Houston Dash down Racing Louisville 1-0

By Jennifer Edwards
Copyright 2023 All Rights Reserved

HOUSTON, TEXAS (July 31, 2023) On Saturday, July 29 the Houston Dash took on Racing Louisville at Shell Energy Stadium in Houston. While the Dash was missing seven of their international players to the FIFA Women’s World Cup, that didn’t slow them down in their meeting with Racing Louisville. 

The Dash beat Racing Louisville 1-0 in the UKG Challenge Cup play. Undefeated in Challenge Cup play, Racing Louisville put up a good fight with 15 shots on goal and Dash Goalkeeper Jane Campbell deflected all 15 earning her a clean sheet. Forward Ebony Salmon scored in the 25th minute scoring the night’s only goal. 

The game was also the Dash’s most recent acquisition, Sarah Putigam entering the game in the second half. The Dash will end their Challenge Cup play on August 5th at SeatGeek Stadium taking on the Chicago Red Stars.

Pasadena swimmers excel at TAAF Games of Texas; Qualify for State Games of America

By Chris Price
Copyright 2023 All Rights Reserved

BROWNSVILLE, TEXAS (July 29, 2023) Two former Pasadena Independent School District swimmers showed the crowd at Margaret M. Clark Aquatic Center that just because you have graduated high school, you can still find success competing in the pool.

Kimberly Dutton (above left) and Emely Lopez (above right), who both competed for Pasadena Memorial High School and Pasadena High School, respectively, competed in the Texas Amateur Athletic Federation (TAAF) Games of Texas state championships, and brought medals back to Pasadena.

Dutton,  who graduated in 2020, and Lopez, who graduated this past spring, each was part of the South Belt Area "All Stars" Swimming Team (SBAS) squad who won the women's 200-yard medley relay in the 18-and-over division at this summer's state championships.

In winning the relay, they became the first relay foursome to take a TAAF state title since 2004. The foursome of Kristine Kelly, Natalie Melenric, Caitlin Cunningham, and Jackie Thibodaux combined to win the girls' 15-17 200-yard freestyle relay with the time of 1:42.01, with that performance standing as a TAAF state record to this day.

Lopez, who was a four-time academic all-state honoree for the Pasadena Eagles, and two-time All America selection also took the bronze medal in the women's 18-24 50-yard butterfly. Lopez will continue her swimming career this fall as a member of the inaugural swimming team at the University of St. Thomas in Houston.

Dutton, who was an academic all-state swimmers for the Pasadena Memorial Mavericks, and was an National State Games of America (NSGA) All-American in 2019 took the bronze medal in the women's 18-24 50-yard breaststroke.

As a result of making it to the medal platform in Brownsville, both women have qualified for State Games of America National Championships at the University of California in San Diego in July, 2024. This will be the first time Lopez will compete in the national event, however it will be the second time for Dutton. She qualified and competed in the 2019 edition of the games at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, bringing several medals back to Pasadena.

The South Belt Area "All Stars" Swimming Team is a select program consisting of elite swimmers from the Deer Park, Pasadena, Pearland, Friendswood, Clear Lake and greater Houston area. They are coached by Robert and Darla Kelly and Renee Martinez.

Two late goals give Barcelona 3-0 win over Real Madrid in Soccer Champions Tour

Photo by Darla S Tamulitis, La Vita Loca Photography
Copyright 2023, All Rights Reserved

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2023 All Rights Reserved

ARLINGTON, TEXAS (July 29, 2023) As the 82,026 super soccer fans filed into AT&T Stadium on Saturday, afternoon, anyone with a sense for soccer could tell this was going to be a match that would be remembered for a very long time. The event was the Soccer Champions Tour, presented by DIRECTV. FC Barcelona was in town to face La Liga rival Real Madrid FC in a friendly international match. When all the excitement and thrill of the competition was over, Barcelona walked away with a 3-0 win over Madrid.

Barcelona found the back of the net, the first time, in the 15th minute. Forward Ousmane Dembele received the ball on a rebounds of a free kick; skillfully crossing it past Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois for the first goal of the match.

Their second goal came 70 minutes later, in the 85th minute when midfielder Fermin Lopez Martin looped in the ball from 6 meters out for the second goal of the game. Six minutes later, in the first minute of added time of the second half, forward Ferran Torres, who came off the bench earlier in the game, found himself and the ball in front of the goal and kicked it in for another insurance score of the match.

