Breakfast Links - August 5, 2022

It’s Friday and a match day. Let’s jump right into the Links!

Houston

The Houston Dynamo were obliterated last match day against the Philadelphia Union. With two thirds of the season gone, it’s now or never for the team to get a positive streak going. Tonight, the Dynamo are visiting the beautiful city of Vancouver to take on the Whitecaps who are 2 points ahead of Houston. This could easily become a 5 point game. The match is set to kick off at 9:30 PM CT. Try to sneak a nap in and maybe some caffeine because it will be a long night. Vamos Dynamo!

The Houston Dash will look to continue their great form since the arrival of interim head coach Juan Carlos Amorós. Having Ebony Salmon integrated to the team and playing lights out, earning the NWSL Player of the Month award, the team is looking like a well-oiled machine. The team is still missing star player and Euro winner, Rachel Daly. On Sunday, the ladies will be traveling northwest to take on OL Reign. Both teams have the same amount of points in the standings, and surely the Dash will look to get ahead of the team from Seattle. Kick off is set 5:00 PM CT. DTFO!

Houston Dynamo 2 are back in action at home this weekend. The boys will be taking on Sporting Kansas City II This will be the third and final matchup between the clubs in regular season play, with the clubs splitting victories in the previous meetings. With 6 games left in the season, Dos will look to maintain their unbeaten streak at home in hopes of making it to the first ever MLS NEXT Pro playoffs. The ame is set to take place at AVEVA Stadium, Sunday at 7:00 PM CT. Be there and support the stars of tomorrow. Let’s go Dyna Dos!

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

Major League Soccer

The MLS summer transfer window closed with most teams bolstering their roster as everyone makes a run at the playoffs. Big names like Gareth Bale, Giorgio Chiellini, Lorenzo Insigne, Riqui Puig, and Héctor Herrera made their move to MLS this summer. Many other noticeable players both known and unknown were added to plenty of Major League Soccer rosters. The Houston Dynamo added young Colombian winger Nelson Quiñones. Tthe transfer windows add a ton of excitement!

Inter Miami CF star Gonzalo Higuain has earned AT&T 5G Goal of the Week honors for Week 23 of the MLS season after lasering a free kick into the top corner in last weekend’s 4-4 draw with FC Cincinnati. The Argentine legend’s free-kick was the first of his historic first-half hat trick for the IMCF. For his efforts, the Herons’ Designated Player pulled away from the field, accumulating 44.6% of the final vote.

Kei Kamara’s MLS legend only continues to grow. The CF Montréal striker reached third on MLS’s all-time goals scored list in Wednesday night’s 2-1 win at the Columbus Crew, drawing level with Jeff Cunningham with 134 career tallies.

Around the world

It’s finally here! The 2022-23 Premier League season begins today as Crystal Palace host Arsenal. Every team comes into the season with dreams of winning the league and being crowned champions (except Tottenham). That was a joke! Laugh, it was funny. Anyways, the race starts now in a season broken up by the upcoming winter World Cup in Qatar.

Liga MX president Mikel Arriola said on Wednesday that he’s “worried” about possibly falling behind the level of MLS, particularly when it comes to investment and player development in the Mexican league. “I am worried,” Arriola said about the financial disparities between the two leagues. “The level of investment of MLS increased 600% in 12 years. We [Liga MX] want that kind of investment because if we don’t do that, we will lose in the following five years. The main plan of the Mexican league is to increase the level of investment.”