Category: MLS

Indianapolis mayor pursues MLS expansion, leaving Indy Eleven with uncertain future

Mayor Jim Hogsett is courting MLS, and Indy Eleven of the USL may end up as collateral damage

Thursday marked 11 years to the day that USL Championship club Indy Eleven unveiled its badge in a ceremony in downtown Indianapolis.

It may also go down as one of the darkest days in club history.

The Eleven got a double dose of bad news. First, the Keystone Group — a real estate development firm owned by Indy Eleven owner Ersal Ozdemir — went public with an accusation that Mayor Joe Hogsett’s administration was going to “walk away” from a $1.5 billion mixed-use project known as Eleven Park.

Just hours later, Hogsett announced that he took a trip to New York City to meet with MLS commissioner Don Garber “to discuss the prospects of Indianapolis pursuing a Major League Soccer club.”

Hogsett then declared that he would be “leading an effort to file an [MLS expansion] application,” adding that he had already taken steps towards passing the municipal hurdles involved in bringing another professional team to the city.

In other words, the Eleven and USL were left hanging, all for the mere possibility of an MLS club coming to town.

Hogsett didn’t take any questions on Thursday, but in quotes published by local radio station WIBC, he made clear that the city intends to only build one soccer stadium, and its eyes are entirely on MLS.

“We are not building two soccer stadiums. We are just going to build one,” Hogsett said. “Where that goes is largely dependent on what MLS is going to expect.”

Ground was broken on the 20-acre Eleven Park project in May 2023, with Hogsett among the Indianapolis dignitaries to thrust a ceremonial shovel into soil on the site. The entire development was set to be anchored by a 20,000-seat stadium for the Eleven.

Now, however, the mayor’s administration maintains there was no actual deal in place, despite Hogsett referring to that groundbreaking as “a pivotal moment” for the city in remarks made at the event.

Pro Soccer Wire reached out to the USL for a statement on the matter, but at the time of publication had not received a reply.

While the city of Indianapolis appears to be pushing all of its chips in on the bet of an MLS expansion bid, the league’s interest in the Indiana capital seems far more mild.

ESPN obtained a statement that read, in its entirety, “It was exciting to hear Mayor Hogsett’s vision for a new soccer-specific stadium in Indianapolis.”

“I don’t think sitting here today that we have any plan in the near future to go beyond 30 teams,” Garber told ESPN shortly after confirming a 30th MLS side for San Diego last year. Las Vegas and Phoenix have also been mooted as expansion candidates, though MLS has no stated window for when decisions on that front could be made.

MLS, USL co-existence difficult

The situation in Indianapolis calls to mind what transpired in San Diego last May, when MLS announced plans to launch a 30th team in the city despite the presence of USL Championship side San Diego Loyal.

The Loyal were defiant at first, but by August announced that it would fold over a lack of a stadium solution. San Diego FC has not begun play in MLS, but the USL Championship’s 2024 season still kicked off without the Loyal.

MLS and USL have had a difficult time existing in the same market. The only current USL Championship side playing in a city with an MLS team is Miami FC, while Loudoun United and Orange County SC play well out in the suburbs of markets that house MLS sides.

The closest thing to coexistence is in Charlotte, N.C., home to MLS’s Charlotte FC and the Charlotte Independence of USL League One. Notably, the Independence chose to self-relegate after the 2021 season, just as MLS came to Charlotte.

Indy Eleven’s situation isn’t exactly the same; San Diego was a tenant at aging, undersized Torero Stadium, while work on the Eleven Park project is underway. However, without city support, the end result could well be the same.

The USL Championship version of the Eleven wouldn’t be the only potential casualty. The club has announced plans to move its USL W League side — one that won a championship in 2023 — to the USL Super League, but only upon the completion of Eleven Park.

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Revs coach Porter: I won’t start any player in awe of Messi

The coach doesn’t have time for any starstruck players on his team

New England Revolution head coach Caleb Porter has said he won’t start any player who is too awestruck by Inter Miami superstar Lionel Messi.

Inter Miami will face the Revs at Gillette Stadium on Saturday, with a crowd of more than 60,000 expected for the MLS encounter.

“The guys are excited. It’s going to be a packed stadium. I think it’s the [second] largest attended soccer match in Boston sports history,” Porter said on 98.5 The Sports Hub.

“So, if you can’t get up for that type of game, if you can’t get excited, and if you can’t perform in that game, you shouldn’t be here.”

