Inter Miami picked up a 3–1 win over the LA Galaxy on Saturday night, but not everything is going well for the Herons.
Although the win saw Lionel Messi return from injury with a goal and an assist, it capped off a week that saw tensions rise between the club’s American players, head coach Javier Mascherano and others.
On Wednesday, Miami traded longtime goalkeeper Drake Callender to Charlotte FC, the latest USMNT-capped player to leave the club after Julian Gressel and DeAndre Yedlin were transferred in earlier deals.
Currently, there are just 10 American players on the 29-man roster, in a trend that has progressed since Messi’s arrival in the summer of 2023.
Tensions, though, reached unparalleled levels this week, as one of their young American stars, Benjamin Cremaschi, expressed his frustrations with Mascherano. The 20-year-old criticized his manager for inconsistent playing time and positions that have hindered the U.S. international’s development.
“I’m frustrated, I want to play,” Cremaschi told reporters ahead of the match. “I think the most important thing for me is to be at a very high level, and to get there, I need minutes and experience. I’ve played very little in these recent games, and I don’t think it’s because of my level.
“I go to the games and I have no idea where I'm going to play.”
Javier Mascherano Responds to Frustrations
Mascherano quipped back at Cremaschi after the win against the Galaxy as well, stressing that he is always open to conversations and that he, too, played out of position with FC Barcelona when contending for playing time.
“I understand he likes to play as a central midfielder. I also liked to play as a central midfielder, but when I went to Barcelona, I had to play as a center back because otherwise I had no chance to play,” he said.
“The door to my office is always open for anyone who may be mad or doesn’t want to play a certain position to come tell me. I haven’t heard any complaints face to face. This is professional football. I decide where I think each player can give me their best.”
This season, Cremaschi has spent time playing central midfield and on both wings, while also filling in at left back for Jordi Alba when the veteran defender was suspended for skipping the MLS All-Star Game.
However, his 1,298 MLS regular-season minutes rank 10th among Inter Miami’s roster, even as his one goal and four assists have proven his ability to influence the game at a similar rate to other central midfielders, including Sergio Busquets, who has no goals and six assists in over 2,000 minutes.
Although the concerns around Cremaschi and other American players took much of the focus this week around the club, they will likely fall into the rearview as Miami turn their focus to a Leagues Cup quarterfinal clash against Liga MX’s Tigres UANL on Thursday.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as ‘I Decide’—Inter Miami’s Mascherano Snaps Back at Frustrated USMNT Midfielder.
