Lionel Messi will lead world champions Argentina in their opening World Cup qualifiers against Ecuador and Bolivia, the captain’s first internationals since joining Major League Soccer’s Inter Miami.
Coach Lionel Scaloni’s 32-man squad also features stalwarts including Angel Di Maria, who returned to Benfica this year, and defender Nicolas Otamendi. They will be joined by youngsters Alan Velasco of FC Dallas, Bruno Zapelli and Lucas Esquivel of Brazilian side Athletico Paranaense, and Lucas Beltran who has joined Italy’s Fiorentina.
AS Roma striker Paulo Dybala and Ajax Amsterdam goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli were ruled out with injuries. Argentina host Ecuador in Buenos Aires on September 7 and travel to play Bolivia five days later.
Blow for Messi, Miami MLS playoff hopes as Cincinnati clinch
FC Cincinnati led the way into the Major League Soccer playoffs on Wednesday as the slim post-season hopes of Messi’s Inter Miami took a hit with a goalless draw against Nashville. Second-half goals from Luciano Acosta and Brandon Vazquez lifted Cincinnati to a 2-1 victory at Atlanta, where Colombian Edwin Mosquera’s first MLS goal had put the hosts ahead in the 10th minute.
The victory was Cincinnati’s first at Mercedes-Benz Stadium and took the Eastern Conference leaders to 57 points and the first berth in the MLS Cup playoffs with eight matches remaining in the regular season.
Miami, meanwhile, made little headway in their unlikely bid to make the playoffs as they were held scoreless for the first time in the 10 games of the Messi era.
The Argentine star had scored 11 goals in nine appearances since joining Inter Miami – including their run to the Leagues Cup crown, in a US Open Cup semi-final and in his regular-season debut off the bench in New York on Saturday.
The workload may have finally caught up with him on Wednesday as he was unable to work the magic again in front of another star-studded crowd at a blustery DRV PNK Stadium, where boxing great Floyd Mayweather and FIFA chief Gianni Infantino were among the spectators. The draw left Miami 10 points out of the final playoff spot with 10 games remaining. They travel across the country to take on MLS Cup champions Los Angeles FC on Sunday.
Lionel Messi (AFP)
