Tag Futebol

Inter Miami claimed MLS Cup, but will face an offseason of uncertainty with a number of key players surely on the way out in the coming months.

You can finally breathe now. MLS playoffs is over. It's done. And the game was a fitting climax to what has been a gripping playoffs. Inter Miami came out on top, winning 3-1 in a game that was really far closer than the scoreline suggests. A bit of luck, a bounce here and there, and the Vancouver Whitecaps could have easily lifted the trophy. Then again, Miami have this little guy named Lionel Messi who can turn games in an instant – and that's more or less what happened. 

But what happens now? The season is over, and such is the chaos of MLS that Miami, who won the whole thing, will likely undergo a significant rebuild this offseason. Half of their starting XI could be gone within a few weeks. There is room for another Designated Player, is the Neymar rumor legit?

Vancouver, the runner-ups, won’t splash like Miami and still have issues to solve, but they’re close – one signing away from being champions themselves. And if they stumble, others are ready. LAFC have Son Heung-Min and Denis Bouanga. San Diego FC reached a conference final in their debut season. And there is competition in the East, too. Everything looks as tasty as ever, and GOAL U.S. writers break it down in another edition of… .

• Getty
  

  How important was it for Lionel Messi to win MLS Cup?

  Tom Hindle: Once he got there, very important. If Messi had left MLS with zero MLS Cups, it would leave room for the haters to continue to hate. Failing to win without making it to the final would be a bad look. But getting there and falling short in the last game of the season? Yikes. Good thing he was the sole difference maker then! 

  Ryan Tolmich: Extremely important. Everything is gravy now that the big ole trophy isn't hanging over his head. He has the individual accolades, obviously, but now has the big domestic team ones, too – outside of the CONCACAF Champions Cup. There is no denying that his tenure has been an overwhelming success now that there's no big "but" hanging over him or Inter Miami. Now, the focus turns to seeing how much further he can push boundaries before he inevitably calls it a day.

Advertisement

• Getty Images
  

  Were Miami deserved winners on the day?

  TH: Honestly? Not quite. Vancouver dominated for the best part of an hour – something Mascherano admitted in his post-match presser. The Herons were on the back foot for most of the game and won it, in effect, thanks to three moments of magic from the best to ever do it. 

  RT: Absolutely. They did exactly what they had to do early on the attacking end, withstood the Whitecaps' push and, ultimately, put the game to bed with a late goal. That's what champions do, and that's why Messi and co. lifted the trophy this weekend.

• Getty Images
  

  Can Messi and Miami repeat?

  TH: Is it possible? Certainly. But there are plenty of other good teams out there who will surely strengthen this offseason. LAFC are a player away, while Vancouver aren't far behind. FC Cincinnati will also be in the mix. If Miami get their offseason right, they will certainly be favorites. But nothing is guaranteed. 

  RT: Let's see what their offseason looks like first. If these playoffs taught them anything, it's that the recipe for getting the most out of Messi is surrounding him with young, hungry stars that can do the running he can't anymore. Is that as fun as playing with your best friends? Not quite, but it is infinitely more successful. Let's see if they stick with that vibe in the interest of winning.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• (C)Getty Images
  

  How much of a rebuild do Miami need this offseason?

  TH: Half of their team could be gone within a couple of weeks. Alba and Busquets are already out. Suarez likely is, too. Meanwhile, Baltasar Rodriguez, Tadeo Allende, and Rocco Rios Novo are in on loan. one or two of those get made permanent, but that still leaves some gaping holes. Honestly, it depends on the Messi effect.

  RT: A significant one. They're going to lose at least two key pieces in Busquets and Alba, while Suarez appears to be on the way out, too. Players like Baltasar Rodriguez, Tadeo Allende, and Rocco Rios Novo are all on loan, as is Rodrigo De Paul, although he seems almost certain to stay. Either way, the club has plenty of spots to fill and, of course, they have the best draw in the world to fill them: Messi.

Surprise package Sunderland were undone by Raul Jimenez’s late winner as Fulham eased clear of the Premier League drop zone with a hard-earned 1-0 win at Craven Cottage.

In a game of plentiful good intentions but few clear-cut chances, the Black Cats – superbly marshalled by midfield anchor Granit Xhaka – looked like hanging on for a point in a West London monsoon.

But six minutes from time, 34-year-old Mexican striker Jimenez beat Sunderland defender Dan Ballard to substitute Samuel Chukwueze’s teasing cross to prod home his third goal of the campaign.

