Lionel Messi grabbed his first goal of the Major League Soccer season as he grabbed a 1-1 draw for Inter Miami with a stoppage-time equaliser at LA Galaxy.

Dejan Joveljic’s goal 15 minutes from time had looked like earning Galaxy the win.

But Messi popped up two minutes into added time, exchanging a pair of one-twos with Jordi Alba as he made his way into the box before lifting the ball over goalkeeper John McCarthy.

Inter dominated possession, but managed just five shots in target throughout the match as Galaxy came closest to breaking the deadlock.

Riqui Puig missed a golden opportunity after 13 minutes when his penalty was saved by Drake Callender.

They had to wait until late in the second half for Joveljic to tap in Mark Delgado’s cross after Puig’s shot had run loose.

Galaxy finished the game with 10 men as Marco Delgado picked up a second yellow card after 88 minutes.

Phil Neville was appointed as the new head coach at Major League Soccer outfit Inter Miami after ending his tenure as England Women boss, on this day in 2021.

Inter Miami confirmed the news just a few hours after the Football Association announced the then 43-year-old was stepping down from his role with the Lionesses with immediate effect.

The club are co-owned by Neville’s former Manchester United and England team-mate David Beckham, who is also his fellow co-owner of League Two side Salford.

Neville said in a statement on Inter Miami’s website: “I am incredibly delighted for this opportunity to coach Inter Miami and to work with (the club’s new chief soccer officer and sporting director) Chris (Henderson) and the entire ownership group.

“This is a very young club with a lot of promise and upside and I am committed to challenging myself, my players and everyone around me to grow and build a competitive soccer culture we can all be proud of.

“This fantastic soccer-loving market deserves consistent performances and a winning mentality and I look forward to getting to work.”

Neville guided England to the semi-finals of the 2019 World Cup and was previously set to end his role in charge when his contract finished in July 2021. But he cut his time short and stepped down that January due to the 2021 European Championship being pushed back to 2022 because of the coronavirus pandemic.

England appointed Sarina Wiegman as Neville’s successor and they went on to win Euro 2022 before she guided the Lionesses to the 2023 World Cup final.

Beckham said: “I have known Phil since we were both teenagers at the Manchester United academy. We share a footballing DNA, having been trained by some of the best leaders in the game and it’s those values that I have always wanted running through our club.

“Phil has deep experience in football, as a player and as a coach at both club and international level and over his career he has worked with many of the finest managers and players in the game.

“I know his qualities as a person, his decency, loyalty and honesty – and his incredible energy and work ethic.

“Anyone who has played or worked with Phil knows he is a natural leader and I believe now is the right time for him to join.”

Neville led Miami to the 2022 MLS Cup play-offs but was sacked in June 2023 with the club bottom of the eastern conference following a run of 10 defeats in 15 games.

The 46-year-old returned to management in the MLS in November 2023 and is currently in charge of the Portland Timbers.

It is always exciting when a club makes its debut on a stage which they long dreamed of. Such is the case of Jamaica Premier League outfit Cavalier, who is among the first-timers set to grace this year’s edition of the Concacaf Champions Cup, after they finished as runner-up in last year’s Concacaf Caribbean Cup.

Anchoring what is the youngest team in Jamaica’s top-flight league is goalkeeper Vino Barclett, who started all eight matches for Cavalier during the tournament, and made 28 saves, which assisted the Rudolph Speid-coached team to the Caribbean Cup showpiece.

Though they lost 0-3 on aggregate to Suriname’s Robinhood, their main objective was met, as their vision of playing against some of the best clubs in the Concacaf region, has come to fruition.

“It was a big achievement for a Jamaican club. We played in a knockout tournament domestically and got to the finals, we played in the domestic league and got to the finals and so getting to the Caribbean Cup final and qualifying for Champions Cup was another big achievement for us,” Barclett said in a recent interview with Concacaf.com.

“All of the players were deserving, we worked hard for it, the only thing we lacked was winning silverware,” he added.

