Inter Miami are set to undergo a new era under new head coach Javier Mascherano.
Having won the Supporters’ Shield last season, replacing Tata Martino will be no easy task for new boss Mascherano.
The ex-Barca man will have the envious task of managing a number of his ex-teammates including the likes of Lionel Messi and Sergio Busquets.
That, however, is not the only challenge the Argentine must overcome as Herons boss, as Inter Miami News lists three issues Mascherano must fix heading into the 2025 season.
Inter Miami’s defensive woes
A center-back by trade, one of Mascherano’s first tasks will be to fix Inter Miami’s leaky defense.
Miami had no problem at all scoring goals last campaign, topping the league chart with 79 – their problem however came at the other end of the pitch.
As despite finishing top of the Eastern Conference, the Herons conceded 49 goals – a tally that was equaled by 9th-placed Atlanta United.
Having played alongside top defenders like Gerard Pique and Carlos Puyol, the Argentine will be hoping his defensive nouse can help shape a more solid Miami backline next season.
Inter Miami must sign centre-back in 2025
Staying on the issue of defense, one of the main problems in Inter Miami’s 2024 season, was their lack of depth at centre-back.
Injuries to Nicolás Freire and David Martinez left the Herons seriously light at the back during the final stages of the season, with the likes of Tomás Avilés, Noah Allen, and Ian Fray having to step in to fix the issue.
Moving into 2025, however, Mascherano will undoubtedly want to bolster the center-back position, with some real quality – which has been shown by Inter Miami’s interest in Marc Bartra.
Javier Mascherano will want to improve Herons’ away form
Having broken the MLS record for most points in a single season, Inter Miami’s form at the Chase Stadium was near-perfect – winning 12 out of 19 games and scoring 49 goals in the process.
On the surface of things, Miami’s away form doesn’t seem too dissimilar with 11 wins from 18 games – the underlying stats however paint a different picture.
For example, the Herons only managed to score 35 goals away from home in 2024, 14 goals behind their home record – something that let them down in the important away games.
A lack of goals mixed in with some humbling defeats away at FC Cincinnati and New York Red Bulls – suggests Miami may have to improve their away form if they want to improve on their 2024 campaign.