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Daily Record
21-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Record
Richard King feels the St Mirren love after impressive home debut
The Saints defender netted in his first full start in front of an excited home crowd and says he felt the love they had for him already. Richard King says he felt the love from the St Mirren fans after a memorable home debut at the weekend. The Jamaican international netted from the penalty spot during the 8-2 Premier Sports Cup mauling of Annan Athletic. And it was a game the centre-back, who was on international duty at the Concacaf Gold Cup in the United States recently, certainly enjoyed being part of. Despite finishing international duty just two weeks ago, the highly-rated star made his debut against Forfar Athletic on Tuesday night before being thrown into the starting XI against Annan. 'It feels good,' the 23-year-old said after the game on Saturday. 'I felt the love by the fans, so it was a really good feeling. 'It is a really high level, fast, quick thinking, physical, so yeah, I really like it. It's a good feeling to score on my debut at home. It is a wonderful feeling.' Having moved to Paisley this summer on a two-year deal from Jamaican Premier League outfit Cavalier, King is hoping to help the Saints break into the top six for the fourth time in a row. Paisley boss Stephen Robinson has already made his mark on the defender and King says getting a sitdown chat with the manager allowed him to gain a good understanding of the Scottish game. He also learned from former Buddies wing-back Elvis Bwomono, whom he spent a season-long loan with in Iceland at IBV. King added: 'He's a good coach, a good manager, so he really does that very well [helping people settle in]. 'I knew Elvis so I got some good thoughts on the game here. He told me it was a good club, it's wonderful here and it's like a family here; because I knew Elvis was here, and I watched a few games, I saw he was in a good team.'
Daily Record
24-06-2025
- Sport
- Daily Record
Inside track on St Mirren new boy Richard King as he is tipped for success in Scotland
Daniel Blake of the Jamaica Observer has given Buddies fans an insight into what to expect from the highly-rated defender. St Mirren new boy Richard King has been backed to succeed in Scotland with his key attributes outlined. The Buddies have snapped up the highly-rated Jamaican international on a two-year deal from Cavalier FC of the island's Premier League. King was a player manager Stephen Robinson had been trying to get during the January transfer window — and he resumed his interest this summer as he sought a replacement for Richard Taylor who joined Sky Bet League One side Bolton Wanderers. The 23-year-old defender is currently on international duty with the Reggae Boyz in the Concacaf Gold Cup which is taking place in the United States. And King has been tipped to play a vital part in Robbo's team – with the centre-back able to defend aggressively and play with the ball at his feet, too. Speaking with the Paisley Daily Express, Daniel Blake of the Jamaica Observer has given the lowdown on what the black-and-white army can expect from Jamaica's rising star. 'Richard is quite a unique defender in Jamaican terms,' he said. 'Over the years, Jamaica has developed defenders who are aggressive, no-nonsense; those rough-nosed types, as they would say, but Richard is sort of unique. 'He's almost — and I don't want to directly compare him — similar to how William Saliba plays for Arsenal. He's very good on the ball, he can progress it very well and nine times out of 10, he tends to make the right decisions. 'And the way his body language is, you would never think that he is panicking. He tends to read a lot of situations before they may happen. I'm not saying that he is without fault because, sometimes, as his head coach would admit, he does look a little casual. 'But I think that is because a lot of times he goes into games with the mindset – and, quite frankly, accurate mindset – of that he is a very good defender.' In his short career so far, King has already tasted success on multiple occasions as captain after lifting the Jamaican Premier League trophy three times and also the Caribbean Club Championship trophy with Cavalier. The success in the latter tournament saw him come up against some of the greatest players in the game in Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez after he faced United States MLS side Inter Miami in the Champions Cup in March. Most of his career has been shaped in Jamaica apart from a short loan spell in Iceland with IBV where he played with former Buddies wing-back Elvis Bwomono. Daniel says Reggae Boyz supporters look at King in a different light as he is revered as one of the special players due to being born and having played on the island. 'Over the last maybe 10 years,' he added, 'Jamaica has done a lot of scouting of UK-based talents. [But] Richard, who has been playing in Jamaica for the last five to six years – though he did have the loan in Iceland – was basically the only local player who was a mainstay. 'So, even though our league may not be comparable to the English Premier League and the Championship and so forth, every coach has seen his value because of how good he is. 'He is also one of the players where he is [seen as] 'one of us' as he was born and raised here. That isn't a slight on any of the other players who have a Jamaican connection. 'But there is a different pride when you see players grow up and play in our high school competitions, and local leagues, to then go on and make it in the game.
