Latest news with #MLSGoldenBoot
The Hindu
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Hindu
Lionel Messi set to return from injury against LA Galaxy
Inter Miami star Lionel Messi is ready to return from injury for Saturday's match against the Los Angeles Galaxy in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., head coach Javier Mascherano said Friday. The 38-year-old forward missed the Herons' last two matches with a right leg injury sustained in the first half of a Leagues Cup win against Necaxa on August 2. Messi returned to training earlier this week. 'Leo is fine,' Mascherano said. 'He's been with the team since Wednesday. We believe that if nothing unusual happens, he'll be called up for tomorrow's game.' Messi is tied with Nashville's Sam Surridge in the race for the MLS Golden Boot with 18 goals. The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner from Argentina also has 10 assists in 17 MLS matches this season. Miami (12-5-6, 42 points) enters the weekend in sixth place in the Eastern Conference standings, currently six points above the playoff cutline. The Herons have also reached the Leagues Cup quarterfinals.
Miami Herald
2 days ago
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Lionel Messi expected back for Inter Miami vs. L.A. Galaxy game Saturday
Lionel Messi is expected to return to the Inter Miami lineup for Saturday's home game against the Los Angeles Galaxy after missing two games due to injury, according to coach Javier Mascherano. He comes back just as the team embarks on a critical week and tries to rebound from a humbling 4-1 loss to Orlando City last weekend. Following the Galaxy game, Inter Miami plays Mexican club Tigres on Wednesday in the Leagues Cup quarterfinal. Messi injured his hamstring on August 2 in the first half of Miami's win over Necaxa in the Leagues Cup. He sat out the 3-1 win against Pumas and the Orlando game. 'Leo is fine. He's been training with the team since Wednesday,' Mascherano said before training Friday morning. 'Barring anything strange [happening Friday], he should make the squad for Saturday's match.' Midfielder Rodrigo De Paul, who missed a few days of practice this week while getting his visa paperwork finalized, returned to training on Friday and will be available, as well. Messi, the reigning league MVP, leads the MLS Golden Boot race with 18 goals and nine assists in 18 games. He and his teammates are looking to climb in the league standings after slipping to sixth place in the East with 11 games remaining. They will be favored at home against the defending MLS Cup champion Galaxy, which plummeted to last place this season with the league's worst record (three wins, 15 losses and seven ties). Los Angeles has given up 52 goals through 25 games, the worst defensive record in the league. The Galaxy is winless in 15 road games and coming off a 4-1 loss to the Seattle Sounders. Galaxy star Riqui Puig has been out all season with a knee injury, but the roster includes high quality players such as Marco Reus, Edwin Cerrillo and Diego Fagundez. Despite L.A.'s league record, Mascherano said his team cannot afford to take the game lightly. The Galaxy managed to advance to the Leagues Cup quarterfinals by scoring 10 goals through its three group games, and coach Greg Vanney said that was proof that the team was finally re-finding its form. 'For me, they're a team in which the MLS standings don't reflect their quality, especially the quality of their players,' Mascherano said. 'The reality is that maybe they didn't start the season well because of injuries and different situations. But they've improved a lot over the last few months.' Defender Gonzalo Lujan agreed: 'We are coming from a tough loss, a result we did not expect. To have a long week helped us to prepare for this upcoming game and I think we'll be ready. More than the results, we know it will be a tough opponent. We have to be more focused from the start and not allow any early goals.' Inter Miami may be strengthening its defense in the coming week, before the MLS transfer window closes. The club on Thursday acquired a 2025 International Roster Slot from Toronto FC in exchange for $175,000 in General Allocation Money. Argentine defender Gonzalo Piovi, who plays for Mexican club Cruz Azul, is in negotiations with Inter Miami about a transfer, according to multiple published reports. 'Until the last day of the window, we will see options,' said Mascherano, who would not mention any names. 'We have a fairly complete roster for the final three months and should be fine. Maybe in a few positions we could use reinforcements. I don't like to bring players just to bring players.' Mascherano shared some insight into the transfer of Redondo to Spanish club Elche, which is owned by Redondo's agent Christian Bragarnik, an Argentinean businessman. The coach said once the club signed De Paul, Redondo realized that would limit his playing time and he asked to be moved. Although it has not been announced, a club source confirmed that goalkeeper Drake Callender, the team co-captain and a star in 2023 and 2024, was traded to Charlotte FC. He has played only three games this season as he dealt with injuries and sports hernia surgery. 'It is not concrete, but if it comes to be, we have to understand that Drake's contract expires at the end of this season, so if there is a time for the club to negotiate a move, it had to be now,' Mascherano said. 'If not, in December he becomes a free agent. Unfortunately, we could not count on him these seven month, other than the Dallas game, but otherwise, he was unavailable due to injuries. He and the club were searching for a solution to his situation. He is an important figure in this team's short history, one of the captains, but he had not reached an agreement for a new contract with the club, and they had to make the move.'
