Tag: inter miami

With Messi, Inter Miami in town, New York Red Bulls focus on their own style

The Red Bulls are preparing for ‘an outlier of a player’

HANOVER, N.J. – For the New York Red Bulls, facing Inter Miami and Lionel Messi will make up most of the buzz heading into Saturday night’s fixture. But for a team just three points out of the playoffs, the focus is very different.

In fact, despite the global stature of Messi, the Red Bulls say that they aren’t going to change who they are or their philosophy. This, despite the fact that Messi’s arrival to MLS has been a huge jolt for the league.

With tickets potentially going for as much as $20,000 for this match, it will no doubt be a scene at Red Bull Arena for Messi’s MLS debut. Against the backdrop of the world’s largest media market, Messi mania has certainly gripped the area. Over 500 media credentials were requested for this match.

Only a fraction will be provided on Saturday evening.

It is a setting that Red Bulls coach Troy Lesesne embraces while cautioning that this match is bigger than Messi for the Red Bulls, with a win being paramount for their playoff hopes. Even while facing Messi, who has 10 goals in eight games with Miami so far, Lesesne says his side’s DNA can’t change.

“It doesn’t matter necessarily the opponent that we’re playing,” Lesesne said on Thursday afternoon. “But this is an outlier of a player, you know, this is someone that can show up.

“I don’t think he had a shot on goal [in Miami’s U.S. Open Cup semifinal] but he virtually wins the game with two big moments in terms of his assists. So, there is a component of that that we have to focus on, in terms of him being an individual this talented. But the main focus though, is on how we want to go about trying to be in our way without putting all the attention on one particular player.”

Lesesne pointed out that there’s also a danger in spending all of his side’s preparation time on Messi, as it is at least possible that the 36-year-old doesn’t play a full 90 minutes so soon after going 120 against FC Cincinnati.

“Maybe he doesn’t feature on the night, maybe only comes on for limited minutes,” explained Lesesne. “What a waste of preparation, potentially, if he doesn’t start on the night and we’ve only focused on one player for the week.”

The Red Bulls are a counter-pressing side, one that frustrated Inter Miami head coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino during his tenure with Atlanta United. The idea will be to frustrate Inter Miami’s build-up and cut off service to Messi. If the Red Bulls can force Miami to play direct, they could theoretically limit Messi’s touches on the ball.

It is a dangerous game to play, as Cincinnati (another counter-pressing side) found out. The tactic places tremendous responsibility on the center backs to stay connected, and Messi has clearly already proven that he doesn’t need much to exploit an MLS backline.

Red Bulls know it’s not just the Messi show

Messi has made eight appearances for Inter Miami since his arrival in July, none of which have come in league play. He was a part of all seven of his team’s games en route to winning the Leagues Cup, winning the tournament’s Golden Boot with 10 goals. His other Miami appearance came on Wednesday night in what turned out to be a wild Open Cup match that ended with the Floridian side progressing to the tournament’s final.

Given that Miami hasn’t lost with Messi in the fold, the task in front of the Red Bulls seems daunting. If a team commits too many resources to stop the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner, that just gives the rest of Miami’s players time and space to do the job themselves.

“I think a bunch of teams we’ve seen so far, they’ve tried to strategize how to deal with that and not just focusing on Messi,” midfielder Daniel Edelman said on Thursday.

“Robert Taylor is excellent these past few games, and also Josef Martínez up top. We’ve got to just be aware of everyone,” continued Edelman. “I think we’ve gotten so much better with controlling the ball and showing teams that we don’t just press and we’re not just going to run you through the ground and play balls in the air and in behind, and be direct.

“We have players that can do more than that, and we’re going to try to show that against what looks like the best side in the league right now in Miami.”

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Houston Dynamo get a shot at Messi, Inter Miami in 2023 U.S. Open Cup final

Amine Bassi one-upped Messi’s two assists with three of his own

If Lionel Messi wants another trophy with Inter Miami, he’s going to have to mess with Texas.

Messi and Inter Miami will take on the Houston Dynamo in the U.S. Open Cup final, which will take place on September 27 at DRV PNK Stadium.

The Dynamo emerged with a 3-1 extra-time victory after largely dominating a scrappy, tense U.S. Open Cup semifinal with 10-man Real Salt Lake.

Houston will probably want to send a thank-you note to Miami. As the Herons already claimed a CONCACAF Champions Cup place by winning the Leagues Cup, the Dynamo will now follow suit. Miami’s wild penalty kick win over FC Cincinnati means that the Dynamo qualified for continental competition simply by making the final.

