Join me tonight for Soccer Matters with Glenn Davis brought to you by Memorial Hermann Sports Medicine Institute on Sports Talk 790 radio from 7-8pm tonight.

Call in number is 713-212-5790, the show streams live on http://sports790.com

Guest: Eric Wynalda former U.S. National team striker

Tonight’s show will feature EPL, La Liga, Bundesliga and MFL updates and conversation re-capping the weekend’s, transfer talk, and more!!!
Memorial Hermann Sports Medicine update tonight with Dr. Mosi Jones on head injuries.

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Fresh on the heels of hearing that Jurgen Klinsmann was being interviewed for the U.S. National team, Bob Bradley was re-named as coach at a press conference this afternoon in New York City. Many were caught off guard with how quickly this happened.
Bradley was given a four year extension that keeps him in charge until 2014 and has been lauded with praise after the U.S. national team won their group over England at this summer’s World Cup in South Africa.

There is no doubt that this decision is going to have it’s supporters and detractors like most any hiring. What will come out in the coming days is how far the reach of U.S. soccer and president Sunil Gulati went as far as interviewing candidates. It is clear that maybe only Klinsmann, the former German national team coach, was potentially interviewed.
Bradley will have the experience of going through a previous cycle heading into his next four years but was this program due for a change in philosophy?
No one can question Bradley and his loyalty and effort to U.S. soccer. He was heard recently speaking rather freely to a European broadcaster and clearly put the “for hire” sign out as far as Aston Villa is concerned which no one should have a problem with.
Do you like the re-hiring of Bob Bradley?

ADIDAS INCREASES COMMITMENT TO MLS

In 2004 Adidas signed a ten year deal with MLS for the sum of $150 million dollars. It was a watershed moment for the league and Adidas became the official athletic sponsor an licensed supplier to the league. Adidas has now agreed to new terms that is valued at more than $200 million. The good news here is that one has to assume that dollars will be funneled to both the Academy Programs and a new reserve league that is essential. Essential for the Academy programs because without a reserve league we will never see the full potential of the Academy program.
The return of the reserve league is key and goes hand in hand with the Academy league and program.
The deal with Adidas is worth now an additional $24 million per year. Adidas is clearly trying to make it’s mark on player development in the United States.

Dynamo coach Dominic Kinnear will talk about the Colorado loss and if the Dynamo can make the playoffs on Dynamo All Access with Glenn Davis tonight.
KC Wizard striker Davey Arnaud and San Jose striker Chris Wondoloski……..call in number 713-212-5790, streaming at http://www.sports790.com

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I am hearing the grumblings already that the playoffs are officially a pipe-dream for the Dynamo this season. Do you believe this?
Signings that didn’t pan-out, loss of upper echelon MLS players, poor individual performances, lack of good fortune and injury have all played a part to where the Dynamo are currently, it was tough to watch in Colorado as the game was essentially over in 24 minutes.

With eight games to go it is going to take something special, real special to get into the playoffs.
Is it time for the Dynamo to play these games as though preparing for the future or do you keep the faith?
Something tells me that Dynamo manager Dominic Kinnear will try to keep this team fighting until it is mathematically impossible to get into the playoffs.
This is new territory many in this group of players that have rarely if at all missed post-season play.
At this point, players are also playing for their futures in Houston.
Lets talk about this tonight at 7pm on Dynamo All Access with Glenn Davis, we break down the Colorado game and prepare for the visit of the San Jose Earthquakes.

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The Dynamo finally got that elusive win and a bag full of those elusive goals in their 4-3 win over the Chicago Fire last weekend.
One has to think that morale and self confidence is up a notch heading into Dicks Sporting Goods Park this weekend in Colorado to take on the Rapids.
The Dynamo have yet to post back to back wins this year and in order to take the full value out of their home win they need to produce on the road.
Is this the defining game of the year for the Dynamo?
Colorado has won 1 in 10, boast Conor Casey and Omar Cummings as strikers (Cummings also has played wide) and their manager Gary Smith is lamenting not taking advantage of possession and producing goals.
Jeff Larentowicz and Pablo Maestroeni will bring the ethic in central midfield for the Rapids.
Do the Dynamo build off their win in Colorado? Post your pre-and-post game thoughts !

EPL LINEUP

Saturday: Blackburn vs. Arsenal, Blackpool vs. Fulham, Chelsea vs. Stoke, Tottenham vs. Wigan, Wolverhampton vs. Newcastle, Manchester United, West Ham

Sunday: Bolton vs. Birmingham, Liverpool vs. West Bromwhich Albion, Sunderland vs. Man City, Aston Villa vs. Everton….

What EPL matches are you focused on? Check out prior blog on Real Madrid/Barcelona as Spain’s La Liga opens up this weekend.

MASCHERANO TO BARCELONA
Liverpool and Barcelona have apparently agreed on a price for Javier Mascherano to move to Spain…..

