Lionel Messi has been named as the MLS Player of the Month.
Messi was named as the league’s best player for July. The Argentine scored eight goals and had three assists in five league matches.
He had two goals and one assist against Montreal, two goals against New England and Nashville. He also had two goals and one assist against New York.
Álvaro Montoro and Alexander Barboza both scored for Botafogo in their 2-0 win against Bragantino.
The two Argentine players scored both goals for Botafogo in their Copa do Brasil win. With the score at 0-0, it was a low pass into the penalty area which found Montoro and the Argentine would score to give Botafogo the 1-0 lead.
At 1-0, it was a cross into the penalty area which found Barboza and the 30 year old would head the ball and score Botafogo’s second goal of the match.
Montoro joined Botafogo earlier this year from Vélez Sarsfield.
Negotiations are advanced between Manchester City and AS Roma for Claudio Echeverri.
The 19 year old could be joining AS Roma on loan. According to Daniele Longo, negotiations are advanced between the two clubs and Echeverri is open for the move.
At the moment, Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola’s approval is missing. There would be no issues between Echeverri and AS Roma regarding the deal.
Claudio Echeverri joined Manchester City from River Plate last season.
Argentina’s U17 national team advanced to the final of the 2025 COTIF L’Alcúdia Tournament with a 3-0 win over Alboraya in the semifinals. Elian Uriel Ojeda, Armando Guner Can, and Facundo V. Jainikoski scored the goals for Diego Placente’s side, who will now face Valencia U20 in the final on Wednesday.
Argentina had already faced Valencia earlier in the tournament during the group stage, winning that match 2-1. Now, the two teams will meet again, this time with the trophy on the line.
The semifinal against Alboraya started with Argentina in control from the opening minutes. In the 8th minute, Felipe Pujol reached the byline on the right and delivered a precise cross. Elian Uriel Ojeda timed his jump well and scored with a header to give Argentina an early 1-0 lead.
Argentina continued to dominate throughout the first half, creating several chances but failing to convert. In the second half, Alboraya made 11 changes to their lineup, while Argentina made three. Although the flow of the game shifted, Argentina stayed organized and rarely looked under threat.
The second goal came in the 25th minute of the second half. Substitute Armando Guner Can controlled the ball inside the area and struck a low shot at the near post to make it 2-0. Eight minutes later, Jerónimo Gómez Mattar played a through ball to Facundo V. Jainikoski, who dribbled past the goalkeeper and calmly finished to seal the 3-0 win.
Argentina now have the opportunity to win the L’Alcúdia title for the fourth time, having previously lifted the trophy in 2012, 2018, and 2022. The final against Valencia U20 is scheduled for Wednesday, July 30, at 5:30 p.m. local time.
Argentina Starting XI vs. Alboraya:
Head Coach: Diego Placente
Substitutes used:
Nicolás Tagliafico has renewed with Lyon.
Tagliafico will be staying with Lyon. According to l’Équipe, the 32 year old will sign a contract keeping him at the club until 2027, with an optional year.
His contract ended on June 30, making him a free agent. Tagliafico joined Lyon in 2022 from Ajax.
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