Kieran Gill’s latest Chelsea Confidential column is all about the Blues’ trip to the Club World Cup, where they will take on some of the biggest teams in the world, starting tonight against LAFC.
Enzo Maresca is expected to play his strongest lineup, despite the long and gruelling season which has just finished. The £100m prize money on the line is just too great to ignore.
Players like Cole Palmer will feature despite having bounced straight from a 9 month Premier League and Conference League campaign into international duty with England.
Cole Palmer may be Chelsea’s fittest player
Cole Palmer with his boots off. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
If anyone can handle it, however, Palmer can. Gill notes in his piece that the attacking midfielder is actually maybe the fittest player in the squad, contrary to what one might expect given his relaxed demeanour on and off the pitch:
“The smart money is on Palmer winning any races to the top [of the famous Rocky Steps in Philadelphia], as we are told he has revealed himself as the one to beat in Chelsea’s internal fitness tests in spite his on-field nonchalance. Maresca’s fitness coach Marcos Alvarez may have something to say if anyone admits in earshot that they fancy trying a Philly cheesesteak, mind.”
This lines up with what we heard from Romeo Lavia in some promo work for the club’s social channels done earlier in the week, where he claimed Palmer was the “most likely to run a marathon.”
England players exhausted after long season
Gill adds that the many England players taking part in the Club World Cup, including 4 from Chelsea, agreed that they “felt exhausted after a long season” and were concerned that FIFA were running them into the ground and not showing a “duty of care.”
Carlos Ortiz and his wife, Haley, after he won the 2020 Vivint Houston Open.
Playing his golf all over the world on the LIV Golf tour for the Torque GC team as well as on the Asian Tour, Carlos Ortiz is enjoying a fairly successful campaign.
He joined LIV in 2022 and won his maiden event in Texas in 2024.
Previously spending his career on the PGA Tour, he made 92 of 161, won over $7.7m and recorded his only victory at the 2020 Vivint Houston Open.
Away from golf, the Mexican tied the knot with his long-term partner, Hayley Thompson Ortiz, on the 10th December 2017. The pair got married in Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico and have four young children together.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Ortiz and Thompson first met in their youth at the University of North Texas, where they reportedly dated for years. A true love story.
Since then, she has travelled and supported her husband all over the world, sharing many of their moments together on her Instagram, @thehaleyortiz.
Based in Dallas, she is also an artist, posting some of her work on her social media. A highlight of her work did appear on her Instagram account but she has since taken that down.
Although Thompson regularly shares photos of herself and her family travelling the world with Ortiz, it appears the couple generally keep key details of their private life out of the public eye.
She was in Houston when the Mexican won his maiden LIV event, sharing on Instagram, “There isn’t anyone I know more disciplined than @carlosortizgolf – it was only a matter of time, TE AMO. Houston is always so good to us!”
Along with her interest in art, she has shared videos of her playing the guitar and singing, although other details of Thompson’s interests are very limited.
The five matches today in the Terra Wortmann Open round of 32 include No. 25-ranked Stefanos Tsitsipas competing against No. 56 Luciano Darderi.
Tsitsipas is 17-10 on the year, with one tournament victory. Darderi has gone 12-12 through 13 tournaments so far this year, and has won one tournament title.
Looking for an edge in the Terra Wortmann Open action today? We break down the betting odds for all five matches below.
A vacation rarely brings a cast closer together instead of further apart — unless you count trauma bonding, then any Housewives trip to Puerto Rico would definitely count — yet Grenada serves as a refreshing baptism for the Atlanta ladies. I may be abusing the four-star rating, but my goodness, am I elated to have, to quote NeNe Leakes, pure, innocent fun back on RHOA. Okay, perhaps watching the women grind half-naked on Caribbean men isn’t entirely innocent, and I can do without so much talk about Cynthia’s clit, but comedy is finally back in the series. And it’s the type of comedy the Black franchises do best: shit-talking and kiki-ing.
No one does shade and verbal sparring better than RHOA in its prime, and it’s no surprise because shit-talking is an honored tradition for Black people, one that’s been traced back to West African traditions. As one scholar put it, “The themes about which joking is allowed seem to be those most condemned by our social order in other contexts.” We do it to bond, to entertain, to fight, and, as some have argued, to exercise our minds, as getting in a good read requires real quickness and savvy (in his memoir, activist Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin equated our proclivity for shit talking to white people playing Scrabble). It’s an integral part of how we communicate with each other, and the women on The Real Housewives of Atlanta capitalize on this natural inclination for talking shit with their rapid-fire reads and snarky reenactments of each other’s ridiculous behavior.
