At the end of the day, it's all about Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba (maybe Luis Suarez) turning around Inter Miami's season with 12 matches remaining and getting them from dead last in MLS to the playoffs.
In the meantime, they might just win the Leagues Cup.
MELBOURNE - Talismanic captain Alexandra Popp scored a brace as Germany launched their bid for a third Women's World Cup title with a 6-0 demolition of debutants Morocco on Monday.
In the tournament's most one-sided match to date, veteran striker Popp led from the front, heading in two first-half strikes before Klara Bühl, Lea Schüller and two own goals blew out the score after the break in front of 27,256 at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium.
A last-gasp goal by Amanda Ilestedt allowed Sweden to defeat South Africa 2-1 in their opening match at the 2023 World Cup.
Despite the win, the fans and the press were far from satisfied with the team's performance, deeming it "a disaster." Many believed that Sweden, ranked third in the FIFA rankings, should have demonstrated their superiority more emphatically against South Africa, a team positioned only 54th in the world.
SYDNEY - France's hopes of a winning start to their Women's World Cup campaign were thwarted by a hardworking Jamaican side in a 0-0 draw in the opening Group F clash at Sydney Football Stadium on Sunday.
The fifth-ranked French, semifinalists at last year's Euros, were unable to get their game going as the Jamaicans hassled and harried them throughout the 90 minutes to earn their first World Cup point after three losses on their 2019 debut.
DUNEDIN - The Netherlands kicked off their Group E campaign with a 1-0 win over Women's World Cup debutants Portugal at Dunedin Stadium on Sunday, thanks to a first-half goal from Stefanie van der Gragt that was awarded on a VAR review.
The Dutch edged Portugal 3-2 a year ago in the European Championship group stage, but this time the Iberian side were no match for the team in their trademark orange and did not have a shot on target until the 82nd minute.
PERTH — Substitute Amalie Vangsgaard headed home a goal in the 90th minute to give Denmark a winning start to their first Women's World Cup campaign since 2007 with a 1-0 victory against China at Perth Oval on Saturday.
The Paris Saint-Germain forward, who was brought on five minutes earlier, found the back of the net with a long-range header from a Pernille Harder corner to break the deadlock.
LATE DRAMA
Sophia Smith scored two and assisted one for the United States women’s national team during the 3-0 victory against Vietnam in their Women’s World Cup opener. An Alex Morgan assist vs Vietnam was one of the big highlights as she cleverly set up Smith for the opening goal.
Despite the victory, USWNT fans won’t be too pleased with the performance. The Americans were far too sloppy in the final third of the field and didn’t look to be on the same page for most of the 90 minutes.
How big is Lionel Messi?
Inter Miami, dead last in MLS, hosted Cruz Azul, bottom of Liga MX, in the uncelebrated Leagues Cup on Friday night, and a sellout crowd (one fan paid $3.5K for a spot near midfield) with LeBron James, Serena Williams, Kim Kardashian, Marc Anthony and Becky G in attendance showed up to watch.
You would've thought that Kim K had cursed Miami to a group stage exit, but Messi had other plans.
MELBOURNE — Goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie saved a penalty to help Nigeria secure a valuable 0-0 draw against Olympic champions Canada in their Women's World Cup opener on Friday in a result that threw the group wide open.
Nnadozie denied Christine Sinclair from the spot in the 50th minute with a low dive to her left as the Canada skipper missed out on becoming the first player to score in six World Cups in front of 21,000 fans at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium.
It was only a preseason match against a third division team but Christian Pulisic won't care — he'll just be happy to be starting and contributing again after wasting away at Chelsea.
The 24-year-old American, having just completed his $24.5 million transfer, got the start for AC Milan on Thursday during the club's first fixture of the summer, a matchup against Serie C's Lumezzane at the Milanello Sports Center.