Lionel Messi’s frustration deepened on Sunday as Inter Miami slumped to a 3-0 home defeat against rivals Orlando City, extending their poor run to just one win in their last seven matches across all competitions. The result drops Miami to sixth in the MLS Eastern Conference, while Orlando leapfrogs them in the standings.
Messi struggled to make an impact, managing only two shots on target and misfiring on a trademark free-kick. Speaking to Apple TV after the match, the World Cup winner called for unity during the club’s difficult spell.
Now we’ll see if we’re really a team,” Messi said. “When things go well, it’s easy. In tough times, we must stay united and push forward.
While Messi expressed some frustration with the officiating, Miami’s loss had more to do with their own disorganized play—particularly a leaky defense, uncoordinated midfield, and an ineffective attack led by a fading Luis Suarez.
The opener came in the 43rd minute from a simple long ball by Orlando goalkeeper Pedro Gallese, which found Luis Muriel in space. The Colombian striker calmly beat Miami’s keeper Oscar Ustari. Moments later, Martin Ojeda missed a golden chance to double the lead.
Miami fell further behind when a routine shot from Marco Pasalic slipped through Ustari’s hands and legs, a costly error from the veteran goalkeeper. Despite late attacking substitutions by coach Javier Mascherano, Orlando sealed the win in stoppage time when Dagur Thorhallsson tapped in Duncan McGuire’s cross.
The loss marks another blow for Mascherano’s side, which has now conceded 20 goals in seven games.
For 25 to 30 minutes, we controlled the game,” Mascherano said post-match. “But we made mistakes we can’t afford. Clearly, we as coaches are failing, and we must fix this to get back on track.
The team’s downward spiral began after their elimination from the CONCACAF Champions Cup by the Vancouver Whitecaps. Mascherano admitted that confidence has plummeted and that both individual and team performances have dropped.
We’ve tried different players and systems, but it hasn’t worked. We’ll keep searching for solutions, he said.
Meanwhile, in the Los Angeles derby, Marco Reus scored twice, including an 87th-minute free-kick equalizer, to rescue LA Galaxy in a 2-2 draw with LAFC. Despite being winless and making the worst start in MLS history, Galaxy showed resilience after falling behind. Reus had opened the scoring in the sixth minute before LAFC hit back with goals from Denis Bouanga and Nathan Ordaz. The German veteran’s late strike ensured the points were shared in a heated clash.