FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Inter Miami captain Lionel Messi urged his team to stay strong and united following their 3-0 loss to in-state rivals Orlando City at Chase Stadium on Sunday night.
This result marks the fifth defeat in the last seven matches for Inter Miami, who have conceded 20 goals since the first leg of the Concacaf Champions Cup semi-final against Vancouver Whitecaps on April 24.
“We have to keep going. It’s a complicated moment,” Messi told Apple TV after the match. “But we will stay united. We are a team in difficult times, because when everyone wins, it’s easy, but now that the difficult moments are coming, that’s when we have to be more united than ever, be a true team and keep going, because we have what it takes.
Lionel Messi
The team hasn’t won since April 27, when they defeated the New York Red Bulls 4-1. Then, they suffered two losses and a draw. Currently, Inter Miami occupies the sixth position in the Eastern Conference of MLS.
Coach Javier Mascherano reiterated the captain’s message during the post-match press conference, emphasizing that it is not the time for the players to start pointing fingers.
“When you’re in this dynamic, if everyone starts going their own way, it will be impossible to overcome the moment,” said Mascherano. “It is clear that we must overcome this all together because clearly this team has shown, especially at the beginning of the season, what it is capable of.”
Javier Mascherano
Mascherano added that the team tried to take risks to counteract Orlando City’s strengths, but ultimately, a couple of mistakes led to the defeat.
The Miami coach also said before the match that he remains optimistic about the future, alluding to a possible contract extension for Messi, whose contract expires at the end of the season.
Inter Miami will now focus on Saturday’s next match against Philadelphia Union at Subaru Park.