In the week when head coach Marco Silva was reportedly offered a new three-year contract, Fulham’s perseverance in testing conditions was just the tonic after a worrying start to the season.

Fortified by their tenacious 2-2 draw with leaders Arsenal which left them fourth, the Black Cats were determined to extend their unbeaten run to five games – but they were caught napping at the death.

Compact and committed, Sunderland’s five-man defence had weathered the storm as Fulham dominated the first 45 minutes.

Harry Wilson, confidence high after his hat-trick for Wales in the World Cup qualifying rout of North Macedonia, raced on to Sander Berge’s pass and curled his finish just wide.

Two minutes later, Kevin’s skimming effort from the edge of the box was parried by the diving Robin Roefs, who soon kept out the Brazilian winger’s header from Berge’s cross and the Norwegian midfielder’s low effort towards the bottom corner.

Ballard was booked for clattering into Wilson, but Sunderland’s occasional excursions into Fulham territory were rarely threatening.

When Bertrand Traore drove into the box and extended Bernd Leno, his finish lacked sufficient power to beat the home keeper, and the Sunderland bench were convinced Calvin Bassey thwarted the escaping Wilson Isidor’s breakaway with a foul – although referee Darren England did not agree.

Sunderland fuming at referee display vs Fulham Every referee in the 2025/26 Premier League ranked

Who is the top official in England right now?

ByCharlie Smith Nov 8, 2025

Many fans and media figures alike flocked to social media to criticise the referee, who was infamously on VAR duty when Liverpool’s Luis Diaz saw a perfectly good goal ruled out due to a miscommunication surrounding the offside check.

One fan said it was “one of the worst refereeing performances I’ve seen in a very long time” while media personality Chris Hughes lamented England’s “absolutely abysmal” display, claiming it “cost us” the game,

Popular Black Cats magazine A Love Supreme had the harshest verdict however, claiming the 39 year-old should be docked wages and not allowed back on a football pitch.

At the other end, Black Cats keeper Roefs was relieved to escape when his heavy touch almost gifted Josh King an opening.

Ten seconds into the second period, Enzo Le Fee’s angled drive fizzed just wide of Leno’s left-hand post as Sunderland showed more ambition.

But they lived dangerously when Wilson, the home side’s likeliest source of joy, dragged Fulham’s best opportunity wide from 18 yards after collecting Ryan Sessegnon’s pass midway through the second half.

Substitute Emile Smith Rowe’s fierce drive soared just wide as Fulham cranked up the pressure in search of a late winner.

And Reinildo Mandava’s last-ditch tackle to deny Wilson was typical of the Wearsiders’ determination to preserve the stalemate.

But just when they looked like escaping with a point, Jimenez dug deep to hand Fulham their fourth win of the season – all of them at home.

Afghanistan were all systems go in their opener against Hong Kong, and could go clear at the top with another win on Tuesday

Mohammad Isam15-Sep-20252:26

Abhinav Mukund impressed by Afghanistan’s on-field trial

Big picture: Afghanistan’s chance to make it two in twoAfter the net run-rate-boosting win over Hong Kong on the first day of the Asia Cup, Afghanistan have the chance to go clear at the top of Group B on Tuesday. Bangladesh are up next, fresh from the hiding at the hands of Sri Lanka. Afghanistan are the more confident of the two sides, which gives them the advantage before the start of the game.Azmatullah Omarzai’s record-breaking half-century from No. 6 led them in their 94-run win against Hong Kong. He added 82 runs for the fifth wicket with Sediqullah Atal, who ended unbeaten on 73. Afghanistan’s bowling was true to their reputation, hardly allowing the hapless Hong Kong batters a whiff.Related

'Belief is key' – Mushtaq rallies Bangladesh ahead of must-win Afghanistan clash

Trott: Afghanistan 'not shy about achieving new things or breaking new ground'

For AM Ghazanfar, the future is now

Why are Sri Lanka and Bangladesh so poor at T20I batting?

