Chivu and Sommer: "Happy to be here. We want to honour the World Cup"
Chivu and Sommer: "Happy to be here. We want to honour the World Cup"
Inter have landed in Los Angeles, where on 17 June at the Rose Bowl Stadium, they will play their first game in the Club World Cup against Monterrey. Upon arrival, Cristian Chivu and Yann Sommer spoke about their first emotions ahead of the competition.

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San Francisco Chronicle
18 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
USMNT coach says star Christian Pulisic ‘need to listen, to stick with our plan'
The U.S. men's national team has made headlines for all the wrong reasons lately, and head coach Mauricio Pochettino piled on Saturday. Star midfielder Christian Pulisic went on a podcast earlier this week to sound off on his reasoning for sitting out of the upcoming CONCACAF Gold Cup, the last major tournament before the national team takes on the World Cup in 2026. Pulisic cited his need for rest and recovery following a grueling schedule with AC Milan in Serie A. In his absence, the USMNT extended its losing streak to four matches after falling to Turkey and Switzerland in friendlies last week. Pulisic said he asked Pochettino if he could compete in the aforementioned friendlies but not the Gold Cup, to which Pochettino said no. Pochettino elaborated on his decision in a news conference Saturday at San Jose's PayPal Park on the eve of the USMNT's match against Trinidad and Tobago. He did not mince words. 'Player no need to understand,' said Pochettino, 53, who was hired to be the new USMNT head coach in September. 'Player need to listen and to stick with our plan. He cannot dictate the plan because if not, OK, we swap the position (of coach and player), no?' Pochettino, with decades of coaching experience that includes stints at prominent European clubs such as Tottenham Hotspur, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea, made clear that no single player would determine how he runs the USMNT. His rationale for wanting a fixed roster for the two friendlies leading into the Gold Cup had to do with continuity. If Pulisic would have played in the two friendlies, Pochettino said it would be at the discretion of his staff to determine Pulisic's readiness for the Gold Cup and whether rest was indeed necessary for the USMNT captain. 'The most important thing is that we explain why we decide (to) not include in the two friendly games, and then if you have some problems, no, that is not my problem to understand,' Pochettino said. 'I think it's so clear that we say we want you to start training with the group, two friendly games ... it's up to us after to assess, to analyze if you need to rest or no need rest, because we have a group of professional performance, doctor and athlete and coaches. 'I respect and I understand him, I understand him, but I don't need that he understand our decision because my position is, I am 53 with a lot of experience in fútbol, in soccer, and I was player before coach.' One of the questions posed to Pochettino during a presser that lasted more than 30 minutes — and included promising 21-year-old midfielder Diego Luna, who did not receive a question until about 23 minutes in — referenced Pulisic as the best player. In response, Pochettino made sure to emphasize his team-first mentality. 'You say the best player, yes, he's a good player, of course, but he need to perform because I want to judge him like Diego, like another,' Pochettino said. 'If (Pulisic) performed well and he's the best, it's normal he's going to have a place in the national team. … When I signed my contract in the (United States Soccer) Federation, I am the head coach. I am not a mannequin, you know? 'I love to communicate, but at the same time, I want to keep that all the players feel the same respect from the coaching staff and from myself. If someone doesn't like this, OK, but this is we, it's we. We can win. We need to work together. We need to be all together. We, we, we, we, we, we, we. … It's about we, not about I.'

Miami Herald
20 minutes ago
- Miami Herald
Big Al Ahly crowd, tight security for Club World Cup opener vs. Messi, Inter Miami
A sea of red descended on Hard Rock Stadium Saturday night for the highly anticipated Club World Cup opening match, as fans of Egyptian power Al Ahly traveled long distances to see their beloved Red Devils take on Lionel Messi and his Inter Miami teammates. Although the game was being played 21 miles south of Inter Miami's home stadium, the crowd looked evenly divided. Al Ahly has 12 million Instagram followers and 30 of the 200 credentialed reporters were from Egyptian outlets. Michael and Sherina Zekri, natives of Egypt who moved the United States seven years ago, flew to Miami from Peoria, Arizona, with a group of 11 friends and relatives for the game. They are Messi fans but were rooting for Al Ahly. Other fans wore scarves that were half Inter Miami and half Al Ahly. The Red Devils fans roared when their starting lineup was announced: El Shenawy; Yasser, Dari, Hany; Ben Romdhane, Hamdy, Marawan, Trezeguet, Koka; Wessam. Inter Miami's Starting XI included: goalkeeper Oscar Ustari; center back Toto Aviles, right back Ian Fray, left back Noah Allen, center back Maxi Falcon; midfielder Sergio Busquets, midfielder Telasco Segovia, midfielder Fede Redondo; winger Tadeo Allende; forward Luis Suarez; and Messi, the captain. Jordi Alba, Gonzalo Lujan and Yannick Bright sat out with injuries. Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham, fresh off his knighthood in England, got a loud ovation when he was shown on the jumbo screen. Despite a roster that includes the Argentine eight-time Ballon d' Or winner, Inter Miami is the underdog in Group A, which includes Al Ahly, 30-time Portuguese champion Porto and Palmeiras of Brazil, a perennial regional champion that features Chelsea-bound teen phenom Estavao. The top two teams in each group advance to the Round of 16. Al Ahly is the highest-ranked African team in the world, a team that won that region's Champions League three of the past four years and has racked up 155 trophies over its 118-year history. Spanish coach Jose Riveiro, who was hired last month, makes his Al Ahly debut Saturday. Meanwhile, there is pressure on Messi and Inter Miami to prove that an MLS team can compete with some of the most storied clubs in the world. It will not be easy, as MLS has restrictive roster and salary rules, and Miami is in its infancy, in its sixth season, while Al Ahly was founded in 1907. Security was extremely tight for the match, which was to be expected after the dangerous gate-crashing debacle at the Copa America final between Colombia and Argentina at Hard Rock Stadium last summer. This time, there was a double-ringed perimeter around the stadium grounds. Fans without tickets who arrived at the first checkpoint by foot or car were turned away. Once inside the first ring, fans then had to go through a second security checkpoint at the stadium gates. The game was broadcast on TBS and livestreamed on
Yahoo
23 minutes ago
- Yahoo
🎥 Palmeiras fans take over Times Square ahead of Club World Cup
🎥 Palmeiras fans take over Times Square ahead of Club World Cup The FIFA Club World Cup kicked off on Saturday, and fans from around the world have travelled to the United States to support their club. New York City was one of the host sites swarmed by football fans as Palmeiras supporters took over Times Square on Friday. Advertisement The sea of green arrives a day before the Brazilian club faces Portuguese side Porto in their Club World Cup opener. Fans were filmed chanting the club's name inside one of the United States' most prominent tourist attractions. The number of supporters created quite a deafening scene. Following their opener inside MetLife Stadium, Palmeiras will also face Group A opponents Al-Ahly and Inter Miami later in the tournament. 📸 NELSON ALMEIDA - AFP or licensors