Typically, when a coach is shown a red card, they head to the locker room. Their night is over.
Not Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano, it appears. Miami’s manager was shown a red card during Wednesday night’s Leagues Cup match against Liga MX side Tigres, but that didn’t stop him from trying to influence the rest of the game. And during the 58th minute, Apple TV’s broadcast brilliantly captured the entire sequence.
“Well now he’s on his iPhone, Javier Mascherano making a call,” MLS Season Pass lead play-by-play announcer Jake Zivin exclaimed as the broadcast showed the Inter Miami coach in the stands.
“Well he’s ordering an extra-large mate while he’s sitting there. Who’s he talking to? Because as animated as he is, right now he’s almost motioning…” Lead analyst Taylor Twellman said describing Mascherano’s antics before he stopped in his tracks.
“Oh boy, wow,” an exasperated Twellman said as the Apple TV broadcast cut to Inter Miami’s assistant coach holding an iPhone in his hand on the sidelines.
“Is that the other end of that call?” Zivin asked.
It certainly appeared so. And judging by Mascherano’s fully animated hand and arm gestures during his phone call, it definitely looked like someone who was coaching from the stands.
Suffice it to say, that is probably against the rules.
About Drew Lerner
Drew Lerner is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and an aspiring cable subscriber. He previously covered sports media for Sports Media Watch. Future beat writer for the Oasis reunion tour.