Though Porter is expecting his players to be excited, he also warned them about being too in awe of global superstars like Messi, Sergio Busquets and Luis Suárez.

“If they are [in awe], they shouldn’t be here,” Porter said. “You could every week be in awe of somebody in our league. We’ve got a lot of big-time players in our league.

“It’s similar to asking like, are you in awe in the NBA if you’re playing against LeBron James? If you are, you shouldn’t be in the NBA. I’m trying not to start any guys that I think might be in awe.

“After each game, you look at the guy that wants to get [Messi’s] jersey first. Not sure you want to be the guy asking for his jersey.”

Porter said that while a Messi jersey is a desirable souvenir, what he wants more than anything from Saturday’s game is three points.

“Would I love to get a jersey from Messi for my son? Yeah,” Porter said. “Would I love to just win the game and not get a jersey? Yeah, that’s mostly what I would love.”

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Martino insists turf won’t stop Messi, Suarez from playing at Revs

The Inter Miami stars both appear set to play in front of a huge Gillette Stadium crowd on Saturday

The artificial turf at Gillette Stadium will not prevent Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez from playing in Inter Miami’s match at the New England Revolution, according to head coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino.

A crowd of more than 60,000 is expected in Foxborough on Saturday, as Boston-area fans get their chance to see Inter Miami’s stars in action.

Martino’s words at Friday’s press conference will be reassuring to those fans, who appear set to see most of Inter Miami’s big names — save for the injured Jordi Alba — take on the Revs in a MLS matchup.

“The players are all available, and those who are healthy will travel. We will see the formation to face the New England Revolution a little later,” Martino said. “We previously played on artificial turf at Charlotte last year, and had no problem.”

After signing with Miami last year, Messi shrugged off any concerns that he would skip matches on turf.

“I did all of my youth career on artificial turf,” Messi told reporters last August. “It’s been a long time since I played on turf, but I don’t have a problem with it.”

Messi played the full match on Charlotte FC’s turf field in October, as the Herons fell 1-0 at Bank of America Stadium.

Despite his well-documented knee issues, Suárez also looks set to play on Saturday after beginning his MLS career with six goals in nine games.

New signing Matías Rojas will be available to make his Inter Miami debut, but Alba will continue to sit as he recovers from a hamstring strain.

“Matías Rojas forms part of the roster and will travel with the team to face New England Revolution. But Jordi Alba will not travel. I said last week that he wouldn’t be available against the Revolution, but starting next week we will monitor him game by game,” Martino said.

New England Revolution vs. Inter Miami (MLS)

  • When: Saturday, April 27
  • Where: Gillette Stadium (Foxborough, MA)
  • Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
  • Channel/streaming: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV (WATCH LIVE)

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Oakland Roots sign former MLS and USMNT striker Dom Dwyer

The longtime MLS striker has moved to the USL Championship

Oakland Roots has announced the signing of longtime MLS forward Dom Dwyer on a deal through the end of the 2024 season.

Dwyer, 33, joins the USL Championship side after spending 11 seasons in MLS with Sporting KC, Orlando City, Toronto FC, and most recently Atlanta United.

The England-born striker amassed 85 goals and 19 assists in 231 regular season appearances in MLS, including a career-best 22-goal campaign with Sporting KC in 2014.

“Adding a player to the mix with the pedigree of Dom is going to be a huge boost to the team and the locker room,” said Oakland Roots head coach Noah Delgado. “He comes to Oakland with experience at some of the highest levels of the game and gives us another dangerous goal scoring threat.”

After gaining his citizenship, Dwyer earned four caps with the U.S. men’s national team in 2017. The forward scored two goals in the 2017 Gold Cup as the USMNT won the tournament.

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Messi pays tribute to Vilanova on 10th anniversary of ex-Barcelona coach’s death

The title-winning coach died in 2014 at the age of 45 after battling cancer

Lionel Messi paid tribute to Tito Vilanova on Thursday, the 10th anniversary of the former Barcelona manager’s death.

Vilanova passed away on April 25, 2014 after a three-year battle with cancer. He was 45.

Messi played under Vilanova for several seasons at Barcelona. Vilanova served as an assistant coach for four years, before taking charge as head coach after Pep Guardiola left in 2012.

Vilanova led Barcelona to the La Liga title in 2012-13, as the Blaugrana amassed 100 points to set a new league record. He was forced to announce his departure as coach in July 2013 following a relapse of his cancer.

