Bam Adebayo had 25 points and 10 rebounds, Norman Powell added 21 points in his return to Southern California and the Miami Heat held off the Clippers 120-119 on Monday night.
Powell was a key member of the Clippers for three seasons before being traded to the Heat before this season.
Andrew Wiggins scored 17 points and Kel’el Ware added 16 to help the Heat end a two-game losing streak and win on the road for the second time in five games. Miami is 1-2 to open a four-game trip.
James Harden scored 29 points and Kawhi Leonard added 27 as the Clippers lost at home for the first time in four games this season.
Ivica Zubac had nine points and 12 rebounds for the Clippers. Derrick Jones Jr., Bradley Beal and John Collins each scored 12 points.
The Heat shot 54.2% from the field and made 12 of their 25 three-point attempts to 50% for the Clippers, who were 17 of 41 from long range. The Clippers had 21 turnovers that the Heat turned into 37 points.
Miami led 120-116 after two free throws from Adebayo with 56 seconds remaining. Adebayo missed a shot inside with 26 seconds left and Harden made a three-pointer on the other end with 20 seconds left to pull the Clippers within a point.
The Clippers had a chance to win it, but Leonard missed a 26-foot step-back three-pointer at the buzzer.
The Clippers trailed by as many as 13 points in the third quarter before getting even 105-105 with 9:55 remaining on a three-pointer from veteran Chris Paul.
MIAMI BEACH — South Florida is seeing a wave of new cars, but they won’t add to traffic or lengthen anyone’s commute. That’s because the cars are made of marine-grade concrete and were installed underwater.
Over several days late last month, crews lowered 22 life-size cars into the ocean, several hundred feet off South Beach. The project was organized by a group that pioneers underwater sculpture parks as a way to create human-made coral reefs.
“Concrete Coral,” commissioned by the nonprofit REEFLINE, will soon be seeded with 2,200 native corals that have been grown in a nearby Miami lab. The project is partially funded by a $5-million bond from the city of Miami Beach. The group is also trying to raise $40 million to extend the potentially 11-phase project along an underwater corridor just off the city’s 7-mile-long coastline.
“I think we are making history here,” Ximena Caminos, the group’s founder, said. “It’s one of a kind, it’s a pioneering, underwater reef that’s teaming up with science, teaming up with art.”
She conceived the overall plan with architect Shohei Shigematsu, and the artist Leandro Erlich designed the car sculptures for the first phase.
Colin Foord, who runs REEFLINE’s Miami coral lab, said they’ll soon start the planting process and create a forest of soft corals over the car sculptures, which will serve as a habitat teeming with marine life.
“I think it really lends to the depth of the artistic message itself of having a traffic jam of cars underwater,” Foord said. “So nature’s gonna take back over, and we’re helping by growing the soft corals.”
Foord said he’s confident the native gorgonian corals will thrive because they were grown from survivors of the 2023 bleaching event, during which a marine heat wave killed massive amounts of Florida corals.
Plans for future deployments include Petroc Sesti’s “Heart of Okeanos,” modeled after a giant blue whale heart, and Carlos Betancourt and Alberto Latorre’s “The Miami Reef Star,” a group of starfish shapes arranged in a larger star pattern.
“What that’s going to do is accelerate the formation of a coral reef ecosystem,” Foord said. “It’s going to attract a lot more life and add biodiversity and really kind of push the envelope of artificial reef-building here in Florida.”
Besides the project being a testing ground for new coral transplantation and hybrid reef design and development, Miami Beach Mayor Steven Meiner expects it to generate local jobs with ecotourism experiences such as snorkeling, diving, kayaking and paddleboard tours.
The reefs will be located about 20 feet below the surface of the water and about 800 feet from the shore.
“Miami Beach is a global model for so many different issues, and now we’re doing it for REEFLINE,” Meiner said during a beachside ceremony last month. “I’m so proud to be working together with the private market to make sure that this continues right here in Miami Beach to be the blueprint for other cities to utilize.”
The nonprofit also offers community education programs, where volunteers can plant corals alongside scientists, and a floating marine learning center, where participants can gain firsthand experience in coral conservation every month.
Caminos, the group’s founder, acknowledges that the installation won’t fix all of the problems — which are as big as climate change and sea level rise — but she said it can serve as a catalyst for dialogue about the value of coastal ecosystems.
“We can show how creatively, collaboratively and interdisciplinarily we can all tackle a man-made problem with man-made solutions,” Caminos said.
Fischer writes for the Associated Press. Associated Press videojournalist Cody Jackson contributed to this report.
NEW YORK — Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball was fined $35,000 by the NBA on Thursday for making an obscene gesture on Tuesday night.
Ball was assessed a technical foul for making the gesture with 4:02 to play in the fourth quarter of a 144-117 loss to Miami. He finished the game with 20 points, nine assists and eight rebounds.
