Inter Miami head coach Javier Mascherano has emphasized the need for the team to redirect their attention towards the Major League Soccer regular season following their exit from the Concacaf Champions Cup.
The Herons played to a 0-0 draw against Nashville SC in the first leg of the round of 16, and ended the series with a 1-1 tie at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. With the away goals rule acting as the first tiebreaker for tied aggregate scores, Inter Miami was eliminated from the tournament.
“What has happened is behind us; we can’t alter it now, and it’s counterproductive to dwell on it. We are still coming to terms with the disappointment of our elimination,” Mascherano stated on Saturday.
“That’s football; such things happen. However, it’s our responsibility to show that the events of the other day were merely a fluke. We must now concentrate fully on the league,” he added.
Despite the early exit from the Concacaf Champions Cup, Mascherano noted that the team has not had a poor start to the season, holding a record of 2 wins, 3 draws, and 1 loss.
“To move forward, we need to keep believing in our process, work diligently, strive for improvement in all areas, and take full accountability for our actions; I, foremost,” Mascherano remarked.
“There’s little more to say… What we can change is our mindset moving forward. It seems odd to discuss the onset of a season during which we’ve lost just one game, drawn three, and won two. It’s not a bad start, and certainly not a disaster, but at a club with expectations as high as ours, it tends to feel much worse than it truly is.”
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Inter Miami will return to action on Sunday afternoon, facing off against New York City FC at Yankee Stadium. The team will be missing defenders Maxi Falcon and Sergio Reguilón, both of whom sustained injuries during the Concacaf Champions Cup series.