Inter Miami’s slump continued with another tough MLS loss, this time falling 3-0 at home to Orlando City with goals by Luis Muriel, Marco Pasalic, and Dagur Thorhallsson. After the match, captain Lionel Messi spoke with AppleTV+ and expressed clear frustration with the league’s officiating.
“I think we had a great first half, we were attacking, creating chances, and they couldn’t get out. All they could do was play long balls,” Messi said, when asked why The Herons struggled in the match. “Then there was a strange play in which one of their players passed the ball back to the goalkeeper. The referee told me he didn’t know the rule, that he didn’t understand it. From that play came a long ball and their goal,” he said.
However, the Miami captain didn’t leave it there, adding: “Sometimes there are crucial mistakes, like in the last match. These aren’t excuses, but there’s always something with the referees. I think MLS needs to take a closer look at the officiating.”
Lionel Messi argues with referee Guido Gonzales Jr. during Miami-Orlando match (Megan Briggs/Getty Images)
Messi, who was booked for arguing with the referee, has shown visible frustration with officials and opponents in recent matches. After Miami’s 3-3 draw against San Jose last week, the World Cup champion had a heated exchange with the referee, received a yellow card, and only calmed down after San Jose Earthquakes head coach Bruce Arena intervened.
see also
Lionel Messi reflects on his rivalry with Cristiano Ronaldo: ‘It was a golden era’
Messi says the team has to ‘keep working’ ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup
On the other hand, the captain tried to remain optimistic. “It hurts to lose another match. We’re coming off a run of bad results, but we have to keep working and focus on what’s next. We have three or four matches left before the end of the month, and we need to finish strong so we can face the Club World Cup in the best possible way,” he said.
He also expressed that he believes the group can turn around their current situation. “We have to keep going because it’s a tough moment, but we’re going to get through it together. Now we’ll see if we’re really a team, in difficult times. Because when everything is going well, it’s easy — but when the tough moments come, like now, that’s when we need to be most united. Be a real team and push through. I believe we have what it takes, and now we need to prepare for the match against Philadelphia,” he added.
Miami have struggled since being knocked out of the Concacaf Champions Cup by the Vancouver Whitecaps in the semifinals, managing just one win, two losses, and a draw since the April 30 defeat.
see also
Lionel Messi’s salary at Inter Miami: How much does the star player earn? Contract and earnings
The losses have also been lopsided, with a 4-1 defeat to Minnesota United followed by this 3-0 loss to Orlando City. The team will visit Philadelphia on Saturday, May 24. They are currently sixth in the Eastern Conference standings with 22 points.
