Lionel Messi demands Barcelona exit, D.C. United lose, and more: Freedom Kicks for August 25, 2020

Happy Wednesday. There was one big news story that lit the world on fire yesterday, so before you get ready for the UEFA Women’s Champions League semifinal today, here’s a recap of a wild Tuesday.

Lionel Messi tells Barcelona he wants to leave - ESPNFC

The biggest sports news in the world is that Lionel Messi has demanded to be released from his contract with Barcelona. This situation is going to get ugly over the coming days and weeks as Barcelona is seeking to take him to court to avoid having a clause trigger that would let Messi leave the club for free. Grab your popcorn, and also let’s sell Messi on this Major League Soccer club we got here in Washington, DC.

D.C. United errors hand New England Revolution three points in 2-1 home defeat - BRU

D.C. United lose 2-1 to the New England Revolution in a match that had a lightning delay, a 2-0 deficit in the first half, and saw the Revs go down to 10 men. Man of the match: VAR. Team’s play: not great.

Washington Spirit, NWSL to return to play with 2020 fall series - BRU

The NWSL will have a Fall series of matches, and the Washington Spirit will be in a pod with the Chicago Red Stars and Sky Blue FC. The Spirit will play each team twice, home and away, beginning on September 5th against Sky Blue FC.

D.C. United, before the match last night against the Revs, put out a video on social media that touched on unifying to show that black lives do indeed matter:

D.C. pushes back planned demolition of RFK Stadium to 2022 - Washington Business Journal

The Old Lady will stand another year, as RFK Stadium will not be demolished in 2021. It apparently costs less to keep it up another year as the city cuts costs due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Philadelphia Union had their first match at home since the pandemic started, and it was without fans. Without knowledge of how to best put tarps over the seats, they called in the mascot of the New York Red Bulls, who have some practice in this area:

Maguire found guilty in assault trial - NBC Sports

Harry Maguire, who has been in hot water after being arrested on charges of aggravated assault and attempted bribery of an official in Greece last weekend, was convicted of those charges yesterday. He was given a suspended 21-month sentence, but he was also dropped from the England squad for UEFA Nations League matches next month.

UWCL Semifinal: Wolfsburg defeat Barcelona 1-0 - The Equalizer

Wolfsburg’s ladies added to Barcelona’s bad day with a 1-0 victory over the Blaugrana in the Women’s Champions League semifinal. They will play in the final this weekend against the winner of today’s match between Paris Saint-Germain and Olympique Lyonnais.

Blind’s implanted defibrillator goes off during Ajax match - AP

Ajax defender Daley Blind had a defibrillator implanted in his chest last year after discovering a heart defect. That defibrillator went off during the middle of a friendly match yesterday. He’s feeling fine, but was immediately subbed off in what is always a scary moment.

Enjoy the day everyone.