Latest news with #Picault
Miami Herald
01-06-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Hot streak halted? Messi, Inter Miami momentum interrupted by player departures
Just as things are heating up, Miami's sea of pink will slowly recede — at least for now. Saturday night's 5-1 victory against Columbus Crew was the type of play Inter Miami fans have been craving all season: dominant, dynamic and exuding confidence. The win vaulted Miami from sixth to third in MLS standings and felt like a turning point— not just a singular game, but a season statement after a miserable May. But now, some of Inter Miami's biggest stars are scattering like seeds in the wind, trading the Fort Lauderdale training pitch for international duty on fields across the world. Lionel Messi rejoins Argentina. Fafa Picault heads to Aruba to regroup with the Haitian national team. Telasco Segovia flies to Venezuela. Benja Cremaschi joins the U20 U.S. team in Egypt and 18-year-old Santiago Morales was called up to Switzerland, joining the U18 U.S. team. Meanwhile, the rest of the squad stays behind. Regrouping at home, preparing for a looming milestone: the Club World Cup debut on June 14 at Hard Rock Stadium versus Egyptian club Al Ahly. But with key players gone and the countdown to the Club World Cup on, will the squad be able to pick up where they've left off? 'It's obviously not easy, but we know coach will handle it,' Tadeo Allende, who scored Saturday's opening goal in the twelfth minute, said of the team's hiatus. On Saturday night, Messi lit up Columbus with two goals and three assists, igniting a sea of No. 10 pink jerseys. He looked every bit the World Cup champion — just in time to jet off and lead Argentina in 2026 FIFA qualifiers. If Saturday was any indication, he's more than ready. A 0–0 draw between Bolivia and Uruguay in March guaranteed Argentina a top-six finish, securing its spot in the tournament and the opportunity to defend its World Cup title. However, the CONMEBOL qualifying schedule continues, with Argentina facing Chile on Thursday and Colombia on June 10. Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano said the time away could bring a new wave of energy to Messi and the others. 'When players go to their national teams, it happened to me, they come back with a new mentality and more confidence. I wish them all the best, especially Leo, because I'm from Argentina,' he said after Saturday's game, smiling. Picault, who scored the game's final goal in the 88th minute, will also turn his sights on the World Cup qualifiers with the Haitian national team. Picault will travel for matches versus Aruba and Curacao on June 7 and 10, respectively. Both Haiti and Curacao sit with two wins and six points in their CONCACAF group, making their game especially crucial for who comes out on top. Picault has already been pulled from the pitch twice this season due to injury, so if Miami's offense wants to continue the push they're on, it'll be crucial for him to stay healthy in these national team matches. 'We will wait for the players to return from their national teams and hope they come back without injuries and will be ready to play,' Mascherano said. Miami already has four key players recovering from injuries: Jordi Alba, Gonzalo Lujan, Yannick Bright, and Tomas Aviles. 'We need to recover [injured] players,' Mascherano continued. Midfielder Telasco Segovia, who notched one assist in Saturday's game, is the final Miami member heading to World Cup Qualifiers for Venezuela. The Venezuelan team is in seventh in the CONMEBOL standings, meaning that Segovia's performance with the team over their next two games against Uruguay, which sits in third, and Bolivia, which sits in eighth, could make or break their chances of joining the tournament next summer. Even with these national team obligations, the team's goal is set — and the challenge is clear. 'We know, and we have to be honest, that the level of opponents we will face is much higher than what we have faced in CONCACAF [Champions Cup] and in MLS,' Mascherano said. 'If we are at their level or not, we will show on June 14… It's not only the quality of a team, but the desire. It is a big challenge.'
