Latest news with #Fray
Campaign ME
5 days ago
- Business
- Campaign ME
Seven Media reveals five new business wins in the Middle East
Independent integrated communications agency Seven Media has revealed five significant new business wins. The agency will now represent a diverse range of high-profile clients, including: Global travel leader Skyscanner ; ; Public-private initiatives facilitator, Emirates Foundation , which focuses on sustainable community development; , which focuses on sustainable community development; One of the UAE's most important historical landmarks, Qasr Al Hosn ; ; Leisure and entertainment operator and manager, Yas Asset Management , whose assets include Yas Marina and Yas Bay Waterfront; and , whose assets include Yas Marina and Yas Bay Waterfront; and Abu Dhabi Awards, one of the UAE's highest civilian honours, which recognises individuals whose contributions have positively benefited the UAE. The new additions reflect Seven Media's capabilities across sectors ranging from travel and tourism to government, culture and lifestyle. Gregg Fray, Co-Owner of Seven Media, said, 'These wins across the agency's multiple divisions are a testament to the incredible talent and strategic thinking that runs through our team. 'We are proud to partner with such iconic and influential brands, and look forward to helping them tell their stories in powerful and engaging ways,' Fray added. From supporting a global travel platform such as Skyscanner, to a prominent government initiative such as Emirates Foundation, Seven Media aims to demonstrate its ability to deliver impactful communications campaigns across varied industries. Seven Media's integrated approach, combining digital strategy, creative content production and results-driven PR, has previously earned it numerous accolades and long-standing client partnerships.
Miami Herald
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Inter Miami holds meetings, intense practices to right ship ahead of Philadelphia clash
Lionel Messi and his Inter Miami teammates headed to Philadelphia on Friday with a palpable sense of urgency to defeat the first-place Union, fueled, in part, by a players-only meeting Sunday night after the team's 3-0 home loss to Orlando City. Despite its star-studded lineup and lofty preseason expectations, the team has slipped to sixth place in the East, is winless in six of its past seven games, and has conceded 20 goals during that stretch. Defender Ian Fray said before training Friday morning that the team's veteran stars spoke up at the meeting, and one result has been increased intensity at practice all week. 'It's been rough stretch of games that we're not used to, but this week has been the hardest week of training I think we've had all season, and the guys have really come together,' Fray said. 'The intensity has been high, the coaches made that change in practice, where we're really working extra hard and the players taking the accountability to put in the extra work. We're ready for this game.' Last Memorial Day Weekend, Messi, Luis Suarez and Sergio Busquets did not travel for the road game at Vancouver, choosing to stay home and watch their sons play in the club-sponsored Dreams Cup youth tournament. This time, it's a different story. 'I knew about last year, but obviously, this year we are at a moment where we need them, so they will travel,' coach Javier Mascherano said. Fray added that every player is dialed in and has a strong desire to get out of this funk. 'We're so used to winning all the time, and now we get the stretch of losing, so it was about putting in the extra work, everyone knows we have to do that,' he said. 'We all know we're not in a good moment and we have players here that maybe know how to turn things like this around.' Fray said that goalkeeper Oscar Ustari has been one of the team's most vocal leaders during this stretch. Mascherano said having the luxury of a full week of practice between games allowed the coaching staff to work the players longer and harder to try to correct weaknesses, especially on the defensive side. 'We have taken advantage of this week to work on a lot of things that we have to improve on, and It has been very productive, but it is not something different from what we have been doing,' Mascherano said. 'We took advantage of the long week to have more intense and longer training. We have focused on regaining confidence. The team has lost confidence, and the sport has an emotional side to it. You can train a lot but in the end it's how you face each game. We've been speaking with the players and stressing that turning things around is in our hands.' In addition to the players' meeting, Mascherano and his staff held team meetings and individual conversations with players to get the group back on track. The team was unbeaten in its first 14 games under Mascherano, including a 2-1 win at home against Philadelphia on March 29. 'As a coaching staff, we need to know what they players are thinking and feeling,' Mascherano said. 'For us to help them evolve, we need to know those things.' He added that club management has given him full support and has not interfered with his coaching. Inter Miami has 22 points through 13 games and trails the Union by seven points; but Miami has a game in hand and three games during the next seven days, so this is a critical stretch for the team to climb back up the standings. After Philadelphia, Miami plays back-to-back games at home on Wednesday against last-place Montreal (1-9-4) and on Saturday against third-place Columbus Crew (7-1-6), which Miami beat 1-0 on the road in April. '[The Union] is in first place, we haven't been in a good moment, so this is the perfect opportunity to show everybody why we're still the best team in the league,' Fray said. 'This game is set up perfectly for us to show everyone we're still Inter Miami.' In addition to getting back to the top of the East, Miami is motivated to get back in good form for the upcoming Club World Cup. The team will take a month-long break from MLS to play in the group stage of the tournament. Miami plays in the opening match June 14 at Hard Rock Stadium against Egyptian club Al Ahly, then heads to Atlanta for a June 19 game against Portuguese club Porto and then back to Hard Rock for a June 23 game against Brazilian club Palmeiras. FIFA is allowing teams to add players for the tournament. Mascherano said he has spoken to club officials about where the team needs help, and now it is up to them if they want to add reinforcements. He also is eager for Messi to sign a contract extension, as that will add stability for the long-range plans and give the fan base reason for optimism. 'Obviously, as a coach, I want him to renew his contract as soon as possible and I hope the news can be announced as soon as possible, above all for the peace of mind of the fans, and the peace of mind of everyone around the club,' Mascherano said. 'I'm not the one who has to deliver it or comment on it. I am not involved in the negotiations.' How to Watch: Inter Miami vs. Philadelphia Union kicks off at 7:30 p.m. at Subaru Park and fans can watch on Apple TV MLS Season Pass.
