Latest news with #Ustari
Miami Herald
a day ago
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Amid injuries and uncertainty, Inter Miami's Club World Cup debut fast approaches
By the time the first official FIFA Club World Cup practice began Monday morning, it was already 90 degrees on Inter Miami's practice pitch. Even without key players Lionel Messi, Fafa Picault, and Telasco Segovia — who are all out of the country on international fixtures for FIFA World Cup qualifying matches — the men in pink got down to business quickly, running shooting and passing drills. Fans are waiting anxiously for Inter Miami's first stint in the Club World Cup, which takes place Saturday at Hard Rock Stadium. The team will open the tournament against Egyptian club Al Ahly, but it's a difficult bet to make on how Miami will fare in the tournament. The team had a particularly treacherous May, losing MLS matches to Minnesota and Orlando and drawing San Jose and Philadelphia. By the end of the month, the team had been mocked mercilessly on social media, and fans were calling for new head coach Javier Mascherano's firing. Before their games versus Montreal and Columbus, Miami had dropped to sixth place in the MLS Eastern Conference standings — a far cry from their high ride at the same time in 2024. But with the Club World Cup fast approaching, the team seemed to turn a corner, blowing out both Montreal and Columbus, 4-2 and 5-1, respectively, to end the month. Once the rest of the star-studded roster returns, things could be looking up for Miami entering the tournament. Except many key players still appear to be down for the count. Star left back Jordi Alba and center back Gonzalo Luján were not present at the first official Club World Cup practice. Both sustained unspecified muscle injuries during the team's win over Montreal and have yet to return. Similarly, midfielder Yannick Bright, who suffered a hamstring injury during the team's match versus Philadelphia was off training and rehabbing to the side with fellow midfielder David Ruiz. Ruiz sustained an injury early in the season and has been out since March. Both midfielders spent the hot, Monday morning practice working on cardio and agility, but notably did not work with the ball or the rest of the team on any shooting or passing drills. In happier news for Inter Miami fans, both goalkeeper Oscar Ustari, who just signed a contract extension with the team through 2026, and 20-year-old center back Tomas Aviles were back training with the team Monday morning following injuries which took them off the roster in mid-May. They looked to be in top form – Aviles worked through all of practice with the majority of the team on the pitch, while Ustari kept ball after ball out of the net during drills with fellow goalkeepers Rocco Ríos Novo and Will Yarbrough. But with a crucial week for the team ahead, it's ultimately uncertain who will take the field versus Al Ahly on Saturday. Will Ustari's and Aviles' return to practice keep them in good shape for the match? How will Messi, Picault, and Segovia, alongside rising young stars Benjamin Cremaschi and Santiago Morales, fare during their time abroad? Only time will tell.
Miami Herald
29-05-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Goalkeeper Oscar Ustari signs contract extension with Inter Miami through 2026
Oscar Ustari will be sticking with Inter Miami for at least one more year. The club announced Thursday that the Argentine goalkeeper signed a contract extension through the 2026 MLS season. Ustari started 16 of the team's 19 matches so far in 2025, recording six clean sheets. Ustari, who turns 39 in July, joined Miami in September of 2024 as a backup to Drake Callender and assumed the starting role this year when Callender was injured while with the U.S. national team. Callender recently underwent sports hernia surgery and is out indefinitely. Prior to joining Inter Miami, Ustari played for several teams in Europe and South America, including Getafe CF (Spain), Sunderland AFC (England), and Club Atlético Boca Juniors (Argentina). He has made more than 390 appearances during his career and is a longtime friend of Lionel Messi, with whom he won the 2005 FIFA U-20 World Youth Championship in the Netherlands and won an Olympic gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Ustari is the second Messi friend and former teammate to sign an extension with Inter Miami, following Jordi Alba. Messi's contract expires at the end of this season and he is expected to re-sign for 2026 sometime this summer.
