Inter Miami reached their objective. The Herons were superior in the second half, enough to secure victory against Pumas in the Leagues Cup. Javier Mascherano‘s team thus advanced to the next stage of the bi-national tournament without Lionel Messi‘s presence.
El Jefecito, after his team’s excellent performance against the Felinos, held his usual press conference where he discussed the absence of Lionel Messi, Rodrigo De Paul‘s comfort, and the overall team performance.
On the victory over Pumas: “We are very happy. Apart from a few moments, especially in the first half where we suffered for 10-15 minutes, we adapted well afterward with the determination to go for the game.”
On the tactical setup and instructions to De Paul: “We started with a 4-2-3-1 formation, moving to a 4-3-1-2 with Rodrigo De Paul behind Luis Suárez, and Tadeo Allende more on the right. This setup allowed some freedom of movement for Rodrigo, although initially, it was difficult to find him due to their defensive strategy. In the second half, we switched to a 3-3-4 formation with wings, which gave Rodrigo more freedom between lines. This comfort allowed us to dominate Pumas and score at crucial moments.”
Rodrigo De Paul scored his first goal with Inter Miami vs Pumas.
Mascherano’s statements after Inter Miami’s victory against Pumas
“Sometimes it’s not necessary to focus on the bench when we have talent on the field. They always strive to do their best. Today, we had a great performance,“ the coach said.
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On Luis Suárez’s performance: “Despite different phases, he remains calm and composed. We’ve not talked extensively, but he’s performed excellently, aiding us in challenging moments. He consistently prioritizes the team.”
On Yannick bright and Ian Fray: “Yannick played exceptionally well, providing needed positional play. Ian’s return was risky but valuable; defensively he’s strong and understood attacking roles.”
On Messi’s absence and team formation: “Against Los Angeles FC, we turned the result around with similar tactics. Wide play through laterals and two strikers matched our needs without requiring Messi. With talent like Leo, minimal adjustments are needed for team organization.”
On his six months as Inter Miami’s coach: “I feel comfortable in this new experience. We’ve adapted to daily work with the players making it easy. Having a great squad and the privilege of working with Leo is remarkable. We strive to learn every day; often coaches learn from players rather than the other way around.”