The real star of the match, with his great work in front of the net, was Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ler Stegen. In the first half alone, the German stopped four shots on goal and also defected as many as he stopped. In the second half, he continued to keep Madrid scoreless and hinder their chances for their third win in the tour.

The match was very intense, and it was obvious, even though this was an international friendly, both squads wanted to win and put on a fine and exciting exhibition for those in attendance.

Previously in the tour, Barcelona battled to a 2-2 draw against Juventus and fell to Arsenal 5-2. Madrid downed both AC Milan 5-3 and  Manchester United 2-0. Next up for Barcelona is an August 2 matchup against AC Milan at Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nevada. Madrid will meet Juventus at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida on August 3.

FIFA Women's World Cup Preview: Portugal and Republic of Ireland

By Jennifer Edwards
Copyright 2023 All Rights Reserved

AUSTRALIA-NEW ZEALAND (July 24, 2023) The fifth and sixth teams to debut at the FIFA Women’s World Cup are Portugal and the Republic of Ireland. 

Portugal 

While the men’s national team are a mainstay at the World Cup since 1998, the women’s national team are starting their road in the World Cup this year. They participated in the Women’s Euro in 2017 and 2022 being coached by Francisco Neto. The Selecção das Quinas player to watch is Dolores Silva. The midfielder is a three time Portuguese Cup winner and a four time Portuguese National Football Championship winner. The Portuguese women's team will have quite the challenge from the Netherlands right out of the gate during their group stage play. Portugal is currently ranked 22nd in the world and they are looking to continue the march to the top of the standings. 

Republic of Ireland 

The Girls in Green punched their ticket to the Women’s World Cup by beating Scotland in a 1-0 victory in the European play-offs. The 23rd ranked team, behind Portugal, are coached by former Houston Dash head coach Vera Pauw. Another Houston connection to the Women’s World Cup is through Denise O’Sullivan, former Houston Dash player. The Girls in Green are captained by Katie McCabe, who plays winger, forward, fullback, and wingback. This is a very solid team that played their first game against Australia before a sold out, record breaking crowd.

Southeastern Voted Top Spot in 2023 Southland Football Preseason Poll

FRISCO, TEXAS (June 24, 2023) For the third year in a row, Southeastern is the preseason favorite for the Southland Conference football season, the league announced Monday during Southland Football Media Days. The Lions received nine first-place votes and 93 total points to take the spot.

UIW followed closely in second – with seven first-place votes – and 91 points. The Lions and Cardinals shared the Southland Conference regular season title a season ago and both participated in the FCS Playoffs, with UIW advancing to the semifinals.

McNeese was picked third with 65 points followed by Nicholls is fourth with 62 points. Northwestern State was fifth with 52 points, while Texas A&M-Commerce (33), Lamar (28), and HCU (24) wrapped up the poll.
 
The Lions garnered a league-leading 17 total selections on the preseason all-conference teams, including a conference-best eight first-team selections. SLU is coming off its third postseason appearance in the last four seasons with a full, 24-team bracket, including advancing to the second round a season ago.
 
The Southland Conference preseason poll is voted on by each head coach and football sports information director. Each voter ranks their predicted order of regular season finish, not including their own team.

FIFA Women's World Cup Preview: Panama and Philippines

By Jennifer Edwards
Copyright 2023 All Rights Reserved

AUSTRALIA/NEW ZEALAND (July 21, 2023) The third and fourth debutants at the FIFA Women’s World Cup are Panama and the Philippines. There are a grand total of eight teams debuting at the World Cup and the world is learning more about them as well. 

Panama 

While the men’s national team just wrapped up their Gold Cup run, their women’s national team were busy preparing for their World Cup start in Australia. The Canal Girls or also known as The Red Tide, are ranked 57th in the world. They qualified for the World Cup by beating Paraguay 1-0 in Group C Play-Off Tournament finals. They are coached by Ignacio Quintana. The player to watch for is Marta Cox. She is a midfielder for Panama and Liga MX Femenil Pachuca. 

Philippines 

The Filipinas are the first in their country to ever qualify for a World Cup, men's or women's sides. They are coached by Australian footballer Alen Stajcic. The captain of the team is their attacking midfielder Tahnai Annis. Born in the United States, Annis is able to play for the Philippines through her mother Myla, who’s family roots are in the Philippines. They qualified for the World Cup by being the semi-finalists at the 2022 AFC Women’s Asian Cup.

