Inter Miami head coach Javier Mascherano insists the team must “swallow the poison” after falling 2-1 to Nashville SC in the second game of the first round of the MLS Playoffs in GEODIS Park, before unleashing the anger in the final game of the best-of-three series.
“Swallow the poison we feel, hold onto it, and let it build up all week so we can unleash it on Saturday at home with our fans. That’s the message. Today is a day to be closer than ever to the players, more united than ever, because I have great faith that we’ll turn this around,” Mascherano said.
“We need to hold onto all the anger we felt today when the game ended, let it fester, and above all, not let it out before then. Let it out when we have to let it out, which is on Saturday. The rest is about playing. When the team plays, they’re confident, they create chances, they dominate the opponent. After that, the result, I’m responsible.”
The Herons won the first game of the Round One phase 3-1 at Chase Stadium, before goals from Josh Bauer and Sam Surridge secured the victory for Nashville on Saturday night.
Despite a last-minute goal by Lionel Messi, Nashville managed to tie the series 1-1 and force a third match.
“[It’s about] the memory of a fish. That’s how it is, the memory of a fish. Forget what happened today, try to improve what we need to improve, build on what we’ve done well, and on Saturday there’s nothing better than a high-pressure situation,” Mascherano said.
“At least for me, that’s what it’s about, that’s why we’re still here. If we didn’t want this high-pressure situation, we’d be at home drinking mate and watching the sun.”
Inter Miami will now host Nashville in the final game, where the winner will clinch a ticket to the Eastern Conference semifinal.
The Herons previously fell to Atlanta United in the first round of the MLS playoffs in 2024 despite winning the first match, losing the second and third games of the best-of-three series in a shocking elimination. Miami will now look to avoid last year’s patterns in the upcoming game against Nashville.