But for too many seasons, the playfulness of this cultural exchange was few and far between due to a lack of chemistry within the cast and the seriousness of the story lines. A dark cloud hung over the series, with funny moments quickly deflating as any whiff of joviality was always promptly sucked out of the room. This cloud threatened to take over season 16, but the Grenada trip nipped it in the bud, reintroducing lightness and banter. As the cast debriefs from the roller coaster of emotions over the past few days, that distinctively Black flavor of convivial shit-talking arose, garnering genuine laughs I hadn’t experienced while covering the last two seasons. I love this kind of banter — NeNe reenacting Kenya’s infamous Gone With the Wind fabulous twirl to Kandi is funnier to me than the actual moment — and the women lean into the silliness as they laugh and dish over breakfast.
Angela and Drew go first, Angela remarking that she “made the mistake” of looking at Drew’s face during Brit’s strange monologue the night before, causing her to stifle her giggles. We’ve all been there with our bestie during what should be a serious moment, tenuously trying to maintain a straight face, knowing one glance at each other would cause an SNL-worthy break. Meanwhile, the old heads have a kiki of their own over in Porsha’s room, listening to Phaedra, the resident shit-talking queen, do her usual rounds, snarkily reading the group. Cynthia and Porsha laugh as Phaedra calls Angela a schoolteacher (she has a strange obsession with Angela, why is she always trying to dog her?) and jokes about living in “Scam-lanta” while talking about Brit’s donation. Then, she delivers new tea, which is the best ingredient for any shit-talking session.
Phaedra tells Cynthia and Porsha that the genesis of the iciness between Brit and Kelli, something Angela and Drew also noted in their respective kiki, involves Brit allegedly trying to poach Kelli’s glam squad. Now this is the Real Housewives bullshit we all love. According to Phaedra, Brit told her that Kelli doesn’t want her to use the same stylist, although we literally watched Kelli offer his services on the last trip, so there’s clearly more to the story than Brit let on. In Kelli’s room, the soon-to-be ex-besties try to get on the same page, with Brit noting that she feels a lack of support regarding the situation with the donations. Here, Kelli tries to give her friend advice about walking in her purpose (what a wonderfully polite way of saying, “Bitch, if you’re so rich you need to be giving back”), but the point goes right over Brit’s empty head, and she brings up how Kelli “hides” behind her entourage.
With the mention of Kelli’s team, the truth comes out in their confessionals, although they continue to skirt around the issue in their conversation. Brit claims that Kelli explicitly told her team that they could no longer work with Brit. What she conveniently leaves out, which Kelli adds in her confessional, is that Brit apparently organized a meeting with Kelli’s glam team behind her back in an attempt to poach them. During their conversation, Brit takes a shot, saying she “doesn’t want a whole team around” (it’s not like she can afford one anyway), and she wishes Kelli would shed her “layers” of protection. Then, she chastises Kelli for teaching her a lesson in generosity in front of the group instead of pulling her aside in private, which is one thing I can agree with. They leave things there, agreeing to be better friends to each other, but the friction is rampant, foreshadowing the inevitable breakup.
The rest of the episode maintains the jovial spirit of the morning kikis as the cast takes shots around the pool, reminiscing on their turn-up the night before. Another gorgeous Caribbean man briefly joins — he’s the minister of tourism, but just like the prime minister, he might as well be a model — setting the tone for the debauchery coming later in the evening. Porsha’s impromptu photo shoot to boost Shamea’s mood also helps keep the spirit of fun and freedom flowing. Although hearing Shamea say in her confessional that wearing Porsha’s clothes for “a moment” touched her heartstrings was a little creepy à la Sutton Stracke’s obsession with Kyle Richards (desperation for friendship never looks good), it’s great that everyone is friends again, and the energy remains copacetic.
