- Home >
- Soccer >
- MLS >
- Lionel Messi Looks To End His Goal Drought Against FC Cincinnati in MLS: Mascherano Reveals His Strong Motivation
Lionel Messi Looks To End His Goal Drought Against FC Cincinnati in MLS: Mascherano Reveals His Strong Motivation
Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano showed his closeness to Lionel Messi by humorously—and with some cheekiness—talking about the only MLS team the Argentine star has yet to score against: FC Cincinnati. Ahead of Wednesday’s match, the coach said this unusual statistic represents a challenge that will surely ignite even more competitiveness in the World Cup winner.
“It’s a great motivation for Leo. We know how he is, he always finds an extra challenge before every game… and if he doesn’t, he invents one,” Mascherano said at the press conference. With a smile, he added, “We hope that streak breaks soon.”
An uncomfortable opponent for Inter Miami
Although Cincinnati and Messi have only faced each other twice since the Rosario native arrived in the U.S. league, the forward has yet to score against the Ohio team. However, his current form is more than promising: he has scored four goals in the last two league matches, in which Inter Miami achieved narrow victories over New England Revolution and Nashville SC.
Mascherano did not hesitate to acknowledge the danger of their next rival, currently second in the Eastern Conference with 42 points. “Cincinnati is a very direct team. They don’t need possession to hurt you, which makes them a tough opponent,” said the former Argentine national team player. Despite this, he reaffirmed his team’s identity: “We want to control the pace with the ball, without losing our essence.”
The Eastern Conference race tightens
With this pending match, Inter Miami aims to climb the standings. They currently sit fifth with 38 points, five behind leader Philadelphia Union, although with three games fewer due to their participation in the Club World Cup. A win in Cincinnati would not only break Messi’s jinx but also seriously close the gap at the top of the conference.
The match, to be played at FC Cincinnati’s home stadium, promises to be one of the most exciting of the day, with all eyes on whether Lionel Messi can finally score against the only team that has resisted him since his arrival in the United States.
