Mascherano Shoulders Full Blame as Inter Miami's Championship Dreams Crumble Before His Eyes
Inter Miami's hopes for the Supporters' Shield have been dashed following a 5-3 defeat to Chicago Fire at home, leaving the MLS Cup as their sole remaining opportunity for silverware this campaign.
This wasn't the first occasion Miami's defense crumbled on their own turf. The defeat represented the third instance during the regular season where they conceded four or more goals.
Miami showed resilience by mounting a comeback after being down 3-1 at the break, with Luis Suárez netting his eighth and ninth strikes of the campaign to draw level. Justin Reynolds found the decisive goal, before the evening concluded with Brian Gutiérrez's spectacular finish.
Mascherano Accepts Full Responsibility
Miami manager Javier Mascherano shouldered complete accountability for the outcome, which marked Miami's sixth fixture in a 17-day span.
"For this match, the individual accountable for the strategy and everything that transpired is myself," Mascherano acknowledged. "We organized for one style of game, but it became something entirely different.
"During the interval, we implemented adjustments that functioned in periods, but we obviously risked being vulnerable to quick attacks. It's disappointing, because as I explained to the squad, it wasn't about personnel but our methodology. We aimed to dominate possession, and this defeat falls completely on my shoulders."
During 2024, Miami surrendered only 49 goals throughout the regular season, yet in 2025, they have already conceded 52 with three fixtures remaining.
Miami's Trophy Drought Continues
Beyond the 2023 Leagues Cup and 2024 Supporters' Shield victories, Miami have come up short in trophy pursuits.
This campaign, they were eliminated from the Concacaf Champions Cup, Leagues Cup, and Supporters' Shield competitions, while also being unsuccessful in the FIFA Club World Cup—though the latter remained unlikely considering the competition field.
Their final opportunity will arrive during the MLS Cup Playoffs. Following their record-breaking season, they were knocked out in the opening round by ninth-placed Atlanta United in a best-of-three format.
The Herons can now place no better than second in the Eastern Conference standings and return to action Saturday versus New England Revolution, before their closing two fixtures against Atlanta United and Nashville SC prior to the MLS Cup Playoffs.
Regarding the Supporters' Shield, Philadelphia Union holds their fate in their own hands with two games remaining, while Vancouver Whitecaps could also claim the prize with three matches left, should the Union stumble.