Tag Archives: El Salvador

Lionel Messi & Inter Miami CF to Play El Salvador in Friendly This January

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Lionel Messi is heading to Central American…

The 36-year-old Argentine soccer star and his Inter Miami CF teammates will begin their preparations for the 2024 season with a friendly against the El Salvador national team in San Salvador on January 19, the club announced Thursday.

Lionel Messi The game at the Estadio Cuscatlán is the first confirmed match for Inter Miami ahead of the Major League Soccer (MLS) season, which is expected to begin in late February.

“We’re excited to start announcing our preseason plans and preparations ahead of a thrilling 2024 campaign,” Inter Miami chief soccer officer and sporting director Chris Henderson said.

“We look forward to facing the El Salvador national team in what will be a good first test for our squad against the best players from the country.”

The announcement follows Inter Miami’s denial last week that it had agreed to take part in the Riyadh Season Cup in Saudi Arabia in February. Event organizers had announced that Messi and Miami would face off against Cristiano Ronaldo‘s Saudi Pro League team Al Nassr as part of the event.

Inter Miami, though, said the announcement was “inaccurate” but that it looked forward to “showcasing our players on Inter Miami CF’s first international tour which will be announced in the coming weeks.”

Inter Miami, which failed to make the MLS playoffs, finished the 2023 season with a loss to Charlotte FC on October 21. The club then took on New York City FC in a friendly on November 10 to celebrate Messi’s record-extending eighth Ballon d’or award.

Despite failing to make the postseason, Messi made a huge impression when joining the club along with fellow former Barcelona stars Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba in July. Messi scored 10 goals to lead Miami to its first-ever title with the Leagues Cup as fans across the U.S. clamored to see the Argentine World Cup winner in action.

El Salvador is ranked 78th in the latest FIFA rankings and most recently drew home and away against Curaçao earlier this month.

Also on Thursday, Inter Miami announced that it has sold out season tickets for 2024, just over two weeks after they went on sale.

Ricardo Pepi Named to U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team for Upcoming World Cup Qualifiers

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Ricardo Pepi is set to represent the United States…

The 18-year-old Mexican American professional soccer player, fresh off his transfer from FC Dallas to Augsburg earlier this month, appears on the United States men’s national team roster for manager Gregg Berhalter ahead of an upcoming three-game World Cup qualifying window.

Ricardo PepiPepi appears on a roster that includes Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie and Tyler Adams.

Through eight of 14 matches, the United States sits second in the CONCACAF World Cup qualifying standings with 15 points — a point behind first-place Canada and a point ahead of Mexico and Panama. The top three teams automatically qualify for the 2022 Qatar World Cup, while the fourth-place finisher will play a single-match qualifier in June.

The United States hosts El Salvador in Columbus, Ohio, on Thursday and plays at Canada in Hamilton, Ontario, on January 30 before finishing the window against Honduras in St. Paul, Minnesota, on February 2.

The 28-man roster features Luca De la Torre, who has seen his profile rise recently through strong play with Heracles in the Dutch Eredivisie.

Borussia Dortmund attacker Giovanni Reyna, who recently returned to training in Germany following a hamstring injury he suffered on international duty in September, remains unavailable.

“That was another one that was a difficult decision in the end,” Berhalter said. “Together with Gio, we thought the best thing for him to do is to stay at Dortmund, train these weeks and try to get into their squad.”

Here’s a look at the roster:

GOALKEEPERS (4): Sean Johnson (New York City FC; 9/0), Gabriel Slonina (Chicago Fire; 0/0), Zack Steffen (Manchester City/ENG; 26/0), Matt Turner (New England Revolution; 13/0)

DEFENDERS (9): Reggie Cannon (Boavista/POR; 22/1), Sergino Dest (Barcelona/ESP; 15/2), Brooks Lennon (Atlanta United; 1/0), Mark McKenzie (Genk/BEL; 8/0), Chris Richards (Hoffenheim/GER; 6/0), Antonee Robinson (Fulham/ENG; 15/3), Miles Robinson (Atlanta United; 15/3), DeAndre Yedlin (Galatasaray/TUR; 71/0), Walker Zimmerman (Nashville SC; 23/2)

MIDFIELDERS (7): Kellyn Acosta (LAFC; 45/2), Tyler Adams (RB Leipzig/GER; 22/1), Luca De la Torre (Heracles/NED; 4/0), Sebastian Lletget (New England Revolution; 33/8), Weston McKennie (Juventus/ITA; 28/8), Yunus Musah (Valencia/ESP; 11/0), Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders; 30/0)

FORWARDS (8): Brenden Aaronson (Red Bull Salzburg/AUT; 15/5), Paul Arriola (DC United; 42/8), Jesus Ferreira (FC Dallas; 5/2), Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders; 40/10), Christian Pulisic (Chelsea/ENG; 42/17), Timothy Weah (Lille/FRA; 18/2), Gyasi Zardes (Columbus Crew; 66/14)

Calle 13 to Perform for Rice & Beans

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Calle 13 may have the most Latin Grammy awards than any other artist/group… But the members of the urban hip-hip duo aren’t letting that incredible feat get to their heads.

Stepbrothers René Pérez Joglar and Eduardo José Cabra Martínez, who took home a record nine Latin Grammys last week, are planning to perform a practically free concert in El Salvador soon. Instead of charging admission to the show, they’ll let concertgoers pay to enter with rice and beans.

Calle 13

Calle 13 will donate all the perishable goods collected to needy families in the community affected by recent devastating rains.

But this isn’t Calle 13’s first time taking a stand against rising ticket prices…

The band recently cancelled a show in Argentina because they felt concert promoters were overcharging for tickets.