Tag: MLS

Tigres vs. Columbus Crew: How to watch Champions Cup, TV channel, live stream

The MLS side faces a daunting task in the second leg of its quarterfinal tie

The Columbus Crew have a huge task on their hands in the second leg of their Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinal with Tigres.

The two sides played out a 1-1 draw last week in the first leg, giving the Liga MX side an advantage as it heads home to El Volcán with an away goal.

Columbus controlled much of the first leg at Lower.com Field, but was only able to score a solitary goal from Diego Rossi. Prolific Tigres forward André-Pierre Gignac opened the scoring for his side with a header.

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Columbus will be without Aidan Morris for the second leg, as the influential midfielder picked up a red card in the second half of the first leg. Star striker Cucho Hernández should be back in the mix, however, after he was held out of the first leg due to a “team policy” violation.

The winner of this tie will face the winner of Inter Miami vs. Monterrey in the semifinal.

Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the match.

Tigres vs. Columbus Crew (Concacaf Champions Cup)

  • When: Tuesday, April 9
  • Where: Estadio Universitario (San Nicolás de los Garza, Mexico)
  • Time: 8:15 p.m. ET
  • Channel/streaming: FS1 (Watch FREE on Fubo), ViX

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Monterrey assistant apologizes for leaked audio calling Messi ‘possessed dwarf’

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.

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Messi returns to Inter Miami gameday roster for Rapids match

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.

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Red Bulls withdraw youth teams from GA Cup after racism accusations

The Red Bulls withdrew their U-15 and U-17 after two separate incidents

The New York Red Bulls have withdrawn from the Generation Adidas (GA) Cup after the club’s U-17 team said it was the victim of multiple instances of on-field racism.

U-17 goalkeeper Joshua Grant said he was targeted by a Monterrey player and that his teammate, defender Eric Tai, was targeted in another game by a Hajduk Split player.

In response, the Red Bulls said Friday that they had pulled their U-15 and U-17 teams out of the competition. The U-17 team had already been eliminated, while the U-15s had advanced to the quarterfinal.

“The New York Red Bulls have decided to withdraw from the U-15 and U-17 tournaments,” the club said.

“There is no room for discrimination around competitive play. As an organization, we stand together with our players on and off the pitch.”

In response, MLS Next released a statement of its own on Friday, saying that it had issued suspensions to players who wouldn’t be named due to being minors.

“Following three allegations of discriminatory language used during two recent GA Cup matches, MLS Next immediately investigated and then issued suspensions in accordance with the MLS Next Disciplinary Code to the offending individuals for violating the MLS Next Safety & Wellbeing Policy,” it said. “In addition, MLS Next immediately made resources available onsite to the affected players and clubs.

“Due to the minors’ age, further details regarding the individuals involved will not be disclosed.

“MLS Next acknowledges the New York Red Bulls’ decision to withdraw their U-15 and U-17 teams from the tournament and will continue providing all those impacted with the necessary support and resources.

“MLS Next remains steadfast in its commitment to eradicating discriminatory and racial incidents at every level of the game and will continue to work with all players to properly educate, train and swiftly address any incidents.”

The GA Cup is one of the country’s premier youth tournaments, featuring all 29 MLS academies plus several teams invited from abroad to participate.

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Caleb Porter guarantees last-place Revs will beat Charlotte FC

This one could really backfire on the Revs coach

The pressure is already growing on Caleb Porter just a couple months into his tenure as New England Revolution head coach.

Now, Porter has taken a step that will undoubtedly ratchet that pressure up even more.

In an appearance on a Boston radio station, Porter guaranteed the Revs would defeat Charlotte FC at Gillette Stadium on Saturday.

The promise was notable, given the Revs are currently the worst team in MLS on a points-per-game basis. Porter’s side has one draw and four defeats in five games thus far, with a league-worst goal differential of -7.

New England is also coming off a dismal 4-0 home loss against Club América on Tuesday, essentially ending their Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinal tie after just one leg.

Porter appeared on 98.5 The Sports Hub on Thursday, and closed out his interview by saying: “We’re going to get a win Saturday. I promise that.”

Word of Porter’s guarantee quickly reached Dean Smith, whose Charlotte  side currently sits six places and seven points above the Revs in the table.

“He shouldn’t make promises he might not be able to keep,” the coach fired back.

Whether Porter’s guarantee ends up being suicidal or a brilliant bit of motivation, we have to give the coach credit for turning a nondescript early-season matchup into a game MLS fans will now be closely monitoring.

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Wilfried Nancy can’t make the Cucho Hernandez story go away

The superstar forward missed another game on Tuesday due to a team policy violation

Whether Wilfried Nancy likes it or not, the continuing absence of Cucho Hernández will be a story that hangs over the Columbus Crew until there is some kind of a resolution.

Hernández missed his second straight game on Tuesday, as the Crew could only manage a 1-1 draw against Tigres in the first leg of their Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinal.

It was a disappointing result in a game Columbus controlled for long stretches, and could have really used the services of one of the best players in MLS.

But Cucho was nowhere to be found. After the Colombian sat out Saturday’s 2-2 draw at Nashville SC, Crew head coach Nancy would only say that he had committed some unspecified “team policy” violation.

After the striker missed another match three days later, Nancy strangely seemed incredulous that anyone would dare ask about the absence of one of his best players.

“We just did a game and we’re talking about Cucho, no answer for that,” the Frenchman said in his post-match press conference. “We don’t play tennis, we play football. Football, this is 11 players on the pitch. Be patient, I know this is your job, next question please.”

Cucho’s absence would have been a story regardless, but the coach’s evasiveness is creating a Streisand effect around the entire situation.

