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THREE POINTS: Houston Dynamo FC close four-game homestand against Austin FC

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NEED TO KNOW:

Houston host Austin FC for their first meeting at BBVA Stadium and second meeting of the regular season

Dynamo FW Fafa Picault enters the game with 99 MLS starts

Houston travel west next Wednesday to face the LA Galaxy

HOUSTON – Houston Dynamo FC host Austin FC for the first meeting between both teams at BBVA Stadium at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 11.

The Dynamo look to close a four-game homestand with three points to snap a two-game losing streak at home. Houston fell 2-0 to the Portland Timbers last Friday and were held scoreless for the first time since a 2-0 loss to Minnesota United on Aug. 7.

Dynamo goalkeeper Michael Nelson earned his second start of the season and finished with two saves against the Timbers. Offensively, Memo Rodriguez and Teenage Hadebe combined for six key passes and Houston forced six saves from the Timbers shot stopper. The Dynamo will look to Fafa Picault and Maxi Urruti to spark the offense and the duo combines for 12 goals this season.

Saturday’s game is the first of two meetings against in-state rivals this month. Austin won the first meeting of the regular season between both teams with a 3-2 triumph at home on Aug. 4. Houston played nearly 70 minutes of the game with 10 men after midfielder Darwin Ceren received a red card for a foul near midfield. The Dynamo welcome FC Dallas next Saturday for the third and final meeting of the regular season. Houston and Dallas have split the points in the first two meetings with draws on May 8 and Aug. 21.

Austin enters Saturday’s game with five losses out of their last six games. Their lone victory was a 3-1 triumph over the Portland Timbers at home on Aug. 21. The expansion side has struggled on the road and enter with a 2-8-2 record away from home. Their last victory on the road was a 1-0 victory at Allianz Field over Minnesota United at the beginning of the season.

The Dynamo travel West next Wednesday to face the LA Galaxy at 9:30 p.m. CT at Dignity Health Sports Park.

Here are three key points ahead of Saturday’s game:

DYNAMO LOOK TO RESPOND AFTER BEING HELD SCORELESS AT HOME: Houston was held scoreless at home for the first time this season last Friday as they fell to the Portland Timbers 2-0. Houston will look for an offensive boost with the return of Ari Lassiter from international play and the probable return of forward Corey Baird. Dynamo head coach Tab Ramos mentioned that Baird has progressed from his lower body injury on Thursday and was in contention for minutes against Austin FC. Baird has earned three appearances for Houston since joining the team on July 30 in a trade with LAFC. Houston will also look to forwards Fafa Picault and Maxi Urruti to spark an offense that has averaged one goal in their last five games.

FIVE PLAYERS RETURN FROM INTERNATIONAL DUTY: Five Dynamo players return from international duty and will be eligible for selection on Saturday. Dynamo midfielder Adalberto “Coco” Carrasquilla is questionable after leaving with a non-contact injury in the opening minutes of Panama’s match against Mexico on Wednesday. Maynor Figueroa and Boniek Garcia will return from Honduras and finished with a two draws out of their first three games in the Concacaf World Cup qualifiers. Darwin Ceren started in the first two games for El Salvador, who opened their campaign with back-to-back draws prior to losing 3-0 to Canada on Wednesday. Ari Lassiter returns to Houston after helping Costa Rica earn two points from the opening round of games that finished with a 1-1 draw with Jamaica.

AUSTIN IN NEED OF POINTS AFTER DIFFICULT STRETCH: Austin enters Saturday’s game in need of points after falling to Vancouver on the road last Saturday. Sebastian Driussi gave Austin the lead minutes before the end of the first half, but late goals from Erik Godoy and Deiber Caicedo gave the expansion side their 13th loss of the season. Austin will look to Tomas Pochettino and Cecilio Dominguez for a spark in the final third. The duo combines for seven goals and six assists. Austin enters Saturday’s game with 21 goals scored this season, the fewest in the Western Conference and 13 of those goals have been scored in four games at Q2 Stadium this season.

