Messi, Miami bounce back crush Red Bulls
FORT LAUDERDALE: Inter Miami's Argentine forward #10 Lionel Messi fights for the ball with the New York Red Bulls' Swedish defender #03 Noah Eile during the MLS football match between Inter Miami FC and the New York Red Bulls on May 3, 2025. – AFP
MIAMI: Lionel Messi was on target as Inter Miami bounced back from their CONCACAF Champions Cup exit, beating the New York Red Bulls 4-1 at Chase Stadium on Saturday. Miami had lost their last three games, including a 5-1 aggregate defeat to the Vancouver Whitecaps in the Champions Cup semi-finals, but they got a much-needed morale boost with a comfortable Major League Soccer victory.
Fafa Picault opened the scoring in the ninth minute, blasting home at the back post after Luis Suarez had flicked on a cross from Marcelo Weigandt. Full-back Weigandt doubled the advantage in the 30th minute when his diving header was parried by Carlos Coronel and the Argentine followed in to scoop the ball home. The goal was initially flagged for offside but after a VAR review the referee ruled it should stand.
Suarez made it 3-0 nine minutes later, firing home at the second attempt after his initial shot had been blocked but the Red Bulls pulled a goal back before the break. An Omar Valencia corner deep to the back post was looped over Oscar Ustari and into the far corner to give the visitors some hope for the second half. Miami stayed on top, however, and Messi extended their advantage in the 67th minute, playing a one-two with Telasco Segovia and holding off Noah Eile before beating Coronel with a left-foot finish.
The goal ended a run of four matches without Messi being on the scoresheet and the win moved Miami up to fourth place in the Eastern Conference. Elsewhere, former Saint-Etienne midfielder Dylan Chambost opened his account in MLS with the first goal in the Columbus Crew's 4-2 win over Charlotte. The Crew lead the East on 24 points, two ahead of the Philadelphia Union, who continued their excellent season with a 2-1 win at Montreal with Danish striker Mikael Uhre grabbing an 84th-minute winner. DC United beat the Colorado Rapids 2-1 with goals from Christian Benteke and a volley from Japanese midfielder Hosei Kijima.- AFP
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Kuwait Times
6 days ago
- Kuwait Times
Contenders eye ‘big titles' as Nations League final four kicks off
MUNICH: The Nations League semi-finals start on Wednesday with Germany, Spain, France and Portugal seeking to fine tune their sides with the World Cup just one year away. Tournament hosts Germany face Portugal in Munich on Wednesday and title holders Spain face France in Stuttgart a day later. The winners will face off in the Bavarian capital on Sunday. Created in 2018, the Nations League lacks the history and esteem of football's major international tournaments and has been criticized for adding to an already crowded calendar. But as Spain and France have shown in recent years, the competition can be a perfect launchpad to reach greater heights. France's Nations League triumph in 2021 came just over a year before their run to the World Cup final in Qatar, where they lost on penalties to a Lionel Messi-inspired Argentina. Spain, runners-up against France in 2021, beat Croatia on penalties to win the 2023 Nations League; a year later, the Spanish were crowned Euro 2024 champions. While some of the larger nations have fielded experimental line-ups, recent winners have used the tournament to develop and improve. The 'big titles' Of the final four, only Germany are yet to win a Nations League title, with Portugal's success coming in the opening tournament in 2019. Germany captain Joshua Kimmich will be handed his 100th international cap on Wednesday. The Bayern Munich midfielder is the 14th Germany player to reach the milestone, but will become the only member of the 100 club not to have won a World Cup. Kimmich said Monday he 'had a couple more chances' to correct the stat and said the Nations League would show how much progress Germany had made, after a disappointing decade. 'If it's enough for the really big titles, we don't know, it depends on a lot of factors.' World Cup winners in 2014, Germany crashed out of the following two World Cups at the group stage. Their best result since a Euros semi-final in 2016 was going out in the quarters to eventual champions Spain at Euro 2024. 'We want to go into the (World Cup) well prepared. We've said a few times that the preparation doesn't start two weeks before, rather it's already started,' Kimmich said. 'When we now compete in two internationals successfully, we can show we're still on a good path.' Kimmich's sentiment was echoed by coach Julian Nagelsmann on Friday, who said 'we would love to win titles and keep feeding our self-confidence. 'Even if it's only a small title, for us as a group it's very important... Confidence and trust are fragile elements that require constant nourishment.' 'Tiredness takes a back seat' Coming at the end of a long club season, each of the final four are nursing injuries. Already without Jamal Musiala, Antonio Rudiger and Nico Schlotterbeck, Germany lost Jonathan Burkardt, Nadiem Amiri and Yann Bisseck to injury over the weekend. France are missing first choice defenders Dayot Upamecano, William Saliba and Jules Kounde, along with Real Madrid midfielder Eduardo Camavinga, while six players will be involved after Saturday's Champions League final. Opponents Spain elected not to name Rodri in their Nations League squad, wanting not to rush the reigning Ballon d'Or winner as he returns from his cruciate injury. Veteran Portugal talisman Cristiano Ronaldo, 40, has been named despite missing three of his past six club matches for Al Nassr with muscle complaints. Four players will join the Portuguese squad after lifting the Champions League title with Paris Saint-Germain: Nuno Mendes, Vitinha, Joao Neves and Goncalo Ramos. Portugal midfielder Rubin Neves acknowledged the strain on top players, but told the Portuguese FA on Sunday 'when we reach this type of competition, at this level, tiredness takes a back seat. Tiredness is left behind and our main focus is to win the two games and win the Nations League. 'We have all the tools available to be at our best.' — AFP
