Messi ‘never imagined’ he would achieve what he has
Lionel Messi says his dream was only ever to be a professional, and thanked God for all his success
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Lionel Messi will make a trip to Vancouver after all, one year after skipping the longest trip in Major League Soccer.
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Messi and Inter Miami will play two matches against the Vancouver Whitecaps later this month in the semifinals of the Concacaf Champions Cup tournament.
Inter Miami will visit Vancouver at BC Place on April 24 at 10:30 p.m. ET for the first leg of their semifinal. Inter Miami will host Vancouver in the second leg on April 30 at 8 p.m. ET at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
The first leg in Vancouver will be Messi’s first game in the Canadian city.
Messi, Luis Suárez and Sergio Busquets did not travel to Vancouver for a regular-season game last season on May 25, 2024. Inter Miami opted to rest their aging Barcelona trio, disappointing ticket-paying fans who attended the game.
Messi turned in a vintage performance, scoring two goals with an assist in Inter Miami’s 3-1 win against Los Angeles FC, to advance 3-2 on aggregate score during the second leg of their quarterfinal on Wednesday night.
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Vancouver’s Tristian Blackmon scored the tie-breaking goal to help the Whitecaps advance past LIGA MX side Pumas in Mexico City late Wednesday night. Vancouver scored twice on the road, capitalizing on the away goals tiebreaker for the tournament despite the 3-all aggregate score during their quarterfinal.
Vancouver is unable to host the first leg against Inter Miami on an early date due to an AC/DC concert held at the venue on April 22, creating a little bit of a schedule jam for Inter Miami.
Inter Miami is scheduled to host FC Dallas in a MLS regular-season match on April 26, two days after the first leg. It’s unclear whether MLS will adjust.
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Before the Champions Cup semifinal, Inter Miami will visit the Chicago Fire at Soldier Field on Sunday, then face the Columbus Crew at Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland on April 19.
Inter Miami and Vancouver’s semifinal will be played just six days apart, while the other semifinal between LIGA MX clubs Tigres UANL and Cruz Azul will be played eight days apart on April 23 and May 1.
If Inter Miami advances past Vancouver in the semifinal, it’s possible it could host the Champions Cup final on June 1 before participating in this summer’s FIFA Club World Cup.
Inter Miami will play Egyptian side Al Ahly FC in the Club World Cup opening game on June 14 in Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium, face FC Porto on June 19 in Atlanta, and play Palmeiras on June 23 in Miami during the group stage of the FIFA tournament.
Peter D’Oench is a reporter for CBS4 News. He came to CBS4 from WKRN in Nashville.
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Grim testimony was presented Thursday in a Miami courtroom during a bond hearing for two teenagers charged as adults in the alleged rape of a 12-year-old girl at an Overtown apartment building last summer.
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The testimony happened as attorneys for 13-year-old Nelson Nuñez and 12-year-old Jusiah Jones requested that the youngsters be released on bond. The case is being heard by Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Richard Herschel.
Detective Louis Joseph testified that the suspects “held her down” and that the attack “went on for 30 minutes.” He said rocks were placed in her mouth to silence her during the attack and that Jones was accused of doing that.
“The victim had rocks in her mouth and spat out the rocks. The victim did not tell her father because she was afraid she would get into trouble,” Joseph stated.
Jones’s attorney argued that his client was forced by the others involved to place the rocks in the girl’s mouth and claimed Jones never participated in the sexual assault or held the girl down. The attorney said the suspects threatened to punch Jones if he did not participate and that Jones actually tried to stop the attack.
Nelson Nuñez’s brother, father, and mother testified through a translator, saying Nuñez would be well supervised if allowed out on bond, was not a danger to the community, and would not flee. They also said he had no prior criminal history. Nuñez’s soccer coach, a family member, said, “He’s a very good kid. I would say he is a follower. He does not fight or curse.”
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Nuñez is being represented by defense attorney Bijan Parwaresch, a former prosecutor.
Judge Herschel said he wanted to hear more testimony before ruling on the bond and scheduled the hearing to continue at 9 a.m. Monday.
Radio: 104.3 FM (Miami/Ft. Lauderdale), ESPN 106.3 FM, (West Palm Beach), FOX Sports Radio 105.9 FM (Ft. Myers/Naples), 1450 AM (Suart), 97.7 FM (Florida Keys), WAQI 710 AM (Spanish-language broadcast, South Florida), 710 AM/1330 AM (Los Angeles)
VITALS: The Miami Heat (38-31) and Los Angeles Lakers (44-25) Lakers meet for the second and final regular season matchup. Earlier this season, LA recorded a home win on November 2. Last season, the teams split the series, 1-1, with each squad winning on their home floor. The Heat are 34-41 all-time versus the Lakers during the regular season, including 23-14 in home games and 11-27 in road games.
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PROJECTED STARTERS
HEAT
G Davion Mitchell
G Tyler Herro
C Kel’el Ware
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F Pelle Larsson
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F Bam Adebayo
LAKERS
G Luka Doncic
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G Austin Reaves
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C DeAndre Ayton
F Marcus Smart
F LeBron James
INJURY REPORT
HEAT
Bam Adebayo: Probable – Calf
Jaime Jaquez Jr.: Available – Hip
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Andrew Wiggins: Out – Knee
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Trevor Keels: Out – G League (Two-Way)
Jahmir Young: Out – G League (Two-Way)
Vlad Goldin: Out – G League (Two-Way)
Terry Rozier: Out – Not with team
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LAKERS
Maxi Kleber: Out – Back
Drew Timme: Available – G League (Two-Way)
Chris Mañon: Available – G League (Two-Way)
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Nick Smith Jr.: Available – G League (Two-Way)
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Spread: Heat -3.5 (-110), Lakers +3.5 (-110)
Moneyline: Heat -146, Lakers +124
Total points scored: 239.5 (over -110, under -110)
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call .
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Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra after their loss to the Charlotte Hornets: “That was disappointing to see. There were parts of the game where it was just highly competitive, both sides. Both teams were going back and forth. It was set up to be a great finish. Once they got it to 10, that’s when it really changed and the floodgates went from there.”
“So, it’s a disappointing end to that game and now we just have to focus on getting ready for Thursday. We’ll learn what we can but we have to move on and get on to the next fight and make sure we’re ready and do what we need to do for Thursday night.”
For more Miami Heat information and conversation, check out Off The Floor.
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Alexander Toledo is a contributor to Miami Heat On SI and producer/co-host of the Five on the Floor podcast, covering the Heat and NBA. He can be reached at Twitter: @tropicalblanket
Authorities identify man allegedly involved in shooting of Miami-Dade Water and Sewer employee – WSVN 7News | Miami News, Weather, Sports | Fort Lauderdale
NORTH MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) – Authorities are asking for the public’s help finding a man they believe was involved in the shooting of a Miami-Dade Water and Sewer employee, Tuesday.
According to authorities, 37-year-old Nathan J. Cooper pulled the trigger during a confrontation with a county employee, later identified as 33-year-old Sean Webster, which led to the man being hospitalized overnight.
Investigators said Webster got into an argument with Cooper outside a townhome on Northwest 84th Street, off Fourth Avenue in North Miami-Dade, just after 4:15 p.m. on Tuesday.
Webster was taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center in critical condition. Webster’s mother told 7News his condition has been improving after being shot in the chest.
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On Wednesday, authorities say they’ve positively identified the shooter to be Cooper.
If you have any information on this crime, call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a reward of up to $5,000.
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