“Now we’ll really see if we’re a team” - Lionel Messi sends message to Inter Miami teammates after Florida derby loss to Orlando City

Lionel Messi called for unity from his Inter Miami teammates after they fell to a 3-0 defeat at home on Sunday night. The loss reduced them to just one win in their last seven matches across competitions.

While Inter Miami dominated proceedings in each half, goals from Luis Muriel (43’), Marco Pasalic (53’), and Dagur Dan Thórhallsson condemned them to their third defeat in the Major League Soccer (MLS) this season.

Speaking after the match, Lionel Messi was unhappy and urged his teammates to stick together during the difficult time. He told Apple TV:

“It’s a difficult time, but we’re going to come through this. Now we’ll really see if we’re a team. These are difficult times. When everything is going well it’s very easy, but when difficult times come — like now — we have to be more united than ever, be a real team, and get through it.”

He added:

"We’re coming off a period of bad results. But we have to keep working and think about what’s next. With three or four games left in May, we (have to) finish the best possible way to be able to face the Club World Cup."

After winning the Supporters’ Shield last season with the most points ever (74) in the history of the competition, the Herons have had a drastic fall in form this season. Their recent loss saw them leapfrogged by their Florida rivals into the fifth position. Inter Miami now sits in sixth place on the league table.

Apart from that, the defeat also saw Lionel Messi reach an all-time low. According to Opta, Inter Miami’s three-goal defeat to Orlando City is the largest margin of defeat the Argentine has ever suffered in a home league match in which he appeared. Despite Miami's recent poor performance, Messi has consistently demonstrated his skills in the final third. He has registered 13 goal contributions in 16 appearances across competitions this season.

How did Lionel Messi fare in Inter Miami’s 3-0 defeat to Orlando City?

Lionel Messi’s appearance against Orlando City made it his tenth league appearance for Inter Miami in 14 league games this season. He was included in the starting XI but failed to inspire his side on a difficult night where chances hardly came by for them.

Messi played the entirety of the match, and the two shots on target he registered were expertly pushed aside by goalkeeper Pedro Gallese. Five of his shots were blocked, while two were off target. He gave three key passes but missed one big chance.

Simply put, Lionel Messi had a fair outing against their Florida rivals. He was Miami’s highest-rated player with a rating of 7.4, as per Sofascore.