Overview:
Worldwide Haitian soccer star Fafà Picault made his debut in a house recreation with Inter Miami CF in opposition to New York FC at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday, Feb. 22. Sadly, Fafà solely performed 16 minutes of the match attributable to a non-contact harm he sustained.
MIAMI —- On Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025, as Inter Miami CF took on New York Metropolis FC to open its 2025 Main League Soccer (MLS) season at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, it was a debut and homecoming for Haitian star-winger Fabrice Jean-Lan “Fafà” Picault. Saturday was his first house recreation for the membership in entrance of the keen Haitian-heavy South Florida followers. Sadly, 16 minutes into the sport a hamstring harm minimize the social gathering brief, with 1000’s of followers in attendance, together with Tennis star Serena Williams.
The Worldwide Haitian soccer sensation Fafà joined the MLS after signing as a free agent in December with followers and Picault himself hoping for a greater script in his debut. He was within the beginning lineup with international Argentine star Lionel Andrès Messi and lots of others, together with Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba and Luis Suarez— Messi’s former teammates at Spanish membership large FC Barcelona.
Inter Miami CF’s followers started celebrating early as their star-studded facet rapidly handed the ball round in succession. The Herons have been rewarded with a breakthrough aim inside 5 minutes of motion. After receiving a line-splitting ball from Alba to interrupt into the opponent’s field, Messi arrange Tomás Avilés in entrance of the aim, who scored with a first-time shot from shut vary for Inter Miami CF to steer New York FC 1-0.
Sadly, this celebration could be short-lived when Fafà went down within the sixteenth minute of the sport. He would depart the sphere in disappointment, understanding he couldn’t proceed.
Throughout a transition play, Fafà appeared stretched throughout the bottom, mendacity on his again together with his head and eyes mounted on the darkish blue sky in ache, unable to rise up. The sport got here to a halt as followers turned their laughter and cheering into fear and silence. Trainers rushed to the intersection between the midway line and the sideline reverse the press field and training sidelines.
Fafà wouldn’t have the ability to return to the sport and as an alternative needed to be hoisted up by trainers who stood on reverse sides of him to take care of his stability off the sphere. Fafà was carted off into the locker room for a non-contact harm. The extent of the harm or how lengthy the Haitian star can be sidelined for is unknown.
“We don’t have an replace, however Mascherano, the top coach, mentioned we are going to assess the state of affairs, and when we’ve an replace, we are going to present it,” Michael Cabrera, the director of communications for Inter Miami CF, informed The Haitian Instances after the sport.
Issues go from unhealthy to worse for Miami
After the harm to Picault, Inter Miami CF’s Head Coach Javier Mascherano was compelled to make a untimely change, coming into winger Robert Taylor. Within the twenty third minute, it bought worse for the South Florida membership when aim scorer and defender Avilés was despatched off for a nasty foul on a New York Metropolis FC ahead throughout a fast-break counterattack. Inter Miami needed to keep on the rest of the match, enjoying one man down.
“We don’t have an replace, however Mascherano, the top coach, mentioned we are going to assess the state of affairs, and when we’ve an replace, we are going to present it.”
Michael Cabrera, Director of Communications for Inter Miami CF.
With the sport ending in a 2-2 tie, the general efficiency of Fafà’s teammates was finest described by the Inter Miami CF head coach in his post-match press convention on the Chase Stadium.
“They scored and tied the sport in opposition to us; we couldn’t even adapt the staff to, on the very least, obtain a lead to our favor,” mentioned Mascherano in the course of the post-game press convention.
“After which, past that, what I need to emphasize is the gamers’ coronary heart,” he mentioned in Spanish by means of an English translator.
Wanting forward, the staff will bear restoration whereas Fafà completes an evaluation on Sunday, Feb. 23, to find out the extent of his harm. For the time being, there isn’t any replace on when he’ll return.
Inter Miami CF’s subsequent recreation is on Tuesday, Feb. 25, in opposition to Sporting KC for the return leg of the Concacaf Champions Cup. The sport might be seen without spending a dime on Fox Sports activities Streaming or by means of a subscription on ViX.
Going into the sport, New York Metropolis FC had introduced the switch of Santiago Rodríguez, a 25-year-old Uruguayan midfielder, from Brazilian top-flight facet Botafogo. The announcement was made lower than an hour earlier than kick-off on Main League Soccer’s web page. This marks the second-highest switch price within the membership’s historical past. The staff now has an open designated participant spot after this commerce.
“We completed one thing nice collectively as a staff with all of you as properly,” says Rodríguez in an emotional video transcribed from Spanish utilizing English subtitles posted on X (previously Twitter).
After the sport, no post-game press convention was held by New York Metropolis FC coaches, gamers, or employees.
Subsequent up, New York Metropolis FC performs Los Angeles FC (LAFC) at BMO Stadium beginning at 10:30 p.m/PT or 1:00 AM/EST on Apple TV MLS Season Go.