Messi, Inter Miami trail Porto 1-0 in Club World Cup game after controversial PK
Lionel Messi fans in pink No. 10 shirts, and some in Argentina's iconic striped jerseys, showed up at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Thursday afternoon for a chance to see their idol and his Inter Miami teammates play in a pivotal game against Portuguese club FC Porto in the Club World Cup.
Plenty of Porto fans in royal blue and white shirts were also there for the occasion, and though they were outnumbered, they roared when their team took an early lead with a penalty kick by Spaniard Samu Omorodion at the eight-minute mark.
Head referee Cristian Garay called for the controversial PK after going to VAR and the ruling was that Noah Allen made contact with Porto's Joao Mario in the penalty area. The Miami fans booed the decision, but the Porto faithful cheered for the result.
After the opening Group A games over the weekend, Miami and the 30-time Portuguese champion Dragons were tied on points with Al Ahly and Palmeiras after earning one point with scoreless draws.
Palmeiras took control of the group Thursday afternoon with a 2-0 win over Al Ahly at Met Life Stadium in New Jersey. The game was suspended temporarily due to a thunderstorm, but it finished just before the Miami vs Porto game started.
There was also bad weather in the Atlanta area in the hours before kickoff, dampening some of the pre-game celebrations outside the stadium, but it did not affect the game because the stadium roof was closed.
The Miami Starting XI included Messi, goalkeeper Oscar Ustari (who had a brilliant game in the tournament opener), right back Marcelo Weigandt, center back Ian Fray, center back Maxi Falcon, left back Noah Allen, winger Tadeo Allende, midfielder Benja Cremaschi, midfielder Sergio Busquets, midfielder Telasco Segovia, and forward Luis Suarez.
Jordi Alba was on the game roster for the first time in three weeks after recovering from a hamstring injury, but he was not in the starting lineup.
Joining Alba on the bench were Rocco Rios Novo, Will Yarbrough, Ryan Sailor, Toto Aviles, David Martinez, Fede Redondo, Baltisar Rodriguez, Santi Morales, Fafa Picault, Leo Afonso and Allen Obando.
Porto's starters were: Claudio Ramos (in place of injured captain and goalkeeper Diogo Costa), Ze Pedro, Ivan Marcano, Martim Fernandes, Alan Varela, Rodrigo Mora, Moura, Joao Mario, Samu Omorodion, Gabri Veiga, and Fabio Vieira.
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Los Angeles Times
an hour ago
- Los Angeles Times
The Sports Report: Dodgers-Padres series reaches contentious conclusion
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Continue reading here All Times Pacific NBA FINALS Oklahoma City vs. IndianaIndiana 111, at Oklahoma City 110 (box score, story)at Oklahoma City 123, Indiana 107 (box score, story)at Indiana 116, Oklahoma City 107 (box score, story)Oklahoma City 111, at Indiana 104 (box score, story)at Oklahoma City 120, Indiana 109 (box score, story)at Indiana 108, Oklahoma City 91 (box score, story)Sunday at Oklahoma City, 5 p.m., ABC 1908 — Colin wins the Tidal Stakes at Sheepshead Bay and retires undefeated after 15 starts. No major American racehorse approaches this record until 1988, when Personal Ensign retires with a perfect 13-for-13 career. 1936 — Jesse Owens sets a 100-meter record of 10.2 seconds at a meet in Chicago. 1940 — Joe Louis stops Arturo Godoy in the eighth round at Yankee Stadium to retain the world heavyweight title. 1960 — Floyd Patterson knocks out Ingemar Johansson in the fifth round in New York to become the first boxer to regain the world heavyweight title. 1966 — Billy Casper beats Arnold Palmer by four strokes in a playoff to win the U.S. Open. 1967 — Cassius Clay, later known as Muhammad Ali, is convicted of violating the United States Selective Service laws by refusing to be drafted. Clay is sentenced to five years in prison and fined $10,000, the maximum penalty for the offense. Ali remains free while his conviction is on appeal. 1968 — The Night of Speed. 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The 64-year-old, nicknamed 'Cowboy' Joe, is the third umpire to work at least 5,000 games, joining Hall of Famer Bill Klem (5,375) and Bruce Froemming (5,163). West made his major league debut as a 23-year-old on Sept. 14, 1976, at Atlanta's Fulton County Stadium in a game between the Braves and Houston Astros. He joined the NL staff full time in 1978. His 40 seasons umpiring in the majors are the most by any umpire. Compiled by the Associated Press That concludes today's newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you'd like to see, email me at To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.