Match Preview: Columbus Crew travels to South Florida to face Inter Miami CF

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Black & Gold and Inter Miami CF square off for first time since Miami joined MLS as an expansion club in 2020

COLUMBUS — Columbus Crew (7-10-6, 27 points) travels to face Inter Miami CF (7-9-5, 26 points) at DRV PNK Stadium in Ft. Lauderdale, FL tomorrow, Saturday, September 11 [8:00 p.m. ET / Bally Sports Ohio, Bally Sports App (Stream) / 97.1 The Fan & 971TheFan.com (English); ColumbusCrew.com (Spanish)]. Coverage of the match on Bally Sports Ohio is set to begin at 7:30 p.m. ET. Notably, in observance of the 20-year mark since the tragedy in the United States on September 11, 2001, all team jerseys will feature a 20th remembrance patch, modeled on the one worn by clubs when MLS returned to action after the terrorist attacks in 2001.

The contest against Inter Miami CF is set to be the first-ever meeting between the two Eastern Conference sides, as Miami joined MLS in 2020 as an expansion club. The match is the second time this regular season that the Crew has faced off against an MLS expansion side, previously playing Austin FC to a 0-0 draw at Q2 Stadium (June 27). The Black & Gold hold an all-time record of 9-4-6 when facing expansion clubs for the first time.

Need To Know

This will be the first-ever meeting between Inter Miami and the Crew. Columbus’s last trip to Miami came in June 2001, a 4-3 defeat at the Fusion.

Inter Miami has won five of its last eight matches (D2 L1) as only New England (19) has more points than Miami’s 17 in that time. Miami has won all four of its home matches in that run after winning just five of its first 16 home MLS matches (D4 L7).

The Crew have lost seven of their last eight games (W1) including four straight defeats on the road. Columbus has managed just two wins in its last 24 away matches (D9 L12) dating back to late 2019.

Brek Shea’s 90th-minute winning goal against FC Cincinnati on Saturday was the third match-winning goal scored in the 90th minute or later by Miami this season. New York City FC (2) is the only other team with multiple 90th-minute winners in 2021.

Miguel Berry has scored three goals in his last two matches and is now the team’s joint-second-leading scorer this season with four goals (Lucas Zelarayán – 7) despite playing just 265 of 2,070.

Thanksgiving Day Match on FOX and Four ABC Broadcasts Highlight MLS Postseason Schedule

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MLS postseason to feature four consecutive weekends of ABC broadcasts; FOX Sports to host MLS Thanksgiving Day coverage for first time; All 13 postseason games to be nationally televised in the U.S. and Canada; MLS Cup on Dec. 11 on ABC, Univision’s UniMás and TUDN, TSN, TVA Sports

NEW YORK, N.Y. – Major League Soccer today announced the match schedule and broadcast details for the Audi 2021 MLS Cup Playoffs and 2021 MLS Cup, which include the league’s first Thanksgiving Day match on FOX, as well as four consecutive weekends of postseason action on ABC.

In addition to broadcast coverage, MLS has outlined mechanisms for postseason qualification, including a required minimum number of matches played, as well as the competition format for the Audi 2021 MLS Cup Playoffs. CLICK HERE for more information in the MLS Competition Guidelines.

Following MLS Decision Day on Sunday, Nov. 7, the Audi 2021 MLS Cup Playoffs will kick off on Univision on Nov. 20 and will see the 12 single-elimination playoff matches, played across two weeks, aired on national television leading into 2021 MLS Cup on Dec. 11.

2021 MLS Cup, Major League Soccer’s championship match, will be played on Dec. 11 at 3 p.m. ET, aired nationally in the U.S. on ABC and Univision’s UniMás and TUDN networks, in Canada on TSN and TVA Sports, as well as in nearly 190 countries and territories around the world.

FOX Sports coverage of the Audi 2021 MLS Cup Playoffs will see, for the first time, an MLS postseason match hosted on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov. 25, aired nationally on FOX broadcast network and FOX Deportes.  FS1 and FOX Deportes will also present coverage of four additional matches across the three rounds of the Audi 2021 MLS Cup Playoffs.