Messi posted a tribute to the late coach on his Instagram story on Thursday, saying: “10 years already, we won’t forget you Tito.”

Vilanova’s former assistant at Barcelona, Jordi Roura, revealed in 2019 that the coach helped convince Messi to stay at the club just six days before his death.

“Tito was at a delicate stage and Leo wasn’t convinced about his continuity,” Roura told Radio Kanal Barcelona.

“They met and although I wasn’t there, I know they spent a number of hours talking. Messi decided to stay and we hope that he will for many more years.”

Messi would stay for two years after that, before joining PSG and ultimately his current side Inter Miami.

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Leagues Cup announces home venue pool for Liga MX sides, knockout stages

13 stadiums could end up serving as temporary home venues for Liga MX sides during this summer’s edition of the Leagues Cup

If you want to see some of Liga MX’s giants during the 2024 Leagues Cup, the list of potential home venues is coming into focus.

The pool of potential “hub” stadiums for Club América, Monterrey, Chivas, and Tigres, as well as any knockout round match between the other 13 Liga MX clubs in the tournament, was announced on Wednesday.

13 stadiums, all in the United States, could potentially see a Liga MX side serve as temporary hosts in the Leagues Cup, which will run from July 26 to August 5.

While the home venues for América, Monterrey, Chivas, and Tigres have not yet been confirmed, a previous announcement on tournament modifications at least denotes the stage at which the quartet can host knockout matches.

Should Chivas advance from Group West 2, the Guadalajara-based club will serve as the round-of-32 host if its point haul is superior to its opponent. Monterrey will get the same status in the round of 16, while América — who along with the Columbus Crew have been granted a bye directly to the knockout round — will have hosting privileges through to at least the semifinals.

Leagues Cup hub stadium pool

  • Audi Field (Washington, D.C.)
  • BMO Stadium (Los Angeles, Calif.)
  • Dick’s Sporting Goods Park (Commerce City, Colo.)
  • Dignity Health Sports Park (Carson, Calif.)
  • Geodis Park (Nashville, Tenn.)
  • Paypal Park (San Jose, Calif.)
  • Q2 Stadium (Austin, Texas)
  • Red Bull Arena (Harrison, N.J.)
  • Shell Energy Stadium (Houston, Texas)
  • Snapdragon Stadium (San Diego, Calif.)
  • Subaru Park (Chester, Pa.)
  • Toyota Stadium (Frisco, Texas)
  • TQL Stadium (Cincinnati, Ohio)

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Ex-USMNT defender Gonzalez admits he contemplated suicide during difficult period

The veteran defender opened up on his mental health struggles on a podcast

Former U.S. men’s national team defender Omar Gonzalez has opened up on his mental health battle, admitting that he contemplated suicide at various points during a difficult period.

Gonzalez said he started to struggle in the aftermath of the USMNT’s failure to qualify for the 2018 World Cup. The U.S. was eliminated from contention in a stunning defeat at Trinidad and Tobago, with Gonzalez scoring an own goal in 2-1 loss.

“It started I think, just the World Cup, when we didn’t qualify and the own goal,” Gonzalez said on the Major League Journeymen podcast.

“Everything up until that point was wins, championships, just going straight up and consistent. It was amazing and then comes this point and we didn’t qualify [for the World Cup] and then I lose a Copa MX. And then I go to MLS Cup again in 2019 and we lose to Seattle, and losing Canadian Championships. … I started thinking, ‘Is it me? Am I the reason? It just keeps following me.’

“But I was dealing with that just fine, and then came a couple of head injuries and it just sort of made everything worse. And I started forgetting people’s names and then came this period of time where the stress was too much and the head injuries were just compounding, and the stress of being away from home, baby on the way, contract year — everything that goes into it.

“I just started thinking of every single way to just end it. Every part of my day was just thinking of a way to just end it. [I was] just fighting through that, still trying to play at a high level, and still giving everything to the sport and putting on a different face was draining. No one knew about it.

Gonzalez was then asked to clarify if he was talking about ending his career or his life, to which he replied: “My life.

“It was very scary. And I was just dealing with it and going into training, still being myself.”

The 35-year-old said that after a Toronto FC match against NYCFC — a game that actually ended with a positive result — the dam broke and he reached out to get help.

“We’re having a s–t year. We’re in last place, just awful, awful environment,” he said. “The locker room was absolute dogs–t, like it was bad. And we give this great performance for once. We’re down 2-0 at half and we come back and we tie the game up, and we fight and everything.

