Messi in top form, but Inter Miami faces Columbus Crew on Saturday with depleted roster
Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi (10) celebrates with teammates Sergio Busquets (5) and Federico Redondo (55) after scoring during the first half of an MLS match against CF Montréal at Chase Stadium on Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi (10) reacts after scoring a goal against CF Montréal in the first half of their MLS match at Chase Stadium on Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi (10) celebrates with his teammates after scoring a goal against CF Montréal in the first half of their MLS match at Chase Stadium on Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi (10) reacts after scoring a goal against CF Montréal in the second half of their MLS match at Chase Stadium on Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi (10) reacts after scoring a goal against CF Montréal in the second half of their MLS match at Chase Stadium on Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi (10) celebrates with teammates Sergio Busquets (5) and Federico Redondo (55) after scoring during the first half of an MLS match against CF Montréal at Chase Stadium on Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi (10) reacts after scoring a goal against CF Montréal in the first half of their MLS match at Chase Stadium on Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi (10) celebrates with his teammates after scoring a goal against CF Montréal in the first half of their MLS match at Chase Stadium on Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi (10) reacts after scoring a goal against CF Montréal in the second half of their MLS match at Chase Stadium on Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Inter Miami, eager to build on a midweek victory and head into June on a high note after a miserable May, will be forced to play with a depleted roster against perennial power Columbus Crew at Chase Stadium on Saturday.
In addition to the loss of defensive midfielder Yannick Bright, who is out indefinitely with a hamstring injury, Miami lost left back Jordi Alba and center backs Gonzalo Lujan and Tomas 'Toto' Aviles to injury during Wednesday's 4-2 win against Montreal.
Advertisement
Alba and Lujan have unspecified leg muscle injuries and Aviles hurt his ankle. Coach Javier Mascherano said there is no timetable for their return.
The team is off for FIFA break after Saturday's game and returns to action June 14 for the opening match of the Club World Cup against Egyptian team Al Ahly at Hard Rock Stadium.
Miami's defense has been shaky of late, giving up 15 goals over the past five games, so the loss of those four players is particularly costly. Maxi Falcon and David Martinez, who finished the game at center back on Wednesday, are likely starters with Ian Fray at right back and Noah Allen on the left.
'Clearly, we have a very long list of injuries,' Mascherano said Friday. 'I would love to have a crystal ball to know when they'll be back. For sure they cannot play this weekend. Then we have two weeks, and, although I am not a doctor, we think a few of them can recover by then. And then, we hope the players who are leaving for national team duty come back healthy, as well.'
Advertisement
Lionel Messi was called up by Argentina for World Cup qualifiers against Chile on June 5 and Colombia on June 10. Telasco Segovia was called up by Venezuela for World Cup qualifiers against Bolivia on June 6 and Uruguay on June 10. Haiti invited Fafa Picault for World Cup qualifiers against Aruba on June 7 and Curacao on June 10.
Benja Cremaschi will be with the U.S. Under-20 national team in Egypt for a camp and friendlies against Colombia on June 7 and Egypt on June 10.
But first, it has a difficult game on Saturday against the Crew (7:30 p.m., Apple TV). Columbus last year won the Leagues Cup, reached the final of the Champions Cup, and like Miami, fell short in the playoffs.
Also, like Miami, the Crew is in a bit of a slump, heading into this game on a five-game winless streak with four ties and a loss. Columbus is in fourth place in the Eastern Conference with 28 points. Inter Miami is in sixth place with 26 points and has a game in hand on the top nine teams in the conference.
Advertisement
A victory Saturday would allow Miami to leapfrog the Crew in the standings.
'We want to play a good game Saturday, reinforce what we did against Montreal and improve in the areas we need to improve,' Mascherano said. 'We know we are facing, in my opinion, the best team in MLS, without a doubt. They have a coach who has a very clear style and does it very well. It is important for us to neutralize them and not let them play their game and control the game and win it.'
Miami beat Columbus 1-0 on the road April 10 on a goal by Cremaschi.
The Crew plays a possession-style attack, as does Miami, and is getting adjusted to playing without Cucho Hernandez, who left for Spanish club Real Betis. Daniel Gazdag, a designated player who joined Columbus from Philadelphia, remains scoreless through his first eight games with the Crew and has no assists.
Advertisement
Miami goalkeeper Oscar Ustari signed a contract extension through 2026 on Thursday. The 38-year-old Argentine is a locker room leader and has tried to keep the team calm during the ups and downs.
'I see the stats floating around and what people are saying,' Ustari said. 'But if you really calculate, our situation is not that bad. It's true when you have Messi on your team, the expectations are going to be extremely high. But we have done a lot of things very well. There is more that we've done well than what we haven't. Yes, we have things to improve, but we are still a growing team with a lot of young players.'
