Orlando Florida — Lionel Messi The defender scored four goals twice in the second half telasco segovia Added one goal and two assists and defending champion inter miami cf set out to defeat Orlando City SC 4-2 On Sunday night, Inter won for the first time at the &Co Stadium.
Messi took a pass from Segovia and scored in the 57th minute to make the score 2–2, and Segovia took the lead with an unassisted goal in the 85th minute. Messi finalized the victory by scoring a free kick in the 90th minute.
“The victory belongs especially to the players,” Miami coach Javier Mascherano said after the game. “In the second half, they were a championship team. There was no strategy, there was nothing like that. There was heart, courage, authority, resiliency, commitment. I think the team came out because they were champions last year.
“In the end, the players showed it. This victory is theirs.”
The reigning MVP’s first two goals of the season gave him 52 points in his first 55 regular season starts. of MLS matches – 51 of them in his last 49 appearances. This took him to 898 goals in his career, including 672 for Barcelona and 115 for Argentina.
Mascherano said of Messi, “He is the best player to ever play this game. He is a leader and as a leader, he inspires others, but he often needs to be inspired himself.” “When he was going forward, he had more attacking options, and with so many opportunities, he clearly has the ability to create chances like no one else, and that’s what allowed us to turn the game around.”
Marko Pasalic took a pass ivan angulo And by scoring a goal in the 18th minute, Orlando City took a 1-0 lead. Pasalic has scored in four consecutive games against Inter Miami.
guard griffin dorsey to install martin ojeda Six minutes later, a goal was scored to take a 2-0 lead which lasted till half-time.
Inter Miami made the score 2-1 after four minutes of the second half. matteo silvettiFirst goal of career. defenders segovia and Facundo Mura The 20-year-old forward had the assist to find the net in the fifth appearance of his career.
Segovia had eight goals and six assists as a rookie last season, while Mura had his first assist in his first season.
dayne st claireThe reigning Goalkeeper of the Year turned away three shots in the second half of his second start with Inter Miami — but had an easy goal for Orlando’s first.
maxime crepeau Made four saves in his second start for Orlando City.
teen Colin GuskeThe 19-year-old will miss Orlando City’s next match after the rookie received two yellow cards on his first start – the second of which saw him sent off in the 88th minute.
Inter Miami, which had never won in its nine previous trips to Orlando, was coming off a 3-0 loss LAFC.
Orlando City defeated Inter Miami during the regular season last year and leads the all-time series 8–7–4.
inter miami plays DC United Saturday at Audi Field. Orlando City is also on the way to compete New York City FC.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this recap.
