Messi Scores but Miami Slump Continues with Loss to Toronto
Inter Miami CF forward Lionel Messi reacts during the MLS soccer match between Inter Miami CF and Toronto FC at Nu Stadium in Miami, Florida, USA, 22 August 2026. EPA/CRISTOBAL HERRERA-ULASHKEVICH
Messi Scores but Miami Slump Continues with Loss to Toronto
Inter Miami CF forward Lionel Messi reacts during the MLS soccer match between Inter Miami CF and Toronto FC at Nu Stadium in Miami, Florida, USA, 22 August 2026. EPA/CRISTOBAL HERRERA-ULASHKEVICH
A goal from Lionel Messi wasn't enough as Inter Miami fell 2-1 at home to Toronto on Saturday for their fifth straight match without a win.
Miami trailed 2-0 after goals from Toronto's Josh Sargent and Derrick Etienne Jr. in the 59th and 62nd minutes.
Argentine superstar Messi pulled a goal back for Miami in the 82nd, capitalizing on a sensational through ball from compatriot Rodrigo De Paul.
But Miami's final siege yielded no reward.
With 14 goals Messi is second on the Major League Soccer scoring chart behind Dallas's Petar Musa -- who went into Saturday with 16.
But Miami have four losses and a draw in their last five matches. That includes MLS play and the Leagues Cup, in which they were eliminated in the group stage.
They remained in second place in the MLS Eastern Conference, seven games behind leaders Nashville who have a game in hand, AFP reported.
But Robert Lewandowski's Chicago Fire moved within three points of Miami in the standings after a 1-1 draw at New York Red Bulls on Saturday.
Orlando City moved into the MLS Cup playoff positions in the East with a 2-1 victory over Real Salt Lake.
Orlando's French star Antoine Griezmann, recently arrived from Atletico Madrid, scored twice in the second half, his first MLS brace pulling Orlando back after Real Salt Lake took the lead through Dominik Marczuk in the 36th minute.
Man City Boss Maresca Targets Next Rodri after Midfielder's Exithttps://english.aawsat.com/sports/5310097-man-city-boss-maresca-targets-next-rodri-after-midfielders-exit
16 August 2026, United Kingdom, Cardiff: Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca reacts on the touchline during the FA Community Shield soccer match between Arsenal and Manchester City, at Principality Stadium. Photo: Nick Potts/PA Wire/dpa
Man City Boss Maresca Targets Next Rodri after Midfielder's Exit
16 August 2026, United Kingdom, Cardiff: Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca reacts on the touchline during the FA Community Shield soccer match between Arsenal and Manchester City, at Principality Stadium. Photo: Nick Potts/PA Wire/dpa
Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca said the club would look to find the next Rodri following the midfielder's departure to Barcelona, insisting City had repeatedly shown an ability to replace key players.
Rodri, 30, ended a seven-year spell at City on Tuesday, bringing to a close a trophy-laden stay that included four Premier League titles, the Champions League and two FA Cups.
"I'll try to find a new Rodri - it is what it is," Maresca told reporters on Saturday, a day ahead of City's Premier League opener against Bournemouth.
"Rodri, before he arrived here, he didn't win the Ballon d'Or, he didn't win the Champions League, he didn't win the Club World Cup. Then he joined the club and then he achieved many important things.
"Now the target for us is to try to find the new Rodri,” Reuters quoted him as saying.
Maresca acknowledged the Spain international would be difficult to replace but said City's recruitment history gave him confidence that a successor could emerge.
"When David Silva was here, everyone was worried – Kevin (De Bruyne) arrived. When Sergio Aguero was here, everyone was worried – Erling (Haaland) arrived. When Fernandinho left, Rodri arrived. It's just about this," he said.
"When they leave, you need to be good and recruit the next one."
Rodri, the 2024 Ballon d'Or winner and a member of Spain's European Championship-winning team, further enhanced his reputation by captaining his country to World Cup glory last month and being named player of the tournament.
His departure is among several notable changes during the close season as City continue to reshape their squad.
Maresca said he expected further transfer activity before the window closes but remained relaxed despite reports linking Omar Marmoush and Nico Gonzalez with moves away.
"We need to adapt and we don't want to keep players here that don't want to stay. The normal thing in transfer windows is that you have to wait because all the clubs try to keep players until the last week and then sell for more money," he said.
"It's normal. I'm not worried about that. When the transfer window closes and we have all the squad there, for sure it will be different."
Pegula Dethrones Swiatek to Book Cincy Final Against Gauffhttps://english.aawsat.com/sports/5310090-pegula-dethrones-swiatek-book-cincy-final-against-gauff
Jessica Pegula of the USA in action against Iga Swiatek of Poland during their semi final match of the Cincinnati Open tennis tournament in Cincinnati, USA, 22 August 2026. EPA
Pegula Dethrones Swiatek to Book Cincy Final Against Gauff
Jessica Pegula of the USA in action against Iga Swiatek of Poland during their semi final match of the Cincinnati Open tennis tournament in Cincinnati, USA, 22 August 2026. EPA
Jessica Pegula rallied in the third set to topple defending champion Iga Swiatek and book a title showdown with Coco Gauff at the ATP-WTA Cincinnati Masters.
World number three Pegula won a "crazy" match against Swiatek 7-5, 4-6, 6-4.
Gauff powered past giant-killer Sara Bejlek 6-4, 6-1, ending the unseeded Czech's dream run that included a fourth-round victory over world number one Aryna Sabalenka.
Their all-American Sunday night final will be a men's title clash featuring American Frances Tiafoe and Arthur Fils of France.
Fils charged into his first Masters 1000 final with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over French Open runner-up Flavio Cobolli in a match delayed for 45 minutes by rain and lightning.
