Tag Archives: Getafe

Inter Miami ThisClose to Signing Óscar Ustari 

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Óscar Ustari is making plans to move to The Sunshine State…

Inter Miami is set to sign the 38-year-old Argentinian goalkeeper as a free agent, per ESPN sources.

Óscar Ustari Ustari last featured for Chilean first-division side Audax Italiano before being released from the roster midseason. Now, he’ll arrive in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a substitute for Inter Miami starting goalkeeper Drake Callender. 

Ustari started his career with Independiente, spending two seasons in the Argentine first division to inspire a move to LaLiga‘s Getafe in 2007. While abroad, the goalkeeper saw time with Almeria and then-Premier League team Sunderland.

He also featured for Liga MX teams Atlas and Pachuca, racking up 169 appearances in Mexico.

Internationally, Ustari formed part of former manager Jose Pekerman‘s Argentina roster for the 2006 FIFA World Cup and joined the Under-23 team at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. He’s managed two senior team appearances and three Olympic game appearances overall for Argentina.

Ustari is set to join a dominant Inter Miami team under head coach Gerardo Martino. The Herons lead the Eastern Conference and Supporters’ Shield standings with 59 points in 27 games.

Inter Miami remains on course to break the league record for most points recorded during the regular season, a mark set by the New England Revolution when they hit 73 points in 2021.

Inter Miami returns to action after the international break on Saturday, September 14, with a home game against the Philadelphia Union at Chase Stadium.

Watford’s Cucho Hernandez to be Transferred to MLS’ Columbus Crew

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Cucho Hernandez is headed to the U.S.

The Columbus Crew has reached an agreement for the transfer of the 23-year-old Colombian professional footballer from Watford, according to ESPN.

Cucho HernandezColumbus will pay a club-record fee of just more than $10 million, the source said, confirming multiple reports.

Hernandez will initially occupy a Young Designated Player slot for the Crew and be under contract through the 2025 season.

In 25 Premier League appearances during his lone season in England, Hernandez scored five goals and registered two assists. Watford was relegated to the English Championship after finishing in 19th place last season.

Prior to his time at Watford, Hernandez played three seasons on loan in Spain’s LaLiga: one with Huesca after helping the club earn promotion, then a season with each Mallorca (2019-20) and Getafe (2020-21). He scored 11 goals over those three seasons after a 17-goal campaign in Spain’s second division.

Hernandez has two appearances with the Colombian national team, including the most recent in a friendly against Saudi Arabia earlier this month.

He is expected to be available to play for Columbus, which traded U.S. international Gyasi Zardes to the Colorado Rapids earlier this season, after the Major League Soccer transfer window opens July 7.

The Crew (4-5-4, 16 points) are in 11th place in MLS’ Eastern Conference and have exceeded two goals scored just three times in 2022 and only once since March 12.

Jose Bordalas Named Head Coach of Valencia CF

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It’s bat-ter up time for Jose Bordalas.

The 57-year-old Spanish former-footballer-turned-manager has signed a two-year contract with an optional third, with Valencia CF, known as Los murciélagos, to serve as their new head coach.

Jose Bordalas

The announcement comes just two days after ending a successful five-season spell at Getafe.

Earlier this month Valencia sacked coach Javi Gracia — the 11th coach to leave the club in nine years — and finished 13th in the standings in La Liga under interim coach Voro.

“I’ve come here to work, to try to make Valencia CF a very competitive team, to occupy the place it deserves,” Bordalas said during his unveiling on Thursday.

“I will adapt to the possibilities of the club or the squad. If the club must remove or sell players, it will be out of necessity. We will work to incorporate players who come with enthusiasm, who are competitive. We want Valencia CF to regain its football status in La Liga, that is my goal. We start from scratch. I will put all my knowledge at the service of Valencia CF and I want to get the fans excited again.”

Valencia club owner Peter Lim has been at the centre of criticism over his management. Lim acquired then debt-ridden Valencia in 2014 but has not been a popular figure, with the club having regularly been forced to sell top players to reduce the outfit’s high debts and made no signings to strengthen the squad.

There have been calls for Lim, who is rarely in Valencia, to move aside and sell the club.

Bordalas had been in charge of Getafe since September 2016, leading the team back to La Liga in his first season before recording back-to-back top-10 finishes.

Getafe avoided relegation in the past two campaigns and finished two places behind Valencia this season. The Madrid outfit has appointed former coach Michel as the new head coach, who managed the team between 2009 and 2011 and guided it into the Europa League.

A former Real Madrid star, Michel has not coached since resigning for personal reasons as manager of Mexican side Pumas in the summer of 2020 after one year in charge.

 

Messi Given All-Clear to Play in Barcelona’s Next Game

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Lionel Messi is ready, ready, ready to run and kick…

The 26-year-old Argentine soccer star, the four-time Ballon d’Or / FIFA World Player of the Year, has been cleared by coach Gerardo Martino to play in FC Barcelona’s Copa del Rey clash with Getafe on Wednesday.

Lionel Messi

Messi returned to full training with his team last week but didn’t play in Sunday’s 4-0 Primera Division home win over Elche, after which Martino suggested there were still some doubts over his fitness afterseveral similar thigh muscle setbacks during 2013.

But Martina announced in a news conference on Tuesday that a few more training sessions had helped Messi build up the fitness needed to return after 58 days on the sidelines.

“What has changed is that he has a few training sessions done now,” he said. “Before the Elche game he had only two or three, and now he has trained some more days and has done a period of good work. All he needs to do now is take part in a competitive game.

“This was the normal way to do things, and everything should hopefully continue as normal from now on. We will find out tomorrow if Messi starts or not.”

Martino said any player who had been through a frustrating spell of injuries needed confirmation that they were fully fit again.

“When a player has had many injuries in a short amount of time, there can be doubts in their head,” he added. “I have spoken with him — he is fine now, so he is back in the squad. Maybe he is lacking some match fitness, but that does not matter with him. It just matters that he is fit again.”