Key Biscayne Independent

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Lionel Messi used the front of his white-and-blue, sweat-soaked jersey to wipe the tears from his eyes, a flood of emotions cracking his usually calm, confident demeanor after he gave Argentina an early lead in its World Cup opener against Algeria. Then he scored again. And again.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue teams are working to put out a wildfire located in the western part of the county — just a few miles west of Doral near the Florida Turnpike. Firefighters responded to the blaze near NW 137th Avenue and NW 41st Street on Monday afternoon. As of Tuesday morning, it had burned through about 600 acres. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue said that as of Tuesday afternoon, the fire was not a threat to nearby structures, and that the department continued containment measures.

The teams that are ranked 61st, 67th and 85th in FIFA’s world rankings all were heavy underdogs in their first matches at the World Cup. They all played Monday. None of them won. None of them lost, either. Through five days and 16 matches of soccer’s biggest extravaganza ever, the underdogs are proving to be very tough to beat. All four matches on Monday ended in ties — the most in a single day of men’s World Cup play since 1958 — and all of them technically could be considered upsets as well.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The United States and Iran reached an initial agreement Monday that would extend their shaky ceasefire and lead to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, but significant challenges remain to ending the war, including whether Israel will continue its offensive in Lebanon. Details of the deal were not immediately released, but it appeared that it would not be implemented until it is signed, which mediator Pakistan said would happen Friday in Geneva.

It took a break for a while, but just in time for the World Cup, the sargassum is back. Stinky mounds of seaweed — sometimes as high as three feet tall — are filling up Key Biscayne’s Atlantic Ocean beaches. It was so thick Sunday morning that a tractor — hired by the Village of Key Biscayne to clear the stuff —  got stuck in the slimy mass. It was rescued (towed) by another tractor as residents watched from umbrellas near the Key Colony condo.

Curaçao’s Livano Comenencia provided a highlight and hope for the smallest country in World Cup history. Germany then responded to Curaçao’s first World Cup goal with an onslaught of scoring, turning an expected rout into an actual one with a 7-1 win on Sunday in Houston. Curaçao got a memory that won’t be soon forgotten in the island nation of about 156,000 people.

BOGOTA, Colombia — The U.S. military attack in Venezuela Friday that killed the leader of the Tren de Aragua gang reflects a strategic shift by U.S. President Donald Trump toward direct U.S. involvement in the war on drugs that began earlier this year, with a special focus this time on gaining access to Venezuela’s lucrative mining sector, analysts told The Associated Press.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Coach Steve Clarke made it clear he didn’t enjoy his first two experiences leading Scotland during lackluster showings in the European Championship. So far the sport’s biggest stage has brought him — and the Scots — a lot more luck. John McGinn deflected a shot off an opposing defender and past goalkeeper Johny Placide in the 28th minute, and Scotland defeated Haiti 1-0 in Group C of the World Cup on Saturday.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Samba soccer this wasn’t. Facing pressure to win its first World Cup title since 2002, five-time champion Brazil was outplayed early and needed Vinícius Júnior’s 32nd-minute goal to gain a 1-1 draw against Morocco on Saturday in a pulsating, high-profile group match. “We started on a really bad note,” Vinícius said through a translator. “For certain, we got to hold on to the ball.

NEW YORK  — It was bedlam on Broadway as the New York Knicks won their first NBA championship in 53 years on Saturday night, with exuberant celebrations marred by mayhem and violence, including gunshots in Times Square. Outside Madison Square Garden, a crowd watching on a big screen roared as the Knicks rallied from a 16-point deficit to beat the Spurs in San Antonio in Game 5 of the NBA Finals.