NYCFC vs. Inter Miami: Jansen shields his team to face Messi in the MLS final

NYCFC Seeks “Bulletproof” Mentality Against Inter Miami in Conference Final

New York City FC coach Pascal Jansen has stated that his team will adopt a “bulletproof” mentality when facing Inter Miami in the Eastern Conference final on Saturday night at Chase Stadium. The goal is to minimize the impact of stars like Lionel Messi in the game environment. Jansen, who took over before the 2025 season, has led NYCFC to one game away from their second MLS Cup title.

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“From the first day I arrived, I mentioned to my players and staff the need to establish a bulletproof mentality. No matter where you play, who you play against, or when you play, you must focus on what needs to be done,” Jansen said.

Pascal Jansen

Jansen emphasized the importance of focusing on individual responsibilities and maintaining the team’s identity regardless of the opponent. “This is the X factor, of course, because Messi is who he is and has a huge impact on the league in general. It’s mainly because he’s very positive. But, can you imagine being on the field playing against a legend like Messi and the quality he still has in his game, that you could feel overwhelmed and forget about your job and your responsibilities?”, added Jansen.

The NYCFC has yet to beat Inter Miami this season, with a 2-2 draw in the opening match of the 2025 MLS season at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and a 4-0 defeat at Citi Field in September. Despite the previous results, Jansen assures that the team has evolved since its last encounter with Miami and will seek to be a more dangerous opponent. “It will be a difficult match. But for us, if you focus on Miami, we’ve played them twice. The first match was the start of the season, which was very interesting for me because it was my first match in MLS to see what it’s like to play against a team with Messi and what kind of effect that has on a team and the atmosphere, the fans or the officials, or whatever happens, even in your own team or your own players,” commented Jansen. “Those lessons in those two games have been huge for us to evolve as a team in the league, but also in particular for the third game, because now with some changes on Miami’s side and the growth we’ve shown throughout the season, we will be able to have a better matchup than we had in games one and two. But, again, the margins will be very small.” NYCFC qualified for the playoffs after concluding the MLS season in fifth place in the East, before defeating Charlotte FC in the first round and Supporters’ Shield winners, Philadelphia Union, in the conference semifinals to secure their place in the conference final.

Meanwhile, Miami has advanced easily in the playoffs, with consecutive 4-0 victories over Nashville SC and FC Cincinnati, after entering as the third seed in the East. With a squad that includes Messi, as well as Barcelona stars Luis Suárez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, there is no doubt who the favorites are for Saturday’s match.

When asked if he is worried about being labeled as the underdog team, Jansen reiterated the importance of his team’s mental fortitude. “I have no problem with them calling us the underdog team. They can call it whatever they want. It’s all part of the bulletproof mentality approach. So I don’t care what anyone says or what position they put us in, whether we’re the underdog team or the favorite. It’s all outside noise. It’s all outside the world,” Jansen concluded. The winner of the Eastern Conference final will face San Diego FC or Vancouver Whitecaps in the MLS Cup on December 6.