“But then after the game, everything just came to a head. I just started bawling. I talked to the doctor. I was like ‘I need help, this can’t go on.’

“Then from that from that moment on, things got a lot better just finding help.”

Gonzalez left Toronto to join the New England Revolution in 2022, before signing with his hometown club FC Dallas ahead of the current season. The veteran defender has been capped 52 times by the USMNT, playing at the 2014 World Cup and winning the Gold Cup in 2013 and 2017.

Watch Gonzalez discuss mental health stuggles

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Messi’s bodyguard shows sprinter speed to eliminate pitch invader

Yassine Chueko showed the speed and awareness of a lethal No. 9

If Inter Miami is ever short on players, Yassine Chueko looks like he would at least have the speed to get a job done.

Chueko, better known as Lionel Messi’s bodyguard, showed the speed and awareness of a lethal No. 9 during Inter Miami’s game against Sporting Kansas City on Saturday, flying off the touchline as a pitch invader closed in on Messi for a selfie.

More than 72,000 fans were in attendance at Arrowhead Stadium as Inter Miami defeated Sporting KC 3-2 in a thrilling match.

Messi was the star of the show, notching an assist and a stunning goal as the Herons took home three points. On Monday, the Argentina legend was named the MLS player of the week.

Chueko also had a big night on Saturday, as the match was delayed multiple times due to fans charging onto the pitch.

In one instance, Chueko had a lot of ground to cover — and he did so with impressive haste.

Watch Messi’s bodyguard sprint onto the field

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Inter Miami crumbles under Monterrey pressure, crashing out of Concacaf Champions Cup

Messi’s return didn’t prevent another instance of Miami losing its composure against Los Rayados

Inter Miami’s dreams of worldwide glory will have to wait another year.

Lionel Messi’s return was not enough for Miami, who boiled over en route to a 3-1 second-leg defeat in its Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinal against Monterrey.

Just like in the first leg, the Herons finished with 10 men — Jordi Alba was sent off after the damage was already done — and Los Rayados would end up strolling to a 5-2 aggregate win thanks to goals from Brandon Vazquez, Germán Berterame, and Jesús Gallardo.

Coming off of a 2-1 Monterrey win at Chase Stadium, Miami and Monterrey settled into an unsurprising pattern: the slower but technically gifted visitors looking to use possession to unlock the hosts’ defense, while Los Rayados emphasized counter-attacking play from a mid-block.

“I think that the players understood where the game was going,” Monterrey manager Fernando Ortiz told reporters after the game, explaining his use of a 4-4-2 diamond in defensive phases. “We knew that they were going to dominate the game with the ball, and we wanted them to feel desperate, close the spaces, so that they couldn’t find the internal [passes] that has damaged so many rivals.”

Miami may have been trying to replicate what the Columbus Crew had done on Tuesday in knocking off Tigres, but the Herons could only end up copying the wrong aspects of that performance.

Drake Callender — as Crew goalkeeper Patrick Schulte did the night before — got it all wrong with the ball at his feet, gifting possession to the opponent’s most dangerous goalscorer.

For Monterrey, that’s Vazquez, and the U.S. men’s national team prospect quickly punished the mistake to give Monterrey a two-goal aggregate edge.

Beyond the goal, an otherwise plodding first half offered two talking points: the dreadful pitch conditions at Estadio BBVA, and Luis Suárez wrenching Víctor Guzmán’s arm to a painful angle.

The former slowed possession for both teams down to a crawl in certain areas, with divots popping up all over the field. The latter was not spotted by the officiating crew, and somehow evaded a VAR check, much less an actual punishment.

That might have been more of a flashpoint when Suárez scored shortly thereafter thanks to a flick from Messi, but the Uruguay star was correctly called offside.

In the end, Miami probably needed the lucky break that would have been an illegitimate goal. Monterrey came out of the locker room and thoroughly dominated the start of the second half. After a slew of chances, the Liga MX powers finally found a critical second on the night via a blistering strike from Berterame.

“I believe that what got us out of the game is the second goal, 15 minutes into the second half,” admitted Miami boss Gerardo “Tata” Martino. “I think at that time, we lost our way, we were [already] eliminated.”

Miami was adrift, and another giveaway at the back ended the already remote hopes of a late comeback.

This time, Diego Gómez’s attempt to switch fields was instead slammed directly into Gallardo, who just kept his run going to head home Berterame’s lob into the box.