USA Today
13-03-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Lionel Messi in Jamaica: Cavalier vs. Inter Miami in Champions Cup live updates
Lionel Messi in Jamaica: Cavalier vs. Inter Miami in Champions Cup live updates Show Caption Hide Caption Messi 'never imagined' he would achieve what he has Lionel Messi says his dream was only ever to be a professional, and thanked God for all his success Stats Perform Video Lionel Messi could potentially return to action on Thursday night as Inter Miami faces Cavalier FC in the second leg of their Concacaf Champions Cup round-of-16 showdown. Messi and Inter Miami arrived in Jamaica on Wednesday night to a hero's welcome, where he was greeted off the plane by Olivia Grange, Jamaica's Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport. Messi was also featured on the front and back covers of the Jamaica Observer newspaper on Thursday, with a photo of Grange presenting Messi with a t-shirt of Bob Marley playing soccer. I was delighted to meet Lionel Messi as he arrived at the NMIA tonight with his Inter Miami Club members for their return game tomorrow against Cavalier Football Club in the Concacaf Champions Cup. — Hon. Olivia 'Babsy' Grange (@Babsy_grange) March 13, 2025 Messi's game status is up in the air before the match: It's unclear whether he will start or come off the bench for Inter Miami, or even play at all despite traveling with the team. Messi has missed Inter Miami's last three games due to fatigue, but could be needed against the eager Jamaican Premier League champions at National Stadium in Kingston. Inter Miami leads the Champions Cup series against Cavalier with a 2-0 aggregate score. How to watch Cavalier FC vs. Inter Miami match on Thursday? The Cavalier FC vs. Inter Miami match will be available to watch on FS2 in English, and on TUDN and ViX in Spanish. What time does Cavalier FC vs. Inter Miami match begin? The match begins at 8 p.m. ET (7 p.m. in Jamaica, 9 p.m. in Argentina). Is Messi playing tonight in Jamaica? It's possible Messi could play, but a formal decision will be known when Inter Miami announces its starting lineup about an hour before the match begins. Messi arrives in Jamaica with Inter Miami Jamaica's Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment, and Sport, Olivia 'Babsy' Grange, extended a warm welcome to football legend Lionel Messi as he arrived in the country with his Inter Miami teammates. The Argentine superstar landed at Norman Manley International Airport at… — Jamaica Observer (@JamaicaObserver) March 13, 2025 Good morning from Jamaica 🇯🇲🗞️ — Inter Miami CF (@InterMiamiCF) March 13, 2025 How many games has Messi missed? Messi has not played in the last three Inter Miami matches, but was anticipated to return off the bench last Sunday at home against Charlotte FC. However, Inter Miami was forced to play with 10 players after goalie Oscar Ustari was given a red card and ejected in the first half of the match. Instead of playing without a goalie, Mascherano substituted midfielder Benjamin Cremaschi out of the match for backup goalie Rocco Ríos Novo. Mascherano said he didn't want to risk playing Messi in the match while down a player. Messi did not travel to Inter Miami's 4-1 win against the Houston Dynamo on March 2, and did not play in Inter Miami's first leg against Cavalier FC last Thursday. Messi predominately played in three matches during a six-day stretch from Feb. 19-25, and eight matches in a 40-day span from Jan. 18 to Feb. 14, including five preseason matches played in Las Vegas, Peru, Panama, Honduras and Tampa, Florida. Messi's upcoming schedule with Inter Miami, Argentina After Inter Miami returns from Jamaica, they will have a rematch Sunday against Atlanta United — the club that eliminated them in upset fashion from the first round of the MLS Cup playoffs last season. It will be Inter Miami's last match before the FIFA international window opens for World Cup qualifiers. Messi is expected to join the Argentine national team for two matches: Argentina visits Uruguay on March 21, then Argentina hosts Brazil on March 25. Inter Miami's last match of the month will be on March 29 at home against the Philadelphia Union. Who will Inter Miami or Cavalier FC face in next round of Champions Cup? The winner of the Inter Miami-Cavalier FC matchup will meet LAFC in the quarterfinals of the Concacaf Champions Cup. The quarterfinal series will begin in early April.
USA Today
07-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Messi day-to-day with fatigue, Inter Miami coach says. When will Messi play again?
