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Messi-less Defending Champ Miami Wins Leagues Cup Opener

Luis Suárez of Inter Miami dribbles between defenders during the defending Leagues Cup champions' 2-0 victory over Puebla of Mexico - AFP
Luis Suárez of Inter Miami dribbles between defenders during the defending Leagues Cup champions' 2-0 victory over Puebla of Mexico - AFP
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Messi-less Defending Champ Miami Wins Leagues Cup Opener

Luis Suárez of Inter Miami dribbles between defenders during the defending Leagues Cup champions' 2-0 victory over Puebla of Mexico - AFP
Luis Suárez of Inter Miami dribbles between defenders during the defending Leagues Cup champions' 2-0 victory over Puebla of Mexico - AFP

Defending champion Inter Miami, playing without injured star Lionel Messi, blanked Mexico's Puebla 2-0 at home on Saturday to begin defending their Leagues Cup crown.

Paraguay's Matias Rojas opened the scoring in the ninth minute and Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez added an insurance goal in the 72nd minute to deliver Inter Miami's triumph.

Miami was without Argentine striker Messi, who is still recovering from a left ankle injury suffered two weeks ago in Argentina's victory over Colombia in the Copa America final, according to AFP.

Messi, who sparked Miami to the Leagues Cup title just after his arrival last year, missed two Inter Miami MLS regular-season matches and the MLS All-Star Game three nights ago.

The Leagues Cup sends MLS clubs and Mexico's Liga MX teams into a World Cup-style tournament with three-team groups where two clubs advance to knockout rounds.

Miami faces Mexican side Tigres next Saturday in its other group-stage match.

In Saturday's other group openers, Mexico's Atlas blanked Houston 1-0, New England beat Mazatlan 1-0, Philadelphia edged Charlotte 1-0 and Toronto beat the New York Bulls 5-4 on penalties after playing to a goal-less draw.

US midfielder Jack Panayotou scored in the 69th minute to boost New England to victory while Israeli striker Tai Baribo scored in the 33rd minute to give Philadelphia a triumph and Mexican defender Jose Lozano netted the winning goal for Atlas in the 83rd minute.

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Nadal Says Not Sure he'll Play Singles after Winning in Doubles with Alcaraz

27 July 2024, France, Paris: Spanish tennis players Rafael Nadal (R) and Carlos Alcaraz celebrate after winning their men's doubles 1st round tennis match against Argentina's Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni at Roland-Garros on the first day of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games in France. Photo: Marijan Murat/dpa
27 July 2024, France, Paris: Spanish tennis players Rafael Nadal (R) and Carlos Alcaraz celebrate after winning their men's doubles 1st round tennis match against Argentina's Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni at Roland-Garros on the first day of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games in France. Photo: Marijan Murat/dpa
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Nadal Says Not Sure he'll Play Singles after Winning in Doubles with Alcaraz

27 July 2024, France, Paris: Spanish tennis players Rafael Nadal (R) and Carlos Alcaraz celebrate after winning their men's doubles 1st round tennis match against Argentina's Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni at Roland-Garros on the first day of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games in France. Photo: Marijan Murat/dpa
27 July 2024, France, Paris: Spanish tennis players Rafael Nadal (R) and Carlos Alcaraz celebrate after winning their men's doubles 1st round tennis match against Argentina's Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni at Roland-Garros on the first day of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games in France. Photo: Marijan Murat/dpa

Rafael Nadal is not sure whether he will compete in singles at the Paris Olympics, saying after he paired with Carlos Alcaraz to win their first-round doubles match Saturday night that he wants to “make the smartest decision possible to have the best chances to bring (a) medal back home.”
Nadal's first match in singles, against Hungary’s Marton Fucsovics, is scheduled for Sunday.
“Tomorrow, I don’t know what’s going to happen,” Nadal said Saturday. “I don’t know if I’m going to play or not.”
He said he wants to consult with his team before figuring out what to do.
Nadal and Alcaraz — Spain’s old-and-new pairing of tennis superstars — won the first match they’ve ever played together as a doubles team, eliminating Argentina’s Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni 7-6 (4), 6-4.
According to The Associated Press, Nadal called it “amazing” and an “emotional moment.”
The 38-year-old Nadal has not made clear whether the Summer Games will be the last event of his storied career, although there’s been plenty of speculation it will be, given all of his recent injury issues — he wore white tape wrapped around his right thigh Saturday — and his connection to Roland Garros. That’s the clay-court facility being used for these Olympics and the site of the annual French Open, where he claimed a record 14 of his 22 Grand Slam titles.
Asked whether these Olympics could be his final outing before retirement, Nadal replied: “I never said that. I don’t know. I didn’t make any decision to say anything.”
Nadal’s participation in the 2024 Olympics actually began a night earlier, when he was a surprise torch bearer during the opening ceremony.
“I’m just enjoying these moments playing together with Carlos now. In doubles, (it’s) been an unforgettable day today — and for me, an unforgettable day yesterday,” Nadal said. “Enjoying every single moment, having the best experience possible.”
If Nadal, who won Olympic golds in singles at Beijing in 2008 and in doubles with Marc López at Rio de Janeiro in 2016, does play Fucsovics and wins, next up would be a second-round match against longtime rival Novak Djokovic.
“Playing him is like a final, really, for me in any tournament, particularly here, knowing what he has achieved, what he’s done, for our sport, particularly here in Roland Garros. His record speaks for itself,” Djokovic said after winning his first-rounder earlier Saturday. “I look forward to it. If we get to face each other, it’s going to be possibly the last time we get to face each other on a big stage. I’m sure that people will enjoy it. I’m looking forward to it.”
Neither Nadal nor Alcaraz, a 21-year-old coming off singles championships at the French Open in June and at Wimbledon two weeks ago, plays much doubles. There were hiccups Saturday against their sixth-seeded opponents, to be sure, including a 3-0 deficit in the second set, but the Spanish duo’s talent prevailed.
A reporter wanted to know from Alcaraz which of the two players is in charge out there.
“You should ask him,” Alcaraz said with a smile. “I mean, obviously, Rafa is. It’s easy playing with him. He has a really high level of energy. What he did it in the difficult moments of the match was unbelievable. And, obviously, I try to learn from him.”
If this outing in front of a packed and raucous crowd at Court Philippe Chatrier was any indication, the cheers for Nadal will be as loud as can be for as long as he remains in the Olympics brackets.
While he has played only sparingly over the past two seasons because of hip surgery and an abdominal muscle problem, and lost in the first round of this year’s French Open to eventual runner-up Alexander Zverev, Nadal looked just fine Saturday. Then again, doubles requires far less movement and stamina than singles, of course.
Still, Nadal’s movement appeared OK, and he showed off his tremendous volleying ability, including one back-to-the-net, over-the-shoulder, no-look winner in the first set. After the point, he wheeled and punched the air. Fans celebrated wildly.
Nadal frequently slapped palms with Alcaraz between points — whether won or lost — and occasionally patted his much-younger partner on the shoulder during pauses in the action.
When the match ended with a volley off Alcaraz’s racket, Nadal raised both fists. Alcaraz turned to his new partner and yelled, “Vamos!”