No Messi, No Party: Miami Fall to Orlando

After confirming their spot in the Leagues Cup knockout round, the pressure was on Inter Miami as they looked to resume MLS activities with a win against local rivals Orlando City. For the second straight match, the Herons were forced to make do without eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi, who suffered a hamstring injury during Miami’s match vs. Necaxa on August 2. Miami manager Javier Mascherano made three changes to the team that defeated Pumas 3-1, with backup goalkeeper Rocco Rios Novo departing for Oscar Ustari, whilst defensive duo Marcelo Weigandt and Gonzalo Lujan were withdrawn for Ian Frey and Noah Allen, who slotted into the back four alongside Jordi Alba and Maxi Falcon. Yannick Bright was given the starting opportunity alongside captain Sergio Busquets in the double pivot, whilst new signing Rodrigo de Paul started at the #10 role alongside Telasco Segovia, Tadeo Allende and Luis Suarez.

Out of all the South Americans on the pitch, it wasn’t the World Cup winner De Paul or the two-time European Golden Shoe winner Suarez who stole the headlines; instead, it was Colombian striker Luis Muriel.

The hosts took the advantage after 95 seconds as Martin Ojeda deftly set up Muriel with a well-timed through ball, with Muriel obliging by perfectly timing his run and cooly slotting past Ustari. Miami would equalize instantaneously as Bright punished an errant headed clearance by taking it on the volley and bewildering Pedro Gallese with a world-class strike, but it wasn’t long before the Lions were back on the prowl. When Ustari made a mess of his clearance, Muriel once again decided to pull the trigger with the first touch. Showcasing the same improvisational skills and technical finesse as a young Les Reed, the 34-year-old striker pulled off an audacious volley from the center circle and was nearly rewarded with a second goal, only to be denied by the goalpost. 

However, Muriel was not to be denied, and in the 50th minute, he bagged his brace after coming short for a corner before sending Alba for a hot dog with a delightful shoulder drop and drilling it across goal and into the bottom-right corner. Muriel ran the show in Orlando and laid siege to the Herons’ backline, winning 5 out of 7 ground duels, completing 3 key passes, and registering 4 shots on target, making the difference both as a finisher as well as a playmaker. We saw this creativity on display throughout the match, particularly in the 58th minute when he received with his back to goal, turned past Bright and teed up Ojeda with a golden opportunity, with the Argentine beating Ustari at his near post, whilst Marco Pasalic put the finishing touches on the 4-1 victory on the cusp of injury time.

Miami look set to be without Messi for their upcoming match against reigning MLS Cup winners LA Galaxy – who have the worst record in the league – but they are aiming for him to return for their Leagues Cup quarterfinal vs. Tigres on August 20. As for Orlando, they’ll be looking to make it six wins from seven matches as they take on Kansas City at home on Saturday.