Well, he is not the whole team. Whitecaps were/are a great MLS soccer team.
In the CWC, InterM play Porto (3rd in 2024-25 League) and Palmeiras (currently 4th in 2025 League), but first, they play Al Alhy.
If they lose to Al Alhy, I expect them to rest Messi, since they’d have to win both those subsequent matches IMO, and if they can’t beat a team from the Arab Retirement League, how can they beat even better teams? (ARG WC '22 being a major exception.)
If they beat Al Alhy, Messi will likely play against Porto. If they beat Porto (not as likely), they might rest Messi vs Palmeiras, or at least play him only for a half or a third. Two wins should earn a knockout berth.
Inter Miami return to MLS Soccer League play on 6/28, pending possible advancement.
According to Garber, the inaugural edition of the expanded 32-team tournament has proved to be an “incredible success” and a “proud moment” for everyone involved in North American soccer.
The event, which featured dozens of matches in venues new to such high-profile competitions, drew global attention to the American soccer market – a market which, Garber said, had long been eager to prove itself.
“We always have a bit of a chip on our shoulder here in the U.S. soccer business,” Garber said.
“But the energy and knowledge of our crowds, the diversity and celebratory atmosphere – they showed the world what we were capable of.”
Yes, there are plenty of fans of other teams already here (past friendlies tours have already shown this), and tons of fans flying in from wherever to brave ICE agents and what-not.
Similar to the 1994 WC, in which fans of other countries went to matches and broke attendance records yet to be broken since.
Not sure what the USA proved here that wasn’t already known: real soccer fans enjoy watching top-quality soccer of the top clubs and top countries.
The USA has always been capable of putting on the WC and CWC. Makes more sense for FIFA to take blood money, though.
Garble on the MLS Soccer All-Star game, played yesterday, in case you were living on the world:
“I love the All-Star Game. You know, most leagues probably do, [but] how do you get your players to love the All-Star Game? Your partners to love the All-Star Game, and fans too,” Garber said. “Ninety-plus percent of our Leagues Cup matches are going to be MLS-vs.-Liga MX games, so maybe it is time for us to evolve the format … we’ll see how it plays out.”
So, it’s you, and… nobody else, who loves this all-star game? Perhaps changing the format to “DNE” is Step 1 of 1.
Still trying the “It’s American, so we need to entertain,” instead of “We need to make soccer what the fans live, love, and die for.” The first, I guess is a lot easier, but that means competing against other entertainment-first sports in The USA. So how to compete? By exposing the other sports as meh.
Again, not sure about the rules of transferring to the MLS. Why does LAFC get the shot at him over all the other teams? Did they choose him in some clandestine fantasy draft?
Really any team with an open designated player slot could realistically take a run at him.
MLS has an antiquated mechanism called “discovery rights” which is pretty silly in general, and downright ridiculous with regard to international stars. Teams that hold a player’s discovery rights have the right to sign him. Not sure who if any owns Son’s discovery rights. Any MLS team that wants him would have to buy the rights from the owner, typically for a few Garber bucks.
I don’t know that messi was ever allowed to skip the summer cash grab bag US tours for the big Euro clubs barring injury. I imagine Barcelona or PSG would have slapped his wrist if he didn’t at least show.
Hard disagree. If anything, they’d hold him back, since they understand how valuable a resource he is for the team in the regular season. Pre-season is for getting into shape, for marginal players to compete for their slots.
Also note that FCB fans were going to go to those matches regardless of whether Messi would play, since there would be are plenty of top-tier players in the match. Heck, even those competing for slots are top-tier. (Contrast to The MLS Soccer League All-Star Game.) Some casual fans might whinge, but they are not critical to the survival of FCB. (Contrast…)
That The MLS Soccer League think they own him (and maybe they do!) and can tell him to risk his season for a crap exhibition game mid-season for entertainment purposes only, as if he were a trained monkey, should be offensive to Soccer Fans.
This isn’t what happened though. Messi regularly played during Barcelona’s summer exhibition cash grabs. Sometimes it was only for a few minutes, but he was generally out there. They certainly did not hold him back.
I would consider playing 20 minutes “holding back.”
I mean, he’d certainly be on the trip and training with the team, since it is part of training camp.
And that’s all that MLS expects too. The All star game is also a glorified exhibition. Nobody goes too hard or plays long. Your just expected to put in an appearance.
Oh, hey, let’s add more matches to the schedule!
This time, only 36 teams are involved, including currently last-place LAG, winners of the MLS Soccer Cup.
Teams were first separated into East and West Divisons, to lessen the travel.
Then, teams were put into three ranked tiers of six teams in each Division, three teams from each League.
Then, a team from each league from each tier was chosen to make a set in which the three MLS teams will play the three LigaMX teams in their sets. And six sets were drawn.
Top 4 MLS and LigaMX teams advance to quarters. #1 of MLS plays #4 of LigaMX. Group stage is three matches over 8 days (Tuesday - Tuesday, for example). Then, two weeks off, I guess so we can watch EPL, finishing the final three knockout rounds in 13 days.
Fun fact: LAG are in Tier 1 (good for LigaMX teams in Western 3 Set), while 1st-Place SDFC are a Tier 3 team (bad for LigaMX teams in Western 1 Set).