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'No excuses', says Brendon McCullum as England succumb to Pakistan's spin cycle
"That's life," McCullum told Sky Sports after England's nine-wicket defeat. "We obviously coughed up the opportunity to win the series. We did some good stuff throughout, and we leave ultimately disappointed, but also very much complimentary of how Pakistan played. But we know within ourselves that we've had an opportunity to have been better than that and we're a little bit disappointed about that.
"Credit to Pakistan, the way that those two spinners bowled was superb," McCullum said, after Noman and Sajid had combined to rout England for 112 in their second innings in Rawalpindi.
"I thought they varied the pace beautifully. Noman from one end, taking pace off most of the time with the occasional fast one, and Sajid flipping that around and putting pace on with the occasional slow one. I thought was great partnership bowling. And our guys weren't able to sustain the pressure, unfortunately."
Asked if he was comfortable with the extreme measures that Pakistan had taken to bring their spinners into the series, including the seemingly unprecedented reuse of the first-Test pitch in Multan, and the raking of the Rawalpindi surface to exacerbate the turn on offer, McCullum said he welcomed the initiative they had shown.
"I kind of like it to be honest," he said. "They were brave enough to make decisions on their personnel, and they were brave enough to make decisions on the surfaces that they wanted to play on.
"When teams come to England, ideally we play on the surfaces that we're more accustomed to, which allow our strengths to really flourish and maybe paper over some of the weaknesses as well, which every team naturally has.
"I'm a little bit surprised it's taken Pakistan as long as it has. Because when you go to Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh, the ball is always going to turn. What we had here a couple of years ago, or in that first Test match, where it was pretty flat, was a different challenge. It'll be interesting to see over the next couple of years whether they persist with these types of services, but certainly there are no excuses from our point of view. We had our chances, and we ran second."
Despite remaining magnanimous, McCullum acknowledged that the series defeat would increase the scrutiny on his team. Ollie Pope and Zak Crawley were notably short of answers in the more extreme conditions, while Brook managed a top score of 26 in his final four innings of the tour, having racked up four centuries and a fifty in his previous six in the country.
"It's pretty much the same batting group that came here two years ago, and were outstanding in these conditions, and it's the same batting group that put on 800 in the first Test match," McCullum said. "As the conditions changed, we were presented with different challenges and we weren't quite able to adapt to those challenges. And that's a missed opportunity."
"I have no doubt, and the skipper has no doubt, that our batting group that we've now had together for the best part of 18 months is the best that we've got," he added. "We're very confident, we've just got to make sure we keep allowing guys to develop them and keep becoming the players that they want to become, and will benefit from that."
The focus will also fall on England's spinners, particularly Shoaib Bashir and Jack Leach, whose direct counterparts Sajid and Noman exploited the conditions with significantly more success in the final two Tests. Bashir, whose selection for the India tour had been on the basis of his natural attributes, rather than any proven record in first-class cricket, has now bowled more overs in 2024 than any other player, but his series haul of nine wickets at 49.66 pales compared to Sajid's 19 at 21.10.
"[Sajid and Noman] were brilliant in the way they bowled together, and they challenged in different methods with the paces that they used," McCullum said. "Could we have been better? Yeah, of course, right? Anytime you lose a Test or lose a series, you've got to have that period of reflection. And we'll do that, and say, right, next time we're presented with conditions similar to that, how will we respond? What do we need to do? Do we need to vary our pace more? Do we need to adjust our tactics more? That's natural, right? It's no difference to when a batsman gets out."
"You're always trying to improve, but you've got to be really careful that you're not seeking perfection, because it doesn't exist in an inconsistent game. The game we play is going to come with periods where it's not going how you want it to, but you've still got to hold firm.
"We will be confronted with spinning conditions at some stage in the future, and we hope that some of the lessons, good and bad that we've had throughout this series, will give us a bit more of, a bit more of a base to be able to be successful."
Andrew Miller is UK editor of ESPNcricinfo. @miller_cricket
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has said the club's dressing room lacks a "proper leader" and has been left "expecting more" from captain Reece James this season.
James returned from another lengthy hamstring injury layoff to make his first start of the season in the defeat against Liverpool last weekend -- his first competitive appearance under Maresca.
