Mascherano Questions Suárez’s Suspension Ahead of Crucial Playoff Match

On Friday, Inter Miami head coach Javier Mascherano characterized the decision to suspend Luis Suárez for their final match in the Round 1 MLS playoff best-of-three series against Nashville as “very strange.”

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

Mascherano emphasized that while the club respects the disciplinary committee’s ruling, they fundamentally disagree with it. “In my personal opinion, it seemed very strange, very strange because it’s a play that was reviewed by VAR in real time, and it didn’t suggest any sanction from either the referee or the VAR official,” he stated.

“However, the MLS rules are established, and as a club, we accept it. We don’t agree with the decision, but we respect it. We hope that these regulations are applied consistently across all situations,” Mascherano added.

He later disclosed that Suárez’s appeal against the suspension was denied. “I received a call on Monday night informing me of the sanction and that the specific penalty would be determined shortly. The process moved quickly, given the pace of things here in the United States,” he explained.

“Yes, the player appealed, but we were informed that the club couldn’t appeal directly. Therefore, the player used the club’s resources for the appeal, which was denied just a couple of hours later.”

Mascherano noted that Suárez was quite surprised by the outcome, stating, “He is surprised, very surprised. Incidents like these occur in games, and if we were to focus on them endlessly, there would be numerous similar situations. But it is what it is.”

As the team prepares to host Nashville for the crucial third match on Saturday at Chase Stadium, they will do so without Suárez, whom Mascherano referred to as a “key” player in their lineup.

The victor of Saturday’s encounter will advance to the Eastern Conference semifinal, and a win would allow Inter Miami to make history by progressing past the first round of the playoffs for the first time since joining 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 dwell on our reaction to this situation. We cannot control it, but we can focus on preparing for the match as best as possible and aim for a victory that will secure our qualification,” Mascherano concluded.

Inter Miami won the first game of the series 3-1, but suffered a 2-1 defeat to Nashville, leading to the need for a decisive third match.