This Saturday at 7:30 pm ET, FC Cincinnati and Inter Miami will clash in an epic showdown set to shake the foundations of the MLS. Broadcast live on Apple TV – MLS Season Pass, this isn’t just any game; it’s a battle of titans that could define the season’s trajectory.

Inter Miami has been the team to beat. Under Tata Martino’s leadership, they’ve racked up an impressive 47 points, topping both the Supporters’ Shield and the Eastern Conference. Even without stars Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez, who are representing their countries in the Copa América, the team hasn’t skipped a beat. Four consecutive 2-1 victories show that the machine is well-oiled.

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On the other side of the pitch, we find the formidable FC Cincinnati, the current Supporters’ Shield champions. Led by the brilliant Luciano Acosta, who has already tallied 9 goals and 15 assists this season, Cincinnati means business. The Argentine, MLS MVP in 2023, is a true playmaking and finishing machine. Additionally, the return of USMNT defender Miles Robinson adds an extra layer of solidity to the team’s defense. Just two points behind the leader, Cincinnati is entering the field with fire in their eyes, ready to take the lead.

But hold on, it’s not all smooth sailing for Inter Miami. The team will be missing two key players: Jordi Alba and Diego Gómez, both suspended due to accumulated yellow cards. This could be a tough blow for Martino, who will need to tweak his strategy to compensate for these losses. However, if there’s one thing we’ve learned this season, it’s that underestimating Inter Miami is a grave mistake.

Inter Miami, with their upward trajectory and talent-laden roster, faces their biggest test yet. FC Cincinnati, determined to prove their success was no fluke, aims to solidify their top position. The two teams have distinct but equally effective playing styles.

Coaches play a crucial role here. Tata Martino, with his vast experience, knows that a game like this demands more than tactics; it requires heart and emotional intelligence. On the other hand, Cincinnati’s leadership must be surgical in exploiting the weaknesses of a depleted yet resilient Inter Miami.

So, what can we expect from this clash of giants? Will the absence of Messi and Suárez make a difference? Can Inter Miami maintain their momentum without Jordi Alba and Diego Gómez? And FC Cincinnati—will Luciano Acosta continue his brilliant season and lead his team to victory?

Dennis Smith Jr. is coming off a solid year for the Brooklyn Nets.

The former NC State star finished the season with averages of 6.6 points, 2.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.2 steals per contest while shooting 43.5% from the field and 29.4% from the three-point range in 56 games.

This summer, he became a free agent who is available to sign with any team in the NBA.

On Friday, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported intel from around the league.

He noted that Smith Jr. could be an option for the Dallas Mavericks.

Via Scotto’s article on HoopsHype: “The Dallas Mavericks have considered bringing one of two former guards back to the team, Spencer Dinwiddie and Dennis Smith Jr, league sources told HoopsHype.”

Smith Jr. was initially the ninth pick in the 2017 NBA Draft by the Mavs.

He spent part of two seasons with Dallas and was teammates with Luka Doncic for 32 games.

In addition to the Mavs and Nets, Smith Jr. has also spent time with the Charlotte Hornets, New York Knicks, Portland Trail Blazers and Detroit Pistons over seven seasons.

His career averages are 9.7 points, 3.0 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.2 steals per contest while shooting 40.7% from the field and 29.8% from the three-point range in 326 regular season games.

As for the Mavs, they are coming off a season where they were the fifth seed in the Western Conference with a 50-32 record.

They reached the NBA Finals for the first time since the 2011 season.

An Atlanta family’s dream vacation has turned into a nightmare after Hurricane Beryl stormed through Jamaica during their stay. 

“They’re depressed, my kids are depressed,” said Atlanta mom Tawanda Jones.

She and five of her family members have been staying at the Jewel Grande resort in Montego Bay. Now they’ve been stranded in Jamaica by Beryl. Jones took video of flooding on their hotel room balcony as the storm barreled through the island Wednesday. And their resort has been without power ever since. 

“It’s like 80 to 90 degrees in [our] room, and it’s scorching hot. Your nose is sweating, everything is sweating,” Jones said. 

She says they’ve tried to leave the windows open to cool off the room, but mosquitoes then swarm inside. 

“So we’re getting ate up, I tried to do that last night and I got so many bites on my legs, so I’m not doing that tonight, I’m not gonna do it,” Jones said.   

She also shared video with us of a pitch black hotel room once the sun went down.

The family was supposed to fly back on July 4th, but Delta Air Lines canceled their flight and said the soonest they could rebook them was on Monday. 

“And I told her I’m a registered nurse. I can’t be off of work this long and not be able to go back, and we have a special needs daughter with cerebral palsy and deaf, and we left her with someone to watch her while we were gone. And they have to go back to work,” Jones said.  

To make matters worse, she says the resort is trying to charge them for the extra days they’re staying there. 

“$176 per person and there’s six of us,” Jones said.  

Jones feels she’s almost at her wit’s end.

“I didn’t budget that in…and the kids have nothing to do, and I’m worried about what they’re gonna be charging me in the end, I just can’t,” Jones said.   

She said she’s still working to get an earlier flight back.