Angel Di Maria was not an option for Inter Miami
Many Inter Miami fans hoped that Argentine great Angel Di Maria would join Messi at Inter Miami, but Mascherano, who was also Di Maria's longtime teammate with the national team, said he knew that was never an option.
Advertisement
Di Maria, 37, announced this week that he was leaving Portuguese club Benfica and returning to his boyhood club Rosario Central in Argentina.
'I am friends with him, and I knew there was no chance he was coming to Miami because he wanted to go home,' Mascherano said. 'It was a decision he made a long time ago. You have to understand that when you spend many, many years away from home, it is normal to want to return home and be with your loved ones. Especially in his case, with a chance to return to his club, where it all began.
'He wanted to finish his career in Central, so I am very happy for him.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
The USWNT basks in the return of Naomi Girma – their ‘security blanket'
Compared to the past few windows, Saturday's 3-0 win was a game where the U.S. women's national team looked in complete control. The attack kept the pressure on China, continuing to threaten their defense as it frequently adjusted the height of its line of confrontation. Catarina Macario provided a goal and an assist; Lindsey Heaps and Sam Coffey scored from their midfield roles. Advertisement However, head coach Emma Hayes' post-match press conference started with a question about the long-awaited return of Naomi Girma and how the team benefited from her 90-minute shift. 'We've missed her, we really have,' Hayes said. 'Just in terms of the way we control the game; her, in a deeper space, just making decisions when to play forward, when not to.' As the first million-dollar transfer in women's soccer history, this year has only intensified the scrutiny that comes with being one of the world's best players in her position. Her time at Chelsea was not as smooth as the club and player had hoped. She exited her debut in early March with a calf injury, feeling the strain having gone nearly four months without playing a club match. Her first minutes back with Chelsea came in mid-April and this international window marked her first with the U.S. in 2025. 'I gave her a hug after the game,' said midfielder Coffey, who scored her second U.S. goal against China. 'Having her on the field is like having a security blanket, and just like being wrapped in it.' Advertisement After some tense and at times disjointed performances against Japan in the SheBelieves Cup and Brazil in a pair of friendlies, the USWNT dominated the entire match on Saturday. The defense played its part, with Coffey shuttling around to shield the back-line and the partnership between Girma and Emily Sonnett giving goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce ample coverage whenever China reached the final third. Those threats were few and far between. The USWNT dominated the chance-creation game, generating 3.01 expected goals (xG) while holding China to 0.18 xG. 'It does feel natural now,' Girma said of returning to the national team. 'I mean, I was able to watch what we did before, and I think a lot of what Emma wants to do is layer on what we had done in the past year. I think the changes are good and easy for me to kind of adapt to, with that base knowledge of how we want to play. 'It was just nice to be back on the field.' Advertisement As was often the case during the triumphant run to Olympic gold last summer, Girma was at the heart of the team's build-up. She logged a staggering 138 touches, per TruMedia, 41 more than the team's second-most involved player (Avery Patterson, with the right-back notching 97 touches). Girma completed 95.3 percent of her 129 pass attempts, helping determine how the USWNT worked to break through China's defensive structure. She also put in a defensive shift that embodied working smarter, not harder. She was not throwing herself into many challenges, though much of that work was done well before the ball even reached the U.S. defense. Still, she was quick on mop up duty, leading the USWNT with seven ball clearances (nobody else had more than three) while winning all three ground duels and her only aerial duel. Having her in the back-line only helped the midfield feel more confident as they engaged defensively, with peace of mind that she was in position if they failed to win the ball. Advertisement 'I can't put into words what she means to this team,' Coffey said. 'I think everybody sees it on the field, but off the field as well. She's just a joy in this environment and such a light for us. We have missed her so much. I thought she was exceptional today, as she always is.' In a year characterized by frequent rotation across Hayes' squads and lineups, Girma's return represents a different type of variable for the team. Throughout 2025, Hayes has called on a number of center-backs, each auditioning to be Girma's primary partner. Sonnett represents a vital holdover from the team's last World Cup win in 2019, having established herself as a hard-nosed veteran along the back-line. Emily Sams came off the bench against China, while Tara McKeown has earned five caps this year. The latter two in particular are emblematic of Hayes' examination of her broader player pool, with both stepping into more important roles given positional absences. Not only has Girma been missing, but so has her partner last summer, Tierna Davidson, who tore her ACL in April. While Sams, McKeown, Sonnett and others have stepped into their roles, none can quite match the same comfortable benchmark established by Girma. Advertisement 'I mean, she's a world-class player,' Hayes said. 'I thought she brought something to our performance that we're looking for, so I'm delighted to have her back.' Once she returned to playing regular minutes for Chelsea in mid-April, she was eased back into the fold. While Chelsea kept clean sheets in each of her final four performances of the WSL season, only two of those matches saw Girma play all 90 minutes. 'It was a lot of transition for me,' Girma said on Friday regarding her first months with Chelsea. 'I think it was a huge learning experience for me. You always have those moments in your career where you're up and down, up and down, up and down, so it was definitely like that. 'But I think it was a good five months of getting settled, getting to know my team-mates, getting used to playing there, playing with a new team, and living in a new country. So it's been really positive so far, and I've really enjoyed it.' Advertisement Girma logged her 46th cap, an impressive total for a 24-year-old defender who seems destined to be the bedrock of this team for years to come. With its world class center-back in the lineup, the United States put together its most composed performance of the year. Then again, that revelation hardly comes as a surprise given Girma's floor-raising performances since her debut in 2022. This article originally appeared in The Athletic. US Women's national team, Soccer, NWSL, UK Women's Football 2025 The Athletic Media Company
Yahoo
26 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Police Officer Killed and Another Wounded in Baldwin Park Shoot-Out: ‘It Sounded Like Fireworks'
A police officer was fatally shot and another was injured during a shoot-out in Baldwin Park, Calif., on Saturday, May 31 While responding to a call of an individual "shooting rounds with a rifle," the officers found one person dead at the scene The suspect is in custody following the shooting, Sheriff Robert Luna said in a press conferenceA Baldwin Park police officer has died and another is wounded following a shooting in Los Angeles. At 7:12 p.m. local time on Saturday, May 31, officers responded to a call of someone 'shooting rounds with a rifle' and a person down at the 4200 block of Filhurst Avenue in Baldwin Park, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said at a press conference, per KCAL News . 'The suspect engaged the officers when they arrived,' Sheriff Robert Luna said, according to the outlet. 'One officer was struck and transported [to the hospital] and unfortunately, he is deceased. After those shots were fired … other officers immediately went to their assistance [resulting in an] officer-involved shooting.' A second officer was shot and transported to a hospital in stable condition, Luna said. Another victim, believed to be an adult male, was found deceased with apparent gunshot wounds when police arrived at the scene. The suspect, who was confirmed by police to be an adult male, was also struck by gunfire and was transported to a local hospital in stable condition. He is now in custody, Luna said during the press conference, per KCAL News. The identities of the victims and the suspect have not been released at this time amid an investigation into the cause of the incident. According to Ring camera footage obtained by The Los Angeles Times, eleven shots were heard at 7:16 p.m. on Palm Avenue. In a second video reviewed by the outlet, an additional six shots were fired 10 minutes later 'near the corner of Palm and Filhurst Avenue as helicopters circled overhead.' "It sounded like fireworks … just going off constantly back and forth … but then you hear patrol cars from everywhere, coming in, swarming. It was crazy," a witness told ABC 7 Eyewitness News. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. The L.A. County Sheriff's Department, West Covina and El Monte police departments all responded to the incident, according to the L.A. Times. "One of our officers was murdered tonight. He answered a call of duty, of shots fired, to protect our residents in Baldwin Park," Baldwin Park Police Chief Robert A. López said during the press conference. Chief López described his fallen officer as 'an amazing man' and an avid snowboarder and Dodger fan. 'It's extremely tragic to have to deal with this,' he added. PEOPLE has reached out to the Baldwin Park police for further comment. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
26 minutes ago
- Yahoo
2025 Memorial Tournament weather: Will sun stick around for final round? The latest forecast
While the Memorial Tournament's second round featured gray skies and plenty of rain, the sun made an appearance for the third round on May 31, and it looks like the tournament's final round on June 1 will be marked by plenty of sun. The National Weather Service in Wilmington forecasts it will be sunny at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio, with a high near 70 degrees. There will be a northwest wind blowing between 6 and 10 miles per hour, according to the weather service. How to watch the 2025 Memorial Tournament If you want to avoid the weather altogether but still want to enjoy the Memorial Tournament, there are a handful of viewing options if you have the right channel (or streaming network). TV broadcasts Dates: May 29 to June 1 Final round, June 1: Live coverage 1-2:30 p.m. on Golf Channel; 2:30-6:30 p.m. on CBS June 2: Final round replay 2:30-6 a.m., 2-5 p.m. on Golf Channel Streaming ESPN+ (PGA Tour Live) plus all streaming apps that carry Golf Channel and CBS, including Paramount+, YouTube TV and Hulu Live Advertisement Reporter Shahid Meighan can be reached at smeighan@ at ShahidMeighan on X, and at on Bluesky. This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: 2025 Memorial Tournament weather update: Will sun stay for final round?
