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The Herons made headlines in the afternoon and then suffered a beating on the pitch in the evening

Wednesday was the latest banner day of this Inter Miami era. Another one of Lionel Messi's friends is reportedly close to coming to town, and this particular one, Rodrigo De Paul, isn't just coming to play. He's known as Messi's bodyguard, a physical force that inspires fear in others and comfort in his teammates. He's also one hell of a footballer. Inter Miami have done well to navigate the rules to get him in – if it happens.

That was Wednesday afternoon, though. Wednesday night? Not a successful navigation of anything. In fact, Wednesday's clash was more of a sleepwalk, one that showed just how helpful someone like De Paul can be when he does inevitably arrive.

On the road in Cincinnati, Messi and Miami couldn't find any of their trademark magic in a 3-0 defeat. The Argentine was held scoreless for the first time in seven games, having scored 11 goals in that span. On Wednesday, he got close a few times, but never close enough. There were a few decent looks, a blocked shot, and a curled effort from range chief among them, but it was Cincinnati that made the most of their chances, not Messi and Miami.

The opening goal came relatively early, as the right side of Miami's defense collapsed under pressure from Luca Orellano. The Argentine was able to play through Gerardo Valenzuela, who made no mistake with his far-post finish to give the hosts an early advantage.

Cincy's advantage was doubled early in the second half in another instance of Miami's defensive frailty. defense was buzzed through by Cincy star Evander, who pushed off Sergio Busquets before slotting home to make it 2-0. Evander then made it three in the 70th minute, firing home from close range after backup goalkeeper Rocco Rios Novo, who came on after Oscar Ustari left with an apparent injury, parried a shot right into his path. On this night, it was that easy for him, and it was that hard for Miami to do anything right.

On a day when Miami seemingly got better, they suffered one of their worst defeats of the season. They'll have to move on quickly, too, with another game this weekend against the New York Red Bulls, and they'll surely be eager to get to it after such a rough night in Ohio.

GOAL rates Inter Miami's players from TQL Stadium…

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Oscar Ustari (N/A):

A rough break for the goalkeeper, and perhaps for Inter Miami. Forced out after just 25 minutes after making two saves, and Miami will now be sweating over the veteran goalkeeper's fitness.

Marcelo Weigandt (3/10):

Another game, another rough moment defensively for the fullback. Absolutely smoked by Luca Orellano on the Cincinnati opener, exposing his defense because of his inability to get anywhere near the Cincinnati wingback.

Tomas Aviles (4/10):

Not totally his fault, given the Weigandt moment that preceded it, but Aviles was also caught napping as Valenzuela breezed right by him. Saw a lot of the ball and passed well, but again, another moment of defensive weakness.

Maxi Falcon (4/10):

Wasn't particularly good and could have done much better on the third goal. Also struggled to win his duels as Cincy regularly got the best of him.

Jordi Alba (6/10):

Had a few pops from range, but otherwise wasn't able to do much going forward. Could have done a little better with a few crosses.

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Tadeo Allende (5/10):

Didn't see nearly enough of the ball, getting just 29 touches, three of which were in the box. Was taken out after the third goal, with the game all but gone.

Benja Cremaschi (6/10):

One of the only Miami players who actually came to play. Had several big tackles and, although he could have done better on the third Cincy goal, his fight and presence in midfield were notable.

Sergio Busquets (4/10):

Not influential on the ball and was bullied defensively on Evander's first goal. Just not good enough from the Barcelona icon.

Telasco Segovia (6/10):

Was actually pretty good when he got on the ball, but he was never really on it in any dangerous positions. Had exactly zero touches in the box and one pass into the final third, which shows just how withdrawn he was from the important moments.

Attack

Lionel Messi (5/10):

Created a few dangerous moments, but this certainly wasn't Messi at his best. Off days happen, even to him, but it's tough when it happens to everyone else around him, too.

Luis Suarez (6/10):

If Miami were doing anything productive, it usually came from him. Created a few chances and did get one look on goal, providing some moments of danger.

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Rocco Rios Novo (4/10):

Admittedly, a tough spot to be put in off the bench, but he has to do better on Cincy's third, which he parried right into the path of Evander.

Gonzalo Lujan (6/10):

Essentially brought in as a form of concession shortly after Miami fell behind 3-0.

Fabrice Picault (6/10):

Replaced Allende to give him a rest for the final 15 or so minutes. Had a few touches.