Miami Herald
31-05-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
How Fafa Picault overcame racism, adversity on road to Inter Miami, Haiti national team
Fabrice 'Fafa' Picault is known for his infectious smile and easy-going nature. But behind that happy face is a 34-year-old Haitian American whose journey from youth soccer player in Cutler Bay to Lionel Messi's teammate at Inter Miami has been anything but easy. It was long, circuitous, and arduous. He was spit on. He endured more racial slurs than he cares to discuss. He has bounced to 11 teams and four countries over his career. But he toils on, summoning strength and guidance from his 97-year-old grandfather, Henri Picault, a Haitian immigrant who drove a New York City taxi for more than 50 years before retiring four years ago; his father, Leslie, a former professional soccer player; and his mother, Lucerne, a lifelong educator. Every morning begins with a 7:15 a.m. wake-up call from his mother, and they pray together over the phone. 'My Mom is the first person I talk to every day,' Picault said. 'We pray before every training and before every game. I then talk to my Dad really quick, too, if he's up. They've always been available and around for me, so I'm blessed to have that.' That familial love and faith carried him through his most difficult moments. He remembers tearful four-hour family phone calls on Skype when things hit rock bottom. An honor student at Coral Reef Elementary and Southwood Middle School, Picault put academics on hold (much to his mother's dismay) and left Miami Killian High at age 16 to head to Italy and chase his soccer dream. He was invited to join Cagliari, Calcio's reserve team, on the island of Sardinia. Picault's maternal grandfather, Max Antoine, played for the Haitian national team. His father played for the Philadelphia Fever in the Major Indoor Soccer League. He was eager to follow in their footsteps. He fell in love with soccer while playing for youth clubs in West Kendall, Coral Springs and Weston, and with an academy team that was jointly run by Cagliari and local club, Strike Force. His father, with whom he trained from the moment he could kick a ball, supported his decision to go abroad. His mother took some convincing but eventually came around if he promised to keep above a 3.7 grade point average in his online schooling, which he did. 'Education is the sure way to go, but we took a chance because Fafa was very mature for his age, had a very special talent, and if he didn't do soccer now, when would he do it?'' Leslie Picault said. Spending the first eight years of his life in New York, and the next eight in Miami, he embraced his multi-cultural upbringing and never had any trouble blending into any group. He spoke four languages fluently – English, Creole, French and Spanish, and was excited by the idea of adding Italian to his list. But he was unprepared for the racism he encountered. 'Being the only black player there, I faced a lot of problems,' Picault said upon returning to the United States in 2012 to play for the Tampa Bay Rowdies and then the Fort Lauderdale Strikers. 'I could probably write a book. My second week, a teammate spat in my face. Other guys called me a black piece of this or that. There were lots of racial slurs. Even one of my coaches voiced his opinion of blacks openly, saying stuff to me like, 'This is not the jungle of Africa.' It was rough because I was trying to break in, and those guys made it harder for me.' Things got so bad in 2011 that he took some time off from the sport and moved to Paris to live with an aunt before returning to the United States. 'It was very hard on our family, having to parent him from so far away,' said Picault's father. 'We told him to try his best, and prove he belongs. But it got really, really rough on him, so we said, 'Son, we have soccer in the States. Come back home.'' Looking back on that stage of his life now, seeing how far he has come, Picault said those years in Italy sharpened his game, strengthened his resolve, and thickened his skin. 'There were things that happened then that wouldn't happen now, with social media and awareness, so I'm glad there has been progress,' he said. 'I've taken two things from that as I've gotten older. It toughened me up, created a thick skin that is unbreakable, where nothing bothers me. I can just silence all the noise.' He stressed that there were many wonderful people in Italy and at the club, adding, 'I don't want to make it sound like I went to Italy and everybody was a racist.' He still considers Cagliari a second home, goes back yearly on vacation, and has many close friends there, including some former teammates who took him under their wing. Because of that kindness from teammates, Picault makes it a point to be a mentor to newcomers in every locker room. 'As I've gotten older, I've taken that role of making sure the young guys are okay because I know how far that can go and how much that meant to me as a young player back then,' he said. Picault, who had been selected for some Under-20 U.S. national team camps, thought he would land with an MLS team after returning from Italy. It didn't happen. So, he attended the NASL Combine, signed with the Tampa Bay Rowdies and later joined the Fort Lauderdale Strikers. 'Fafa always had a unique ability to put the ball in the net, and he can accelerate with the ball to get away from defenders,' said Thomas Rongen, who coached Picault with the U.S. Under 20 team. 'His first few steps are quite remarkable. He's very mature, has a great sense of humor, is a gentleman and consummate pro.' In January 2015, he moved back to Europe and spent six months with Sparta Prague in the Czech Republic before signing with St. Pauli, where he impressed manager Ewald Lienen, a friend of German legend and former U.S. national coach Jurgen Klinsmann, who invited him to a camp in 2016. 