Inter Miami coach Mascherano explains why he keeps a secret strategy ahead of MLS Eastern Conference final

For the first time in their history, Inter Miami will play the Eastern Conference Final this Saturday as they look for a place in the Major League Soccer title match. Head coach Javier Mascherano shared details about his team’s preparation for facing New York City FC.

When asked whether he has already decided on his starting lineup for Saturday’s match, Mascherano was completely honest. “We have it clear, we know exactly how we want to play. But the way I am, I don’t like the players to know who’s going to play until the last day,” the coach revealed in Friday’s press conference, shared by reporter Jose Armando on X.

“It’s the way, I think, to keep everyone focused on the game,” Javier explained. “I believe that not only are the eleven starters important, but the entire group as well. At this stage, we need everyone to be alert because we’re going to need all of them.”

Mascherano took a similar stance during the week leading up to the semifinal match against FC Cincinnati. At that time, the main question was whether Luis Suarez would return to the team after serving his suspension or if Mateo Silvetti would keep his spot in the attack.

That strategy proved effective, as the young Argentine ultimately earned his place in a surprise decision that directly impacted the result: Silvetti scored a goal and provided an assist for Lionel Messi.

Mascherano analyzes the matchup against New York City FC

In the same press conference, Javier Mascherano spoke about the challenge New York City FC will present at Chase Stadium. “Even though we’ve regained home-field advantage, tomorrow’s match is going to be very difficult,” the coach said. “We’re playing against a team that earned the right to be in the conference final. They’re the only team that has won all three playoff games on the road.”

Mascherano also emphasized that Inter Miami cannot afford to relax. “I think we’ve competed well up to this point, but we haven’t achieved anything yet,” the coach insisted. “We talked a lot about it this week. All the noise around us shouldn’t distract us. Our mentality and our focus have to be on going for the match from the first minute, just like we did against Nashville and Cincinnati.”

A crucial match in Inter Miami’s history

Just six years after joining MLS, Inter Miami find themselves in a historic moment. They will play a Conference Final for the first time and are only 180 minutes away from winning what would be the most important title in the history of the club.

So far, the Herons have won two trophies, both since the arrival of Lionel Messi. The first was the 2023 Leagues Cup, and the second was the 2024 Supporters’ Shield. While those are significant accomplishments—especially for such a young club—they do not compare to the magnitude of winning MLS Cup, the most important trophy in American soccer.