Inter Miami invades Gillette Stadium Wednesday. Will Mighty Messi face the Revolution?
Last season, Miami set a regular-season points record (74), snapping the Revolution's mark with a 6-2 victory over New England in the final game of the regular season. But Messi missed 15 games due to physical problems, and Miami fell short in the playoffs, plus the Champions Cup and Leagues Cup, as coach Tata Martino departed. So far, Mascherano's team has followed a similar script, a 4-0 loss to Paris Saint-Germain in the Club World Cup on June 29 exposing vulnerabilities.
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'Clearly, we have a lot of games coming up, plus all the ones we have already played, so we will need everyone to participate,' Mascherano said Saturday. 'We'll see how we can manage some roster changes without feeling it too much because I don't like to change six or seven players from one match to the other.
'Our motivation now is to compete in our league, and to achieve something this club has been aiming for year after year. We want to get as far as we can, qualify for the playoffs, be in position to have home-field advantage, and from there we'll see what happens at the end of October.'
The focus for Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano is now looking to improve his club's standing in the Eastern Conferce.
CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images
For the Revolution (6-7-6, 24 points) — outscored, 10-3, by Miami in two games last year — this match could provide a gauge of their improvement. In both games last year, the Revolution collapsed after strong starts: Tomas Chancalay opened the scoring in the first minute of
Since then, the Revolution have lost by more than one goal only once, but they have been limited by injuries and a lack of forward production. Captain Carles Gil and striker Leo Campana, acquired from Inter Miami, have not combined over 90 minutes in successive games since opening the season. Campana, recovering from a hamstring injury, went the distance
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'We had a golden chance; we need to score those,' Revolution coach Caleb Porter said. 'I'm confident we will.'
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Porter placed much of his goal-scoring faith in Campana, an Ecuador national team member who totaled 28 goals in three seasons with Miami — including a hat trick in a 3-2 win over the Revolution in 2022. But injuries have limited Campana, along with Chancalay (groin), and Ignatius Ganago (quadriceps). Gil (seven goals) leads the Revolution in scoring, equaling the total of forwards Campana, Chancalay, and Maxi Urruti (two each), and Ganago (one).
As for Messi, this could be his third Gillette appearance, following 4-1 victories: last year, when he converted twice for Miami (65,612 attendance); and in 2016, when he scored once on an imported grass field for Argentina against Venezuela (59,183).
'We have to understand that Leo is happy playing soccer and whenever he is fit to play, he will play, because he is happiest on the field,' Mascherano said.
Frank Dell'Apa can be reached at
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