From Miami celebrated his first victory of 2025 MLS season with a compelling 4-1 triumph over Houston Dynamoachieve this success without the presence of their star player Lionel Messi.
The match, which was played at Shell Energy Stadium in Houston, saw impressive performances from Luis Suárez and Telsco Segovia, who led Inter Miami’s attack in Messi’s absence. After the game, manager Javier Mascherano addressed the media and discussed various aspects of the match, including Messis Rest, Segovia’s impact and his frustrations over a red card and perceived questionable judgment decisions.
Mascherano emphasized Luis Suárez’s influential role in the victory and says, “We are talking about one of the top five center ahead in the world in the last ten years. He has played in many teams, and in them all he has had a very big influence.“ He also praised Telsco Segovia’s adaptation to MLS and emphasized the player’s contribution in both attack and defense. These comments emphasized the importance of both players in Inter Miami’s success.
Messi’s absence and Mascherano’s explanation
Mascherano explained Messi’s absence as a strategic decision to allow the player to be adequate rest and recovery time. He emphasized the team’s upcoming schedule and upcoming international duty for Argentina. Mascherano stated that while Messi had trained during the week, the decision was made to include him in the match after further assessment. This priority of the player’s welfare and long -term fitness planning was central to his explanation.
Mascherano expressed significant frustration over Ian Fray’s red cards and says, “I saw the video. Ian did nothing, absolutely nothing … and the referee is next to him and looked at him. It is starting to worry, it really worries me … I will kill for them, even if it costs what it costs.”
He also criticized what he perceived as questionable judge’s decision throughout the match, especially about what he considered unnecessary yellow cards against his players while he did not punish Houston Dynamo’s actions. This passionate response illustrated the intensity of his feelings about the game’s officer.
Inter Miami’s upcoming schedule includes Concacaf Champions League round of 16 first leg match against Cavalier FC. The victory over Houston Dynamo has given a much needed boost to team morale. The team’s focus is now being shifted to the next series of matches, with the coaching staff in the hope of maintaining this step and building on the positive performance shown in Houston.
