Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami Game Against Sporting Kansas City Moved to Arrowhead Stadium

Lionel Messi’s trip to Kansas City will be bigger than previously planned…

Sporting Kansas City has moved its April 13 home game against the 36-year-old Argentine soccer star’s Inter Miami CF to Arrowhead Stadium from the team’s Children’s Mercy Park.

Lionel MessiThe team made the announcement on Monday.

Arrowhead Stadium in Missouri has a capacity of about 76,000. It is the home of the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs and the oldest of the 11 U.S. sites for the 2026 World Cup.

Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas, the MLS team’s home since 2011, has a capacity of about 18,000. The soccer team, then known as the Kansas City Wizards, played at Arrowhead Stadium from 1996 through 2007 and used the larger stadium for a 2010 exhibition against Manchester United that drew 52,424 fans.

Single game tickets go on sale January 16 and start at $65, Sporting KC said.

Paulo Nagamura to Serve as Houston Dynamo’s Next Team Manager

Paulo Nagamura is a dynamo

The Houston Dynamo has agreed to terms with the 38-year-old Brazilian former professional footballer and coach to be the team’s next manager, according to ESPN.

Paulo Nagamura

Glenn Davis, the Dynamo’s play-by-play announcer and host of Soccer Matters on ESPN Houston, was the first to report the selection of Nagamura.

Nagamura replaces Tab Ramos, whose contract wasn’t renewed following the 2021 season. The search was conducted by new Dynamo GM Pat Onstad.

Nagamura was most recently manager of Sporting Kansas City‘s reserve side.

In four seasons as Sporting Kansas City II manager, Nagamura recorded a record of 30-61-25, as the organization focused on youth development. He also served as an assistant with the team in 2017. During his time with the team, the Brazilian coached 15 of the organization’s homegrown players, as well as 23 academy products. Included in this group is current Venezia and United States international midfielder Gianluca Busio.

As a player, Nagamura came up through the youth systems of Sao Paulo and Arsenal before signing with the LA Galaxy in 2005, where he won an MLS Cup and U.S. Open Cup double.

He later went on to play for Toronto FC, Chivas USA, and Liga MX side Tigres, before finishing his career with SKC.

With SKC, Nagamura won two more U.S. Open Cup titles as well as another MLS Cup crown in 2013. Overall, he made over 270 appearances, scoring 15 goals.

Brian Fernandez Scores to Give the Portland Timbers a Dramatic Win Over Sporting Kansas City

Brian Fernandez is celebrating a big win….

The 24-year-old Argentine professional footballer scored in the fourth minute of second-half stoppage time to give the Portland Timbers a dramatic 2-1 victory over Sporting Kansas City on Saturday night.

Brian Fernandez

Star forward Diego Valeri set up the goal with a left-footed baseline cross for his 16th assist of the season. Fernandez was on the doorstep waiting for the ball to arrive and put himself in position to head it into the net to give the Timbers a crucial victory.

Forward Jeremy Ebobisse scored in the 83rd minute for the Timbers (13-11-4), who raised their point total to 43, in a tie with Real Salt Lake and FC Dallas for the fifth-most points in the MLS Western Conference.

Portland protected the lead over the final three-plus minutes of stoppage time to hand Sporting (10-12-7, 37 points) a damaging loss. SKCis five points behind the Los Angeles Galaxy, who hold the final playoff position in the West.