Inter Miami CF head coach Javier Mascherano mentioned his group are prepared for a revenge-minded Nashville SC of their two-legged Concacaf Champions Cup spherical of 16 collection, enjoying with “blood in their eyes” in Wednesday night time’s conflict at Geodis Park.
The two groups most not too long ago confronted off within the first spherical of the 2025 MLS Cup playoffs, with Inter Miami triumphing 2-1 within the best-of-three collection to get rid of Nashville.
“It’s a tough, difficult game, as always when we play in Nashville. We know their fans will be putting on the pressure, and above all, we have to keep in mind that they’re a team with blood in their eyes,” mentioned Mascherano on Tuesday.
“When you face a rival that we’ve fortunately eliminated and that helped us win the championship last year, and in previous seasons the club has even won finals against them, it’s clear that they’re going to want their revenge. So above all, we’re taking into account that we’re going to face a rival that has a great thirst for sporting revenge, clearly not for any other kind, and we have to be very prepared for that.”
Inter Miami will try and elevate the Concacaf Champions Cup trophy, after struggling to take action in 2024 and 2025. The Herons reached the semifinals within the earlier version of the worldwide competitors earlier than falling to the Vancouver Whitecaps 5-1 on mixture.
“We’re not a team that chooses which competitions to play in; we’re obligated to compete in all of them,” mentioned Mascherano. “Clearly, the Champions League is the only competition the club normally plays in that we’re missing, and it’s generating a lot of excitement for all of us. Now, what we can’t allow is for this to become an obsession. It’s one thing to be excited, another to be obsessed. When you’re obsessed with something, you’re likely to make mistakes.”
Miami captain Lionel Messi may even look to Wednesday night time’s sport to make historical past by probably scoring his 900th profession objective. The Argentine ahead scored his 899th goal on Saturday night time towards D.C. United in MLS common season motion, main Mascherano to label him, not for the primary time, as “one of a kind.”
“Clearly, we don’t fully grasp the scale of it. Talking about him scoring 900 goals is insane, incredible for such a unique player. The truth is, I always end up saying the same thing: Leo’s numbers are amazing, but above all, statistics are the least important aspect,” mentioned Mascherano.
“You can score a lot of goals, the key is how you do it, and he’s managed not only to reach incredible numbers in terms of goals and assists, but also because of what he contributes to the game itself, which I believe is much more important than his stats.”
The solely participant with extra targets than Messi within the historical past of soccer is Cristiano Ronaldo, who has scored 965 throughout his profession with membership and nation. Ronaldo has mentioned repeatedly he desires to eclipse the 1,000 objective mark earlier than he retires.
The second leg of the Concacaf Champions Cup spherical of 16 shall be performed on March 18 at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