Ball leads the Hornets in all three categories through their first four games with averages of 26.3 points, 9.5 assists and 8.3 rebounds.
Charlotte hosts the Orlando Magic on Thursday night.
A National Basketball Association player and coach are among dozens of people charged in two investigations centred on illegal sports betting and mafia-linked poker games, the FBI has announced.
Miami Heat player Terry Rozier was among six people arrested over alleged betting irregularities, including other players who may have faked injuries.
Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups is one of 31 people charged in a separate illegal poker game case involving former players and organised crime figures.
Rozier’s lawyer denied the allegations to CBS News, the BBC’s US news partner, saying: “Terry is not a gambler, but he is not afraid of a fight, and he looks forward to winning this fight.”
In a statement, the NBA said that Rozier and Billups are being placed on immediate leave, as the association is reviewing the federal indictments.
“We take these allegations with the utmost seriousness, and the integrity of our game remains our top priority,” the statement read.
US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Joseph Nocella Jr, said all defendants are innocent until proven guilty, but warned: “Your winning streak has ended. Your luck has run out.”
FBI Director Kash Patel called the arrests “extraordinary” and said there was a “coordinated takedown across 11 states”.
Prosecutors said the first case involved players and associates who allegedly used insider information to manipulate bets on major platforms.
Nocella called it “one of the most brazen sports corruption schemes since online sports betting became widely legalised”.
Seven NBA games between February 2023 and March 2024 have been identified as part of the case. Rozier is said to have been involved in one between the Charlotte Hornets and New Orleans Pelicans, when he was playing for the Hornets.
New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said that on 23 March 2023, Rozier allegedly let others close to him know that he planned to leave a game early with a supposed injury.
Using that information, conspirators allegedly placed bets that paid out tens of thousands of dollars in profits, she said.
During the game, Rozier played roughly nine minutes and scored just five points because of a sore right foot, according to the official NBA match report.
Before that game, he averaged 35 minutes of playing time and about 21 points per game.
“As the NBA season tips off, his career is already benched, not for injury but for integrity,” Tisch said.
Rozier’s lawyer James Trusty said in a statement that prosecutors “appear to be taking the word of spectacularly in-credible sources rather than relying on actual evidence of wrongdoing. Terry was cleared by the NBA and these prosecutors revived that non-case.”
Trusty said he had been representing Rozier for more than a year and said prosecutors characterised Rozier as a subject, not a target, until they informed him FBI agents were arresting the player on Thursday morning.
Former NBA player Damon Jones was also arrested.
Jones is said to have been involved in two of the identified games – when the Los Angeles Lakers met the Milwaukee Bucks in February 2023, and a January 2024 game between the Lakers and Oklahoma City Thunder.
The second case involves 31 defendants alleged to have participated in a scheme to rig illegal poker games and steal millions of dollars, backed by crime families.
The case involved 13 members and associates of the Bonanno, Genovese and Gambino crime families.
Nocella said the targeted victims were lured to play in games with former professional athletes, including Billups and Jones, in Las Vegas, Miami, Manhattan and the Hamptons.
Victims were “fleeced” out of tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars per game, he said.
He said defendants used “very sophisticated technology” like altered off-the-shelf shuffling machines that could read the cards. Some of the defendants used special contact lenses and eye glasses to read pre-marked cards, and an X-ray table that could read cards when they were face-down, he added.
Tisch said when people refused to pay, the organised crime families used threats and intimidation to get people to hand over the money.
The charges include robbery, extortion, wire fraud, bank fraud and illegal gambling.
The conspiracy cheated victims out of $7m (£5.2m), with one losing $1.8 million, officials said.
“This is only the tip of the iceberg,” Christopher Raia, the FBI assistant director of the New York field office, said, adding the FBI is working day and night to ensure members of mafia families “cannot continue to wreak havoc in our communities”.
The AFE said replica demonstrations will take place at the remaining La Liga games this weekend.
Real Madrid head coach Xabi Alonso, whose side play at Getafe on Sunday, said: “We are against the [Miami] match. We believe it distorts the competition.
“There hasn’t been unanimity or consultation for it to be played on neutral ground. The protests are positive, and that sentiment is positive.
“We believe it could happen if there were unanimity, but that’s not the case.”
The AFE has not asked Barcelona and Villarreal players to participate in the protests to avoid it being “interpreted as a possible measure against any club”.
It said: “In the face of La Liga’s constant refusals and unrealistic proposals, the Spanish Footballers’ Association categorically rejects a project that does not have the approval of the main players in our sport and demands that the employers’ association create a negotiating table in which all information is shared and the exceptional characteristics of the project are analysed, the needs and concerns of the footballers are addressed, and the protection of their labour rights and compliance with current regulations are guaranteed.”
The BBC has contacted La Liga for comment.