To properly cap off their trip to Grenada, the women attend a special nighttime Jab Jab celebration on the island. Usually celebrated at the top of the morning, Jab Jab is a carnival parade unique to Grenada, celebrating the abolition of slavery on British-ruled Caribbean islands. “Jab,” the French term for devil, was once used to derogatorily refer to slaves, but as Black people often do, the word was repurposed as a form of protest. During the celebration, people dance in the streets while covering themselves in oil to honor Black liberation. As Ian Charles, the founder of Jambalasee Grenada, which aims to preserve the tradition, told Essence, “We are ridiculing what the oppressors told us we are, substandard, Black, and no good devils. In other words, we are saying, ‘You call me a devil? Well, I’ll show you a devil.’”
As Jab Jab kicks off throughout the island, people swarm the streets, slick with the opaque oil or charcoal, often dressed as devils, or more poignantly, using props like shackles and coffins to signify death to the oppressor. Like all variants of Caribbean carnival celebrations, there’s copious drinking and dancing as the joy of being Black always supersedes any hardship. The Atlanta ladies might not be descendants of Grenadian slaves, but, like Black people all over the world, they can relate to being a part of the African diaspora. They cover their hair in preparation for the oil (Cynthia’s hair “condoms” were too funny) and don black bikinis and fishnets, ready for the Jab Jab experience.
After a full night of partying in the streets and enjoying more of Grenada’s male population — they had so much fun that Phaedra said she got pregnant and Porsha came close to a second Bolo story line — they return to the villa for some intense showers and one last night of the sleep on the island. We conclude with a final group kiki where we learn Brit and Phaedra took their relationship to the next level as Brit scrubbed the oil from every crevice of her roommate’s body. Black hand, foot, and even butt prints litter the hotel as they pack up and enjoy their breakfast together. Kelli, proud of a successful trip but wary of returning home to her rocky divorce situation, shares with the group that right after a particularly hard phone conversation with her lawyer, the rose quartz she’s kept on her during the vacation broke in half.
Per Kelli’s Google search, the broken crystal symbolizes the end of a relationship. As I watched the women observe while Kelli seals the energy by throwing the crystal pieces into the ocean, I hoped it also symbolized the ending of RHOA’s years of hardship. The Grenada trip did what the hosts intended, with the chapters of “reset, rebirth, and renew” all coming to an end and actually tidily tying up story lines with a satisfying bow while setting up the downfall of Brit and Kelli. Even Porsha noted how the vacation was exactly what the doctor ordered, and with the cast recharged, they can end things with a bang. As the end of the episode teases, it only takes 72 hours after touching down in Atlanta for the women, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, to clock back in and continue to give us the season 16 we deserve.
• I can’t believe Kelli and Drew have the same anniversary! A message for anyone planning to get married on August 21: don’t.
• Porsha saying she’s a “researcher” (we all know her research was a Google search and a skimming of a Jab Jab Wikipedia page) and in the same episode referring to Kelli and Brit as “Siamese cats” instead of twins is the kind of dumbass-ness I love from her. We need more of this and less of whatever she was bringing earlier this season.
• And, more importantly, I hope Porsha brings her “no thoughts, just vibes” energy to The Traitors!!! I want a Sheree 2.0! I’m devastated that NeNe isn’t joining the cast and that my eyes will be exposed to the demon that is Michael Rapaport (they should murder him first in solidarity with Kenya after thatWWHL appearance), but I have hope in my girl to bring some funny moments.
SAN ANTONIO – Authorities have identified two more people killed during catastrophic flooding in San Antonio earlier this week.
On Sunday, the Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed Derwin Anderson, 43, and Roseann Cobb, 41, were killed in the floods.
Anderson was found near Callaghan Road and Highway 90, while Cobb was found in the Wurzbach Parkway area, according to the medical examiner’s office.
The San Antonio Fire Department said Saturday that the number of people who died from the floods had increased to 13, and all missing people had been recovered.
Eleven people were found in the Perrin Beitel search area, one person was found several miles upstream from the search area and one was found in the Highway 90 Leon Creek area, SAFD said.
“Our heartfelt condolences go out to the families and loved ones of those lost during this tragic event,” SAFD said in a statement.
1 person still unidentified
As of Sunday, the medical examiner’s office has identified 12 out of the 13 people who were killed in Thursday’s floods.
