Inter Miami CF striker Luis Suárez has been around long enough, and won enough trophies, to know that Wednesday’s Leagues Cup quarterfinal against LIGA MX powerhouse Tigres UANL will have massive ramifications (8 pm ET | MLS Season Pass, Apple TV+; FS1, UniMás).
“Tomorrow’s game can mark a before and after for [the club’s] mindset and where we’re at this year,” the legendary former Uruguayan international told reporters on the eve of the highly anticipated clash at Chase Stadium.
“Obviously, it’s a final because there’s no going back.”
Third time's the charm?
Leagues Cup represents Miami’s third foray into international competition this year. The Herons reached the Concacaf Champions Cup semifinals before their historic run into the FIFA Club World Cup knockout stages.
For Suárez, the club’s performances in the latter tournament provide the blueprint for success for a team looking to repeat their 2023 Leagues Cup title and surpass their record-breaking 2024 Supporters’ Shield-winning campaign.
“If we face all these games like we faced the Club World Cup, I think we can perfectly win both Leagues Cup and MLS [Cup],” El Pistolero said. “But it depends on us.”
In Phase One, the Herons went 2W-0L-1D against Atlas, Necaxa and Pumas UNAM, respectively. But Tigres present a different level of opponent.
The Mexican side boast a star-studded lineup led by blockbuster offseason acquisition Ángel Correa, who’s scored a joint-best four goals in Leagues Cup, and playmaker Juan Brunetta, one of the competition’s standout midfielders with three assists.
“They’re a team that if you give them the ball, give them protagonism," head coach Javier Mascherano warned of Wednesday's opponent, "normally you're going to have a bad time."
Messi's status
Miami have weapons of their own, none more dangerous than Lionel Messi.
However, the legendary Argentine No. 10 is questionable after a standout 1g/1a performance off the bench in Saturday’s 3-1 league win over the Galaxy – his first game back from a hamstring injury suffered during Leagues Cup Phase One.
“The situation is more or less the same from what I described the other day after the game: he felt uncomfortable during the 45 minutes that he played,” Mascherano said of Messi, who trained separately from the group on Tuesday. “We’ll monitor [him] the rest of the day and tomorrow, but he’s not ruled out.
“I can’t say whether he’ll play or not, but [the decision] will come down to how he’s feeling.”
With or without Messi, Mascherano has the remainder of the Core Four of Suárez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba available, as well as marquee summer signing Rodrigo De Paul, to steer the ship against Miami's toughest Leagues Cup test to date.
"The path for us is clear. We know where we have to go if we want to be successful tomorrow,” Mascherano said. “It’s up to us."