Confirmation of the Miami game followed a decision by the Italian football federation (FIGC) to sanction a Serie A match between AC Milan and Como to be played in Perth, Australia, in February.
On Friday Barcelona coach Hansi Flick said: “My players are not happy. I am not happy. But La Liga decided that we will play this game.”
Real expressed opposition when the fixture was announced, saying the consequences would be “so serious”, while Uefa “reluctantly” approved the move.
This week RFEF president Rafael Louzan said the move was “good for football”, while Barcelona president Joan Laporta said the match will “definitely be a great show”.
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — The Chargers leaned on a lot of backups Sunday, but with the game against the Miami Dolphins on the line, they turned to Mr. Reliable.
Cameron Dicker kicked a 35-yard field goal with five seconds remaining to lift his team to a 29-27 win, the final points in a game that included six lead changes.
It was the fifth field goal of the day for Dicker, who has never missed from 40 yards or closer.
Chargers safety Derwin James Jr. clinched the win with an interception on the final play, Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s third pick of the day.
The sparse crowd had erupted minutes earlier when Tagovailoa hit Darren Waller for a seven-yard touchdown, reclaiming the lead with 46 seconds on the clock.
But Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert answered with a lightning-quick drive downfield to set up the winning field goal.
The Chargers, ravaged by injuries, effectively leaned on their reserves to help pave the way for their first victory in three weeks.
Reserve running back Kimani Vidal rushed for 124 yards and turned a short pass into a touchdown. He was promoted from the practice squad last Wednesday after the Chargers lost rookie first-round pick Omarion Hampton to an ankle injury. Earlier this season, the team lost veteran running back Najee Harris to a torn Achilles tendon.
Chargers running back Kimani Vidal scores a touchdown in the third quarter Sunday against the Dolphins.
(Carmen Mandato / Getty Images)
The performance marked the first 100-yard game by Vidal, drafted in the sixth round out of Troy University by the Chargers in 2024.
It was the second consecutive week the 1-5 Dolphins were burned by a little-known running back, as Carolina’s Rico Dowdle trampled them for 206 yards in Week 5. Miami came into the game with the NFL’s worst run defense.
On Sunday, the Chargers made seven trips to the red zone but failed to make the most of those, with two touchdowns and five field goals.
Giving the visiting defense all it could handle was Miami’s De’Von Archane, who had a 49-yard touchdown run in the first quarter and a four-yarder in the fourth. The Dolphins repeatedly fed him the ball down the stretch and scored on the touchdown catch by Waller, but they couldn’t hold off Herbert’s final drive.
Stopping the run has been an issue for the Chargers, too, as Washington’s Jacory Croskey-Merritt ran for 111 yards and two touchdowns against them the week before.
The Chargers won their first three games of the season, running the table against AFC West opponents, but lost the next two games at the New York Giants and home against the Washington Commanders.
Not only had the Chargers lost their two top running backs, but they have had to reshuffle their offensive line multiple times because of injuries. They have designed their offense to get the ball out of Justin Herbert’s hands quickly, as he has been hit more than any quarterback in the league this season.
That was the case in the first half of Sunday’s game as well, as Herbert was hit four times — and sacked once — by the Dolphins, who registered just 18 quarterback hits in the first five games combined.
Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert scrambles during the second half against the Dolphins.
(Lynne Sladky / Associated Press)
But the Chargers came alive in the second half, overcoming a 13-9 halftime deficit, with a five-yard touchdown reception by Ladd McConkey, a seven-yard scoring catch by Vidal, and a fourth field goal by Dicker.
The Chargers, without injured receiver Quentin Johnston, leaned more heavily into rookie tight end Oronde Gadsden II, whose father played receiver for the Dolphins for six seasons.
The younger Gadsden caught seven passes Sunday but also had a fumble that set up Achane’s first touchdown.
Lionel Messi scored twice in Inter Miami’s 4-0 MLS win over Atlanta United, a day after being rested by Argentina for their friendly against Venezuela.
Argentina captain Messi, 38, was called up for Friday’s match against Venezuela at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, home of NFL side the Miami Dolphins, and Tuesday’s game against Puerto Rico, which has been relocated from Chicago to Fort Lauderdale.
With the MLS continuing during the international break it was not clear if Messi would play for Inter Miami on Saturday in their penultimate regular season match.
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner trained with Argentina during the week but watched Friday’s match – which Argentina won 1-0 – from the stands, with national boss Lionel Scaloni saying he wanted to see Lautaro Martinez and Julian Alvarez play together.
Miami boss Javier Mascherano said they asked for Messi to leave the national set-up to play in their home match and he started against Atlanta, curling in his opener in the 39th minute and adding his second in the 87th to take him to the top of the MLS scoring charts with 26 goals.
He also assisted Jordi Alba’s second-half strike, while Luis Suarez scored Miami’s other goal.
