Mihailovic guides Rapids to Concacaf Champions Cup win over LAFC 📝
Sitting at 5 degrees Fahrenheit (-15 C), it was a sluggish first half between these two Major League Soccer sides despite the hot talent available on the pitch.
With only three shots on target combined after the initial 45 minutes, there was everything still to play for in the second half. Thankfully for the hosts, the talents of Djordje Mihailovic proved the difference.
The attacking midfielder took the best opportunity for Colorado when it arrived and broke the deadlock only three minutes after the restart from the penalty spot. Mihailovic sent the ball down the middle as goalkeeper Hugo Lloris dove to his left for 1-0.
Then, after another half an hour of the two teams toying with the ball in midfield, the 26-year-old scored an expert free-kick perfectly nestled into the top left corner. Lloris, again, was left no chance.
LAFC, who statistically dominated the match with 62% possession of the ball and 15 shots to seven, left it a little too late to threaten any comeback. It was Aaron Long who turned things back to a one-goal game in the 86th minute after directing his header toward the back post.
However, the Rapids held on for a vital victory at home ahead of the return leg in Los Angeles on February 25.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
7 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Chuka Ndulue to join Chargers as assistant defensive line coach
The Chargers are set to make an addition to Jim Harbaugh's coaching staff. Pete Thamel of reports that Chuka Ndulue will be joining the team as an assistant defensive line coach. Ndulue was the defensive line coach at Colorado State. Ndulue joined that staff in 2024 after spending two seasons in the same job at New Mexico. He also spent three seasons at Southern Illinois and began his coaching career at Oklahoma in 2017. Ndulue also played defensive line at Oklahoma and had stints in the NFL with the Broncos and Chargers. He did not appear in any regular season games for either club.
Yahoo
21 minutes ago
- Yahoo
FC Cincinnati tries to bounce back Wednesday against Lionel Messi and Inter Miami
Under Pat Noonan, FC Cincinnati has been good at bouncing back from tough results. The Orange and Blue took their sixth loss of the Major League Soccer season Saturday, squandering an early 2-0 lead to the Columbus Crew and losing 4-2. That was their sixth loss in MLS play against 13 wins and three draws, but the team has not lost twice in a row this season. In their next match after a loss this season, FC Cincinnati has three wins and two draws. The two draws came after conceding goals in the final minutes against Atlanta and Dallas. The team's skills at bouncing back will be sternly tested July 16, when Cincinnati hosts Lionel Messi and Inter Miami FC 7:30 p.m. at TQL Stadium. 'We have a lot of experience on this team to get through these types of moments,' said defender Matt Miazga. 'We don't lose much, but when we do, we're able to turn it around really quickly and that's our plan on Wednesday as well. We have to let it hurt for a moment, but there were a lot of positives to take from Saturday and we can keep progressing as a team.' The Inter Miami game is crucial in the MLS table Miami is 11-3-5 for 38 points, and has won five straight in MLS play. The teams will meet twice in the next two weeks, as Cincinnati travels there July 26. Cincy will fly to Utah to play Real Salt Lake on Saturday, while Miami plays at the New York Red Bulls. Miami's recent participation in the Club World Cup left them with three games in hand on Cincinnati and most other teams in the Eastern Conference. Entering the July 16 game, Miami is fifth in the East with 38 points in 19 games, but leading the conference in points per game (2.0), a shade ahead of first-place Philadelphia (1.95), who has 43 points in 22 matches. Cincy is second with 42 points (1.91), and Nashville and Columbus have 41 (1.86). Those three remaining makeup games could earn Miami nine points in the table, which puts extra emphasis on the pair of upcoming matches Cincy has with their Florida foes. Worst case, if Miami wins both games, the Orange and Blue could be looking up at them in the standings when they leave Miami July 26. If so, they could have a difficult time pulling ahead of them the rest of the way. Conversely, a win over Miami and a draw, or even two wins, could springboard Cincy with a lot of momentum into the final quarter of the regular season. But first things first, as the team's emphasis is on being focused and playing as a unit for the full 90 minutes Wednesday, which Miazga and Noonan said the team lapsed on at times against Columbus. 