'Fafa is an interesting character,' Klinsmann said at the time. 'He took the route to Europe and fought his way through, and came out in St Pauli with a coach I know really well, and he told me: 'The kid is a fighter.' He's a hungry goalscorer, takes on people. He has speed, smells where the ball goes, good instincts. These are things that are difficult to teach.' Picault says his resilience comes from his family lineage. His paternal gradfather, Henri Picault, fled Port-au-Prince, Haiti, at the age of 35 in December 1963 and headed to New York City with his wife Dinorah, to escape François 'Papa Doc' Duvalier's oppressive regime. Henri Picault got his first job at a deli, then spent a half century as a cab driver, with a Haitian flag hanging from his rearview mirror. Fafa loved getting rides from him. One of their favorite destinations was a Dominican restaurant called Malecon on 97th and Amsterdam. 'He knows every crevice and crack in that city,' Fafa said. 'The biggest thing I took from him was work ethic. He was loyal to his craft, to be doing his job for as long as he did, at his age, I really admire that.' His maternal grandfather, Max Antoine, was a former star on Haiti's national team and beloved. Fafa did not realize what a big deal his grandfather was until he attended his funeral in Haiti in 2005 and there were people lined up for blocks outside the church. Throughout his career, which includes stints with six MLS teams, Picault has become a fan favorite. That is especially true in South Florida, where the Haitian community has embraced his return. Jim Curtin, who coached Picault with the Philadelphia Union from 2017-19, said: 'He lights up a room when he walks into it with that smile, always has a positive attitude. He's a great guy in the locker room. On the field, Fafa's a playmaker. Everywhere he's been, on every team, in every situation, whether it's a club team, or internationally with his national team, he always makes big plays. Only certain players have that. 'He was so valuable to me in the locker room as a young coach, literally helping me translate in the film sessions, in the locker room. We had maybe 15 countries represented, and I think he had every language covered.' Picault's team-first mentality is something Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano has mentioned on numerous occasions this season. Curtin said he was the same in Philadelphia. 'Whatever your teams needs, at whatever moment in the game, if it's make a 90-yard recovery sprint to break up a play, even though he's an attacking player, he'll do that defensive work for you,' Curtin said. 'If it's make a big play on a header, on a corner kick at the end of the game to win it, he'll do that. He's a guy who will do whatever it takes for a team to win, and that's a coach's dream.' After Saturday's Inter Miami game against the Columbus Crew, Picault is headed to Aruba to play for the Haitian national team in World Cup qualifying matches against Aruba and Curacao. Because of the political unrest and violence in Haiti, the Haitian team cannot host any games. Wearing that Haiti jersey, as his grandfather did decades before, makes him immensely proud. And playing for Inter Miami, in front of Haitian fans, is also special, he said. 'Every time I step on the field, I know I represent more than just myself; I represent a big community of Haitians, both here and abroad, who are supporting me and have my back,' Picault said. 'With the situation going on in Haiti, we Haitians play with an extra chip on our shoulder, an extra passion, knowing the joy we can bring and maybe some peace for the people there.'
ARN News Center
04-05-2025
- Sport
- ARN News Center
Lionel Messi scores as Inter Miami rout Red Bulls 4-1
Luis Suarez and Marcelo Weigandt each had one goal and one assist to help Inter Miami record a 4-1 victory over the New York Red Bulls on Saturday night at Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Lionel Messi added his first MLS goal since April 6 and Fafa Picault also found the back of the net for Inter Miami (6-1-3, 21 points). Mohammed Sofo had the lone tally for the Red Bulls (4-4-3, 15 points), who remain winless (0-3-2) on the road this season. New York had allowed just nine goals in 10 matches before Miami put on an offensive show. The Herons have scored seven goals in their past two MLS matches but lost the first one, 4-3 to FC Dallas last Sunday. Miami goalkeeper Oscar Ustari and New York counterpart Carlos Miguel Coronel each had two stops. The Herons held a 12-10 edge in shots and placed six on target to three for the Red Bulls. Miami scored the first three goals of the match and was never again threatened. Picault scored in the ninth minute to get things started. Weigandt sent a cross to the left and it glanced off the head of Suarez. Picault was there and placed a right-footed shot into the top left corner. Miami scored twice in nine minutes later in the half. In the 30th minute, Weigandt had his header stopped by Coronel but got the rebound and set a right-footed shot into the net. Suarez also went the rebound route to make it 3-0. His right-footed shot was blocked by New York's Kyle Duncan before he hurried forward and sent a left-footer into the net. The Red Bulls got on the board in the 43th minute as Sofo sent a high looping header from the left side that landed in the right-hand corner of the net. The foot of Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting appeared to touch the ball inside the post but the goal was awarded to Sofo. Any thought of a New York comeback was put to the rest in the 67th minute when Messi ripped a short-range left-footed shot into the net.
