Nick Cushing is "excited" for New York City FC to welcome Lionel Messi and Inter Miami to Yankee Stadium and is looking forward to the challenge.
NYCFC are currently on an eight-match winless streak in MLS, with their last win in the competition coming back on July 4 against CF Montreal on home soil.
They were on the end of a heavy 5-1 thrashing at home in their last outing to Philadelphia Union.
Cushing's side have slipped to sixth in the Eastern Conference but are only three points behind Orlando City in fourth, and the head coach knows that a big performance against Miami would be the boost they need.
"The team is very excited for the game. Obviously, knowing that there's going to be a capacity crowd is something that is really unique," Cushing told GOAL.
"It's a one-off occasion, in the sense of knowing that the atmosphere is going to be amazing. It is going to be a difficult game, but the team is really motivated for the challenge.
"I think for the team as a whole, to put ourselves against the best team in the league, against players of this calibre, and it's a huge opportunity to show the progression we've made as a team."
Meanwhile, Miami hold an eight-point lead at the top of the table but saw their five-match winning streak ended by a 2-2 draw with Atlanta United last time out.
Messi, Luis Suarez and Jordi Alba started on the bench, while Sergio Busquets was suspended, as the young players were given a chance to shine.
The former three were brought on but could not help Miami snatch a win, and assistant coach Javi Morales was impressed by how the rotated side handled the game.
"It was a tough game, a tough stadium. We had a good performance, came away with a point," Morales said.
"It's not easy after not playing a lot to be thrown on the field from one day to the next and in that stadium. I think the young players did a good job."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
NYCFC – Alonso Martinez
Nine of Alonso Martinez's 12 goals this regular season have been scored at home, including netting New York City FC's lone goal on Wednesday.
The only two NYCFC players to score 10 home goals in a single MLS campaign are David Villa (three times) and Valentin Castellanos (twice).
Inter Miami – Lionel Messi
Messi has played eight times for club and country in the New York City area, totaling seven goals in those appearances, but all those matches were played in northern New Jersey. The Argentine has never appeared in a match in New York state.
Leonardo Campana's strike in midweek was his 30th for Miami, making him the club's all-time leading scorer – Messi is just three goals off equaling that record.
MATCH PREDICTION: INTER MIAMI WIN
New York have lost only one of their 10 all-time meetings with Miami (W7 D2), though each of the last two meetings have ended in draws. NYCFC have won all four of their home matches against Miami, keeping clean sheets in all four wins.
However, New York have recorded one win in their last 12 matches in all competitions (D7 L3), with that lone victory coming over Tigres of Liga MX. NYCFC have not defeated an MLS opponent since a 2-0 win over CF Montreal on July 3.
Meanwhile, Miami have collected 63 points through 29 matches this season, equaling the third-most points at this stage of a season in MLS history. The only team to collect 66 points through 30 matches of a season was New England in their points record-setting 2021 campaign.
And though they do not have the best record against NYCFC, their recent form speaks for itself as they are unbeaten in their last six MLS outings.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
NYCFC – 31.3%
Draw – 25.2%
Inter Miami – 43.5%
Hurtig the hero after late goal sends Arsenal into Champions League quarters
Lina Hurtig's 89th minute winner ensured Arsenal progressed to the quarter-finals of the Women's Champions League after edging Juventus 1-0 on Thursday.
After being frustrated for large parts of the encounter, Hurtig bundled home from close range after Martina Lenzini's poor clearance to book the Gunners' place in the last eight.
Despite Arsenal dominating the early exchanges, it was Juventus who had the first sight of goal, though Eva Schatzer's effort was easy for Daphne van Domselaar to gather.
In a first half that saw just two shots on target, both coming from the visitors, Renee Slegers' substitutes proved to be the difference for Arsenal.
Slegers introduced Beth Mead, Stina Blackstenius and Hurtig late on, with the latter somehow putting Kim Little's cross over the bar from five yards out.