FIFA Women's World Cup Preview: Haiti and Morocco

By Jennifer Edwards
Copyright 2023 All Rights Reserved

AUSTRIALIA/NEW ZEALAND  (July 19, 2023) Let’s meet the debutants of the FIFA Women’s World Cup that started on Wednesday in the host countries of Australia and New Zealand. There are 8 countries that are showcasing their talents for the first time on the world stage. For those who are new, most of the national team of each country have team names, a stand out player, world class coaching staffs, and captains that anchor their teams. Let’s meet the first two! 

Haiti

Ranked 55th in the world are the Les Grenadieres. They are coached by Nicolas Delepine and they play in the CONCACAF Confederation. They are anchored by midfielder Melchie Dumornay. She is one of the youngest on the team at 19 years old. She plays for Lyon when she isn’t playing with the national team. They qualified for the World Cup by beating Chile 2-1 with Dumornay scoring both goals to punch Haiti’s ticket to Australia. Making her the player to watch when they take on England in group play. 

Morocco 

The Atlas Lionesses, the women’s national soccer team from Morocco, are ranked 76th in the FIFA/Coca Cola rankings and are coached by former Olympique Lyonnais’ coach Reynald Pedros. They qualified as the runners-up to the 2022 CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations. Their player to watch is their Captain,Ghizlane Chebbak. Chebbak plays forward of the Atlas Lionesses. The 32 year old is a standout for her country by being awarded the Africa Cup of Nations Top Scorer, and Best Player, and 5 time Moroccan Women’s Championship Top Scorer. The Women’s National Team is also the first-ever Arab country represented in the FIFA Women’s World Cup.

LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY (July 17, 2023) McNeese Volleyball was one of 201 collegiate teams to earn The Unites States Marine Corps/AVCA Team Academic Award for the 2022-23 season, the organization recently announced.

The award, initiated in the 1992–93 academic year, honors volleyball teams that maintain a year-long grade-point average of 3.3 on a 4.0 scale or 4.1 on a 5.0 scale.  The award marks the ninth time McNeese has earned the award with the last coming in 2018.

As a team, the Cowgirls posted a 3.48 cumulative GPA for the year with 13 student-athletes earning at least a 3.0 GPA or better.  Senior Lizzy Low was the only Cowgirl to post a perfect 4.0 GPA. 

Smart Financial Centre in Sugarland rocked with Joan Jett and the Blackhearts and Bryan Adams

Story and photos by Renee Martinez
Copyright 2023 All Rights Reserved

SUGAR LAND, TEXAS  (July 12, 2023) The Smart Financial Centre in Sugarland rocked on June 28 with a concert by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts and Bryan Adams.

It all started with Joan Jett and the Blackhearts (shown right) taking the stage. They have a new EP coming out with songs written during the pandemic. So, they opened their set with one of those new songs, "Shooting into Space."  It had a different sound than a usual Blackhearts song. Other songs from the EP were mixed into the set of classic tunes. Two Runaway songs were included in the set, "Cherry Bomb" and "You Drive Me Wild," which Jett said was the first song written by the Runaways.  "Fresh Start" was written for the documentary, "Bad Reputation."

Her classics, "Do You Wanna Touch Me" and "I Hate Myself for Lovin' You," got the crowd dancing and singing back. I love rock and roll and Bad reputation amped that up a notch. She finished her set with a song from the EP, "Whiskey Goes Good". I had never seen Joan Jett perform live before, but she rocked it.

Then, Bryan Adams (shown left) came on and the crowd filled in quite a bit.  He immediately went into a new song from the album “So Happy it Hurts’, called "Kick Ass". He then, proceeded to play songs from his repertoire both new and old. Three songs were played from the new album. "I’ve Been Looking for You" and "So Happy It Hurts" were the other two, in addition to "Kick Ass."

He played songs the spanned his 40 plus year music career. The album, "Reckless," has seven songs in the setlist. It’s only Love was one of those seven songs and he included a tribute to the late Tina Turner , who also sang with him in the  1980’s on this tune. Two soundtrack songs from Adams made the setlist.  “Here I Am” from "Spirit, Stallion of Cimarron," an animated movie and “Everything I do, I Do it For You” from "Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves."

