Mascherano: Miami proving doubters wrong at CWC

Inter Miami CF caput manager Javier Mascherano said the nine continues to defy expectations with Club World Cup performances aft the 2-1 triumph implicit FC Porto successful its 2nd radical signifier game, aft critics doubted the team's abilities up of the tournament.

"I deliberation we each hold wrong the nine that the squad has taken a measurement guardant successful competing, showing that we're up to the task. Perhaps determination were immoderate doubts earlier the commencement of the competition, but I don't privation to get into that," said Mascherano connected Sunday.

"I deliberation this isn't the clip to analyse the Club World Cup. I deliberation investigation should beryllium done erstwhile it's over, and we're successful the mediate of the competition, and we person to absorption connected continuing to compete. Tomorrow we're going to person a precise hard match, but we person to get done it."

Inter Miami look Palmeiras successful the last crippled of the tournament's radical signifier with the anticipation of qualifying for the knockout round. Defeating the Brazilian giants by immoderate borderline would warrant Inter Miami a archetypal spot decorativeness with 7 points and the accidental to look the broadside that emerges successful 2nd spot from Group B successful Philadelphia connected June 28, portion a gully allows the nine to clinch 2nd spot successful the radical and inactive suffice to the circular of 16.

If the nine loses to Palmeiras and Al Ahly falls to FC Porto, Inter Miami qualifies to the circular of 16 successful 2nd place. A nonaccomplishment to Palmeiras and an Al Ahly decision implicit Porto, however, would unit a gully successful the radical and automatically trigger the tournament's tiebreaker criteria.

"We're facing perchance 1 of the astir important games successful the past of our club. Above all, fto that capable america with enthusiasm to beryllium capable to play it, fto it not beryllium a burden, not a burden, but an excitement and a situation for this radical of players who are besides doing good up until now," said Mascherano.

"It would beryllium a large mistake if we went into it reasoning astir not playing it and lone astir the result. I deliberation that erstwhile you deliberation astir the effect and don't spell into it, definite things tin hap during the crippled that marque it precise hard to get backmost into the game. In the end, our thought is to spell and triumph the crippled similar we've ever done, similar each clip we spell into a game, whether it's successful the Club World Cup, MLS, the Champions League, oregon immoderate different contention we're progressive in.

"But from that constituent on, we intelligibly privation to triumph it done a plan. We don't spell crazy, knowing that we person to minimize galore of Palmeiras' strengths and effort to instrumentality vantage of and exposure their weaknesses."

Mascherano besides confirmed Lionel Messi volition beryllium disposable for the crippled time aft experiencing immoderate symptom playing Porto, portion left-back Jordi Alba whitethorn instrumentality to the starting 11. Alba featured for Miami successful the tournament's 2nd radical signifier crippled aft 3 weeks connected the sidelines owed to a hamstring injury, participating successful the triumph and seeing much-needed minutes to regain fitness.

By qualifying to the circular of 16, Inter Miami volition conscionable the criteria for occurrence defined by Mascherano and co-owner Jorge Mas earlier the tourney started.