April 29 – Inter Miami’s unbeaten start to the Major League Soccer (MLS) season came to a dramatic end as FC Dallas rallied from a 3-1 deficit to secure a stunning 4-3 victory at Chase Stadium in Florida.
With manager Javier Mascherano prioritising the CONCACAF Champions Cup, the decision to rest the superstar trio of Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez, and Jordi Alba proved costly.
The result adds fuel to critics who have labelled Inter Miami a one-dimensional team overly reliant on their Argentine maestro. Dallas capitalised on the absences by scoring three times in a breathtaking 16-minute span to hand the Herons their first home defeat of the campaign.
“It’s not easy. It’s not easy,” a visibly disappointed Mascherano told reporters in Spanish afterward. “The truth is that we played a very good game for 60, 65 minutes, during which we fell behind and rallied, which isn’t easy. Unfortunately, I’m responsible. I made a mistake in my reading of the game, and well, today I couldn’t help them.”
The former Barcelona midfielder repeatedly shouldered the blame for the collapse: “The players, of course, nothing to fault. Today is my responsibility. It’s my fault, not being able to help the players with the correct changes or reading the game correctly to be able to get the victory.”
FC Dallas coach Eric Quill, who is in his first season with the Texas club, made decisive tactical adjustments that turned the tide. “I’m just really proud of the collective. They’ve been training so hard,” said Quill, who sparked the comeback by shifting from a 4-2-3-1 formation to a 3-4-3 and introducing Brazilian attacker Pedrinho, who contributed a goal and an assist in just 32 minutes of action.
“This is becoming a team across the board,” Quill continued. “They’re rooting for each other, they’re working for each other, they’re wanting the best for each other, even in the bad times. And that’s a true mark of a great team in the making.”
Despite this setback, Mascherano’s decision to rest his stars could still prove strategic as Inter Miami now turn their attention to overturning a 2-0 deficit in the second leg of their CONCACAF Champions Cup tie against the Vancouver Whitecaps.
With a refreshed Messi, Suárez, and Alba returning to the lineup, Miami will be looking to demonstrate that their championship aspirations extend beyond MLS competition.
Contact the writer of this story, Nick Webster, at moc.l1745931116labto1745931116ofdlr1745931116owedi1745931116sni@r1745931116etsbe1745931116w.kci1745931116n1745931116