Javier Mascherano urges Inter Miami to embrace ‘historical' chance
Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano (right) will be counting on talisman and Argentinian compatriot Lionel Messi to deliver in the key Club World Cup clash with Brazil's Palmeiras on June 23 (June 24, Singapore time). Avoiding defeat will see them make the last 16. PHOTO: REUTERS
MIAMI – Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano said the June 23 (June 24, Singapore time) meeting with Brazil's Palmeiras in the final game of Club World Cup Group A is a historic moment for the Major League Soccer (MLS) club and says his team should relish the game.
Miami's shock win over Porto, secured via a brilliant free kick from Lionel Messi, has left them with a chance of making it to the last 16 of the tournament.
And while the club, who only began playing five years ago, would advance with a draw, their Argentinian coach does not want his players leaving anything to chance.
'We're facing possibly one of the most important games in the history of our club. Above all, let that fill us with enthusiasm to be able to play it, let it not be a burden but an excitement and a challenge for this group of players, who have been doing well up until now,' said Mascherano.
'It would be a big mistake if we went into it thinking about not playing it and only about the result. I think that when you think about the result, certain things can happen during the game that make it very difficult to get back into the game,' he said.
'In the end, our idea is to go and win the game like we've always done, like every time we go into a game, whether it's in the Club World Cup, MLS, the (Concacaf) Champions League, or any other competition we're involved in,' he said.
But while Miami, whose form in MLS was patchy heading into the tournament, may be confident after beating Portuguese opposition in Atlanta, Mascherano also cautioned against being too gung-ho.
'We clearly want to win it through a plan. We don't go crazy, knowing that we have to minimise many of Palmeiras' strengths and try to take advantage of and expose their weaknesses' he said.
Mascherano could be boosted by the return to full fitness of Spanish fullback Jordi Alba, who missed the draw against Al Ahly with injury and played the last 11 minutes against Porto.
'Physically, I feel good. Obviously, I was out for three weeks without playing, but honestly, it doesn't feel like a big gap since there was an international break during that time. I didn't really miss much. Now we'll see what the coach decides,' he said.
'Playing against elite teams only sharpens us as a team, and if we reach the knockout rounds, just imagine how high our ceiling could be. I really believe we're doing things the right way, and we have to keep it going,' he said.
Elsewhere in the US, Patrick Agyemang's second-half goal led the national team to a 2-1 victory over Haiti on June 22 in Arlington, Texas, to secure the top spot in Group D of the Concacaf Gold Cup.
The US will meet Costa Rica, the second-placed team in Group A, in the quarter-finals.
Malik Tillman opened the scoring with his third goal of the tournament on 10th minutes, but a goalkeeping gaffe gifted Louicius Don Deedson the equaliser nine minutes later.
Also reaching the quarter-finals were Saudi Arabia, who drew 1-1 with Trinidad and Tobago to finish second in the group. Firas Al-Buraikan got the all-important equaliser after Dante Sealy had opened the scoring.
They will next face Group A winners and record nine-time champions Mexico. AFP, REUTERS
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Club World Cup ‘destroys' club football competitions: La Liga president Javier Tebas
SINGAPORE – La Liga president Javier Tebas has kept up his criticism of the current Club World Cup, days after calling for the elimination of the expanded tournament which he claimed is 'breaking the ecosystem' of club football. Instead, he is not averse to the Fifa competition returning to its previous format as an annual competition featuring just the winners of the six continental confederations and the host nation's league champions. The current Club World Cup in the United States is a quadrennial event that was enlarged to feature 32 teams and played over a month-long period after the end of the season. Tebas told The Straits Times on June 23 that if the Club World Cup remain, he would 'be happier if we can go back to the old model'. The 62-year-old Spaniard, who is in town for the La Liga Extratime conference, said via a translator: 'I strongly believe the Club World Cup destroys all established models of club competitions. 'It mainly affects the national leagues but it obviously affects the Champions League as well because it affects the calendar and the players.' At a La Liga event in Madrid last week, when asked how Fifa could do a better job of structuring future Club World Cup, Tebas had said: 'By eliminating it. My objective is that there will be no more Club World Cups, I'm very clear about that.' On June 23, he noted that how the new format led to a congested calendar and can impact the physical and mental well-being of players. 