MIAMI — Inter Miami defender Ian Fray said he and his teammates were as surprised as anyone at the abrupt departure of coach Javier Mascherano this week, seven games into the season and just four months after they lifted the club’s first MLS Cup trophy.

Fray said he sensed no hints that Mascherano and his staff were on the verge of resigning. He also called Mascherano “my favorite coach I’ve had so far in my career” and said he was grateful for everything the Argentine coach taught him in his 16 months with the club.

“I think everyone on the team is super surprised,” Fray said. “He did great for us. He won MLS Cup last year and then, we were seven games into the season and honestly, we didn’t have a bad start.

“I know we drew the first two games at home, but sometimes that’s football. You look at it, they had two shots on goal, scored on both and I think we had 18. Sometimes, the result just doesn’t go your way when we really should have won that game, and it doesn’t tell the full story. We’re surprised with the change, but now we have to manage it. It’s football and we keep going. ... It’s a business at the end of the day.”

Fray said the players were informed of the coaching change Monday morning, sporting director Guillermo Hoyos introduced himself to the team at training and said he was taking over as interim coach.

The players did not have a chance to say goodbye to Mascherano in person. Fray said he reached out with a text. “I sent him a text message thanking him. He knows how I feel. I was super grateful for him.”

Heading into Saturday’s road game against the Colorado Rapids (4:30 p.m., Apple TV), Miami is unbeaten through six league games (three wins, three ties) since the season-opening loss to Los Angeles FC.

The team also exited in the Round of 16 from the Concacaf Champions Cup after settling for back-to-back ties against Nashville SC, which is in the semifinals after beating Mexican giant Club America 1-0 at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.

Fray addressed reports that there was tension in the locker room preceding Mascherano’s decision to step down.

“When you don’t get some results at home, no matter who the coach is, there’s going to be some tension, but it’s a normal part of football,” Fray said. “I wouldn’t say it’s anything concerning. Everyone on the team is super grateful for Mascherano. Let’s not get that twisted. He was an amazing coach for us and won the MLS Cup, I don’t know how many times people have to say it. Amazing coach. Honestly, my favorite coach I’ve had so far. He taught me a so much. I wouldn’t say there’s any tension with him. With me, definitely not.”

Apple TV analyst Sacha Kljestan, a guest this week on the Miami Herald’s Inside Inter Miami podcast, said he was surprised by the timing of Mascherano’s resignation.

“This is one of the biggest shocks we’ve seen in MLS history in terms of the timing of when this came out,” Kljestan said. “We had just gotten in the group chat in the studio when it happened and all of us were mind blown as to the timing of it. Miami’s not had a great start to the season by their standards, but by MLS standards they’re still sitting in third in the Eastern Conference.”

Kljestan praised Mascherano for “figuring out tactical problems” late in the season, leading to the playoff run during which they outscored opponents 17-4 and won three of their last four games by four-goal margins.

Replacing Spanish legends Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba has proven more difficult than expected.

“When you mix in four new guys into a team that was so successful, you expect them to come in and be direct replacements, but there’s no direct replacement for Busquets, there’s just nobody like that in the world,” Kljestan said. “And the quality Jordi Alba had in relieving pressure in the back with the ball and then in the final third when he joined in. It’s hard to replace that. You have to change the way you play. They haven’t figured it out yet.”

He added that the new players, particularly forward German Berterame, are still learning how to play alongside Messi and what the Argentine captain needs from his teammates.

It remains to be seen whether Hoyos will make lineup changes and what tactical adjustments he has in mind. Sergio Reguilon and David Ayala are out injured and did not travel.

Saturday’s game will be particularly challenging. A crowd of 65,000-plus is expected at Empower Field at Mile High Stadium, which is at an altitude Miami players are unaccustomed to. The Rapids, who are celebrating their 30th anniversary at this game, have become one of the league’s highest-scoring teams under first-year coach Matt Wells, the 37-year-old former Tottenham assistant.

The Rapids have scored 19 goals, which is tied with Vancouver for the MLS lead. They are coming off a 6-2 win over Houston.

“I expect them to come out firing,” Fray said. “They’re going to be at home playing at Mile High Stadium, Empower Stadium, the Broncos’ stadium. It’s a beautiful venue and we expect them to come out with a lot of energy but we’re not too worried about them. We know what we can do.”

Fray noted that it is too early to tell how the team may look different under Hoyos, but training sessions were intense this week

“Anytime there’s a coaching change, and I’ve dealt with a lot here at Inter Miami, the immediate reaction is everyone for the next couple of games is super intense,” Fray said. “Everyone’s trying to earn their starting spot with the new coach.”

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