With advancement out of reach in an acrimonious match, things only went downhill from there for Miami. Jordi Alba picked up two yellow cards in four minutes, exploding at referee Iván Barton as the Salvadoran issued the second in the 78th minute.

Before the match veered into truly embarrassing territory, Messi managed to help save some dignity for the Herons. The Argentine, booed throughout by Monterrey fans, found Gómez with an inch-perfect dead ball delivery, allowing the Paraguay midfielder to nod in a consolation goal in the 86th minute.

Still, the whole experience was chastening for Miami, who didn’t have the legs or mental strength to compete with the best of Concacaf over two legs.

“We knew Monterey is a very good team, and obviously a tough opponent. They played really well, and we made some mistakes that cost us,” said Julian Gressel in an interview with FS1 after the match. “Hopefully we’ll learn from it, and we can move on into the next competition and do well.”

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Columbus Crew overcome Tigres, making Concacaf Champions Cup history for MLS

The obstacles piled up, but the Crew’s commitment to its principles set the stage for a historic success

The Columbus Crew did something no MLS team has ever done in the Concacaf Champions Cup Tuesday night.

The defending MLS Cup champions went to Estadio Universitario and secured a 1-1 second-leg draw against Tigres, eventually advancing to the semifinals on penalty kicks thanks in large part to goalkeeper Patrick Schulte’s two saves early in the tiebreaker.

The first leg at Lower.com Field had also ended 1-1, and history pointed to bad news ahead. No MLS team paired with a Mexican side had ever hosted a first leg, failed to win, and then recovered in the second leg to advance before.

The Crew got that first-leg draw without star forward Cucho Hernández, dropped by head coach Wilfried Nancy for an as-yet-unspecified issue, and faced even more difficulties in the second leg.

For one thing, U.S. men’s national team prospect Aidan Morris, a key ballwinner for Columbus, was unavailable due to a suspension. However, the biggest blow came just three minutes into the match, Schulte got the ball stuck under his foot under pressure from André-Pierre Gignac, conceding a disastrous goal.

It wasn’t just that Tigres had taken the lead, but that this goal — a product of welcoming pressure from an opponent, a foundational element of Columbus’ methodology under Nancy — called the entire approach into question.

The Crew had to dig in for a spell, with Tigres sensing an opportunity to put the tie to bed quickly. That’s a long-standing pattern for MLS teams in this situation, particularly after a bad mistake.

Columbus, however, held its nerve.

“That’s the way it’s been since the beginning when I took the team: It’s all about us,” Nancy told reporters after the match. “We respect the opposition, we try to adjust certain things depending on what kind of style of play we’re going to face. But at the end of the day, we try to play our football. And today, yes, I’m really proud of the way we played.”

The Crew began playing its way back into the match, with Cucho playing a major role in a 59th minute equalizer.

A long ball over the Tigres defense left the Colombia forward with plenty to do, and while Mo Farsi couldn’t finish off a pass from the left, Diego Rossi was on hand to make sure the opportunity paid off.

El Volcán, arguably the toughest atmosphere in Mexico, was suddenly tame, and Columbus navigated the next hour of the match without having to suffer for long spells. The Crew would finish the match with a possession advantage despite playing on the road, underlining the club’s commitment to its core tactical principles.

“I’m not surprised to be honest with you, because this is not easy, what I’m asking to my players,” said Nancy.

“Yes, we are [MLS Cup] champions, but the idea is: Is it possible to seek improvement all the time, all the time, all the time? Tonight I’m really happy because, yes, we won. But to be honest with you, PK win or loss, it would have been the same for me. Because they believe in [the principles]. That’s why they are able to play the way they want to play, knowing that it’s not easy.”

With a 2-2 aggregate scoreline and the away goals tally equal, penalties arrived, opening the door for Schulte’s redemption on the night. Staring down Gignac, arguably the single player to torment MLS teams in the Champions Cup more than any other, Schulte leapt to his right on the tiebreaker’s opening shot to make a stunning stop.

The Crew took the lead, and Schulte proceeded to deny Guido Pizarrio in round two, setting the stage for a 4-3 triumph.

“Pat deserved that,” insisted Nancy. “He knows that he has to evolve, and so I’m really happy for him, because I can tell you that he was really, really disappointed when we conceded the goal.

“This is the message, this is all the time, day to day what we try to give them. All the time, try to give a new challenge…sometimes there’s a little voice behind you saying that, ‘No, no this is not possible.’ So I try to tell them that, ‘Hey, [wave away] this voice. Leave it on the side, and just play.'”

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