Observer
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Observer
More misery for Messi, Miami with Florida derby defeat
FORT LAUDERDALE, United States: Lionel Messi's frustration grew as Inter Miami's miserable run continued with a 3-0 loss at home to Orlando City in Major League Soccer on Sunday. The Florida derby defeat leaves Miami with one win from their last seven games in all competitions and they slip to sixth in the Eastern Conference with Orlando leapfrogging them. Messi had just two shots on target and scuffed a free-kick as his own form slumped with that of his team. "Now we'll truly see if we're a team in difficult times, because when everything's going well it's very easy," Messi told Apple TV. "When difficult times come, that's when we have to be more united than ever, be a true team, and pull ourselves together," he added. Messi questioned the refereeing but in truth the loss had little to do with officiating and much to do with shambolic defending, a disjointed midfield and punchless attack led by the rapidly fading Luis Suarez. Orlando grabbed the lead in the 43rd minute with a goal of absurd simplicity. Goalkeeper Pedro Gallese launched the ball down field and Luis Muriel ran clear and slotted past Oscar Ustari. The visitors were getting plenty of joy from going direct against a Miami back-line which was all at sea and Argentine Martin Ojeda should have done better when he found himself clear on goal but blasted over. COACHES 'FAILING' TEAM Miami's veteran keeper Ustari made a fine double save but then the 38-year-old found himself to blame for Orlando's second goal. The ball fell to Marco Pasalic on the edge of the box and his low shot went through the hands and legs of Ustari. Miami coach Javier Mascherano threw on attacking players in a bid to retrieve something from the game but it was in vain. In the fourth minute of stoppage time Duncan McGuire broke down the left and his low cross was slotted home by Icelandic forward Dagur Thorhallsson to wrap up an impressive performance from the visitors. Miami have conceded 20 goals in their last seven games with their only victory coming against the New York Red Bulls on May 3. Mascherano said the first goal changed the game. "I'd say for 25 or 30 minutes we had it completely under control playing in the opponent's half, but this is how it is, clearly. I'm not going to deny what the result is," he said. "Unfortunately, we can't afford the mistakes we make, that's clear. But it's pointless for me to come here and tell this story because it keeps happening. "So, clearly, we as a coaching staff are failing in many of these ways and we have to try to find a way around them so we don't continue failing and so the team starts getting results," he added. Miami's MLS campaign was going well until their exit in the Concacaf Champions Cup at the hands of the Vancouver Whitecaps and Mascherano admitted the team's morale had been hit. "Clearly something has happened where the team has lost a lot of confidence. We have had a drop in level individually and collectively and it's clear one way or another we have tried with different schemes, different names, and still today we are hurting. We will keep trying to find a way." In the Los Angeles derby, former Borussia Dortmund star Marco Reus scored twice including an 87th minute equaliser as the winless Galaxy fought back for a 2-2 draw at home to Los Angeles FC. Reus put the Galaxy, the defending champions who have made the worst start to a season in MLS history, ahead from close range in the sixth minute. Denis Bouanga scored a 13th minute screamer to bring LAFC level, cutting inside on to his right foot before unleashing an unstoppable drive into the far corner. LAFC got in front in the 50th minute when Ryan Hollingshead threaded the ball through to Nathan Ordaz who fired home with a first-time finish. But the 35-year-old former Germany international Reus earned a point for the home side with a superb curling free-kick three minutes from the end. — AFP
Daily Tribune
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Tribune
More misery for Messi and Miami with Florida derby defeat
AFP | Miami Lionel Messi's frustration grew as Inter Miami's miserable run continued with a 3-0 loss at home to Orlando City in Major League Soccer on Sunday. The Florida derby defeat leaves Miami with one win from their last seven games in all competitions and they slip to sixth in the Eastern Conference with Orlando leapfrogging them. Messi had just two shots on target and scuffed a free-kick as his own form slumped with that of his team. 'Now we'll truly see if we're a team in difficult times, because when everything's going well it's very easy,' Messi told Apple TV. 'When difficult times come, that's when we have to be more united than ever, be a true team, and pull ourselves together,' he added. Messi questioned the refereeing but in truth the loss had little to do with officiating and much to do with shambolic defending, a disjointed midfield and punchless attack led by the rapidly fading Luis Suarez. Orlando grabbed the lead in the 43rd minute with a goal of absurd simplicity. Goalkeeper Pedro Gallese launched the ball down field and Luis Muriel ran clear and slotted past Oscar Ustari. The visitors were getting plenty of joy from going direct against a Miami back-line which was all at sea and Argentine Martin Ojeda should have done better when he found himself clear on goal but blasted over. Coaches 'failing' team Miami's veteran keeper Ustari made a fine double save but then the 38-year-old found himself to blame for Orlando's second goal. The ball fell to Marco Pasalic on the edge of the box and his low shot went through the hands and legs of Ustari. Miami coach Javier Mascherano threw on attacking players in a bid to retrieve something from the game but it was in vain. In the fourth minute of stoppage time Duncan McGuire broke down the left and his low cross was slotted home by Icelandic forward Dagur Thorhallsson to wrap up an impressive performance from the visitors.
