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Roy Keane meets Inter Miami superstars like Luis Suarez but fans reckon he ‘must be disappointed'

Roy Keane meets Inter Miami superstars like Luis Suarez but fans reckon he ‘must be disappointed'

The Irish Sun20 hours ago

ROY Keane got to meet Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba...but not Lionel Messi while visiting Inter Miami's facility.
The Corkman has jetted stateside to take in the knockout stages of the inaugural -
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Meeting arguably the best striker of his generation isn't a bad consolation prize
Credit: @intermiamicf
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What a central midfield pairing this would've been in an alternate universe
Credit: @intermiamicf
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Jordi Alba also followed pal Messi to Florida
Credit: @intermiamicf
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The Argentine wizard turned 38 on Tuesday
Credit: Getty
The MLS outfit have a daunting last-16 match-up ahead of them against
But at least Keane got to meet some of their most recognisable squad members while they're still in the competition and still in chipper form.
Aside from a few followers noting he's bearing quite a resemblance to
Shane reckoned: "Must be disappointed to not meet Messi."
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While Curtis suggested: "Could use him against PSG tbh...to keep them straight."
Sean hailed: "The best Irish player of all time."
And finally, someone else surmised en Espanol: "Roy livin la vida buena."
Messi is set to face
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Inter Miami - sixth in the MLS Eastern Conference - face a formidable challenge against the Ligue 1 giants.
David Beckham in hospital as Victoria shares picture of star with arm in sling & sweet 'get well soon daddy' message
However, they appeared to lose momentum in a surprise defeat to Brazilian side Botafogo, and looked far from their fluent best in a 2-0 win over the Seattle Sounders at Lumen Field.
Now into the knockout rounds, PSG are expected to find another gear, with a potential quarter-final clash against either Flamengo or
The bookmakers clearly agree, pricing the Parisian giants at 1/6 to win in 90 minutes, while Jordi Alba described PSG as 'the best team in the world right now'.
As for Inter Miami, they came close to topping Group A but conceded two late goals against Palmeiras, setting up this tough tie. It would have been Botafogo otherwise.
ABOUT TO GET MESSI?
Still, they have shown they can compete at this level - sandwiching a win over Porto between draws against Palmeiras and Al Ahly.
The Florida-based side are unbeaten in six matches across all competitions, scoring 16 goals in that stretch - a solid run of form but unlikely to trouble their imperious opponents.
Sorry if it sounds disparaging to all those Inter Miami supporters out there - but this could easily be a cricket score providing PSG can snap out of their two-game malaise.
And they should be able to.
The European champions looked a completely different class during their Champions League success, and their 5-0 final win over Inter Milan only highlights their ability to humble even the best.
Suarez and Messi, both aged 38, should have their work cut out against such a young, quick, powerful and dynamic PSG side.
Inter Miami have also shipped a colossal 29 goals in their last 13 games in all competitions. PSG, meanwhile, have scored 3+ goals in five of their last seven games.

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Cathal Doyle is desperate to race after 'crazy' Faith Kipyegon pacing duties
Cathal Doyle is desperate to race after 'crazy' Faith Kipyegon pacing duties

RTÉ News​

time43 minutes ago

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Cathal Doyle is desperate to race after 'crazy' Faith Kipyegon pacing duties

The old and somewhat tiring joke goes, that you can find the Irish at everything, and Faith Kipyegon's 'Breaking4' project was no exception. Kipyegon didn't manage to become the first woman to break the four-minute barrier for the mile, but she did achieve the fastest time ever run with a 4:06.42 clocking and in the process has inspired one of her Irish pacers from the bid. Cathal Doyle, Olympian, multiple national record holder and probably the gutsiest man in Irish athletics, was one of a long list of pacers to assist Kipyegon in the 1609m exhibition run at the Stade Charlety in the French capital on Thursday evening. Doyle says running three laps with Kipyegon is up there with one of the best experiences he has had in his 27 years. "It was probably just one of the coolest things you'll probably ever do, it was just a bit crazy because I've never paced a race before, especially at that kind of level," Doyle told RTÉ Sport. 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And then the guys around near her were the 'spoiler'. "Luckily for my job, I actually didn't have to think. All I had to do was just run hard and stay in line where I was…it was just a lot of practice." "Luckily for my job, I actually didn't have to think. All I had to do was just run hard and stay in line where I was… It was just a lot of practice." Doyle reveals the call to be involved came only last week, thanks to some intervention from training partner and fellow Nike-sponsored athlete Elliot Giles. "He (Giles) asked if he could bring a training partner, and then they realised this guy can pace when they looked up my personal bests. "I only knew I was doing it less than a week ago, there wasn't even a second thought." For any athlete racing on the circuit, it can become monotonous quickly. Doyle is no exception, running almost 25 races last season and 12 already this year, so the 'Breaking4' project offered a change from the continuance of the track season. 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The Irish Independent's View: A feast of weekend sport is distraction we need in a world full of suffering
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Irish Independent

time3 hours ago

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The Irish Independent's View: A feast of weekend sport is distraction we need in a world full of suffering

Over the past fortnight many of us have been stricken by a series of international crises, as the agenda of horrors changed hourly, epitomised by the outrages in Gaza and Ukraine slipping down the world news agenda. We all deserve an opportunity to switch off and get a little quality time. So, the upcoming weekend sporting banquet for Irish fans of all kinds brings us some ideal opportunities to simply enjoy the coming days. The fun starts in earnest today with the opening game of the British and Irish Lions tour of Australia in Perth. The really delightful news here is that all games kick off at 11am Irish time, allowing many of us a great chance to join in the excitement. A big talking point is Lions' team manager Andy Farrell's surprise decision to give the captaincy to Dan Sheehan of Ireland as he makes his debut in the red jersey. This honour has fed speculation on still more such preferments that may be coming his way. But let's avoid putting pressure on such a gifted athlete. Let's just enjoy the nine games of this tour as they build towards the first of three test matches against Australia in a fortnight, on July 19, in Brisbane. On the GAA fields, hurling is given a rest after recent thrills and upsets, and the focus is very much on Gaelic football, not forgetting Camogie and women's football. New football rules have improved things for spectators, and today and tomorrow the four quarter-finals of the All-Ireland go ahead at Croke Park. First, this afternoon, Donegal play old rivals Monaghan, with much speculation about how Donegal will fare after six-day turnaround from their last outing. Then comes Dublin versus Tyrone, which brings intrigue, as both sides have been something of an enigma this season. Tomorrow, Meath play Galway and, with both sides coping with injury problems, this one could go either way. Then Kerry face-off against champions Armagh in a potential game of the season. Tomorrow, all roads for racing enthusiasts lead to 'horse country central', on the Curragh of Kildare, for the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby. Organisers hope the weather gods will smile and this fixture will gather crowds worthy of its glories in the recent past. All that is a mere flavour of what is on offer for the sports-mad Irish nation this weekend. These, and many other delights, offer a chance for us to forget the world's woes and have fun.

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