Latest news with #SamuAghehowa
Irish Independent
an hour ago
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Watch: Lionel Messi magic sparks Inter Miami to comeback victory over Porto
Inter Miami – held to a goalless draw by Egyptian side Al Ahly in their opening Group A fixture at Hard Rock Stadium – recovered after falling behind to an early penalty from Porto forward Samu Aghehowa. The Major League Soccer outfit were back on level terms just two minutes into the second half when Venezuela midfielder Telasco Segovia fired home from Marcelo Weigandt's cross. Messi completed the turnaround in the 53rd minute when he curled a 20-yard free-kick into the top corner. Botafogo caused the biggest upset of the tournament so far as the Copa Libertadores winners downed Champions League victors Paris St Germain 1-0 in Pasadena. Igor Jesus' deflected strike after a swift counter attack gave the Brazilian side victory as they produced a magnificent defensive display to blunt PSG's much-vaunted attack. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content In the other game in Group B, Atletico Madrid ran out 3-1 winners over the Seattle Sounders thanks to a Pablo Barrios brace and Axel Witsel's header. Palmeiras had earlier beaten Al Ahly 2-0 at the MetLife Stadium, with the game interrupted during the second half because of the threat of lightning in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Brazilians had seen forward Raphael Veiga shown a straight red card by English referee Anthony Taylor in the 37th minute following a high challenge on Al Ahly winger Zizo. However, after being advised to review the incident on the pitchside monitor, Taylor changed his decision to issue only a yellow card. Palmeiras broke the deadlock three minutes into the second half through an own goal when Al Ahly forward Wessam Abou Ali headed a deep free-kick into the top corner of his own net before substitute Flaco Lopez broke clear to double the lead just ahead of the hour. ADVERTISEMENT With thunderstorms looming, the players were soon signalled to come off as the match was suspended in the 63rd minute. A notice was displayed on the stadium's big screen, directing all spectators to leave the seated bowl area and take shelter inside 'for your safety' because of 'severe weather in the area'. Following a delay of around 45 minutes, with the weather conditions improved, play was able to continue. Palmeiras went on to close out a first win – which puts them level on four points with Inter Miami ahead of their final group game at the Hard Rock Stadium on June 24.
Eyewitness News
2 hours ago
- Sport
- Eyewitness News
Messi strikes as Inter Miami stun Porto at Club World Cup
ATLANTA - A Lionel Messi trademark free-kick earned Inter Miami a shock 2-1 comeback win against Porto in the Club World Cup on Thursday. The Argentine superstar found the top corner with a second half set-piece to clinch a surprise victory for the MLS side and give them a strong chance of progressing from Group A. Inter Miami and Palmeiras have four points each, after the Brazilian side beat Al Ahly 2-0 earlier on - the Egyptians like Porto have one point. Samu Aghehowa's early penalty gave the Portuguese side the lead as they had the better of the first half and could have scored more. However Telasco Segovia blasted Miami level and then Messi's free-kick helped them claim a noteworthy scalp, in a match many thought would be straightforward for Porto. Co-owned by former England international David Beckham, Inter Miami played their first MLS match in 2020 and signed Messi in 2023, raising their profile significantly. This was the first competitive victory for an MLS side over European opposition, in their second encounter after Chelsea beat Los Angeles FC earlier in the week. "It's a huge joy, the whole team made a big effort, we worked really well," Messi told DAZN. "It's a really important win for us and we have to enjoy it... "You can see that we want to compete, and today we competed against a really good European team... we knew that today we were weaker, but we had our strengths." Even with Messi, arguably the face of the tournament, the Mercedes-Benz Stadium was under half-full at kick-off, hamstrung by another 3:00 pm kick-off on a working day as it was for Chelsea's opener at the venue. More fans entered throughout the game, keen to get a glimpse of the 37-year-old widely considered to be the game's greatest ever player, with nearly 32,000 present in the end. Messi did not disappoint and was the game's outstanding player, involved heavily from the off. The former Barcelona great clipped a dipping ball in behind for veteran striker Luis Suarez, who could only prod it at the goalkeeper. Porto took the lead in the eighth minute after being awarded a soft penalty after a VAR review, as Miami defender Noah Allen made light contact with Joao Mario in the box. Spain international Samu Aghehowa beat Oscar Ustari, who had saved a penalty in the goalless draw against Al Ahly, even though the stopper got a hand to his low effort. Uruguayan striker Suarez, 38, might have levelled after Messi threaded him through on goal but, forced to use his weaker left foot, Porto goalkeeper Claudio Ramos denied him. Javier Mascherano's side almost levelled through US international Benjamin Cremaschi after a charge forward from Suarez broke open Porto's defence, but Ramos made a smart near post stop to thwart him. Maximiliano Falcon brilliantly headed off his own goal-line with Ustari beaten by Rodrigo Mora's effort to keep Inter Miami hopes alive. Ustari denied Aghehowa and then scrambled the ball to safety as it rolled towards his net after Alan Varela crashed a shot off the upright and it hit him on the back, as Porto turned the screw before the break. 'CLUTCH MOMENT' Inter Miami levelled right at the start of the second half, with Segovia blasting home Marcelo Weigandt's inviting cut-back to stun the Portuguese side. Messi then sent Miami ahead with a goal all of his own making after 54 minutes. The playmaker was brought down outside the area and dusted himself down before arrowing a classic Messi free-kick into the top right corner. "(Messi) is a leader, he's the player he is, he's the greatest player in the world," Inter Miami forward Fafa Picault told DAZN. "I had a feeling (the free-kick) was going in. That was a great goal, a great show of leadership and coming in a clutch moment for us." Miami battled hard to keep Porto at bay and groans travelled around the stadium after seven minutes of stoppage time was announced. Mascherano's players thew themselves in the way of shots in a way the former Argentine defensive midfielder would have done himself, and Inter Miami were eventually able to claim their much-craved victory.