'It was disappointing,' Miazga said July 14. 'We had a tough video session today where we analyzed a lot of mistakes we've done in the game, as well as good moments because there were a lot of good moments. We let it slip and that's the reality: We let it slip away from us, and we got to bounce back, so the good thing is there's opportunity on Wednesday. We don't have to wait a whole week.' Will Lionel Messi sit out the Cincinnati game? Unlikely Messi, the Argentine who turned 38 on June 24, leads the team with 16 goals, which is also tied for league leadership. He has two goals apiece in five consecutive MLS games, which is a league record, and his 11 goals over his last six appearances ties an MLS record. He has never scored a goal in three matches against Cincinnati, and the Orange and Blue have won three straight MLS matches against Miami at TQL Stadium, not counting Miami's win in the U.S. Open Cup semifinals in 2023. That is the only time Messi has played at TQL Stadium, as he did not suit up in Cincy's 6-1 win last year on July 6. Fan interest in seeing Messi is palpable. Tickets on SeatGeek are ranging from $100 to $200 for the match, including over $122 in The Bailey. The matchup at TQL Stadium will be Miami's eighth game in 33 days since their first game in the FIFA Club World Cup June 14. Miami played four games in that tournament, claiming one win and two draws in group play, then losing to eventual runner-up Paris Saint-Germain 4-0 in the round of 16. Miami played a league makeup game July 9 against New England to add to its compressed schedule. Counting the Club World Cup, Messi has played in 90-plus minutes in 15 straight matches for Miami since April 30. He also played in two FIFA World Cup qualifiers for Argentina in early June but didn't play the full 90 either time. Messi hasn't become one of the greatest to ever play the game without being exceptionally fit, but he is still 38 years old and has been working in exceptionally hot conditions at times this summer. Javier Mascherano, Inter Miami's first-year head coach, acknowledged after Saturday's win over Nashville that Messi will need to sit out a game at some point. But he will leave that up to his superstar, especially since he is healthy and in top form. Tuesday morning, before the team left for Cincinnati, Mascherano gave no indication to Miami media that Messi would sit out Wednesday night. 'Obviously, at some point we will have to give him a rest,' Mascherano said in the Miami Herald on Sunday. 'We talk to him every day, he feels good, and whenever we feel it's the time to give him a break, we will. As for his performance, there are no words. It is incredible what he keeps doing, breaking records every three days. I have said it a million times, he is the flag bearer of this team, he marks our path, he's our leader. He's the one who shows his teammates how we have to maintain our form right now and it's a blessing for me to be alongside him in this stage of his career.' Miami is a dangerous offensive team with or without Messi Messi has other headline-making stars that he has also played with for FC Barcelona: Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba and Luis Suarez. Suarez has five goals and scored twice in a 2-0 win over Cincy last year in Florida. Tadeo Allende has seven and Telasco Segovia five. Despite only playing 19 games, Miami has more goals scored (44) than anyone in the Eastern Conference and second overall in MLS to San Diego (46). 'I would say, unfortunately, in this scenario it's a player that nobody has had the answer to stopping, ever, and I say 'the player', but, how does Messi get the ball in dangerous spots?' Noonan said. 'How does Busquets find him? How does Alba find those two? How does Suarez move off of it? Again, I'm naming guys that rightfully deserve to be talked about the way they are is because they're elite. They play at a very high level and it can't just be about 'how do you stop those four?' because those four are going to find the open man if you're only concerned about trying to stop them. It always has to be a collective.' Miazga agreed that his team needs to be cohesive. 'The reality is we're playing one of, if not the greatest players that ever played,' Miazga said. 'So, we have to be mindful of where he is and what he does, but at the same time, we're playing at home. We have to focus on ourselves and push our game forward and if we do that, we'll minimize them, and that's the most important thing.' More: Evander is 'bridge' in FC Cincinnati's locker room Cincinnati has a strong offense of its own Cincinnati midfielder Evander is on a heater of his own, having scored at least one goal in four consecutive games, and he has 13 overall, tied for third in the MLS rankings behind Messi and Nashville's Sam Surridge. A goal Wednesday night would make him the first player in FC Cincinnati history to score a goal in five straight matches. Lucho Acosta scored in four straight matches twice, and Brandon Vazquez once. Miami's defense limited a potent Nashville team to one goal in a 2-1 win Saturday. But overall, Miami has been leaky at times on its side of the pitch, allowing 30 goals for the season and posting only three shutouts in MLS play, none since April. Noonan is expecting their best performance around their net. 'I think the pieces around them right now are also performing at a high level. That's why their team looks so strong. And so, it'll be a good challenge for us,' Noonan said. 'It has to be 90 minutes of concentration and courage - both sides of the ball - to understand how to play and manage a game. So, I know the guys are looking forward to it. We want to get past the frustration of what we just experienced and try to use that as a lesson to be better on Wednesday.' More: Pavel Bucha is 'engine' for FC Cincinnati, even in loss Injury updates Noonan announced that defender Nick Hagglund would be available for the Miami game, which if he plays would mark his first appearance since fracturing ribs and collapsing a lung May 25 at Atlanta. "He's back,' Noonan said. 'He's been around enough, even with his absence with the injury on field, he's been present. And his energy, his leadership, has been felt the entire period of time that he's not able to be on the field with his teammates. But Nick's been Nick, which is always impactful in a positive way for our group.' Noonan said that Yuya Kubo remains day-to-day with his calf injury. Kubo has played one game since May 17, going June 25 at Montreal but has been out since. Noonan said a couple of other players took minor knocks Saturday against Columbus and will be monitored heading into gametime. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: FC Cincinnati will look to bounce back against Messi and Inter Miami
Yahoo
21 minutes ago
- Yahoo
FC Cincinnati drops Lionel Messi and Inter Miami CF at TQL Stadium
FC Cincinnati hosts Inter Miami CF 7:30 p.m. July 16 at TQL Stadium. It is a highly anticipated matchup as the teams battle for position in the Eastern Conference table of Major League Soccer. Fans are expecting to see Argentina legend Lionel Messi take the pitch at TQL Stadium for only the second time since he joined Inter Miami in July, 2023. The first time came in the semifinals of the U.S. Open Cup, when Miami eliminated Cincinnati in penalty kicks following a 3-3 draw. FINAL: FC Cincinnati 3, Inter Miami CF 0 In a battle of two MVP candidates and top teams in Major League Soccer, FC Cincinnati defeated Inter Miami CF 3-0 July 16 at TQL Stadium. Cincinnati handed Miami only its third shutout in MLS league play this season, and first in seven league games since Miami lost 3-0 to Orlando on May 18. In the process, they kept Lionel Messi from having dangerous opportunities close to the goal as he failed to score for the first time in seven MLS games. Messi had scored two goals in five-straight contests, a league record. Cincinnati (14-6-3, 45 points), which lost 4-2 to Columbus on Saturday, improved its record to four wins and two draws this season after losing a game in MLS play. "It's nice that we had such a quick turnaround so we could kind of just put the game in the past and focus on what we needed to do, and go out there and perform," said goalkeeper Roman Celentano. "I just think that shows the mental strength of the group, showing that we can bounce back from one of the toughest nights in this building in a long time and give our fans something to cheer about. So I was just happy with