The Dynamo certainly seemed to be cruising towards a date with Messi and Miami, capping a dominant first half off with Héctor Herrera’s easy finish after a disastrous giveaway from RSL’s Andrew Brody fell to Amine Bassi (remember that name).

Corey Baird seemed to score an even scrappier goal with what would have been the final kick of the first half, but referee Lukasz Szpala (after a VAR review) found that Baird had been offside earlier in the sequence.

RSL was struggling to offer much of anything, yet stunningly equalized when Anderson Julio leaped up to power a 64th minute header home.

Despite the goal, Houston was all over the visitors, only to find a late winner elusive. That meant extra time on a typically infernal August night in Houston, but the Dynamo’s control of the match meant the hosts had more gas left in the tank.

All Houston needed was someone to put it all together, and Adalberto Carrasquilla seized the moment. The Panama winger took a dish from Bassi before driving into the area to score the eventual winner.

Houston continued to pour it on, eventually finishing the match with 30 shot attempts. RSL, meanwhile, melted down. Center back Brayan Vera was given a second yellow card (later converted to a straight red by VAR) for swiping out at Luís Caicedo, and then appeared to strike Bassi on his way off the field to boot.

Once that minor melee finished up, Bassi had the last laugh, getting his third assist of the night as Caicedo put an exclamation point on Houston’s win.

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Messi, Inter Miami return from the dead to down FC Cincinnati in US Open Cup semifinal

Messi might actually be unstoppable

The best team in MLS, who enter the game unbeaten at home, take a 2-0 lead. For anyone else, that’s a lost cause. Wrap it up, go home, save your legs for another day.

For Lionel Messi and Inter Miami? It’s all just stage dressing for a stunning drama.

Messi produced two surgically precise assists, one of which came eight minutes into second-half stoppage time, to spark a wild comeback that saw the Herons advance to the U.S. Open Cup final on penalties following a 3-3 draw with FC Cincinnati.

Miami will host the Houston Dynamo, 3-1 winners over Real Salt Lake in the night’s other semifinal, in September 27’s final.

If anyone ever manages to actually beat this post-Messi Miami side, luck will have to be on their side. It was certainly in Cincinnati’s favor as they took an 18th minute lead on an absolutely bizarre sequence.

A misplaced Luciano Acosta pass pinballed off of multiple Miami players, looping up for Aaron Boupendza to flick it on. Cincinnati’s Argentine No. 10, with some help from an yet another extremely generous bounce off of Kamal Miller, saw his shot kiss the post and trickle just over the line.

Boupendza thought he’d doubled the lead just two minutes later after chasing down Ian Murphy’s long ball and lobbing Drake Callender, but the goal was chalked off as the Gabon striker was two strides offside.

For Miami, it was the team’s first deficit with Messi as a starter, and Gerardo “Tata” Martino’s halftime changes were undone by a second goal seven minutes into the second half. This time, it was clinical counter-attacking work, with Brandon Vazquez finishing off a raid forward with a powerful low strike.

Messi was getting very little in terms of options or time, but as he has shown the entire world for nearly two decades, all it takes is one touch.

Miami won a set piece out on the left, and despite Cincinnati having a marked size advantage inside the box, the Argentina legend’s driven delivery couldn’t have been more perfect for Leo Campana.

Cincinnati seemed to have an ideal response, but as substitute Yuya Kubo wheeled away celebrating a point-blank finish following a set piece, the bad news arrived: Kubo had handled the ball before finishing, and Miami stayed afloat.

Martino was at this point throwing the kitchen sink at Cincinnati. Josef Martínez and U-22 Initiative playmaker Facundo Farías came in alongside Messi, and Messi’s new bestie Robert Taylor was deployed as an unorthodox right back.

On this night, though, it just wasn’t happening. In fact, Cincinnati goalkeeper Alec Kann didn’t even have much work outside of headers from Messi set piece deliveries.

And yet, even if you scrolled immediately to this line of the article, you already know what’s coming.

With just seconds left in the eight minutes of stoppage time given by referee Joe Dickerson, Messi found himself left of center. For any other player, it’s a prayer of a ball to the back post. For Messi, it was as easy as handing the ball to Campana from a foot away, and the No. 9 once again just had to guide the ball past Kann.

TQL Stadium was stunned, and Cincinnati was in trouble. Head coach Pat Noonan had pulled Acosta, Vazquez, and Boupendza while protecting what seemed like a secure lead.