However, the Swede would atone for her earlier error, combining with fellow substitute Blackstenius to net against her former club and send them out of the competition with two group games remaining.
Meanwhile, in Group D, Barcelona edged closer to the quarter-finals of the competition with a convincing 4-1 victory over St. Polten at the Generali Arena.
The reigning champions are still three points behind Manchester City following their 2-1 win over Hammarby, and know a win against the Swedes next month will see them progress.
Kika Nazareth opened the scoring in the 20th minute after capitalising on a mistake by Kamila Dubcova, notching her second nine minutes later from close range.
Barca found themselves three goals up at the break when Vicky Lopez netted her first goal in the competition to put the result beyond doubt.
There was also a landmark moment for Alexia Putellas, who netted her 200th goal for the club with a well-taken effort into the far corner.
Valentina Madl took some of the shine off an otherwise impressive display from the visitors, who have now taken their tally to 20 goals from their four matches in the competition.
Guardiola agrees two-year contract extension with Man City
Pep Guardiola will be Manchester City manager for at least two more seasons after 2024-25, after he signed a two-year contract extension on Thursday.
The 53-year-old was coming to the end of his City deal, which was due to expire at the end of the current campaign, but he has opted to remain at the Etihad Stadium.
The deal itself will take Guardiola's tenure at the club to over a decade, making him City's longest-serving manager since Les McDowall in 1963.
There had been suggestions that he may leave at the end of the season following the announcement that director of football Txiki Begiristain was on his way out.
Guardiola was strongly linked with the England job after Gareth Southgate resigned in the wake of their Euro 2024 final defeat, but the Football Association appointed Thomas Tuchel last month.
“Manchester City means so much to me," Guardiola said. “This is my ninth season here; we have experienced so many amazing times together. I have a really special feeling for this football club.
“That is why I am so happy to be staying for another two more seasons.
“Thank you to everyone for continuing to trust and support me – The Owner, The Chairman Khaldoon, Ferran, Txiki, the players and, of course, the fans… everyone connected to Manchester City. It has always been an honour, a pleasure and a privilege to be here.
“I have said this many times before, but I have everything a manager could ever wish for, and I appreciate that so much.
“Hopefully, now we can add more trophies to the ones we have already won. That will be my focus.”
Having been appointed in 2016, Guardiola is by some distance Manchester City's most successful manager of all time, having won 18 major trophies during his time at the club.
That list includes their first-ever Champions League triumph in 2023 and six Premier League titles, including an unprecedented four on the spin.
He also boasts a 72.04% win percentage across all competitions, which is unsurprisingly the highest of any full-time City manager in history.
Shaw at the double as Man City progress in Champions League
Khadija Shaw scored twice as Manchester City beat Hammarby 2-1 to seal their place in the Women's Champions League quarter-finals.
Gareth Taylor's team entered Thursday's game with a perfect record in Group D, and their fourth win in as many European matches ensured they finished in the top two.
Shaw—the leading scorer in the Women's Super League this season with eight goals—put them ahead in the 31st minute, driving into the area after taking in Yui Hasegawa's pass before seeing her shot deflect into the top corner.
Shaw was booked for celebrating in front of the home fans despite appearing to have objects thrown at her from the stands, and Hammarby should have levelled when Julia Blakstad fired wide 10 minutes later.
The hosts did draw level three minutes into the second half as Ellen Wangerheim tapped home while City's Laura Blindkilde Brown was down appealing for a free-kick.
That parity was short-lived, though, as Shaw blasted into the top corner from 25 yards out, taking her overall tally for this season to 12 goals in all competitions.
In Group C, meanwhile, Bayern Munich lost their perfect record as they played out a 1-1 draw with Valerenga, boosting Arsenal's hopes of topping the pile.
Jovana Damnjanovic came off the bench to put Bayern ahead 15 minutes from time in Norway, but Elise Thorsnes headed home following an 88th-minute corner to snatch a point for the hosts.
Arsenal could now move within a point of Bayern when they face Juventus in Group C's other match later on Thursday.
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