Iraqi News
2 hours ago
- Sport
- Iraqi News
Messi strikes as Inter Miami stun Porto at Club World Cup
Atlanta – A Lionel Messi trademark free-kick earned Inter Miami a shock 2-1 comeback win against Porto in the Club World Cup on Thursday. The Argentine superstar found the top corner with a second half set-piece to clinch a surprise victory for the MLS side and give them a strong chance of progressing from Group A. Inter Miami and Palmeiras have four points each, after the Brazilian side beat Al Ahly 2-0 earlier on — the Egyptians like Porto have one point. Samu Aghehowa's early penalty gave the Portuguese side the lead as they had the better of the first half and could have scored more. However Telasco Segovia blasted Miami level and then Messi's free-kick helped them claim a noteworthy scalp, in a match many thought would be straightforward for Porto. Co-owned by former England international David Beckham, Inter Miami played their first MLS match in 2020 and signed Messi in 2023, raising their profile significantly. This was the first competitive victory for an MLS side over European opposition, in their second encounter after Chelsea beat Los Angeles FC earlier in the week. Even with Messi, arguably the face of the tournament, the Mercedes-Benz Stadium was under half-full at kick-off, hamstrung by another 3:00 pm kick-off on a working day as it was for Chelsea's opener at the venue. More fans entered throughout the game, keen to get a glimpse of the 37-year-old widely considered to be the game's greatest ever player, with nearly 32,000 present in the end. Messi did not disappoint and was the game's outstanding player, involved heavily from the off. The former Barcelona great clipped a dipping ball in behind for veteran striker Luis Suarez, who could only prod it at the goalkeeper and had strayed offside in any case. Porto took the lead in the eighth minute after being awarded a soft penalty after a VAR review, as Miami defender Noah Allen made light contact with Joao Mario in the box. Spain international Samu Aghehowa beat Oscar Ustari, who had saved a penalty in the goalless draw against Al Ahly, even though the stopper got a hand to his low effort. Uruguayan striker Suarez, 38, might have levelled after Messi threaded him through on goal but, forced to use his weaker left foot, Porto goalkeeper Claudio Ramos denied him. Javier Mascherano's side almost levelled through US international Benjamin Cremaschi after a charge forward from Suarez broke open Porto's defence, but Ramos made a smart near post stop to thwart him. Maximiliano Falcon brilliantly headed off his own goal-line with Ustari beaten by Rodrigo Mora's effort to keep Inter Miami hopes alive. Ustari denied Aghehowa and then scrambled the ball to safety as it rolled towards his net after Alan Varela crashed a shot off the upright and it hit him on the back, as Porto turned the screw before the break. – Miami comeback – Inter Miami levelled right at the start of the second half, with Segovia blasting home Marcelo Weigandt's inviting cut-back to stun the Portuguese side. Messi then sent Miami ahead with a goal all of his own making after 54 minutes. The playmaker was brought down outside the area and dusted himself down before arrowing a classic Messi free-kick into the top right corner. Miami battled hard to keep Porto at bay and groans travelled around the stadium after seven minutes of stoppage time was announced. Mascherano's players thew themselves in the way of shots in a way the former Argentine defensive midfielder would have done himself, and Inter Miami were eventually able to claim their much-craved victory.
New York Times
4 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
GOAL! Samu makes no mistake from the spot!
