FORT LAUDERDALE, FL – Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano may not agree with Major League Soccer’s decision to suspend striker Luis Suarez for their pivotal Game 3 against Nashville SC in the MLS Cup playoffs.
But Mascherano is taking it in stride before his biggest match as Inter Miami’s first-year coach on Saturday, Nov. 8 at 8 p.m. ET inside Chase Stadium. The match will be available to stream via MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
A trip to the MLS conference semifinals is on the line, where just three games would remain in Lionel Messi and Inter Miami’s pursuit of their first MLS title.
“The greatest motivation is to reach a stage that the club has never been in before, and I think we must not forget that,” Mascherano said before Friday’s training session.
“We have the chance for the club to take another step forward in the growth it has experienced in recent years, and I think we have to hold on to that. I think that’s the most important thing, beyond everything else or all the noise that may be going on around us.”
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Among the ‘noise’ surrounding Inter Miami’s Game 3:
– Messi was called up by the Argentine national team for a match in Angola on Nov. 14. He could depart from Inter Miami in the heart of the postseason if Inter Miami advances.
– Rodrigo De Paul, also called up by the defending World Cup champions, traveled to Argentina in back-to-back weekends after games against Nashville, but returned in time to practice each week.
– Inter Miami needs a Game 3 victory to avoid repeating last season’s historic first-round exit at the hands of Atlanta United.
– Game 3 could also be the final match Messi plays alongside Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba – the Barcelona stars who joined him at Inter Miami in July 2023 and announced they would retire at the end of this season.
They’ll play without Suarez, who was suspended for kicking Nashville’s Andy Najar in the 71st minute in Game 2, which saw Nashville extend the series last Saturday, Nov. 1.
While Najar extended his left forearm into Suarez’s back, Suarez kicked his right leg out behind him hitting Najar’s left thigh.
“We’re playing the same team, and the intensity is always going to be there,” Nashville coach B.J. Callaghan said after Game 2. “We encourage our guys to play close to the line, but don’t cross the line.”
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The MLS Disciplinary Committee, which began its review into the matter on Monday, Nov. 3, deemed the sequence as “violent conduct.” The suspension was announced on Wednesday, Nov. 5, despite Suarez’s appeal.
It’s the second time Suárez has been disciplined for an incident this season. He was suspended three games by MLS and issued a six-game ban by the Leagues Cup tournament committee after spitting on a Seattle Sounders staffer following the Leagues Cup final loss on Aug. 31.
Inter Miami has two wins, three losses and a draw in six matches without Suarez this season, including a 2-1 stretch where he served the MLS side of his three-game suspension from Sept. 13-20.
Asked if Suarez’s notorious reputation played a role in the suspension, Mascherano said: “I keep my beliefs to myself. I don’t think anyone is interested in my opinion or what I believe. We’re focusing on the game, which I think is the most important thing.”
Messi scored twice in a 3-1 win at home in Game 1 of the series on Oct. 24, and scored in the 90th minute of the Game 2 loss.
The MLS Cup is the final chance for Inter Miami to win a trophy during the 2025 season.
Inter Miami has faced adverse matches this season, which Mascherano pointing to several instances where they pulled out a victory:
– Inter Miami beat Los Angeles FC 3-2 on aggregate score, after trailing 2-0, in the quarterfinals of the Concacaf Champions Cup. They were eliminated by Vancouver one round later.
– Inter Miami beat Tigres UANL in the Leagues Cup quarterfinal when Messi was injured, while Messi returned to help Inter Miami beat Orlando City in the semifinals.
– Inter Miami was the heavy underdog in the Club World Cup this summer, but exited the group stage after a draw against Brazilian side Palmerias. They were ousted by Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain in the Round of 16.
“If we want to see the positives, they’re there. If you want to see the negatives, they’re there, too. We’re focusing on the positives,” Mascherano said.
“Every time the team has faced a situation like this, it has stood up and responded, even in the Club World Cup. I expect nothing less from my team [Saturday].”