Inter Miami Coach Criticizes Luis Suárez’s Suspension Ahead of Playoff Decider

On Friday, Inter Miami’s head coach, Javier Mascherano, described the decision to suspend Luis Suárez for their crucial final match in the Round 1 MLS playoff series against Nashville as “very strange.”

Suárez received a one-game suspension for kicking Nashville’s Andy Nájar during the second half of their match on November 1 at Geodis Park, which resulted in a 2-1 loss for Inter Miami. Notably, the referee did not issue a yellow or red card at the time of the incident.

MLS confirmed on Friday that Nashville had submitted the foul for review. In the postseason, all MLS teams have the right to make one unsuccessful challenge, and Nashville’s initial submission was deemed successful, allowing them to retain the right to challenge.

Mascherano reiterated the club’s respect for the disciplinary committee’s decision, while expressing his disagreement with it. “In my personal opinion, it seemed very strange because the play was reviewed by VAR in real time, and there was no suggestion of any sanction from either the referee or the VAR official,” he stated.

He added, “However, we accept it. As the club has stated, we do not agree, but we will respect the decision. We hope that the regulations are applied consistently across the board.”

The coach revealed that Suárez’s appeal against the decision was denied. “I received a call, I believe it was Monday night, informing me that the club had received this sanction and would determine the specifics in the following days. Things move quickly here in the United States,” Mascherano noted.

“Yes, there was an appeal. The player appealed because we were told that the club couldn’t appeal. Naturally, the player utilized the club’s resources, but the appeal was rejected within a few hours.”

Mascherano shared that Suárez was “very surprised” by the outcome. “These situations occur in games. If we were to dwell endlessly on them, there would be numerous examples. Nonetheless, it is what it is.”

Now, the team is preparing to host Nashville in the decisive third match on Saturday at Chase Stadium without Suárez, a player Mascherano referred to as a “key” member of the roster. The winner of the match will advance to the Eastern Conference semifinal.

With a victory, Inter Miami has the opportunity to make history by progressing past the first round of the playoffs for the first time since their entry into MLS as an expansion franchise in 2020.

“He is undoubtedly an important player on the team, one of the key figures. However, it is unproductive to focus on how we will react or what will happen next,” Mascherano said.

“We cannot control that, but we can ensure we prepare for the match in the best possible way and compete for a victory to secure our qualification,” he concluded.

Inter Miami won the first game of the series 3-1 but fell 2-1 to Nashville, leading to this decisive third match.