The forward’s “team policy” violation seems to have been at least a notch or two above minor. Missing a single league game is one thing, but stretching that absence out to multiple games — including a Concacaf knockout-round match against a regional power — is quite another.

Nancy will continue to be asked about this issue and the longer the forward’s absence stretches, the more questions he’ll get. Next time, he’d be well served to have a more satisfying response.

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Inter Miami vs. Monterrey: How to watch Champions Cup, TV channel

It’s the biggest test yet for the star-studded Herons

Inter Miami will host Monterrey on Wednesday in the first leg of a high-profile Concacaf Champions League quarterfinal.

The Herons received a bye to the last 16 of the Champions Cup, and began their tournament with a 5-3 aggregate win against Nashville SC.

The second leg of that series on March 13 is also the last time Lionel Messi played in a game, with the Miami superstar sustaining a hamstring injury in that match.

After Messi missed five games for club and country, he returned to training for Miami on Tuesday. But head coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino wouldn’t commit to the Argentine playing against Monterrey, instead saying he will be a game-time decision.

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Monterrey enters this tie after easily defeating Guatemalan side Comunicaciones in the first knockout round, before a comfortable 3-1 aggregate win over FC Cincinnati in the round of 16.

Rayados are led in attack by U.S. national team forward Brandon Vazquez, who has three goals in four Champions Cup appearances this campaign.

Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the match.

Inter Miami vs. Monterrey (Concacaf Champions Cup)

  • When: Wednesday, April 3
  • Where: Chase Stadium (Ft. Lauderdale, FL)
  • Time: 8 p.m. ET
  • Channel/streaming: FS1 (Watch FREE on Fubo), TUDN

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Inter Miami coach Martino: Messi will be game-time decision vs. Monterrey

The 36-year-old has missed Miami’s past three games with a hamstring injury

Inter Miami head coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino has said Lionel Messi will be a game-time decision for Wednesday’s Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinal first leg against Monterrey.

Messi has been sidelined for five matches now with a hamstring issue, missing three MLS games with Inter Miami and also sitting out both of Argentina’s friendlies over the international break.

The 36-year-old was back on the training pitch on Tuesday but at a pre-game press conference, Martino would not commit to the Argentine playing in the match at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale.

“Tomorrow we’ll figure it out,” the coach said. “Today he trained. We still have 24 hours.”

“Leo has had an injury and this has had to be managed with time. We have a really important game tomorrow but we have to remember it’s the beginning of April. What we shouldn’t do is put our players’ physical conditions at risk.

“We’ll determine what’s best for Leo like any other player, and from there we’ll make the correct decision.”

Martino added that defender Nicolás Freire would also be a game-time decision and another defender, Serhiy Kryvtsov, would miss the match.

Miami has one win, one loss and one draw in the three matches Messi has missed thus far, most recently drawing New York City FC 1-1 at Chase Stadium on Saturday.

The Herons are in the midst of a crowded set of fixtures, as they’ll host Colorado on Saturday in MLS play before traveling to Mexico for the second leg against Monterrey next Wednesday.

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New England Revolution vs. Club America: How to watch Champions Cup, TV channel

It’s MLS vs. Liga MX in a high-profile Champions Cup quarterfinal

The New England Revolution will host Club América on Tuesday in the first leg of a Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinal.

The MLS side will enter the tie as the clear underdog against the reigning Liga MX champion, which knocked off Real Estelí and Chivas en route to the last eight.

The Revs have defeated opposition from Panama (Independiente) and Costa Rica (Alajuelense) in the Champions Cup thus far, but the level of opposition will take a major jump in the quarterfinal.

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Though New England has had some success in the Champions Cup it has struggled mightily in MLS, sitting dead last in the league with a 0W-4L-1D record.

On the other hand, América sits first place in Liga MX after a win over San Luis on Friday.

Getting a win and/or keeping América from getting an away goal will be vital for New England ahead of next week’s return leg at the Estadio Azteca.

Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the match.

New England Revolution vs. Club America (Concacaf Champions Cup)

  • When: Tuesday, April 2
  • Where: Gillette Stadium (Foxborough, MA)
  • Time: 9 p.m. ET
  • Channel/streaming: FS1* (Watch FREE on Fubo), TUDN

*Note: Game moved to FS2 due to weather delay in Columbus-Tigres game

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Columbus Crew vs. Tigres: How to watch Champions Cup, TV channel, live stream

Two of North America’s top sides face off in a marquee quarterfinal clash

The Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinals are here, and Tuesday will see one of the best in MLS face off against a Liga MX powerhouse.

The Columbus Crew will play host to Tigres in the first leg, as the MLS Cup champions look to take a big step toward a semifinal appearance.

It will be a quick turnaround for the Crew, which drew 2-2 against Nashville in MLS play on Saturday. Tigres will have one extra day of rest, having defeated Puebla 3-2 in a Liga MX match on Friday.

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Columbus received an automatic bye into the last 16, and defeated fellow MLS side Houston Dynamo 2-1 on aggregate to reach the last eight. Tigres have advanced past consecutive MLS sides, easily defeating Vancouver and then Orlando City.

The big question for Columbus surrounds the status of star forward Cucho Hernández, who missed Saturday’s game against Nashville after an undisclosed violation of team policy.

Getting a win and/or keeping Tigres from getting an away goal will be vital for the Crew ahead of next week’s return leg at the imposing El Volcán.

Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the match.

Columbus Crew vs. Tigres (Concacaf Champions Cup)

  • When: Tuesday, April 2
  • Where: Lower.com Field (Columbus, OH.)
  • Time: 7 p.m. ET (kickoff delayed until 8:30 p.m.)
  • Channel/streaming: FS1 (Watch FREE on Fubo), ViX

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