Yannick Bright (N/A):

Given a few garbage minutes at the end.

Javier Mascherano (5/10):

Can't fault him too, too much in this one as Miami were undone by individual errors. Even so, Mascherano didn't put his team in a place to succeed, either, but things should change if De Paul arrives.

The England batter picked up a ball that had stopped in the crease by his feet

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Feb-2024England batter Hamza Shaikh ensured his time at the Under-19 World Cup would not be forgotten when he was given out obstructed the field against Zimbabwe.In the 17th over, Shaikh defended a ball down by his feet and Zimbabwe wicketkeeper Ryan Kamwemba started to come from behind the stumps to collect it. Then, with the ball stationary in the crease, Shaikh bent down to pick it up to pass it back to the fielders, as is often seen from batters.Kamwemba and the bowler, Ryan Simbi, led the appeal and it was sent upstairs by on-field officials Donovan Koch and Masudur Rahman where third umpire Nigel Duguid gave it out.Previously it would have been handled the ball, but that mode of dismissal was combined with obstructed the field in 2017 with MCC saying they were effectively the same thing.

Wow… https://t.co/gEb7UBSnDy

— Sam Billings (@sambillings) February 3, 2024

The relevant Law, 37.4, reads: “Either batter is out Obstructing the field if, at any time while the ball is in play and, without the consent of a fielder, he/she uses the bat or any part of his/her person to return the ball to any fielder”.Unsurprisingly, there was reaction on social media. “Oh get a grip,” Stuart Broad posted on X. “He’s passing a stationary ball back to the fielder? Doing him a favour! Cant give that out.”Sam Billings retweeted a video of the dismissal, simply adding: “Wow.”Late last year Mushfiqur Rahim was given out obstructed the field in a Test against New Zealand when he punched a delivery away after defending it down into the crease.

Arsenal have reportedly received the all-clear to complete the £64 million (€73.5m) signing of Viktor Gyokeres from Sporting CP, with the Swedish striker set to undergo a medical this weekend. The 27-year-old is poised to wear Thierry Henry's legendary No.14 shirt at the Emirates Stadium after turning down other clubs to join Mikel Arteta's side this summer.

Arsenal finally agree deal to sign Gyokeres from SportingSet to pay around £64m including add-onsStriker to wear Henry’s iconic No.14 shirtFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

has reported that Arsenal have struck a full agreement with Sporting for Gyokeres, paying an initial £54.8m plus £9.2m in add-ons. The Swedish striker has now been granted permission to travel to London for a medical on Saturday. With personal terms and final clauses now sorted, the deal is ready to be completed. The striker will sign a five-year contract upon completion of his medical.

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Gyokeres scored 54 goals in 52 games last season and has been the Gunners’ top striker target all throughout the summer. Arsenal struggled for goals from a reliable No. 9 in 2024-25 due to injuries to Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz, and Arteta has been keen to boost his firepower after finishing second in the Premier League for the third-straight season.

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The 27-year-old had attracted a lot of interest from several other clubs, but had his heart set on a move to Arsenal, with his agent even waving his commission to seal the move, as per the report. Gyokeres is expected to wear the iconic No.14 shirt, famously donned by Henry.

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(C)Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR GYOKERES?

The Swede will complete his medical in the coming days. He is expected to feature in the rest of their tour of Asia, offering Arteta a first look at his new striker. Funnily enough, Gyokeres will likely play his first official game for the Gunners against Manchester United, who had shown a lot of interest in the striker, at Old Trafford against his former boss, Ruben Amorim, on the opening weekend of the new Premier League season.

“We can maybe be just a bit braver,” stand-in T20I captain van der Dussen says after the 3-0 defeat to West Indies

Firdose Moonda27-May-2024South Africa were “taught a lesson in how to play in Caribbean conditions” in the opinion of stand-in T20I captain Rassie van der Dussen, who oversaw a 3-0 sweep at the hands of West Indies.Van der Dussen, who is not part of South Africa’s T20 World Cup squad despite being the second-highest run-scorer in T20 cricket in 2024, stood in for Aiden Markram, as captain and No. 4 batter, with disappointing results. South Africa slumped to a second successive T20I series defeat to West Indies. They have not won a T20I series out of the four they have played under white-ball coach Rob Walter and kept “making the same mistakes,” van der Dussen said.He identified South Africa’s batting, especially upfront, as too circumspect. “From a batting front, we can maybe be just a bit braver,” he said. “We saw the way that the West Indies play, especially in the powerplay. They really take it on. When the ball’s new, it’s easier to score. It gets tough towards the back end when the ball gets soft.”Related

