Argentine coach Javier Mascherano of Inter Miami said on Friday that the second leg of the MLS Cup Round of 16 against Nashville will be a very different match from the one they played last week in Miami, where “Las Garzas” claimed a 3–1 victory.
Javier Mascherano
“We won’t have the same game against Nashville as we did here,” Mascherano told reporters on the eve of the clash, where a win would seal Inter Miami’s first-ever qualification for the quarterfinals of the tournament.
Inter Miami won the first leg 3–1, with two goals from Lionel Messi, and are riding a strong streak against Nashville, whom they also defeated 5–2 in their final regular-season match on October 18.
However, the Argentine manager remained cautious, warning his players about the challenge that awaits them on Saturday at Nashville’s Geodis Park.
“Even though we’ve had two positive results against them in the last two weekends, we have to understand that Nashville has put us in difficult situations at many moments,” Mascherano noted.
When asked about potential signings for next season — one in which he will no longer be able to count on Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, both of whom have announced their retirement at the end of this year — Mascherano said he was confident the club’s management would intensify its recruitment efforts once the playoffs conclude.