ABC and the networks of ESPN will cover all four rounds of postseason action, providing over-the-air network coverage of every round, every weekend. The robust lineup of action will see ABC and ESPN doubleheaders in both Round One and the Conference Semifinals with Spanish-language coverage of all ABC and ESPN matches covered by ESPN Deportes.

Univision’s networks will showcase a Round One doubleheader on Nov. 20 on Univision, and return with exclusive Spanish-language coverage of the 2021 MLS Cup available on UniMás. The broadcast will mark the 10th consecutive year that Univision’s networks will air Major League Soccer’s championship match over the air. Matches will also be simulcast on TUDN.

In Canada, TSN and TVA Sports networks will provide comprehensive coverage of the postseason, airing every match of the Audi 2021 MLS Cup Playoffs as well as 2021 MLS Cup with specific channel designations to be announced at a later date.

For more information about the Audi 2021 MLS Cup Playoffs, and up-to-date MLS Standings, please visit www.MLSsoccer.com.

Audi 2021 MLS Cup Playoffs Schedule

Round One (Six Games)

(The No. 1 Eastern Conference seed and the No. 1 Western Conference seed will have a Round One bye. The No. 2 seed will host the No. 7 seed, the No. 3 seed will host the No. 6 seed, and the No. 4 seed will host the No. 5 seed)

Saturday, Nov. 20 Doubleheader

12 p.m. ET (Univision and TUDN / local English-language broadcast / TSN / TVA Sports)

3 p.m. ET (Univision and TUDN / local English-language broadcast / TSN / TVA Sports)

Sunday, Nov. 21 Doubleheader

3 p.m. ET (ABC / ESPN Deportes / TSN / TVA Sports)

5:30 p.m. ET (ESPN / ESPN Deportes / TSN / TVA Sports)

Tuesday, Nov. 23 Doubleheader

TBD (FS1 / FOX Deportes / TSN / TVA Sports)

TBD (FS1 / FOX Deportes / TSN / TVA Sports)

Conference Semifinals (Four Games)

(The No. 1 seed will play the winner of No. 4 vs. No. 5. The winner of No. 2 vs. No. 7 will play the winner of No. 3 vs. No. 6, with the higher-seeded club hosting)

Thursday, Nov. 25 (Thanksgiving Day)

4:30 p.m. ET (FOX / FOX Deportes / TSN / TVA Sports)

Sunday, Nov. 28 Doubleheader

3 p.m. ET (ABC / ESPN Deportes / TSN / TVA Sports)

5:30 p.m. ET (ESPN / ESPN Deportes / TSN / TVA Sports)

Tuesday, Nov. 30

TBD (FS1 / FOX Deportes / TSN / TVA Sports)

Conference Finals (Two Games)

Saturday, Dec. 4

TBD (FS1 / FOX Deportes TSN / TVA Sports)

Sunday, Dec. 5

3 p.m. ET (ABC, ESPN Deportes / TSN / TVA Sports)

MLS Cup (One Game)

Saturday, Dec. 11

3 p.m. ET (ABC / UniMás and TUDN / TSN / TVA Sports)

Flames Sign Erik Gudbranson

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Calgary, AB – The Calgary Flames announce today that they have signed free agent defenseman Erik Gudbranson to a one-year contract with a $1,950,000 AAV.

 

Gudbranson, a native of Ottawa, Ontario, is a veteran of 563 games with time spent in Florida, Vancouver, Pittsburgh, Anaheim, Ottawa and Nashville. He has 21 goals and 56 assists for 77 points along with 640 penalty minutes during his 10 year career. The 6’5″ defenseman was originally drafted in the 1st round (3rd overall) by Florida in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.

 

ERIK GUDBRANSON – DEFENSE

BORN: Ottawa, ON                DATE: January 7, 1992

HEIGHT: 6’5″                          WEIGHT: 220 lbs.

