Categories: Sport

Messi at the double again to lift Miami to MLS win over Nashville



EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey: Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique has urged his team to round off the best season in the club’s history by winning the Club World Cup, but warned not to expect Sunday’s final against Chelsea to be a “simple formality.”

“This is absolutely not going to be a simple formality,” the Spanish coach insisted, refusing to accept that PSG are necessarily overwhelming favorites to lift the trophy at MetLife Stadium despite their fearsome form.

“I have analyzed Chelsea. They have a great squad. Enzo Maresca is doing a great job and I really like what he is doing,” Enrique said. “They are a very complete team.”

PSG can complete a remarkable clean sweep of trophies with victory, having won a French league and cup double before claiming the UEFA Champions League for the first time in their history at the end of May.

“We want to finish this historic season in the best possible way,” said the former Barcelona coach.

“Now we must open the next chapter, win more major trophies. We want to make more history by winning on Sunday.”

PSG were spellbinding at times in their 4-0 victory against Real Madrid in the semifinals and also put four goals past Atletico Madrid and Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami during the

competition.

“But we have to win this game to round things off. However, in a final, there is always a winner and a loser, and that doesn’t mean the loser has necessarily done anything wrong,” Enrique added.

“We will lose again at some point, because that is what happens in top-level football, but I think the path is clear for everyone.”


HIGHLIGHT


PSG can complete a remarkable clean sweep of trophies with victory, having won a French league and cup double before claiming the UEFA Champions League for the first time in their history at the end of May.


This is the first edition of the 32-team Club World Cup, and whoever wins on Sunday will be world champions for four years, with the next tournament scheduled to take place in 2029.

“We are aware of the importance of this match, that it is a golden opportunity to be in a World Cup final,” said captain Marquinhos.

“This only happens every four years, and we don’t know where we will be in four years.”

Meanwhile, Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez said the scorching heat at the event in the US left him feeling dizzy and described the high temperatures as “dangerous” to play in.

Tuesday’s semifinal between Chelsea and Fluminense which took place at 3 p.m. local time in New Jersey saw temperatures soar past 35 degrees Celsius with over 54 percent humidity, prompting a National Weather Service warning.

Soaring temperatures in several cities hosting the contest have been a focal point in the tournament, which is seen as a dry run for next year’s men’s World Cup.

“Honestly, the heat is incredible. The other day, I had to lie down on the ground because I was really dizzy,” Fernandez told reporters on Friday.

“Playing in this temperature is very dangerous, it’s very dangerous. Moreover, for the spectacle, for the people who come to enjoy the stadium, for the people who watch it at home.

“The game, the speed of the game is not the same, everything becomes very slow.

“Let’s hope that next year they change the schedule, at least so that it remains a beautiful and attractive football spectacle, right?” the 2022 World Cup winner with Argentina added.

Chelsea’s manager has also previously complained about the heat, saying it was “impossible” to organize regular training sessions in the afternoons in Philadelphia.

“Some places have been really hot, the last round was hot and I was stuck watching it and I was thinking: ‘wow, this is so tough.’ I felt bad for them but they managed it really well,” Chelsea center back Levi 

Colwill said.



Source link

gulftimes

Recent Posts

Arab News | London court quashes rate-rigging conviction of ex-Deutsche Bank trader Bittar

LONDON: Christian Bittar, a former star Deutsche Bank trader jailed in Britain for conspiring to…

26 minutes ago

Arab News | Talks with Iran can only succeed without threats, president says

ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan: Peace negotiations with Iran would only succeed without “pressure and threats,” Iranian President…

27 minutes ago

Arab News | 2 workers seriously injured in an explosion at oil refinery near Athens, officials say

ATHENS: Two workers were seriously injured in an explosion at a major oil refinery outside…

58 minutes ago

Arab News | Arab Views: A Gulf divided? GCC Secretary-General Jasem Al-Budaiwi offers his view

Seven months after the start of Operation Epic Fury and the Iranian attacks that followed,…

1 hour ago

Arab News | Chaotic scenes as police, youths face off at Brussels protest

BRUSSELS: Hundreds of youths faced off with riot police in the streets of Brussels Friday…

1 hour ago

Autism, ADHD and mental health review: What you need to know

No time should be wasted in tackling these challenges, the review says.On long waits, it…

2 hours ago