Canada News.Net
08-08-2025
- Sport
- Canada News.Net
First-place Union take on improving Toronto FC
(Photo credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images) The first-place Philadelphia Union will try to extend their four-match unbeaten run on Saturday night when they host a rebuilding Toronto FC side in Chester, Pa. The Union (15-5-5, 50 points) won three of those four games to take a one-point lead over Cincinnati atop the Eastern Conference standings entering the break for Leagues Cup play. Tai Baribo is three off the MLS Golden Boot pace with 15 goals. And Philadelphia added another striker on Tuesday in Milan Iloski on a permanent transfer from FC Nordsjaelland, after he scored 10 MLS goals earlier this season on loan at San Diego. Despite all that, Union manager Bradley Carnell is wary of an opponent that is defending much more compactly since the departure of Italian stars Lorenzo Insigne and Federico Bernardeschi at the end of June. 'They plug up spaces, they drop players in the back line, they overload defending areas,' Carnell said. 'It's not going to be easy to break them down.' Toronto has conceded a respectable 10 goals in eight MLS matches since a previous 2-1 defeat to the Union in Canada, while taking eight points from those games. The Reds (5-13-6, 21 points) just completed the first move of a self-proclaimed roster overhaul on Thursday, acquiring Djordje Mihailovic from the Colorado Rapids in a cash trade for a fee of up to $9 million. Mihailovic was the joint-leading Rapids scorer with nine goals before departing and also had seven assists. 'Djordje's ability to deliver high-level output week in and week out is widely understood,' Toronto FC general manager Jason Hernandez said in a statement. 'But his winning mentality and desire to elevate TFC were key factors in securing him as our new number 10.' It's not clear whether Mihailovic will be available for Saturday's match, but TFC would love to have him as soon as possible. Theo Corbeanu leads Toronto with five goals, but after Bernardeschi's departure, no one else has more than two.
Calgary Herald
17-05-2025
- Sport
- Calgary Herald
Which Vancouver Whitecap could return to Austin for the MLS All-Star Game?
Article content Even in June 2018, when he was just 17, Alphonso Davies was already a star. He was being connected to teams like Liverpool, Manchester United, and Bayern Munich, an electric young talent whose speed and skills had the biggest clubs in the world taking notice. Article content And two weeks before his ground-shaking transfer to Bayern, Phonzie got recognition of another kind — being named to Major League Soccer's all-star team. Article content Players were chosen by fan vote and the all-star coach. But neither of them selected Davies, who has been arguably the biggest talent to come out of the North American league. He got in as the commissioner's pick, with Don Garber tabbing the teen and two-time MLS Golden Boot winner Bradley Wright-Phillips of the New York Red Bulls for the exhibition game against Italian icons Juventus. Article content Including Davies, only six Whitecaps have been selected to the showcase event since the team came into MLS in 2011: Jay DeMerit (2012), Camilo (2013), David Ousted (2015), Kendall Waston (2016), and Ryan Gauld (2024). The only player ever selected by fans was DeMerit, who was recognizable to the domestic fan base as a U.S. international who started for the Americans at the 2010 World Cup, and whose inspirational story had begun to reach folklore levels thanks to an indie film. Article content Article content And none of those Whitecaps teams that produced the all-stars had as much success as this current edition, which sits atop the MLS standings and is playing in the CONCACAF Champions Cup title game for the first time in team history. Article content The team — finally — has the attention of the rest of MLS. As the club heads to Austin, site of the 2025 All-Star Game in July, for a Saturday night league fixture, the question becomes: Can this translate into all-star selections? Article content 'We've got a lot of guys on this team that definitely deserve a shout,' said midfielder Ali Ahmed. 