According to journalist Claudio of ESPN (USA), Messi met privately with coach Mascherano, who is also his close friend, to share his disappointment with the way Inter Miami arranged the squad in recent matches.
Accordingly, Messi was not satisfied with coach Mascherano, especially the overly cautious team formation in the first leg of the CONCACAF Champions Cup semi-final, which led to a 0-2 loss to Vancouver Whitecaps FC on April 25. In this match, Messi played as an attacking midfielder behind Suarez, but lacked support from the central midfielders because both Busquets and Federico Redondo played too low.
Meanwhile, the attack on the two flanks was also weak, as Tadeo Allende, Segovia, along with Jordi Alba and Marcelo Weigandt rarely put pressure on the opponent’s defense. As a result, Messi had a rather lackluster match and was always closely marked, while Suarez had almost no chance to shoot on goal. Throughout the match, Inter Miami only had 2 shots on target, despite having 69% ball possession.
In the last 5 matches, Coach Mascherano’s excessive caution only helped Inter Miami have a relatively impressive victory against Los Angeles FC with a score of 3-1 on April 10 (second leg of the CONCACAF Champions Cup quarterfinals, to win the final score of 3-2). The rest, they drew 1-1 with Toronto FC, Chicago Fire FC (0-0), won 1-0 with Columbus Crew, while losing to Vancouver Whitecaps FC (0-2).
According to coach Mascherano: “Suarez may not have played well in recent matches. But his achievements say it all. As a striker, sometimes you have to go through periods without scoring. We are looking for a way for Suarez to find himself again.”
Inter Miami will return to MLS action on April 28 against FC Dallas at 4 p.m. They will then prepare for their crucial match against Vancouver Whitecaps FC at 7 a.m. on May 1 in the second leg of the CONCACAF Champions Cup semi-finals.
Coach Mascherano has determined that the rematch with Vancouver Whitecaps FC is all or nothing, and will focus all his efforts on turning the tables from the 0-2 loss in the first leg. After a private meeting with Messi leaked by the American press, it is expected that Coach Mascherano will make major changes with Inter Miami to gamble all-in with the Canadian opponent.
In the latest development, coach Mascherano has decided to rest both Messi and Suarez. Even Busquets and Jordi Alba will not play in the match against FC Dallas, as well as goalkeeper Oscar Ustari. These personnel will be reserved for the match against Vancouver Whitecaps FC in the middle of next week.
Coach Mascherano also said that both Messi and Suarez are fine after recent away matches on artificial turf, they were given a rest due to the tight travel and competition schedule with a frequency of 3-4 days/match recently. He hopes that Messi and Suarez will regain 100% fitness and form in the match against Vancouver Whitecaps FC to help the home team reverse the situation.
The CONCACAF Champions Cup still uses away goals, so Inter Miami must win 2-0 to tie the score and 3-0 or more to qualify for the final. If the opponent scores at home, Coach Mascherano’s team will be in double trouble.