While most of his Cavalier teammates are from Jamaica, Barclett is one of the team’s full-time international players, as he represents St Lucia on an even bigger stage. Giving his vast experience representing St Lucia in Concacaf Nations League, Barclett is not one to shy away from tough competition and, as such, is now eager to parade his skill in Concacaf’s premier club competition.

“Representing St Lucia on this stage is like a dream come true. I’m still a relatively young player, just 24 years old, I think I’m the only goalkeeper from St Lucia to have played in this tournament. It is a big achievement for me, and I want to show our amateur players back home that they can be on this big stage. I’m excited for the exposure and opportunity,” Barclett shared.

Cavalier’s Round One encounter will be against Major League Soccer (MLS) outfit FC Cincinnati, scheduled for February 22, and Barclett knows a sturdy challenge awaits as their opponents capped the 2023 MLS regular season with the best record.

“The preparation has been going up to standard, we have been putting in the work. In our domestic league in the last six games, we are unbeaten with five wins and one draw, so I think the team has prepared with full conviction. We know it won’t be easy game. We have to be focused in every second of the game, we cannot switch off. Our team has a good chemistry and in preparation for that game we are working very hard,” the agile goaltender said.

With Cavalier boasting so many young players, the 2024 Champions Cup represents the perfect platform on which a group of hungry players can demonstrate their skills to the world. It is also a chance to show everyone the strength of Jamaica’s domestic football.

“I would say this is the biggest moment of my career. I have been in finals, but this will be the biggest game of my career. This is a game that can be an opportunity for many of us. Maybe scouts see us and who knows where that might lead. Representing the Caribbean is a responsibility that we embrace, knowing that we are representing the Jamaican nation, so we will be relying on our fans in the home game,” Barclett ended.

Wayne Rooney is leaving DC United after their hopes of making the Major League Soccer play-offs ended.

The former England captain had been in charge at the Washington club since last summer but a 2-0 victory over New York City FC proved to be his final match.

CEO and co-chairman Jason Levien said on dcunited.com: “We have spoken with Wayne and agreed it is best for us to part ways at this time.

“This decision creates the avenue for our next general manager to have the full opportunity to impart a new philosophy and structure onto our sporting operations, which begins with the critical identification of a head coach who will best align with this.

“We are grateful to Wayne Rooney for all he has done for our club and for soccer in the nation’s capital, first as a DC United player and captain and most recently as our coach. He remains an important part of the DC United family and a valued and cherished friend.”

Rooney first moved to the MLS in 2018, spending 15 months in Washington as a player, and returned last summer after cutting his managerial teeth at Derby.

The 37-year-old improved DC United’s points tally but is heading back to England after their play-off hopes ended.

“It’s just the right time,” said Rooney in quotes reported by the Washington Post.

“I think I’ve done everything I can to try and get the club into (the) play-offs. It’s not one single thing which has happened, it’s about timing in your career. I have really enjoyed my time here. But I just feel it’s the right time to go back to England. What lies ahead, I don’t know.”

Jamaica senior men's team Captain Andre Blake has become a naturalized citizen of the United States of America.

Blake, a three-time MLS goalkeeper of the year, passed his naturalization exam earlier this month and was sworn in on Monday, july 24. He, his wife and two children are now dual citizens of the US and Jamaica.

“Becoming a US Citizen is incredible. it’s been my family’s home for the past 12 years. Our youngest was the only US citizen, and now all four of us have become citizens. Having an American passport is a privilege, and I’m proud to be a US citizen, a Philadelphian, and of course, as always, Jamaican. It’s the best of both worlds, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds,” Blake said.

Union head coach Jim Curtin extended his congratulations to his veteran goalkeeper.

“Andre has been an exemplary athlete and person, both on and off the field. He’s a true Philadelphian already and has been for many years, and for him to now have official citizenship is special for him and his family. His leadership, commitment to his community, and incredible talent, make him someone we want in our city and on our field forever. We extend a big congratulations to Andre, and we’re lucky to have him,” the proud coach said.

Blake is the longest-tenured player, with 231 combined MLS regular season and Audi MLS Cup playoff appearances since being drafted from the University of Connecticut in 2014.