On Saturday afternoon, the medical examiner’s office provided an update identifying three people who died as a result of the floods at Perrin Beitel Road and Northeast Loop 410:
Carlos Valdez III, 67
Brett Riley, 63
Stevie Richards, 42
Earlier on Saturday, the medical examiner’s office said the following people died from flooding at Perrin Beitel Road and Northeast Loop 410:
Christine Gonzales, 29
Rudy Garza, 61
Josue Pinadelatorre, 28
Andrew Sanchez, 60
On Friday, the medical examiner’s office identified the following people killed in the floods:
Martha De La Torre Rangel, 55
Victor Manuel Macias Castro, 28
Matthew Angel Tufono, 51
Background
San Antonio police and firefighters began receiving calls around 4:15 a.m. on Thursday from people stranded on the frontage road of Loop 410 near Perrin Beitel.
Water rose quickly in the area. The high water caused 15 vehicles to be swept away from the Loop 410 and Perrin Beitel access road into the creek below, according to SAFD.
In all, police said Thursday that 19 people were in the water at one point.
San Antonio firefighters managed to rescue 10 people from the area, approximately one mile away from where they entered the water. Some of them were clinging to trees.
NASCAR driver and Red Bull sponsor Shane van Gisbergen has joked about the situation at Red Bull Racing, saying he is “glad” he has not raced for them in Formula 1.
Max Verstappen has two race wins to his name in 2025, but his teammates have been struggling hugely, with both Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda unable to get to grips with the RB21.
Earlier figures have shown that Max Verstappen appears to be alone at the Red Bull Racing team, with the Dutchman having Yuki Tsunoda as the second-worst teammate at Red Bull.
“I’m glad I didn’t drive for Red Bull Racing in Formula 1 after how the first few races went,” joked Van Gisbergen after his struggling start in NASCAR, with the New Zealeander finishing in the top 30 only twice in his first seven races of the season.
Max Verstappen with Yuki Tsunoda and former teammate Liam Lawson, Red Bull Contentpool
Van Gisbergen glad for more time
Van Gisbergen is currently active in NASCAR for the Trackhouse Racing team and is sponsored by Red Bull, but he faced difficulties initially.
The New Zealander was inexperienced in NASCAR, but he was brought onto the team to win a race away from the classic oval circuits. When you win a race in NASCAR, either on an oval or a classic circuit, you advance to the NASCAR playoffs. However, after his win in Mexico City, he is now guaranteed a spot in the top sixteen, unless more than sixteen drivers win a race.
After that win, Van Gisbergen was enormously grateful to his team boss Justin Marks, with the New Zealander glad that they did not act like in Formula 1.
‘’Justin has been awesome. He supported me, gave me all the time I needed, and didn’t put any pressure on me. It was really cool,” concluded the 36-year-old.
This article was written in collaboration with Hidde Korte
Brooke Pryor is a reporter for NFL Nation at ESPN who has covered the Pittsburgh Steelers since 2019. She previously covered the Kansas City Chiefs for the Kansas City Star and the University of Oklahoma for The Oklahoman.
OAKMONT, Pa. — By the standard he set Saturday afternoon, Rory McIlroy accomplished two goals in Sunday’s final round at the U.S. Open.
First, he finished his round in under 4½ hours — four hours and nine minutes, to be exact. Secondly, and perhaps most importantly to the world’s No. 2-ranked golfer, now he gets to go home.
An apathetic McIlroy told the media those were his hopes for the final round after shooting a 74 in the third round at Oakmont on Saturday. And though he played better Sunday with a 3-under 67, which put him in a tie for 23rd when play was suspended late in the afternoon, the fact that he was done being manhandled by the treacherous course was a relief.
“I’m looking forward to just getting back to Europe in general,” he said Sunday. “Obviously I’ve got one more week over here. Play Hartford next week. … We’ve got a lot to look forward to, got our new house in London, play the Scottish and then obviously The Open at Portrush.”
Since winning the Masters earlier this spring to finally complete a long-awaited career Grand Slam, McIlroy has played uninspired golf as he missed the cut at the RBC Canadian Open last week and finished well back in the PGA Championship. His showing at the 125th U.S. Open was more of the same.
“Look, I climbed my Everest in April, and I think after you do something like that, you’ve got to make your way back down, and you’ve got to look for another mountain to climb,” he said. “An Open at Portrush is certainly one of those.”
For McIlroy, who missed the cut when The Open Championship was last played at Portrush in 2019, next month’s tournament played in front of his countrymen is an opportunity to sync his mental game with his physical game.
