Inter Miami are on the verge of a crucial match that will determine their fate in the 2025 Major League Soccer playoffs. This Saturday, they will face Nashville SC in Game 3 of the first round, and they must do so without Luis Suarez, who was unexpectedly suspended. Head coach Javier Mascherano shared his thoughts on the matter.
“I think it was Monday night when the club called me, letting me know they had received this sanction from MLS and that the following days they would determine the length of the suspension,” Mascherano said during Friday’s press conference, shared by reporter Jose Armando on X.
“By Tuesday or Wednesday it was decided. It was pretty quick… Honestly, things work fast in the United States,” added the Inter Miami coach with a smile, clearly implying a touch of irony.
Mascherano’s tone mirrors the warning Inter Miami issued to MLS when Suarez’s suspension was announced. In a statement on their official website, the club expressed their “confidence that the same standard will be applied in the future to all on-field situations, in any match and involving any team.”
Luis Suarez will miss Saturday’s game vs. Nashville SC.
Finally, the Argentine coach revealed that Suarez’s efforts to overturn the MLS decision were unsuccessful. “The player appealed because in this case the club was told it could not appeal. Obviously, the player appealed with the club’s resources, and within a couple of hours, the appeal was denied,” explained Javier.
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Inter Miami aim for the MLS semifinals
With one win and one loss in the first two games, Inter Miami and Nashville SC will decide who advances this Saturday at Chase Stadium. The winner will move on, while a tie in regulation will send the series to penalties.
The Herons are the favorites for several reasons. Their squad is packed with stars like Lionel Messi, Rodrigo De Paul, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba, and they finished higher in the regular season standings. That also gives them the advantage of deciding the series at home.
However, Mascherano knows they cannot afford to be complacent. Nashville SC have proven themselves a dangerous opponent, especially when the ball is in Hany Mukhtar’s feet. That was evident in last Saturday’s match at Geodis Park, where Inter Miami were outplayed for much of the game.
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Inter Miami’s playoff curse
Inter Miami are one of the youngest teams in MLS, having debuted in 2020. While their growth since then has been rapid, making them the league’s most popular team globally, that has not yet translated into postseason success.
In their five MLS seasons, the Herons have never advanced past the first round of the playoffs. In their debut season, they lost in the play-in round, coincidentally against Nashville SC. In two seasons, they failed to reach the postseason at all, and in the remaining two, they were eliminated in the first round.
The most painful example is undoubtedly the 2024 campaign. With Messi leading the team, they won the Supporters’ Shield, setting a points record in the regular season. However, they could not carry that momentum into the postseason and were eliminated by Atlanta United in Game 3 of the opening round.