T20 World Cup 2024 FAQs: Timings, venues and more

Markram not a typical SA captain (and that's a good thing)

Batting first, West Indies put on scores of 64 for 1 and 51 for 1 in the powerplays in the first two games, and chasing 164 in the final game on Sunday, they raced to 83 without loss in that period. South Africa were 46 for 3 and 85 for 2 chasing (the latter their highest powerplay score) and 45 for 2 batting first. The obvious difference is the number of wickets lost among a top order that will need to do duty at the T20 World Cup. Both Reeza Hendricks and Quinton de Kock enjoyed some individual success – Hendricks with his 51-ball 87 in the first game and de Kock with a 17-ball 41 in the second – but their partnership only succeeded once and Ryan Rickelton, the No. 3, was unable to get past 20.Van der Dussen put some of that down to exhaustion and some to taking longer than they should to assess conditions, but remained harsh in his assessment. “We just couldn’t adapt early enough. We had a long week in terms of layovers in Miami and so forth. We saw that in the first match, but you can’t keep making the same mistakes.”The middle order didn’t fare much better – van der Dussen was the only batter of those carded No. 4 to 7 to get two scores in double-figures – but they will be entirely replaced by Markram, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller and Tristan Stubbs, which should boost South Africa’s power-hitting.The problem? None of them were in the IPL 2024’s top-ten run-scorers’ list and all were inconsistent to varying degrees at the tournament.Klaasen started the IPL well but fell away in the middle period, though he did score a half-century in the second qualifier; Markram and Miller only scored one fifty each in 11 innings and nine innings respectively; Stubbs, the best of the lot, scored three fifties and showed off good finishing skills in his time in India.Van der Dussen was hopeful that their return to the national side will boost the scoring rate. “The guys are very experienced. Many of them have played CPL a few times,” he said. “We don’t know what conditions we’re going to get in the USA but the middle order is made up of very experienced, world-class players.”Anrich Nortje has had a poor time of it, both at the IPL and in the Caribbean•Getty ImagesAnrich Nortje’s form remains a concernMatters appear more worrying on the bowling front, where van der Dussen said West Indies “just out-skilled us” as South Africa “tried a few different things but nothing seemed to work”. The biggest concern is Anrich Nortje, who went wicketless in the two matches he played and continued to concede runs heavily – as he did at the IPL – but there may also be some furrowed brows over the fitness of Ottneil Baartman. He bowled his full quota of four overs in the first match but picked up a lower limb strain and did not play the next two games. Baartman offers more variations than anyone else in the South African squad, especially as Lungi Ngidi is only part of the reserves, and his availability for the tournament could be crucial to their chances.South Africa were without Kagiso Rabada, who was recovering from a soft tissue infection, for this series and Tabraiz Shamsi, who travelled with the squad but did not play a game because of a lower limb injury. Bjorn Fortuin operated as the first-choice spinner and was fairly economical but only picked up one wicket.It could even be argued that he was outshone by newcomer Nqaba Peter, the legspinner, who is not part of the T20 World Cup squad but is a prospect for the future. Asked to identify some positives, Peter was immediately on van der Dussen’s mind. “Youngster Nqaba Peter made his debut and looks like he’s been playing for a few years already,” he said. “And Bjorn Fortuin bowled well at stages. So there’s some glimpses here and there, which we’ve got to look for. But I think overall we were just short of the mark by quite a long way this week.”South Africa have one more opportunity to fine tune. They will play a warm-up match against a yet-to-be-confirmed opposition in Florida on Wednesday before their tournament begins against Sri Lanka in a week’s time.

FIFA and five football associations face a multi-billion euro class action lawsuit by a players' foundation over restrictive transfer rules.

A Dutch foundation is preparing lawsuit against FIFA & five FAsClaim seeks billions in compensation for affected footballersLawsuit is direct consequence of Diarra's court rulingFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

A Dutch foundation, Justice for Players, is preparing a mass legal claim against FIFA and five national football associations, seeking billions of euros in compensation for an estimated 100,000 professional footballers, reports. The foundation announced its intention to file the lawsuit with the Midden-Nederland District Court, asserting that FIFA's transfer regulations have unfairly restricted players' ability to earn income since 2002. This collective action is made possible by a landmark court ruling in favour of former Real Madrid player Diarra, which deemed FIFA's rules unlawful. Alongside FIFA, the Dutch, German, French, Belgian and Danish football associations are named in the lawsuit, in addition 31 associations have been notified of the case.