'There are 60,000 professional players in Europe, and these competitions are breaking the ecosystem for the rest of football. All the players involved in these extra matches will also be very tired at the end.' As a fan of Real Madrid, he admitted it would be good for the club if they win the competition, but as La Liga president, his obligation is to look after all the clubs and their players. In 2024, La Liga, together the European Leagues and Fifpro Europe, filed a joint complaint about Fifa's international match schedule to European Union antitrust regulators. European Leagues is an association that includes the English Premier League, the German Bundesliga, Italian Serie A and French Ligue 1 while Fifpro is the global players' union. Tebas, who said the legal action is ongoing, said the scheduling of the Club World Cup 'affects our broadcast rights because they force us to change the dates, and this produces a break of the audiovisual ecosystem.' 'There is no room for it. There is no need for another competition that moves money towards the same clubs and players.' Tebas also took issue with how the Club World Cup can cause competitive imbalance and financial instability, with the winners set to take home up to US$125 million (S$162 million) while slamming Fifa for 'listening, but then doing whatever they want'. 'This is not about consultation and being informed, because national leagues form the structure of football and there needs to be consensus for any decision that affects the players involved.' At the conference at The Executive Centre at One Raffles Quay, Tebas also warned about the destructive impact of audiovisual piracy, estimating that La Liga clubs suffer losses up to €700 million (S$1.04 billion) per season because of illegal streams. He agreed with the assessment of Serie A chief executive officer Luigi de Siervo, who recently attributed Italy's failure to qualify for the last two World Cups to online piracy. The Italian had said: 'All the money that is lost every year is not invested in the youth teams and in the growth of our young players, a major issue that has led our national team to face many difficulties.' Tebas said: 'The situation is different in different countries, but this is possible and we have to do what we can to stamp out online piracy.' He also threw his weight behind Singaporean tycoon and Valencia owner Peter Lim, who has faced a steady stream of abuse from the club's fans. He said: 'Peter Lim saved the team from bankruptcy. We have to remember the investments and capital he committed on several occasions, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic, so I consider his impact and overall management to be very positive. 'I believe some fans think only about the results, and it's not fair. They are very focused on the short term and these are probably only a sector of supporters and not all Valencia fans. 'I am concerned because I don't know what is the real intention behind such abuse but I don't think it will discourage foreign investors from La Liga.' Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
4 hours ago
- Straits Times
Javier Mascherano urges Inter Miami to embrace ‘historical' chance
Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano (right) will be counting on talisman and Argentinian compatriot Lionel Messi to deliver in the key Club World Cup clash with Brazil's Palmeiras on June 23 (June 24, Singapore time). Avoiding defeat will see them make the last 16. PHOTO: REUTERS MIAMI – Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano said the June 23 (June 24, Singapore time) meeting with Brazil's Palmeiras in the final game of Club World Cup Group A is a historic moment for the Major League Soccer (MLS) club and says his team should relish the game. Miami's shock win over Porto, secured via a brilliant free kick from Lionel Messi, has left them with a chance of making it to the last 16 of the tournament. And while the club, who only began playing five years ago, would advance with a draw, their Argentinian coach does not want his players leaving anything to chance. 'We're facing possibly one of the most important games in the history of our club. Above all, let that fill us with enthusiasm to be able to play it, let it not be a burden but an excitement and a challenge for this group of players, who have been doing well up until now,' said Mascherano. 'It would be a big mistake if we went into it thinking about not playing it and only about the result. I think that when you think about the result, certain things can happen during the game that make it very difficult to get back into the game,' he said. 'In the end, our idea is to go and win the game like we've always done, like every time we go into a game, whether it's in the Club World Cup, MLS, the (Concacaf) Champions League, or any other competition we're involved in,' he said. But while Miami, whose form in MLS was patchy heading into the tournament, may be confident after beating Portuguese opposition in Atlanta, Mascherano also cautioned against being too gung-ho. 'We clearly want to win it through a plan. We don't go crazy, knowing that we have to minimise many of Palmeiras' strengths and try to take advantage of and expose their weaknesses' he said. Mascherano could be boosted by the return to full fitness of Spanish fullback Jordi Alba, who missed the draw against Al Ahly with injury and played the last 11 minutes against Porto. 'Physically, I feel good. Obviously, I was out for three weeks without playing, but honestly, it doesn't feel like a big gap since there was an international break during that time. I didn't really miss much. Now we'll see what the coach decides,' he said. 