Plus, MLS getting Messi, Huntsville SC and MUFC updates, U20 World Cup, West Ham dominates, and some game between Man City and Inter Milan

We were debating on starting our weekly calcio column with the biggest Major League Soccer news in history.

However, with two of our Huntsville Hoyas teams competing in their respective OFSAA boys and girls AA soccer championships, it seemed much more appropriate to start with them.

The events kicked off Thursday with the girls playing in Cobourg and the boys in Bradford.

The girls had a bit better day than the boys, getting one point for 0-0 draw with Garneau ESC (out of the national capital region) in their first match before falling 3-0 to Winston Churchill (from Southern Ontario).

The boys faced some very tough competition and despite working hard on the pitch, they fell 7-1 to the St. Paul Patrios (Zach Caplan scored for the Hoyas), and 6-2 to the Courtice Cougars (Hoyas goals by Caplan and Callahan Alexander).

On Friday morning, the girls lost 4-0 to E.S. L’Essor (South Western Ontario) before earning at 1-1 draw against Lorne Park (Mississauga), and the boys took a 4-0 loss against the St. Oscar Romero Raiders and dropped a 2-0 decision to the Erindale Raiders.

Check out this photo gallery from the boys championships submitted by David Caplan …

Miami Is Messi

The GOAT, Lionel Messi, will be signing a very lucrative contract with Inter Miami and it’s a fantastic coup for the league as a whole.

After all, he spurned huge Saudi oil money being offered from Al Hilal, and the sentimental choice of going back to Barcelona where he had played from age 13 (in their youth academy famously known as La Masia) before leaving at age 32 to join Paris Saint Germain.

It’s a huge move for Messi and his family, however not unpredictable: they own a condo in Miami and have previously hinted at an eventual move to the U.S.

Plus, Inter Miami has owner David Beckham, who had visited his former team PSG in the last couple of years and surely had more than one chat with Messi about crossing the Atlantic.

Though the Inter Miami contract is still being finalized, but it will certainly be in the $125 million to $150 million range and include bonueses and equity in the team. There are also going to be a bunch of marketing and league growth deals with MLS sponsors Apple and Adidas.

With more eyes than ever being turned towards North American professional football/soccer, it’s all going to be worth it both in the short and long term. Especially with the 2026 World Cup being co-hosted by Canada, the U.S. and Mexico.

The only thing that sucks for this guy, is that Inter Miami already made their visit to Toronto back in April.

Oh well, we’ll get Messi next year – or maybe in the playoffs – which would be fantastic.

Huntsville Soccer Club

In HDSL Rep Development play, the Huntsville Strikers respective teams had some good games this week with mixed results.

On Sunday, the U12 girls opened with a 2-0 win over Sudbury on Sunday.

On Monday, the U10 Boys came back from 3-1 down to earn a 3-3 tie against Nipissing.

Just two fields over on the same night, the U11 Girls dropped a heartbreaker to South Simcoe 2-1 with the winning goal coming with only three minutes left in the match.

On Thursday, the U12 Boys walloped Bracebridge 8-0.

The U10 girls play on Saturday in Sudbury.

Meanwhile in adult league play on Thursday night, it was another loss for Dr. Marc Yarascavitch – Algonquin Orthodontics, this time to Canvas Brewing by a score of 6-2, with Aimee Sinclair Fitness edging Best Life 1-0.

In Women’s Soccer League play, Cottage Country Flowers held SportLab for a 4-2 victory while Muskoka Tea Company won 6-5 over Kim O’Grady Chestnut Park Real Estate.

Jaimee Clarkson, Chelsea Babb, Madison Fedorowich and Louise Azzara were named as this week’s player of the match.

Muskoka United FC

Most teams were off this week, either due to scheduling issues (U15 Boys), or having a bye week (everyone else who was off).

The only MUFC team to play was the the U13 Girls on Sunday, where they took a loss in I-Model Qualifying against Woodbridge.

U20 World Cup

Normally, this would be top of the column, but with all the other news, we’ve let it slide.

In fact, with the distinct lack of media coverage, most people don’t even know that the U20 World Cup in Argentina was taking place.

Those who haven’t been paying attention have missed out on some fantastic games full of attacking football.

There are two matches left, the final between Italia and Uruguay at 5 p.m. on Sunday (TSN), and the third place match on Sunday at 1:30 p.m. featuring Israel and South Korea.

CONFERENCE LEAGUE IS CLARET & GREY

West Ham United went on an incredible run through the Europa Conference League this season, winning 14 matches and drawing once (yep, undefeated), after a last gasp 2-1 win in the final against Fiorentina on Wednesday.

Congrats to the Hammers on their first trophy in 58 years! It’s well deserved!

CHAMPIONS LEague FINAL

Yeah, that’s on Saturday between a team owned by a Middle Eastern country (Manchester City) and a team owned by a Chinese conglomerate (Inter Milan).

While normally I wouldn’t care who won, we have to cheer for Inter Milan since they’re the underdog.

That’s about all the space we’re giving that match – and maybe the result after it’s done.

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