Unpopular opinion: Inter Miami should keep first-year coach Javier Mascherano | OneFootball

Mascherano deserves a chance to grow into the Herons job

Whenever Inter Miami CF performs poorly -- and it's never performed more poorly than it did Sunday in a devastating 1-4 loss at in-state rival Orlando City -- the chorus calling for the club to replace first-year Herons' coach Javier Mascherano grows louder. The refrain has rarely been louder than it has in the past week; even my Inter Heron site co-expert Ignacio Ravagnan thinks Masche is in over his head.

Nacho stopped short of calling for Mascherano's job in his recent story about the 41-year-old first-time club head coach's failings, but he emphasized his need to improve: "Javier Mascherano is not made for big matches," he wrote, concluding that "the Inter Miami coach must be prepared to set up a match without Messi and ensure the entire team doesn't play as if they were at an amateur level."

Do I disagree with my colleague's take? Not at all. Masche has struggled at times this season. But I want the "Mascherano Out!" lobby to consider the following:

The Herons are having a successful season. Heading into Major League Soccer Matchday 29, Inter Miami has 42 points and sits sixth in the Eastern Conference, nine points behind first-place and league-leading Philadelphia, which has played three more matches than La Rosanegra. The Herons still have a chance -- a slim chance -- of earning its second Supporters Shield for posting the league's best regular-season record.

More importantly, with at least one game in-hand over every MLS team (except LAFC) and three in-hand over six of the East's top 10, Inter Miami seems likely to make the MLS Cup playoffs for a second-straight season and is a good bet to finish in the top four and host at least one postseason match.

As far as hardware goes, the Herons still could finish with as many as three trophies: Leagues Cup, Supporters Shield and MLS Cup. Yes, being eliminated from the Champions Cup by Vancouver in the quarterfinals is disappointing -- the Concacaf title is the Holy Grail for North America's club teams -- but it isn't the end of the world. Miami still could qualify for next year's competition, and it again will be among the favorites to lift the Cup.

And let's not forget Inter Miami's historic achievement in the FIFA Club World Cup, becoming the first North American team to beat a European club (Porto FC) in a match that wasn't a friendly. Los Garzas lost to eventual runners up Paris Saint-Germain, 4-0, but there is no shame in being defeated by the European champions.

Have the Herons met fans' -- and management's? -- lofty expectations? No, but objectively, the Herons are having a good 2025 season, by MLS standards.