Latest news with #LaVinotinto
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
🔥 Conmebol qualifiers: the table so far and what's next 🗓️
🔥 Conmebol qualifiers: the table so far and what's next 🗓️ With Venezuela's 2-0 victory over Bolivia at the Monumental de Maturín, Matchday 15 of the Conmebol Qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup in Canada, the United States, and Mexico came to a close this Friday. La Vinotinto secured a crucial win against a direct rival in the race for a playoff spot, a position now held by the team led by Fernando Batista, pulling four points ahead of La Verde, coached by Óscar Villegas. Advertisement Earlier, Colombia did not have a great match in Barranquilla and could not get past a goalless draw against Peru, who celebrate the point earned, although it may not be of much use. With three matchdays left, several confirmations on the road to the World Cup On Thursday night, Argentina and Chile staged a great duel at the Estadio Nacional in Santiago, which ended with a narrow Albiceleste victory, thanks to a stunning goal by Julián Álvarez in the first half. This match, and this result, confirmed the superiority of Lionel Scaloni's team over the lowest-ranked rival in the table, but also over all the other teams in this tournament, as they have already been crowned winners of the Qualifiers, having built a 10-point lead over Ecuador, second in the standings. Advertisement Sebastián Becaccece's team, meanwhile, drew 0-0 with Brazil in Guayaquil, in a match with few thrills on the field and some extra excitement off it, with Carlo Ancelotti making his debut at the helm of the Canarinha. Another great match on Thursday was the one Paraguay played at the Defensores del Chaco, defeating Marcelo Bielsa's Uruguay 2-0, who are on a downward trend. Gustavo Alfaro's Albirroja extended their unbeaten streak to nine matches and won 'the mother of all battles,' as the coach put it, climbing to third place and, with Friday's results, confirming at least a playoff spot. Matchday 16 of the Conmebol Qualifiers will be played in its entirety next Tuesday, June 10. After that, the final double matchday will take place in mid-September. Advertisement This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here. 📸 JUAN BARRETO - AFP or licensors
Daily Mirror
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Lionel Messi showed his true character behind the scenes in Miami dressing room
Josef Martinez spent six months playing alongside Lionel Messi at Inter Miami, and the striker has opened up on what it was like having the Argentine in the dressing room Former Inter Miami ace Josef Martinez has revealed how Lionel Messi's down-to-earth nature surprised him. Messi has won two trophies with the club, and the Argentine legend has since reunited with several of his former team-mates in Miami. Messi made waves in July 2023 by signing with David Beckham's Miami, and was swiftly followed by ex-Barcelona pals Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba. The superstar's arrival turned fortunes around for Miami, leading them to clinch the 2023 Leagues Cup. The club secured the Supporters' Shield for the best regular-season record last year, having also brought in Luis Suarez. Their success on the pitch was worlds apart from the team Martinez had joined, but Messi's unassuming character and manners off the pitch most astonished the striker. "Everything changed in a day. I swear. It was shocking," Martinez said on the La Vinotinto podcast. "You see him sitting there, and he's the most normal person I've ever seen in my life, and he's famous. "Not even God is as well-known as he is. Seeing him sitting there was something impressive: folding his shirt, matching his uniform with his watch, and shoes with his shirt. He would sit down, and you'd say: 'Wow!' He'd greet you normally." Martinez also reminisced about the pre-Messi days at Miami, recalling: "When I joined Inter, it was like Combat Football Club. Honestly, when I joined Inter, neither Messi, Busquets, nor Jordi had arrived. We had lost about 15 matches in a row. "When we heard that he was coming, everyone was saying: 'No way he's coming.' It was madness. When it became official, we didn't even know he had arrived. We never saw him. We only saw him two days before the Cruz Azul match. We had never seen him enter. I never saw him. And then we went from being the worst team in MLS to being like the Real Madrid of the league." Martinez and Messi played together on 11 occasions before the Venezuelan striker's move to Montreal in 2024, where he scored 14 goals in 26 games. Although Martinez may have only shared a locker room with the World Cup winner for several months, he was asked what insights he gained from working closely with Messi. "That, despite being a guy who has won everything, he always arrived first for training. He was great with us, he was great with me," Martinez explained. "And you felt you had to be at his same level. "There were players who couldn't pass you the ball at this distance. And then, Taylor, for example, not to speak badly of him or anything, but he couldn't score a goal, and with Messi, he became the top scorer, so the level improved. You felt you couldn't be lazy or make mistakes." The changes at the club were immediate, and Martinez recalled the spotlight quickly being placed on the team. "Before Messi's first training session with us, we were unknown even on Instagram," Martinez admitted. "Not even sports journalists came to our training sessions. I'll tell you, there were 1,000 journalists outside, and we used to see just one journalist when we played away from home. "Now, 50,000 people outside trying to get into training, and 1,000 journalists. Madness. The coach said: 'we'll have to put on our best and most experienced players because if we put a kid there training, it will be embarrassing'. Then came the famous photo of everyone jogging, but yes, everything changed in a day. It was like being at Real Madrid." Miami, now coached by Javier Mascherano, have won six of their first 10 MLS games, and sit fourth in the Eastern Conference. The club recently lost to Vancouver Whitecaps in the semi-final of the CONCACAF Champions Cup.