SHOOTS: Right

DRAFTED: Florida – 1st round (3rd overall) in the 2010 NHL Draft

TERM: one-year

AAV: $1,950,000

Flames Sign Michael Stone

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Calgary, AB – The Calgary Flames announce today that they have signed defenseman Michael Stone to a one-year contract with a $750,000 AAV.

 

Stone, a native of Winnipeg, Manitoba will play in his sixth season as a member of the Calgary Flames after being acquired via trade from the Arizona Coyotes on February 20, 2017. The right-shot defenseman skated in 21 games for the Flames a season ago notching two goals, four points and six penalty minutes. Stone is an NHL veteran of 493 games with 128 points and 270 penalty minutes over his career.

 

 

MICHAEL STONE – DEFENSE

BORN: Winnipeg, MAN          DATE: June 7, 1990

HEIGHT: 6’3″                         WEIGHT: 210 lbs.

SHOOTS: Right

DRAFTED: Arizona – 3rd round (69th overall) in the 2008 NHL Draft

TERM: One-year

AAV: $750,000

THREE POINTS: Houston Dash host Chicago Red Stars on Friday

NEED TO KNOW:

 

Houston host Mallorie Pugh, Kealia Ohai Watt and the Chicago Red Stars on Friday at 7:30 p.m.

 

Dash DF Abby Dahlkemper enters Friday’s game with 99 NWSL starts and appearances

 

Six Dash players to depart for national team duty after Friday’s game

 

 

HOUSTON – The Houston Dash return to BBVA Stadium on Friday to host the Chicago Red Stars at 7:30 p.m. CT. This is the final match prior to the September international window and Houston will return to league play on Sept. 26.

 

Houston and Chicago split the first two meetings of the season with Houston earning a 2-1 victory on May 29 at home. Houston has won two of their last four outings against Chicago, but trail in the all-time series with a 4-10-7 record against the Red Stars in all competitions.

 

The Red Stars enter with a 2-5-2 record away from Toyota Park after last Saturday’s 0-0 draw with Gotham FC at Red Bull Arena. Chicago currently sits in fifth place just four points shy of the second spot in the table. The Red Stars are led by USWNT forward Mallory Pugh, who has scored three goals and adds three assists in 17 appearances this season.

 

Houston enters Friday’s match with a 4-2-3 record at home and look to capitalize on their final games at BBVA Stadium this season. The Dash return from the international break with a three-game road trip beginning with a trip to Louisville on Sept. 26. Houston returns to BBVA Stadium after a three-game road trip on Saturday, Oct. 9 to host the North Carolina Courage.

 

 

Here are the three key points ahead of Friday’s game:

 

 

  1. DALY WITHIN REACH OF NEW CLUB RECORD: Dash captain Rachel Daly scored for Houston last Sunday against the Orlando Pride. The goal was Daly’s 28th in NWSL regular-season play, tying her with Kealia Ohai Watt for the team regular-season scoring record. Daly already owns the scoring record for Houston in all competitions with 33 goals. The 29-year-old made her debut in 2016 against the Red Stars and scored the opening goal in a 3-1 victory at BBVA Stadium. Daly has scored five goals against the Red Stars in her NWSL career and her next goal will give her sole ownership of the club regular-season scoring record.

 

  1. SIX DASH PLAYERS TO DEPART FOR NATIONAL TEAM DUTY: Five Houston Dash players will depart for international duty on Saturday for the September FIFA window. Jane Campbell, Abby Dahlkemper and Kristie Mewis will join the USWNT for a pair of friendlies against Paraguay in Ohio. Rachel Daly will join England for the opening round of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup qualifiers. Andrea Hauksdottir will join Iceland for the start of their World Cup qualifying campaign against the Netherlands on Sept. 21 and Michelle Alozie will join Nigeria for the inaugural Aisha Buhari Cup.

 

3.      CHICAGO IN THE MIX FOR TOP SEED: The Red Stars close a two-game road trip in Houston on Friday and look to bounce back after a 0-0 draw with Gotham FC last Saturday. Chicago finished with 18 shots against Gotham but her held scoreless for the third time in their last five games. The Red Stars currently sit in fifth place and look to build a buffer as seven points separate the North Carolina Courage in second place and the Houston Dash in eighth place. Chicago returns to Toyota Park after the international break for a two-game homestand against the Portland Thorns and Orlando Pride.

