Overview
Miami’s star player, Lionel Messi, was unable to participate last Saturday due to an injury sustained during a League Cup match against Nekakisa.
Following the game, Miami’s coach Javier Mascherano addressed the team’s performance, stating, “There’s no excuse today. Football relies on tactics, organization, and talent, yet our performance in one-on-one situations was lacking.” He added, “It hurts me deeply. In football, you can either lose or truly get beaten.”
Muriel opened the scoring just two minutes in, taking the lead for Orlando City (9-6-8) and drawing first blood against Inter Miami (12-5-6).
Ojeda provided his 13th assist during Muriel’s goal, extending his club record to 14 consecutive games contributing to goal outcomes.
Orlando City went ahead 2-1 with Muriel’s eighth goal early in the second half.
Ojeda then netted his 14th goal of the season, bringing Orlando’s lead to 3-1 in the 58th minute, marking him as the league’s top contributor with 27 goal involvements.
In the 88th minute, Marco Pasaric added an unassisted goal to secure a three-goal cushion, bringing his tally to ten in his rookie season.
Pedro Gallese made four crucial saves for Orlando, notably deflecting a long-range attempt from Luis Suarez onto the crossbar.
On the other side, Óscar Ustari faced eight shots from Inter Miami.
Without Messi, Miami struggled to mount a comeback endeavor.
“Soccer is simple, yet it can sometimes become complicated,” Mascherano remarked. “When you’re not at your best, any opponent can prevail, and today, Orlando stood out as the stronger team. We lacked the resilience required for this match.”
“While we managed to pull together some moments, this isn’t the pathway if you aspire to truly compete. I apologize, but this is not how success is achieved from a coach’s perspective,” he concluded.
Orlando City climbs to fourth place in the Eastern Conference, with coach Oscar Pareja approaching his 100th career victory across all competitions.
Inter Miami remains in sixth place but has upcoming matches against top-tier teams, including a clash against the second-place Columbus Crew.
This Saturday, Inter Miami will face the LA Galaxy while Orlando City will host Sporting Kansas City.
Information from the Associated Press contributed to this article. ESPN writer Lizzy Becherano also provided input.
Fan Take: This news is significant for soccer fans as it highlights the impact of star players like Messi on team performance and the dynamics in the league. The implications of Inter Miami’s struggles may affect its playoff chances, adding more intrigue to the league as teams vie for top positions.