“I didn’t realize how emotional I was going to be at Portrush,” McIlroy said of 2019. “I think that was a thing I was unprepared for more than anything else. I remember I hit a shot into 12 or 13 Friday night obviously trying to make the cut. I remember the roar I got when the ball hit the green, and I felt like I was about to burst into tears. Just that support and that love from your own people.
“… I need to just get myself in the right frame of mind to feel those feelings again.”
While he said Sunday his physical game is “there,” McIlroy acknowledged he has fallen short mentally since winning the Masters. The 36-year-old’s frustration was palpable throughout the U.S. Open. Friday, he threw a club and destroyed a tee marker. Despite putting in a better performance Sunday, he threw another club. This time, the club bounced off the turf, and he snagged it with his left hand as it boomeranged back to him.
“If I can’t get motivated to get up for an Open Championship at home, then I don’t know what can motivate me,” he said. “I just need to get myself in the right frame of mind. I probably haven’t been there the last few weeks.
“Getting home and having a couple weeks off before that, hopefully feeling refreshed and rejuvenated, will get me in the right place again.”
McIlroy has a little less than a month until he plays at Portrush, but he regained some momentum with a solid final round at Oakmont.
He carded six birdies and just three bogeys Sunday. He had just seven birdies total in his three previous rounds. He drove it an average of 321.5 yards in the fourth round, and he finished the tournament leading the field with 330.3 average yards per drive.
“I feel like I’ve driven the ball well all week,” he said. “After the way I drove it today, I’d say I finished in the top five in strokes gained off the tee. Really encouraged with the driver and how I drove it, as well. It’s not necessarily the driver, it’s more me and sort of where my swing was. I feel like I got a really good feeling in my swing with the driver, which was great. Hopefully I can continue that on into next week.
“… Physically I feel like my game’s there. It’s just mentally getting myself in the right frame of mind to get the best out of myself.”
Authorities respond after vehicles were swept away by floodwaters in San Antonio on Thursday.
Lekan Oyekanmi/AP
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Lekan Oyekanmi/AP
Flash floods hit the San Antonio area late last week, leaving 13 dead, the San Antonio Fire Department confirmed over the weekend.
The flooding arrived in the San Antonio area on Thursday, when a record 6.11 inches of rain fell, including about 4 inches that fell in a single hour early Thursday morning, according to the National Weather Service.
The fire department said it responded to more than 70 water rescues, according to TPR. The fire department did not immediately respond to NPR’s request for information about rescues.
“Over the last couple of years, we’ve been dealing with a drought,” Mack Morris, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said to NPR on Sunday. “So we haven’t had a lot of flash flooding occur over the last three to five years, at least not anything nearly as significant as what occurred on Thursday.”
Other regions in Texas witnessed high rainfall on Thursday, largely due to thunderstorms in southern Texas.
Storms in Appalachia also contributed to at least three deaths in West Virginia over the weekend. The state’s Wheeling-Ohio County emergency management agency said more people were reported missing.
West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey declared a state of emergency for Ohio County. He said on Sunday that roughly 3 to 4 inches of rain fell in less than an hour in some areas, and there was flash flooding in the city of Wheeling and towns of Triadelphia and Valley Grove.
More storms are predicted across the U.S.
Parts of Montana, Wyoming and the Dakotas could see severe thunderstorms with large hail and critical gusts of wind, some being over 75 miles per hour, according to the NWS.
Virginia, North Carolina and several states in the central and southern Plains could also see “strong to severe thunderstorms,” according to the NWS.
Meanwhile, the mid-Atlantic was in store for “excessive rainfall” through Monday morning.
Mientras Miami se preparó para el Mundial de Clubes, el club ha estado guardando a su mejor jugador para cuando realmente lo necesite.
Durante la temporada 2024 de la Major League Soccer, el capitán del Inter Miami, Lionel Messi, jugó apenas el 55% de los partidos disponibles. Aun así, a pesar de su limitada participación con la camiseta rosa, Messi lideró al club al Supporters’ Shield y a un récord de puntos en la MLS, además de ser nombrado MVP de la liga.
Para lograrlo, Messi sólo necesitó 19 partidos (o 1,485 minutos) para demostrar su valía la temporada pasada con 20 goles y 16 asistencias.
