Also: Toronto FC’s coaching search, Huntsville Strikers and MUFC updates, congrats to the champs

Another match, another win for Inter Messi and friends in Miami.

This time it came via penalty kicks over a very good Cincinnati squad in Ohio in the semi-finals of the U.S. Open Cup.

That makes it eight straight victories for Inter Miami since Lionel Messi (and Sergio Busquets) joined the club (albeit it three by penalty kicks). Yes, yes, Jordi Alba is there too, but he’s only been there for five of the wins.

With a quality supporting cast that includes veterans and young rising stars, David Beckham’s Inter Miami has put together a very interesting team. One that just finds ways to win matches.

The Herons as they are also know, have won the Leagues Cup and will likely beat Houston Dynamo on September 27 in the U.S. Open Cup final. Not bad for a team that is still last in the MLS Eastern Conference with 12 league matches remaining on their schedule.

Messi & Friends will play their first MLS match on Saturday in New York against the 11th-place Red Bulls. With only 18 points, they will likely need to win every match to make the wild card round of the playoffs.

Which brings us to the headline question: Will Messi Lose Again?

I have to say it’s unlikely Miami wins out all their games this season. They draw three of their last eight in regulation time and needed penalties to advance.

Eventually the rigors of going from a full European campaign that included a winter World Cup (which Messi and Argentina won) to the Leagues Cup tournament to a US Open Cup semi-final and now MLS regular season play will catch up with the newest stars.

However, I do feel like they’ll win this weekend before losing at home to Nashville on Wednesday, August 30. Let’s recall that Nashville gave Miami a good go in the Leagues Cup final that went to penalty kicks – I say they win the grudge match next week.

Or maybe Inter Messi & Friends never lose again and we’re witnessing one of the greatest sports stories in history.

All MLS league matches are streamed by MLS Season Pass on Apple TV. The US Open Cup final can be found on DAZN.

tfc coaching rumours

This week rumours have been swirling around Toronto FC that Canadian Men’s Natinoal Team coach John Herdman is the front runner to become their next head coach.

Hiring Herdman would be a huge mistake at this point for TFC. Though, it must be said interim coach Terry Dunfield – as much as his energy is wonderful – isn’t the man for the job either.

All due respect to his coaching resume with both the women’s and men’s teams, but Herdman has never coach at the senior professional club level and it’s a much different animal to national teams. He did work at the Sunderland youth academy – for whatever that’s worth.

Toronto needs a relatively young and proven club coach, that also had a professional playing career, that will take them to the promise land and win trophies.

Bronze medals at the Olympics in 2012 and 2016 are great and all – as was getting the men to the World Cup at the top of CONCACAF qualifying – but none of that translates to leading a club that has very big ambitions.

Instead, as the wonderful blog Waking the Red noted this week, TFC should be calling on Giovanni Savarese after the successful club manager was let go by the Portland Timbers.

He could very well be the right man for the TFC post. I would argue that – barring a major managerial name coming out of Europe – he IS the right man for the job.

He’s only 52, played professionally in Venezuela (Deportivo Italia), Italy (Serie C’s Viterbese), and England (Swansea City, Millwall) as well as plenty of time in the United States (stints with the Metrostars and New England Revolution). Oh, and he scored 10 goals in 30 appearances for the Venezuelan national team.

His club coaching career consists of two teams, five years with the New York Cosmos of the North American Soccer League (74 wins, 47 draws, and 32 losses with a plus-80 goal differential in 153 games) and the past five years with Portland in the MLS (91-53-72 and plus-30 in 216 games).

He won three league titles in New York, while leading Portland to the MLS Cup final in 2018 and 2021, as well as winning the MLS Is Back Tournament in 2020.

Saverese should be the top name on the Toronto FC next head coach list and they need to be finding a way to bring him in.

HUNTSVILLE STRIKERS ROUND-UP

On the Strikers rep development side of things, the U11 girls fought to a 1-1 draw in Barrie on Monday night with Paulina Jusczak scoring for Huntsville. The girls have three games left on the calendar – all home games – and will be aiming for a solid winning streak to end the year.

The U12 Girls defeated Barrie 2-1 in an away game on Wednesday night with Olivia MacKinnon scoring twice for Huntsville.

The U10 Girls played in Bracebridge on Thursday night. Result will be updated once available.

The U12 Boys defeated Bracebridge 8-1 on Thursday. Evan Wallgren and Will Evans each had hat tricks for Huntsville with Bryce Farley and Gavin Sawyer adding the others. Bracebridge’s lone goal was scored by Jordan Solman.

The U10 Boys have had three straight bye-weeks in HDSL play, which seems silly to anyone paying attention. They play next on Monday, August 21.

MUFC ROUND-UP

The Muskoka United FC U17 Boys, who are still undefeated on the season in the HDSL, were on a bye week. Their next match is on August 29 in Barrie.

The U15 Girls lost 3-0 to Nipissing in North Bay on Tuesday. They finish the season with a home and away set against Collingwood. The home game is Tuesday, August 29 at Gostick Park with the away match taking place Tuesday, September 12.

The U15 Boys lost 5-1 away to Aurora on Thursday night. Their next game is on August 31 away to Inter FC.

The U13 Boys (in the HDSL U14 division) fell 6-2 against Orillia at Gostick Park on Tuesday night. Kyliam Coulombe scored both MUFC goals.

The U17 Girls were in Whitby on Wednesday night in I-Model C2 Division play. Result will be updated once available. Their next home game is a 7:30 p.m. kick-off on August 30 at Gostick Park against Vaughan.

The Muskoka United U13 Girls had a bye week. Their next match is in North Bay on August 28 to take on Nipissing in I-Model C2 division play.

Congrats to the Champs

Congratulations to both the Women’s World Cup champions from Spain! They joined Germany as the only two nations to win both the men’s and women’s World Cups.

That’s what I have for this week! Stay tuned for our weekly Football Friday column featuring news from professional leagues, national teams, and our local Muskoka clubs.