76^th minute by Aurélien Collin. Real Salt Lake had a chance to end the shootout with their eighth shot of the night, but the 36-year-old Jimmy Nielsen took out the shot by Real Salt Lake midfielder Sebastian Velasquez. Sporting K.C defender Aurelien Collin followed with a goal on Sporting K.C.’s ninth shot, and Real Salt Lake backup defender Lovel Palmer blasted his ensuing shot off the crossbar to hand Sporting K.C. the title. This is their second MLS Cup and the fifth team to win multiple titles in MLS.

Major League Soccer

Mariam Afshar — Mon, 25 Nov 2024 01:47:25 +0000

By Rad Rich

What a lot of news in what is going to be a interesting weekend.

First off, in Major League Soccer, the semifinals are this weekend! The Houston Dynamo will take on Sporting Kansas City this Saturday in the eastern Conference Championship match up in Sporting Park in Missouri. Tomorrow is the second leg of their home and away series, the first leg ended in a 0-0 draw on November 9^th . The winner of tomorrow’s match up will advance to the MLS Cup 2024 set for December 7. They will either take on Real Salt Lake or the Portland Timber who are playing in the Western Conference Semifinals. Real Salt Lake leads the series 4-2 on aggregate after the first leg and play on Sunday. Saturday’s match is the third straight season that Houston and Sporting Kansas City have met in the playoffs, and the third time overall that they have met in a conference championship. (2007,2011) For Houston, Jermain Taylor will be out with a left foot fracture and it is questionable if Will Bruin and Ricardo Clark will to play. On the Sporting K.C side, Peterson Joseph is out with an illness and Josh Gardner and Paulo Nagamura are game time decisions. Tomorrow’s matchup is 6:30 PM. It will be televised on cable on the NBC Sports Network and Univision Deportes Network. It will also be on the radio on Sports 1560AM. Real Salt Lake vs. Portland match is on Sunday at 8:00 PM in the Western Conference Final.

In another big announcement, in Major League Soccer! Orlando Florida became the 21^st MLS franchise to join the league. The name of the team is Orlando City Soccer Club and they will begin play in 2024 along with New York City F.C.

“We are proud and excited to welcome Orlando to Major League Soccer,” MLS Commissioner Don Garber said in a league statement. “From the success of the Orlando City S.C., to the incredible fan support and passion in the community, this is a new market that really excites us. “We have great confidence in Flávio Augusto da Silva, Phil Rawlins and the rest of the Orlando City ownership group. They love this sport, our League and this city. And thanks to the commitment of ownership, the City of Orlando and Orange County, Orlando City will soon have a spectacular new stadium that will provide fans and the entire community with a truly unique downtown sporting experience.”

The club begin in 2024 in Austin Texas but moved to Orlando Florida 3 years later with a plan to make it into Major League Soccer. They played in the United Soccer League Pro regular season title in 2024 and 2024 while massing a huge fan base. That is set to get bigger as it is rumored that, Brazilian attacker, Kaka is set to join the club in 2024. They will play 2024 at the ESPN Wide World Sports complex before opening 2024 at the Florida Citrus Bowl. They then move into their 18,000 seat soccer stadium in downtown later that year. Construction on the new stadium was approved by the Orange County Board of Commissioners and is set to start next spring.

Away from MLS in world cup news, all qualifying is finished and Mexico has made it in. Last weeks 5-1 in Mexico city at the Azteca left New Zealand needing a miracle to book their way to Brazil. The away leg for Mexico left them in their own driver’s seat to qualify. They flew down to Wellington New Zealand and kept there heads up and qualified with a 4-2 win in the second leg. Also, Uruguay became the final team to qualify for the 32 team tournament as they played Jordon to a 0-0 draw in Uruguay’s capital’s Montevideo’s famous Centenario Stadium. This comes after they dominated Jordon 5-0 in Amman, Jordon in the first leg. They join Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador and Chile as the South American representatives at the finals. In COCACAF the United States, Costa Rica, Hounduras and Mexico will represent the region. Europe is represented by Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, England, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Russia, Spain and Switzerland. Africa is represented by Nigeria, Cameroon, Ghana, Algeria, and Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast). Oceania is bringing back a strong presence with Australia, Iran, Japan and Korea Republic. The draw for who plays who and pool matches will be on December 7^th.

Well, wrapping up even though there is so much more. The Grey Cup is being held on Sunday in Regina. That is Canadian Football’s Championship.

