Javier Mascherano Admits to Problems at Inter Miami | OneFootball

Amid Inter Miami's poor form, Javier Mascherano gave an honest assessment of the Herons' recent struggles and weaknesses.

Inter Miami are a far cry from the same team that won the 2024 Supporters' Shield in record-breaking fashion under Gerardo "Tata" Martino. The Herons currently sit fourth in the Eastern Conference standings with just six victories in their first 11 matches of the season.

In fact, Inter Miami have lost four of their last five matches across all competitions. Mascherano's men are most recently coming off a 4–1 defeat to Minnesota United that prompted the Argentine boss to get candid about his team's disappointing results.

"I'm not going to be a hypocrite here and say everything's fine because obviously we don't like losing. I understand that we've lost four of the last five games and that there are things that need to be corrected," Mascherano said.

The Herons lost the first leg of the Concacaf Champions Cup semifinals 2–0 to the Vancouver Whitecaps and then collapsed late to lose 4–3 to FC Dallas in MLS action just three days later. With a trip to the Concacaf Champions Cup final on the line, Inter Miami went on to suffer a 3–1 defeat to the Whitecaps in the second leg of their tie, crashing out of the competition.

The team had a momentary return to winning ways with a 4–1 victory against New York Red Bulls, but then followed it up with a lopsided defeat to Minnesota United. The victors came under fire from Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham, who took offensive after the Western Conference side referred to the Herons as the "Pink Phony Club" on social media.

"I think many of the goals we've conceded, which are 14 in the last five games, have to do with inattention and individual errors, rather than a collective approach to defending," said Mascherano.

Defensive woes are not new to Inter Miami; after all, they recorded a league-leading 26 errors that resulted in an opponent's shot last season. Still, the team's attacking firepower was often enough to bail out the Herons. Under Mascherano, though, Inter Miami have struggled to consistently score goals.

"I think there's nothing better than spending these four or five days together right now, to be together, to talk, to do team building, to share moments that aren't common during the season, but which are important at certain times," said Mascherano.

Mascherano will hope the brief reset will help his squad get back to its top form with a trip to PayPal Park on the horizon. Inter Miami take on the San Jose Earthquakes on Wednesday, May 14, at 10:30 p.m. ET.