Luis Suárez Becomes Latest High-Profile Talent to Join MLS Outfit Inter Miami

Posted on December 23, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

It’s official… Luis Suárez is reuniting with Lionel Messi in South Florida.

The 36-year-old Uruguayan striker has completed his move to Inter Miami, sealing a reunion with former Barcelona teammate Messi, the MLS club confirmed Friday.

Suárez moves to Inter Miami as a free agent after departing Brazilian club Grêmio, where he played 53 matches in all competitions last season and scored 26 goals.

His 17 league goals helped Grêmio finish second in the Brazilian Serie A and saw him win the Golden Ball as the best player in the division.

Suárez signed a one-year contract with Inter Miami, taking him through the end of the 2024 season.

“We promised our fans we would pursue the world’s best players to build a squad that can compete at the highest echelons in the Americas,” managing owner Jorge Mas said in the statement put out by the club.

“Coming off an award-winning season in Brazil, Luis will be a key addition to our roster. We will continue to be ambitious and always strive to pursue the freedom to dream.”

The move to Inter Miami, which sees Suárez cut short the two-year deal he signed with Grêmio, reunites him with former Barcelona teammates Messi, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets. The quartet spent six seasons together at Camp Nou between 2014 and 2020, winning four LaLiga titles and one Champions League.

“I’m very happy and excited to take on this new challenge with Inter Miami,” Suárez said in the statement. “I can’t wait to get started, and I’m ready to work to make the dream of winning more titles with this great Club a reality. I’m optimistic about what we can achieve together with our shared ambition.

“I will give my all to bring joy to these great fans I’ve heard so much about while I wear Inter Miami colors, and look forward to reuniting with great friends and players. I’m also eager to meet my new teammates and coaches.”

Luis Suárez Wins Brazil League’s Golden Ball Award

Posted on December 7, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

It’s the golden hour for Luis Suárez.

The 36-year-old Uruguayan professional footballer has won the Golden Ball as the player of the season in the Brazilian league ahead of his expected departure from the club.

Suárez, who played with Lionel Messi at Barcelona after several seasons with Liverpool and Ajax, scored 17 goals for Brazilian league runner-up Gremio. The season ended Wednesday with Palmeiras defending its title and Santos being relegated from the top flight for the first time in club history.

Suárez scored two goals on the final day of the season in a 3-2 victory over Fluminense at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro.

The Brazilian league’s top scorer was Atletico Mineiro forward Paulinho with 20 goals.

Suárez said many times he feared he could not finish the season in Brazil because of intense knee pain and the hassle of long flights, but a selection of journalists voted for him to win the Golden Ball award.

Suárez played 53 matches for Gremio and scored 26 goals in three competitions this season.

“I am almost 37 years old, this is the year I played the most times in my career. It was also the year I was most often distant from my family. This award belongs to them,” a tearful Suárez said after receiving the trophy from former Uruguay teammate Diego Lugano.

When asked about his future, Suárez did not respond, but ESPN sources have said that a deal to move to MLS side Inter Miami CF to play with Lionel Messi again has been agreed.

Suárez said he’ll remember not only Gremio fans, but also those of other clubs who respected him as an opponent.

“It is hard to see rival fans here applaud you when you play, and that did happen to me in some places,” Suárez said. “This is all about the player’s mind, it doesn’t matter how old they are.

“It could be Endrick at age 17, Hulk, Suárez. The mindset and the commitment have to be there for you to play and do what you like.”

Spain’s Aitana Bonmatí Named Best Player at the FIFA Women’s World Cup

Posted on August 20, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

It’s the golden hour for Aitana Bonmatí.

The 25-year-old Spanish professional footballer and Spain midfielder has been awarded the Golden Ball for the best player at the Women’s World Cup after her team edged out England in Sunday’s final.

England goalkeeper Mary Earps took home the Golden Glove after keeping three clean sheets at the finals, while Japan‘s Hinata Miyazawa won the Golden Boot and Spain’s Salma Paralluelo was named as the Young Player of the Tournament.

It completes a trophy-laden year for Bonmatí, who won Liga F, the Women’s Champions League and the Spanish Super Cup with her club Barcelona last season.

She was also named as the best player in the Champions League in 2022-23, propelling her into the running to win the next Ballon d’Or, which has been won on the past two occasions by her Spain and Barcelona teammate Alexia Putellas.

Bonmatí’s case for further individual honors will only be strengthened by her performances in Australia and New Zealand as Spain won the Women’s World Cup for the first time, matching the men’s achievement in 2010.

Bonmati started all seven matches for Spain at the tournament, scoring three times and providing two assists.

The Silver Ball and Bronze Ball, for the second- and third-best players, respectively, went to Spain’s Jennifer Hermoso and Sweden’s Amanda Ilestedt.

FIFA‘s technical study group, led by former USWNT coach Jill Ellis, are in charge of deciding the awards.

England’s Earps took home the Golden Glove after keeping clean sheets against Haiti, Denmark and Nigeria, also saving a penalty from Hermoso in the final.

Japan’s Miyazawa scored five times in five games to take the Golden Boot, but her goal scoring streak was cut short by a quarterfinal defeat to Sweden, who went on to finish third.

Finally, 19-year-old Paralluelo was named as the Young Player of the Tournament for her impact on Spain’s run to the trophy.

The Barcelona forward scored the winning goal in the quarterfinal win over the Netherlands and the opener against Sweden in the semifinals.

Argentina’s Emiliano Martinez Wins Golden Glove at FIFA World Cup

Posted on December 19, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Emiliano Martinez is having a golden moment…

The 30-year-old Argentine goalkeeper has been awarded the Golden Glove trophy following this year’s FIFA World Cup.

