Suarez doesn’t believe Messi
Thinks he will reconsider pledge
Lionel Messi says he doesn’t plan to don Argentina’s albiceleste jersey ever again, but his Barcelona teammate and friend Luis Suarez doesn’t believe him.
“I think he’ll reconsider,” Suarez said.
Suarez blamed Messi’s decision on a bad “reaction” to Argentina’s penalty shootout loss to Chile at the Copa America final last month.
“The truth is that I cannot imagine Leo not playing with Argentina,” said Suarez, who exited the Copa America tournament early with a struggling Uruguayan side. “As a friend and a fan of soccer, I’d like to see him continue with the national team. His love for country is indisputable, but you also have to understand his reaction after losing the final.”
Before the final against Chile, Messi had been playing well in the tournament. In six games, he scored five goals — the second most in the Copa America. Only Chile’s Eduardo Vargas, who scored six times, scored more. Messi led the tournament in assists with four.
The overtime moments of the final match, however, soured the 29-year-old’s experience. When it was his turn in the penalty shootout that decided the match, Messi sailed his kick wide before collapsing in an emotional heap on the pitch.
Just minutes later, while talking to the Argentine press after the match, Messi announced his retirement.
Messi is vacationing in Ibiza, an island in the Mediterranean Sea, with his family, but he is expected to return to club play later this month, which Suarez said that Messi is eager to do.
“I talk to Leo as a friend. I know he’s doing well. He’s having a good vacation,” Suarez said. “Like every player, he wants to come back and return to training.”
MLS
SPORTING KC 3, SOUNDERS 0: In Kansas City, Kan., Dom Dwyer scored twice and Sporting Kansas City held Seattle without a shot until the 88th minute.
Dwyer, charging to the top of the 6-yard box, headed home a cross by Roger Espinosa in the 21st minute.
Jacob Peterson, from just inside top of the box, hammered a feed from Saad Abdul-Salaam past the outstretched arms of goalkeeper Stefan Frei and into the top-left corner just before halftime.
Dwyer scored his 10th goal of the season in the 79th minute.
Sporting (9-10-4) snapped a two-game losing streak.
Seattle (6-12-2) has lost five of its last seven matches, including four shutouts.
RED BULLS 4, NYCFC 1:
In Harrison, N.J., Bradley Wright-Phillips scored twice, Sacha Kljestan had a goal and two assists and the New York Red Bulls beat New York City FC.
Wright-Phillips poked a shot from the center of the box, off the pass from Kljestan, past a charging Josh Saunders in the 20th minute. Three minutes later, Kljestan found Ronald Zubar who gave the Red Bulls (9-9-4) a 2-0 lead.
Kljestan converted a penalty kick, after a hand ball in the penalty area by Frederic Brillant, in the 41st minute.
Two minutes later, Thomas McNamara sent a shot, from well outside the area, to the top-right corner and trimmed the NYCFC deficit to 3-1.
Wright-Phillips outdueled defender Ethan White for a loose ball, then cut back to evade a sliding Saunders and put a shot into an open net in the 70th minute. It was the 11th goal of the season for Wright-Phillips.