Messi, Inter Miami aim to topple Orlando City

Miami opened with a 2-0 home victory over Real Salt Lake on Feb. 21 followed by a dramatic 1-1 draw at the Los Angeles Galaxy last Sunday.

Inter Miami CF’s Lionel Messi during a Training Session at Florida Blue Training Center on Friday in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. | Photo Credit: GETTY IMAGES

Lionel Messi and Inter Miami will attempt to continue their strong start to the 2024 MLS season when they host Orlando City on Saturday.

Miami (1-0-1, 4 points) opened with a 2-0 home victory over Real Salt Lake on Feb. 21. The club followed that up with a dramatic 1-1 draw at the Los Angeles Galaxy last Sunday in which Messi scored an equalizer in second-half stoppage time.

But it very easily could’ve been a less successful start. Real Salt Lake dominated much of the second half of the opener before Miami’s Diego Gomez scored an insurance goal in the 83rd minute.

The Galaxy was even more dominant in terms of the flow of play. It also let the Herons off the hook numerous times, including when Drake Callender saved Riqui Puig’s early penalty.

Almost inevitably, Messi combined with former Barcelona teammate Jordi Alba to create a late tally.

READ | We are making Messi work too hard, Martino tells Miami

“It’s true that they dominated the first half, especially with the period in which Riqui Puig had the most amount of time with the ball and made the team play very well,” Miami manager Tata Martino said through an interpreter. “But then we had the personality to continue searching, and we reached the tie, well, you could say with the genius of Leo.”

It won’t be the last time the Herons earn a result through the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner’s brilliance alone.

But Orlando (0-0-1, 1 point) has the advantage of previously having played Miami with Messi in last year’s League Cup.

And although the Lions played in the Concacaf Champions Cup in midweek, a heavy lead on aggregate allowed manager Oscar Pareja to rest key contributors. He brought last season’s leading scorer Facundo Torres off the bench and entirely stayed away from striker Duncan McGuire.

Preseason signing Luis Muriel also made his debut and contributed an assist in the 3-1, second-leg victory.

“We achieved a lot today with rotating different players, trying to time our week that is, as you know, difficult with the game coming,” Pareja said. “So, I’m happy with the group, I think we all refreshed today with the group playing and those who have not played and the ones who have been resting.”