JAVIER MASCHERANO CLAIMS INTER MIAMI WERE MISLEAD OVER DONALD TRUMP MEETING ASPECT

The Inter Miami squad visited the White House and President Donald Trump on Thursday to commemorate their MLS Cup win.

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Head coach Javier Mascherano has claimed that Inter Miami were told something different to what actually occurred prior to their White House meeting with US President Donald Trump.

Inter Miami were invited to meet President Trump to commemorate their MLS Cup win at the end of 2025.

The entire squad, including Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, joined the President on-stage as he addressed the media at the White House.

Trump then presented Messi with a signed pink football.

Speaking to the Argentinian legend directly, Trump said that Messi 'may be better than Pele', before declaring that son Barron is a 'big fan' of his.

Messi was handed a signed football by Trump (Image: Getty)

"He thinks you're just a great person," he said. "He's a tremendous fan of yours, as well as a gentleman named Ronaldo.

"Cristiano is great. Some big champions, some great, great athletes in that sport."

Shortly after their arrival, the Inter Miami squad listened on stage as Trump gave updates on the ongoing US and Israel attacks on Iran.

Among other topics, Trump repeated his baseless claim that the 2020 presidential election was 'rigged and stolen', before he turned to secretary of state Marco Rubio and appeared to ask him to prepare for a war on Cuba.

He also discussed the Dow Jones stock market, the political situation in Venezuela, and baseball icon Alex Rodriguez.

During a media conference on Friday, Mascherano has claimed that he and his squad were told they would 'only talk about football' before their White House meeting.

He admitted, however, that the visit had been scheduled around 'two months ago', long before the US and Israel began their 'major combat operation' on Iran.

"I thought we were going to talk football," he said (via the Miami Herald).

Mascherano stood on stage as Inter Miami were welcomed by Trump (Image: Getty)

"We complied with a protocol that is a tradition to come to the White House for being the championship team. It was planned a long time ago for the week we would play here in Washington.

"We were there a few hours, got to see a little bit of the White House, not much, what we could.

"The contact with President Trump was what was seen on TV, not much more than that.

"The White House visit was planned between a month and a half and two months ago."

- Ryan Smart

LA GALAXY BEAT NEW YORK RED BULLS TO WIN 6TH MLS CUP

CARSON, California -- Goals from Joseph Paintsil and Dejan Joveljic extended the LA Galaxy's league-leading tally of MLS Cup titles to six with a 2-1 victory over the visiting New York Red Bulls.

Held at a sold-out Dignity Health Sports Park on Saturday, the championship match quickly hit the ground running for the home side. Following a rapid buildup in the ninth minute from a Galaxy side that was missing injured star player Riqui Puig, midfielder Gastón Brugman played a through ball to Paintsil, who made it 1-0 after slotting the ball past Red Bulls keeper Carlos Coronel.

The Galaxy then quickly doubled their lead after Marky Delgado won back possession in the 13th minute and gave Joveljic the chance to pick up a pass, run forward and sneak a shot past Coronel to make it 2-0.

The Red Bulls eventually cut into the deficit with their first attempt of the match. After a chaotic sequence in the box following a corner, the Red Bulls were given a lifeline through a 28th minute goal from defender Sean Nealis.

Despite allowing the goal, the Galaxy held on through a more timid second half.

Eager to hold onto the scoreline, the home side sat back and invited pressure from the Red Bulls, who rarely tested goalkeeper John McCarthy. Although the Galaxy failed to capitalize on a few opportunities of their own in the final stages, their two goals from the first half were enough to cement a 2-1 win by the final whistle.

LA Galaxy players celebrate after beating the New York Red Bulls to win MLS Cup.

The Galaxy, who now have a two-championship cushion over four-time winners D.C. United, ended a title drought that extended back to 2014. The Red Bulls, formerly known as the New York/New Jersey MetroStars, remain one of three original clubs to have never won an MLS Cup alongside the New England Revolution and FC Dallas.

The Galaxy finished 17-0-3 this season at their frequently renamed suburban stadium, where the sellout crowd of 26,812 for the final included several robust cheering sections of traveling Red Bulls supporters hoping to see their New Jersey-based club's breakthrough on the biggest stage in MLS.