how everyone came into this week, got ready for this game, and didn't really overthink it, but took it very seriously, and just went out there and performed." Head coach Pat Noonan was pleased with the team's resilience against the highest-scoring team in MLS. "We played the game in a better way with the lead," Noonan said. "Was it perfect? No, there were tough moments when we had to defend, and we had to defend good movement, good one-v-one ability on the ball, and I thought our guys were up for it. Made a lot of big plays in the right moments, and scored some good goals. It's not easy to beat a team of that quality with the form that they're in and to score three and get a shutout, I'm very pleased about that." Cincy stays one point behind Philadelphia for first place in the Eastern Conference after the Union (46 points, 14-5-4) defeated Montreal 2-1 July 16. Miami drops to 11-4-5 for 38 points, fifth in the East. Nashville is third at 44 points after beating Columbus 3-0, with the Crew in fourth with 41 points. The Orange and Blue next play at Real Salt Lake 9:30 p.m. July 19. 71st minute: Evander makes it 3-0, Cincinnati FC Cincinnati now leads 3-0 in the 71st minute. Evander poked in a rebound from close range after the keeper Rocco Rios-Novo could not grab a hard shot from the right side of the 18 by Luca Orellano. It is Evander's second goal of the game and 15th of the year, two behind Nashville's Sam Surridge for league leadership and one behind Messi. Evander made a statement in the MVP race tonight. "It's always going to be tough when Messi's in the running, but Evander's unbelievable," Celentano said. "He's been producing more and more, and he's just looks like he's super comfortable out there and I hope he wins it. Who knows what's going to happen, and we're just happy to have Evander on our team." 60th minute: Still 2-0 as Miami gets some chances Miami starting to get some more chances. Luis Suarez missed high on a volley from the middle of the 18, and Messi just missed wide left from more than 25 yards out. Teenage Hadebe replaced Kei Kamara in a defense for offense switch with the two-goal lead. 50th minute: Evander puts Cincinnati up 2-0 Evander scored his 14th goal of the season to give FC Cincinnati a 2-0 lead. The play developed as Pavel Bucha got the ball on the right side of the offensive zone with a lot of room to maneuver. He passed to Evander, who was in the middle of the field at the front of the penalty box, and Evander, with two defenders near him, beat backup keeper Rocco Rios-Novo inside the right post. Evander has now scored a goal in five straight games for Cincinnati, a club record. Lucho Acosta and Brandon Vazquez had past streaks of four games in a row for the team. Halftime: FC Cincinnati 1, Inter Miami CF 0 The Orange and Blue controlled the first half, although the visitors got a couple of decent opportunities late in the half. Lionel Messi got the ball in front of the goal from close range but could only get off an off-balance shot that was deflected wide as he was closely marked by Lukas Engel. In the final minute of stoppage time, Messi fired a left-footed laser from 20 yards, but right at Roman Celentano. Cincy had seven shots in the half to three for Miami. Xavier's new head men's basketball coach Richard Pitino pulled the sword in the pregame ceremony. 33rd minute: Cincinnati 1, Miami 0 Miami has yet to have an official shot attempt as the game pauses for a hydration break and Messi has barely touched the ball. Miami goalkeeper Oscar Ustari has been replaced by Rocco Rios-Novo after suffering an injury in the 26th minute. 20th minute: Dado Valenzuela gives Cincinnati 1-0 lead In the 17th minute of the play, Luca Orellano dribbled around a Miami defender and found Dado Valenzuela, who was on the right side of the box and went unmarked to the left side. He took a short pass from Orellano before beating the keeper Oscar Usteri, firing it past him inside the far post. It was Valenzuela's fifth goal of the year. "We try to get Orellano in isolation as much as possible," Valenzuela said. "And I just saw the center back was far behind, so I ran in that space with a lot of space. I give credit to the coaching staff, that (we) do these drills in practice and that's a drill, honestly, that we've done, and it worked today." Kevin Denkey missed the game due to injury Kevin Denkey, Cincinnati's second-leading