New York Times
2 hours ago
- New York Times
Where do Carson Beck, T.J. Parker rank? The 25 best players in the ACC in 2025
The Atlantic Coast Conference had 42 players selected in the 2025 NFL Draft — the league's highest total since 2021 — including No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward. Ward was one of seven Miami Hurricanes picked, which led the ACC. Clemson, which won its eighth league championship since 2015, had only three players selected. But the 2026 draft figures to be a big one for the Tigers. Advertisement Dabo Swinney's roster is loaded with returning starters on both sides of the ball, and Clemson is considered a heavy favorite to win the league title again. So, it shouldn't come as a surprise that there are a lot of Tigers on our list of the 25 best players in the league. There might not be a better edge rusher in the country than the 6-foot-3, 265-pound junior from Phenix City, Ala. In 27 career games (17 starts), he has six forced fumbles, 32 tackles for loss and 16.5 sacks. He took over Clemson's 24-20 win at Pittsburgh last year (four sacks) and terrorized SMU in the ACC Championship Game. It would not be a surprise if the ACC had the first edge rusher and offensive tackle taken in the 2026 NFL Draft. Mauigoa earned second-team All-ACC honors in 2024 and has been steadily improving in his two seasons as the Hurricanes' starting right tackle. He allowed only two sacks/hits last season — the only FBS tackle with two or fewer knockdowns on 500-plus pass-blocking snaps, according to Pro Football Focus. The Tigers' two-headed monster on the defensive line, Parker and Woods, is one of several reasons they are favored to win the league in 2025. The 6-3, 315-pound Woods had 28 tackles, including 8.5 for loss and three sacks, in his first season as a full-time starter — solid numbers for an interior lineman. Klubnik is third behind Arch Manning (Texas) and Garrett Nussmeier (LSU) in Heisman odds, according to BetMGM. The reality is Klubnik probably has a better collection of receivers and offensive linemen than those other two QBs, which is why Clemson has a legitimate shot to win the national title. Klubnik's passing efficiency rating jumped from 80th in 2023 to 28th last season. His 36 touchdown passes in 2024 are the most for any returning quarterback in the country. Found myself watching Clemson/VT late into the night. I still find this play by Cade Klubnik objectively ridiculous. More like this from 2️⃣ in the fall, and great things will happen for the Tigers. 🎥: @ClemsonFB — Grayson Mann (@gray_mann21) June 17, 2025 Parker has to be the favorite for ACC Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2025, but keep an eye on this 6-foot, 225-pound redshirt junior from East Orange, N.J. Louis, a first-team All-ACC pick in 2024, had 101 tackles (second among returning ACC players), 15.5 TFLs, seven sacks and four interceptions as a redshirt sophomore. His size is the only reason NFL scouts are projecting him as a Day 2 pick. Advertisement The 2023 ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year was limited to 5.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks as he fought through injury and appeared in only nine games in 2024. But many expect the Miami native to regain his freshman-year form when he produced 12.