Ex-Chivas coach will lead Quakes
Former Argentina midfielder and Chivas Guadalajara coach Matias Almeyda has been hired as head coach of the Earthquakes.
The Quakes made the announcement Monday and said interim head coach Steve Ralston will stay on the job for the final two matches of the season. Almeyda will debut next season.
Last month, San Jose fired firstyear head coach Mikael Stahre with six matches remaining and the team sitting at the bottom of the Western Conference standings at 2-9-3, also dismissing assistant coach Alex de Crook.
Almeyda, 44, served as Chivas’ coach from September 2015 until June, and led his team to this year’s CONCACAF Champions League title. He has guided several players from the Mexican national team as well.
Luka Modric and Kylian Mbappe are in the running to break Lionel Messi’s and Cristiano Ronaldo’s 10-year dominance of the Ballon d’Or.
The World Cup finalist and champion, respectively, are nominees for this year’s award, alongside Brazilian forward Marta. For the first time, France Football magazine is awarding the individual trophy to a woman and a man Dec. 3 in Paris.
The last player to win the trophy before Ronaldo and Messi took control was Kaka in 2007. This year, Ronaldo and Messi have not been as dominant.
Marta features among the 15 women’s nominees unveiled Monday, along with Lyon players Ada Hegerberg of Norway and Dzsenifer Marozsan of Germany.
Mbappe won the World Cup for France in Russia, where he became the first teenager to score in a final since Pele in 1958. France beat Modric’s Croatia 4-2 in the final, and Modric was voted player of the tournament.
Last month, Modric won FIFA’s best player award, and is regarded as the front-runner for the Ballon d’Or.
Adriana Leon and Jordyn Huitema each had four goals in Canada’s 12-0 victory over Cuba in the group stage of the CONCACAF Women’s World Cup qualifying tournament in Texas . ... Jamaica upset Costa Rica 1-0.