Meanwhile Miami still had Messi, but didn’t even need him to complete a stunning takeover of the game. Homegrown midfielder Benjamin Cremaschi delivered the goods instead, playing a pass Messi would be proud of to set Martínez up for an ice-cold finish.

Santiago Arias cracked a shot off the bar for Cincinnati, but the luck the home side had early on had by now vanished.

The script said it was all over for Cincinnati without their star attackers, but Yuya Kubo — a former Designated Player attacker who has become over the last two seasons a Swiss Army Knife off the bench — somehow squeezed an equalizer home in the 114th minute.

Both sides exchanged four flawless rounds of penalty kicks, including a casual take from Messi. However, in round five Cincinnati blinked, with Nick Hagglund’s poor spot kick saved by Callender.

Cremaschi did the honors once again, driving his effort home to put Miami in a second final since the club went out and signed the best player to ever kick a ball.

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Announcer Ray Hudson went absolutely wild after Lionel Messi’s magical game-tying pass

“HE DOESN’T PULL RABBITS OUT OF HIS MAGIC HAT, HE PULLS KANGAROOS!”

Ray Hudson is no stranger to calling magic Lionel Messi moments and this one is definitely an all-timer.

On Wednesday, Inter Miami was playing in the semifinals of the U.S. Open Cup against Cincinnati, with the team needing a boost after being down 2-0 after the 53 minute mark. Leonardo Campana got things going for Inter Miami in the 68th minute with a goal, but were still down by one headed into extra time.

Enter Messi. In the final few moments of extra time, Messi made a brilliant pass from way outside right to Campana for the tying tally, giving Inter Miami the life it needed. And on the call was Hudson, who was positively giddy after Messi’s incredible pass to Campana for the goal.

“He doesn’t pull rabbits out of his magic hat, he pulls kangaroos,” is an incredible line, if I do say so myself! And Hudson wasn’t finished there either, as he spent a few breathless moments singing Messi’s — and Campana’s! — well-deserved praises.

Soccer fans were absolutely delighted to hear Hudson’s wild call of Messi’s game-tying goal for Inter Miami.

How to watch Inter Miami vs. FC Cincinnati: Messi starts hunt for second title

Just a month after his arrival, Messi is already close to a second trophy in North America

Just days after winning his first trophy with Inter Miami, Lionel Messi is already just two wins away from a second.

Messi, who helped Inter Miami win the Leagues Cup via a penalty shootout victory over Nashville SC in Saturday’s final, now moves onto another cup competition. FC Cincinnati awaits Inter Miami on Wednesday in the U.S. Open Cup semifinal.

Messi, along with ex-Barcelona teammates Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets, will jump into Open Cup play after Inter Miami reached the last four prior to the trio’s arrival.

In FC Cincinnati, Inter Miami will face a strong, but wounded opponent.

[afflinkbutton text=”Watch FC Cincinnati vs. Inter Miami on Paramount+” link=”https://paramountplus.qflm.net/nLoJER”]

FC Cincinnati has the best record in MLS, but their return to league play over the weekend did not go to plan.

The Columbus Crew are no slouch, but thrashing their “Hell Is Real” derby rivals 3-0 was not expected on Sunday. Not to mention, the Orange and Blue were knocked out by Nashville SC in the Leagues Cup round of 32 prior to that.

A betting man would guess FC Cincinnati regroups and brings a better game against Inter Miami. But enough to hand Messi & Co. their first defeat? That may be a hard wager to place.

Here is everything you need to know to catch all the action:

Inter Miami vs. FC Cincinnati (U.S. Open Cup)

  • When: Wednesday, August 23
  • Where: TQL Stadium (Cincinnati)
  • Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
  • Channel/streaming: Paramount+

Leagues Cup Starting Lineups

Inter Miami possible lineup:
Callender, Yedlin, Miller, Kryvtsov, Alba, Arroyo, Busquets, Cremaschi, Messi, Martinez, Taylor

FC Cincinnati possible lineup:
Celentano, Gaddis, Miazga, Hagglund, Arias, Moreno, Nwobodo, Powell, Acosta, Vazquez, Boupendza

[afflinkbutton text=”Watch Messi and Inter Miami on Paramount+” link=”https://paramountplus.qflm.net/nLoJER”]

Martino: Messi will rest eventually, but not in Open Cup semifinal

The Inter Miami star has played the full 90 in five consecutive matches

Lionel Messi has been playing a lot of soccer recently.