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Messi, Suarez, Alba rest as Inter Miami squanders 3-1 lead, loses 4-3 to FC Dallas
A dejected Lionel Messi was caught on camera shaking his head in a Chase Stadium suite early Sunday evening as he watched his Inter Miami teammates give up a third unanswered goal to FC Dallas, resulting in a crushing 4-3 loss. The Argentine legend, who was rested for the game along with other key starters amid a high-stakes Champions Cup week, surely was thinking the same thing everyone in the stunned crowd was thinking: How could the team have squandered a 3-1 second half lead? How could the team that was celebrating its third goal and a seemingly safe lead just 30 minutes earlier find itself trudging to its home locker room empty handed and brokenhearted? What went wrong? Coach Javier Mascherano offered a simple answer: 'For 60 to 65 minutes we played a very good game, during which we fell behind and rallied, which isn't easy. Regrettably, as I told the players, I am responsible. I made a mistake reading the game and I was unable to help them.' He went on to explain that when Miami was was ahead 3-2, and he was preparing to make substitutions, Dallas went to a five-man attack and in wanting to match those numbers, he made some changes that did not go well. The team seemed disorganized and began to unravel at that point, and the visitors took advantage. 'Sometimes those things happen, and you have to take the blame,' Mascherano said. It was Miami's first loss in league play this season, and the team drops to 5-1-3 for fifth place in the Eastern Conference. Messi, Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba, and Oscar Ustari were not on the Inter Miami game roster for the Sunday match, and Sergio Busquets was on the bench. The veteran quartet was given a break, was expected, as Miami was coming off a 2-0 loss on the road against the Vancouver Whitecaps late Thursday night in the first leg of the Concacaf Champions Cup semifinal. The second and decisive leg of the series looms Wednesday in Fort Lauderdale. The roster shakeup opened up opportunities for some of the team's lesser-used players, such as defenders Ian Fray and David Martinez, and forwards Leo Afonso and Allen Obando, the 18-year-old Ecuadorean forward, who made his first MLS start. Fray and Obando made an impact early on in the game, and were a big reason Inter Miami held a 2-1 lead at halftime. Miami fell behind in the eighth minute on a goal by Dallas right back Shaq Moore, who grew up in nearby Lauderhill and got his start with the Lauderhill Lions. Moore blasted a shot from the right side after the ball bounced around and through four Miami defenders. The boisterous Chase Stadium crowd of 20,727 was deflated, but the home team got on the scoreboard eight minutes later. Fray, the Coconut Creek native, collected a long diagonal cross from David Martinez, made a slick move to get around a Dallas defender and sent a perfect cross to the center of the area, where Afonso took a shot, which was saved by Dallas goalkeeper Maarten Paes. Another South Florida local, Fafa Picault of Palmetto Bay, pounced on the rebound and scored the equalizer for Miami. Then, it was Obando's turn to make his mark. Fray once again delivered a well-timed cross and the Ecuadorean finished to push Miami ahead to the delight of the pink-clad crowd. 'I am happy for scoring my first goal, it wasn't the result we wanted, but we have to keep working,' Obando said. 