Rad Rich Briefs Us in Sports 11/13

Jack Daniel Betz — Sat, 16 Nov 2024 19:46:31 +0000

By Rad Rich

In Major League Soccer, the Houston Dynamo made it to the Eastern Conference Championship, and are one game away from going to the MLS Cup 2024 for the fifth time in their history.

Let’s go back though! They defeated the Montreal Impact and took on the New York Red Bull, who were the number one seed in the west. Houston where able to come back from a 2-0 deficit in there home game to draw 2-2. The away game in New York was just as exciting as it took extra time to decide a winner. Houston’s Omar Cummings scored 14 minutes into extra time to give Houston the win and advancing them to there third consecutive Eastern Conference Championship and there sixth in eight years. In this match, Houston’s Goalkeeper Tally Hall had to be the man of the match, denying shot after shot by the likes of Red Bull star striker Thierry Henry and Tim Cahill.

Houston’s great run went into the first leg of the home and home series against Sporting Kansas City. The first leg was played in Houston last week. A sold out crowd was again on hand to greet the Dynamo, who were looking to take advantage of there strong record at home. But though the Houston Dynamo had several chances, they were unable to score as the result was 0-0. This is the third time this season the 2 teams have played each other to a draw. Houston’s Tally Hall had two saves, and that made him the franchise leader in shutouts, surpassing Pat Onstad who made four post season shutouts for the team. Houston are now 9-1-2 in all-time home playoff games. This is the best home playoff record in the history of the league.

The series now shift to the next leg on the road in Kansas City Missouri at Sporting K.C. Because of the FIFA international break for World Cup qualifying matches this week the next leg is November 23. The winner goes on to the MLS Cup 2024 on December 7.

“Six games in less than three weeks is something incredible,” said head coach Dominic Kinnear. “We knew it was going to come down to the second game in Kansas City anyways because of how close and competitive these teams are, but these guys deserve a break. Not only physically, but mentally as well, to get away and kind of recharge the batteries.” There are a lot of healing to do for the Houston Dynamo as they will use the down time for players like Ricardo Clark and Will Bruin.

In the Western Conference Final first leg, Real Salt Lake have the upper hand on the Portland Timber as they defeated Portland 4-2 at the Rio Tinto Stadium in Utah. The next leg will be in Portland at the Jeld-Wen Field on November 24. Portland Timbers head coach Caleb Porter commented after the match, “We’re capable of going to another level and turning it up a notch where we can score goals,” Porter said, “We’ve shown that this year. … Obviously I wouldn’t have scripted it this way, this is not the way we wanted it to be. Obviously we were disappointed with the last game, but we know what we need to do.” Portland has a lot to do to turn around there two goal deficit. On the other side of things Real Salt Lake are looking forward to their next match as they have had the advantage over Portland all year long winning three games and drawing twice in past matches.

Now for some other news from the soccer world. This is time for the international break. On Wednesday, Mexico defeated new Zealand 5-1 at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City in the first leg of the intercontinental playoff. Forced to play in a World Cup qualifier playoff Mexico took advantage of their home advantage using players mostly made up of players in the Mexican League. Paul Agquilar scored the first goal for México in the 32 minute followed by goals by Raúl Jiménez 8 minutes later. The second half was more of the same as Oribe Peralta scored two more goals. Then came the return of the matador Rafa Márquez the former New York Red Bull who made it 5-0. It was his 14th goal with Mexico in his 115th career appearance. New Zealand scored there only goal in the match with Chris James scoring in the 85^th minute. Now the home and home playoff shift to Wellington New Zealand on November 20^th. That match will be at 12am. Mexico’s last-resort coach in Club América’s Miguel Herrera, used seven players from his own club in the starting lineup to get the job done. That puts Mexico closer to making it to Brazil.

The United States, who have already qualified for the world cup in Brazil this coming summer, will play Scotland today Friday at 2am in a friendly match at Hamden Park in Glasgow Scotland. U.S. Head Coach Jurgen Klinsmann looks to try to get players use to the different tempos that they are not exposed to in the CONCACAF region. This also an opportunity for players to prove there worth in making the final team selection for Brazil. For Scotland, who did not qualify this year for World Cup In Brazil, this is a new start for Gordan Strachan. As manager in January, claiming two victories over Croatia. The colorful Strachan has moved the Scots away from the cautious mindset of his predecessor Craig Levein, and can call on a range of experienced talent in his domestic league as well as the English system to the south. He has hinted that he will give his fringe players opportunities against the United States, as he builds towards the onset of UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying in September 2024.