El entonces entrenador del Inter Miami, Gerardo “Tata” Martino, se dio cuenta rápidamente de que el equipo podía dar descanso a Messi, de 37 años, cuando fuera necesario y aun así clasificarse para la fase más importante de la MLS: la postemporada. Según ESPN Research, históricamente los equipos solo han necesitado ganar alrededor de un tercio de sus partidos de temporada regular para clasificar a los playoffs. Con el nuevo entrenador Javier Mascherano al mando, la participación de Messi en el Inter Miami sigue un patrón similar.
“La temporada de la MLS te permite fallar en ciertos partidos; la fase eliminatoria de una liga continental no; significa que estás fuera”, dijo Mascherano a principios de esta temporada, refiriéndose a la Copa de Campeones de la Concacaf. “Pero los playoffs de la CCC te preparan para lo que viene en octubre con los playoffs. Al final, la MLS es una temporada larga que, en definitiva, se reduce a una copa continental donde las fases eliminatorias son la norma, y al final, no se puede fallar”.
Mientras Miami se preparó para el Mundial de Clubes, que comienza este sábado, el club ha estado guardando a su mejor jugador para cuando realmente lo necesite.
Ganar la mayor cantidad de partidos posible no es necesario para una temporada exitosa en la MLS. Se trata de ganar los partidos adecuados. El Mundial de Clubes, la Copa de Campeones de la Concacaf y la Leagues Cup son partidos de eliminación directa en los que el Inter Miami se asegura de poner a Messi a jugar si puede. Los playoffs de la MLS también lo son.
¿Pero la temporada regular de la MLS? No tanto. A diferencia de las antiguas ligas de Messi, LaLiga yEn la Ligue 1, el éxito constante a lo largo de la temporada y el primer puesto en la tabla no se traducen en un trofeo en la MLS. En cambio, la liga estadounidense cuenta con un sistema de playoffs en el que los siete mejores equipos de dos divisiones al final de la temporada regular clasifican directamente al torneo de postemporada.
En las nuevas reglas revisadas de la MLS, los puestos ocho y nueve de cada conferencia compiten en una serie de un solo partido por el último puesto en los playoffs. Cada conferencia cuenta con 15 equipos, lo que significa que más de la mitad de los equipos de la MLS llegan a la postemporada.
En los últimos dos años, los equipos que acumularon entre 40 y 45 puntos a lo largo de la temporada lograron clasificarse a los playoffs como últimos cabezas de serie. En 2024, el CF Montreal aseguró el octavo puesto con solo 43 puntos en 34 partidos, mientras que el Atlanta United lo superó por un estrecho margen. DC United fue noveno con 40 puntos.
Como dice Mascherano, el formato es indulgente, ya que los equipos pueden perder varios partidos sin afectar negativamente sus posibilidades de clasificar a los playoffs, el primer obstáculo para el éxito en la MLS. Aunque Atlanta United fue el último equipo en clasificar a la postemporada con un récord de 10-10-14 (WDL) en 2024, el equipo eliminó a Miami, líder de la Conferencia Este y ganador del Supporters’ Shield, en la primera ronda.
La liga incentiva a los equipos a concluir la temporada regular en los primeros lugares de la tabla para asegurar la ventaja de local y luchar por el Supporters’ Shield, pero una vez que califican para los playoffs, cualquier cosa puede suceder.
En 2023, la afición vio a Martino dar descanso a Messi en partidos intrascendentes, manteniéndolo como reserva para cuando lo necesitaran. En la recta final de unos 10 partidos antes de los playoffs, se perdió el 25% de sus partidos disponibles de la temporada regular de la MLS, no por lesión, sino simplemente para descansar.
Hacia el final de la temporada 2024 de la MLS, Martino dejó a Messi fuera del once inicial en los dos partidos previos a los playoffs. Nuevamente, no fue por lesión, sino para darle descanso, ya que Miami ya tenía asegurado su puesto en los playoffs. Jugó un total de 65 minutos en esos dos partidos, ahorrando energía y manteniendo el ritmo necesario para la serie de primera ronda de los playoffs contra el Atlanta United, donde Messi jugó los 270 minutos, y aun así Miami perdió con una sorpresa.
