Inter Miami edged Tigres UANL 2–1 in a dramatic Leagues Cup quarterfinal on Wednesday, Aug. 20, despite the absence of Lionel Messi. The Argentine star sat out with a hamstring injury, watching from a suite at Chase Stadium rather than leading his team on the pitch. However, the attention was also on Miami’s head coach Javier Mascherano.

Mascherano was sent off before the start of the second half after a heated dispute with referees over added stoppage time. Forced to leave the technical area, Mascherano took a seat in the stands directly above his team’s bench in Section 101.

Cameras later caught him on his phone during the 57th minute, appearing to pass instructions down to his coaching staff while assistants Leandro Stillitano and Lucas Rodriguez Pagano handled the touchline duties. T

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