Martinez earned the prize, which is given to the most outstanding goalkeeper of the tournament, after Argentina won the shootout 4-2, to win the World Cup title at Lusail Stadium in Qatar.

Martinez became the first player to represent Argentina to win the Golden Glove. He was joined at the trophy ceremony by teammate Lionel Messi, who won the Golden Ball, as well as Enzo Fernandez, the winner of the Best Young Player award.

Martinez played a key role in Argentina’s dramatic final to win the country’s first world championship in 36 years.

The Aston Villa goalie, who had three clean sheets in the tournament, carried his team through extra time and a penalty shootout following a 2-2 tie in regulation. He brilliantly denied France’s Kingsley Coman with a diving left save in the performance.

After Argentina’s historic win, an emotional Martinez said, “We suffered a lot. We thought we were in control but they managed to come back. It was a very complicated game. Our destiny was to suffer. They had one last chance to win, luckily I was able to stop it with my foot.

“This is a moment I’ve always dreamed of living, I have no words for it. I left very young for England and I would like to dedicate this victory to my family.”

Martinez has been the goalkeeper for Aston Villa since 2020.

Last year, he helped his country to its first Copa America trophy since 1991.

Messi Receives FIFA’s Golden Ball Award After This Year’s World Cup

Posted on July 14, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Despite a heartbreaking loss in the World Cup final, Lionel Messi is still a golden boy.

The soccer star and captain of the Argentina national team was awarded FIFA‘s Golden Ball award as the best player of the FIFA World Cup after leading his team to Sunday’s final.

Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, who kept a clean sheet as his side beat Argentina 1-0 in extra time at the Maracana to claim their fourth World Cup, was awarded the Golden Gloves as the tournament’s top keeper.

“It is a sad prize that I won because we wanted to lift the trophy for Argentina,” Messi said of his consolation prize, as if the look on his face had not already said it all.

Four-times World Player of the Year Messi had a quiet game by his standards on Sunday but was the driving force behind Argentina’s push to their first World Cup final since 1990.

He scored four of their six goals in the group stage, set up Angel di Maria‘s winner in the last 16 against Switzerland and shouldered the burden of slotting home Argentina’s first penalty in their shootout win over the Netherlands in the semi-finals.

Messi also won four successive man-of-the-match awards against Bosnia, Iran, Argentina and Switzerland.

While some pundits thought Messi looked jaded after the group stage and did not influence his team as much, Argentina coach Alejandro Sabella said he was a deserving winner.

“I think Lionel reached the pantheon of the greats a while back,” Sabella told reporters. “Yes, I think he deserved it. He played a great World Cup to get us where he did.

“I think it’s very deserved.”

Germany forward Thomas Mueller was runner-up to Messi and Netherlands winger Arjen Robben was third.

France midfielder Paul Pogba was named young player of the tournament, while Colombia took the Fair Play Award after receiving just five yellow cards in five matches in Brazil.

FIFA also praised their positive play and the behavior of their players and officials.

Messi Wins Record Fourth Ballon d’Or

Posted on January 7, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Lionel Messi is officially in a league of his own…

The 25-year-old Argentine fútbol has become the first four-time winner of the Ballon d’Or, FIFA’s Player of the Year award, after breaking the world record for most goals in a year with 91 goals for Barcelona and Argentina.

Messi won for the fourth straight time, beating Real Madrid‘s Cristiano Ronaldo and his fellow Futbol Club Barcelona teammate Andres Iniesta in voting announced Monday. His 91 goals topped Gerd Mueller‘s mark of 85 for Bayern Munich and Germany back in 1972.

Messi received 41.60 percent of the points in votes by national team coaches and captains plus selected media. Ronaldo got 23.68 percent and Iniesta 10.91 percent.

“To tell the truth, this is really unbelievable to get the fourth award. I am so nervous,” Messi said in Spanish, wearing a black tuxedo jacket and bow tie, both with a white polka-dot pattern in an unexpectedly flamboyant touch.

U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann and captain Carlos Bocanegra both voted Messi first, as did Soccer America’s Paul Kennedy.

Zinedine Zidane of France and Ronaldo of Brazil were voted FIFA Player of the Year three times before the award merged in 2010 with France Football’s Golden Ball, given to the European player of the year. The Golden Ball, or Ballon d’Or, was won three times by Michel Platini of France and Johan Cruyff and Marco van Basten of the Netherlands.

Vicente del Bosque was voted top men’s coach after leading Spain to its third straight title in a major tournament, the 2012 European Championship. Del Bosque got 34.51 percent to win over Real Madrid’s Jose Mourinho (20.49), who won last year, and Pep Guardiola (12.91) who won in 2011 and retired from Barcelona last spring.

The three men’s Player of the Year candidates were on the World XI All-Star team chosen by the FIFPro group of players’ unions, comprising 50,000 members worldwide.

They selected a team composed entirely of players from Spanish clubs, with nine repeating their selection from one year ago.

Real Madrid captain Iker Casillas was selected as goalkeeper, joined on defense by teammates Sergio Ramos and Marcelo and by Barcelona’s Dani Alves and Gerard Pique. Iniesta was joined in midfield by Barcelona teammate Xavi Hernandez and Real Madrid’s Xabi Alonso. Messi led the attack with Ronaldo and Atletico Madrid‘s Radamel Falcao. Marcelo and Falcao replaced Manchester United’s Nemanja Vidic and Wayne Rooney from the 2011 team.

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