'This is futbol, and anything can happen.' Miami center back David Martinez made it 3-1 at the 56-minute mark after sprinting into the penalty area and taking control of a loose ball as his teammate Benja Cremaschi battled a Dallas defender. It seemed Inter Miami had the game well in hand, but then everything began to unravel for the home team. 'I was happy to score that goal, Benja made a great effort and I was able to score, but we got a result we did not expect and we leave in a bad mood,' Martinez said. Dallas scored a pair of goals over a five minute span, the first by Osaze Urhoghide in the 64th minute and the equalizer by Anderson Julio in the 69th. And things would only get worse for Inter Miami, as Pedrinho got behind the Miami back line and gave Dallas a 4-3 lead at the 81-minute mark. Three unanswered Dallas goals. A 3-1 Miami lead squandered. Chants of 'Messi! Messi!' could be heard from the stunned crowd. But on this day, Messi could not come to the rescue. He watched with his family from a field level suite. Unlike recent games, in which Miami had trouble scoring, tying Chicago 0-0, beating Columbus 1-0 and being shut out by Vancouver, the men in pink scored three goals on Sunday. But it wasn't enough. '[Sunday] we scored three goals, and went home empty handed,' Mascherano said. 'The offensive part worked, but clearly the defensive part did not.' Mascherano indicated on Friday that there would be roster changes for the Dallas game as he and the staff balance league play and the Champions Cup. The loss to Vancouver left Miami in a precarious position and on the verge of elimination. Champions Cup uses aggregate scoring, and the tiebreaker is away goals, so Inter Miami must score at least two goals and concede none on Wednesday to force extra time for a shot at the championship game. The team was in a similar situation in the quarterfinals against Los Angeles FC and rallied from down 2-0 with a pair of Messi goals to win the series 3-2. This time, a spot in the final is on the line. The winner of the Champions Cup will earn $5 million and qualify for the 2025 FIFA Intercontinental Cup and 2029 FIFA Club World Cup. With such a high stakes game on the horizon, and such little time to recover from the Vancouver trip, Mascherano rested many of the starters. The Miami starting lineup on Sunday included: Drake Callender (captain), Fray, Gonzalo Lujan, Maxi Falcon, Martinez, Picault, Toto Aviles, Yannick Bright, Cremaschi, Afonso and Obando. 'I told the players they had nothing to feel bad about, there were a lot of players in the lineup who had not played many minutes this season; it's not easy to come in like that, a bunch of players who had not played together,'' Mascherano said. 'They gave their maximum and for 65 minutes the team was doing well. Unfortunately, at 3-2, when everything was in our favor, I made mistakes and I take the blame.' On the bench for Miami were Rocco Rios Novo, Ryan Sailor, Marcelo Weigandt, Noah Allen, Fede Redondo, Busquets, Telasco Segovia, Santi Morales and Tadeo Allende. Inter Miami returns to Chase Stadium Wednesday night for the highly anticipated second leg of the Champions Cup semifinal against Vancouver. The game is at 8 p.m. and fans can watch on FS1 in English and TUDN in Spanish. 'Vancouver comes into the game with a 2-0 lead, so we have to show up with the feeling that we have nothing to lose and everything to gain,' Mascherano said. 'We have to take control of the game from the start, try not to think too much about the situation and try focus on what we can do and score the first goal and go from there.'
