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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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.
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.
#Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes shared a moment with soccer superstar Lionel Messi after Sporting Kansas City’s loss to Inter Miami on Sunday.
For the first time in years, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ celebrity was rivaled at Arrowhead Stadium.
On Sunday night, soccer superstar Lionel Messi took the field for Inter Miami against Sporting Kansas City in an alternate venue contest that drew one of the biggest crowds in MLS history.
Mahomes was seen dapping up Messi after Sporting Kansas City’s loss, exchanging pleasantries with the Ballon d’Or winner in the locker room after the game.
Mahomes, who has proven to be an avid soccer fan, seemed at ease with Messi in the building. Despite Sporting’s 3-2 loss to Inter, no bad blood was brewed between the three-time Super Bowl MVP and Messi, who was clearly pleased to see that the Chiefs quarterback was in attendance.
Legendary meetings like this only happen once in a blue moon, and while Mahomes still has a way to go before equaling or surpassing Messi’s name recognition, this encounter is sure to have put him on the radar of many soccer fans around the world.
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.”
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.”
Analyzing Wednesday’s Monterrey vs. Inter Miami CF odds and lines, with expert soccer picks, predictions and best bets.
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Monterrey welcomes Inter Miami for the 2nd leg of the CONCACAF Champions Cup quarterfinal Wednesday. Kickoff from Estadio BBVA in Guadalupe, Mexico is set for 10:30 p.m. ET. Below, we preview FanDuel Sportsbook’s lines around the Monterrey vs. Inter Miami odds, and make our best expert soccer picks and predictions.
Monterrey won 2-1 in the first leg, which was played in Fort Lauderdale April 3. Inter ended with just 8 shots on 2 on frame which didn’t compare well to Monterrey’s 21 and 8. F Lionel Messi did not play with a hamstring injury. He returned to MLS action this past week and is expected to start Wednesday.
Monterrey lost 2-1 on the road to Cruz Azul Saturday, and it has lost 2 straight Liga MX matches.
Inter drew the Colorado Rapids 2-2 Saturday and has drawn 2 straight MLS matches. Inter sits 3rd in the Eastern Conference in the MLS, while Monterrey is 3rd in the Liga MX’s Clausura.
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It is hard to win on the road, but with the Monterrey coach calling one of the best players to ever play the sport a “possessed drawf,” there could be some extra motivation from Messi. Inter plays far better with Messi on the pitch, and that was even seen Saturday when he subbed on. Messi has tallied 4 goals in 4 MLS games, and Miami ended its game Saturday with 10 more shots.
While Monterrey has been among the better Liga MX sides, it has struggled recently. It did add F Brandon Vazquez from FC Cincinnati, but it doesn’t have a player with 10 or more goals, so its lack of star power could create issues against a team captained by Messi and F Luis Suarez.
Messi and Inter are going to come in with a chip on their shoulder, and given how they play with Messi, INTER MIAMI (+210) is worth a play.
The pace and the chances created make this a good value, but the odds aren’t quite justifiable for a full-unit play. Monterrey notched 21 shots while Inter totaled just 8.
Miami, as noted, should get a boost from the presence of Messi, and the offense should click early and often. Inter has 10 goals in the 4 MLS games Messi has played.
Monterrey has scored 2 or more goals in 4 of its last 7 games as well.
Both offenses have proven themselves, and they should continue to. Take OVER 2.5 (-174) for a small unit.
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Rayados assistant Nico Sanchez claimed the Argentina legend wanted to fight him
Monterrey assistant coach Nico Sánchez has apologized following a leaked audio clip in which he said of Lionel Messi: “The dwarf was possessed. He had the face of the devil.”
Sánchez said he shared the audio clip with close friends in the aftermath of last week’s Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinal first leg between Inter Miami and Monterrey.
Messi didn’t play in the match, which ended in a 2-1 win for Monterrey, but was involved in a reported post-game altercation with referees and Monterrey officials alongside teammates Jordi Alba, Luis Suárez and Miami coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino.
The Miami players and coach took issue with several of the referee’s decision during the match, and were reportedly also upset with pre-match comments from Monterey head coach Fernando Ortiz suggesting Miami would receive preferential treatment from officials due to the celebrity status of some of its players.
“Messi wanted to fight me,” Sánchez said in the audio, which was leaked by Fox Sports Mexico. “I don’t think he wanted to hit me because he would have done it. He had me a centimeter away.
“The dwarf was possessed, he had the face of the devil. He put his fist next to my face and says: ‘Who do you think you are?’
“And Tata Martino, what a poor dummy, I had him in front of me telling me: ‘Fool, you going to cry? Fool you going to cry?’ What a dummy! All those videos, they probably erased them all because it leaves them looking bad. What they did was really serious. They want to dirty the pitch.”