The Galaxy's Greg Vanney became the fourth coach to win an MLS title with two clubs. The former Galaxy player also won it all with Toronto in 2017.

However, Vanney had previously lost three MLS Cup finals with LA as a player between 1996 and 2001. Entering this season, the Galaxy had only reached the postseason once under Vanney since he took over in 2021.

"I fell on my face three times as a player," Vanney said. "So finally to come back to the club that is home for me, I'm just, I'm proud. And I'm grateful for my family who puts up with me and my immersion in this project. I'm just really excited."

One of the players who filled in for Puig was Gastón Brugman, whose effort in the final earned him MVP honors.

"This is an amazing day," Brugman said. "I waited for this moment a lot of time. And I'm really happy for the fans, for Riqui, for the club, for us. It's an amazing day."

The club famous for employing global stars from David Beckham and Zlatan Ibrahimovic to Robbie Keane and Javier "Chicharito" Hernández rebuilt itself this season with lesser-known young talents from around the world.

The Galaxy signed Pec from Brazil and the Ghanaian Paintsil out of Belgium, and the duo combined with incumbent Serbian striker Joveljic to form a potent attack that could outscore almost any MLS opponent.

But the Galaxy also relied heavily on Puig, their Catalan catalyst and one of the best players in MLS. Puig stayed in last week's game after injuring his knee, and he even delivered the decisive pass to Joveljic for the game's only goal.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this story.

Game Information

Dignity Health Sports Park

12:00 AM, December 8, 2024

Coverage: FOX/MLS Season Pass

Carson, California, USA

Line: LA -0.5

Over/Under: 2.5

Attendance: 26,812

Referees: Guido Gonzales Jr.

- Cesar Hernandez

LIONEL MESSI'S INTER MIAMI ELIMINATED FROM MLS CUP PLAYOFFS IN FIRST ROUND

The MLS Cup title dreams of Lionel Messi came to an abrupt end on Saturday with his Inter Miami suffering a shock first-round elimination from the playoffs after a 3-2 home defeat to Atlanta United.

Miami had won the regular season campaign with a record points total but after losing twice in the best-of-three series, the MLS Cup favourites and their eight-times Ballon d’Or winner are out.

All the accolades Miami received for their regular season ‘Supporters’ Shield’ triumph count for little after an Atlanta team which finished ninth in the Eastern Conference pulled off a stunning upset.

Inter took the lead in the 17th minute when Messi was denied by a diving save from Atlanta keeper Brad Guzan but Matias Rojas followed in to slot home the loose ball.

Just two minutes later though the visitors, who only secured a wildcard spot on the final day of the season, levelled when a deflected pass from Dax McCarty fell to Jamal Thiare who confidently fired home with a sweet strike.

Miami were stunned when moments later Thiare struck again — the 37-year-old McCarty lifted the ball forward to Russian Aleksei Miranchuk who slipped the ball inside to the Senegalese striker who blasted home to make it 2-1.

Diego Gomez thought he had brought Miami level in the 23rd minute but his effort was ruled out for offside and Miami continued to look vulnerable against Atlanta’s swift breaks.

After the break, the 40-year-old former USA and Aston Villa keeper Guzan was in inspired form as he frustrated Miami’s search for an equalizer.

Inter Miami, with the injured Spanish midfielder Sergio Busquets on the bench, lacked fluency in midfield and neither Messi nor his former Barcelona strike partners Luis Suarez were at their best as they struggled to conjure up opportunities from limited service.

But it was Lionel Messi who finally broke through in the 65th minute, meeting a Marcelo Weigandt cross from the right with a thundering header.

"Miami pushed forward in search of the winner but instead, they were caught out once again with Pedro Amador’s cross from the left headed home at the back post by Polish midfielder Bartosz Slisz.

Inter Miami players were furious that the referee had allowed play to continue while their defender Tomas Aviles lay injured on the floor but their frustration was in vain.

The final whistle brought a deflated silence over Chase Stadium as Miami’s season, which so many had expected would end with their first MLS Cup title, concluded with the sight of Guzan and his Atlanta team-mates celebrating.