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Today in Monaco, the draw for the Champions League Group stages was completed.
So here are the groups:

GROUP A : Inter Milan (defending Champions)
Tottenham Hotspur ( 1st Champions League appearance)
Werder Bremen ( 6th appearance in 7 seasons)
Twente ( 1st appearance)

GROUP B Lyon (semi-finalist last year)
Benfica (4th appearance in last 6 years)
Schalke (1st appearance in 3 years)
Hapoel Tel Aviv (1st appearance for the Israeli side)

GROUP C Manchester United (15th straight appearance for 3 time champion)
Valencia ( 2 time runner-up)
Rangers (3rd appearance in 4 seasons for Scottish Champs)
Bursaspor (1st appearance)

GROUP D Barcelona (3 time champions)
Panathinaikos (2nd appearance in 3 seasons)
FC Copenhagen (Danish Champs)
Rubin Kazan (Russian champs)

GROUP E Bayern Munich (runners up last year to Inter Milan)
Roma ( Serie A runner up)
Basel (Swiss squad in 3rd appearance)
Cluj (Romanian champs)

Group F Chelsea (have never won title)
Marseille (only French club to have ever won the Champions league in 92-93)
Spartak Moscow (1st appearance in 4 years)
ZIlina (first ever Slovakian club to appear)

Group G AC Milan (7 time European Champions)
Real Madrid (9 time European Champions)
Ajax (four time European Champions)
Auxerre (3rd appearance)

Group H Arsenal (never have won the title)
Shakhtar Donetsk (5 apps in 7 years)
Braga (first appearance for the Portuguese side)
Partizan Belgrade (2nd appearance)

What are your thoughts on these groups? Is Group G the group of death?

Inter Milan swept awards for last years Champions League play being the first time to ever do that.

UEFA Club Footballer of the year: Diego Milito (Inter Milan)
UEFA goalkeeper of the year: Julio Cesar (Inter Milan)
UEFA defender of the year : Maicon (Inter Milan)
UEFA midfielder of the year: Wesley Sneijder (Inter Milan)
UEFA forward of the year: Diego Milito (Inter Milan)

Monday Dynamo All Access with Glenn Davis on Sports Talk 790 at 7pm
Tuesday Soccer Matters with Glenn Davis brought to you by presenting sponsor MEMORIAL HERMANN SPORTS MEDICINE INSTITUTE and Danish Inspirations Contemporary Furniture

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The record for MLS teams in matches in Mexico is a dismal 0-43-3. We have seen MLS teams put in good performances in Mexico but never good enough to actually win a game. The Dynamo result at UNAM Pumas 4-4 is as close as anyone has come to beating a Mexican team on their soil.
Playing Cruz Azul in Mexico City last night RSL had a 3-1 lead with fifteen minutes to go before before falling apart to lose 5-4. Javier Antonio Penuelas scored for Cruz Azul in the 88th and 89th minutes.
Thoughts on this game and what it will take to win in Mexico?

LANDIN AT ATLANTE
Former Dynamo Luis Landin has been resigned to just 19 minutes of playing time off the bench at Atlante. Atlante is currently 1-1-3.

NEW RADIO SHOW
Soccer Matters with Glenn Davis brought to you by MEMORIAL HERMANN SPORTS MEDICINE INSTITUTE will debut August 31 on Tuesday following Monday night’s Dynamo All Access with Glenn Davis.
All air on Sports Talk 790 AM and can be listened to on the internet at Sports790.com

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The interest in Spain’s La Liga has gone up a notch this year due to the arrival of the “special one”. Jose Mourinho has this great habit of winning, leaving with fans wanting more.
Just ask Inter Milan fan if they have any trepidation going into this year’s Serie A without the guidance and leadership of Mourinho.

How can you not like this guy? Brash, decisive he brings and new level of psychology to the role of manager. I loved his pre-season quote…….”you are not supposed to win pre-season games”, in reference to his Real Madrid squad. How counter-culture is that to many coaches who want to establish a winning mentality from the start? He is a master of using the press to deflect attention off his players and was able to manager all his stars last year in Italy.

The real question now focuses on if Mourinho can in fact pull Real Madrid together to defeat and gain the upper hand on Barcelona? For this to happen his relationship with Florentino Perez will somehow have to work. Can these two egos join forces for the betterment of defeating hated rivals Barcelona whose youth policy differs from the buying policy of Real. Last year was supposed to be the year with the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka but it failed.
Former Real Madrid manager Jose Manuel Pellegrini seemed over-whelmed and his hands were tied on player decisions.

So now with the most expensive coach in the world in charge one has to expect the LA Liga title at minimum right? Wrong, Mourinho has already come out and said that anything less than wining both La Liga and the Champions League will be a disaster.

The squad has signed some great young talent in Mesut Ozil (Werder Bremen), Sami Khedira (Stuttgart) who both shined for Germany in the World Cup (How can you forget the devastation of England and Argentina?). They have also added Angel di Maria (Benfica) and Ricardo Carvalho (Chelsea).

Can Mourinho get the best out of a seemingly distracted Cristiano Ronaldo?

This is going to be better than watching reality tv for many. The Messiah has come to Madrid and this weekend begins his attempt to de-throne Barcelona in Spain…….Will Real Madrid and Jose Mourinho top Barcelona this season?

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