AdvertisementGettyA LOOK INTO DIARRA'S CASE

This legal battle has been brewing for years, but the tipping point was the European Court of Justice (CJEU) ruling on the case of Diarra. The French midfielder had a long-running dispute with Lokomotiv Moscow, which led to a hefty €10.5 million (£9m/$12m) fine and him being prevented from joining a new club after he terminated his contract. Diarra challenged FIFA's Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players (RSTP), arguing they unlawfully restricted the "free movement of workers" within the European Union. The court agreed, stating that the rules created "unforeseeable and potentially very high financial risks" for players, giving them little power to negotiate or leave clubs under difficult circumstances.

While the 1995 Bosman ruling freed players to move on a free transfer at the end of their contracts, the Diarra case targets a different aspect of player rights: the ability to terminate a contract prematurely. The ruling provides a crucial legal foundation for the new class action, suggesting that FIFA's rules went too far in protecting clubs at the expense of player freedom. Player unions like FIFPro, which supported Diarra, have long argued that these rules stifled player mobility and suppressed wages, particularly for those in the lower divisions.

LAWSUIT BY DUTCH FOUNDATION

Justice for Players is supported by Deminor, one of Europe's largest litigation funders, which will cover all legal costs. This crucial backing means affected players can register for the lawsuit at no personal expense. The claim estimates that the restrictive FIFA rules caused players to earn approximately eight per cent less over the course of their careers. The lawsuit targets not only FIFA but also the national associations that are responsible for enforcing the regulations, holding them "jointly liable" for the damages. This is a deliberate strategy to ensure accountability and a financial payout, as if one party is unable to pay, the others will have to. The case is being led by Dutch law firm Finch Dispute Resolution, with advisory support from Jean-Louis Dupont, the lawyer who was also instrumental in the landmark Bosman ruling.

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AFPWHAT NEXT FOR FIFA & FIVE FAs?

The class action lawsuit against FIFA and five national football associations poses a serious threat to the existing transfer system, demanding far-reaching reform beyond FIFA’s minor post-Diarra changes – deemed inadequate by FIFPro. With potential for massive financial penalties and a legal mandate to align the RSTP with European labour laws, the case could reshape how contracts and player movement are governed globally. National bodies, now facing joint liability, may be forced to reassess their enforcement roles, making way for a new era of player empowerment, greater freedom, and fairer compensation across all levels of the game.

Marco Silva has bemoaned Fulham's lack of transfer activity, saying the club have been "passive" ahead of the 2025-26 Premier League season.

Marco Silva bemoans Fulham's 'passive' windowThe Cottagers have made just one signingFulham face Brighton on SaturdayFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The west London club have made just one new signing ahead of their opening fixture against Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday, with goalkeeper Benjamin Lecomte arriving on a free transfer after leaving Montpellier at the end of the 2024-25 Ligue 1 campaign.

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Fulham have been linked with several names throughout the course of the summer, with Arsenal forward Reiss Nelson – who spent last season on loan with The Cottagers – at one stage believed to be on the verge of a permanent move. However the deal has since hit the buffers, much to Silva's frustration.

WHAT SILVA SAID

In quotes carried by the BBC, Silva said of Fulham's business so far: "It's not an ideal scenario. I didn't expect us to be this passive. I knew what I wanted and the plan was there but it hasn't happened. Right now we need to reinforce. In some positions we are very short.

"Did I expect it? Of course not, but the market is the market."

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Despite their failure to land key targets thus far, Fulham have been in fine form in pre-season. Silva's men have won all three of their warm-up fixtures, recording impressive victories over Nottingham Forest, Al-Ittihad, and Eintracht Frankfurt.

New Manchester United signing Benjamin Sesko has revealed which iconic Red Devils player is his role model.

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Following his £74 million ($100m) switch from RB Leipzig to United, Sesko has revealed former Red Devils striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic was his childhood idol. The Swede scored 29 goals in 53 appearances for the club and helped them win the Carabao Cup and the Europa League in 2017. Now, the 22-year-old is eager to emulate the ex-AC Milan star at Old Trafford.