Afghanistan get their win but Trott wants improvement

Rashid Khan must have also been pleased with AM Ghazanfar and Noor Ahmad now taking more responsibility. Mohammad Nabi didn’t bowl against Hong Kong, but is likely to be back in the attack against Bangladesh, who have to take on an irrepressible spin attack, a particularly hard task given their own frailties and the conditions in the Emirates.Their batting was under pressure against Sri Lanka right from the start as they played out two wicket-maidens to begin with. Litton Das and Towhid Hridoy couldn’t revive the innings, leaving the job to Jaker Ali and Shamim Hossain. They have often done this well in the past, but couldn’t on the day.Bangladesh’s catching was below par. The bowlers also collapsed in the face of sensible and aggressive batting. Dropping Taskin Ahmed in favour of Shoriful Islam might have destabilised a side that looks up to Taskin for inspiration.They have to get their act together against Afghanistan, a side headed in the direction opposite to where Bangladesh are going. Bangladesh must lift themselves, otherwise their Asia Cup campaign could well be over before even taking off.1:14

Maharoof: Bangladesh have been lacking in major tournaments

Form guideAfghanistan WLWWW
Bangladesh LWWLWIn the spotlight: Azmatullah Omarzai and Shamim HossainAzmatullah Omarzai is emerging as Afghanistan’s top pace-bowling-allrounder, who can bowl in pressure situations and bat effectively in the top six. His half-century against Hong Kong was Afghanistan’s fastest in the format. Omarzai struck five sixes and two fours in his 21-ball 53. He is more than useful with the ball too, often helping Afghanistan break partnerships. He would, however, like to improve his T20I batting record against Bangladesh, having scored just 88 runs in six outings so far.Shamim Hossain dug Bangladesh out of a hole against Sri Lanka, but his unbeaten 42 – and Jaker Ali’s unbeaten 41 – couldn’t quite get them to a winning position. Shamim and Jaker added 86 for the sixth wicket, both doing the sort of fire-fighting job they are asked to do often. The good part about Shamim’s innings was that he took the attack to the Sri Lanka bowlers at the end of the innings, something that should give him confidence against Afghanistan.Taskin Ahmed should return to the Bangladesh XI•AFP/Getty Images

Team newsAfghanistan are likely to stick to the same XI that played against Hong Kong in the tournament opener.Afghanistan (probable): 1 Sediqullah Atal, 2 Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), 3 Ibrahim Zadran, 4 Mohammad Nabi, 5 Gulbadin Naib, 6 Azmatullah Omarzai, 7 Karim Janat, 8 Rashid Khan (capt), 9 Noor Ahmad, 10 AM Ghazanfar, 11 Fazalhaq FarooqiSaif Hassan and Nurul Hasan are top-order batting options Bangladesh could look at, while Taskin is likely to return into the playing XI.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Tanzid Hasan, 2 Parvez Hossain Emon, 3 Litton Das (capt & wk), 4 Towhid Hridoy, 5 Shamim Hossain, 6 Jaker Ali, 7 Mahedi Hasan, 8 Tanzim Hasan, 9 Rishad Hossain, 10 Taskin Ahmed, 11 Mustafizur RahmanPitch and conditionsAbu Dhabi has rewarded batters with intent in the Asia Cup so far, but the bowlers too have found help from the pitches. The forecast is for high temperatures.Stats and trivia The two maiden overs Bangladesh played out at the start of their innings against Sri Lanka was only the second such instance in a men’s T20I match between two Full-Member teams. Zimbabwe did it against West Indies in 2010. Omarzai struck the fastest T20I fifty for Afghanistan in their Asia Cup opener against Hong Kong. His 20-ball half-century beat Nabi’s 21-ball effort against Ireland in 2017.

Chelsea have been tipped to ‘easily’ sign a ‘top player’ who could become a ‘superstar’ away from his current club.

Chelsea suffer Atalanta blow as Maresca crashes down to Earth

Chelsea’s aspirations of securing automatic Champions League knockout round qualification took a significant hit as they surrendered a half-time advantage to lose 2-1 against Atalanta in Bergamo on Tuesday evening.

Enzo Maresca’s side appeared on course for a crucial victory when Joao Pedro slid home his maiden Champions League goal in the 25th minute, capitalizing on Reece James’s delivery after a VAR review confirmed the captain had timed his run perfectly.

The Blues controlled proceedings during the opening period, with their man-to-man pressing disrupting Atalanta’s rhythm and limiting the Serie A outfit’s opportunities.

However, Josh Acheampong did have to produce a stunning goal-line block to deny Ademola Lookman what appeared a certain opener.

.

Maresca’s decision to withdraw the booked Trevoh Chalobah at half-time appeared to kickstart a dramatic shift in momentum.

Chelsea weigh up January move amid Delap injury with £22m deal already agreed

The Blues are short up front.

ByEmilio Galantini 3 days ago

James spurned an excellent opportunity to extend Chelsea’s lead early in the second period, firing wide from a promising position on the edge of the penalty area.