“El viernes decidimos dar descanso a los jugadores. Después de dos partidos completos, era lógico hacer rotaciones, y teníamos jugadores listos para jugar”, dijo Martino antes de los playoffs. “Logramos nuestros dos objetivos. Uno era dar descanso a los jugadores y también ganar el partido, por lo que significa, desde el punto de vista motivacional, estar en posición de batir el récord de puntos”.
Y ahora, en 2025, la tendencia continúa. Según ESPN Research, Messi ha jugado el 73% de los minutos disponibles con el Inter Miami en la MLS esta temporada, en comparación con el 86% de los minutos jugados en la Copa de Campeones de la Concacaf esta temporada, incluyendo el tiempo añadido. Ha jugado más desde mediados de mayo, pero esto tenía como objetivo ponerlo en forma para el partido, dada su eliminación de la Copa de Campeones de la Concacaf.
El Inter Miami arrancó la temporada 2025 compaginando la MLS y la Copa de Campeones de la Concacaf, jugando un partido cada tres días en destinos internacionales. El equipo pasó rápidamente de la pretemporada a dos competiciones exigentes, lo que obligó al club a modificar el calendario de entrenamiento para adaptarse a la gran cantidad de tiempo de juego. Aunque Mascherano insiste en que Messi está acostumbrado a jugar bajo tales exigencias tras haberlo hecho durante la mayor parte de su carrera, la fatiga y la gestión de la carga volvieron a ser tema de conversación.
Después de clasificar a las semifinales de la Copa de Campeones de la Concacaf por primera vez en la historia del club, el equipo tenía un calendario apretado: Vancouver en Canadá el 24 de abril, FC Dallas en el Chase Stadium en Fort Lauderdale el 26 de abril y finalmente, el partido de vuelta de la CCC contra los Whitecaps el 30 de abril.
El equipo y Mascherano comenzaron la semana con un plan, retomando la estrategia de 2024, cuando Miami priorizó la competición internacional y dio descanso total a Messi. El capitán jugó los 90 minutos del partido de ida contra Vancouver antes de tener un descanso. Posteriormente, se perdió el entrenamiento previo al partido contra Dallas, y Mascherano alegó fatiga: “Messi terminó bien el partido de ida contra Vancouver. Obviamente estaba fatigado. Jugar en césped sintético puede fatigar aún más a un jugador debido al suelo”.
Messi se perdió por completo el partido de la temporada regular de la MLS contra Dallas. Miami perdió 4-3 antes de volver a la acción al recibir a los Whitecaps en el partido de vuelta.
“Obviamente, decidimos, como muchos de sus compañeros, reservarlo después del partido contra Vancouver, donde tuvimos que viajar de seis a siete horas y jugar en césped sintético”, dijo Mascherano después del partido contra Dallas. “Pero está bien; entrenó hoy, así que está listo [para el partido de vuelta contra Vancouver en la CCC]”.
Messi también se perdió tres partidos en marzo para prevenir la fatiga ante la llegada de las últimas etapas de la Copa de Campeones de la Concacaf. Vio cómo el Inter Miami ganaba dos partidos de la temporada regular de la MLS y el partido de ida de los octavos de final de la Copa de Campeones de la Concacaf sin él.
En ese momento, Mascherano citó la gestión de la carga como la razón para dejar descansar a Messi y explicó que el equipo tenía como objetivo prevenir cualquier tipo de fatiga a medida que se acercaban rápidamente las últimas etapas del torneo internacional.
“Como queremos cuidarlo y no queremos que se sienta fatigado, decidimos darle descanso, sabiendo los riesgos que corremos”, declaró Mascherano a los medios el 6 de marzo. “Obviamente, no tener al mejor jugador del mundo es complicado”.
A sus 37 años, Messi ha logrado adaptar su técnica en el campo y crear un régimen de entrenamiento extradeportivo para seguir jugando a un alto nivel. Pero, como él mismo dijo el año pasado: “El descanso es muy importante hoy en día. Con la edad, todo se vuelve más difícil”.
“Sé que en el momento en que crea que ya no puedo rendir, o que ya no disfruto del juego, o que no soy capaz de ayudar a mis compañeros, entonces pararé”, afirmó Messi.
Descansar y perderse menos partidos importantes de la MLS ha sido clave para que Messi ayude a sus compañeros cuando es necesario. Cuando comience el Mundial de Clubes, es posible que se repita un patrón similar.