Ammon
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Ammon
More misery for Messi and Miami with Florida derby defeat
Ammon News - Lionel Messi's growing frustration and Inter Miami's miserable run of form continued with a 3-0 loss at home to Orlando City in Major League Soccer on Sunday. The Florida derby defeat leaves Miami with just one win from their last seven games in all competitions and they slip to sixth in the Eastern Conference with Orlando leapfrogging them. Messi had just two shots on target in the entire game and even scuffed a free-kick from his favorite spot as his own form slumped with that of his team. 'Now we'll truly see if we're a team in difficult times, because when everything's going well it's very easy,' Messi told Apple TV following the defeat. 'When difficult times come, that's when we have to be more united than ever, be a true team, and pull ourselves together,' he added. Messi also questioned the refereeing but in truth the loss had little to do with officiating and much to do with shambolic defending, a disjointed midfield and punchless attack led by the rapidly fading Luis Suarez. Orlando grabbed the lead in the 43rd minute with a goal of absurd simplicity — goalkeeper Pedro Gallese launched the ball down the middle of the field and Luis Muriel ran clear and slotted past Oscar Ustari. The visitors were getting plenty of joy from going direct against a Miami back-line which was all at sea and Argentine Martin Ojeda should have done better when he found himself clear on goal but blasted over the bar. Miami's veteran keeper Ustari then made a fine double save to deny Alexander Freeman and an Ojeda follow up shot but then the 38-year-old found himself to blame for Orlando's second goal. The ball fell to Marco Pasalic on the edge of the box and his low shot went through the hands and legs of Ustari. Miami coach Javier Mascherano then threw on attacking players in a bid to retrieve something from the game but it was largely in vain. In the fourth minute of stoppage time Duncan McGuire broke down the left and his low cross was slotted home by Icelandic forward Dagur Thorhallsson to wrap-up an impressive performance from the visitors. Miami have conceded 20 goals and scored 11 in their last seven games with their only victory coming against the New York Red Bulls on May 3. Mascherano said his team had started as planned before the goal changed the tone of the game. 'I'd say for 25 or 30 minutes we had it completely under control playing in the opponent's half, but this is how it is, clearly. I'm not going to deny what the result is,' he said. 'Unfortunately, we can't afford the mistakes we make; that's clear, but it's pointless for me to come here and tell this story, because it keeps happening. So, clearly, we as a coaching staff are failing in many of these ways, and we have to try to find a way around them so we don't continue failing and so the team starts getting results,' he added. Miami's MLS campaign was going well until their exit to the CONCACAF Champions Cup at the hands of the Vancouver Whitecaps and Mascherano admitted the team's morale had been hit. 'Clearly, something has happened where the team has lost a lot of confidence. We have had a drop in level individually and collectively and it's clear one way or another we have tried with different schemes, different names, and still today we are hurting. We will keep trying to find a way.' AFP