“Yesterday, before the match, I talked to [Argentina manager Lionel] Scaloni, and he said no, that he was not going to use him, that he was going to sit him down. And I spoke to Leo to see if he could play,” said Mascherano.
“It was his decision, and clearly he saw the opportunity that if he wasn’t going to play against Venezuela yesterday, we could use him. Leo, of course, was ready to do it.
“He is a very special player, he’s an icon, and even though he didn’t train last week with us, we saw what he did today. He has helped us to win, he managed to score. That for him was important.”
Inter are already guaranteed a play-off spot and sit third in the eastern conference, tied on points with second-placed FC Cincinnati.
Messi’s dominant performance against Atlanta came after he briefly left international duty with Argentina during the FIFA window.
Published On 12 Oct 202512 Oct 2025
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Lionel Messi scored two goals and assisted on another by Jordi Alba to lead Inter Miami to a 4-0 home victory over Atlanta United on Saturday night in Major League Soccer (MLS) at Chase Stadium in Florida.
Messi, who sat out his home nation, Argentina’s, friendly against Venezuela that was held in Miami one night earlier, started and helped Inter Miami (18-7-8, 62 points) guarantee itself at least the No 3 seed in the Eastern Conference with the victory.
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The Herons still have a chance to secure the No 2 seed if they can finish with more points than FC Cincinnati, which also has 62 points. If the teams finish with the same number of points, Cincinnati would clinch the higher seed by virtue of the head-to-head tiebreaker.
Atlanta United (5-16-12, 27 points), which eliminated Inter Miami from the MLS playoffs in the first round last season, lost its third match in a row and is winless in its past five.
Both teams were short-handed due to the FIFA international window this week. But Messi, who chose to play for club over country this weekend, now leads the MLS in goals, with 26, and his 18th assist tied San Diego’s Anders Dreyer for the league lead.
Messi’s first goal came in the 39th minute when he controlled a crossing pass from Baltasar Rodriguez and curled in a shot to the far top corner to break a scoreless deadlock. His second goal capped the scoring in the 87th minute off an assist from Alba.
In the 52nd minute, Messi created the chance that led to Miami’s second score, when he looped a long ball across the field to Alba as he surged towards Atlanta’s goal. Alba did the rest, lobbing the ball over Atlanta keeper Jayden Hibbert.
Luis Suarez added to the tally in the 61st minute, when he timed a shot perfectly off a high clearance attempt by Atlanta into the back of the net, curling the ball past Hibbert. Inter Miami’s Rocco Rios Novo started in goal and recorded the clean sheet.
Atlanta United, which has been riddled with injuries to key players this season, had to deal with another when, in the 14th minute, Stian Gregersen was forced to leave the game with what appeared to be a potential hamstring issue.
Saturday’s fixture was the final MLS regular-season match at Chase Stadium for Inter, with the team relocating to Miami Freedom Park in 2026.
Messi, left, scores Inter Miami’s fourth goal against Atlanta in the team’s final fixture at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida [Leonardo Fernandez/ Getty Images via AFP]
After consecutive losses, the Chargers are at an inflection point. Can they take advantage of a get-right game against a 1-4 team that’s just as banged up as the Chargers are?
A big challenge will be moving forward with the running game now that rookie Omarion Hampton has joined Najee Harris on injured reserve. The opportunity to pick up lots of yards is there, as Miami’s front seven have been hopelessly porous against the run.
Back in 2020, the Dolphins used the No. 5 pick on quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and the Chargers used No. 6 on Justin Herbert. A decade before that, Dolphins owner Stephen Ross tried to hire Harbaugh as Miami’s coach.
How the Chargers can win: Run the ball. Even with their top two running backs out, the Chargers can trample a defense that gave up 206 yards rushing last week to little known Rico Dowdle. Contain tight end Darren Waller, one of Miami’s few bright spots. Force Tagovailoa to improvise; he can struggle when he’s out of rhythm.
How the Dolphins can win: Get De’Von Archane the ball in space; he can do damage when he gets out on the edge. Make Herbert one dimensional by containing the Chargers’ ground attack. Protect Tagovailoa, whose strengths are his timing and anticipation. He thrives on offensive structure.
A trio of assists by star forward Lionel Messi helped Inter Miami crush New England Revolution in Major League Soccer.
Published On 5 Oct 20255 Oct 2025
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Jordi Alba and Tadeo Allende each scored two goals to lead host Inter Miami to a 4-1 victory over the New England Revolution in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Saturday night’s victory snapped a two-match winless streak for Inter Miami (17-7-8, 59 points), which moved into third place in the Eastern Conference’s Major League Soccer (MLS) standings. With two matches to play, Miami trails FC Cincinnati by three points for second place. Cincinnati has one match left.
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Dor Turgeman scored the lone goal for New England (9-16-8, 35 points) as the Revolution came up short for the fifth time in their past six matches.
