General Football Thread

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Messi scores two more as Miami win 4-1 at New England​

AFP
The Argentine star has now scored nine goals in just seven appearances this season

Lionel Messi continued his rich vein of scoring in MLS, finding the target twice as league leaders Inter Miami came from behind for a 4-1 win at the New England Revolution on Saturday.

With his brace Messi, the top scorer in MLS, took his tally to nine goals from seven appearances this season.

A crowd over 65,612 turned up at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, the stadium the Revolution share with the NFL's New England Patriots, to see the Argentine World Cup winner.

New England, who had been hit by a virus in the build-up to the game and bottom of the Eastern Conference, delighted the bumper home crowd after just 40 seconds through an Argentine of their own -- Tomas Chancalay.

Miami defender Nicolas Freire gave the ball away to Spanish midfielder Carles Gil who clipped a ball over the top to Chancalay, who spotted Drake Callender well off his line and chipped it over the stranded Miami keeper for the opening goal.

Messi got Miami back on level terms in the 32nd minute when he was found by Robert Taylor's through pass and the 36-year-old made no mistake, slotting home.

The eight-times Ballon d'Or winner struck again to put Miami ahead in the 68th minute when he collected a superb defence-splitting pass from his former Barcelona team-mate Sergio Busquets and finished with his usual ease.

Miami added two more in the final stages -- both created by Messi.

Substitute Benjamin Cremaschi made it 3-1 in the 83rd minute, pouncing after a Messi shot was parried out. Luis Suarez completed the scoring, finding the top corner after a pass inside from Messi.

Miami have won three straight games since their exit from the CONCACAF Champions Cup at the hands of Mexican club Monterrey with Messi scoring five times in that run which includes wins at Kansas City and at home to Nashville.

Coach Gerardo Martino said the team were starting to come together as he had hoped.



"The Kansas City game was a key for us, because we had just been eliminated by Monterrey and the team showed their character. Now we have three wins in a row and it is getting more solid every time," he said.

Martino said the rest of his players had now got used to playing in front of the large crowds that Messi is drawing.

"We've handled it well. That was a learning curve last season and now we are dealing with it well," he added.

New England coach Caleb Porter said he was disappointed that his defenders had allowed Messi the space for his goals but said the Argentine had shown his class in making them pay.

"You have to look at both those moments because I thought they were able to find two goals when we felt pretty good about the way we were limiting their effectiveness in creating clear chances," he said.

"But you know, that's Messi, he finds two goals out of nowhere and it exposes the detail in those moments from us.

"I don't think he had a ton of touches and effectiveness early in the game but, you know, that's kind of him -- he lulls you....we can't allow a ball to be popped through the back four and find him twice," he added.

Elsewhere, Christian Benteke scored twice for D.C. United as they enjoyed a 2-1 win at home to the Seattle Sounders.

The Sounders led 1-0 through a Leo Chu goal but had goalkeeper Stefan Frei sent off in the 28th minute after he brought down Jared Stroud in the box,

Benteke put away the penalty and then won the game with a trademark header at the back post on the stroke of half-time.

Real Salt Lake take over at the top of the Western Conference after handing the Philadelphia Union their first loss of the season with a 2-1 win in Pennsylvania.

RSL move above the Los Angeles Galaxy who fell to a 2-0 defeat at Austin while defending MLS champions Columbus Crew were held to a goalless draw at home to Montreal.

Crew coach Wilfried Nancy rotated his line-up ahead of Wednesday's CONCACAF Champions Cup semi-final second leg at Monterrey.


https://tribune.com.pk/story/2464336/messi-scores-two-more-as-miami-win-4-1-at-new-england

 

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Playing with Mbappe would be ‘really nice’: Madrid’s Bellingham​

MADRID: Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham said Monday it would be “really nice” to play with Kylian Mbappe next..


MADRID: Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham said Monday it would be “really nice” to play with Kylian Mbappe next season.

The France captain is expected to join Los Blancos at the end of his Paris Saint-Germain contract this summer.

Mbappe could form an all-star attack alongside Vinicius Junior, with Madrid’s top goalscorer this season, Bellingham, offering support.

“I don’t pick the team and I certainly don’t make the transfers, but Kylian Mbappe, what a player, who wouldn’t want to play with someone as good as him?”, Bellingham told reporters at a media day before the Champions League final on Saturday.

Cristiano Ronaldo breaks Saudi Pro League scoring record​

RIYADH: Cristiano Ronaldo broke the record for the most goals in a Saudi Pro League season when he struck for the 34th and 35th time in Al Nassr’s final game of the campaign.

“I don’t follow the records, the records follow me,” the 39-year-old Portuguese forward tweeted afterwards.

The former Real Madrid and Manchester United star struck in first-half stoppage time and again in the 69th minute with a header as Al Nassr defeated Al Ittihad 4-2 at home on Monday.

The previous record for most goals in a single season was the 34 scored by the Moroccan Abderrazak Hamdallah in 2018-19.

 

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Man Utd stun Man City in FA Cup final​

Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo scored goals in the first half

AFP
May 25, 2024

Manchester United players are celebrating their FA Cup victory. Photo: AFP

LONDON: Erik ten Hag made a convincing case to be spared the sack as Manchester United upset Manchester City to win the FA Cup with a shock 2-1 victory in Saturday's final.

Ten Hag was reportedly set to be dismissed regardless of the result at Wembley after a troubled campaign that even the United manager described as "terrible" this week.
But United's hierarchy might be having second thoughts after Ten Hag's tactical masterclass ruined City's history bid.

City were hot favourites to win a second successive Premier League and FA Cup double.
Yet Ten Hag found a way to neutralise Pep Guardiola's side as first half goals from Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo put United on course to win the FA Cup for the first time in eight years.

Jeremy Doku squeezed an 87th minute strike past Andre Onana's weak attempted save but it was too late to rescue City.

Ten Hag celebrated by kissing the Cup as he held it aloft in the Royal box.

Asked if he was worried about his future, he said: "I don't know. The only thing I'm doing is preparing my team.

"This is a project for me. When I came in I can say it was a mess. Now we are better. We are not where we want to be."

Guardiola added: "Congratulations to United. It was a tight game. It can happen. At the end they scored two goals and we couldn't score more."