Quick note for Formula One in the United States Grand Prix is this weekend in Austin. Practice runs start today and time trials are Saturday with the race on Sunday. With one race left after this weekend, the German Sebastian Vettel has wrapped up the F1 title already. Mexican Sergio Perez was announced today that he will not return next year to drive for McLaren. Perez said today he is shocked by the announcement as he was looking to drive for them next year. He had already signed on last week he said. Fog has effected the start of practice runs so far today. Also, a delay was held because there was no medical helicopter at the track.

Houston Dynamo update 10/20

Jack Daniel Betz — Mon, 21 Oct 2024 03:54:03 +0000

By Rad Rich

In Major League Soccer, the Houston Dynamo where at home against the New York Red Bulls at the sold out BBVA Stadium downtown. Going into the match, it was Houston’s last home game before wrapping up the regular season on the road in Washington DC, against DC United.

With Houston controlling most of the possession, they were not able to convert on the other end. New York scored the first goal of this important Eastern Conference match up. Australian international Tim Cahill took the first goal 15 seconds into the match. The ball took 3 touches to set up with Cahill putting it in the back of the net.

The 1-0 deficit was too much for Houston, even though they controlled possession of the ball most of the match and had more shots on goal. But they never where able to put it in New York’s net. New York did though, with 2 more goals in the second half with Ibrahim Sekagya in the 65^th minute and Bradley Wright-Phillips in the 75^th minute. New York finished with the win 3-0.

Head coach Dominic Kinnear said after the match. “We had our moments; we had our chances to score some goals. It’s just a point of getting too desperate and you need to keep the same mindset.”

Houston is going into next weekend needing a win and help from other teams, if they want to advance to the playoffs: The top five teams advance to the next round in the MLS. For Houston to secure a place in the playoffs, it needs to defeat D.C. United next Sunday and have one of three teams – the Montreal Impact, Chicago Fire or New England Revolution – lose or draw its final game of the season next weekend. Montreal visits Toronto FC on Saturday while Chicago plays at New York and New England visits Columbus on Sunday.

The Dynamo can also gain a playoff berth with a draw at D.C. United and a loss by New England, plus a loss or tie by the Philadelphia Union in its home game against Sporting Kansas City on Saturday. The Red Bull is in its top position after the win, with 56 points and clinching there playoff spot. Sporting K.C is right behind, with 55 points following their 1-0 victory on Friday night. The Montreal Impact stay in the 3^rd place spot with 49 points following their 2-1 win on Saturday ahead of the Chicago Fire. They are even on points with New England Revolution who defeated the Columbus Crew 3-2 (also on Saturday).

Houston is also in play on Thursday against Arabe Unido at the at Estadio Armando Dely Valdés in Panama in the CONCACAF Champions League. This is before traveling to Washington DC for Sundays match next weekend.

Lots of News Over the Weekend in Soccer (football)!

Editor — Fri, 24 May 2024 22:46:29 +0000

The Houston Dynamo dropped another match at home with a 2-0 loss to the New England Revolution. New England Diego Fagundez, assisted by Clyde Simms, scored the first goal for his team in the 51^st minute of play, immediately following halftime. This was his third goal of the season. Houston’s Ronaldo Clark scored the second goal for New England, as the ball deflected off from Juan Agudelo’s shot in the 81^st minute of play. For only the third time in the history of the franchise, Houston has lost two consecutive home games. Houston, with 20 points on the season, is tied with Montreal for third place. Sporting Kansas City is in second place with 21 points after a 1-1 draw against D.C. United. The New York Red Bulls is in first with 24 points after defeating the Los Angeles Galaxy 1-0 last Sunday night. Houston’s next match is an away game against Sporting Kansas City on Sunday night, as they begin a 3-match road trip. Houston goes on from Kansas City to play the Columbus Crew on June 1^st and the Montreal Impact on June 19th before returning home to play Toronto F.C on Saturday, June 22nd.

Other news from the Houston Dynamo front is another call-up for one of its players. Cory Ashe was added the United States Men’s National Team for their May 29^th match in Cleveland against Belgium. The 27-year-old defender is the 3^rd Dynamo player to be called up to the national side by United States Head Coach Jurgen Klinsmann. On Wednesday, May 29th the Dynamo will host FC Tucson in the third round match of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. F.C Tucson is part of the Premier Development League and advanced to this round after defeating the San Antonio Scorpions 4-3 in penalties. Kick-off for this match is 7:30 at the BBVA Compass Stadium. This is the 100^th year of this tournament, which includes MLS and all the other levels of soccer in the U.S.

There are still tickets available for the Mexico- Nigeria game next Friday at Houston’s Reliant Stadium. Nigeria is the current champion of the African Cup of Nations and looks to show the rest of the world they are ready to qualify for the FIFA World Cup. Mexico’s head coach José Manuel “Chepo” de la Torre has named his 23-man squad for this match, as it will include Manchester United star forward Javier “Chicharito” Hernández. The two teams have met three times in the past with a 1-0-2 record in Mexico’s favor. Tickets are limited, but may be available at any Houston-area Ticketmaster, including all Houston-area Fiesta stores. Their website is www.Ticketmaster.com and phone number is 1-800-745-3000. The Federación Mexicana de Fútbol invites fans to use their Visa cards. This is Mexico’s last match before they continue World Cup Qualifying and play in the Confederations Cup in Brazil in June and the Gold Cup in late July.

In other Major League Soccer news, there was a huge announcement this week: New York City F.C. will be a new addition to MLS and will be the 20^th team in the league. After three years in the making, New York will have a second team. Manchester City of the English Premier League and the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball in the United States combined forces and are financing this team. They begin play in 2024 and have made the first step by bringing in former United States Men’s National Team and Manchester City player Claudio Reyna as the director of football operations. By 2024 they hope to have a new stadium built in Queens, New York City. Manchester City has been involved in the area for three years supporting youth soccer programs in the New York City area. The New York Red Bulls, the other team in the area, now lends its front office to the new team. New York previously stated that they were against having another team in the region, but are now confident about the addition. MLS Commissioner Don Garber has stated that this is a natural rivalry for the area. It has always been our intention to add a new team to the New York area. This invites curiosity about who will become the 21^st team to join the MLS. Orlando is a top runner, along with Atlanta, Minneapolis St. Paul, Ottawa, Fort Lauderdale, San Antonio and others. Each city cites challenges with putting together a team. Manchester City played their first of two matches in the United States last night, defeating the Europa Cup winners, Chelsea, 4-3 in front of a 48,263-person audience at Busch Stadium in Saint Louis Missouri. City rallied to tie the match up in the second half of play. Then, Micah Richards scored the winning goal four minutes into extra time for the win. It was an amazing turn of events as City arrived late that afternoon before the match. This all comes after Manager Roberto Mancini was dismissed a week ago after losing the English FA Cup. Caretaker Manager Brian Kidd said after the match, “I can’t say enough about them.” They are a very talented group of players, Kidd continues. A moment of silence was held before the match, and one dollar was donated to the victims of the Oklahoma tornado tragedy by each team and by the spectators. They play again on Saturday night at Yankee Stadium in New York City.

Bruce Arena came to terms with the Irish Football Federation and released Robbie Kean for the upcoming friendlies for the Republic of Ireland. Rio Ferdinand signed a one-year deal with Manchester United. AS Roma midfielder Erik Lamela has earned a call-up for Argentina’s World Cup Qualifiers. Lionel Messi has also been called up but is still recovering from a hamstring injury.

This Saturday is also the European Champions League Final at Wembley Stadium in England. It will be an all-German final, as Borussia Dortmund will take on Bayern Munich. It will be the third time in Champions League history that two teams from the same country compete in a final. It will be Jupp Heynckes’ last match for Bayern, as he looks for a tremble for the German Club and his second Champions League title at age 68. The match starts at 1:30 pm Houston time and will be shown on the FOX Channel.

Finally, Gibraltar is now recognized by UEFA, the European governing body for football. They now can play international matches and qualifiers for the 2024 European Championship. Former Chelsea and Liverpool Manager Rafael Benitez is poised to join Serie A team, Napoli reports have stated, but nothing is final yet. Club President Aurelio De Laurentiis made the announcement today but said that in a few days more information will be disclosed in a formal press conference.

Rad Rich

USA vs. Canada, International Soccer Came to H-Town.

FPHoustonSports — Fri, 01 Feb 2024 02:10:07 +0000

By Maxwell Morgan

The US Men’s Soccer team came to H-Town Tuesday to kick off their centennial celebrations at BBVA Compass Stadium (home of the Dynamo and newest soccer specific stadium in the US). They played an international friendly against our northern neighbors, Canada, to get a warm up for those not currently playing overseas before they head to Honduras next week to undertake World Cup Qualifying. Unfortunately for the 11,737 people in attendance, it was an atrocious game with very little action in and around the goals, as the game played out to a 0-0 draw. So I suppose the other half of the stadium they were supposed to sell tickets to didn’t miss a whole lot.