In a statement on social media, Sánchez apologized for his comments, though he would only name Martino, not Messi, during his apology.
“I am present with this video to talk about this audio that went viral today. I could hide with a text or let the club act for me, but I prefer to choose this means to show my face and see the words come out of my mouth,” Sánchez said.
“I understand that when the audio is made public, many people feel offended or hurt. Since I do not know Inter coach, Gerardo Martino, and I referred to him in a disrespectful manner, I apologize. I am as Argentine as all of them and I will always defend my club. I’m here to show my face and take responsibility,” Sánchez said.
Miami and Monterrey will meet on Wednesday in Mexico for the second leg. While Messi sat out the first game, he is set to participate in the return leg after he made his return to MLS play this weekend. The Argentine scored a goal after coming on at halftime of his side’s 2-2 draw with the Colorado Rapids.
The Argentina legend appears ready to play his first game in a month
Lionel Messi has been named to Inter Miami’s matchday squad for Saturday’s match against the Colorado Rapids, with the Argentine legend potentially set to play his first game in a month.
Messi has been sidelined for six matches now with a hamstring issue, most recently missing out as Inter Miami fell 2-1 to Monterrey in a Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinal first leg on Wednesday.
Following that match, head coach Tata Martino said that Miami was evaluating Messi on a “game-to-game” basis.
Ahead of next week’s return leg in Mexico, the 36-year-old has taken his place on Miami’s 20-man matchday roster for a MLS clash with Colorado at Chase Stadium.
With nagging injuries plaguing Messi and a jam-packed schedule for Miami, the 36-year-old has played in just five of the Herons’ 10 competitive matches in 2024. This year, Miami has not lost a game that Messi has appeared in, but has just one win without him.
The club’s update on Messi’s status noted that the superstar is not listed at all on an updated injury report for the weekend. That’s welcome news, as Miami confirmed that seven players will miss out against the Rapids.
That includes winger Robert Taylor, who exited early against Monterrey on Wednesday, as well as highly-rated young midfielder Federico Redondo.
However, Messi isn’t the lone player to come off the injury report. U.S. men’s national team prospect Benjamin Cremaschi is also on the gameday roster after coming through a 25-minute appearance for Miami’s MLS Next Pro side on Tuesday. Cremaschi, 19, has yet to appear for Miami this season after suffering a sports hernia in January.
Analyzing Wednesday’s Inter Miami CF vs. Monterrey odds and lines, with expert soccer picks, predictions and best bets.
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Inter Miami and Monterrey battle in the 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup quarterfinal Wednesday. Kickoff from Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., for the 1st leg is set for 8 p.m. ET (FS1). Below, we preview FanDuel Sportsbook’s lines around the Inter Miami vs. Monterrey odds, and make our best expert soccer picks and predictions.
Inter Miami, which is among the best teams in the MLS, has struggled without F Lionel Messi, who has missed games with a hamstring injury. Messi could play in this game as he has returned to training. Messi is the team’s most dynamic offensive player. That said, Inter drew NYCFC in MLS action 1-1 Saturday, and they beat Nashville SC 5-3 on aggregate in the Round of 16 with the 2nd leg being played on March 13.
Monterrey sits 2nd on the Liga MX table through 13 matches, having won 8, drawn 4 and lost 1. It has a +13 goal differential in those matches, scoring 23 and allowing 10. Monterrey beat the reigning Supporters Shield champions FC Cincinnati in the Round of 16, taking Cincinnati down 3-1 on aggregate and winning 1-0 on the road in the 1st leg. Monterrey’s F Brandon Vazquez, who played for Cincinnati in 2023, scored 2 goals in the 2 legs.
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Inter Miami is a far better team both at home and with Messi on the pitch. They throttled Nashville SC in the 2nd leg at home, winning 3-1 and being up 3-0 heading into the 90th minute. Messi has tallied 3 goals and 1 assist in 3 MLS games. Inter was 2-1-0 in those games, beating opponents a combined 8-1.
While Monterrey is a strong and proven side, it really didn’t showcase much on the road against FC Cincinnati, ending with 44% possession and 4 fewer shots. A team with Messi should be far more difficult to possession and break down.
Expect the home side to come out on top. At this value, back INTER MIAMI (-105).
Monterrey took one of the MLS’s best scorers and put him on its team. It scored on Cincinnati in both matches. Cincinnati has one of the best defenses in the MLS while Inter has allowed 6 goals in its last 3 MLS matches.
However, in both its CONCACAF Champions Cup battles, Miami has tallied at least 2 goals and netted a total of 5 on Nashville through the 2 matches. It has scored 8 goals in the 3 MLS games Messi has played on top of those matches against Nashville.
The price is steep, making this just a lean, but with the above in mind, take OVER 2.5 (-154).
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The Herons have never faced an opponent like this before. Can they prove their mettle?