Messi day-to-day with fatigue, Inter Miami coach says. When will Messi play again? Show Caption Hide Caption Messi 'never imagined' he would achieve what he has Lionel Messi says his dream was only ever to be a professional, and thanked God for all his success Stats Perform Video FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Lionel Messi is considered day-to-day with fatigue, Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano said Thursday night after the Argentine World Cup champion missed his second straight game for rest. Messi watched Inter Miami beat Cavalier FC 2-0 in the first leg of their Concacaf Champions Cup round-of-16 match in an on-field suite at Chase Stadium with his wife and children. Mascherano said Messi is not injured, but dealing with the effects of logging significant minutes to start the 2025 season. Messi predominately played in three matches during a six-day stretch from Feb. 19-26, and eight matches in a 40-day span from Jan. 18 to Feb. 14, including five preseason matches played in Las Vegas, Peru, Panama, Honduras and Tampa, Florida. 'We decided to give him a rest, knowing the risks we run, obviously, of not having the best player in the world,' Mascherano said after the game against Cavalier, the reigning Jamaican Premier League champions. Mascherano did not divulge whether Messi would play in Inter Miami's next match, at home against Charlotte FC at 4 p.m. ET on Sunday, or the second leg against Cavalier next Thursday. Inter Miami will face Cavalier at National Stadium in Kingston, Jamaica, where a sold-out crowd of 35,000 people are expected to see Messi play. 'Day-to-day,' Mascherano said when asked about Messi's status for Inter Miami's next two matches. 'The doctors have told me that he has no injury. … He is fatigued from having played three games in six days,' Mascherano added. When Inter Miami returns from Jamaica, they will travel to face Atlanta United on March 16 in a rematch of last season's first-round series in the MLS Cup playoffs, which saw Messi and his side lose in upset fashion. Messi is also expected to join the Argentine national team for two World Cup qualifying matches later this month. Argentina will visit Uruguay on March 21, then host Brazil on June 25. Messi's upcoming schedule with Inter Miami, Argentina Messi could play in the following six matches with Inter Miami and the Argentina national team later this month:
USA Today
06-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Inter Miami vs. Cavalier FC live updates: How to watch Messi in Concacaf Champions Cup
Inter Miami vs. Cavalier FC live updates: How to watch Messi in Concacaf Champions Cup Show Caption Hide Caption Messi 'never imagined' he would achieve what he has Lionel Messi says his dream was only ever to be a professional, and thanked God for all his success Stats Perform Video FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Will Lionel Messi play as Inter Miami returns to action in the Concacaf Champions Cup tournament tonight? Messi's playing status is a topic of discussion as Inter Miami hosts Jamaican Premier League champions Cavalier FC on Thursday night at 8 p.m. inside Chase Stadium. Here's what we know: Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano said Messi is healthy and practiced with his teammates, but did not divulge whether Messi would play. Messi's status is essentially 'the same as the rest of the players.' 'We'll see,' Mascherano said of Messi on Wednesday. 'He's in good health, but we'll see what's good for us.' What's good for Inter Miami is obviously Messi returning to action after he did not travel for last Sunday's match against the Houston Dynamo. Inter Miami opted to rest Messi because of the congested start of the year where he predominately played in three matches during a six-day stretch from Feb. 19-26. If Messi plays Thursday night, it will be his first match in nine days. However, it also begins another stretch of three matches in a week for Inter Miami. On Sunday, Inter Miami hosts Charlotte FC in an MLS regular-season match. Next Thursday, Inter Miami will complete its round-of-16 matchup with Cavalier FC at National Stadium in Kingston, Jamaica — where Messi is expected to play his first match in the country in front of an already sold out crowd of 35,000 ticket buyers. Stay tuned here as USA TODAY Sports provides live updates from tonight's match between Inter Miami and Cavalier FC. Messi's status will be confirmed when Inter Miami announces its starting lineup, about an hour before the game begins. The match begins at 8 p.m. ET (9 p.m. in Argentina). The match will be available to watch on FS2 in English and ViX in Spanish. What to know about Cavalier FC? Cavalier FC is playing in the Champions Cup tournament for the second time in as many years. They qualified directly into the round of 16 by winning the Concacaf Caribbean Cup in December. The matchup against Inter Miami will be the second time Cavalier has faced MLS competition. Cavalier lost to FC Cincinnati by scores of 2-0 and 4-0 in the first round last year. Cavalier FC coach and sporting director Rudolph Speid said Wednesday: 'We're really looking forward to doing well. I think it will inspire a generation of players in Jamaica itself, just because of what will happen. We'll play them here. Everybody will be watching on TV. And, also in the return leg where we expect a packed stadium, and everybody just talking about the game. That inspiration is much more for the country than just our team.' Messi could play in the following six matches with Inter Miami and the Argentina national team later this month:
