MLS
Inter Miami, with 11 winless streak set for Messi unveiling
Inter Miami will celebrate the signing of Lionel Messi on Sunday but will do so after their winless run extended to 11 games with a 3-0 defeat at St. Louis City this Saturday, leaving them rock bottom of Major League Soccer.
Miami confirmed the arrival of Messi hours before their game kicked off in Missouri, but that couldn’t inspire Gerardo Martino’s team to victory as they suffered their 14th defeat in 22 games.
Miami are bottom of the Eastern Conference and their latest loss also left them in last place in the overall standings — 29th of 29 clubs.
That leaves Messi, the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner and Argentina World Cup hero, playing for officially the worst team in MLS.
Fortunately for the club and their new star, MLS does not, like most leagues in the world, have relegation. But Messi will need to have a transformational impact on the field if the club are to make a push towards the playoffs.
Messi has been expected to make his debut on Friday against Cruz Azul in the new Leagues Cup, a tournament featuring all the top-flight teams from MLS and Mexico’s Liga MX.
MLS is suspending its play for a month while the Leagues Cup is played, meaning the 36-year-old former Barcelona star won’t have a chance to start helping Miami up the league table until they host Charlotte on August 20.
But while the move has excited fans and gives Miami and MLS a chance to grow their popularity and revenue, the Florida club clearly hope that Messi will be able to raise the levels of his teammates.
“Lionel Messi is an incomparable talent. What he brings on and off the field will elevate everyone around him and we’re excited to have him at Inter Miami,” the club’s Sporting Director Chris Henderson said on Saturday.
There was nothing exciting about Miami’s performance in St. Louis, however, with the home side taking the lead in the 28th minute thanks to a header from a corner buried by Samuel Adeniran.
St. Louis, top of the Western Conference in their debut season, made it 2-0 five minutes before the break, with Miami again unable to defend a corner as Tim Parker glanced in a header at the near post.
German Eduard Loewen completed Miami’s misery with a thundering free-kick, 10 minutes from the end.
– Disappointing debut –
It was a disappointing first game in charge for former Barcelona and Argentina coach Martino, who said fans would need to be patient with Messi and left open the question of whether he would feature against Cruz Azul.
“We look to the future with hope (given) that the best player in the world will play for our team, but also with the patience that we have to have so that he can get in good physical shape and can play at the right moment,” he said.
“We ended up losing the game with three set pieces, which, of course, is valid and that’s how games are won. We have a lot of stuff to correct,” he added.
Eastern Conference leaders FC Cincinnati continued their outstanding home form with their 11th win in 12 games thanks to a 3-1 win over a Nashville team who ended with nine men for the second straight game.
USA defender Walker Zimmerman put Nashville ahead in the 31st minute with a tap-in after Cincinnati keeper Roman Celentano failed to hold onto a cross.
The home side drew level through a 42nd-minute Luciano Acosta penalty but then Nashville saw Taylor Washington and Fata Picault both sent off for second yellow cards, leaving them two men down for the final 20 minutes.
Acosta set up Santiago Arias with a clever diagonal pass in the 74th minute before newly signed Gabonese striker Aaron Boupendza made sure of the win.
Ian Harkes, son of former US international John, scored twice for the New England Revolution, second in the East, as they beat Wayne Rooney’s D.C. United 4-0.
Last season’s runners-up, the Philadelphia Union beat 2021 champions New York City 2-1 with goals from Jose Martinez and Chris Donovan.
-AP
American professional soccer club, Real Salt Lake has acquired Nigerian striker Victor Olatunji from Czech top-flight side Sparta Prague on Wednesday.
Olatunji, 25, arrives for a reported $2.5 million transfer fee and is under contract through June 2028 with options for the rest of 2028 and all of 2029.
To complete the deal, Real Salt Lake is sending $125,000 in 2026 general allocation money to D.C. United to obtain Olatunji’s discovery priority.
“We are excited to welcome Victor to Utah, another move we’ve been working on for some time,” RSL chief soccer officer Kurt Schmid said. “Victor’s speed, strength and intelligence in the box should allow him to fit into our attack.”
Olatunji has racked up 42 goals and 11 assists in 192 club appearances in Austria, Cyprus, Slovakia and the Czech Republic since 2017.
-Reuters
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Lionel Messi has been suspended for one game after sitting out the MLS All-Star Game without prior approval, the league said on Friday.
The Inter Miami forward and his teammate, Jordi Alba, did not compete on Wednesday despite not being injured, even though they were included in the All-Star roster.
“Per league rules, any player who does not participate in the All-Star Game without prior approval from the league is ineligible to compete in their club’s next match,” MLS said in a statement.
The suspension will see Messi, the league’s main attraction, miss Inter Miami’s match against the visiting FC Cincinnati on Saturday. Cincinnati lead the Eastern Conference standings.
Messi has scored 18 goals so far this season.
“I know Lionel Messi loves this league. I don’t think there’s a player – or anyone – who has done more for Major League Soccer than Messi. I fully understand, respect, and admire his commitment to Inter Miami, and I respect his decision,” MLS Commissioner Don Garber said in a statement.
“Unfortunately, we have a long-standing policy regarding participation in the All-Star Game, and we had to enforce it. It was a very difficult decision.”
All-Star competitions are a mainstay of North American sports, where the men’s “Big Four” leagues use the exhibitions to boost their players’ profiles, but a rarity in professional soccer.
“We’re going to take a hard look at the policy moving forward. I’m committed to working with our players to determine how the rule should evolve,” said Garber.
Inter Miami managing owner Jorge Mas described both players as “consummate professionals” who were “extremely upset” about the suspensions.
He explained that the club made the decision for the players to miss the All-Star game to prioritize their rest and health during a demanding stretch of matches. Mas strongly criticized the rule, calling it “draconian.”
“The ones that get penalized are the club, the fans, sponsors, Apple TV, and so on,” Mas told reporters during a conference call on Friday
“I expressed our disagreement with the league’s decision, and I had conversations with the commissioner both this morning and late last night,” he said.
“But notwithstanding that, the decision is what it is.”
Mas added that there was no appeals process available
-Reuters
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An unlikely person helped save Lionel Messi from receiving a postmatch red card on Wednesday night — San Jose Earthquakes coach Bruce Arena.
Messi of Inter Miami was irate when he was tackled just outside the box during second-half stoppage time of the 3-3 tie in San Jose. He barked at the officials after the non-call and his frustration increased after the contest ended, resulting in a yellow card.
Messi was still barking at the officials while shaking hands with assorted players on the field when he headed over to further confront the trio. Head referee Joe Dickerson said “walk away now” to the fuming Messi.
But there was Arena standing in the mix with Messi and the three officials, serving as part peacemaker and part negotiator before personally walking Messi away.
“He was obviously not happy, and I wanted to make sure he wasn’t going to get a red card,” Arena said during his postgame news conference. “I just tried to move him out of the way, because for him to get a red card at the end of the game would have been ridiculous.
“I just wanted to make sure we get him out of there and he’s ready to play the next game for Miami.”
Messi has five goals and three assists in nine MLS matches this season entering Sunday’s home game against Orlando City.
The tie with the Earthquakes gave Inter Miami a point but the club is just 1-2-1 over the last four MLS matches and 1-4-1 across all competitions. Miami has allowed 17 goals in the six matches.
-Reuters
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