For Miami head coach Gerardo Martino, who won MLS Cup with Atlanta in 2018, an inquest is sure to follow but he tried to put a brave face on the loss.

“This season has had good and bad things. If you think about where we were in November last year, there has obviously been progress in terms of the club, not just the team. If you think about the expectations we had for this playoffs, obviously we came up a little short,” said the Argentine.

Martino said there was a despondent mood in the dressing room.

“The players are sad, as they should be when there are so many expectations and the team can’t fulfil them. In this final part of the year we got used to achieving the objectives but we couldn’t achieve the most important one,” he said.

Former Spain full-back Jordi Alba questioned whether the playoff format was the right approach for MLS.

I think this format is a bit unfair. It’s been done for many years but I think it should be the champion of one conference against the champion of the other, to make it as fair as possible,” said the former Barcelona wing-back.

Atlanta will now face Orlando in the Eastern Conference semi-finals with New York Red Bulls and New York City clashing in the other conference semi.

 - AFP

MILAN'S OLIVIER GIROUD KEEN TO JOIN LAFC THIS SUMMER - SOURCE

Olivier Giroud could become another big-name arrival in MLS. Marco Luzzani/Getty Images

 AC Milan striker Olivier Giroud is in talks with LAFC over a potential transfer this summer, with the France international keen on joining last year's MLS Cup finalists, sources have told ESPN.

While Giroud, whose contract with Milan is due to expire this summer, has also held discussions with other MLS teams, the player's preference is to join LAFC and hopes a deal can be reached, a source added.

LAFC also holds Giroud's discovery rights within MLS, meaning it has priority if he moves to the league. Any other club wishing to sign him will also have to negotiate with the Los Angeles club.

LAFC signed Giroud's former longtime France teammate Hugo Lloris ahead of the 2024 season.

Giroud, 37, is France's all-time leading scorer with 56 goals. He has spent the past three years at Milan, who he helped to the Serie A title in 2022.

He has enjoyed another stellar campaign in Italy, scoring 12 goals and adding eight assists in 26 Serie A appearances.

Giroud has previously enjoyed spells at Arsenal and Chelsea, as well as multiple French clubs.

At international level, he lifted the 2018 World Cup with France. He also represented the country at two other World Cups and three European Championships.

LAFC has reached the MLS Cup in the past two seasons, defeating the Philadelphia Union in the final in 2022 before suffering defeat to the Columbus Crew last time out.

The club has plenty of roster flexibility heading into the summer, with two designated player spots currently open.

- Julien Laurens and Jeff Carlisle

MLS CUP FINAL HIGHLIGHTS | COLUMBUS CREW VS. LAFC

 

COLUMBUS CREW BEAT LAFC 2-1 TO WIN MLS CUP FOR THIRD TIME

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The Columbus Crew scored first-half goals through Cucho Hernandez and Yaw Yeboah to beat holders LAFC 2-1 and win their third MLS Cup title on Saturday.

The Crew dominated possession early on and LAFC's defence succumbed when a Diego Palacios handball in the 31st minute led to a goal by MVP Hernandez, who slotted home his penalty.

The Crew doubled their lead four minutes later when Malte Amundsen made one of the best assists of the season with a long pass to Yeboah, who put the ball away to delight the rain-soaked, gold-and-black clad fans at Lower.com field.

LAFC, whose style relies on counter attacking, never got into gear in the first half and Crew keeper Patrick Schulte was not forced to make a save until close to halftime.

After the break, Carlos Vela, playing what could be his final game for LAFC, tried to capitalise on a defensive miscue but his shot went directly into the arms of Schulte.

LAFC finally responded in the 74th minute when Jesus Murillo stole the ball in the Crew's half and found an open Denis Bouanga, whose first attempt hit Schulte in the face.

The golden boot winner fired the rebound home to cut the deficit but the Crew defence held out to ensure victory on a rainy day in Central Ohio.

"Words can't describe it," said midfielder Aidan Morris.

"We've made so many sacrifices. What we do in this profession is a lot of work. It's a lot of days away from your family, it's a lot of traveling, so to have it end like this is a dream come true.

"That's what we do at this club and we'll go for it again next year."

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