Despite missing the top American players, many of whom play in the more competitive European leagues, there should have been a substantial draw for Houston soccer fans as 3 Dynamo players, Goalkeeper Tally Hall, Midfielder Brad Davis, and Striker Will Bruin, looked likely to feature in the line-up.

Apparently, that was not a sufficient level of interest for many locals, as the game was also an exhibition match against an opponent (Canada) who had already been eliminated from the 2024 World Cup in Brazil. Even still, The attendance of 11,737 was approximately 6,500 people less than the lowest attended Dynamo game this previous season and around 8,000 less than the average attendance for the entire season. You could get a great ticket for around $25, so ticket prices couldn’t be to blame. One would think they might be able to match the number of tickets sold for a game featuring a USA Team that resembled an MLS All Star team.

Its not like the US Soccer team plays in Houston regularly. And why should they? Last time they came for the CONCACAF Gold Cup Semifinal at Reliant Stadium for a sumptuous double header with the US playing first and Mexico playing second. The US team featured all of the big boys too, Clint Dempsey, Tim Howard, etc. The turnout for the first US game was pathetic. Reliant looked maybe a quarter full during the first half. But when Mexico came on the field for the second game the stadium was electric, almost surreal, and packed to the brim. So, Houston is 0-2 for coming out to support the national team as far as I’m concerned. We need to step our game up.

Those who did attend Tuesday’s match-up versus Canada were treated to sleep inducing 0-0 draw and a post game shower, courtesy of Mother Nature. All kidding aside, the fans did get to enjoy seeing some of our local guys playing for the Stars and Stripes. Dynamo Captain Brad Davis, age 31, started and played around 65 minutes, and Dynamo Striker Will Bruin, age 23, earned his first cap(appearance) for the US after coming on as a substitute with about 15 minutes left. Surprising to many, including the press, Dynamo Goalkeeper Tally Hall was left out of the line-up with the other two Goalkeepers, Sean Johnson, and Bill Hamid, taking the spots above him. But, no doubt, US Coach Jürgen Klinsmann felt the other two keepers earned their spot ahead of Tally Hall.

All in all the game was pretty pedestrian. Most of it being played at midfield. Canada veteran and former Dynamo star Dwayne De Rosario tested American Sean Johnson early with a vicious shot, but the shot was directly at the US keeper who parried it off to safety. After that the US had the majority of the shots but all were lacking quality as the US chances weren’t struck with enough venom, went wide, or lacked the proper delivery. US starting striker Eddie Johnson took probably one of the worst shots when the delivery looked spot on. The shot was at the center edge of the box and he ballooned a pop fly that landed 10 rows behind goal. The last 10 minutes the game went back and forth a bit with Canada taking the better chances. The US pushed hard at the end, but to no avail. How sweet it would have been had Bruin scored the winner as a sub.

Two things worth noting that absolutely dulled the game were the Honduran Refs who called every ticky tack foul possible, and the fact Canada was thrashed 4-0 by Denmark a week ago. Canada set in defensively and rarely stretched the field. The US has to hope the refs aren’t all as bad as the ones Tuesday night when they travel to Honduras for the Feb. 6 World Cup Qualifier.

The crowd erupted wildly every time Davis or Bruin were played the ball, and was pretty raucous despite the vast areas of empty seats and sloppy performance. So I definitely have to give props to the Dynamo fans who attended. After the game, Brad Davis and Will Bruin both reaffirmed the media that it was certainly a special night for them despite achieving the desired result.

Chants of U-S-A! bellowed throughout the stadium much of the night, and the crowd were all decked out in USA gear. Often reminding you that this patriotism was not a kind about politics. It was a celebration of the people like you and I that are the heart in soul of this country. That we can all come together over at least ONE thing only in the way that sports allow. The ups and downs that serve as a microcosm of our lives ending in a finale that we can estimate but never predict for certain, all shared collectively by the whole nation.

Next time the US Men’s Soccer team comes to town, I urge you to come out. This time the game sucked, sure, but the experience was one for the memory bank. Not only would you participate in probably one of the few moments of Patriotism that is actually kinda cool, but you would be joining a revolution of sports in our country. As it is only a matter of time that our dominant athletes begin to take their talents to the soccer pitch. It’s kinda “Underground”, y’all. And soccer usually is as they call it elsewhere, The Beautiful Game.

The Dynamo begin the 2024 MLS Season March 2 vs. DC United, and play Mexican side Santos Laguna March 5 in a CONCACAF Champions league 2 legged knockout round.