Asharq Al-Awsat
04-05-2025
- Sport
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Lionel Messi Scores as Inter Miami Rout Red Bulls 4-1
Luis Suarez and Marcelo Weigandt each had one goal and one assist to help Inter Miami record a 4-1 victory over the New York Red Bulls on Saturday night at Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Lionel Messi added his first MLS goal since April 6 and Fafa Picault also found the back of the net for Inter Miami (6-1-3, 21 points), Reuters said. Mohammed Sofo had the lone tally for the Red Bulls (4-4-3, 15 points), who remain winless (0-3-2) on the road this season. New York had allowed just nine goals in 10 matches before Miami put on an offensive show. The Herons have scored seven goals in their past two MLS matches but lost the first one, 4-3 to FC Dallas last Sunday. Miami goalkeeper Oscar Ustari and New York counterpart Carlos Miguel Coronel each had two stops. The Herons held a 12-10 edge in shots and placed six on target to three for the Red Bulls. Miami scored the first three goals of the match and was never again threatened. Picault scored in the ninth minute to get things started. Weigandt sent a cross to the left and it glanced off the head of Suarez. Picault was there and placed a right-footed shot into the top left corner. Miami scored twice in nine minutes later in the half. In the 30th minute, Weigandt had his header stopped by Coronel but got the rebound and set a right-footed shot into the net. Suarez also went the rebound route to make it 3-0. His right-footed shot was blocked by New York's Kyle Duncan before he hurried forward and sent a left-footer into the net. The Red Bulls got on the board in the 43th minute as Sofo sent a high looping header from the left side that landed in the right-hand corner of the net. The foot of Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting appeared to touch the ball inside the post but the goal was awarded to Sofo. Any thought of a New York comeback was put to the rest in the 67th minute when Messi ripped a short-range left-footed shot into the net.
New Straits Times
04-05-2025
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Lionel Messi scores as Inter Miami rout Red Bulls 4-1
FLORIDA: Luis Suarez and Marcelo Weigandt each had one goal and one assist to help Inter Miami record a 4-1 victory over the New York Red Bulls on Saturday night at Fort Lauderdale. Lionel Messi added his first MLS goal since April 6 and Fafa Picault also found the back of the net for Inter Miami (6-1-3, 21 points). Mohammed Sofo had the lone tally for the Red Bulls (4-4-3, 15 points), who remain winless (0-3-2) on the road this season. New York had allowed just nine goals in 10 matches before Miami put on an offensive show. The Herons have scored seven goals in their past two MLS matches but lost the first one, 4-3 to FC Dallas last Sunday. Miami goalkeeper Oscar Ustari and New York counterpart Carlos Miguel Coronel each had two stops. The Herons held a 12-10 edge in shots and placed six on target to three for the Red Bulls. Miami scored the first three goals of the match and was never again threatened. Picault scored in the ninth minute to get things started. Weigandt sent a cross to the left and it glanced off the head of Suarez. Picault was there and placed a right-footed shot into the top left corner. Miami scored twice in nine minutes later in the half. In the 30th minute, Weigandt had his header stopped by Coronel but got the rebound and set a right-footed shot into the net. Suarez also went the rebound route to make it 3-0. His right-footed shot was blocked by New York's Kyle Duncan before he hurried forward and sent a left-footer into the net. The Red Bulls got on the board in the 43th minute as Sofo sent a high looping header from the left side that landed in the right-hand corner of the net. The foot of Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting appeared to touch the ball inside the post but the goal was awarded to Sofo.
