Inter Miami 3-1 Orlando City: Player ratings as Messi brace helps Herons advance in Leagues Cup

Lionel Messi put on a show once again for Inter Miami as they dismantled Orlando City 3-1 to advance to the round of 16 in the 2023 Leagues Cup.

The Herons were the favorites going into the game, as any side would be with Messi, but Orlando City aren't a side to be taken lightly as they have their own firepower up front. But as seen so far in the Leagues Cup, taking on Miami with the best player in the world is nearly an insurmountable task.

It didn't take long for Messi to make his mark in this one. In under seven minutes, Robert Taylor chipped in a perfectly lobbed pass and Messi took one touch off his chest before firing the ball into the back of the net. It was Messi's fourth goal for his new club and Taylor's second assist in the 2023 Leagues Cup.

Nearly ten minutes later, the Lions would respond to Messi's opening goal as the Eastern Conference side built up pressure. Miami goalkeeper Drake Callender made a stretching save off an Orlando corner, and the ball fell to the feet of Cesar Araujo just inside the box. His powerful shot took a deflection en route to crossing the goal line. Game on, Araujo said, as the two Florida based clubs were knotted at 1-1.

Things started to get chippy near the end of the first 45. The Orlando players were clearly trying to get under Messi's skin by fouling him at every chance possible, but the World Cup winner wasn't free of charge, though, as he picked up a yellow card early on in the first half and practically clotheslined Araujo which only escalated things further.

Thankfully, referee Ivan Cisneros blew his whistle to take the game to half-time, as he was losing control of the game as the clock kept ticking.

Miami put the pressure on again in the early stages of the second half, with Josef Martinez being dragged down in Orlando's box and the Herons were awarded a penalty kick. Martinez stepped up to the spot and reestablished his side's lead, making no mistake from 12 yards out.

The Herons' front three would link up to double their lead in fantastic fashion. The move started and ended with Messi, who sprayed a pass out wide to Taylor, who sent in a cross that appeared as if Martinez was going to volley home. But instead, the former Atlanta United player chipped over Robin Jansson and Messi finished the move off with his right foot to extend their lead to 3-1.

So far, so good for Inter Miami with Messi and his ex-Barcelona teammates. Despite a shaky first half from the south Florida club that featured a lot of pushing and shoving from both teams, the Herons were able to prevail and advance to the round of 16.

Inter Miami player ratings vs Orlando City

GK: Drake Callender - 6.5/10 - Was unfortunate to parry a save into the path of an Orlando player, resulting in the first half equalizing goal. Other than that, he was solid on the night and could be in the mix for a USMNT call up if he continues.

RB: DeAndre Yedlin - 6/10 - Was high up the field for large parts of the game, which left his defense exposed throughout the game.

CB: Serhiy Kryvtsov - 5.5/10 - Had some shaky moments and struggled to keep up with the electric Ivan Angulo.

CB: Kamal Miller - 7.5/10 - The Canada international had an excellent night and made a crucial block to deny Orlando from a chance at goal.

LB: Noah Allen - 6/10 - The youngster neither helped nor hindered his side.

CM: Dixon Arroyo - 6/10 - Did his job in the midfield by recycling play and sweeping the ball out wide to his full-backs and wingers.

CM: Sergio Busquets - 6.5/10 - Once again, the veteran midfielder showed his quality and made things look so easy, although it wasn't a flashy performance by any means.

CM: Benjamin Cremaschi - 7/10 - Impressed once again in the middle of the park, making clever runs and displaying great skill. Had one moment in particular where he was sliding out of bounds on the byline and managed to keep the ball in play. It looked like something out of a movie.

RW: Lionel Messi - 9/10 - A different side of Messi was seen in the first half: a feisty one that was playing with plenty of aggression as he picked up a yellow card (and could've possibly been shown another yellow) but also scored the opening goal with some brilliant movement in the box.

ST: Josef Martinez - 8.5/10 - Continued to show his chemistry with Messi by setting him up for a terrific chance, but the Argentine's shot smacked off the outside of the post and out of play. Put Miami back in front with his converted penalty kick that he earned.

LW: Robert Taylor - 8/10 - Ever since Taylor has played alongside Messi, he's turned into a different animal. The Finland international continues to rack up goal involvements in the competition, staking his claim in the starting 11.

Substitutes

LB: Jordi Alba (63' for Noah Allen) - 6/10 - There wasn't much to write home about in his debut for Miami, but as the games roll on his experience will come in handy as Miami navigates the Leagues Cup and MLS.

CM: Diego Gomez (61' for Benjamin Cremaschi) - 5.5/10 - Not even two minutes after coming on, his first moment of impact in a Miami shirt was stopping Robin Jansson from running up the pitch - earning himself a yellow card.

ST: Leonardo Campana (79' for Josef Martinez) - 6/10 - Made some nice runs in behind Orlando's defense but couldn't capitalize.

CM: David Ruiz (82' for Dixon Arroyo) - N/A.

CM: Victor Ulloa (90' for Robert Taylor) - N/A.

Manager

Gerardo 'Tata' Martino - 7/10 - His starting lineup was unchanged from their 4-0 triumph against Atlanta United, and it worked well for the most part in attack. The defense was another story, as Miami continued to leak chances and look vulnerable at the back, but their brilliant attacking play propelled them to victory. Although it's only been three games, it will be interesting to see how long Miami's defense holds up against similar sides on the road.

Player of the match - Lionel Messi (Inter Miami)

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