When asked on Friday how James helped command the team during his time out injured, Maresca told reporters: "He is on the way, he's doing well, he's progressing, but from Reece, I expected more also in terms of leadership.
"Most of the time when they are captain, they think that because they are captain they have more, 'because I am the captain, I expect that you give me more'. For me, because you are the captain you have to give more. You have to give more than the rest. And sometimes it's, 'OK, I am the captain I can give less', no.
"He's one of the captains and I expected from him, and his teammates expected from him, to give always more in terms of leadership in general."
James has made 159 appearances for Chelsea since graduating from the club's academy and making his senior debut in 2019.
He was made club captain under Chelsea's previous boss, Mauricio Pochettino, in August 2023.
"He [James] is a reserved guy, but not only him," Maresca added. "I think we don't have a proper leader. We don't have those guys. Probably Tosin [Adarabioyo] is one of the guys that is. So the rest we need to build them."
Chelsea have begun the season with four wins from eight games in the Premier League. They face Newcastle on Sunday.
WBBL all you need to know: overseas stars, squads, new rules, players to watch
Hot on the heels of a momentous Women's T20 World Cup, the tenth season of the WBBL is just about ready to get started. What's new this season? When is the tournament starting? What are the squads? We have you covered.
When does it take place?
The WBBL begins on Sunday with a triple header starting with back-to-back games at the Adelaide Oval. Reigning champions Adelaide Strikers, who are aiming for a hat-trick of titles, and Brisbane Heat square off in a repeat of last season's classic final before Melbourne Renegades takes on Sydney Sixers. Perth Scorchers plays Melbourne Stars at the WACA in the later fixture.
The regular season finishes on November 24 before a week of finals concludes with the decider on December 1.
What is the tournament structure?
This season's WBBL has been reduced to 40 games plus finals to bring it in line with the BBL and fit within a burgeoning women's cricket calendar. Each club will play 10 games - down from 14 last season - during the regular season.
The three-game finals format used since 2021 remains in place with the top four teams from the regular season to qualify.
The team that finishes top after the regular season will host the final. The third and fourth placed teams will meet in the Knockout on November 27 with the winner to travel and face the team that finished second on the ladder two days later for a place in the final.
The Knockout final will be hosted by the third-placed team in a tweak from previous years where the second-ranked team hosted both elimination games on consecutive days.
How the overseas draft played out
Adelaide Strikers: Laura Wolvaardt, Smriti Mandhana (pre-sign), Orla Prendergast
Brisbane Heat: Jemimah Rodrigues, Shikha Pandey, Nadine de Klerk (pre-sign)
Hobart Hurricanes: Danni Wyatt, Chloe Tryon, Lizelle Lee (pre-sign)
Melbourne Renegades: Deandra Dottin, Hayley Matthews (pre-sign), Alice Capsey
Melbourne Stars: Deepti Sharma, Marizanne Kapp (pre-sign), Yastika Bhatia
Perth Scorchers: Sophie Devine (pre-sign), Amy Jones, D Hemalatha
Sydney Sixers: Sophie Ecclestone, Amelia Kerr (pre-sign), Hollie Armitage
Sydney Thunder: Heather Knight, Shabnim Ismail, Chamari Athapaththu (pre-sign), Georgia Adams
What about their availability?
There's a bit of a crunch at the start and end. The India and New Zealand players will arrive late due to their ongoing ODI series then England, and some South Africa players, will miss the closing stages, including finals, due to their bilateral series.
