Messi Mania swings through Los Angeles on Sunday night, the city where David Beckham’s leap of faith on a barely profitable league nearly two decades ago made all of it possibleOn Sunday night, Messi Mania makes its next stop when Inter Miami visit LAFC at BMO Stadium and the latest chapter of the great American soccer superstar experiment comes full circle in Los Angeles.In many ways, the latest away scene on Leo’s Magical Mystery (and Soccer Mythmaking) Tour is nothing new: an urban metropolis galvanized for a breathless, priceless night (see: Philadelphia, Nashville, and New York, er, Harrison, New Jersey, in recent weeks). Apple and Adidas marketing teams smiling once more, and over again. Continue reading...
With less gifted players around him, Inter’s defence-shy superstar could struggle with the physicality of MLSInter Miami are now the fifth most-followed American sports franchise on Instagram, their numbers leaping from 900,000 to almost nine million. They are having to expand their stadium and tickets for their remaining home games this season are going for $350. All this for a team that went into the weekend bottom of the Eastern Conference. Lionel Messi has already had an enormous impact on his new club. As the MLS commissioner, Don Garber, said, Messi’s move to the United States is a “massive financial opportunity”.It’s easy to be seduced by this. It’s easy to be relieved that the greatest player of his generation will...
There’s no shortage of attacking talent across MLS, but five clubs have assembled groups that are a cut above the restAttacking talent across Major League Soccer is plentiful. The recruitment of wonderful goal scorers and goal makers kept pace with expansion, then entered another stratosphere. Most clubs have curated their attacking display with multiple stars and the best clubs have seen those individuals connect seamlessly with their teammates. So, which sides in MLS have formed the best attacking trios?The top trios below are comprised by individual greatness and placing a premium on how they combine collectively; in part by rewarding past work and part by projecting forward this season as many teams will continue to evolve, despite being more than...
The former Everton and Manchester United striker is joining DC United with Everton’s blessing and encouragementWayne Rooney, without the fanfare that greeted his arrival as the most gifted English player in a generation or the acrimony of his first Everton exit, has brought his 16-year Premier League career to a close. Even so, and even with all eyes on Gareth Southgate’s new breed in Russia, it is a career that does not slip away unheralded.Rooney, with Everton’s blessing and encouragement, flew on Thursday to Washington to finalise a three-and-a-half-year contract with DC United. The deal will be formally completed when the MLS transfer window opens on 10 July – Everton will not receive a fee – and the 32-year-old is...
The Swede brushed aside questions about his age and fitness with his trademark self-confidence on his first day with the MLS clubAs with all new recruits at LA Galaxy, Zlatan Ibrahimovic was greeted to the ‘Tunnel of Death’ indoctrination when he first stepped onto the StubHub Center training field on Friday morning.Ibrahimovic’s team-mates formed a passageway and took turns slapping his back, as the 36-year-old ran the gauntlet. Perhaps some will have needed the bravery of the ‘lion’ to strike the 6ft 5in frontman, yet he was all smiles afterwards. Related: Why Zlatan's move to LA Galaxy is bad for Major League Soccer Continue reading...