MLS has never had a team like Inter Miami, and the Herons have never had a challenge like what lies in wait over the next week.
On Wednesday, Chase Stadium will play host to the first leg of Miami’s Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinal against mighty Monterrey, the Liga MX powerhouse that has won five continental trophies in the last 15 years.
The Herons’ brief, strange history includes an unprecedented punishment for salary cap violations, a protracted (but ultimately successful) stadium push, a grand total of two MLS playoff games (both 3-0 losses) and of course the landmark achievement that is bringing Lionel Messi to MLS.
The club is the first in MLS history to have its shirt be Adidas’ top-selling jersey of any kind (that’s the pink Messi No. 10 jersey seen just about anywhere you can find soccer fans). Even if you took Messi out of the equation, the presence of Luis Suárez, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba would make the Herons a unique phenomenon in MLS.
It’s been a roller coaster ride in south Florida, but a thrilling run to the 2023 Leagues Cup title represents the only proof that the sporting side of the endeavor might actually work.
“The culture of wanting to win, to be competitive in all competitions, to play against very good teams as an equal, that is all getting built with our history,” head coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino told reporters on Tuesday.
“We’re starting in our first steps. Last year, we managed to win a competition. This year, we’ve grown, and the level of what we’re going to compete against [has too]. The level of the competition that we’re going to go up against in Monterrey is the most important [challenge] that we have this year up to this time.
Martino concluded with an astute summation of the task ahead of his side: “Basically it’s this: being a reliable team week after week, changing into a very important team not just for the moment but for a long time.”
Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
During that Leagues Cup run, Miami announced itself as not just a collective of famous players, but as a seriously formidable team. With Messi making his debut, the Herons suddenly sprang to life. In less than four weeks, Miami reeled off victories (whether in regulation play or via shootout) over Cruz Azul, Atlanta United, Orlando City, FC Dallas, Charlotte FC, the Philadelphia Union, and Nashville SC.
However, through the way the bracket developed, Cruz Azul ended up being the only Mexican club between Miami and that first-ever trophy. With all due respect to La Maquina, that group-stage clash is currently not the same thing as a two-legged Concacaf Champions Cup contest with Monterrey.
Around the time of the Leagues Cup, Cruz Azul was in the process of finishing 16th out of 18 teams in the Mexican Apertura season. Monterrey, meanwhile, finished in second over the same period, and at the time of writing is tied atop the Clausura standings with 28 points. We’re talking about a team that has won five of the last 13 editions of Concacaf’s premier club competition.
To define the difference between the sides with one metric, soccer transfer tracker Transfermarkt values Miami’s full squad at roughly $91 million, or around $25 million more than any other MLS club. Monterrey, meanwhile, breaks the nine-digit barrier, with its players’ collective transfer valuation clocking in at $102 million.
When you consider how top-heavy Miami is — Messi alone accounts for $31.2 million of Miami’s total — the challenge comes into focus. Monterrey may not have a single global star on the level of Messi or Suárez, but Martino can’t call on anything close to the depth Fernando Ortiz has at his disposal. Monterrey’s squad isn’t just deeper than Miami’s; it’s younger, and thus more able to physically compete in multiple competitions.
On top of that, Messi is a gametime decision. The iconic forward didn’t play over the weekend against New York City FC, and the will he/won’t he dynamic has become familiar for the Herons.
On one hand, it’s good that the team has learned to win without its biggest star. On the other, it’s hard to believe this group can find its highest level without the best player to ever kick a ball.
For his part, Suárez — even after winning so many things at some of the world’s biggest clubs — is hungry to prove that the Miami project can succeed.
“These are the games that you like to play. The team has to show what we’re here for,” the Uruguay star told reporters on Tuesday. “It’s a key game tomorrow. It’s not enough to just have the name of the players, you have to show it on the field.
“Our attitude is going to be to show, on the field over 180 minutes, that we [can be] the best on the field. We can’t look at anything outside. What we do on the field is what counts, and against a rival like Monterrey — who is very powerful, who has quality players — is a beautiful thing for us.”
Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports
In some ways, Miami’s aspirations are MLS’s. The league has long desired global respect, but has for some time now been stuck behind Liga MX (or at least, Mexico’s biggest clubs) in Concacaf. MLS clubs have earned the right to claim supremacy in the region just four times since the league began play in 1996. Until that starts to change on a regular basis, MLS’s desire for a place as one of the world’s best leagues remains out of reach.
Miami, like MLS as a whole would love to have prominence across the world for something other than being where Messi happens to play A good start to this MLS season, or winning a newfangled competition like the Leagues Cup last year, is where that starts.
This quarterfinal clash against Concacaf’s most consistently successful soccer concern is the chance to remove any doubt that Miami can be a repository for aging superstars, and win when it counts.