The squads
*Subject to further updates
Adelaide Strikers: Jemma Barsby, Darcie Brown, Maggie Clark, Ellie Johnston, Katie Mack, Eleanor Larosa, Smriti Mandhana, Anesu Mushangwe, Tahlia McGrath, Bridget Patterson, Madeline Penna, Orla Prendergast, Megan Schutt, Amanda-Jade Wellington, Laura Wolvaardt
Brisbane Heat: Nadine de Klerk, Sianna Ginger, Lucy Hamilton, Nicola Hancock, Grace Harris, Laura Harris, Jess Jonassen, Charli Knott, Shikha Pandey, Grace Parsons, Georgia Redmayne, Jemimah Rodrigues, Ruby Strange, Lauren Winfield-Hill, Mikayla Wrigley
Hobart Hurricanes: Suzie Bates, Kathryn Bryce (Associate Rookie), Nicola Carey, Zoe Cooke, Heather Graham, Ruth Johnston, Lizelle Lee, Hayley Silver-Holmes, Tabatha Saville, Amy Smith, Lauren Smith, Molly Strano, Rachel Trenaman, Chloe Tryon, Elyse Villani, Callie Wilson, Danni Wyatt
Melbourne Renegades: Emma de Broughe, Alice Capsey, Sarah Coyte, Josie Dooley, Deandra Dottin, Nicole Faltum, Ella Hayward, Milly Illingworth, Hayley Matthews, Sophie Molineux, Tara Norris (Associate Rookie), Georgia Prestwidge, Naomi Stalenberg, Linsey Smith, Tayla Vlaeminck, Georgia Wareham, Courtney Webb
Melbourne Stars: Yastika Bhatia, Sophie Day, Tess Flintoff, Kim Garth, Maisy Gibson, Hasrat Gill, Liv Henry, Marizanne Kapp, Meg Lanning, Rhys McKenna, Sasha Moloney, Sophie Reid, Deepti Sharma, Annabel Sutherland
Perth Scorchers: Sophie Devine, Chloe Ainsworth, Stella Campbell, Maddy Darke, Hemalatha Dayalan, Amy Edgar, Mikayla Hinkley, Ebony Hoskin, Amy Jones, Alana King, Carly Leeson, Lilly Mills, Beth Mooney, Chloe Piparo, Ni Made Putri Suwandewi (Associate Rookie)
Sydney Sixers: Hollie Armitage, Caoimhe Bray, Maitlan Brown, Sarah Bryce (Associate Rookie), Erin Burns, Mathilda Carmichael, Lauren Cheatle, Sophie Ecclestone, Ashleigh Gardner, Alyssa Healy, Amelia Kerr, Isabella Malgioglio, Kate Pelle, Ellyse Perry, Kate Peterson, Courtney Sippel, Elsa Hunter (local replacement), Frankie Nicklin (local replacement)
Sydney Thunder: Georgia Adams, Chamari Athapaththu, Sam Bates, Ella Briscoe, Hannah Darlington, Sienna Eve, Saskia Horley, Shabnim Ismail, Sammy-Jo Johnson, Heather Knight, Anika Learoyd, Phoebe Litchfield, Claire Moore, Taneale Peschel, Georgia Voll, Tahlia Wilson
Is there anything else new about the season?
A third umpire will be available in every game for the first time, while there is an increase in matches with the full DRS. In all, 33 of the 43 matches will have DRS while for the 10 games without it the TV umpire will be able to rule on line decisions such as stumpings and run outs.
There will also be an innings timer in operation for the tournament to mirror the BBL with 73 minutes available to be ready to bowl the first ball of the 20th over, otherwise a fielding penalty is implemented which requires one extra fielder inside the circle.
Who are the players to watch?
Tristan Lavalette is a journalist based in Perth
Watson: 'Perfect storm' for Konstas to make Test debut
Konstas announced himself as a Test bolter with twin Sheffield Shield centuries for NSW earlier this month and will feature for Australia A next week alongside the out-of-form Cameron Bancroft and another previous Test opener in Marcus Harris as the selectors narrow down their options.
Watson said selectors need only look to the player Konstas would replace for proof rare talents must be given early chances at Test cricket. Injured allrounder Cameron Green made his Test debut at 21 on India's last tour of Australia, having been earmarked as a prodigy playing Sheffield Shield for Western Australia.
Watson felt the age of the current playing group was further evidence of the need to inject young blood; there is no player younger than 30 who both played in Australia's last Test match in March and is fit for the summer.
"The whole situation is, in my mind, a perfect storm to be able to give him an opportunity to be able to play Test cricket," Watson told AAP. "For me, this is an opportune time, knowing that the bowlers are aging, there's Steve Smith and Usman Khawaja as a starting point who are aging.