Argentinian star forward Lionel Messi did not score for the second consecutive match, but he contributed by assisting on three of Inter Miami’s goals.
On the first goal contribution under a torrential downspout late in the first half, Messi delivered a precise through ball on the run to Allende, who fired the ball past New England goalkeeper Matt Turner in the 32nd minute.
Just before half-time, Messi intercepted a clearing attempt by New England near its own goal. He then dropped it back for Alba, who proceeded to bury it in the back of the net in the third minute of first-half stoppage time.
The Revolution put themselves back in contention for a victory in the 59th minute on a brilliant shot by Turgeman after he took the ball just past midfield from Carles Gil. As Turgeman worked the ball near Miami’s box, he fired a line drive past Inter Miami goalkeeper Rocco Rios Novo to cut the deficit to 2-1.
Rios Novo got the start in favour of Inter Miami’s regular starting keeper Oscar Ustari, who allowed a season-high five goals last Tuesday in a 5-3 loss to the Chicago Fire.
Inter Miami answered almost immediately. Within less than a minute, a rush up the field ended with Allende streaking towards the goal and finishing off another assist from Messi.
Three minutes later, Alba tacked on another score off a great pass from Telasco Segovia.
Inter Miami forward Tadeo Allende, right, scores their first goal against New England Revolution in the 32nd minute at Chase Stadium [Sam Navarro/Imagn Images via Reuters]
Earlier this month Gaga was forced to cancel a show and issue an emotional apology to gutted fans.
Barely an hour before she was due on stage in Miami, she shared a message on her Instagram Stories saying that she had no choice but to cancel the concert.
Gaga wrote: “Hi everyone, I am really so, so sorry but I need to postpone tonight’s show in Miami.
“During rehearsal last night and my vocal warmup tonight, my voice was extremely strained and both my doctor and vocal coach have advised me not to go on because of the risk it poses.
“I want to be hardcore and just push through this for you but I don’t want to risk long-term or permanent damage to my vocal cords.”
She continued: “There is a significant risk based on all our combined experience with a show like ours and as you know I sing live every night.
“And even though this was a hard and agonizing decision I would be more afraid of the long term implications on my voice.”
She then begged her fans to understand the position she was in, writing: “I hope you can forgive me and accept my sincerest apologies for any disappointment, let down, inconvenience.
Lady Gaga breaks down in tears as she shares rare emotional tribute on electric first night of sold-out LA concerts
“I am so, so sorry, I tried so hard to avoid this, I take serious care of myself to be able to put on this highly demanding show.”
Gaga concluded: “I love my fans so much, respect you and hope you can accept my sincere, regretful apology.”
The announcement was made at 8pm ET, 45 minutes before she is usually on stage.
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Gaga is currently on her epic Mayhem Ball tourCredit: Haus Labs
Moments later, the 38-year-old was involved in an altercation with a Sounders staff member and was held back by team-mate Oscar Ustari before appearing to spit in the coach’s direction.
“I feel bad about what happened, and I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to acknowledge it and apologise to everyone who felt hurt by what I did,” added Suarez.
Speculation has circulated about the extent of any punishment he may face but Suarez added he wants to aid Inter Miami’s push to make the MLS Cup play-offs.
“We know there’s still a lot of the season ahead, and we’re going to work together to achieve the successes that this club and all of its fans deserve,” he wrote.
Suarez is no stranger to controversy.
The former Barcelona and Atletico Madrid striker has been involved in several controversial incidents during his career.
In 2011 when at Liverpool, Suarez was given an eight-match ban after being found guilty of racially abusing Manchester United full-back Patrice Evra.
He also served bans for three separate biting incidents when playing for Ajax, Liverpool and Uruguay.
Sept. 1 (UPI) — A shark bit a boy’s leg while he was snorkeling in the Atlantic Ocean near Key Largo on Monday afternoon, prompting first responders to airlift him to a Miami hospital.
The Monroe County (Fla.) Sheriff’s Office said the shark bit the 8-year-old at 3:24 p.m. EDT, and Trauma Star airlifted him to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center in Miami, CBS News and WFOR reported.
Audio from first responders confirmed the boy suffered a shark bite to one of his legs.
The boy was snorkeling near Ocean Reef and off of Horseshoe Reef when the shark bit him above the knee on one leg, according to WPLG.
The boy’s condition is unknown, and the local officials said they notified the U.S. Coast Guard and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission about the shark attack.
The shark attack is the first reported in Monroe County since a shark bit a spearfisher a year ago in July near Key West.
Monroe County encompasses all of the Florida Keys and the southwestern portion of Everglades National Park.
A large variety of sharks inhabit the waters off of Monroe County, including Great Whites, Bull sharks, Hammerheads and Tiger sharks.
Seattle record an emphatic win in a match where Miami’s Luis Suarez appeared to spit on a Sounders staffer post-game.
