In just his first season as a head coach, Javier Mascherano is already showing his influence. Inter Miami’s dramatic 3-1 comeback win over Los Angeles Football Club on Wednesday secured a spot in the semifinals of this year’s CONCACAF Champions Cup for Lionel Messi and company. It was a night that served not only as a statement from the players but as a testament to the leadership, belief, and passion their manager has brought to the team.
“We wanted more and we ended up achieving it,” Mascherano said after the match. “This time, the reality is that for a comeback like this, luck often has to be on your side—and it was. But that’s also what this sport is about, that’s why fútbol is so beautiful, because in fútbol, chance plays a bigger role than in other sports. And well, this time the coin landed on our side.”
It was a mature reflection from a man in his first top-flight coaching job, leading a star-studded roster that still needed a steady hand when the pressure was on. Miami went down early, conceding in the first five minutes, and with the tie tilted heavily against them, it would have been easy to fold.
Instead, they regrouped—and delivered.
“On a day like today, I’m happy and I want to thank the players for their effort, because despite the difficulties, despite conceding a goal in the first 5 minutes and having the tie stacked against us, they believed—they believed they could turn it around, and they showed it,” Mascherano said. “So this victory is all theirs, and I’m grateful to them.”
Many people question the motives of stars when they move to MLS. But if you watched the faces of the players—or the reaction of Lionel Messi’s former teammate now coach when the goals went in—you see just how much this means to the team. Mascherano may have deflected credit to his players, as any good manager would, but make no mistake: this result has his fingerprints all over it. There were doubts about his ability to lead at this level with such limited experience, but it’s becoming clear—he’s answering those questions week in and week out.
T.T. DesRois
