Your Friday Goals for March 22, 2013

El Capitán is headed back to Dallas, turmoil in the United States National Team's locker room, March Sadness is underway, and World Cup Qualifying resumes, it's time for your Friday goals.

More after the jump:

Your Friday Goals for March 15, 2013

Barcelona proves that it's not dead yet, Galatasary fans try to tunnel into a stadium, the Charlie Stillitano rants about the EPL team bias of English language UEFA broadcasts, and Leonardo proposes to Anna Billo on tv, it's time for your Friday goals:

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[Video] All of Totti's 225 Serie A Goals

Earlier this month, Roma forward Francisco Totti picked up his 225th Serie A goal in a match against Genoa. That goal tied Totti with Gunnar Nordahl for second place on Serie A's all-time scoring list. Totti, who is 36, made his debut with Roma back in 1993 and was part of Italy's 2006 World Cup winning squad.

The number one all-time scorer in Serie A is Silvio Piola, who scored 274 goals. Totti has indicated a desire to play into his 40s and to beat Piola's record, it seems unlikely that will happen, but only time will tell.

Here is a video of all of Totti's 225 goals, almost an hours worth of goals:

Santos Laguna Knocks Houston Dynamo Out of Champions League

The Houston Dynamo went into last night's 2nd leg CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals tie against Santos Laguna at Estadio Corona with a 1-0 aggregate lead, but by the end of the night, the Dynamo gave up 3 unanswered goals and were booted from the competition.

Santos evened up the score 1-1 in the 23rd minute when Juan Pablo Rodriquez picked up the rebound goal after Tally Hall had blocked Rodriquez's penalty shot. Five minutes later US National Team forward Herculez Gomez picked up the lead, and the winning goal, for Santos.

During the first half, the Dynamo were hampered by sloppy play and mental mistakes, and although they started to show some offensive life in the second half, their hopes of advancing were dashed by a Marc Crosas goal in the 77th minute.

With the loss to Santos, the Dynamo are out of the 2012-2013 CONCACAF Champions League and return their focus to the MLS regular season. This Sunday, the Dynamo take on F.C. Dallas in Frisco, Texas. The match, which begins at noon local time, will be broadcast on ESPN2.

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Houston to Host 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup Double-Header

On Wednesday, March 13th, the Confederation of North, Central America, and the Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) announced the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup groups and schedule, with Houston being awarded Group B games featuring El Salvador vs. Haiti and Honduras vs. Trinidad & Tobago at BBVA Compass Stadium on Monday, July 15th. The doubleheader will kick-off at 6:00 p.m. The complete schedule can be found online at the official Gold Cup website.

The 2013 Gold Cup final will take place at Soldier Field in Chicago on Sunday, July 28th at 3:00 p.m. CST. As previously announced, the Rose Bowl will host the opening doubleheader of the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup on Sunday, July 7th, which will feature reigning Gold Cup champion, Mexico taking on Panama as part of that doubleheader.

Tickets for CONCACAF Gold Cup Group B doubleheader games will be available to the general public starting on Thursday, March 21 at 10:00 a.m. and will be available online at the BBVA Compass Stadium website, AXS, and the Gold Cup website, or by calling 888-929-7849. Tickets are also available at the Ticket Office, open Monday-Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

“We look forward to a successful tournament and an exciting 2013 Gold Cup final on July 28, right here at Soldier Field,” said CONCACAF President, Jeffrey Webb. “We also expect yet another competition fueled by passionate fans brought together in a celebration that will hopefully inspire a whole new generation of players.”

Mexico will anchor Group A, which begins play on July 7th, in a doubleheader that kicks off with Canada taking on Martinique at 4:30 pm CST the Rose Bowl. Honduras will lead Group B the following day, facing Haiti at Red Bull Arena on July 8th, with El Salvador and Trinidad & Tobago facing off earlier in the evening. The United States will play the following night, July 9th at Portland's JELD-WEN Field against Belize in Group C, which also will include Costa Rica vs. Cuba in the first match of the doubleheader.

The 2013 Gold Cup quarterfinals will be played in Atlanta's Georgia Dome and Baltimore's M&T Bank Stadium, both first-time hosts in the tournament. The semifinals will head to Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, TX on Wednesday, July 24.

With a mix of historic venues and brand new state of the art soccer facilities that average 57,000 spectators, the 2013 edition of the Gold Cup promises to provide fans both in stadium and at home with unforgettable atmospheres. In 2011, the tournament drew more than 600,000 fans throughout 13 match-days, including nine sell-outs. Taking place every two years, the Gold Cup has established itself as the region's most popular national team tournament, routinely drawing capacity crowds and millions of television viewers across the region. It features the confederation’s best players from the top 12 nations.