Follow reaction from Atlanta where Lionel Messi led Inter Miami past Porto with a brilliant winning goal Getty Images Lionel Messi has led Inter Miami to their first Club World Cup victory thanks to a brilliant second-half free kick against Porto. The European side took the lead early on with Samu Aghehowa scoring from the penalty spot in the eighth minute. But, like in their first match, Miami were much improved in the second half. Telasco Segovia scored a brilliant half volley before Lionel Messi magic from a free kick gave the MLS side the lead. And it was a lead they were able to protect, moving them onto four points in this tournament and in a great position to make the knockouts. GO FURTHER Inter Miami 2 Porto 1: Messi's magical free kick lights up Club World Cup in comeback win Connections: Sports Edition Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Getty Images 8' Inter Miami 0-1 Porto No penalty-saving heroics from Oscar Ustari this time! The Inter Miami goalkeeper got a hand to the penalty down to his right, but couldn't quite keep it out. A much-needed fast start for Porto, but a nightmare one for the MLS side. 7' Inter Miami 0-0 Porto As expected every time a referee is sent to the VAR monitor, the on-field decision has been overturned. Porto have a penalty and Inter Miami manager Javier Mascherano is not happy. Samu Aghehowa will take... 6' Inter Miami 0-0 Porto The Porto staff and players were incensed that they didn't get a penalty when Joao Mario was bundled over in the penalty area by Noah Allen. It certainly looked like a foul and the referee has been sent to the VAR monitor for a second look... Getty Images 3' Inter Miami 0-0 Porto We didn't see much at all from Luis Suarez in the first game of the tournament, but he was straight into the action in this one. He made a good run into the box and was picked out by a delicate chipped pass from Lionel Messi, but struggled to generate any power at full stretch and Claudio Ramos was able to deny him. The replays showed that Suarez was probably offside, so it may not have counted. 1' Inter Miami 0-0 Porto The ball is rolling in Atlanta for this really important game in Group A. Porto are the favourites to win, but there is one man on the Inter Miami team that I'm sure would have something to say about that... Messi gets the loudest ovation during the awkward player walk outs. Mercedes-Benz Stadium is domed ground so even with the empty seats that many views will notice, it's still a very loud environment. Getty Images More sheepish player walk-outs at this Club World Cup as they all walk out of the tunnel individually. As you can imagine, there was a massive cheer from the supporters when Lionel Messi made his way out onto the turf. It looks like another sparse crowd inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium, unfortunately. Getty Images The first victory in Group A at this Club World Cup belongs to Palmeiras! After the weather delay, the Brazilians came out and defended their 2-0 lead to move to the top of the group. That makes it extremely unlikely for Al Ahly to progress to the knockouts. A win for either Inter Miami or Porto here would be huge... So many people are here to see Messi, but to Jack's point, I admit that I'm excited to see Rodrigo Mora up close. Huge talent. Getty Images Interested to get another look at Rodrigo Mora this afternoon. He didn't have the best game against Palmeiras but expectations are high for what he can do this tournament. He is tricky, wriggly, with a subterranean centre of gravity. Given how much space Inter Miami afforded Al-Ahly's forwards, he may enjoy himself here. Getty Images Jordi Alba is in the squad but misses out on the starting XI for the second consecutive game. Javier Mascherano told reporters yesterday that he had devised a plan for the former Barcelona full-back, teasing that Alba could make an appearance in the second half. Alba's absence is a big blow for Miami's chances today — his chemistry with Messi remains intact in the attacking third. Getty Images The ride over on the train was littered with pink Messi Miami jerseys and quite a few Argentina No. 10 shirts. The few times that Inter Miami has visited Atlanta for MLS matches, the crowd has been relatively favorable for the boys in pink. But will today's attendance break the 22,000+ that saw Chelsea defeat LAFC Monday? Inter Miami opened the tournament on Saturday evening with a Group A clash at Hard Rock Stadium, but it wasn't quite the start they would have wanted. Their first-half performance against Al Ahly was poor and they were fortunate that their Egyptian opponents were wasteful in attack. That said, Miami were much improved in the second half as Lionel Messi grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck. In the end, it was a game dominated by the goalkeepers as Mohamed El Shenawy kept out a string of goalbound efforts while Oscar Ustari was awarded the Player of the Match award after saving a penalty before half-time. It felt like both teams needed victory from that game to have a chance of making it through, so a draw was not an ideal opening result. As the only European team in Group A, Porto were fancied as the favourites to make it into the knockouts from there, but they didn't get off to the best start against Palmeiras on Sunday. In fact, they were actually dominated by their Brazilian opponents and were fortunate to come away from MetLife Stadium with a share of the points. Porto goalkeeper