Inter Miami CF<\/a> striker Luis Su\u00e1rez<\/a> has been around long enough, and won enough trophies, to know that Wednesday\u2019s Leagues Cup<\/a> quarterfinal against LIGA MX powerhouse Tigres UANL will have massive ramifications (8 pm ET | MLS Season Pass, Apple TV+<\/a>; FS1, UniM\u00e1s).<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n \u201cTomorrow\u2019s game can mark a before and after for [the club\u2019s] mindset and where we\u2019re at this year,\u201d the legendary former Uruguayan international told reporters on the eve of the highly anticipated clash at Chase Stadium.<\/p>\n \u201cObviously, it\u2019s a final because there\u2019s no going back.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Leagues Cup represents Miami\u2019s third foray into international competition this year. The Herons reached the Concacaf Champions Cup<\/a> semifinals before their historic run into the FIFA Club World Cup<\/a> knockout stages.<\/p>\n For Su\u00e1rez, the club\u2019s performances in the latter tournament provide the blueprint for success for a team looking to repeat their 2023 Leagues Cup title and surpass their record-breaking 2024 Supporters\u2019 Shield-winning campaign.<\/p>\n \u201cIf we face all these games like we faced the Club World Cup, I think we can perfectly win both Leagues Cup and MLS [Cup],\u201d El Pistolero said. \u201cBut it depends on us.\u201d<\/p>\n In Phase One, the Herons went 2W-0L-1D against Atlas, Necaxa and Pumas UNAM, respectively. But Tigres present a different level of opponent.<\/p>\n The Mexican side boast a star-studded lineup led by blockbuster offseason acquisition \u00c1ngel Correa, who\u2019s scored a joint-best four goals in Leagues Cup, and playmaker Juan Brunetta, one of the competition\u2019s standout midfielders with three assists.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re a team that if you give them the ball, give them protagonism,” head coach Javier Mascherano warned of Wednesday’s opponent, “normally you’re going to have a bad time.”<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Miami have weapons of their own, none more dangerous than Lionel Messi<\/a>.<\/p>\n However, the legendary Argentine No. 10 is questionable after a standout 1g\/1a performance off the bench in Saturday\u2019s 3-1 league win<\/a> over the Galaxy<\/a> \u2013 his first game back from a hamstring injury suffered during Leagues Cup Phase One.<\/p>\n \u201cThe situation is more or less the same from what I described the other day after the game: he felt uncomfortable during the 45 minutes that he played,\u201d Mascherano said of Messi, who trained separately from the group on Tuesday. \u201cWe\u2019ll monitor [him] the rest of the day and tomorrow, but he\u2019s not ruled out.<\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t say whether he\u2019ll play or not, but [the decision] will come down to how he\u2019s feeling.\u201d<\/p>\n With or without Messi, Mascherano has the remainder of the Core Four of Su\u00e1rez, Sergio Busquets<\/a> and Jordi Alba<\/a> available, as well as marquee summer signing Rodrigo De Paul<\/a>, to steer the ship against Miami’s toughest Leagues Cup test to date.<\/p>\n “The path for us is clear. We know where we have to go if we want to be successful tomorrow,\u201d Mascherano said. \u201cIt\u2019s up to us.”<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n <\/main><\/p>\n<\/div>\nThird time’s the charm?<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
Messi’s status<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
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