LThe figure of Ionel Messi remains central to Inter Miami’s success. Following his decisive performance in the 3-2 defeat against New York City, Javier Mascherano was full of praise for his captain and former teammate, explaining that the club’s aspirations directly depend on his presence on the pitch.
Messi scored a great free-kick goal, showing once again that the team is even better when he’s on the pitch, but for better or for worse it created a dependence on the Argentine striker.
Mascherano considers Messi irreplaceable
At the post-match press conference in New York, the Argentine strategist frankly assessed the influence of the “10”. According to Mascherano, without talent like the former Barcelona player, it would be impossible to achieve the goals set for this season.
Without him it is clearly impossible to achieve the goals we have set for ourselves
After the game against Nashville, the Argentine star, who reached a historic 901st professional goal total, proved himself once again, hitting the post twice before scoring the equalizer that started an epic comeback in the second half.
Mascherano is only thinking about MLS
Despite the World Cup approaching in June, Mascherano appears to have his full attention on Inter Miami’s immediate future. The recent elimination of the Conca Champions in the Round of 16 has cleared the Florida team’s schedule considerably, allowing for a more relaxed plan for the next two months.
“There won’t be many midweek games in the next few months. We’ll only have midweek games in two or three weeks and the rest will be one game a week. As long as we can expect from Leo, he’s welcome,” Mascherano explained.
The Argentine coach knows that Messi is not in the national team and wants to make the most of him. While the number 10 is thinking about his final World Cup, the ‘little boss’ needs him to do his best in MLS.