Earlier this season, Blake passed former teammate Ray Gaddis for the most starts in team history. In 2022, Blake made history when he became the first player in MLS history to win MLS Goalkeeper of the Year three times. To add to his accolades, Blake is a four-time MLS All-Star and won the 2022 John Wanamaker Athletic Award, presented to the athlete, team, or organization which has done the most to reflect credit upon Philadelphia and the team or sport in which they excel.

He is the first men’s soccer player to receive the award since it began in 1961.

Commissioner Don Garber says Major League Soccer is on a “rocket ship” and believes Lionel Messi’s move to Inter Miami will take the competition to new heights.

After Pele’s move to New York Cosmos in 1975, MLS kicking off in 1996 and David Beckham’s 2007 switch to the LA Galaxy, this summer saw another seismic moment in North American football.

Global star Messi’s move to Miami just seven months after lifting the World Cup with Argentina in Qatar sent ripples across the footballing world.

The 36-year-old’s last-gasp free-kick winner on his debut against Cruz Azul in the Leagues Cup on Friday only increased attention on a move that Garber is thrilled about.

“MLS has been on this sort of rocket ship for a while,” said the league’s commissioner since 1999.

“Every day that you think they don’t maybe there’s a quiet period and you can settle in, something else happens that gives you even more momentum, more energy and more sort of optimism about where things are going.

“I think the time is going to come where these great things become expected, special moments are going to be expected and it’s not going to be ‘boy, is this the most special time in the history of the league?’”

Garber takes great pride in the fact “the best player in the history of the game made MLS his league of choice” when he could have gone anywhere.

The commissioner says the Argentinian’s arrival underlines the league’s “unending ambition”, perhaps meaning that one day the best players on the planet will move to North America at 26 rather than 36.

“I think you need to start with getting the best of all time choose us now,” Garber said when that potential change was put to him.

“What will that look like in the years to come and perhaps it will because I think the perception of Major League Soccer is going to change dramatically over the next number of years.

“I think our own ambition is going to change as we all see how all of this plays out.

“But I think because there are a handful of really big names who come at the end of their career, everyone has this label that they put on.

“I mean, David Beckham was 31. He went to Milan and PSG after.

“Yet nobody was saying to Zlatan when he left LA and then he played for Milan for two years and was leading scorer for a while that AC Milan is a retirement club.

“So, I think that’s what all you international pundits like to say but we actually feel really good about the dynamic of our player rosters.

“This concept of a designated player – someone who is outside the (wage) cap who is internationally renowned – that you do need someone who has a legacy of popularity.”

The designated player rule was brought in when Beckham arrived in MLS, with his unique deal allowing him the option to purchase an expansion club at a discounted price.

That team was Miami and the England great looked emotional when Messi made his debut 16 years to the day after he stepped out for his Galaxy bow.

“It fulfilled a dream that he had to really make an impact and follow up on his commitment from the earliest press conference in 2014,” Garber said of the Inter co-owner.

“David stood up there and said ‘I’m going to bring the best players in the world here to Miami – this is a city I love, it’s a team that I’m going to build, I’m going to make it great and I love the league’.

“It’s just not often that things align, and you sort of deliver on the things you say you’re going to deliver. I think that’s cool.

“David is a special guy. People don’t understand how smart David Beckham is, how thoughtful he is and how hard working he is.

“Obviously, you know that he’s very accessible and he’s very humble, but he had a laser focus from the very beginning when he walked off the field: ‘this is what I want to do and this is what it’s going to look like’.

“And it isn’t often where it all aligns and I was emotional with him when I saw him on Sunday night (at Messi’s unveiling).

“Very happy for him and really proud of him. It’s cool.”

From considering his future on non-league Lincoln Moorlands Railway’s bench to Lionel Messi celebrating his goal, Inter Miami midfielder Robert Taylor’s story is something else.

The eyes of the footballing world were focused on DRV PNK Stadium on Friday evening as the Argentinian magician began his new chapter Stateside.

Messi’s Miami debut has been years in the making and proved worth the wait as he came off the bench to score a stunning free-kick winner against Cruz Azul in stoppage time.

The 2-1 League Cup victory was a dream debut for the 36-year-old and a surreal moment for new team-mates like Taylor, who also played alongside Sergio Busquets for the first time.

