Messi and Suarez on target as Miami fight back for draw in Nashville

Published at : 08 March 2024, 04:25 pm
Messi and Suarez on target as Miami fight back for draw in Nashville
Photo: Collected

Luis Suarez grabbed a stoppage-time equaliser after Lionel Messi had reduced the deficit as Inter Miami fought back from two goals down to draw 2-2 in the first leg of their CONCACAF
Champions Cup round-of-16 tie on Thursday, reports AFP.

Canadian winger Jacob Shaffelburg had put Nashville 2-0 up with a pair of superbly taken goals before Miami's comeback.

The goals from the former Barcelona forwards, who had scored a brace each in the 5-0 win over Orlando on Saturday, make Miami favourites for Wednesday's return in South Florida with a place in the quarter-finals on the line.

Miami had beaten Nashville on penalties in the final of the Leagues Cup last season and returned for the debuts in regional competition of Messi, Busquets and Suarez.

Coach Gerardo 'Tata' Martino handed a debut to new Argentine signing Federico Redondo in midfield but was without Spaniard Jordi Alba, suffering from illness.

But Miami were soon reeling after Nashville's Shaq Moore broke through from midfield and fed Shaffelburg who blasted past Drake Callender with a left- foot drive from the edge of the box.

The Canadian, with the distinctive mullet haircut, doubled the lead two minutes after the interval with an even better finish, cutting in from the left before unleashing an unstoppable shot with his right foot high into the far top corner.

Miami responded strongly though and six minutes later Messi had pulled a goal back with a trademark left-footed curler.

Suarez set him up on the edge of the box and despite having four defenders in close proximity, the Argentine World Cup-winner found space to work the ball on to his left foot and then find the corner.

- Suarez equaliser -

Miami had an effort from Diego Gomez disallowed for offside but Nashvillew eren't ready to set their backs against the wall just yet.

Moore cut in from the right and beat Callender to send the 26,000 crowd wild but a VAR review found that Moore had been narrowly offside from earlier in the move and the goal was disallowed.

But then deep in stoppage time, the ball was fed out to Busquets on the right and the Spanish veteran floated in a cross which was headed home by Suarez.

Earlier, Monterrey's USA striker Brandon Vazquez scored on his return to his former club Cincinnati as the Mexican club enjoyed a 1-0 win in their CONCACAF Champions Cup, round of 16, first-leg tie on Thursday.

Cincinnati, who won the Supporters' Shield for the best regular season record in Major League Soccer last season, had started brightly and had the ball in the net in the 18th minute but Corey Baird's effort was ruled out for offside.

Six minutes later though, the Liga MX team were ahead and it was the former home favourite Vazquez who produced the breakthrough.

Maximiliano Mesa found the forward in the box and his right-foot effort crept under the body of Cincinnati keeper Roman Celentano, who should have done much better.

It was Vazquez's seventh goal in 11 appearances since joining the five-times CONCACAF champions in and will strengthen his case for inclusion in Gregg Berhalter's USA squad for the upcoming Nations League Final Four.

Monterrey were reduced to ten men in the 70th minute when a VAR review ruled that Rodrigo Aguirre had struck Baird, off the ball, before a corner.

With their numerical advantage for the final 20 minutes, Cincinnati piled on the pressure but Monterrey keeper Esteban Andrada kept out a Sergio Santos effort after good work from Luciano Acosta.

 

MSH

 

Mushfiqur to play for Fortune Barishal in BPL 2024

Published at : 24 September 2023, 03:42 pm
Mushfiqur to play for Fortune Barishal in BPL 2024

Bangladeshi wicketkeeper-batter Mushfiqur Rahim is set to feature for Fortune Barishal in the forthcoming Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).

 

Mushfiqur had played for Sylhet Strikers in the last edition. His price was fixed at 80 lakhs in the players' draft according to the category. Which means he was in 'A' category.

The top category player will play along with other star players like Tamim Iqbal, Mahmudullah, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, and Khaled Ahmed in Fortune Barishal.

Neymar quits PSG to sign for Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal

Published at : 20 September 2023, 05:06 pm
Neymar quits PSG to sign for Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal

Neymar said he was relishing “new challenges and opportunities in new places” after he joined Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal from Paris Saint-Germain on a two-year deal Tuesday, becoming the latest big name lured to the oil-rich Gulf state.

The Brazil forward, 31, ends a six-year stay in the French capital and follows in the footsteps of Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Sadio Mane in swapping Europe for the Middle East.

“I have achieved a lot in Europe and enjoyed special times, but I have always wanted to be a global player and test myself with new challenges and opportunities in new places,” Neymar said in a statement from the Saudi Pro League.

“I want to write new sporting history, and the Saudi Pro League has tremendous energy and quality players at the moment,” he added.

Neymar ‘in negotiations’ over Saudi move as Mbappe returns to PSG good books

Published at : 20 September 2023, 05:05 pm
Neymar ‘in negotiations’ over Saudi move as Mbappe returns to PSG good books

Neymar was “in negotiations” on Sunday to become the latest football superstar to decamp for Saudi Arabia, leaving Paris Saint-Germain just as Kylian Mbappe was brought back in from the cold by the French champions.

A source close to PSG told AFP that 31-year-old Neymar “no longer figures in the club or manager’s plans” with the Brazilian immediately linked to Al-Hilal in the Gulf kingdom.

Another source in Saudi Arabia said that “direct negotiations” between Neymar’s agents and the Public Investment Fund (PIF) were ongoing.

PSG get better of Dortmund in Champions League opener

Published at : 20 September 2023, 05:03 pm
PSG get better of Dortmund in Champions League opener

Paris Saint-Germain got their Champions League campaign off to a winning start on Tuesday as a Kylian Mbappe penalty set them up for a 2-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund at the Parc des Princes.

The French champions had dominated the first half without overly troubling the Dortmund defence, but they went ahead four minutes after the break when Mbappe scored a spot-kick awarded for a Niklas Suele handball.

Achraf Hakimi added a memorable second, and PSG could have won the Group F encounter by a far more handsome margin in the end.

The result immediately puts them in control of the group, after AC Milan and Newcastle United drew 0-0 earlier, and coach Luis Enrique will hope they can build on this performance when they visit the English side next in a fortnight.

"It was an almost perfect evening," said Luis Enrique.