scorer, is out for at least two weeks with an injury suffered to his leg in the first half of the Columbus game. ""He hasn't been injured before," Noonan said. "I don't think he understood maybe what he had going on, so he tried to continue playing. I think you know, when I look back at the game, maybe there was hesitation or limitations there. So it's a lesson for us for Kévin moving forward," Without him, that's more opportunity for Valenzuela going forward. "I don't try to think about, other players," Valenzuela said. "I just think about my opportunity, and when I get it, I try to make the most of it." Orellano had one of his best offensive games of the season with his playmaking. "It is important because I think he's had some good moments and tougher moments," Noonan said. "For Luca, it's not pushing too hard to try to impact the game. Let the game come to you at the right moment. It's not forcing the issue. And when he's patient, and when he plays the game in a simple way, he has a big impact almost always. And that's, I think, where maybe some of the struggle was, is trying to too hard, too often, and then and when it doesn't work out, then the frustration can build. So tonight he was simple, and he was rewarded, and our team was rewarded." 15th minute: FC Cincinnati 0, Inter Miami 0 as Cincy keeps Messi from getting the ball In the second minute of play, Kei Kamara missed wide from 18 yards after collecting the ball in transition off a turnover. In the 13th minute. Evander had a shot from the front of the 18 saved by Oscar Ustari. Cincinnati has been patiently working the ball on Miami's end of the pitch and has three shots to zero for the Herons. Lionel Messi has only had the ball once for an extended period at midfield. Lionel Messi will start against FC Cincinnati tonight Lionel Messi will start against Cincinnati with Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets, Tadeo Allende, Telasco Segovia, Benjamin Cremaschi, Jordi Alba, Tomas Aviles, Maxi Falcon, Marcelo Weigandt and Oscar Ustari in goal. Cincinnati, without second-leading scorer Kevin Denkey, who took a minor injury Saturday, will start Dado Valenzuela and Kei Kamara up top. Evander is in the midfield with Pavel Bucha and Tah Brian Anunga, and Roman Celentano in goal. Manning the backline are Matt Miazga, Miles Robinson and Lukas Engel. Luca Orellano and DeAndre Yedlin will play the wings. Nick Hagglund is an available substitute, his first time suiting up since fracturing ribs May 25 at Atlanta. There was some speculation whether Messi would actually play because it is Miami's eighth match in the last 33 days, and fourth MLS game in the past 15. Messi, 38, has played the full 90-plus minutes in the past seven matches, including all four games Miami played in the FIFA Club World Cup. Miami head coach Javier Mascherano said Saturday night that Messi will likely sit out a game at some point soon due to the team's compressed schedule. However, Messi made the trip to Cincinnati, and Mascherano noted on Tuesday that Messi could have extra motivation because he has not scored a goal against Cincinnati. Lionel Messi 2025 MLS stats Messi is tied for the MLS lead in goals scored with 16, tied with Nashville's Sam Surridge. He has 10 goals in his last five games, setting a league record for consecutive matches with multiple goals. Cincinnati's Evander is tied for third in MLS with 13 goals entering the match. Ticket prices for FC Cincinnati vs. Inter Miami CF Tickets on the secondary market at SeatGeek are all in triple digits. Tickets in The Bailey are $133 and up, and club seats over $300. Inter Miami CF 2025 record Miami enters the game with a record of 11-3-5 in Major League Soccer. Miami has won five in a row in league play and is in fifth place in the Eastern Conference, albeit playing three fewer games than Cincinnati and the other teams in the top four in the conference. FC Cincinnati 2025 record Cincinnati is 13-6-3, good for 42 points and second place in the East, one point behind Philadephia Union. Nashville and Columbus are tied for third with 41 points. It is another busy and important night in MLS, with 14 matches being played. Columbus and Nashville meet at 8:30 p.m. in Tennessee, while Philly hosts last-place Montreal (15 points) at 7:30 p.m. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Lionel Messi, Inter Miami dominated by FC Cincinnati