Atalanta immediately made Chelsea pay, with Charles De Ketelaere delivering an exceptional cross from the right flank, allowing former West Ham striker Gianluca Scamacca to rise completely unmarked inside the six-yard box and nod past Robert Sanchez.

The Belgian forward then completed the turnaround with seven minutes remaining, his deflected strike looping over Sanchez after taking a wicked deflection off Marc Cucurella’s retreating leg.

Despite late opportunities for Alejandro Garnacho, James and Pedro, Marco Carnesecchi’s goalkeeping ensured Atalanta claimed all three points.

It was a humbling night for Chelsea, merely a fortnight after they were being talked about as genuine Premier League title contenders.

There is clearly still work to do before the west Londoners can be discussed in that manner, with Maresca lamenting Chelsea’s defending in a post-match press conference.

With holes still ever present and Maresca constantly rotating his first-team due to injuries, there may still be more work to do in the transfer market next year.

Chelsea spent nearly £300 million in the summer, but they remain pretty light in midfield with the constantly-injured Roméo Lavia sidelined for yet another extended period.

As a result, the west Londoners have been tipped to move for a new midfielder in 2026, and Man United’s Kobbie Mainoo could be available.

Chelsea tipped to 'easily' sign Kobbie Mainoo from Man United

Chelsea have been repeatedly linked with the Red Devils sensation these last 12 months, with Mainoo on the fringes of Ruben Amorim’s first team and potentially poised for the exit door.

Speaking on The Good, The Bad and The Football podcast, ex-United midfielder Nicky Butt has tipped Chelsea to sign Mainoo amid his current club’s ‘mind-boggling’ stance when it comes to young stars.

The 20-year-old, who burst on to the scene at Old Trafford in 2023/2024, was once a revelation under Erik ten Hag and one of England’s rising stars.

Mainoo’s excellent form that year, including an FA Cup final goal against Man City, earned him a spot in Gareth Southgate’s England squad for Euro 2024.

He played in all but one of the Three Lions’ games that tournament, including a start in the final against Spain, so finding Mainoo in this situation at United is truly bizarre.

The talented and versatile midfielder seemingly doesn’t fit into Amorim’s tactical blueprint, with Chelsea believed to still be keen on Mainoo amid their search for world football’s most elite young talents.

This could be a match made in heaven.

A trademark Beth Mooney masterclass century set up Perth Scorchers for a 23-run win over Brisbane Heat to get their WBBL season up and running.Mooney made a scintillating 105 off 73 deliveries to power the Scorchers to 172 for 3 at Allan Border Field. Heat, who dropped crucial catches in the field, were all out for 149 in 19.1 overs. Mooney finished the match as she started it with a brilliant direct hit at the non-striker’s end to run out Nicola Hancock.Mooney was at her composed best from the get-go. She was particularly severe on the leg side initially, where she flicked several deliveries to the fence with consummate ease. She brought up her half-century off 42 balls without breaking stride before upping the ante in an innings that included three sixes. A straight six off Jess Jonassen was sublime, as was a ramp to the boundary off Nadine de Klerk that went straight over wicketkeeper Georgia Redmayne’s head.She took to the first over of the power surge, flipping a six off Nicola Hancock in an over that went for 21 runs.”I probably just went through different phases. I was hitting it really nicely early and then was trying to hit it a little bit hard through the middle and then came good towards the end,” Mooney told AAP.”In those innings you have to hang in there when it is getting a bit tough. I thought Brisbane bowled really well, Lucy Hamilton in particular in the surge. It just showed if you bowled in the right areas it was tough to score. We managed a decent score and held them off at the end.”Mooney received outstanding support from opening partner Katie Mack (31) in an 89-run opening stand. She was dropped on 32 by Charli Knott when she splayed a drive towards third man.Mack was put down at slip by Annie O’Neil first ball off Lucy Hamilton and then again by Knott at short fine leg when on 19 from the bowling off Jess Jonassen. Paige Scholfield (22) came to the crease and continued the momentum.In reply, the big-hitting Grace Harris – playing her first match of the campaign for the Heat after recovering from a calf injury – made 46 off 30 balls before being bowled.Jonassen was then run out without scoring in a horrible mix-up with Knott (32), and it was 4-84. It was always going to be a bridge too far from there despite big hitting from West Indies powerhouse Chinelle Henry (39 off 23).In the end it was Mooney who owned the match at a venue she knows so well.

