مدير عام كرة القدم
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- Riding a five-game winning streak in MLS
- Fifth place in the East with 38 points
- Three games in hand
Lionel Messi once again put on a masterclass, scoring both goals in Inter Miami’s 2-1 victory over Nashville SC. With that performance, the Argentine legend extended his streak to five consecutive MLS matches with a brace, setting a new league record.
Speaking after the match, head coach Javier Mascherano was full of praise for Messi and acknowledged the growing concern around his workload.
“Obviously, we’re monitoring the situation daily and having ongoing conversations with him,” Mascherano said. “We’ll find the right time to give him a break. What he continues to do is unbelievable – breaking records every three days. He’s the flag bearer of this team, our leader, and he sets the standard for how we compete. It’s truly a blessing to be part of this stage of his career.”
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The coach also came to the defense of Luis Suárez, who hasn’t scored in his last three league matches.
“It wouldn’t be right for me to criticize someone who’s scored over 500 goals in his career,” said Mascherano. “Luis is a great player, just like Leo, Busquets, and Jordi. When he doesn’t score, the discussion starts – but he gives us so much more. Just two weeks ago, we were talking about his wonder goal against Palmeiras. Football is dynamic. As long as our top players are healthy, I’ll back them – and our young players – all the way.”
Mascherano also noted that managing Suárez’s minutes is a priority moving forward, especially after playing on artificial turf in Boston.
“It wasn’t ideal for him. We wanted to sub him off earlier, but the moment wasn’t right. Still, we’ll manage his time carefully. His quality is unquestionable,” Mascherano said.
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Messi scored the 69th free-kick goal of his career. The Argentine is now just eight goals shy of tying Marcelinho Carioca, who leads the all-time list with 78 free-kick goals.
Roberto Dinamite follows with 74, and Juninho Pernambucano sits at 72.
Mascherano and company will visit FC Cincinnati next Wednesday, aiming for a sixth-straight MLS win against one of the league’s top teams.