The Hindu
27-04-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
Inter Miami vs FC Dallas LIVE score: MLS updates; Messi not in squad
Welcome to Sportstar's LIVE coverage of the Major League Soccer match between Inter Miami and FC Dallas at the Chase Stadium. LIVE SCORE STARTING XIs Inter Miami: Callender (gk), Fray, Aviles, Lujan, Falcon, Martinez, Picault, Cremaschi, Bright, Afonso, Obando FC Dallas: Paes (gk), Norris, Urhoghide, Ibeagha, Moore, Ramiro, Ferreira, Acosta, Show, Julio, Farrington Related Topics Inter Miami / MLS
Miami Herald
12-03-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Messi will travel to Jamaica for Inter Miami vs. Cavalier Champions Cup game Thursday
Inter Miami fans, and Lionel Messi fans in Jamaica, got great news on Wednesday. The Argentine icon and eight-time Ballon d'Or winner, who missed the past three games with muscle fatigue, will travel to the Caribbean island for Thursday's Concacaf Champions Cup Round of 16 game against Cavalier FC, according to coach Javier Mascherano. Inter Miami carries a 2-0 cushion into the two-leg series against Cavalier after the home leg last Thursday. The winner on aggregate score advances to the quarterfinals against Los Angeles FC. Thursday's matchup is such a big deal in Jamaica that the game was moved from Cavalier's 3,000-seat home stadium to the 30,000 seat National Stadium. It is the most high-profile match for the club, by far, since it hosted Brazilian legend Pelé and Santos in a 1971 match watched by a sellout crowd in that same building. Cavalier coach Rudolph Speid before the first leg: 'I think it will inspire a generation of players in Jamaica. Everybody will be watching [the game in Fort Lauderdale] on TV; and in the return leg, where we expect a packed stadium, and everybody talking about the game. That inspiration is much more for the country than just our team.' The Cavalier roster includes several teenagers from the youth national team and other young players trying to get noticed. They did not look intimidated as they kept Miami to a scoreless tie at halftime of last Thursday's game in Fort Lauderdale. Cavalier defender Jeovanni Laing, 23, said of playing against Messi and the other Miami stars: 'It's a dream come true for us as players, Jamaica as a country and for the whole Caribbean. We've been dreaming about this since last year, and how it's here. We were elated when Inter Miami advanced. We were happy and joyful, but we still have to stay business minded…We can't get starstruck. 'This is an opportunity to show our talents on the bigger stage, because millions will be watching.' Messi was on the game roster for Miami's home league game against Charlotte FC on Sunday but remained on the bench. The plan was for him to play some minutes, but a red card to goalkeeper Oscar Ustari left the team down a man from the 38-minute mark, and the coaching staff felt that was not the ideal situation for Messi to return to action. 'Yes, yes, Leo is on the roster, will travel, and [Thursday] we will decide if it is better for him to start or wait and come in later. That we will see. He trained fully [Wednesday], felt very good, so we are happy that he will travel with us to Jamaica.' The game carries extra meaning for Inter Miami defender Ian Fray, a U.S.-Jamaica dual citizen whose sister, Marlee, played for the Jamaican national team. Fray said he expects 20 to 25 family members and friends in the stands. 'It means a lot to go back to Jamaica,' said Fray, 22, who grew up in Coconut Creek. 'I've actually been to that stadium before. I went to see Usain Bolt's last race in Jamaica at that stadium, so it will be pretty cool to go back and play on that field.' Asked about the field conditions, Mascherano said he did not know yet. A few club staff members traveled to Kingston on Tuesday and were examining the field. 'Both teams will be on the same field, so we just have to go and do our jobs,' the coach said. 'We don't like excuses.' Meanwhile, goalkeeper Drake Callender, who has yet to play this season due to a nagging adductor injury, will not travel to Jamaica. The plan, Mascherano said, is for him to be available for the league road game Sunday against Atlanta United, the Eastern Conference rival who knocked Miami out of the 2024 playoffs in the first round. Callender returned to practice Wednesday after missing a few training sessions last week. Mascherano said Callender was cleared to play by the medical staff three weeks ago but he is still not feeling 100 percent. Callender's availability will be especially crucial against Atlanta, a game being featured on Apple TV's 'Sunday Night Soccer', as Ustari will be out serving his red card suspension. 'Drake will not travel to Jamaica; we felt it was best for him to stay back and train at home,' Mascherano said. 'If nothing strange happens, he will be rostered for the game Sunday. Drake still does not feel 100 percent but he is very important player for this club, and has been for the past few years, and considering the situation we are in Sunday, he said he would do what he could to help the team even though he is feeling 100 percent. We appreciate that attitude.' As far as other injuries, Robert Taylor (hamstring) trained on his own Thursday, so he is not yet ready to return. Maxi Falcon (thigh bruise) is back, ready to play, and will travel. How to Watch Inter Miami vs. Cavalier Inter Miami vs. Cavalier match kicks off Thursday at 8 p.m. in Kingston, Jamaica. The game can be seen on FS1 in English and TUDN in Spanish. Inter Miami signs Baltasar Rodriguez Argentine midfielder Baltasar Rodríguez signed with Inter Miami on loan from Argentine top-flight Racing Club through the 2025 season, with an option to make the transfer permanent at the conclusion of the loan. He will join the team pending receipt of his P-1 Visa and International Transfer Certificate (ITC). Rodríguez, 21, won the 2024 CONMEBOL Copa Sudamericana and CONMEBOL Recopa Sudamericana 2025 titles, and played in the CONMEBOL Copa Libertadores. He also played under Mascherano on Argentina's U-23 national team. 'I had him on the [Argentine] U23 team in the pre-Olympic tournament,' Mascherano said. 'He's an offensive-minded midfielder who is versatile, good technique, good one on one, and is a good finisher.'
