Happy Women's World Cup week! The summer's biggest event begins in just three days, but there are plenty of soccer stories to occupy your time as you wait for kickoff. From Lionel Messi's official welcome to Miami, updates as World Cup teams enter final prep, and European clubs begin their preseason fixtures, the Golazo Starting XI newsletter has you covered. I'm Pardeep Cattry with a recap on the latest.
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📺 Footy fix
All times U.S./Eastern
Monday, July 17
🇧🇷 Brazil: Goiás vs. Atlético Mineiro, 7 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+
🇦🇷 Argentina: Newell's Old Boys vs. Atlético Tucumcán, 7:30 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+
Tuesday, July 18
🌍 Preseason friendly: West Ham vs. Tottenham Hotspur, 7 a.m. ➡️ CBS Sports Network
🇪🇺 Champions League qualification: Struga vs. Žalgiris, 11 a.m. ➡️ Paramount+
🇪🇺 Champions League qualification: Maccabi Haifa vs. Hamrun Spartans, 1 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+
🏴 Scottish League Cup: Dundee United vs. Partick Thistle, 2:45 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+
⚽ The Forward Line
Messi's rain-soaked Miami welcome
Inclement weather could not dampen the mood at DRV PNK Stadium as Messi was finally introduced to Inter Miami fans on Sunday night. The superstar reciprocated when he took to the microphone. "I am very happy to have chosen to come to this city with my family, to have chosen this project, and I have no doubt that we are going to enjoy it very much," Messi said.
The club called upon a list of all-stars to welcome Messi with video messages, including U.S. women's national team forward Alex Morgan, NBA superstar Stephen Curry and retired NFL great Tom Brady. Inter Miami also used the occasion to unveil Sergio Busquets, who officially signed for the club hours earlier.
Before the unveiling, MLS commissioner Don Garber said that Miami was eyeing Messi well before it played its first match in 2020, and that club owner Jorge Más "promised" to bring the World Cup winner to the league. Igor Mello reports that the deal eventually got across the line with the help of two of MLS' biggest partners, Adidas and Apple.
- Mello: "Garber says MLS was fortunate to be in a unique position as a single-entity league and with strong partnerships with sponsors -- Adidas and Apple, most notably -- to help step in and facilitate signing Messi. … 'The intent of [a single] entity was to have a partnership amongst owners so that you can take advantage of unique opportunities,' said Garber, who cited the recent TV rights deal struck with Apple where league games are available to stream globally in one place as a prime example."
Messi Mania now pivots to his first match in a Miami jersey, which is expected to be on Friday when the team takes on Cruz Azul in Leagues Cup action.
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🔗 Midfield Link Play
Scouting the USWNT's opponents
The USWNT begins their quest for an unprecedented World Cup three-peat on Friday against Vietnam, one of the many teams at this year's tournament making their first appearance. Sandra Herrera provided a scouting report on the reigning champions' first opponent:
- Herrera: "Nguyen Thi Thanh Nha is Vietnam's young star to watch. In between the lines, they're a team that can execute their game plan and frustrate teams that have trouble unlocking organized shapes. … The 21-year-old forward scored the lone goal in Vietnam's warm-up friendly against Germany and will need to be another option in the attack alongside Huynh Nhu, the country's all-time leading goalscorer with 67 goals in 72 games."
The USWNT will face the Netherlands in its second group stage match, which marks a rematch of the 2019 final that the Americans eventually won 2-0. Herrera also shared the latest on the Dutch, who will likely serve as the USWNT's toughest group stage opponent.
- Herrera: "They'll be without star striker Vivianne Miedema due to injury and are a different team since that 2019 final, but they have strong pieces to give the USWNT a difficult time on the pitch. … [They] have 26-year-old Jill Roord as an attacking threat … [and] will also have Daniëlle van de Donk in the midfield to help battle for possession and generate offense or disrupt opposing attacks."
Finally, Herrera also took a look at Portugal, which will also make its Women's World Cup debut:
- Herrera: "Francisca 'Kika' Nazareth is Portugal's young star heading into the tournament. The 20-year-old Benfica attacking midfielder is a huge asset in the attack with her technical dribble and ability to create space to shoot."
Here are some more links to start your week with:
🔗 Herrera also joined Box to Box to talk about the good vibes in the USWNT camp ahead of Friday's World Cup opener against Vietnam.
🔗 Christian Pulisic trained with AC Milan for the first time, while the Aaronson brothers and Ricardo Pepi scored in preseason matches over the weekend.
🔗 The Box to Box team also discussed Weston McKennie's club future, now that his days at Juventus look numbered.
🔗 Francesco Porzio recaps the ongoing Romelu Lukaku transfer saga after Inter backed out of talks to re-sign the forward.
🔗 Mexico won their record ninth Gold Cup title on Sunday, beating Panama 1-0 thanks to a goal in the 88th minute.
🔗 Declan Rice is officially an Arsenal player after the club forked over £100 million plus add-ons.
🔗 Porzio also argues that both Real Madrid and Barcelona should use this summer to rebuild their squads.
🔗 Riyad Mahrez is expected to undergo a medical at Al-Ahli this week, and Fabinho was left off Liverpool's preseason squad as he plots a move to Al-Ittihad.
🔗 Morning Footy covered rumors that more Americans are headed to Serie A, including Yunus Musah and Folarin Balogun.
🔗 Morning Footy asks if Mexico interim head coach Jaime Lozano has done enough to keep the job after winning the Gold Cup.
🔗 Ahead of MLS All-Star week in Washington, D.C., Charlie Davies talked to Morning Footy about returning to the city following a life-changing experience there.
🔗 The Morning Footy crew tried the Lionel Messi chicken sandwich from the Hard Rock Cafe.
🔗 Morning Footy also broke down the fashion on display from USWNT stars at the ESPYs.
💰 The Back Line
💵 Best bets
All odds courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook and all times U.S./Eastern. SportsLine has you covered with all the info you need.
- Argentina Primera División: Newell's Old Boys vs. Atlético Tucumán
💰 THE PICK: Newell's Old Boys to win (+100) -- Just three points separate the two teams heading into the match, but Newell's are more likely to take home three points, but don't expect a lot of goals. Both teams are averaging less than one goal a game this season, and odds are that this one will be low scoring. - Champions League qualification: Maccabi Haifa vs. Hamrun Spartans
💰 THE PICK: More than 3.5 goals scored (+120) -- Israel's Maccabi Haifa are already up 4-0 on aggregate against its Maltese counterpart, but don't count on them to slow their goalscoring pace just because of it. The Israeli side are destined to pick up another lopsided win as they hope to play in the Champions League group stage for the second year in a row.