“It’s amazing, it’s great, of course I’m excited,” Taylor said.

“He’s just come in and brought a lot of energy to the team. His play means he makes the right decisions all of the time in training and in the games which is why it’s so good.

“It’s a great feeling. The way to win it as well. To witness that free-kick and the quality he brings to the team, it’s unbelievable.”

The night was particularly special for Taylor, who said it was “pretty sick” to know Messi celebrated his thumping opener off a post.

It is just the latest chapter in a scarcely believable rise for the Finland international, who played for top clubs in his homeland, Sweden and Norway after struggling to make an impact in England.

The 28-year-old spent periods with Nottingham Forest, Barnet and Lincoln, from where he was farmed out on frustrating, fruitless loans to Boston Town and Lincoln Moorlands Railway.

“If someone told me a few years ago when I sitting on the bench for Lincoln Moorlands that I’m going to play with Busquets and Messi I would have just laughed in their face,” Taylor said with a grin.

“I was sitting on the bench, I wasn’t able to get any minutes in non-league and the coach told me I’m not strong enough or basically good enough. I was just sitting on the bench watching.

 

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“It tested me when I was younger. I was calling my parents back home in Finland and saying maybe I want to look for something, other options.”

Taylor’s father Paul is an English former footballer who played for KuPS in Finland, where he still lives and he stayed up to watch the madness unfold out in Fort Lauderdale.

It is a night that will live long in the memory but not one that Miami will be basking in the afterglow of for long given they are looking to bounce back from a poor Major League Soccer season.

“Of course it’s an unbelievable feeling for everyone in the team but eventually we’ll have to get used to it and not get too emotional around it, we just have to focus on the game,” Taylor added.

“I think everyone needs to enjoy the win but now we need to focus on the fact we’ve got Atlanta next.”

Lionel Messi has been introduced to Inter Miami’s fans during a special event hosted at the MLS club’s DRV Pink Stadium.

During the ceremony, which was dubbed The Unveil and broadcast live, the 36-year-old Argentina superstar greeted Inter Miami owner David Beckham with a hug before receiving his pink No 10 jersey.

Messi told the crowd: “I want to thank all the people of Miami for their welcome and love since I arrived in this city.

“The truth is that I’m very excited and very happy to be here in Miami and to be with you.

“I can’t wait to start training and competing. I’m here with the desire I’ve always had to compete, to want to win, and to help the club continue to grow.”

The stadium was practically full, despite the event being delayed by poor weather.

Beckham said during the broadcast that it made for a “typical Miami welcome for one of the greatest players to ever have played the game”.

He added: “The fact that we have our fans in here, celebrating this moment… this is what we have created and we’re very proud of that.”

Joining Messi onstage was former Barcelona midfielder Sergio Busquets, whose arrival at Inter Miami was officially announced earlier on Sunday.

Busquets, 35, who had spent his entire playing career at the Nou Camp, left Barca at the end of the season and will be reunited with former team-mate Messi, whose own move to Miami was confirmed 24 hours earlier.

Speaking during The Unveil event, Inter Miami’s primary owner Jorge Mas called Messi “the best player to ever don boots”.

He said: “When David and I first met and we dreamt of what Inter Miami represents, it started off with the freedom to dream.

“And we dreamed of not only bringing elite players and the best players but the best player to ever don boots — and his name is Lionel Andres Messi.”

Messi revealed last month he had decided to join the Florida side as his contract with Paris St Germain came to an end.

With the deal now officially done, Messi is in line to make his debut for his new employers on Friday against Mexico’s Cruz Azul in the Leagues Cup.

Seven-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi arrives after a season in which he helped his country to World Cup glory in Qatar, as well as PSG to the Ligue 1 title, as in his first campaign with them in 2021-22.

That adds to an already huge trophy haul on his CV that features four Champions League successes from his years with Barcelona, for whom he scored a staggering total of 672 goals.

Joining Miami sees Messi – who has also netted more than 100 international goals – reunite with boss Gerardo Martino, who he previously worked under with Barca and Argentina.