"They've still obviously got a lot of great cricket in front of them. But the one thing Australian cricket always did incredibly well was see someone who is different from all the younger stars coming through and get them into the Australian set-up, as early as they can within reason, to be able to help them learn."
Current captain Pat Cummins memorably became the second-youngest Australian debutant in Test history when the then-18-year-old earned a first baggy green on the 2011 tour of South Africa, while Konstas' batting predecessors Ricky Ponting and Steve Waugh were both given the nod at 20.
Watson himself can vouch for the benefits of earning international experience early, having first played ODI cricket as a 20-year-old.
"There's no doubt that my one-day cricket would never have evolved to the heights that it did without me being around the Aussie team [at a younger age]," said Watson, who went on to play in Australia's 2007 and 2015 World Cup triumphs.
Watson has been working with Konstas for the best part of four years, having first come across him as a student at Cranbrook - the Sydney school attended by Watson's son.
He named Konstas' single-minded dedication to his craft as his most striking attribute.
"From the first moment that I met Sam, the thing that jumped out at me the most was his desperate desire to be the best that he possibly could be," Watson said. "The first time I had a net session with him as a 16-year-old, he hits the ball differently; the shot options that he has available to him and his defence.
"But then knowing how diligently he has been working on his mental game as well, it absolutely does not surprise me to see what he's able to do."
The mental side of cricket has been of particular interest to Watson towards the end of his career and into retirement, with his book The Winner's Mindset recently adapted into an online skills course through SafetyCulture.
Pakistan need 36 to win after Sajid, Noman special
Pakistan 344 need 36 runs to beat England 267 and 112 (Root 33, Noman 6-42, Sajid 4-69)
Pakistan are on the cusp of their first home series win since 2021 after dismissing England for 112, leaving them a nominal chase of 36 for victory in this third and final Test in Rawalpindi.
Just as it was in the first innings, and indeed the victorious second Test at Multan, Noman Ali and Sajid Khan took the spoils, bagging all 10 wickets between themselves. It was Noman's turn to pocket the match ball with 6 for 42, a sixth five-wicket haul, while Sajid's 4 for 69 registered a second 10-wicket match of his 10-Test career after 6 for 128 on day one.
The pair walked off hand in hand at the end of the innings, basking in the glory of instigating England's day three collapse in which the final seven wickets fell for just 46, and the fact their introductions turned the series on its head. Since being drafted into the squad after the tourists took a 1-0 lead, they have managed 39 wickets between them - Noman's left-arm spin taking 20 at 13.85, while Sajid's off breaks managing 19 from 21.01.
And yet, things began serenely enough for England. Granted, they started Saturday 53 behind on 24 for 3. But in Root and Brook, they had two batters capable of chipping off that deficit, and then some.
When Brook began the 13th over by striking Sajid for back-to-back fours - first through cover, then over mid off on the charge - the more pessimistic Pakistan fans might have been wondering if the Yorkshire pair were about to embark on another match-tilting partnership. After all, it was these two who combined for all of 454 in the first Test at Multan.
However, that was before Sajid and Noman entered the series. And after the former adjusted his line to keep Brook honest, the latter followed up a slow delivery with one far quicker that was cut late into the gloves of Mohammad Rizwan. Pakistan's lead had been cut to 11, but the first domino had been toppled. Others duly followed.
Stokes' troubles against spin continued, inexplicably leading a straight delivery from Noman, expecting turn from over the wicket that never came. Jamie Smith's charge to Sajid was almost as bad, bowled off stump through a wild swing that belied the sensibilities he had displayed with a load-bearing 89 in the first innings.
It was only four balls after Smith's dismissal that England went ahead, and what hopes they had of extending that in a meaningful way ended when Root was snared by a pearler from Noman with a lead of eight. Perfect dip onto a length to drag the right-hander forward from around the wicket, before just enough spin - it was a delivery the 38-year-old had served up a few times but only Root was good enough to nick. A
Sajid tagged in to lop off the tail, yorking Gus Atkinson before knocking back Rehan Ahmed's leg stump for his second 10-wicket match haul. And he looked to have bagged a second five-for in the match when Shoaib Bashir was given out LBW on the sweep.
