Inter Miami suffered a difficult loss to rival Orlando City, losing 3-0 in Major League Soccer action on Saturday night. This loss was the lowpoint of their disappointing season. On the surface, the loss seemed to just add salt to their wounds. It ushered in an era of decline for Lionel Messi, the same as for his teammates. Inter Miami, now languishing at sixth position in the MLS Eastern Conference standings, has recorded just one victory in their last seven games.
The exhibition game played at Inter Miami’s new home base started off with strong command on the ball. Javier Mascherano noted, “I’d say for 25 or 30 minutes, we had it completely under control playing in the opponent’s half, but this is how it is, clearly. I’m not going to deny what the result is.” The team outmatched their opponents on the stat sheet in transition, but weren’t able to convert that early momentum into a lead. In the 43rd minute, Orlando capitalized on the opportunity incredibly well with a goal. Surprised at how absurdly simple that the goal.
Messi did not find a single chance to influence the match much. Aside from that he only got two shots on target, and he very clearly scuffed that free-kick. Even with his brilliant gameplan and execution, he still found himself complaining about officiating after the game. “Now, we’ll truly see if we’re a team in difficult times, because when everything’s going well, it’s very easy,” he stated, emphasizing the need for resilience in challenging moments.
Moreover, defensive frailties of Inter Miami were clearly seen as they conceded 20 goals in their last seven games. Veteran goalkeeper Oscar Ustari made a commendable double save during the game but found himself at fault for Orlando’s second goal. The team dealt with disconnected midfield play and never found an attacking rhythm from Luis Suarez. One reason for their woeful performance was that once they found themselves losing, they couldn’t recover.
Mascherano responded to the team’s declining morale, admitting, “Clearly, something has happened where the team has lost a lot of confidence. We have had a drop in level, individually and collectively.” He admitted that it’s still a work in progress, still trying to find an answer after trying various approaches and player line-ups.
Mascherano introduced more attacking players in hopes of sparking a comeback. Orlando continued to dictate the tempo of the match and sealed the win with it. As Inter Miami seeks to come back from their disappointing defeat and find their winning ways again, there are some huge question marks surrounding the team.