'Playing against elite teams only sharpens us as a team, and if we reach the knockout rounds, just imagine how high our ceiling could be. I really believe we're doing things the right way, and we have to keep it going,' he said. Elsewhere in the US, Patrick Agyemang's second-half goal led the national team to a 2-1 victory over Haiti on June 22 in Arlington, Texas, to secure the top spot in Group D of the Concacaf Gold Cup. The US will meet Costa Rica, the second-placed team in Group A, in the quarter-finals. Malik Tillman opened the scoring with his third goal of the tournament on 10th minutes, but a goalkeeping gaffe gifted Louicius Don Deedson the equaliser nine minutes later. Also reaching the quarter-finals were Saudi Arabia, who drew 1-1 with Trinidad and Tobago to finish second in the group. Firas Al-Buraikan got the all-important equaliser after Dante Sealy had opened the scoring. They will next face Group A winners and record nine-time champions Mexico. AFP, REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
6 hours ago
- Straits Times
South American fans light up Club World Cup, while some venues fall flat
MIAMI/NEW YORK - Partying South American fans may have set the Club World Cup alight but unfortunately for hosts the United States, that carnival-like atmosphere has not swept across the country as some matches are being contested in front of modest crowds. FIFA had hoped the expanded version of the tournament featuring many of the world's top clubs would build enthusiasm for soccer in a country historically ambivalent to the beautiful game, as the U.S. prepares to co-host the 2026 World Cup with Canada and Mexico. With some 1.5 million tickets sold only days into the tournament, a chasm remains between the "haves" and the "have-nots" of the host cities. In just two games, Boca Juniors have taken Hard Rock Stadium by storm, turning it into their own 'Bombonera' outpost, filling it with a passion unmatched at this Club World Cup. The Boca fans made up the majority of the 55,574 spectators for the game against Benfica and it was a similar story among the 63,587 supporters present for Friday's 2-1 defeat by Bayern Munich. "I've had a long career and experienced a lot. There are times I want to be a player and tonight was one of those times," Bayern coach Vincent Kompany said after the Boca game. "They (the Boca Juniors fans) are special. The crowd was hostile in the best possible way ... that's what I love about football. Many fans would pay to watch that." The atmosphere created by the Boca fans, along with the presence of Inter Miami's Lionel Messi for the opening game of the tournament and the visit of Real Madrid, has made Miami Gardens the capital of soccer in the U.S. with an average attendance of 60,626. Hard Rock Stadium, which has hosted the Super Bowl six times, has a capacity of nearly 66,000. Messi, meanwhile, was the architect of soccer history after his stunning free kick secured Inter Miami a 2-1 win over Porto on Thursday, marking the first time that a CONCACAF team had defeated a European side in an official FIFA tournament. With Botafogo pulling off a shock 1-0 win over Champions League winners Paris St Germain and Flamengo beating Chelsea 3-1, it has been a good first week for Brazilian clubs in the tournament that expanded to 32 teams from seven in the last edition. "I love when I see Botafogo, all the Brazilian teams, Argentinian teams, how they celebrate, how they are together, I love them," Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola told reporters. "I like how all the games are tight, except one or two, and people are surprised, European teams lose. Welcome to the real world. Welcome to the real world my friends." Unsurprisingly, the super-sized field has produced some lop-sided results, with Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich thrashing Auckland City, a team made up of amateur players, 10-0 in their opener. 'NOT EASY' While some host cities have had no problem getting the party started, including Los Angeles, which welcomed 80,619 to the Rose Bowl for its first match of the tournament between PSG and Atletico Madrid, others have struggled. A Tuesday match between Ulsan and Mamelodi Sundowns kicked off around 7:00 pm in Orlando in front of 3,412 fans at the 25,500-capacity Inter&Co Stadium, while a 6 p.m. match in Cincinnati on Wednesday between Pachuca and Salzburg brought in just 5,282 spectators at the 26,000-capacity TQL Stadium. "The environment was a bit strange," Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca told reporters after the Premier League team beat MLS side LAFC 2-0 in front of little more than 22,000 fans at Atlanta's 71,000-capacity Mercedes-Benz Stadium. A big challenge for organisers has been filling the stands in enormous venues more often used for United States' national addiction - NFL football - with as many as four matches per day in the group stage. While smaller, soccer-specific stadiums abound in the U.S., the Club World Cup gives organisers a chance to test out some of the venues FIFA expects to be filled to the brim at the 2026 World Cup. If FIFA was hoping that locals would snap up tickets to watch a world class soccer tournament on their doorstep, the evidence suggests it will be the travelling fans, rather than Americans, who will be scrambling to secure seats for next year's World Cup. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