'Vancouver is not the most attractive market to watch; late games, people kind of forget about us. But I think we've made it hard this year not to put a name for the team. A lot of players have stepped up and shined, and definitely deserve to be there for sure.' Article content Article content One player tops the list of potential all-stars for 2025: Brian White. Austin will be game-planning to defend him Saturday, after he torched them for four goals — that's a 'haul,' in soccer lingo — in April. His eight goals is third-most in the league, only trailing Philadelphia's Tai Baribo (10) and San Jose's Cristian Arango (nine). Article content Article content But the U.S. international has only played nine league games compared with Baribo's 12 and Arango's 13, as White has been busy in the CCC tournament, where's he's banged in six goals, second only to Cruz Azul's Ángel Sepúlveda. Article content White was asked Friday, as the team prepared to travel to Austin, if he would like to head back there for another game: the All-Star Game. In his usual infallibly humble manner, he replied: 'Recognition is always nice, but that's not really something I'm focused on. Honestly, I haven't really thought about it at all. There's a lot of games, lot of things coming up before then. So if it happens, it happens, and if it doesn't, I'll have a couple days off to chill.'
Vancouver Sun
17-05-2025
- Sport
- Vancouver Sun
Which Vancouver Whitecap could return to Austin for the MLS All-Star Game?
Even in June 2018, when he was just 17, Alphonso Davies was already a star. He was being connected to teams like Liverpool, Manchester United, and Bayern Munich, an electric young talent whose speed and skills had the biggest clubs in the world taking notice. And two weeks before his ground-shaking transfer to Bayern, Phonzie got recognition of another kind — being named to Major League Soccer's all-star team. Players were chosen by fan vote and the all-star coach. But neither of them selected Davies, who has been arguably the biggest talent to come out of the North American league. He got in as the commissioner's pick, with Don Garber tabbing the teen and two-time MLS Golden Boot winner Bradley Wright-Phillips of the New York Red Bulls for the exhibition game against Italian icons Juventus. Can't wipe that smile! 😁 The moment @AlphonsoDavies found out he was a #MLSAllStar commissioner's pick. #VWFC Including Davies, only six Whitecaps have been selected to the showcase event since the team came into MLS in 2011: Jay DeMerit (2012) , Camilo (2013) , David Ousted (2015) , Kendall Waston (2016) , and Ryan Gauld (2024) . The only player ever selected by fans was DeMerit, who was recognizable to the domestic fan base as a U.S. international who started for the Americans at the 2010 World Cup, and whose inspirational story had begun to reach folklore levels thanks to an indie film . Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. And none of those Whitecaps teams that produced the all-stars had as much success as this current edition, which sits atop the MLS standings and is playing in the CONCACAF Champions Cup title game for the first time in team history. The team — finally — has the attention of the rest of MLS. As the club heads to Austin, site of the 2025 All-Star Game in July , for a Saturday night league fixture, the question becomes: Can this translate into all-star selections? 'We've got a lot of guys on this team that definitely deserve a shout,' said midfielder Ali Ahmed. 'Vancouver is not the most attractive market to watch; late games, people kind of forget about us. But I think we've made it hard this year not to put a name for the team. A lot of players have stepped up and shined, and definitely deserve to be there for sure.' One player tops the list of potential all-stars for 2025: Brian White. Austin will be game-planning to defend him Saturday, after he torched them for four goals — that's a 'haul,' in soccer lingo — in April. His eight goals is third-most in the league, only trailing Philadelphia's Tai Baribo (10) and San Jose's Cristian Arango (nine). But the U.S. international has only played nine league games compared with Baribo's 12 and Arango's 13, as White has been busy in the CCC tournament, where's he's banged in six goals, second only to Cruz Azul's Ángel Sepúlveda. White was asked Friday, as the team prepared to travel to Austin, if he would like to head back there for another game: the All-Star Game. In his usual infallibly humble manner, he replied: 'Recognition is always nice, but that's not really something I'm focused on. Honestly, I haven't really thought about it at all. There's a lot of games, lot of things coming up before then. So if it happens, it happens, and if it doesn't, I'll have a couple days off to chill.' The first