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks and was a menace along the defensive front. At 6-3, 275 pounds, Bain will line up both inside and outside for new defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman. Williams, a former top-75 national recruit, was a first-team All-ACC pick in 2024, catching 75 passes for 904 yards and a league-leading 11 TDs. A redshirt junior from Irmo, S.C., Williams teams with sophomores Bryant Wesco and T.J. Moore to form the top wide receiver trio in the ACC and one of the best in the nation. The 5-11, 180-pound junior and younger brother of 2020 NFL first-round pick A.J. Terrell earned second-team All-ACC honors last fall. He was credited with 58 tackles, two interceptions and 12 pass breakups. He's considered a much better run defender than his brother — something new Clemson defensive coordinator Tom Allen surely likes. The 5-10 senior from Beaumont, Texas, is considered a top-50 prospect in the 2026 NFL Draft. He's been highly productive in his career, with 164 tackles, 12.5 TFLs, five interceptions and 21 pass breakups over three seasons in Durham. He earned first-team All-ACC honors in 2024 and will help anchor what should be a top-three secondary in the league. The ACC player with the second-best odds to win the Heisman was Georgia's starting quarterback last season. Beck, considered at one point to be a candidate to be the No. 1 pick in the draft, would love to follow in the footsteps of Ward, who was the first pick after putting up huge numbers in Shannon Dawson's offense. Beck, however, doesn't have the same talent at receiver that Ward had to work with. But he does have an elite offensive line, talent in the backfield and plenty of pass-catchers eager to prove themselves. Advertisement North Carolina's Omarion Hampton parlayed back-to-back ACC rushing titles into becoming a first-round pick. Brown, the top returning rusher in the league (1,173 yards as a true freshman), will be running behind an offensive line that returns only one starter. The good news is that Louisville coach Jeff Brohm has a pretty good track record in the portal. The Cards signed six O-line transfers who started at least seven games last season, including two from Power 4 schools. New quarterback Miller Moss (USC) can also spin it. Louisville RB Isaac Brown will be one of the best 2027 Running Backs: You want to talk about a modern day RB? – Incredible burst– Dynamic receiver 1,100+ rush yards on 7.1 YPC and 30+ receptions as a true freshman. Do-it-all running back at the next level. — Snoog's Fantasy HQ (@FFSnoog) May 19, 2025 Miller is one of the two returning first-team All-ACC offensive linemen. The 6-6, 315-pound Ohio native has started 41 games in his career, with all but two coming at right tackle. The only returning ACC offensive lineman with more career starts is the guy who lines up next to him at Clemson: right guard Walker Parks (42 starts). Who are the ACC's most experienced quarterbacks? SMU backup Tyler Van Dyke and King, who both have 31 career starts. King finished second in the league last season to Ward in passing efficiency, throwing only two interceptions while completing 72.9 percent of his attempts for 2,114 yards and 14 touchdowns. Of course, what makes King so dynamic is his ability to take off and run, and his 587 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns are the most for a quarterback returning to the league this season. Mensah, a former two-star recruit from California, got paid a lot of money to leave Tulane and replace Maalik Murphy (now at Oregon State). He ranked sixth nationally in passing efficiency as a redshirt freshman, completing 65.9 percent of his attempts for 2,723 yards, 22 touchdowns and only six interceptions. Duke has some holes to fill around Mensah, but three starters return on the offensive line, and the Blue Devils should again have a good defense. The first-team All-ACC first selection in 2024 is one of two returning full-time starters from the No. 1 scoring defense in the league. The 6-1, 202-pound fifth-year senior, Dallas native and former three-star recruit is one of only four Power 4 players nationally who had 100 tackles and at least three interceptions last season. Woodaz, a senior and former three-star recruit from Tampa, Fla., recorded 10 tackles for loss, three sacks, five pass breakups and one interception last season to earn All-ACC