Inter Miami head coach Javier Mascherano on Friday called the decision to ban Luis Suárez for their final game in the Round 1 MLS playoff best-of-three series against Nashville "very strange."
Suárez earned the one-game ban for kicking Nashville's Andy Nájar in the second half of the match on Nov. 1 at Geodis Park, where Inter Miami lost 2-1. At the time of the incident, the referee did not issue the player a yellow or red card.
MLS on Friday, however, confirmed Nashville submitted the foul for review to the league. All MLS teams retain the right to make one unsuccessful challenge during the post season, and Nashville continue to retain the right to challenge because their initial submission was successful.
Mascherano reiterated that the club respects the disciplinary committee's decision, but does not agree with it.
"In my personal opinion, it seemed very strange, very strange because it's a play that was reviewed by VAR at the time in real time, and it didn't suggest any sanction from either the referee or the VAR official," Mascherano said.
"But well, the MLS rules are this way. We accept it, as the club stated. We don't agree, but we accept and respect the decision. We just hope the regulations are applied to everything in this same way."
The coach later revealed Suárez was denied in his appeal of the decision.
"I got a call, I think it was Monday night. The club called to tell me they had received this sanction and that they would determine the specific penalty in the following days. I think it was Tuesday or Wednesday; it was pretty quick, things really do move fast here in the United States," he said.
"Yes, there was an appeal. The player appealed because, in this case, we were told that the club couldn't appeal. So, obviously, the player appealed using the club's resources, and nothing came of it. The appeal was denied within a couple of hours."
"[Suárez] is surprised, very surprised. Very surprised because these things happen in a game. If we were to dwell endlessly on these situations, there are quite a few, but it is what it is."
The team will now prepare to host Nashville in the decisive third game on Saturday at Chase Stadium without Suárez, a player Mascherano labeled as "key" in relation to the roster.
The winner of Saturday's match will advance to the Eastern Conference semifinal.
With a victory, Inter Miami could make history by progressing past the first round of the playoffs for the first time since entering MLS as an expansion franchise in 2020.
"Obviously he's an important player on the team, one of the key figures, but it's not very helpful to focus on how we react, what's going to happen," Mascherano said.
"We can't control that, but we can control preparing for the match in the best way possible and going out there tomorrow for a victory that will secure our qualification," Mascherano said.
Inter Miami won the first game of the series 3-1, before falling 2-1 to Nashville to force a third game.