PREVIEW: Orlando Pride Host Racing Louisville on Saturday

Pride look to build off two-consecutive results

 

ORLANDO, Fla. – Orlando Pride (6-5-7, 25 points) welcomes Racing Louisville (4-8-5, 17 points) for the second time this season on Saturday, Sept. 11 at Exploria Stadium. Kickoff for the match is set for 7 p.m. ET, with the contest available to stream on Paramount+ in the U.S. and international viewers able to tune in on Twitch.

 

Tickets for Saturday’s match, presented by Publix, are available at Orlando-Pride.com or by calling (855) ORL-CITY.

 

“I feel like a broken record when I say this, but when I look at rosters and see all these amazing players on every roster, there’s no one that you can take for granted and [Racing Louisville] is no different,” interim Head Coach Becky Burleigh said ahead of the match. “They’re very, very talented. Some of these players I know quite well from having played against them in college, some of them are internationals with tons of experience. In the end, I think we have to focus on what we need to get better at and we need to continue to see an upward rise in our play.”

 

Saturday’s match will be the second regular season meeting between the two sides. The first meeting, which also took place at Exploria Stadium, ended in a 1-1 draw after Louisville took an early lead courtesy of an Ebony Salmon strike in the 21st minute. However, Sydney Leroux was able to find the back of the net in the 94th minute, securing the draw and point for the Pride.

 

The Pride come into Saturday’s match looking to build off a 1-1 draw with the Houston Dash in downtown Orlando last Sunday. The Dash struck early, finding themselves on the board in the 10th minute. Orlando answered back in the 79th minute however when Taylor Kornieck got her head on the end of a Meggie Dougherty Howard cross, placing the ball over the top of Dash goalkeeper Jane Campbell.

 

Leroux continues to lead the Orlando Pride with seven goals on the season. Teammates Marta and Taylor Kornieck continue to lead the Pride in assists, each with three on the year.

 

Racing Louisville enters the matchup after a 1-1 draw against OL Reign last weekend. Nadia Nadim scored Louisville’s lone goal in the contest, but OL Reign was able to answer back in the 74th minute to level the sides.

 

Ebony Salmon leads Racing Louisville with five goals on the season, with Nadim close behind with three. Savannah McCaskill has recorded three assists on the season, leading the side in the category.

 

Following Saturday’s match, the Pride will enjoy over a week off from match play before traveling to OL Reign for the first of back-to-back road fixtures on Sunday, Sept. 26.

Minnesota Lynx Sign Forward Jillian Alleyne

MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL – Minnesota Lynx Head Coach and General Manager Cheryl Reeve today announced the team has signed forward Jillian Alleyne to a seven-day contract. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

 

Alleyne (pronounced AY-leen) returns to Minnesota following a two-game appearance for Washington this season, where she totaled four rebounds and one steal in eight minutes of play before being waived on May 22. The 6-3 forward spent time in the Russia-PBL with the Dynamo Novosibirsk Region this past winter, where she appeared in 20 games averaging 15.2 points on 53.9% shooting, 12.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 0.9 blocked shots per game prior to joining the Mystics.

 

The Fontana, Calif. native previously saw action for the Lynx in 2019 for five games, collecting four points, five rebounds, one assist and one blocked shot in just over 14 minutes of total play.

 

Alleyne was selected by Phoenix in the second round (20th overall) of the 2016 WNBA Draft following a four-year career at the University of Oregon that saw her average 17.9 points on 54.3% shooting and 14.3 rebounds in 120 games. She completed her NCAA career as the 10th player in Division I history with at least 2,000 points and 1,500 rebounds. Alleyne also finished with the second-most double-doubles in Division I history (92) and the third-most rebounds (1712).

