Lionel Messi Hints at Interest in Playing for David Beckham's MLS Miami Team
Christopher Simpson - Bleacher Report
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Lionel Messi has hinted he would be interested in playing for David Beckham's Major League Soccer franchise in Miami.
The Barcelona star sent Beckham a message of congratulations after the franchise was confirmed on Monday, per Pase Filtrado:
According to Marca, the Argentinian said: "Hi David, first of all congratulations, I hope all goes well with the new project, in this new step you are taking and who knows, in a few years maybe you will give me a call."
Beckham told BBC Sport's Natalie Pirks that one of his main roles will be to help attract stars from European football:
The former England international won 19 major trophies in a career spanning two decades, which was comprised of spells with Manchester United, Real Madrid, Los Angeles Galaxy, AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain.
BeIN Sports USA's Chris Wittyngham believes Messi's comments are a clear indication Beckham will be able to attract top talent to the Florida-based outfit:
Meanwhile, Bleacher Report's own Dean Jones anticipates Cristiano Ronaldo might join them one day:
Miami won't be able to play matches until 2020, while Messi's contract with Barcelona runs out a year later, expiring shortly after his 34th birthday.
Per TyC Sports (h/t Marca), the forward recently reiterated his hope of retiring at childhood club Newell's Old Boys, though he also expressed concerns over returning to Argentina.
As such, Miami could provide an alternative if Messi wants a different challenge to Barcelona in his twilight years, and depending on how long he stayed there he could still have time for a brief spell at Newell's after if he so desired.
A number of top stars have headed to MLS from Europe in recent years, including Kaka, Andrea Pirlo, Thierry Henry and Steven Gerrard, and there will likely be others willing to follow in their footsteps to Miami.
If Beckham were to be able to land Messi or Ronaldo, though, it would be a sensational coup that could have a positive impact on the launch of the franchise.
Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa refuses to leave pitch ahead of penalty shootout
By Samuel Chamberlain | Fox News
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Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga stunned a capacity crowd at London's Wembley Stadium and left his manager fuming Sunday when he refused to be subbed off in the late stages of extra time in the English League Cup final against Manchester City.
With the two sides locked in a goalless draw, Kepa received treatment on his hamstring and Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri summoned backup Willy Caballero to take his place for the forthcoming penalty shootout. There was just one problem: Kepa, the world’s most expensive goalkeeper after joining Chelsea in August for 80 million euros (then $93 million) from Spanish club Athletic Bilbao, would not withdraw.
Kepa waved to the bench and signaled that he was fine to continue. As Caballero strapped on his gloves and loosened up, Kepa remonstrated with Sarri and his assistants -- including Chelsea legend Gianfranco Zola. After a moment, referee Jon Moss consulted Kepa and Sarri before signaling that the substitution would not take place.
As the fans jeered, a visibly enraged Sarri started down the tunnel as the final minutes of extra time ticked down before apparently recovering his composure and returning to the bench.
In the subsequent shootout, Kepa saved just one of Manchester City's five penalties, condemning Chelsea to a 4-3 defeat in the shootout that was overshadowed by the extraordinary disagreement between player and manager.
In his post-match news conference, Sarri described the issue as a "misunderstanding."
"I understood the goalkeeper had cramp and would be unable to go to the penalties," the Italian manager said. " ... I asked for a change for this physical problem and he said he hadn’t a physical problem. So he was right I think. I have to talk with [Kepa] but only to clarify because now I have understood very well the situation."
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Chelsea's manager Maurizio Sarri, right, remonstrates with Kepa while substitute keeper Willy Caballero, obscured, waits to be subbed on
"I’ve never seen it (before),” Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany said when asked about the incident. “I wish I could do it every now and then when I don’t want to get subbed off.”
Former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho, covering the match in Spain for the internet streaming service DAZN, said the situation made him “really sad.”
“I don’t like that he leaves his coach and the assistant coach in a situation of great fragility,” Mourinho said, “and his teammate, who was ready to enter the match, and who in the end saw himself in the middle of a problematic situation that had nothing to do with him."
Chelsea, one of the richest clubs in English soccer, is currently sixth in the Premier League, 16 points behind leaders Liverpool. Sunday's defeat came six days after they were knocked out of the FA Cup by rivals Manchester United, leaving the UEFA Europa League as the club's best chance of winning a trophy this season.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
US women's World Cup team comes under criticism for celebrating goals in blowout
By Louis Casiano | Fox News
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The U.S. women's 13-0 shellacking of Thailand to kick off their Women's World Cup title defense on Tuesday inspired confidence, but also came under criticism from some who felt the team showed poor sportsmanship by continuing to score and celebrate in front of an already-beaten opponent.
Tuesday's score was the biggest blowout in the tournament's history, with Alex Morgan scoring five goals in a dominating win for the Americans.
"0.0 problem with the score line as this is THE tournament BUT celebrating goals (like #9) leaves a sour taste in my mouth like many of you. Curious to see if anyone apologizes for this postgame. #USWNT #FIFAWWC," tweeted Taylor Twellman, an ESPN soccer analyst and former player for the New England Revolution and the U.S. men's national team.
Other sports commentators and former soccer stars also weighed in.
"I would tone down the celebration on the 9th goal, but that’s just me," tweeted Maximiliano Bretos, play-by-play announcer for the Los Angeles Football Club.
"the goal celebrations of #USWNT at 9-0, 10-0, 11-0 are so overboard. Why are they even trying to score anymore. I'm on #teamthailand at this point," posted Jeff Paterson, Vancouver Canucks beat reporter for TSN 1040 in Canada.
Others commentators said they found the women's play and celebrations embarrassing.
U.S. women's soccer coach Jill Ellis said her players didn't consider pulling back because it disrespect their opponent.
“A lot of this is about building momentum and so as a coach I don’t find it my job to rein my players in,” Ellis told The Wall Street Journal. “This is what they’ve dreamt about. I respect Thailand, I spoke to some of them afterward and they should keep their heads up. This is part of the growth of the game."
While the team came under criticism from some, it had more than its share of defenders.
"For all that have issue with many goals: for some players this is there first World Cup goal, and they should be excited. Imagine it being you out there.This is your dream of playing and then scoring in a World Cup. Celebrate. Would you tell a men’s team to not score or celebrate?," tweeted Abby Wambach, a former teammate of Morgan's who was on the 2015 U.S. women's World Cup championship squad.
Soccer player Eniola Aluko defended the women's performance, saying it's their job "to win, not to make football more comforting for you."
The U.S. plays Chile on Sunday and then plays Sweden next week.