Breakfast Links - November 4, 2022

Wake up! The weekend is around the corner! A lot has happened in these couple of days and there is a lot to look forward to! Let’s catch you up to speed for the weekend.

Houston

Finally some big news from the club! Let’s start with the roster! It was announced Thursday morning that veteran defender Daniel Steres signed a contract extension for two years with an option for 2025. There has been high praise coming from the front office and the locker room that Steres provides valuable leadership on and off the field. He made 18 appearances this season, scoring two goals and one assist. Steres has proven to be a good third choice center back and on occasion, starting ahead of many of the pool. This is a great pick up for the Dynamo.

That same morning it was reported that Swedish Club IFK Norrköping wants to sign defender Adam Lundqvist for next season, per Anel Avdić. It’s the club’s main target to boost their defense, according to the report. Adam has been with the club since 2018 and last season he was the main figure for the defense. But is it time for Adam to leave? Let us know what you think in the comments.

On Thursday afternoon, the club released a press release that the new head hoach will be unveiled on Monday, Novemver 7. Ted Segal and Pat Onstad will introduce the sixth head coach in the club history at 11:30 AM. Many sources speculate who will be the next head coach but now we can confirm it this Monday. Stay tuned!

Lastly, more international call ups for the Dash. This time it’s Forward Michaela Abam called up to the Cameroon National Team for November camp against Senegal.

Major League Soccer

Finally the weekend that we all have been waiting for, MLS Cup Final. The conference finals was something to whet the appetite. We saw in both finals how dangerous LAFC and the Philadelphia Union can be. Now it’s time for the best seed in each conference to face off at Banc of California Stadium to see who will be the next MLS Champion. Both teams haven’t won it and one will have a shiny new star on their crest next season. Tune in for it on Saturday at 3 PM CT on FOX.

Around the World

The Champions League Group stage is finally over. We have tasty draws to look forward to on Monday morning. One thing that everyone is quiet about is how PSG finished second in their group behind Benfica, who won 6-1 against Maccabi Haifa to propel them to first place. That means PSG will have to face the likes of Napoli, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Real Madrid or Manchester City. You can see the sweat coming down on Mbappe’s face.

Last week we knew who was dropping down to the Europa League, now we know their potential opponents. Big hitters like PSV, Roma, German league leaders Union Berlin, and Manchester United will face one of the UCL third place teams. Maybe a Man U vs Barcelona game for the round of 16? Tasty Tasty match ups!

Gerard Pique has announced that he will retire from football when the Spanish League goes on break for the World Cup. This Saturday’s match against Almeria will be his last match in the Camp Nou after 14 years serving the club. His final fixture will be at Osasuna next week. Now he can become another fan after retiring.

The first round of the English FA Cup starts this weekend and everyone will be tuning in to the new, beloved Wrexham against Oldham on Sunday at 6:30 AM CT.

There are lot of derbies in Europe this weekend! In Serie A, you have first place Napoli facing second place Atalanta, proving to be Napoli’s biggest test ofthe season so far on Saturday. In the Premier League, you have first place Arsenal going to sixth place Chelsea for the classic London Derby. Will Chelsea find their groove back or will Arsenal continue their momentum at the top? Also in the Prem, you have Tottenham vs Liverpool, with both teams lookinh to bounce back and find rhythm before the World Cup. Finally, in Ligue 1 you have the heated derby of Marseille vs Lyon of Choc des Olympiques. These matches tend to be heated and sometimes even abandoned for the hostile environment.

There will be a lot of football this weekend! Let us know what we failed to mention that you are looking forward to. Enjoy the weekend and see you back on Monday!