Martino was appointed in June after the club sacked Beckham’s ex-Manchester United team-mate Phil Neville.

Inter Miami have signed midfielder Sergio Busquets following his departure from Barcelona.

Busquets, 35, who had spent his entire playing career at the Nou Camp, left Barca at the end of the season and will be reunited with former team-mate Lionel Messi, whose move to Miami was confirmed 24 hours earlier.

Miami said in a statement: “Inter Miami CF announced (on Sunday) that it has signed legendary Spanish midfielder Sergio Busquets to a contract running through the 2025 Major League Soccer (MLS) season.

“The one-time World Cup champion, nine-time LaLiga winner and former FC Barcelona captain, considered to be one of the greatest midfielders of all time, will occupy a Designated Player slot and is expected to join the team in the coming days.”

Busquets was a member of Spain’s team which won the World Cup in 2010 and the European Championships in 2012 and over 15 seasons with Barca made 721 appearances in all competitions, placing him third on the club’s all-time list.

He said: “This is a special and exciting opportunity that I’m very excited to take. I’m looking forward to this next step in my career with Inter Miami.

“I was impressed by the club when I came with Barcelona last year and now I’m happy and ready to represent the club myself. I can’t wait to help bring the success that this ambitious club strives for.”

Former Barcelona and Argentina manager Gerardo Martino has been appointed as the new head coach of Inter Miami.

The 60-year-old Argentinian arrives at the Major League Soccer outfit co-owned by David Beckham after they sacked the latter’s ex-Manchester United team-mate Phil Neville earlier this month.

It will reunite Martino with his compatriot Lionel Messi, with the World Cup winner to join the Florida side after leaving Paris St Germain at the end of his contract.

Martino, who coached Messi with Barcelona and Argentina, said in a club statement: “I’m very excited to join a big club like Inter Miami and I know together we can accomplish many great things.

“The club has the necessary infrastructure to be a major competitor in the region and I believe that with everyone’s hard work and commitment we can get there.”

Beckham said: “’Tata’ is a highly respected figure in our sport whose track record speaks for itself.

“We are confident that his achievements in the game and experience as a head coach will inspire our team and excite our fans and look forward to seeing the impact he will have on and off the field.”

Martino has been a Copa America runner-up twice with Argentina and once with Paraguay, and also overseen Mexico winning the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz Captain Andre Blake continues to make history in Major League Soccer (MLS) as he became the Philadelphia Union's all-time leader in MLS regular season starts. 

The 32-year-old goalkeeper has made 212 regular season starts for the Eastern Conference Champions and passes former teammate Ray Gaddis for the club's record. 

The Jamaican has amassed quite the resume in Philadelphia, making 648 saves in nearly 19,000 minutes of league regular season action. 

In 2022, the Jamaican international saved 79.4% of the shots he faced, which is the most among MLS goalkeepers who have appeared in at least three games.

With Blake in the net, the Union achieved the fewest goals ever conceded (26) by any MLS team during a 34-game season. 

The Jamaican is one of two Union players to play every single minute of the 2022 MLS regular season, where he led the league with 15 shutouts, another club record. 

“I’ve loved watching his leadership in the locker room; when he speaks, everyone listens. He is a big part of the culture change at this club and us getting to our winning ways,” said Philadelphia Union coach Jim Curtain.

“I cannot say enough about Andre. To watch him grow and improve little aspects of his game every year. If you watch him now with his feet, he adds a layer to his game and he is never satisfied,” he added. 

For Blake, this is yet another momentous achievement, thanks to hard work. 

“This is a very proud moment for me to pause and look at all the work I’ve done to be in the Philadelphia Union history books again. I’m humbled by this achievement and the hard work continues. I just have to keep going, keep doing my best, and to keep motivating the youth,” he said. 

Blake has amassed four MLS All-Star Appearances (another team record), three MLS Goalkeeper of the Year Awards (the first player in MLS history to do so). In 2014, the then 23-year-old became the first goalkeeper in MLS history to be taken No. 1 in the MLS SuperDraft.

 

Lionel Messi moving to MLS to join Inter Miami would be "the biggest signing in history", according to the club's head coach Phil Neville.

