Inter Miami was without its head coach, Javier Mascherano, for the second half of its Leagues Cup quarterfinal with Tigres after the Argentine received a red card
Javier Mascherano, who was in the front row, called his assistant, Lucas Rodriguez Pagano, to give instructions to Inter Miami after he received a red card in the team’s 2-1 League Cup quarterfinal win over Mexican side Tigres.
Miami hired Lionel Messi’s former Barcelona and Argentina teammate, Mascherano, as head coach ahead of the start of the 2025 season. David Beckham’s team is still searching for the coveted MLS Cup, continuing to sign players with a wealth of European soccer experience.
Rodrigo De Paul, a fellow Argentine World Cup winner, was the latest to join the MLS team from Atletico Madrid. However, before Inter Miami can contest the postseason, it has a shot at winning the Leagues Cup, which features U.S., Mexican, and Canadian soccer teams.
Miami won the Leagues Cup in Messi’s first season in the Sunshine State. Mascherano’s team took on Mexican side Tigres in the quarterfinal, and ran out 2-1 winners on the night thanks to two penalties from Luis Suarez.
It took an 89th-minute spot-kick from Suarez to hand Miami the edge following Angel Correa’s second-half equalizer.
Still, the game wasn’t without its challenges. Head coach Mascherano was sent off after the conclusion of the first half.
Mascherano was shown a red card for strongly protesting the amount of stoppage time added.
Despite being sent off, Mascherano remained close to the pitch, sitting in the stands just above the bench. He gave instructions to his assistant over the phone, which was picked up by TV cameras.
“The referee added four minutes, and we ended up playing six minutes. So we argued about the time,” Miami coach Javier Morales said on the incident.
“We’re human, we start to talk, and the referee said Javier got a red card, and that’s it. We didn’t have much information. We complained about the time, he said four minutes, and next they’re playing six.”
Only MLS outfits remain in the Final Four of the League Cup. Miami will play Orlando City in a Sunshine State Derby, while LA Galaxy will host the Seattle Sounders in a West Coast clash.
Miami reached the semis without star man Messi, who has struggled with injuries this year.
The Argentine sat out due to an ongoing muscle injury. “After all, it was wild, but I think we played a very good first half,” coach Morales added.
“We played in the game that we wanted. We scored a goal, we made chances. We found a way to keep fighting and win.”
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