rule of White, it seems, is to never talk up White. So it was put to him who else on his team should join him in Austin, and he proceeded to list every player on the roster, including rookies and NextPro call-ups. That exceedingly long list has been pared down to players who have a realistic shot of joining White in Austin, along with the White scouting report to help fans (or all-star coach Nico Estévez, who will see them Saturday) make their decisions. Whitecaps deserving all-star recognition Andrés Cubas, MF One of the best No. 6s in the league, he stifled and frustrated Lionel Messi and Inter Miami , but rarely gets much recognition for the defensive work he puts in. He's been a big part of the Caps' aggressive repressing and transition success this season. White: 'He's super-important for us as that little engine in the middle. Breaks plays up, starts the counters, a workhorse all around the field, and probably one of the most underrated players in the league.' Sebastian Berhalter, MF The box-to-box No. 8 has made 33 tackles, ninth most in the league, but the 23-year-old is younger than every player above him on the list, save NYC FC phenom Jonathan Shore (18). His 48 tackles/interceptions is fourth-most in the league, plus he's chipping in offensively — a goal and three assists in MLS, and three more goals in CCC play. White: 'Sebastian has been great. Similar to Cubas, he gets in the box as well. Can finish off plays. He finds that pass in the end, crosses the ball. He just does everything for us. He's another one of the engines in the team, and we wouldn't be as successful as we are without him.' Pedro Vite, MF The Ecuadorean midfielder has taken his game to another level this season, chipping in with three goals and four assists in just 773 MLS minutes. Vancouver is working hard to retain him, as his five-year contract expires this year, but Vite has been in the middle of several rumours linking him to a move to Europe at season's end. White: 'Pedro's been fantastic. He's getting on the ball. He's creating. He's dynamic when he gets it, he can find the parents, he can finish all plays. So he's another very good piece that we have this year, and he deserves all the attention that he's getting.' Tristan Blackmon (and Ranko Veselinovic), CB The centre-back pairing has been dynamic and defensive, as Vancouver has given up just 10 goals in league play — fewest in MLS. They only give up 8.8 shots against per game, and have an xG-against of 13.75, again the lowest in MLS. Veselinovic has been an exceptional passer from the back line, connecting on 431 of 434 medium distance passes and 180 of 190 of short passes; his 95.1 completion percentage is second in MLS only to Columbus Crew midfielder Darlington Nagbe. Blackmon isn't far behind in his passing and defensive statistics, but gets the nod because he's scored twice this year in league play — not to mention having one of the biggest goal's in the team's history against Pumas. He's made several end-to-end charges from the backline with the ball at his feet, showcasing his offensive ability as well. White: 'Week in, week out, you see how (Blackmon) is able to defend, and what he brings going forward. He does all the little things around the field and team, he's just been an engine for the team from the backline.' Yohei Takaoka, GK The team's 8-1-3 record is the best in MLS, and Takaoka has been a big part of that. His five shutouts rank second in the league, a number he had been tied with, except for an unlucky 97th-minute penalty kick given up to RSL. His goals against per 90 minutes (0.83) is also best in MLS. White: 'We have one of the best defences in the league, and that starts with him. That save he made at the end of the game against LAFC shows how good he is. On the ball, he can do it all as a goalie, especially in this modern era of goalkeepers. I think he's one of the best.' Postmedia News's alternate picks Ali Ahmed, F Ahmed has five assists in 573 minutes this season. Of the four players ahead of him with six assists, two have played twice his minutes, one is a US$2.2 million DP with Charlotte (Pep Biel) and the other is Luis Suarez. Not bad company to be in. Jayden Nelson, F Nelson's speed has been a game-changer for the Caps on the wing, especially in transition. His 1.17 g+a/90 is the highest in MLS. He has two goals and four assists in 466 MLS minutes, and has been hampered by injury. The caveat to his stats is that a goal and three assists came in his debut game.
