For the technical director of Inter Miamithe Argentine Javier Mascheranoit was easy to debunk the theory that his club works better on the field when the Uruguayan Luis Suarez is absent. Although the attacker has been out of the pinks’ starting lineup in recent games, for different reasons, the “Jefecito” is a faithful believer that each member of his squad plays a fundamental role for the institution.
The “Herons” advanced in the playoffs by defeating 4-0 Nashville SC without Suárez on the field, since the former player of the Barcelona and Liverpool He was serving a sanction. Likewise, Inter Miami also crushed their next rival, the FC Cincinnatito reach the final of the Eastern Conference for the first time in its history MLS and he did it with a Uruguayan veteran who started from the bench.
“We have played 55 games this season and I think we have won 31. And we have done most of it with Luis Suárez on the field,” Mascherano said in statements to ESPN. “Singling one player or the other is not my style, it is not my way of working and it would be disrespectful for Suárez’s career and for Luis as a player,” he added.
Retirement in sight?
Suárez’s future with Inter Miami remains up in the air, as both parties have not reached an agreement on a contract extension. The decline in the forward’s performance has led many to think that his best option could be to follow in the footsteps of the Spanish. Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquetsboth members of the pinks and who reported that they will retire when the current tournament ends.
“I have always said the same thing: for a team like ours, with the long season that we knew we were going to have from the beginning, to be successful and achieve our goals we would need each player,” Mascherano explained. “And I still think the same way. The team needs everyone to continue moving forward. As a coach, I will continue to make decisions according to what I consider the game needs. No two games are the same. Cincinnati is not Nashville. They play differently,” he highlighted.
