Breakfast Links – July 29, 2022

This is the last Breakfast Links of July, can you believe it? Here comes the dog days of summer and the Friday links!

Houston

The Houston Dynamo hopes for a playoff finish at the end of the season are looking a bit rough, especially when losing at PNC Stadium has been the only consistent thing this year. Anyways, the team will travel to the city of brotherly love and face off against the number one team in the Eastern Conference, the Philadelphia Union. Let’s just say that the odds are not in the Dynamo’s favor. However, gaining points against the Union at home, who is undefeated in their stadium, could be the boost the club needs. The game is set to kick off Saturday at 6:30 PM CT in Subaru Park. Vamos Dynamo!

The Houston Dash are back in action this weekend and even though the massive win against the Chicago Red Stars seems like an eternity ago, the ladies will hope to continue with their momentum against NJ/NY Gotham FC. Dash Head Coach Juan Carlos Amoros would definitely love to get a winning streak going as the club is in the hunt to their first ever playoff berth. The match is set for Sunday at 4:00 PM CT at Red Bull Arena. By the way, Rachel Daly and England will be fight for a trophy the same day against Germany in the Euro Final. Come on Rach and DTFO!

Houston Dynamo Dos starts off the weekend festivities for Houston soccer as they will take on the Vancouver Whitecaps 2 today. Dynamo Dos are currently in the midst of a 5 game unbeaten streak and will hope to keep it rolling as the season nears the final stretch. Houston’s MLS Next Pro team is currently in third place of the Western conference with 35 points. However, with only the top 4 teams set to make it into the playoffs, a few teams not far behind including Whitecaps 2 will be looking to climb in the standings. The match time start is 9:00 PM CT from Swangard Stadium. Let’s go Dyna Dos!

Make sure you check out the latest episodes of the Dynamo Theory Podcast, available everywhere you get your podcasts.

MLS

As a founding executive, charismatic public face and central figure in the club’s spectacular arrival in MLS, Darren Eales figures to be a tough act to follow at Atlanta United. Steve Cannon, CEO of the Five Stripes’ parent company, Arthur M. Blank Sports and Entertainment, readily admitted as much on Thursday as he updated reporters on the process of finding a successor in the wake of Eales’ departure for Newcastle United.

Inter Miami CF already made one of the biggest midseason acquisitions of the 2022 MLS campaign with a blockbuster trade earlier this month for former Landon Donovan MLS MVP Alejandro Pozuelo. Now, more reinforcements have officially arrived as the club introduced recently signed French attacker Corentin Jean at a Thursday press conference. The 27-year-old joins from RC Lens in France’s Ligue 1, bringing with him what manager Phil Neville described as a versatile skill set that can hopefully serve to provide his side a boost as they look to make an Audi MLS Cup Playoffs push down the stretch of the season.

Thirteen former Major League Soccer stars, highlighted by DaMarcus Beasley, Dwayne DeRosario, and Landon Donovan, were named first-year eligible candidates for the National Soccer Hall of Fame, it was announced Thursday. They join a group of 156 candidates named across three categories: Player Eligibility List, Veteran Eligibility List, and Builder Eligibility List with six earning the induction into the National Soccer Hall of Fame’s Class of 2023.

Around the world

FIFA said on Thursday that the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand will be going ahead as scheduled after a European report floated the possibility of postponement. French publication L’Equipe wrote on Thursday that FIFA had been in contact with several leading European footballing bodies to discuss the merits of postponing the 2023 Women’s World Cup for a number of months. Similar to the 2022 Men’s World Cup set to be staged in Qatar from November to December, this would result in the WWC taking place in the European winter and Australian summer.

Barcelona have reached an agreement with Sevilla to sign defender Jules Kounde, the Catalan club confirmed on Thursday. Kounde, 23, will join for a fee of €55 million and sign a contract at Camp Nou until 2027 sources have told ESPN. Once Kounde passes a medical and signs his contract, he will become Barca’s sixth signing of a busy summer following the arrivals of Pablo Torre, Franck Kessie, Andreas Christensen, Raphinha, and Robert Lewandowski.

Chile’s Football Federation (ANFP) is appealing against FIFA’s decision to dismiss their complaint that Ecuador fielded an ineligible player during the World Cup qualifying campaign. FIFA’s decision on June 10^th meant Ecuador were cleared to play in November’s finals in Qatar but the Chileans are continuing to push the issue.