Javier Mascherano may be running out of superlatives to describe Leo Messi.
As an old friend and longtime teammate at FC Barcelona and Argentina’s national team, Inter Miami’s head coach has had an up-close view on many of the GOAT's dazzling moments, the latest of which arrived at Sports Illustrated Stadium on Saturday night, where his two goals and two assists powered the Herons’ 5-1 demolition of the New York Red Bulls in front of a largely appreciative crowd dotted with pink Messi jerseys.
"He transcends soccer,” Mascherano said in Spanish of Messi after the maestro’s latest brace, incredibly, his sixth in Miami’s last seven league matches. “In the end, any fan of sports – of sports, not just of soccer – feels admiration for this class of athlete; Leo Messi, Michael Jordan in his time, Rafa Nadal – people who have transcended their sport.
"We are very privileged, those of us who get to work alongside him, to live all of this too.”
Unstoppable form
It’s felt that way most of the summer, as Messi keeps reeling off one jaw-dropping play after another to help his Herons return to MLS play with a bang after he paced them to a historic Round-of-16 run at the Club World Cup. Unfortunately for them, the Red Bulls, who actually scored first this time, have seen his greatness all too well: The 2022 World Cup winner has now bagged 5g/7a in four meetings with RBNY.
Saturday’s gorgeous double – the first made possible by a raking through ball from his friend Sergio Busquets, the second assisted by pal Luis Suárez, with their mate Jordi Alba involved in both buildups – sees the icon surge into a tie with Nashville’s Sam Surridge atop the MLS Golden Boot presented by Audi race with 18 goals.
When Mascherano was asked about the big turnout Messi inspired in Harrison, New Jersey, just as he has all over the world, his response spoke volumes about the enduring excellence of the playmaker who turned 38 a few weeks ago.
"It's not a surprise, because I've worked with him,” said Masch. “I've been with him for eight years in Barcelona, more than 15 in the national team as a fellow player, and in the places where he hasn't been gone continuously, people go nuts. The truth is, it’s not only in the stadium – I've had this happen at hotels, airports, the whole thing.
"I believe that the admiration is total, and not just because of the kind of player that he is, but because he is an example of an athlete who transcends our sport.”
Weary but winning
Before this game, Mascherano lamented the toll IMCF’s draining schedule has taken on their sharpness, which revealed itself painfully in Wednesday’s 3-0 beating at the hands of fellow contenders FC Cincinnati. Yet they’ve now aced an arduous stretch of five games in 15 days, four of them on the road, to the tune of 12 points out of a possible 15 (4W-1L-0D).
The Herons are now just a step behind frontrunners Cincy, Philadelphia and Nashville in the Supporters’ Shield race based on points per game, and still have games in hand on all of them thanks to their CWC exploits.
If this is a tired, worn Miami, it’s daunting to ponder what IMCF might look like after a bit of rest, let alone the reinforcement they’re reportedly pursuing in the summer transfer window, Atlético Madrid midfielder Rodrigo De Paul.
“In the last two, three weeks, we have five matches, four outside of our stadium,” said Mascherano, who said “there's nothing official” regarding De Paul, preferring to speak about players already on his roster. “It was a complex stage for us, because of the flights or the trips that we had and all of that, and little rest between games. Of course, the match against Cincinnati was a reflection of the fatigue of the team, and beyond that, Cincinnati just won. They overcame us.
“We're getting a long week now, a week that we're going to take advantage of, especially to get some rest for the people who are the most tired.”
Revenge in store?
IMCF have a full week to prepare for their return fixture vs. Cincy (7:15 pm ET | MLS Season Pass, Apple TV+, FS1, FOX Deportes) – revenge seems likely to be a priority – before they kick off their Leagues Cup slate vs. Atlas on July 30. That tournament, which the Herons won at the dawn of their Messi era in 2023, will be a priority. But then again, so is every trophy they have a chance to compete for, as both Mascherano and youngster Telasco Segovia noted on Saturday.
“Yeah, because we have the best in the world, the best of all time – Lionel Messi, and we're ready to fight for and win everything,” Segovia, who also scored twice, told MLS Season Pass’ Michele Giannone in Spanish when asked if there's pressure on La Rosanegra to win every time out.
“That's soccer,” the Venezuelan said of his club’s busy calendar. “There are no excuses. We’ll recover well, now we have a week off until the next game, and we're good, and we showed it today.”