Focus shifts to Ashes for Hazlewood after a stirring spell in the second T20I against India at MCG

Alex Malcolm31-Oct-20252:24

Hazlewood: ‘My skill set has grown in the last few years’

Josh Hazlewood says he is bowling as well as he ever has in white-ball cricket, but he’s urged Australia’s selectors to pick as many allrounders as possible for the Ashes as his attention turns to Sheffield Shield cricket after a stunning T20I performance against India at the MCG.Hazlewood returned Test-match type figures of 3 for 13 from four overs to rip through India’s top-order and help Australia claim a 1-0 series lead with three games to go.But Hazlewood will now leave Australia’s squad to prepare for a Shield match against Victoria starting November 10, which will be his last game before the first Ashes Test on November 21.The injury to Pat Cummins has highlighted Hazlewood’s importance heading into the Ashes series and he has been repeatedly asked if he can get through five Tests against England after going down with injury in each of the only two Tests he played last summer.Related

Cummins makes tentative return to bowling in Ashes fitness race

Hazlewood masterclass hands Australia 1-0 lead

Intent meets precision as Abhishek sparkles in the Melbourne gloom

Hazlewood was asked about the importance of the allrounders in the Test side as debate rages over whether Australia can fit both Cameron Green and Beau Webster in the same top six. But Hazlewood said the allrounders were vital.”First player picked [should be] an allrounder, I think,” Hazlewood said after his Player of the Match effort on Friday. “Going back to those 20-odd Test matches we played with no allrounder, they were hard yards. So if [they] can be in the team, be it bowling, [Ca Green] Greeny is obviously an outstanding player, Beau has done great for us whenever he’s played. The more the merrier, I say. They can bowl as much as they want.”Hazlewood’s recent white-ball form has been sublime. Unlike Mitchell Starc, who has retired from T20I cricket and also skipped the ODI series against South Africa in August to have a long break from bowling, Hazlewood made a conscious decision with the selection panel and CA’s medical staff to play as much as he possibly could throughout the winter. A significant break in the winter of 2024 led to side and calf injuries for Hazlewood that saw him miss five Tests, the Champions Trophy and half the IPL.Hazlewood will not focus on red-ball bowling before the Ashes begin•Randy Brooks/Associated PressThe decision to keep bowling is paying dividends at the moment having got through the second half of the IPL, four winter Tests, T20I and ODI series against South Africa, T20Is against New Zealand, ODIs against India and now two T20Is against India. But he says he won’t know if it is the right one until the end of the Ashes.”Everything’s going swimmingly now,” Hazlewood said. “I think I can’t really say if it’s worked perfectly until probably after the summer. If I get through everything, it’s probably the template moving forward, to put myself in the best position to play as many games as possible. Still resting the odd one here and there, if it doesn’t sort of match up with travel or turnarounds and stuff like that.”While Australia’s squad fly to Hobart on Saturday ahead of Sunday’s third T20I before heading north to Queensland for the last two matches on the Gold Coast and Brisbane next Thursday and Saturday respectively, Hazlewood will head home to Sydney to rest before playing for New South Wales against Victoria in a Shield game at the SCG that starts on November 10.”The next week, I’ll just probably get in the gym a couple of times,” Hazlewood said. “Don’t really need to bowl a hell of a lot, probably later in the week with the Shield game starting Monday week at home. So it will be a little bit of a de-load the next few days, and then go again. So things are good.”India opener Abhishek Sharma could not hide the joy on his face when he was informed in the press conference that Hazlewood would miss the final three games of the T20I series after he had tormented India’s batters across the tour to-date.”Oh, is he? I didn’t know this,” Abhishek said.”I was watching him in the ODIs as well. We knew that he’s going to give us this much difficulty and challenges. So obviously, the way he bowled today, even I got surprised.”I haven’t seen something like this in T20s. It was something new for me as well, because I’m a batter that wants to dominate. But when I was seeing on the other side how he’s bowling, and even to me it seems like he had a plan and he was just executing it.”

How the cricketing world reacted to the news of Kohli’s Test retirement

ESPNcricinfo staff12-May-20251:38

AB de Villiers: ‘I did get a hint that Kohli would retire’

Virat Kohli on Monday announced his retirement from Test cricket, sparking reactions from the rest of the cricketing world. Cricketers, both current and retired, took to social media to pay tribute to Kohli, who played 123 Tests in 14 years.

As you retire from Tests, I'm reminded of your thoughtful gesture 12 years ago, during my last Test. You offered to gift me a thread from your late father. It was something too personal for me to accept, but the gesture was heartwarming and has stayed with me ever since. While I… pic.twitter.com/JaVzVxG0mQ

— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) May 12, 2025