This week in Grenada, the sun is out, the drinks are flowing, and Brit is… crying? After a suspiciously timed breakdown in defense of Shamea, the girls (and viewers) aren’t quite buying the performance. “Housewives gone wild,” as Kelli aptly put it, doesn’t even begin to cover it.
THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF ATLANTA — Pictured: (l-r) Cynthia Bailey, Brit Eady, Kelli Ferrell, Phaedra Parks — (Photo by: Arthur Daniel/Bravo)
The next morning, Angela stops by Drew’s villa for a debrief. Despite the chaos, the general vibe is: surprisingly successful trip. Some fences were mended, others politely ignored. But Brit’s dinner table meltdown isn’t forgotten—especially since she was sitting solo, literally and emotionally. The cracks in her friendship with Kelli are showing, and it’s clear we’re watching a slow unravel.
Meanwhile, Shamea, still emotionally raw, calls her mom for updates on her daughter, Shiloh. What she hears is unsettling: it sounds like someone may have dropped the ball back home. Another storm is brewing—and this time, it’s not in Grenada.
Later, Porsha and Cynthia catch up, only for Phaedra to glide in, serving shade on arrival. Her latest target? Angela, whom she dubs “a school teacher”—not exactly a compliment in Phaedra-speak. The convo quickly turns to Brit and Shamea’s dinner table drama. Phaedra claims Brit told her Kelli’s glam team is strictly off-limits unless you want problems. This, despite the fact that they shared a glam team for Porsha’s Nashville birthday trip. Phaedra sums it up with a mic drop: “Fake Frick and Frack.”
With Porsha and Shamea off the hot seat, the group shifts its focus to a new fractured friendship. After dinner, Phaedra pulls Brit aside with a little unsolicited advice: try being nicer to the girls. (Coming from her, that’s rich—but noted.)
Back in the real world, Brit and Kelli finally sit down post-trip. Kelli’s knee-deep in divorce drama and asset-splitting, while Brit wants to clear the air. She clocks Shamea’s passive-aggressive behavior at dinner—and in her confessional, she doesn’t hold back. The irony? Brit, often labeled the “aggressive” one, stayed shockingly calm. But the real tension is with Kelli, who’s been quietly flip-flopping. And if you’re not going to be honest with your friend? Brit’s giving you the side-eye too.
Despite the heart-to-heart, it’s clear Brit and Kelli are still speaking two different emotional languages. But for once, Brit showed up with some grace—emotionally intelligent, measured, even… likable? A version of her we wish had shown up sooner this season.
Meanwhile, the vibes poolside are light. Porsha and Angela kick things off, then Shamea and Kelli roll through. Cynthia arrives, followed by Phaedra, and last—but certainly not least—Brit. It’s a full house.
Between bites and banter, the women learn about Jab Jab—a Grenadian tradition rooted in resistance. Part of the island’s Spicemas Carnival, Jab Jab features revelers covered in black oil and chains, channeling a devilish spirit to honor the fight for freedom. It’s chaotic, symbolic, and deeply powerful.
Back at the pool, Drew and Kelli discover they share the same wedding anniversary—and are both freshly filing for divorce. Kelli dips out to take a legal call, and in that moment, Angela seizes the opportunity to press Brit on her dinner table behavior.
Porsha and Shamea return with a surprise: a makeshift photo shoot to lift Shamea’s spirits after a rough trip (no luggage, a sick kid back home). It’s sweet—and strategic. Porsha’s been working overtime to shake the “bad friend” label this season, and honestly, this might help.
Elsewhere, Kelli is on the phone with her lawyer, steeling herself for the next chapter. Her divorce is anything but amicable, and the paperwork isn’t making it easier.
Dressed in all black for Grenada’s electrifying Jab Jab carnival, the women finally let loose. It’s messy, it’s wild, it’s freeing—and a welcomed taste of Grenadian culture. The next morning, they’re scrubbing off oil, paint, and maybe a few lingering grudges as they pack up to return to Atlanta.
Over breakfast, there’s a rare moment of peace. The vibes are good, the trip delivered, and for once, everyone agrees: they got what they came for—rest, reconnection, and maybe a little redemption.
But back in the ATL? That reset might be short-lived. More mess is waiting.
Watch The Real Housewives of Atlanta on Sundays on Bravo, and catch up with our reviews each week here.