honorable mention honors. He will be asked to lead a linebacking corps that lost Barrett Carter to the NFL. Few former FCS transfers made as big an impact last season as Reid did for the Panthers. He earned first-team All-ACC honors as an all-purpose threat, rushing for 966 yards and five touchdowns while catching a team-high 52 passes for 579 yards and four scores. He also scored on a 78-yard punt return. The 5-8, 175-pound Miami native was an unranked recruit coming out of high school who played two seasons at Western Carolina. Desmond Reid can FLY ✈️ 📺 ESPN2 #H2P » #WeNotMe — Pitt Football (@Pitt_FB) September 7, 2024 Barnes has led Clemson in interceptions the last two seasons, with three in 2023 and four in 2024. His 21 career starts are the most in Clemson's secondary. The Tigers need to fill the spot next to him at safety with R.J. Mickens off to the NFL, and will rely heavily on Barnes to lead. Brown earned third-team All-ACC honors in 2023 when the Seminoles won the league title and went 13-0 overall. Last season, he led FSU with 70 tackles and was among the nation's leaders with two blocked field goals in a dreadful 2-10 season. Back for his fifth season in Tallahassee, Brown should thrive in new defensive coordinator Tony White's 3-3-5 scheme. Advertisement With Syracuse's Oronde Gadsden II off to the NFL and Jack Endries leaving Cal for Texas, Joly is the top returning tight end in the ACC from a production standpoint. The former UConn transfer caught 43 passes for 661 yards and four touchdowns last season and should be one of the primary targets for sophomore quarterback CJ Bailey in new coordinator Kurt Roper's offense. 'Big Red' anchored Georgia Tech's offensive line, which tied for second nationally in fewest sacks allowed (six) and paved the way for a rushing attack that ranked fourth in the ACC in yards per carry (4.95). The 6-4, 310-pound senior, a former transfer from Middle Tennessee, earned first-team All-ACC honors and was a first-team All-America pick by Sports Info Solutions. Brown is one of 16 former five-star recruits in the ACC — and one of Clemson's seven. As a freshman in 2024, he started six games and finished third on the team with 80 tackles, including 11.5 for loss and five sacks. He earned Freshman All-America honors and became the fourth Clemson player to win ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year. Syracuse lost a lot of star power from Fran Brown's 10-3 debut as head coach. Chestnut's 35 career starts make him by far the Orange's most experienced returning player. He finished second on the team with 62 tackles and added five pass breakups, one interception and 3.5 tackles for loss. The third-year junior from Columbus, Ohio, started nine games for the Panthers last season and produced 82 tackles, 14.5 TFLs, 5.5 sacks and one interception return for a touchdown. It earned him a spot on the All-ACC third team. He's one of six full-time starters back for veteran defensive coordinator Randy Bates, whose unit ranked fourth in the league in yards per play allowed (5.15) and second in yards per carry allowed (3.08). Robinson is among six full-time defensive starters back for Tony Elliott, who desperately needs a big year after winning only 11 games in his first three seasons. Robinson's stellar sophomore season included 64 tackles, including six for loss and five sacks. 26. Kevin Jennings, QB, SMU Advertisement 27. Duce Robinson, WR, Florida State 28. Jimmy Scott, DE, Pittsburgh 29. PJ Williams, OT, SMU 30. Jamal Haynes, RB, Georgia Tech 31. Lewis Bond, WR, Boston College 32. Wesley Williams, DE, Duke 33. Terry Moore, S, Duke 34. RJ Maryland, TE, SMU 35. Sam Roush, TE, Stanford (Photo of T.J. Parker: Bob Donnan / Imagn Images)
New York Times
2 hours ago
- New York Times
Phillies takeaways: Kyle Schwarber's slump, Bryce Harper's progress, new LF platoon?
