There is a fairly long list of things that you should care about when it

Each time Lionel Messi lined up for a free-kick in his first away game for Inter Miami, thousands of fans packed into a stadium in the searing Texas heat stood and held up their cell phones, ready to record. They all successfully captured footage of history repeating itself. Messi scored another mesmerising free-kick in his third consecutive two-goal game, drawing Inter Miami level before they snatched victory over FC Dallas on penalties to move into the Leagues Cup quarter-final. Messi’s goal in the 85th minute to square things at 4-4 was reminiscent of the game-winner from his Inter Miami debut, both free-kicks from just outside the area in the waning moments, both sneaking past the goalkeeper into the upper corner of the net. This time, the left-footed superstar was stationed to the right of the goal and beat FC Dallas’ Maarten Paes at his near post in the same manner he did from out on the left in a 2-1 win over Mexican club Cruz Azul. “I think there’s not much to say. I think everyone can see,” FC Dallas coach Nico Estevez said. “It’s obvious that for him a free-kick around there is like a penalty for another player. You have to pray that the ball goes out of bounds or he falls in the run-up to kick the ball.” The victory in the round of 16 sent Inter Miami into the Leagues Cup quarter-finals against the winner of Monday night’s contest between Charlotte FC and Houston. The second of Messi’s three consecutive two-goal games came in the first Leagues Cup elimination game, a 3-1 Miami victory over Orlando City that was delayed by an hour and a half because of a torrential rainstorm in Florida. The fifth match in Texas of Messi’s illustrious career had a kick-off temperature of 100 degrees (38 degrees Celsius) on the 14th consecutive day of triple-digit heat in the Dallas area and, because of the high temperatures, teams took a heat break midway through each half. Messi’s first goal outside of Florida for his new U.S. club was another left-footed strike from outside the penalty area in the sixth minute, after a pass from former FC Barcelona teammate Jordi Alba. It was initially disallowed for offside, although this was overturned following a VAR review. The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner and World Cup winner for Argentina has scored seven goals in four matches for Inter Miami — all in the Leagues Cup — with every game ending in victory after Inter went winless in nine consecutive MLS matches before the 36-year-old arrived. “We are very glad to be moving on and these types of games help us to continue to develop as a team and fix our mistakes,” Miami coach Gerardo Martino said through an interpreter. “We still have a long way to go to be at the level we want but in the end, I am glad that we obtained the victory.” Come the shootout, Messi converted the first penalty with a leisurely run-up before blasting his effort into the right corner. The difference was Paxton Pomykal firing over the crossbar with FC Dallas’s second spot-kick before Benjamin Cremaschi, who had also scored in the 65th minute, scored the winning penalty as Miami triumphed 5-3 in the shootout. Dallas had gone 4-2 up when Robert Taylor scored an own goal in the 68th minute but Dallas netted an own goal of their own in the 80th minute when Marco Farfan put a header into his net from a Messi cross. Soon after, Taylor had a moment of redemption when he was fouled by Eugene Ansah, setting up Messi for that stunning free-kick that sent the crowd of 19,096 into a frenzy. Miami co-owner David Beckham saw the first one at home 17 days ago. He was here for this one, too, in a stadium where tickets that normally go for about $40 were selling for hundreds of dollars, and in some cases listed for more than $1,000. “To have players like him here will make our players better,” Estevez said of Messi. “When you have to face this kind of level, you have to do better. And you can see FC Dallas today, how some of our players raised their level.” Associated Press Read More Argentina star defends Cristiano Ronaldo tattoo: ‘It’s not anti-Messi’ New Jersey Governor keen to host Premier League and Champions League matches Cole Palmer shows why he become Man City’s missing piece Cole Palmer shows why he become Man City’s missing piece England scrape into Women’s World Cup quarter-finals after penalty shootout drama England stars vow to rally round Lauren James after World Cup sending off

Former USC wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson believes Colorado was at a disadvantage against Oregon thanks to help from elsewhere in the college football world.

Black residents descended from slaves on a Georgia island have filed suit in hopes of stopping zoning changes that they fear will force them to sell their homes

Disney boss Bob Iger has revealed that his top priority is to revive the fortunes of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) after a decline in quality output.

An Alabama woman who went missing after telling a 911 dispatcher that she saw a toddler walking alone on the side of an interstate has been found alive, according to authorities.

A veteran North Carolina trial lawyer has entered the Republican primary campaign for governor

Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway says the billionaire Haslam family tried to bribe at least 15 executives at the Pilot truck stop chain with millions of dollars to get them to inflate the company’s profits this year because that would force Berkshire to pay more for the Haslams’ remaining 20% stake in the company

By Catarina Demony LISBON The Portuguese state weather agency on Friday put the capital Lisbon on high weather

CARMEL, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug 14, 2023--

Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis says his club are on a path to becoming a “dominant force in English football”. After securing survival in their first Premier League season in 23 years last term, Forest are looking to kick on and have made a decent start, winning two of their four opening games, including a 1-0 win at Chelsea on Saturday. Marinakis has again invested heavily, with a splurge of signings on transfer deadline day as seven players arrived at the City Ground. Divock Origi, Ibrahim Sangare, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Nicolas Dominguez were among those and Forest now look to have a much stronger squad than last year. And Marinakis, who has also made a significant investment in the club’s infrastructure, wants to see his club back at the top table of English football. “Our vision for the club is clear and unwavering: we are on a path to re-establish Nottingham Forest as a dominant force in English football,” he said in a letter to fans. “This journey is not just about the short-term, it’s about building a sustainable future. We are investing in youth development, nurturing young talent, and building a squad that can compete at the highest level for years to come. “The players we have brought in are fighters and winners who understand and believe in our vision for the future of this great club. “When players of the talents of those we have brought in this summer choose Nottingham Forest over the other dominant European clubs chasing their signatures, you should know that they choose us because we have shared with them our vision and they have fully invested in what it is we want to achieve.” Forest were able to recoup over £45million on Brennan Johnson, who was sold to Tottenham, and Marinakis paid tribute to a player who came through the City Ground ranks. “He is the ultimate young professional and his contributions to the club he loves have been enormous – helping us achieve promotion back to the Premier League and instrumental in helping us retain that status on the final home game of last season,” the owner added. “In moving to Tottenham Hotspur he has also provided his boyhood club with the financial means to reinvest and continue to grow. “We thank him for being part of our family and giving so much of himself to us. Go well, Brennan, be strong and healthy and we wish you every success.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Tottenham duo Davinson Sanchez and Tanguy Ndombele set for moves to Galatasaray Man arrested after Roy Keane allegedly headbutted at Emirates Stadium Premier League playing time for England-qualified players drops again

By Philip Pullella ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE (Reuters) -Pope Francis said on Sunday that the Catholic Church is open to