Inter Miami CF coach Javier Mascherano praised Luis Suárez’s reaction after being a substitute in the Eastern Conference semi-final victory against FC Cincinnati on Sunday night. Mascherano highlighted that it was not an easy decision to leave Suárez out of the starting eleven. Inter Miami achieved a resounding 4-0 victory over Cincinnati. Mateo Silvetti started in attack in place of Suárez, a formation that Mascherano tested for the first time in the last match of the first round series against Nashville, when the Uruguayan striker was suspended.
Suárez entered from the bench in the 76th minute, replacing Tadeo Allende, who scored two goals that night. Silvetti, Suárez’s replacement, also scored, while Lionel Messi contributed with a goal and three assists. Mascherano acknowledged the effort of all the players in the squad for the victory, as the team secured a place in the Eastern Conference final for the first time in the club’s history. Jorge Mas, co-owner of Inter Miami, stated that the team played as expected against Cincinnati, achieving a dominant victory and keeping their goal at zero. Mas added that he believes the team is on the right track to win the franchise’s first MLS Cup.I don’t like to single out individual players, especially on a night like this where I think the team is the one that comes out stronger, the team as a whole, and when I talk about the team, I’m talking about all the players, not just the 11 who started. Clearly, for me, it’s not an easy decision when you have to take out a player like Luis, with his career, with the importance he has for the team and the club. But I must also say that it is admirable how he handled the decision because we talked about it during the week, he understood, he helped his teammates, he trained in the best way, he was always supportive.
Javier Mascherano, coach of Inter Miami CF
Messi continued his excellent form in the playoffs and, with his goal and three assists on Sunday, became the leader in goal contributions for a single postseason in MLS history with 12 (six goals, six assists), surpassing the record of 10 set by Ante Razov with the Chicago Fire in 1999. Inter Miami will face New York City FC in the Eastern Conference final at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on November 29.What they did today is what we expect. They took care of business. It’s always difficult to leave. Cincinnati is a great team. Our team is peaking at the right time. I think if you look, you know how we played against Nashville, our performance tonight, you know the fact that we probably have our best 11 players without injuries. They have had the ability to train, so we are peaking at the right time.
Jorge Mas, co-owner of Inter Miami