When he sang, "Please Forgive Me," he paused and the audience filled it in. Towards the end, he did do three audience requested songs, "Lonely Nights," "Kids Wanna Rock," and "Cuts Like a Knife." Then the ‘Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You" cover followed. The night ended with the band dismissed and Adams serenaded the crowd with "Straight from the Hear" to close the evening as the 24^th song.

Paramore headlines concert at Toyota Center

Story and photos by Renee Martinez
Copyright 2023 All Rights Reserved

HOUSTON, TEXAS (July 11, 2023) Paramore, The Linda Lindas, and Foals performed at Toyota Center to a enthusiastic crowd at Toyota Center in Houston. 

The evening stated with The Linda Lindas. They reminded me of The GoGo’s except they are 18 and under. Two of the members are sisters. One is a cousin and the other is a friend. They played a ten-song set.  Two of their songs, Talking to myself and Racist, Sexist Boy have received feedback. Racist, Sexist Boy received the Kerrang! Award for Best Song. They will definitely be a band to watch.  They spent their summer touring with Paramore and just finished playing at Lollapalooza.

The second band to play was Foals. They are a band from the UK. They played an eight-song set. They are an alternative indie band. They are currently touring to promote their album “Life is Yours”.

The headliner of the evening was Paramore. Hayley Williams came out singing ‘You First’ from their new album, This Is Why.  Paramore played new songs from the album as well as older fan favorites. 

They played a 20-song set that covered their career so far. When they sang ‘That’s what you get’, Williams paused and the audience kept it going. Decode from the movie, Twilight got the crowd going.  Big Man, Little Dignity was dedicated to Greg Abbott , the governor of Texas. 

Apparently, there was a contest with the Texas shows (Houston was the last stop) for volume. Houston won, hands down. Things slowed down when ‘The only exception’ was played. Couples were dancing together in the stands. The drummer, Zach, sang  Baby, a Halfnoise cover.  Misery Business had a member of the audience on stage to sing with Hayley. The little girl that was picked was 9 yr old Riley. Videos are on youtube.com on this song being song together. The band ended on Ain’t it Fun.  They came back on stage and sang two more songs, Still into You and This is Why.

Houston Dynamo FC, Sporting KC battle to 2-2 draw in MLS action

By Robert H Kelly

Copyright 2023 All Rights Reserved

HOUSTON, TEXAS (July 8, 2023) Eight minutes into added time of the second half, Houston Dynamo FC snatched "a draw from the mouth of defeat" when Ivan Franco found the back of the goal; securing a 2-2 draw against Sporting Kansas City at Shell Energy Stadium on Saturday. Houston trailed Sporting KC prior to the score after forward Alan Pulido converted a penalty kick in the second half.

Pulido also scored the initial goal of the match, in the 25th minute, when he right-footed the ball from the center of the box to the center of the goal. It was his ninth goal of the season. He was assisted by midfielder Gadi Kinda; who tallied his third assist of the season.

The Dynamo evened the score two minutes into added time of the first half when forward Aliyu Ibrahim received a pass from Hector Herrera. Upon getting the ball, Ibrahim right-footed his shot from near the goal to the bottom left corner, making the score even at one at halftime. Kansas City took the lead in the 60th minute on Pulido's penalty kick.  The match concluded when Franco scored in second half added time.

Guadalupe drops Cuba 4-1 in CONCACAF Gold Cup Action

Story by Robert H Kelly

Copyright 2023 All Rights Reserved

HOUSTON, TEXAS (July 1, 2023) Guadalupe jumped out to a three-goal lead in the first half in route to a 4-1 win over Cuba in the second match for each team in the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup at Shell Energy Stadium.

The Gwada Boys earned three points with the win, in preparation for their final group stage match against Guatemala on July 4.

The first score came in the 13th minute when forward Matthias Phaeton found the back of the net giving Guadalupe a 1-0 lead. Play remained pretty constant for the remainder of the half, with each team unable to gain an advantage over their opponent. Then, in the span of two minutes, Cuba allowed two more goals into the back of their goal, giving The Gwada Boys a 3-0 lead at halftime. The first goal came by forward Ange Plumain in the 41st minute, with the follow-up goal by Matthias giving him a brace for the match.

In the second half, Guadalupe added to their goal total in the 50th minute when defender Anthony Baron scored the insurance goal.

Cuba finally got on the scoreboard when captain Aricheell Hernandez scored his team's first goal of the tournament in the 62nd minute.

Next up for Cuba is a July 4 matchup versus Canada.