 

Alleyne will be eligible to join Minnesota for tonight’s home contest against Indiana at 7:00 pm CT at Target Center and will wear number 14.

Cubs place LHP Adam Morgan on bereavement list, recall RHP Tommy Nance from Triple-A Iowa

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CHICAGO – The Chicago Cubs today placed left-handed pitcher Adam Morgan on the bereavement list and recalled right-handed pitcher Tommy Nance from Triple-A Iowa.

 

Nance, 30, begins his third stint with Chicago having gone 1-0 with a 5.06 ERA (12 ER/21.1 IP) in 19 relief appearances in his major league debut campaign. He has walked 10 and struck out 23, good for an average of 9.7 strikeouts per 9.0 innings. The six-foot six-inch righthander began his major league career with 11.1-consecutive scoreless innings spanning his first 11 outings, May 17-June 11.

 

Originally signed by Chicago as a non-drafted free agent in January of 2016, Nance this season with Iowa is 1-0 with a 2.35 ERA (4 ER/15.1 IP) in 10 relief appearances, having walked three with 18 strikeouts and a 0.65 WHIP.

 

Nance attended Long Beach State University in 2010, Cypress Junior College in 2011 and Santa Clara University in 2012-13. Prior to signing with Chicago, Nance appeared in 29 games for the Windy City ThunderBolts of the independent Frontier League in 2015.

 

Morgan, 31, has no record, four holds, two saves and a 3.32 ERA (8 ER/21.2 IP) in 29 relief appearances for Chicago since he was selected from Iowa, June 29.

Elias Digital Solutions launches new “Elias Game Plan” App to Take Sports Betting to the Next Level

Elias Sports Bureau-owned provider of sports viewing solutions, Elias Digital Solutions, has launched a new sports app for mobile devices. Named the Elias Game Plan, the application will provide sports stat, data, and analysis for fervent sports fans and sports bettors alike.

Everything for Sports Betting in a Compact Package
The application is already released and is ready for sports lovers who are tuned for this year’s National Football League season. Thanks to the Elias Game Plan, these fans now have a reliable source of information that has been conveniently streamlined for their use. Users can view the schedule for future games, see the stats of a team and its players and even make various comparisons. Elias Game Plan will also provide hot updates on player injuries and all the important details about the current state of the players.

Bettors can benefit a lot from the application as it will have various user-friendly features that take their experience a step higher. Novice bettors will have a complete explanation of how betting options work and definitions of various sports terms. Elias Game Plan provides wagering lovers with special insights right from the competent researchers and analysts from Elias Sports Bureau. Everything displayed on the application will first be curated by the professional Elias Sports Bureau experts. The app also shares relevant data and displays betting options from top sportsbooks as well as betting odds that help users place an optimal bet.

Finally, the application will have a well-designed comprehensive interface that is easily navigable by both veteran sports fans and bettors and newcomers to the industry. A crisp and sleek design makes it a breeze to use Elias Game Plan, compare teams, and see betting odds.

Elias Aims to Connect with Fans and Enhance Their Experience
Elias Sports Bureau’s head of product, David Zaretsky, explained that Elias Digital Solutions was designed to fill a gap on the market. He explained that, according to statistics, many sports bettors, veterans, and newcomers alike, struggle with finding information before placing a bet. When they do find sources, much of the information is incomplete, unstructured, or even conflicting.

Zaretsky continued by saying that the Elias Game Plan application aims to be a solution to this problem and help bettors make well-thought-out decisions before placing a bet.

“We know betting enhances the enjoyment of sports. We build a community around our shared love of sports and our favorite teams. Elias Game Plan levels the playing field for experienced and novice bettors,” Zaretsky elaborated.

Elias Sports Bureau’s president, Joe Gilston, added that even though many relate Elias to the professional statistics from United States sports leagues, the company’s true goal is to connect with fans and improve their experience. Gilston believes that the Elias Game Plan is the perfect example of that as it aims to provide fans with a cutting-edge technology solution that adds to their sports viewing enjoyment.

Fans of professional sports leagues can get the app right now for both iPhone and Android.