A cursory DRS review came back in the No.11's favour, with the impact onto the pad coming outside off stump. The reprieve only brought an extra two runs, as Noman caught Leach lacking on the charge, firing one wide of the advancing left-hander, stumped smartly by Rizwan.
Vithushan Ehantharajah is an associate editor at ESPNcricinfo
LeBron: Crucial for red-hot AD to be 'focal point'
LOS ANGELES -- After scoring 35 points in his second consecutive game to open the season, leading the Lakers to a 123-116 win over the Phoenix Suns and a 2-0 record out of the gates, Anthony Davis was asked if he could name the two other Laker greats to match his scorching start.
It took him six errant guesses -- rattling off Kobe Bryant, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O'Neal, James Worthy and LeBron James -- before he guessed one right.
"Jerry West?" Davis asked, correctly naming the Hall of Famer who opened the 1969-70 season with 39 points in his first game and 42 in his second.
James, standing at his locker next to Davis, helped out the big man with an assist on identifying the other.
"Elgin," James said.
"Elgin Baylor," Davis continued, mentioning the forward who started the 1962-63 season with 71 points in his first two games, which matches Davis' total thus far.
It has been an eye-opening launch for Davis, who at age 31 and in his 13th season in the league and sixth with the Lakers, finally appears positioned to take the torch as the team's best player.
"It's very important that he's the main focal point for us every single night," James, 39, said after the game, finishing with 21 points and eight assists. "We know what he's going to do defensively, but offensively we have to find him in multiple places on the floor throughout the whole game. And we've done that through two games."
James, a 22-year veteran, isn't exactly admitting he is slowing down, however. Look no further than his answer to being asked if he will play Saturday on the second night of a back-to-back against the Sacramento Kings as evidence of that.
"I plan on playing every game [this season]," James said. "We'll see what happens if I don't."
L.A. clawed back from an early 22-point deficit against the Suns, with Davis, James and Austin Reaves (26 points, 8 assists, 3 steals) leading the charge.
"What he's been doing is kind of, it's unreal obviously, but I expect him to go dominate the game in many facets," Reaves said of Davis. "I'm just lucky to have him as a teammate."
And Lakers fans, it would appear, should feel fortunate to have JJ Redick as their coach.
One would have to rattle off as many names as Davis did -- Darvin Ham, Frank Vogel, Luke Walton, Byron Scott, Mike D'Antoni and Mike Brown -- before mentioning the last coach to lead the franchise to a 2-0 start: Phil Jackson in 2010-11.
Redick, like the rest of the team, passed on the credit to Davis, too.
"There's an intentionality to have [Davis] involved as much as possible," Redick said. "We recognize what type of player he is and that he can create mismatches. ... There's a comfort level and a confidence level that he has that if the game starts getting wacky, he knows the ball is going to come back to him. ... The ball is going to find him."
Boone liked matchup for Cortes before fateful HR
LOS ANGELES -- Yankees relievers Nestor Cortes and Tim Hill waited for the signal from their manager in the visitors bullpen at Dodger Stadium, tucked down the right-field line, in the 10th inning Friday night.
The two left-handers were instructed to warm up at the same time. Shohei Ohtani, the best left-handed hitter in the sport, was looming. One of them would face him and the gauntlet that followed to attempt to record the final two outs to hold New York's one-run lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 1 of the World Series. Both were ready. They just didn't know which one manager Aaron Boone would choose.
Finally, Boone gestured for Cortes as he walked out to the mound to take the ball from Jake Cousins. Cortes, out because of a flexor strain since the end of the regular season, hadn't pitched in a game in 37 days. Suddenly, he was thrust into the hottest of fires.
It took him one pitch to retire Ohtani, pulling the Yankees to within one out of a victory. Freddie Freeman launched Cortes' next pitch into the right-field pavilion for a walk-off grand slam to give the Dodgers a 6-3 win.
"Just liked the matchup," Boone said when asked why he chose Cortes. "The reality is he's been throwing the ball really well the last few weeks as he's gotten ready for this."