The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner has been heavily linked with a move to the United States and is into the final six months of his Paris Saint-Germain contract.

Ligue 1 giants PSG are keen to retain the services of the 35-year-old, who added a World Cup to his plethora of titles last year, but a fierce fight could take place for his signature.

A move to MLS would see Messi follow in the footsteps of the likes of Miami co-owner David Beckham, Andrea Pirlo, and Steven Gerrard, though likely sparking even more of a frenzy.

Neville believes it would be a signing like no other, adamant Messi is the kind of player his club need to be in the market for.

"I think this would be probably the biggest signing in history," he told the Athletic.

"I can't think of another star of that magnitude to come from a major footballing country to this place. This is maybe similar [to Beckham's arrival], but maybe even bigger.

"I think you're talking about one of the greatest footballers of all time. When you talk about Miami, we have to be in for players like that, you know?"

Should Miami manage to lure Messi to MLS, however, Neville accepts the club would need to make significant logistical changes to accommodate such a recognised figure.

"Things will be different. The trees might have to be bigger [around the training ground]. The security might have to be tighter," he explained.

"The walk the players have today over to that stadium, that might have to be different. The travel might be different. The hotels we stay in might have to be different.

"But really that might be what we're aspiring to be like anyway. It's exciting, but I think it'd be a massive challenge."

Bernardo Silva is one step closer to getting his desired move to Barcelona after it was reported that Manchester City have named a price for their wantaway midfielder.

Silva, 28, is in his sixth season with City, but after four Premier League titles and 51 goals for the club, he recently spoke about his wish for a new challenge following multiple transfer windows with heavy interest from Barcelona.

The Portugal international, who scored against Newcastle United on Saturday, has a contract that ties him to the club until 2025, but City might be set grant his wish at the end of the season and allow him to leave – for the right price.

 

TOP STORY – CITY SET ASKING PRICE FOR BARCELONA-BOUND BERNARDO

According to Sport, City have told Silva that they will accept any incoming bid that reaches their demand of £57.5million (€65m).

Barcelona are well aware of the latest development, and are said to be doing all they can in the coming months to ensure the financial rules allow them to make the move. However, Silva's contract demands could be a stumbling block for the Spanish giants.

Reports suggest City previously rejected Barcelona's £62m (€70m) approach during the January window.

ROUND-UP

– Calciomercato is reporting Inter will seek a €40m fee for defender Denzel Dumfries.

– According to The Mirror, Manchester United and Liverpool are among the Premier League teams preparing to make a run at New England Revolution goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic.

City will pursue RB Leipzig centre-back Josko Gvardiol if they sell Paris Saint-Germain target Aymeric Laporte, per the Daily Star.

– Football Insider is reporting Arsenal, City, United and Liverpool are all showing interest in Brighton and Hove Albion's World Cup-winning midfielder Alexis Mac Allister , who the Seagulls are expected to price at £70m.

– According to Calciomercato, Milan are targeting £22m-rated (€25m) Chelsea midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek.

MLS commissioner Don Garber is keen for Lionel Messi to join the competition, though a deal would have to be "outside the box".

Messi has been heavily linked with a move to Inter Miami, as his contract at Paris Saint-Germain enters its final months.

In November, Messi's representative Marcelo Mendez denied reports that the seven-time Ballon D'Or winner would join the MLS club at the end of the Ligue 1 season.

Negotiations between Messi and PSG regarding a new deal are reported to be ongoing but, with less than four months remaining on his agreement, he could become a free agent later this year.

If a move to the MLS was to materialise, Garber explained that they would need to be creative in order to complete the deal due to the league's financial and salary cap rules.

"You're dealing with perhaps the most special player in the history of the game. So, when there are rumours of him connected to Miami, that's great," he told The Athletic.

"And if it could happen, it would be terrific for MLS, it would be terrific for Messi and his family, and like everything with us, we try to run every opportunity down. I can't give any more details than that because we don't have them.

"Teams have the flexibility to do unique things. MLS is a single entity. If you're selling something that the collective owns, the collective has to approve that.