2013 CONCACAF GOLD CUP™
GROUP A: Mexico, Panama, Canada, Martinique
GROUP B: Honduras, El Salvador, Trinidad & Tobago, Haiti
GROUP C: USA, Costa Rica, Belize, Cuba

The above is from a press release from BBVA Compass Stadium.

Your Friday Goals for March 8, 2013

The 2013 MLS season has started, Real Madrid has bumped Manchester United from the Champions League, and David Beckham road the bench for PSG, it's time for your Friday Goals.

More after the jump:

Mexican & Nigerian National Teams to Play Friendly at Reliant on May 31st

Obtained from a Press Release issued by SUM:

The Federación Mexicana de Fútbol (FMF) and Soccer United Marketing (SUM) announced on Wednesday March 6, 2013 that the Mexican National Team will face the current Africa Cup of Nations champion, Nigeria, on Friday, May 31 (9:00 p.m. ET) at Reliant Stadium in Houston, TX. The match, presented by Allstate, will be the third of five games as part of Mexico’s annual U.S. tour, now in its 11th year.

An exclusive Visa pre-sale for the game will begin Thursday, March 7 via www.Ticketmaster.com or by calling 1-800-745-3000. Tickets, which start at $30, will go on sale to the general public on Monday, March 11 at 10:00 a.m. ET on www.Ticketmaster.com, by calling 1-800-745-3000 and at all Houston-area Ticketmaster locations, including all Houston-area Fiesta stores. The Federación Mexicana de Fútbol invites fans to use their Visa cards.

Mexico has played 12 matches at Reliant Stadium since 2003, averaging nearly 60,000 fans per appearance. The last time El Tricolor featured against an African opponent at Reliant in 2010, Mexico defeated Angola 1-0 before a crowd of 70,099.

The upcoming May game against Nigeria will be crucial for Mexico head coach, Jose Manuel de la Torre, as it will be the team’s final preparation match before two June Hexagonal CONCACAF World Cup qualifying round matches. Following the qualifiers, Mexico – the reigning CONCACAF Gold Cup champions – will then head to Brazil to participate in the FIFA Confederations Cup. In Brazil, El Tricolor will face the home team, Italy and Japan in the group stage. Mexico will return to U.S. territory to defend their title in the bi-annual CONCACAF Gold Cup, which Mexico will inaugurate on July 7 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.

Nigeria was crowned champion of the 2013 edition of the Africa Cup of Nations after a 1-0 victory over Burkina Faso in the final, and will also travel to Brazil in July to participate in the FIFA Confederations Cup where they will face Spain, Uruguay and Tahiti in the group stage. Nigeria, currently leading Africa’s World Cup qualifying, has won the Africa Nations Cup on three occasions and also has participated in four World Cup tournaments. Mexico and Nigeria have met three times with a 1-0-2 record in favor of Mexico. The two teams last met in October of 2007 in an international friendly, with the match ending in a 2-2 tie at the Estadio Olimpico Benito Juarez in Chihuahua, Mexico.

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While there is no secret that El Tri has a substantial fan base in the Houston area, Houston also has a sizable Nigerian community likely eager to support the current Champions of Africa.

Dynamo Start First Leg of Champions League Quarterfinals With 1-0 Win

Photo by Nigel Brooks.

The first leg of the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals began in Houston, Texas with the Dynamo hosting Mexico's Santos Laguna at BBVA Compass Stadium.

On the whole, much of the match seemed fairly balanced with both teams being unable to take advantage of opportunities presented as a result of defensive breakdowns on both ends of the pitch. In the end though, it was Brad Davis, who had some less then stellar set pieces, that picked up the game winning goal in the 89th minute.

The Dynamo's newest player, Andrew Driver, had a golden opportunity to score a second goal almost immediately after Davis' goal, but Driver lost control of his feet and went down, untouched, in the box.

While a 1-0 win at home is a good result to start with, the Dynamo have to defend their lead, and hope to extend their lead, down in Torreón on Wednesday March 13th at 7:00 p.m. central time. The good news for the Dynamo and its fans is that the Dynamo do not have an MLS match this week, so they have plenty of time to rest and prepare for the second leg of this quarterfinals match-up.

Houston Dynamo Start 2013 MLS Season with a 2-0 Win over DC United

Photo by Nigel Brooks.

The Houston Dynamo kicked off the 2013 MLS Season at BBVA Compass Stadium on Saturday March 2nd with a 2-0 victory over D.C. United, with Ricardo Clark having a role in both goals.

Over 20,000 soccer fans showed up in the eastend of Downtown Houston on a chilly, windy winter evening to get a first glimpse of how the team that lost the last two MLS Cup finals is shaping up for their next run at the MLS Cup final. The first half was a bit sluggish as both teams tried to shake off the last of the off-season rust. As the first half clock moved past the thirty minute mark, the Dynamo's offense was pressing the attack and a foul on Ricardo Clark set up a penalty kick for Brad Davis in the 40th minute; however, it was a poor clock and United keeper Bill Hamid guessed correctly, blocking the shot. This was Davis' third missed penalty kick in a row. Television viewers felt that the foul took place outside of the box and that it should not have been a penalty, but following the match, Ricardo Clark said that he felt it was in the box.