By virtue of his incredible Leagues Cup success, Messi has now played seven games within his first month with Inter Miami. He has started all but one of those games, and has gone the full 90 in his past five.

The most recent of those outings came in Saturday’s Leagues Cup final against Nashville SC. Like every other game he’s played for the Herons so far, Messi scored and his team won.

After lifting the Leagues Cup, Inter Miami will now have the chance to clinch a double with just two more victories in the U.S. Open Cup. On Wednesday, Messi and Co. will travel to Ohio to face FC Cincinnati in the semifinal.

Speaking to the media on Monday, Inter Miami head coach Tata Martino said that he would have to rest the 36-year-old Messi at some point, but with another trophy on the line, Wednesday won’t be the time to do so.

“We said that at some point he would have to rest because of the load of minutes played,” Martino said. “Clearly, Wednesday is not going to be that day. If he does not tell me he wants to rest, he will continue to play.”

The winner the Inter Miami-Cincinnati semifinal will face either Real Salt Lake or Houston in the final on September 27.

Messi, who has now scored 10 goals in seven games with Inter Miami, has yet to play in any competition outside of the Leagues Cup. After he makes his Open Cup debut on Wednesday, he is set to play in his first MLS match on Saturday when Inter Miami faces the New York Red Bulls at Red Bull Arena.

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Messi, Inter Miami claim Leagues Cup trophy over Nashville SC

Messi wins a trophy? You don’t say!

Inter Miami without Lionel Messi? Cellar dwellers.

With Messi? Unbeaten in seven, and now Leagues Cup champions.

Messi and Miami claimed the club’s first-ever trophy, defeating Nashville SC on penalty kicks after a 1-1 draw at Geodis Park. Messi scored, as is seemingly a thing that will happen in every appearance he makes for the Herons, but a gritty Nashville side showed there is a way to hang in there against a star-studded Miami side.

Every team that has tried to solve the problem that is Messi, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba has taken a different tack.

Nashville’s approach? Gary Smith choosing a pair of defensive midfielders and the two hardest-working pressing wingers on the roster pointed to a more conservative approach, but Nashville opted for a mid-block with some bouts of high pressing as opposed to a pure park-the-bus approach.

Miami had scored in the 12th minute or earlier in each of Messi’s first five starts, but Nashville’s approach kept the Herons from so much as a single shot attempt until Robert Taylor tested Elliot Panicco — something of a surprise starter in goal — in the 21st minute.

Unfortunately for the hosts, even the best approach can be undone because Messi is Messi. He’ll score the kinds of goals that he alone can score.

Cue the highlight!

However, despite the wizardy, Nashville’s plans were largely working: Miami had plenty of the ball, but walked in at halftime with just two shots.

Nashville needed more than that, though, and ended up looking to its own favorite trick for a goal: a scrappy set piece amid a mosh pit inside the box. Fafà Picault would end up getting the final touch.

Messi nearly produced another wondergoal in the 70th minute, bursting away from Dax McCarty to uncork a long-range rocket that slapped off Panicco’s left post.

Nashville’s big names aren’t, you know, Messi or Sergio Busquets, but they’re still major threats. Seven minutes after Messi’s threat, Hany Mukhtar and new addition Sam Surridge carved out a two-on-two counter against Miami. Surridge saw his low shot saved well by Callender, while Mukhtar’s follow-up was deflected inches wide.

If anything, Messi’s shot off the woodwork seemed to be Miami’s last push for goal, as heavy legs on an aging side that had seen little rotation gave Nashville an opening. Mukhtar and Surridge both forced Callender into reflex saves as the hosts smelled an opening for a winner.

However, that set the stage for an unreal sequence for the game’s final kick: Busquets caught Nashville throwing numbers forward, playing substitute Leo Campana in alone.

Campana dinked the ball over Panicco, whose follow-through took out the retreating Shaq Moore. Surely, this was it.

Well…

Leagues Cup matches go straight to penalties if tied at full time, meaning that what followed that bizarre sequence was a coin toss. Messi and Busquets converted, and while Mukhtar did the same for Nashville, Randall Leal had his effort in the second round kicked away by Callender.

Miami was one kick away in the fifth round, but Victor Ulloa was denied by Panicco, and Surridge kept Nashville alive.

On into the night it went. 12 straight players stepped up, and 12 straight finished clinically. Callender, in round 11, put his spot kick into the roof of the net, a shot a striker would be proud of.