Boone added that he preferred Cortes over Hill, a groundball specialist, because Ohtani, a fast runner, is unlikely to ground into a double play. Cortes swiftly disposed of Ohtani, the presumptive National League MVP, thanks to Alex Verdugo's acrobatic catch banging into a short wall and into the crowd down the left-field line. But, by rule, because Verdugo fell into an out-of-play area, the runners advanced to second and third base, leaving first base open.
Boone then opted to intentionally walk Mookie Betts, a former MVP, to load the bases and create a more favorable lefty-on-lefty matchup against Freeman, another former MVP.
"Yes and no," Betts said when asked if he was surprised he was intentionally walked. "I mean, it makes sense. I was ready to go, either way, but I definitely understand."
Freeman was 1-for-3 with a double against Cortes -- all in a June 8 matchup this season -- before stepping into the batter's box. Hunting fastball, he got one at 92 mph down and in, and pounced.
"I looked at it as soon as I came in," Cortes said. "I got to the inside of the part of the plate, but just not high enough."
Cortes' two pitches were his first since he tossed six scoreless innings Sept. 18. A week later, he was scratched from a start and put on the injured list. He was shut down for 10 days and took a platlelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection, unsure if he would pitch again in 2024. It would take a deep postseason run from the Yankees to have a chance.
The Yankees did their part, winning the American League pennant, and Cortes, after throwing a 28-pitch live bullpen session Tuesday at Yankee Stadium without a hiccup, was put on the World Series roster as a reliever. He understood he was taking a risk by pushing himself. Flexor strains often lead to major elbow injuries. A free agent after next year, Cortes could cost himself millions of dollars if he were to have a significant setback.
"I told them since the beginning that I just don't want to be on this roster because it's the World Series," Cortes said before the game. "I want to be able to contribute and make sure when I'm out there that I'm giving my best and close to 100 percent as possible."
Cortes said he "felt better than expected" while warming up in the bullpen. His fastball velocity, 88 to 90 mph in his live bullpen sessions, jumped a few ticks on the radar gun. Adrenaline coursed through him. He had worked for that moment. He waited for it for weeks, down to his manager's signal Friday night, and it ended in stunning disappointment.
"Just sucks," Cortes said. "I couldn't come through for the guys. I know everybody's focused on Ohtani, Ohtani, Ohtani. We get him out, but Freeman is also a really good hitter. I just couldn't get the job done today."
British number one Katie Boulter missed out on a place in the Pan Pacific Open final after a straight-set defeat by American wildcard Sofia Kenin in Saturday's semi-finals.
The 28-year-old had been aiming to win her third title of the year but lost 6-4 6-4 in Tokyo in one hour and 30 minutes to the former world number four.
Boulter was broken twice in the first set and, although she recovered one of the breaks when Kenin first served for the set, she was unable to break again and the 2020 Australian Open champion secured the set at the second time of asking.
Kenin had to save four break points in the sixth game of the second set but held on to make it 3-3 and broke the Briton in the following game, maintaining her advantage after that to reach the final.
She will face either top seed and Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen of China or Russian Diana Shnaider, the sixth seed, in the final.
Cowan-Dickie on neck surgery and quitting Call of Duty
Cowan-Dickie should never have been at Sale in the first place, having signed a deal to join Montpellier in the summer of 2023. But that move broke down after the French club cancelled his contract, citing concerns over his fitness.
There were also reports of an alcohol-fuelled incident while having his medical in France, something Cowan-Dickie puts down to a misunderstanding.
The move to Sale kept alive his England career. Lifestyle-wise, though, things had to change.
Cowan-Dickie was a renowned gamer, once topping global leaderboards in Call of Duty. But those 10-hour gaming sessions had to go.
Im a very addictive person in most things I do, so when I game, I game for ridiculous hours, he explained.
I was number one in the world at Hardcore Search and Destroy. That was back in the time I was injured with my knee and was playing 10 hours a day.
When I was younger, it was fine, but now I am getting a bit older, routine-wise it just wasnt good for me. I would game until the stupid hours.
I would go to bed late, wake up just about on time, not train very well. And I would be tired. So I got into a better routine in the off-season, and my arm has come back, so that might have helped.
My mind is just better, I just think clearer and am not as erratic in everyday life.
Alcohol, too, has bitten the dust.