MIAMI — The road to Kyle Schwarber's go-ahead, center-right homer Thursday at loanDepot Park started with taking care of the little things that pop up in-season. His first move at the plate. Hips spinning out and positioning. Realizing the differences on certain at-bats were super small. Keeping his mindset right. Advertisement 'I mean, he could hit two homers tomorrow and go crazy,' hitting coach Kevin Long said Wednesday. 'I've seen him before when he's searching and he's not in a good spot. His confidence hasn't wavered. He feels good about himself going up to the plate.' Schwarber entered Thursday hitting .148/.268/.295 (.563 OPS) in June, with 25 strikeouts in 61 at-bats, before powering the Phillies' 2-1 win over the Miami Marlins. The cause? It's hard to pinpoint. But one could be little things coming up, as Schwarber said. Manager Rob Thomson has attributed it to tough pitching and potentially movement at the plate. Schwarber has faced more off-speed pitches this month, seeing 16.9 percent in June compared to 12.2 percent in May. He's hitting .250 against those pitches in June versus .316 in May. The designated hitter has seen 65 fastballs in the zone in June versus 79 in May and 102 across March and April — so, nothing too different. But, after hitting .389 against fastballs in May, Schwarber is batting .138 against them in June, with his whiffs up to 27.3 percent versus 20.9 percent last month. Another factor: Long said, at times, Schwarber has been off just a touch, high or low, on the barrel. But he's hitting the ball hard, reaching more than 100 mph exit velocity on three swings Wednesday. Long said he's felt good about Schwarber's at-bats and mechanics lately. It's baseball. There will be slumps. And, at the end of the day, Schwarber maintaining the clip he was hitting at in May (.288/.403/.644, 1.047 OPS) was going to be difficult. Schwarber felt good about his at-bats versus the Blue Jays last weekend. Then came some frustration with hitting the ball hard and seeing little success at the plate in Miami — until Thursday's 428-foot shot in the eighth. 'It's just trying to be able to minimize the struggles and get back on track as soon as you can where, you know, I struggled for a week and half, almost two weeks,' Schwarber said. 'But feeling like, if you keep putting in that consistent work throughout the course of the year, that more good things will happen through a longer stretch than bad things in a short stretch.' Kyle Schwarber puts the @Phillies in front with a 428-foot blast! — MLB (@MLB) June 20, 2025 Aaron Nola, moved to the 60-day injured list Thursday, said he's starting to feel better. The sprained ankle that first sent him to the IL has healed. His right ribs, which were diagnosed with a stress fracture, have felt better — though he said he still feels it here and there. He's been running without pain. Advertisement The caveat, of course, is Nola won't know how throwing affects his ribs until he tries. 'Hopefully in several days, I can start to toss a little bit, hopefully it feels good and then I can try to get back to normal stuff,' he said. The 60-day IL move was mostly administrative, allowing the Phillies to open a roster spot. They promoted Buddy Kennedy, who recently exercised a mobility clause that would make him available to 29 other teams, after he hit .283/.388/.447 with eight homers for Triple-A Lehigh Valley this season. Nola's IL move is backdated to May 15, when he was first placed on the IL with the sprained right ankle. While Nola traveled to Miami with the team, Bryce Harper (right wrist inflammation) remained behind in Philadelphia for treatment and workouts. His range of motion improved throughout the week, and he threw and took dry swings Thursday. The next step, Thomson said, is to get Harper outside Friday to throw more and swing off a tee. It's not clear when Nola or Harper may be reinstated from the IL, though the right-hander can't return until July 14. Nola will need to go through a build-up, including throwing, bullpens and rehab starts. Swinging and throwing are, obviously, positive steps for Harper. Weston Wilson, who was part of the platoon in left field with Max Kepler, was demoted to Triple A on Thursday. Thomson said he was optioned to get more playing time and work on his timing and swing. Wilson played in just six games in June, as Kepler saw more time. Initially, it looked as though the Phillies might allow Kepler — who has hit .286 with a 1.090 OPS since June 9 — to take over the position. But Otto Kemp, who saw limited time in left in Triple A, could now 'possibly' play alongside Kepler in a strict platoon, Thomson said. Advertisement 'He's really athletic, and he runs better than people think,' Thomson said. 'He's a baseball player. He just is. He goes out and he plays and plays hard every day. I don't think much really bothers him.' Kemp, slashing .282/.349/.333 since his debut June 7, has been valuable to the Phillies as they've overcome an early June slump. He's manned mostly first base in addition to third, so there were questions about where Kemp would play when Harper returns. That seems to be settled for now. (Top photo of Kyle Schwarber: Jared Lennon / Getty Images)