Just seconds later, the 25-year-old offered one better, saving Panicco’s shot and giving Miami its first-ever trophy, and Messi his 44th.

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Messi does the most predictable thing in the world: score a Leagues Cup final golazo

Messi cannot be stopped

Lionel Messi cannot be stopped by man.

Teams in Spain and France learned this the hard way, as did Champions League contenders, CONMEBOL national teams, and an entire World Cup field in 2022. Everyone wants to stop the guy, everyone fails, it’s just how soccer works when he’s playing it.

So naturally the Leagues Cup final saw Messi and Inter Miami facing down a Nashville SC side that has been the preeminent defensive team in MLS for several years in a row. A loud crowd at Geodis Park was roaring more for the home team than for Messi. The hosts kept Miami from even one sight of goal in the first 20 minutes. It was going well!

Was.

One loose ball after a block in the Nashville area bounced closer to Messi than anyone else in the game. Messi had five Nashville defenders forming a barrier. Walker Zimmerman was stepping hard to him, a collision that — given their size disparity — would end in something other than Messi taking a shot.

But this is Messi, and the result was a goal that had everyone watching the game talking.

Inter Miami would go on to lift the Leagues Cup trophy, defeating Nashville on penalties after a 1-1 draw.

Inter Miami vs. Nashville SC: How to watch Messi in Leagues Cup final

Can Messi pull it off in the final?

Lionel Messi and Inter Miami’s magical Leagues Cup run has reached its final turn. Can he mark the occasion once again?

Messi, joined by former Barcelona-turned-Miami teammates Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, have reached the Leagues Cup final. Awaiting Miami is Nashville SC.

Since the trio’s arrival, Inter Miami has become a powerhouse. The team scored 22 times in 22 MLS matches prior to Messi joining. They have 21 in Messi’s six games played thus far, with the Argentine legend scoring nine himself.

[afflinkbutton text=”Watch Inter Miami vs Nashville SC on Apple TV” link=”https://apple.co/3OIMOOh”]

But Nashville has also been rejuvenated of late.

Former Premier League striker Sam Surridge has netted three goals in three games since joining the club. Surridge and MLS MVP Hany Mukhtar will be a formidable test for the upstart Miami side.

Here is everything you need to know to catch all the action:

Inter Miami vs. Nashville SC (Leagues Cup)

  • When: Saturday, August 19
  • Where: Geodis Park (Nashville)
  • Time: 9:00 p.m. ET
  • Channel/streaming: Apple TV

Leagues Cup Starting Lineups

Inter Miami possible lineup:
Callender, Yedlin, Miller, Kryvtsov, Alba, Arroyo, Busquets, Gomez, Messi, Martinez, Taylor

Nashville SC possible lineup:
Panicco, Lovitz, Zimmerman, MacNaughton, Moore, Shaffelburg, Godoy, McCarty, Muyl, Mukhtar, Surridge

Leagues Cup Odds and betting lines

MLS odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook. Odds were last updated Friday, August 18, at 5:12 p.m.

Inter Miami (-110) vs. Charlotte FC (+240)

Draw: (+270)

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Messi’s sons came up with idea for Marvel celebrations

We’ve already seen Thor, Black Panther and Spider-Man so far

Lionel Messi said his Marvel-themed celebrations were an idea thought up by his three sons.

After scoring during several Inter Miami home games in the Leagues Cup, Messi has celebrated with poses from Thor, Black Panther and Spider-Man.

In an interview with the Miami Herald, Messi said that his sons Thiago, Mateo, and Ciro came up with the idea for the celebrations amid a summer of heavy Marvel movie watching.

“My three sons are still on vacation, have not started school yet, so every night we watch Marvel superhero movies,” Messi said. “They came up with the idea and asked that whenever I have a game and score a goal, I do a Marvel superhero celebration.

“That’s how it started, and we continued that ritual. Each time we watched a new movie, we would practice a goal celebration. But I only do them for home games, when the kids are here, near me, so we can share those moments. When I see them in the stands, that is when I do them.”

Messi has had plenty of opportunities for celebrations in his brief Inter Miami career thus far, scoring nine goals in just six Leagues Cup games since making his debut last month.

Thanks in large part to Messi’s heroics, Inter Miami will play for the Leagues Cup title against Nashville SC on Saturday night.

Don’t expect any Marvel celebrations, however: The game will take place at Geodis Park in Nashville.

[afflinkbutton text=”Watch Messi and Inter Miami on Apple TV” link=”https://apple.co/3OIMOOh”]

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