Inter Miami battled to a 1-1 draw against DC United on Saturday night, but the major talking point was the absence of Lionel Messi and several other key stars.
The MLS fixture at Audi Field saw DC United take an early lead in the 13th minute through Jackson Hopkins. Inter Miami responded in the second half with a stunning equalizer from Baltasar Rodríguez in the 63rd minute, salvaging a point for the Herons.
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However, fans were left surprised when head coach Javier Mascherano opted to start the game without Luis Suárez, Sergio Busquets, and Rodrigo De Paul, in addition to Messi and Jordi Alba being sidelined due to injuries.
Speaking after the match, Mascherano explained his decision, saying:
“We’ve played 41 matches, we wanted to give other players a chance. We need the entire squad, it was a clear decision for us, and by the end of the match I believe it was the right one.”
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He added that the game was evenly contested:
“It was one half for each team. In the first half they had the intensity and we let them play. In the second half we played in their half from the start, we were the team we want to be.”
Mascherano introduced Suárez, Busquets, and De Paul later in the game, which helped Miami dominate the second half. Baltasar Rodríguez seized the opportunity to shine, scoring the equalizer with a brilliant top-corner strike.
Inter Miami currently sits fifth in the Eastern Conference with 46 points. The team hopes to regain full strength as they push for a strong finish this season.
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