Published On 1 Sep 20251 Sep 2025
Alex Roldan converted from the penalty spot late in the second half and had an assist during the first half as hosts Seattle Sounders defeated Lionel Messi-led Inter Miami 3-0 to win the 2025 Leagues Cup final.
The match on Sunday was marred by a melee at the final whistle involving multiple players from both teams. Miami striker Luis Suarez appeared to be one of the players at the middle of it, and video cameras appeared to capture him spitting at a member of Seattle’s staff post-game as the melee died down.
The Leagues Cup is held jointly by Major League Soccer (MLS) and Liga MX with Concacaf sanctioning, and thus has a disciplinary committee independent from both leagues or the continental federation. Presumably, it would be responsible for deciding any discipline for the incident, though potentially MLS could also get involved.
Roldan set up Osaze De Rosario’s fourth goal of the tournament for the opener for Seattle, which won its second Concacaf honour and ninth all-time major trophy since beginning MLS play in 2009.
It is the Sounders’ first since they defeated Mexico’s Pumas UNAM over two legs to win the 2022 Concacaf Champions League, ending a run of 16 consecutive Mexican champions in that event.
Paul Rothrock scored the third in the final moments of a win that guaranteed Seattle a first-round bye into the round of 16 at the 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup.
Sounders midfielder Paul Rothrock, centre, celebrates with teammates, including forward Pedro De La Vega, left, after scoring the third goal against Inter Miami in the 89th minute at Lumens Field in Seattle [Lindsey Wasson/AP Photo]
Miami failed to secure their third major trophy since Messi’s arrival during the summer of the 2023 season and their second Leagues Cup title after winning the 2023 event.
The Herons are still guaranteed a Concacaf spot next year, but they will start in the first round unless they win the 2025 MLS Cup.
Seattle were dominant during the first half and went deservingly in front in the 26th minute.
Jesus Ferreira played the initial ball out wide to Roldan on the right, and Roldan curled in an outswinging cross to the far post, where De Rosario met it with a decisive header.
Miami wasted two excellent chances to level early in the second half, with Suarez providing the link-up play.
In the 50th minute, it was Messi, arriving just above the six-yard box to Suarez’s spinning, cutback pass, but the Argentinian star fired over goalkeeper Andrew Thomas.
Then in the 60th minute, Tadeo Allende was on the end of Suarez’s clever backheel, but he sent his strike wide of the right post as Thomas charged off his line.
That proved costly when Sounders substitute Georgi Minoungou got free down the left side of the field in the 82nd minute. With Yannick Bright tracking back to defend, Minoungou attempted a cutback and was caught by Bright’s sliding challenge.
Roldan coolly converted the penalty past Oscar Ustari in the 84th minute to turn tension into joy for most of a crowd of 69,314 at Lumen Field – a Leagues Cup and club single-game attendance record.
A video camera that was posted on social video appeared to show Inter Miami’s Luis Suarez, left, spitting on a Sounders staffer after the full-time whistle [Lynne Sladky/AP Photo]
A Luis Suarez brace against the Tigres was enough for Miami to overcome Messi’s injury and progress to semifinal.
Luis Suarez scored twice on penalty kicks and Inter Miami overcame Lionel Messi’s absence to beat the Tigres UANL from Mexico 2-1 in a Leagues Cup quarterfinal.
After leading his team to victory over the Los Angeles Galaxy, Messi did not train ahead of the Wednesday night game.
“We all go off what Messi is feeling. Today, [coach] Javier [Mascherano] spoke with him, and he wasn’t feeling the best. We preferred to not risk him, and take a step back,” Inter Miami assistant coach Javier Morales told reporters after the game.
Suarez converted his first penalty after Jordi Alba’s cross hit the arm of sliding Tigres defender Javier Aquino.
Angel Correa scored for the Tigres in the 67th minute, slicing through the defence for the equaliser.
Then, the ball once again hit Aquino’s arm in the box, and Suarez scored the match-winner from the penalty spot in the 89th minute.
A late header from the Tigres’ Edgar Lopez ricocheted off both posts.
Mascherano was given a red card before the second half began. The Inter Miami coach was seen talking on the phone during the live television broadcast and giving instructions after being sent off, which is prohibited per Leagues Cup rules.
“We were complaining about the time. They said four minutes [off added time], and we ended up playing like six,” Morales said.
“I didn’t see what was going on. To be honest, a lot of things happened on the bench,” Morales said when asked about Mascherano giving instructions by phone.
Inter Miami’s Jordi Alba left early in the second half after hurting his lower leg in a collision late in the first.
“We don’t have the medical report yet, but from what I understand, he took a hit to the knee.”
Miami booked a semifinal Leagues Cup clash with Florida rivals Orlando City, who beat the Liga MX champions Toluca FC 6-5 on penalties after the teams played to a scoreless draw in Carson, California.