Swiatek and Pegula then waited out another rain delay before their match, which was also briefly interrupted two games in.
"Crazy match today," Pegula said after needing nearly three hours to subdue Swiatek, who was coming off her first title of 2026 in Toronto last week.
"A lot of back and forth, a lot of breaks," AFP quoted her as saying, "Really windy, kind of odd conditions. I felt like we were playing well and then not playing well.
"It was really tough to kind of get a gauge on the match."
MASON, OHIO - AUGUST 22: Iga Swiatek of Poland plays a forehand during the match against Jessica Pegula of the United States during day 12 of the Cincinnati Open at the Lindner Family Tennis Center on August 22, 2026 in Mason, Ohio. Dylan Buell/Getty Images/AFP
The two rode a rollercoaster of breaks and re-breaks before Pegula took a 5-4 lead in the final set, Swiatek saving three break points before double-faulting on a fourth.
Pegula quickly closed it out, firing a service winner on match point.
"I was just really happy with the way I was able to kind of handle just a lot that was going on today," the 31-year-old American said. "I did a good job of no matter what was happening."
The first five games of what evolved into an epic went against the server as Pegula and Swiatek struggled to adjust to the conditions.
Swiatek blinked first as Pegula held at love for a 4-2 lead, but Swiatek won the next three games before Pegula broke again, finally taking the set when Swiatek smacked a volley into the net on set point.
They had exchanged two breaks in the second when Swiatek broke in the final game to square the match.
Swiatek leaves for the US Open starting on August 30 with a good feeling about her game despite the defeat.
"We made some steps forward in this intensive part of the season," the six-time Grand Slam champion said. "It was tough to play today with the wind, but we each put pressure on the other. I didn't feel good in the first set but coming back in the second and using all of my chances was a good change."
Gauff, the 2023 Cincinnati champion, got off to a hot start against Bejlek, jumping to a 4-1 lead. Bejlek fought back to 4-4, but the American regained her rhythm to close out the set and run away with the second.
"I tried not to take my foot off the gas because I knew at any moment she could come back," Gauff said.
Tiafoe, runner-up to Jannik Sinner in Cincinnati in 2024, returned to the final with a 7-5, 6-3 victory over fellow American Brandon Nakashima.
Tiafoe saved three set points in the opening set, breaking Nakashima five times in all to earn the win in less than two hours.
"It feels damn good," Tiafoe said.
The American predicted a "hell of a show" against Fils, whose 68-minute win over seventh-seeded Cobolli made him the youngest French Masters finalist since a 20-year-old Richard Gasquet in Toronto two decades ago.
Fils admitted he had been unsettled by the weather delay.
"You come on court more nervous because it's a semi-final. The rain arrives, you wait, and when you come back conditions are completely different," he said.
"It was tough but I'm happy with how I dealt with it."
Egypt Teenager Abdelkarim Pushing for Barca Place After Prolific Pre-Seasonhttps://english.aawsat.com/sports/5309980-egypt-teenager-abdelkarim-pushing-barca-place-after-prolific-pre-season
31 July 2026, United Kingdom, Birmingham: Barcelona's Hamza Abdelkarim celebrates scoring his side's second goal during a pre-season friendly soccer match between Birmingham City and Barcelona at St Andrew's @ Knighthead Park. (dpa)
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Egypt Teenager Abdelkarim Pushing for Barca Place After Prolific Pre-Season
31 July 2026, United Kingdom, Birmingham: Barcelona's Hamza Abdelkarim celebrates scoring his side's second goal during a pre-season friendly soccer match between Birmingham City and Barcelona at St Andrew's @ Knighthead Park. (dpa)
Egypt striker Hamza Abdelkarim could barely get a game for Al Ahly's first team before joining Barcelona but the 18-year-old is now the Catalans' leading pre-season scorer and pushing for a place in Hansi Flick’s side ahead of their LaLiga campaign.
Abdelkarim scored four goals in five warm-up appearances, starting four matches and netting in three, after cutting short his post-World Cup holiday to join Barca’s preparations.
He initially arrived from Al Ahly during the winter transfer window and scored six goals in 11 appearances for Barcelona’s under-19 side. The Spanish club exercised their purchase option in June, signing him permanently until 2029.
With Barca yet to recruit an out-and-out striker following the departures of Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres, Abdelkarim could get first-team chances sooner than expected.
A product of Ahly’s youth academy, most of his few senior appearances came in Egypt’s equivalent of the English League Cup. Some Egyptian commentators questioned whether he could succeed at the highest level.
Yet Abdelkarim has appeared comfortable leading Barcelona’s attack. A classic center-forward, he has shown a poacher’s instinct, strength in the air and an ability to link up effectively with wingers.
He announced himself with a brace in a pre-season draw in Birmingham. After going scoreless in a triangular tournament in Udine, he struck within four minutes of coming on in Basel before opening the scoring against his former club Al Ahly in the Joan Gamper Trophy.
Abdelkarim had already caught the eye at the 2025 Under-17 World Cup in Qatar, scoring twice and setting up another goal in four appearances for Egypt.
Despite his lack of senior club experience, Egypt coach Hossam Hassan included him in his squad for this year’s World Cup. He did not score in four substitute appearances but won praise for his physicality and willingness to tussle with experienced defenders.
Egyptian fans now hope he can follow the path carved out by Mohamed Salah, whose guidance Abdelkarim is eager to absorb.
“Salah always speaks to me,” he told ONSport. “I have to make the most of his advice. We all know that what Salah has achieved is no coincidence. He is an idol to all Egyptians.”
Abdelkarim’s remarkable rise could take another leap on Sunday, with the teenager in contention to lead Barca's attack in their LaLiga opener at Elche.
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