"So, whatever [Inter Miami owner] Jorge [Mas] decides, with [MLS executive vice president] Todd [Durbin's] help to structure something, if we have the opportunity to do that, it's going to be outside the box.

"Because as you all know what's going on in international football today, with Ronaldo at $100million, the transfer market is just exploding in ways that are unimaginable.

"We're going to have to structure a deal that’s going to compensate him in ways that he and his family expect.

"What that is? Honestly, we don't know today, but he's probably not going to be a targeted allocation money player."

Los Angeles FC's title defence has not yet got started after their derby with LA Galaxy was called off due to adverse weather last week, but they will be looking for another win against the Portland Timbers on Saturday.

The Timbers' opening game was also rearranged due to the elements, although they were later able to beat Sporting Kansas City to get their season up and running.

This particular match-up included a memorable game for LAFC last year en route to their Supporters' Shield and MLS Cup double.

The sides met in the penultimate game of the regular season, with LAFC winning 2-1 in Oregon to take the Shield.

Their victory came in dramatic fashion – Denis Bouanga netting in the fifth minute of second-half stoppage time after Dairon Asprilla had cancelled out Carlos Vela’s opener.

That was a second straight win against the Timbers in all competitions for LAFC, although prior to those fixtures the Timbers were unbeaten in six straight matches against this weekend's opponents, dating back to October 2020 (W3 D3).

With the Galaxy match postponed, LAFC will hope to maintain their sublime record in season openers in this encounter.

They have triumphed in all five of their such matches in MLS. In league history, only FC Dallas, between 2012 and 2017, have won their first match for six seasons on the bounce.

However, the reigning MLS Cup champions have opened their title defence with a win just once in the last six seasons (D1 L4).

This will be the second time the reigning champions open their season against the Timbers, with the Colorado Rapids recording a 3-1 victory over Portland. That match back in 2011 was Portland's first in MLS.

The 1-0 Sporting KC win gives Portland a little momentum heading into this game, and they have now scored in each of their last 21 MLS outings, their longest such run in the competition since a streak of 21 between June 2017 and October 2017.

 

Players to Watch

LAFC – Carlos Vela

Vela scored 12 MLS goals last season and provided as many assists, with only four other players in the league playing a direct part in more goals.

The Mexican outperformed his non-penalty xG by 1.7, while the former Arsenal forward created 87 chances, ranking him joint-fourth in the MLS standings alongside Lucas Zelarayan.

His 12 assists came from an expected assists (xA) total of 9.8, suggesting his team-mates did well to finish the job, yet the 33-year-old's influence on LAFC's attack was enormous – Vela was involved in 159 open play shot-ending sequences in league play in 2022, more than any of his team-mates.

Last season was the first campaign since 2019 – when he scored 36 goals – that he managed over 30 appearances in the league, and he is still one of the competition's best players on his day.

Portland Timbers – Evander

Off-season acquisition Evander, who joined from Danish club Midtjylland and is formerly of Brazilian Serie A side Vasco da Gama, wasted no time in getting involved on his Timbers debut against SKC.

The Brazilian had 59 touches and led the Timbers for crosses (four), dribbles (eight), successful dribbles (five) and duels (19), though he only won six. He did lose possession 21 times, two more occasions than any team-mate, and conceded the most fouls (four) in the game, yet his nine recoveries were a joint-high.

 

Playing in an advanced midfield role, Evander’s next task will be to wield more influence from a creative standpoint. He failed to have a shot or craft a chance, but there were positive signs to build on for the 24-year-old.

With striker Felipe Mora still recovering from a knee injury, the Timbers need scorers elsewhere in their team, and Evander will be one they hope hits the ground running in the United States.

Predicting LAFC v Timbers

LAFC have won six of their 16 meetings with their Western Conference rivals the Timbers in all competitions, with Portland winning five times.

Opta’s supercomputer has LAFC as big favourites for this game, though, ranking their chances of victory at 57.5 per cent.

Portland are at 18.7 per cent, with the draw ranked at 23.8 per cent.

Expect this to be tight, though, with only one of the last eight games between these teams having been settled by a margin of over one goal – that came in LAFC’s 2-0 US Open Cup win in May last year.

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