The first goal of the match came in the 80th minute on a corner kick. The goal was initially credited to Ricardo Clark, but a review of the play showed it to be an own goal by United defender James Riley. Clark finally got his goal 8 minutes later, thanks to an assist by Warren Creavalle, who had just substituted in for Brad Davis.

With Saturday's victory, the Dynamo continued their regular season dominance of D.C. United with an 8-0-1 record and 19 goals to United's 4 goals. In Saturday's match, United was not credited with a single shot on goal.

The Dynamo's next match is at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday March 5th when they host Santos Laguna in the first leg of the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Champions League.

The Dynamo do not have another league match until St. Patrick's Day when they travel to Frisco, Texas to face F.C. Dallas at noon central time. Dallas also opened the 2013 season at home on Saturday with a 1-0 victory over Colorado.

Elsewhere in the Eastern Conference, Sporting Kansas City beatdown the Philadelphia Union, 3-1; the Vancouver Whitecaps pulled off a 1-0 victory over Toronto F.C.; Columbus Crew rolled over reborn Chivas USA, 3-1; and the Montreal Impact picked up a 1-0 away win against the Seattle Sounders.

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The National Anthem was sung by Asli Omar, lead singer of the Tontons, here's some Tontons for those who are not familiar with the Houston band:

Houston Dynamo Odds & Ends - March 1, 2012

The 2013 MLS season starts tomorrow, Saturday March 2nd, and the Houston Dynamo will be hosting D.C. United at BBVA Compass Stadium. Click here to purchase tickets. It's been a somewhat busy week for the Dynamo as they get ready for the new season and another shot at the MLS Cup.

Contracts have been a big issue this week with Brian Ching and Mike Chabala getting new contracts and Chris Canetti getting a contract extension.

Brian Ching signed his new contract sometime within the past 24 hours. This is a one season contract, and it is clear that this will be Brian Ching's final season as a player for the Houston Dynamo, but that doesn't mean that the native of Haleiwa, Hawai’i (on the lovely island of O'ahu) will be leaving the Dynamo after this season. The contract provides that Ching will be a player/assistant coach, opening the door to a future on the coaching staff or being in the front office.

Ching was a member of the old San Jose Earthquakes team that made the move to Houston in 2006, and his long tenure and star power here in Houston puts him the same realm of former Astros players Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell.

“We are happy to keep Brian on the team,” said Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear. “Throughout his career, Brian has been a key part of who we are. He has also been an important player on the field and in the locker room.”

“(Houston) is where I always wanted to be,” said Ching. “I was completely optimistic that we would get this deal done. I wanted to come back and play again, so I’m looking forward to continuing the same role I finished the season with last year and hopefully making a difference on the field.”

“It’s nice to formally wrap up Brian’s contract for 2013. Having him here was never in question; it just took some time to iron out the details. He is an integral part of our club today and will be into the future,” said Dynamo president Chris Canetti.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday, Houston Dynamo CEO Chris Canetti signed a contract extension that will keep him as the team's President for three more years. Canetti first joined the Dynamo front office when he became the Chief Operating Officer in 2006, and was promoted to President when Oliver Luck left the role to become the Athletic Director at the University of West Virginia in 2010.

“Under Chris’ leadership, the Dynamo have not only achieved some of the most successful seasons (on and off the pitch) in MLS history, they have truly been a model franchise for all of professional sports,” said Tim Leiweke, President & CEO, AEG, managing partners, Houston Dynamo. “While waiting years to open one of the great soccer stadiums, Chris continued to set records for attendance and revenue and now, with BBVA Compass Stadium, we have no doubt that with Chris guiding the organization, the best is yet to come for the Houston Dynamo franchise and their fans.” Leiweke continued: “On behalf of Oscar De La Hoya, Gabriel Brener, and Phil Anschutz, we could not be more pleased to ensure that Chris will remain with the Dynamo for years to come.”

“I am honored and privileged to have the opportunity to continue to lead this great club into what is a very bright future,” said Canetti. “I love coming to work every day and am committed to helping the Dynamo achieve the highest levels of success. I’d like to thank our ownership group for its confidence in me and for all of the support they have given over the years.”

An old face signed a new contract with the Houston Dynamo, it was announced on earlier this week that Mike Chabala, who was invited to trial with the club during preseason, and will now be much needed depth on the back line. Read more about Chabala rejoining the Dynamo at Dynamo Theory.

On Monday, the Dynamo unveiled their new jerseys:

This season will mark the first season the Dynamo have included the Texas flag on their kit.

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