Inter Miami CF (2W-0L-1D, 7 points) earned a historic 5-0 win over rivals Orlando City SC on Saturday afternoon at Chase Stadium, registering the largest margin of victory in Club history. Striker Luis Suárez had a stellar performance, tallying two goals and two assists, while Lionel Messi also netted a brace, Robert Taylor scored his second goal of the season, Julian Gressel registered his first two Inter Miami assists and goalkeeper Drake Callender registered his second clean sheet of the season.
Lineup Notes
Inter Miami took the field with one change to the team’s lineup from the visit to the LA Galaxy last weekend. Callender started in goal; DeAndre Yedlin, Tomás Avilés, Nicolás Freire and Jordi Alba formed a backline of four; Gressel, Sergio Busquets and Diego Gómez lined up in midfield; captain Messi and Taylor started on the wings alongside striker Suárez in attack.
Notably, Argentine defender Freire made his official team and MLS debut as part of Inter Miami’s starting XI.
Match Action
Fans present in the stands at Chase Stadium didn’t have to wait long to witness an opener in the first edition of the Florida rivalry this 2024 season, with Suárez opening the scoring in the fourth minute of action. High pressure from the team’s attackers saw Messi recover possession in the opponent’s third of the pitch before finding Gressel with space on the right wing, where the versatile midfielder settled the ball before serving a precise grounded pass into the box for Suárez. The Uruguayan striker then finished the play with a first-time strike to the near post to beat the keeper and put Inter Miami ahead 1-0. The goal was Suárez’s first in MLS, while the assist was Gressel’s first since joining the Club.
Minutes later, Suárez secured his brace in the 11th minute to extend Inter Miami’s lead. Gressel kicked off a fantastic team play by playing a ball out wide to Alba near the halfway line, with the subsequent sequence of passes finishing with Suárez finding Gressel outside the box. Gressel then flicked a ball into the left side of the box for Suárez, where he took a touch before finishing with a left-footed half volley to the far post. The goal was the second for Suárez in the match and this season, while the assist was Gressel’s second of the campaign.
Suárez then capped off his brilliant first-half performance with an assist in the 29th minute. Gressel once again participated in the play leading up to the goal, demonstrating great footwork to find space in midfield before sending a through ball to leave Suárez in a one on one opportunity against the keeper. The striker then unselfishly found Taylor in open space on the left side of the box, where the versatile attacker finished into an open net to extend the host’s lead to 3-0. The goal was Taylor’s second of the season, while the assist was the second for Suárez this 2024 regular season.
Inter Miami didn’t slow down in the second half and continued attacking its rivals relentlessly throughout the second 45 minutes of action. The team’s constant pressure in attack resulted in two more goals; with Messi adding his name to the scoresheet with a brace within a span of five minutes. First, in the 57th minute a chipped attempt from Alba over the keeper saw a defender attempt a clearance over the line, with the ball then bouncing off the crossbar and into play inside the box, where the Argentine star brought the ball down with his chest to send the ball to the back of the net to tally his second goal of the season.
Then in the 62nd minute the team’s captain once again netted to extend Inter Miami’s lead to 5-0; Gómez recovered possession in center of the pitch and found Suárez with space on the left end of the field, where he patiently waited before sending a cross into the box into Messi’s path. Messi then finished off the play with an exquisite header to the far post. The goal was Messi’s third of the season, while the assist was Suárez’s second in the match and third of the campaign.
The scoreline then remained unchanged throughout the remaining minutes and Inter Miami claimed an emphatic 5-0 in the first edition of the Florida rivalry in 2024 to register the win by the largest margin in Club history.
Post-Match Reaction
"For my liking, for two reasons - how we played and the level of our opponents - this was probably the most complete match we've played since I've been at Inter Miami,” said head coach Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino .
Next Match
Inter Miami will now head to Nashville to open the team’s participation in the 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup when it faces Nashville SC in the first leg of the Round of 16 at GEODIS Park on Thursday, March 7 at 9 p.m. ET.
Stats
Possession:
MIA - 47.2%
ORL - 52.8%
Shots:
MIA - 11
ORL - 9
Saves:
MIA - 3
ORL - 0
Corners:
MIA - 1
ORL - 5
Fouls:
MIA - 18
ORL - 12