I havent drunk in about four and half, five months, he said. I normally have a nice cold beer after the game in the changing room. Now its a nice cold coke.
Its erratic and I dont like how I feel after it, so in terms of everyday mood and mental health, I just feel happier.
Physically and mentally, Cowan-Dickie feels he is in as good a place as ever. At the age of 31, there might yet be time to rediscover the form that made him a world-beater.
With captain Jamie George and up-and-comer Theo Dan commandeering the number two jersey of late, he faces a battle to force his way into the 23-man squad.
But when Cowan-Dickie says he is just thankful to be in the squad again, you definitely believe him.
I feel like I am back more like myself, he added.
I havent really been performing for a long time, so I feel like I am improving game to game and I definitely feel like there is more to come. I am excited."
Lionel Messi had chances at goals time and time again, only to keep being denied. Turns out, all he needed to do was deliver the right pass at the right time.
Jordi Alba turned a pass from Messi into the go-ahead goal in the 60th minute, Luis Suarez also scored and Inter Miami beat Atlanta United 2-1 on Friday night in the opening game of a best-of-three first-round Major League Soccer playoff series.
It was not the easiest of openers for the Supporters' Shield winners and No. 1 overall seed in the MLS Cup playoffs, a team that set a league record with 74 points in the regular season, 34 points ahead of wild-card Atlanta in the standings.
Saba Lobjanidze scored for Atlanta, which got eight saves from goalkeeper Brad Guzan. Game 2 will be Nov. 2 at Atlanta -- the last road game of the season, no matter what, for Inter Miami. Game 3, if necessary, will be Nov. 9 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
"It's going to be difficult for us," Inter Miami coach Gerardo "Tata" Martino said. "It's going to be difficult as this rival has been throughout the season."
Inter Miami's first-ever home playoff game and Messi's MLS playoff debut was sold out -- Messi games almost always are, everywhere in the world -- and MLS even had a camera isolated on him throughout the match, streaming that view on TikTok. There were plans to also show the match live on a massive screen in New York's Times Square; that ended up getting called off, but Apple will schedule a viewing of another match there.
Atlanta was the only team to beat Inter Miami when Messi was in the lineup this season, and it was almost as though the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner -- and finalist for MLS MVP honors -- knew the game wouldn't be easy.
"It gets settled on the field," Messi said in an interview taped before the playoffs, one that MLS teased on social media and said will be distributed on its Season Pass platform. "Anything can happen in a match."
And for 60 minutes, the scoreboard said these teams were even.
Suarez scored with the match barely a minute old, and Messi had three high-quality chances later in the half.
Messi's left foot nearly made it 2-0 after six minutes; Guzan had to sprawl to his right to barely deflect the shot away. Messi found a bit of space and fired again in the 26th minute; this time, Guzan punched it over the crossbar. And in the 29th minute, it wasn't Guzan who denied Messi -- it was the post. The rebound came to Inter Miami's Marcelo Weigandt, and his shot got punched away by Guzan.
If not for Guzan, it could have been 2-0, 3-0, maybe even 4-0 at that point.
Instead, it was 1-1 at intermission. Lobjanidze got behind the defense and beat Drake Callender from close range in the 39th minute, and Atlanta -- which won at Chase Stadium in May -- was all square going into the second half.
"We were frustrated," Martino said.
In the 52nd minute, Messi's direct kick from 25 yards nearly gave Inter Miami the lead again but curled just wide of the post to Guzan's left. The breakthrough came about eight minutes later, with Messi getting lifted into the air by Alba in celebration after the goal.
"We've got to keep our heads up, and we've got to go again," Guzan said. "We've had our backs against the wall for quite some time now. And when our backs have been against the wall, we've found a way. Our backs are against the wall now. We've got to go into Game 2, and we've got to win."
The night took a bad turn for Inter Miami late. Ian Fray, a South Florida native who has already dealt with three ACL tears, left in the 90th minute after a noncontact injury left him unable to put any weight on his right leg. There was no immediate word on the severity of Fray's injury.
"It was a very good game ... but we're not feeling as satisfied as we could because of Ian," Martino said. "We are all a little bit sad. We'll wait to see what injury he has."
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