Arab Times
6 days ago
- Arab Times
Kuwait concludes preparations for must-win World Cup qualifier against Palestine
KUWAIT CITY, June 3: Kuwait concludes its training this evening at Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium, ahead of its crucial clash against Palestine tomorrow in the ninth round of Group B of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, set to take place in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Kuwait began a training camp yesterday that will continue before traveling to Seoul this Friday to face South Korea in the tenth and final round of the qualifiers next Tuesday. Led by Argentine coach Juan Antonio Pizzi, the national team is determined to secure victories in both upcoming matches to keep its slim hopes of advancing to the playoffs alive. However, qualification is also dependent on Oman losing its two remaining matches, making Kuwait's path extremely difficult. Currently, Kuwait sits sixth and last in Group B with five points, while South Korea tops the table with 16, followed by Jordan (13), Iraq (12), Oman (10), and Palestine (6). Coach Pizzi has been steadily raising the intensity of training to bring players to peak performance levels. The technical staff has emphasized focus and minimizing errors while implementing some rotations due to recent changes in the squad compared to the lineup from last March's qualifiers. A pre-match press conference will be held today, today at noon at Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium, featuring the head coaches and a player from each team. The press conference will follow the technical coordination meeting scheduled for 11:00 AM at the same venue. The Kuwait Football Association began selling tickets for the match earlier this week and is urging fans to show up in large numbers. Fan support will be critical, as the team clings to a last chance at qualification, despite the difficulty of the task. Meanwhile, the Palestine national team held its second training session at Thamer Stadium, home of Al-Salmiya Club, and will conduct its final training tonight at Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium. The Palestinian delegation also honored striker Wissam Abu Ali for winning the Egyptian Premier League title with Al-Ahly, celebrating his achievement ahead of the pivotal qualifier.
Arab Times
02-06-2025
- Arab Times
Kuwait is still in the hunt for a World Cup playoff spot despite long odds
KUWAIT CITY, June 2: Kuwait launched an internal training camp today as part of its preparations for two decisive matches against Palestine and South Korea. These fixtures, set for Thursday and the following Tuesday, mark the ninth and tenth (final) rounds of Group B in the AFC qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The Blues currently sit in sixth and last place in Group B with five points. South Korea tops the group with 16 points, followed by Jordan (13), Iraq (12), Oman (10), and Palestine (6). Despite the odds, National Teams Director Saud Al-Mujammed believes Kuwait still has a mathematical chance to reach the Asian play-offs. 'Everyone is holding on to this hope, even though it is slim,' he said. Al-Mujammed noted that qualification now hinges on the outcomes of other group matches. 'It's no longer in our hands,' he acknowledged, 'but the team is determined to give its best and achieve positive results in both games.' He also confirmed that Argentine coach Juan Antonio Pizzi and his technical staff are fully in charge of player selection, expressing optimism that the squad will perform at a high level and fight for victories. Midfielder Hussein Ashkanani underwent an X-ray after experiencing minor muscle discomfort, as advised by Dr. Abdul Majeed Al-Bannai, head of the Football Association's Medical Committee. Dr. Al-Bannai confirmed Ashkanani will continue training under medical supervision. He also pointed out that some drop in physical condition is expected, as the domestic season has concluded, and players may lack proper recovery training. 'The medical staff is closely monitoring all players to ensure full readiness for both matches,' he said. The Asian Football Confederation has appointed a Tajik officiating crew for Kuwait's clash against Palestine. Sadullo Gulmoradi will serve as the referee, assisted by Hasan Karimov and Farkhad Karilov, with Abdul Davalitov as fourth official. Emirati referees Mohammed Obaid and Yahya Al-Mulla will manage VAR duties. The Palestinian national team began its preparations with a training session yesterday at Thamer Stadium and will hold a second session this evening at the same venue. Their final practice before the match will take place tomorrow night at Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium, where the game is scheduled to be played on Thursday.