Both finalists and the third-place match winner of the tournament will qualify for the Concacaf Champions Cup, with the Leagues Cup champion securing direct entry to the Champions Cup round of 16.
Injured forward Lionel Messi, centre, arrives at Chase Stadium with Inter Miami teammates ahead of their Leagues Cup quarterfinal match against the Tigres [Lynne Sladky/AP]
MIAMI — A federal judge in Miami dismissed part of a lawsuit that claimed detainees were denied access to the legal system at the immigration detention center in the Florida Everglades known as “Alligator Alcatraz” and moved the remaining counts of the case to another court.
Claims that the detainees were denied hearings in immigration court were rendered moot when the Trump administration last weekend designated the Krome North Processing Center near Miami as a site for their cases to be heard, U.S. District Judge Rodolfo Ruiz said in a 47-page ruling Monday night dismissing a 5th Amendment count.
The judge granted the state defendants a change of venue motion to the Middle District of Florida, where the remaining claims of 1st Amendment violations will be addressed. Those include allegations of delays in scheduling meetings between detainees and their attorneys and an inability for the detainees to talk privately with their attorneys by phone or videoconference at the facility whose official name is the South Detention Facility.
ACLU lawyer Eunice Cho, the lead attorney for the detainees, said the federal government reversed course only last weekend and allowed the detainees to petition an immigration court because of the lawsuit.
“It should not take a lawsuit to force the government to abide by the law and the Constitution,” Cho said. “We look forward to continuing the fight.”
The judge heard arguments from both sides in a hearing earlier Monday in Miami. Civil rights attorneys were seeking a preliminary injunction to ensure detainees at the facility had access to their lawyers and could get a hearing.
Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration raced to build the facility on an isolated airstrip surrounded by swampland two months ago in order to aid President Trump’s efforts to deport people who are in the U.S. illegally. The governor has said the location in the rugged and remote Everglades was meant as a deterrent against escape, much like the island prison in California that Republicans named it after. The detention center has an estimated annual cost of $450 million.
The state and federal government had argued that even though the isolated airstrip where the facility is located is owned by Miami-Dade County, Florida’s Southern District was the wrong venue since the detention center is located in neighboring Collier County, which is in the state’s Middle District.
Judge Ruiz had hinted during a hearing last week that he had some concerns over which jurisdiction was appropriate. Attorneys for the detainees had argued that Ruiz’s court was appropriate since the detainees were under the oversight of federal officials in the Miami regional office. Any transfer to another venue would cause a delay in a court decision.
Ruiz noted the facts in the case changed Saturday when the Trump administration designated the Krome facility as the immigration court with jurisdiction over all detainees at the detention center.
The judge wrote that the case has “a tortured procedural history” since it was filed July 16, weeks after the first group of detainees arrived at the facility.
“Nearly every aspect of the Plaintiffs’ civil action — their causes of action, their facts in support, their theories of venue, their arguments on the merits and their requests for relief — have changed with each filing,” the judge wrote.
The state and federal government defendants made an identical argument last week about jurisdiction for a second lawsuit in which environmental groups and the Miccosukee Tribe sued to stop further construction and operations at the Everglades detention center until it’s in compliance with federal environmental laws.
U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams in Miami on Aug. 7 ordered a 14-day halt to additional construction at the site while witnesses testified at a hearing that wrapped up last week. She has said she plans to issue a ruling before the order expires later this week. She had yet to rule on the venue question.
Detainees at the facility have said worms turn up in the food, toilets don’t flush, flooding floors with fecal waste, and mosquitoes and other insects are everywhere.
Civil rights attorneys also said officers were going cell to cell to pressure detainees into signing voluntary removal orders before they’re allowed to consult their attorneys, and some detainees had been deported even though they didn’t have final removal orders. Along with the spread of a respiratory infection and rainwater flooding in tents, the circumstances had fueled a feeling of desperation among detainees, the attorneys wrote in a court filing.
Fischer, Schneider and Frisaro write for the Associated Press. Frisaro reported from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and Schneider reported from Orlando, Fla.
The Argentinian superstar returns from injury to score a goal and add an assist as Inter downs Galaxy at Chase Stadium.
Lionel Messi returned from injury as a reserve and scored in the 84th minute to lead Inter Miami to a 3-1 victory over the defending Major League Soccer (MLS) Cup champions, Los Angeles Galaxy.
The iconic 38-year-old Argentinian striker was back on the field on Saturday for Miami after suffering what Inter coach Javier Mascherano had called a “minor muscle injury” – an apparent hamstring strain – in Inter’s Leagues Cup victory over Mexican side Necaxa on August 2.
“It had been something very small,” Mascherano said of his injury after the match. “The three training sessions we had were good. The important thing is that the match ended. As the minutes went by, I saw him better. We have to see how he feels tomorrow.”
Eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi, who missed a Leagues Cup win over Pumas UNAM and last weekend’s MLS loss at Orlando City, was on the bench as a reserve before entering in the second half, replacing Telasco Segovia.
“We had planned the match to give minutes to Leo [Messi]. The idea was to give him 45 minutes so that he can find sensations,” Mascherano said. “I didn’t see him after the game. Tomorrow, we’ll see what feelings he had.
“He’s an extraordinary player. I saw that he was clearly not 100 percent comfortable, but as the minutes went by, he was loosening up more and more. We will have to see how he ended with the fatigue.”
Jordi Alba scored for Miami in the 43rd minute, but Joseph Paintsil equalised for the Galaxy in the 59th minute.
Messi takes a shot and scores his team’s second goal against LA Galaxy at Chase Stadium [Chandan Khanna/AFP]
Messi dominates late
Messi’s brilliant goal six minutes from full-time – a thunderous left foot strike fired from the edge of the penalty area that caromed off the bottom corner of the net – restored the lead for Miami.
He then put the victory beyond doubt with a sensational 89th-minute assist to teammate Luis Suarez, who put the home side ahead 3-1.
Messi, the reigning MLS Most Valuable Player, has 19 goals and 10 assists in 19 MLS appearances for Miami this season.
He also has the Herons into the quarterfinals of the Leagues Cup, which they won in 2023, just after Messi’s arrival. Miami will play the Tigres in a Cup quarterfinal on Wednesday.
“He wants to play every single game,” Mascherano said. “You have to understand why Leo is Leo. He always wants to be on the pitch. He’s happy there. Sometimes, we try to explain him that we have to go slowly, but when he feels good, he knows himself like no one. In the end, we tried to give him some minutes today to start having good feelings for Wednesday.”
Inter Miami rank fourth in the MLS Eastern Conference, six points behind MLS leaders Philadelphia, but with three matches in hand.
Messi, left, celebrates with teammate Luis Suarez after Inter Miami went ahead 3-1 in the 89th minute [Chandan Khanna/AFP]
JEFF Bezos is mourning the loss of his mother, Jacklyn “Jackie” Bezos, who has died at the age of 78.
The Bezos Family Foundation announced the news, revealing she passed away peacefully at her Miami home today.
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Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos poses on the red carpet with his parents Mike and Jackie in 2016Credit: AFP
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Jackie Bezos has died at the age of 78Credit: Getty
While no cause of death was given, the Foundation said she was diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia in 2020.
In an emotional post, Jeff reflected on how his mom’s life as an adult began early, becoming a mother at just 17.
He said she “pounced on the job of loving me with ferocity,” later bringing his stepfather Mike into the family and expanding her love to his siblings Christina and Mark.
Bezos said her “list of people to love never stopped growing” and that she “always gave so much more than she ever asked for.”
He shared that after a long battle with Lewy Body Dementia, Jackie died surrounded by her children, grandchildren, and Mike.
“I know she felt our love in those final moments. We were all so lucky to be in her life,” he wrote, adding: “I hold her safe in my heart forever… I love you, mom.”
In a heartfelt tribute, the Foundation described Jackie as “the true meaning of grit and determination, kindness and service to others” — values she passed on to her children and grandchildren.
It praised her husband, Mike Bezos, for staying by her side “at every step” of her illness and thanked the healthcare team who cared for her.
Born December 29, 1946, in Washington, D.C., Jackie had Jeff at 17 with her first husband, Ted Jorgensen, before the couple split when Jeff was a toddler.
She later married Cuban immigrant Miguel “Mike” Bezos in 1968 — a lifelong partnership that lasted nearly six decades.
In 1995, the couple famously invested just under $250,000 into Jeff’s then-new venture, Amazon.
A devoted mother to Jeff, Christina, and Mark, Jackie juggled work, night school, and family life — making countless trips to Radio Shack for Jeff, supervising cheerleading practice for Christina, and hauling drums in the family station wagon for Mark.
She later earned her psychology degree at 45, proving, as the Foundation put it, “it’s never too late to follow your dreams.”
In 2000, she and Mike founded the Bezos Family Foundation, spearheading initiatives such as Vroom, which supports early childhood development, and the Bezos Scholars Program for students in the US and Africa.
She also played a major role in funding groundbreaking cancer research at Seattle’s Fred Hutch Cancer Center.
Her greatest joy, however, was family — particularly her 11 grandchildren, for whom she created “Camp Marmie,” a summer tradition of adventures, problem-solving, and laughter.
Jeff’s wife, Lauren Sánchez, re-shared the tribute on Instagram Stories with a broken heart emoji.
Jackie is survived by Mike, her children Jeff, Christina, and Mark, 11 grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.
The family is asking people to honor her memory by supporting a meaningful nonprofit or performing a simple act of kindness.
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