Claudio Ramos was the stand-out performer, which explains just how threatening Palmeiras were in forward areas. Despite that underwhelming draw, they will be confident of making it through from Group A. Getty Images No changes made by Porto for their second Group A match: Starting XI: Ramos; Martim, Ze Pedro, Marcano; Mario, Varela, Veiga, Moura; Vieira, Mora; Samu. Getty Images Here is how Inter Miami will start today's game: Starting XI: Ustari; Fray, Weigandt, Falcon, Allen; Busquets, Allende; Cremaschi, Messi, Segovia; Suarez. Getty Images Lots of discussion over the past few days over the weather in the United States. It was very hot in New Jersey earlier on with fans desperate to shield from the sun at MetLife Stadium. Well, that very quickly changed. It is still warm but thunderstorms have delayed the second half. The Palmeiras players will be enjoying the break more than their opponents as the Brazilians scored twice in the space of 10 second-half minutes to take a commanding lead. Getty Images It is fair to say the inclusion of Lionel Messi's Inter Miami as host representatives at this Club World Cup raised a few eyebrows. Inter Miami qualified after winning the 2024 Supporters' Shield, which is awarded to the MLS team with the best regular-season record — but that is not the national championship, which is decided by the subsequent play-off tournament and eventually sees the MLS Cup awarded to the winners. In past Club World Cup editions, the host nation's top league champions were awarded a bonus qualification spot as hosts. Inter Miami were knocked out in the first round by Atlanta United, with LA Galaxy going on to beat New York Red Bulls in the final. Still, the bonus is Miami's inclusion means Messi and his former Barcelona team-mates Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, all get the chance to be involved in the tournament. It's what the world would want, right? Let's remind ourselves as not every team has booked their place at the new format of the Club World Cup in the same way. Portuguese giants Porto are here as the fifth-best ranked team in the UEFA coefficient (based on rankings that cover a four-year period from 2021 to 2024). Meanwhile Inter Miami, not without controversy, qualified as the 'host club'. Stick around and we'll explain that in more detail...
eNCA
4 hours ago
- Sport
- eNCA
Messi strikes as Inter Miami stun Porto at Club World Cup
ATLANTA - A Lionel Messi trademark free-kick earned Inter Miami a shock 2-1 comeback win against Porto in the Club World Cup on Thursday. The Argentine superstar found the top corner with a second-half set-piece to clinch a surprise victory for the MLS side and give them a strong chance of progressing from Group A. Inter Miami and Palmeiras have four points each, after the Brazilian side beat Al Ahly 2-0 earlier on -- the Egyptians like Porto have one point. Samu Aghehowa's early penalty gave the Portuguese side the lead as they had the better of the first half and could have scored more. However, Telasco Segovia blasted Miami level and then Messi's free-kick helped them claim a noteworthy scalp, in a match many thought would be straightforward for Porto. Co-owned by former England international David Beckham, Inter Miami played their first MLS match in 2020 and signed Messi in 2023, raising their profile significantly. This was the first competitive victory for an MLS side over European opposition, in their second encounter after Chelsea beat Los Angeles FC earlier in the week. "It's a huge joy, the whole team made a big effort, we worked really well," Messi told DAZN. "It's a really important win for us and we have to enjoy it... "You can see that we want to compete, and today we competed against a really good European team... we knew that today we were weaker, but we had our strengths." Even with Messi, arguably the face of the tournament, the Mercedes-Benz Stadium was under half-full at kick-off, hamstrung by another 3:00 pm kick-off on a working day as it was for Chelsea's opener at the venue. More fans entered throughout the game, keen to get a glimpse of the 37-year-old widely considered to be the game's greatest ever player, with nearly 32,000 present in the end. Messi did not disappoint and was the game's outstanding player, involved heavily from the off. The former Barcelona great clipped a dipping ball in behind for veteran striker Luis Suarez, who could only prod it at the goalkeeper. Porto took the lead in the eighth minute after being awarded a soft penalty after a VAR review, as Miami defender Noah Allen made light contact with Joao Mario in the box. Spain international Samu Aghehowa beat Oscar Ustari, who had saved a penalty in the goalless draw against Al Ahly, even though the stopper got a hand to his low effort. Uruguayan striker Suarez might have levelled after Messi threaded him through on goal but, forced to use his weaker left foot, Porto goalkeeper Claudio Ramos denied him. Javier Mascherano's side almost levelled through US international Benjamin Cremaschi after a charge forward from Suarez broke open Porto's defence, but Ramos made a smart near post stop to thwart him. Maximiliano Falcon brilliantly headed off his own goal-line with Ustari beaten by Rodrigo Mora's effort to keep Inter Miami hopes alive. Ustari denied Aghehowa and then scrambled the ball to safety as it rolled towards his net after Alan Varela crashed a shot off the upright and it hit him on the back, as Porto turned the screw before the break.
