Current:Home > ScamsInter Miami cruises past Hong Kong XI 4-1 despite missing injured Messi -ProfitBlueprint Hub
Inter Miami cruises past Hong Kong XI 4-1 despite missing injured Messi
View
Date:2025-04-17 00:39:44
HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong soccer fans and government expressed their disappointment on Sunday as Lionel Messi stayed on the bench for the full 90 minutes while Inter Miami defeated a Hong Kong XI 4-1 in the latest stop on the MLS team’s preseason Asian tour.
The Argentine has a hamstring strain and did not play as fans, who snapped up more than 38,000 tickets within an hour of them going on sale in December, could be heard booing in the late stages of the game and at the final whistle.
“Regarding Messi not playing the match today, the government, as well as all football fans, are extremely disappointed about the organisers’ arrangement. The organisers owe all football fans an explanation,” the government said in a statement on Sunday.
Inter Miami coach Gerardo Martino defended the decision, saying that the eight-time Ballon D’Or winner, as well as former Barcelona colleague Luis Suarez who also stayed on the bench, could not be risked.
Fans who filled the same arena a day earlier at least saw the 2022 World Cup winner in an open training session along with Miami co-owner David Beckham.
“We understand the disappointment of the fans for the absence of Leo (Messi) and Luis Suarez,” Martino said. “We understand a lot of fans are very disappointed and we ask for their forgiveness. We wish we could have sent Leo and Luis on for at least a while but the risk was too big.”
Despite the fans’ frustration, it was a better performance for Miami after a 6-0 thrashing by Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr in Riyadh on Thursday. Messi played the final seven minutes of that losing effort.
Robert Taylor opened the scoring for Miami five minutes before the break with a curling shot from the corner of the area. Henri Anier quickly leveled for the hosts, led by national team coach Jorn Andersen.
Lawson Sunderland restored Miami’s lead early in the second half and then, after 56 minutes, provided the assist for Leonardo Campana, who made it 3-1. Ryan Sailor headed a fourth five minutes from the end.
Miami finishes its Asian tour in Japan on Wednesday as it takes on Vissel Kobe.
___
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
veryGood! (3)
Related
- Friday the 13th luck? 13 past Mega Millions jackpot wins in December. See top 10 lottery prizes
- Sleater-Kinney talk pronouncing their name the secret of encores
- How long will the solar eclipse darkness last in your city? Explore these interactive maps.
- This house made from rocks and recycled bottles is for sale. Zillow Gone Wild fans loved it
- SFO's new sensory room helps neurodivergent travelers fight flying jitters
- Solemn monument to Japanese American WWII detainees lists more than 125,000 names
- Dandelions and shrubs to replace rubber, new grains and more: Are alternative crops realistic?
- Biden’s rightward shift on immigration angers advocates. But it’s resonating with many Democrats
- A Mississippi company is sentenced for mislabeling cheap seafood as premium local fish
- Is hypnosis real? Surprisingly – yes, but here's what you need to understand.
Ranking
- The Super Bowl could end in a 'three
- 4 men dead following drive-by shooting in Alabama, police say
- Michael Strahan's Daughter Isabella Shares Painful Update on Chemotherapy Amid Brain Cancer Battle
- State governments looking to protect health-related data as it’s used in abortion battle
- Former Syrian official arrested in California who oversaw prison charged with torture
- Texas football coach Steve Sarkisian's salary to significantly increase under new contract
- 5-year-old migrant boy who got sick at a temporary Chicago shelter died from sepsis, autopsy shows
- Maren Morris Is Already Marveling at Beyoncé’s Shift Back to Country Music
Recommendation
Finally, good retirement news! Southwest pilots' plan is a bright spot, experts say
FDA approves first cell therapy to treat aggressive forms of melanoma
Iskra Lawrence’s Swimwear Collection Embraces Authentic Beauty With Unretouched Photos
The Murderous Mindf--k at the Heart of Lover, Stalker, Killer
Global Warming Set the Stage for Los Angeles Fires
ECU baseball player appears in game with prosthetic leg after boating accident
Over 400 detained in Russia as country mourns the death of Alexei Navalny, Putin’s fiercest foe
NBA All-Star 3-point contest 2024: Time, how to watch, participants, rules