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He told United's website: "He’s been my role model since I’ve been small. I've been watching him, like every single YouTube video that I can find, because he's just amazing for me, you know. We don't have the same, let's say, character. But I like to see him, the way he plays, the way he enjoys football, because that's when all the joy comes, you know. If you enjoy football, then everything works. And I think this is the most important. It's probably also one of the parts that just makes me love him so much, you know what I mean? So maybe one day to meet him, that would be great. He's my idol."

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Ibrahimovic went on to become one of the greatest strikers of the 21st century, so if Sesko has a career anything like the big Swede, he will have done very well. For the time being, the 6ft 5in player has been tasked with reigniting United's lukewarm attack as he tries to make them a force again.

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Slovenia international Sesko, who signed a contract until 2030 with Ruben Amorim's team, could make his United debut when they host old adversary Arsenal at Old Trafford on Sunday in their first game of the Premier League season.

The Argentine was seen giving instructions to his assistants from the stands.

Inter Miami beat Tigres 2-1They will face Orlando City nextThe Herons will play at homeGet the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games nowGetty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED?

Javier Mascherano’s fiery touchline demeanor caught up with him on Tuesday, as the Inter Miami manager was sent off at halftime of the Herons’ Leagues Cup win over Tigres. Reminiscent of his playing days as Liverpool and Barcelona’s enforcer, Mascherano was seen in the stands just 20 feet from the bench, furiously barking instructions on his phone while assistant coach Lucas Rodríguez Pagano relayed them to the sideline.

After the match, assistant Javier Morales, who handled the postgame press conference, admitted even the coaching staff was caught off guard by the dismissal. 

“It wasn’t clear what happened. The referee added six minutes, we complained about the time, and I think the referee just showed the red card, but we didn’t get much more information,” Morales said. 

He added that Mascherano only learned of the sending-off when the second half began: “We didn’t expect it. We came out for the second half and they told Javier he had been sent off. To be honest, we weren’t expecting the red card.”

Morales declined to elaborate on Mascherano’s frantic instructions from the stands, though cameras caught the coach visibly communicating on the phone and his assistant coach also speaking on the phone at the same time – especially after Tigres equalized in the 67th minute through Ángel Correa.

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Mascherano was forced to watch from the sidelines for the entire second half after receiving a red card, while Jordi Alba had to be substituted early following an accidental collision with Telasco Segovia. On top of that, Lionel Messi was absent due to injury.

Despite Correa leveling the score in the 67th minute and the chaos on the sidelines, the Herons never backed down. They continued to push forward, and a second penalty, conceded by Javier Aquino, allowed Luis Suárez to complete his brace, securing a hard-fought 2-1 win over one of Liga MX’s strongest sides.

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will host Orlando City in the semifinals, thanks to finishing higher in the group stage standings.

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The Herons visit D.C. United this Saturday in MLS action.

Manchester United are pushing Jadon Sancho's camp to accept a move to Roma as the Italian club reportedly plan on moving to alternatives this week.

Roma maintain interest in Jadon SanchoSancho interested but nothing concreteUnited has agreement in place with RomaFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Red Devils are seeking an end to the Sancho transfer saga and have asked his camp to agree to the Roma move, as there are no other offers on the table for the winger, according to . Sancho is reportedly interested in the move but has not given a concrete response to the Italian side. Roma coach Gian Piero Gasperini is hopeful to secure his signing, as he reiterated after the Bologna match by stating: "Sancho never said no to Roma," giving the club a glimmer of hope.

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Sancho's delay in providing his final stance has kept Roma's director of football, Frederic Massara, and coach Gasperini in limbo, as they are willing to wait a few more days before switching to alternative targets. It is only because of Gasperini's admiration that a proposal still waits for Sancho. United are well aware of the situation and know that they stand to lose out on €18 million (£15m/$21m) plus bonuses if Sancho's camp declines. 

The winger's high wages have been a constant issue, and the club is building pressure on his camp to accept the move. Roma have said they will wait until Wednesday for an answer.

DID YOU KNOW?

The Englishman was previously linked with a move to Juventus. Reportedly, the clubs agreed on personal terms but could not agree on a transfer fee, which is the opposite of what Roma is facing at the moment. Borussia Dortmund's sporting director, Sebastian Kehl, also spoke about the possibility of signing Sancho, as he claimed the club would look into the feasibility of the deal. However, no inquiries have been made yet.

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The clock is ticking for Sancho as Roma are prepared to move on to other targets before the transfer window closes next week. Among the names on the shortlist are Wolverhampton's Fabio Silva and Chelsea's Tyrique George.