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Lionel Messi has been untouchable since his first match at Inter Miami on July 21. Messi has now scored five goals in three matches with his new club after scoring twice against Orlando City on Wednesday.
Inter Miami have won all three games since the Argentinian’s debut, and they will now advance to the round of 16 in the Leagues Cup.
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Messi Masterful Against Orlando City
Messi and the Herons played extremely well in their round of 32 match against Orlando City on Wednesday.
They came out of the gates firing on all cylinders as Messi scored within the first seven minutes. Left winger Robert Taylor lobbed a beautiful ball in to Messi at the top of the six-yard box, who took one touch off his chest and fired it into the back of the net to put Miami up early.
Ten minutes later, Orlando City got the equalizer. Cesar Araujo hit a first-time shot from the middle of the box that took a deflection off Miami’s goalkeeper and bounced into the goal. This tied the match at one.
This was the most physical match that Messi has played in so far for Inter Miami. Orlando City fouled him at almost every chance they could, which led to Messi getting shown a yellow card in the 21st minute. ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques talked about this physicality after the match.
Three minutes into the second half, Orlando center back Antonio Carlos conceded a penalty to Miami’s Josef Martinez. Martinez took the ball and converted from the spot to reclaim the lead for the Herons.
In the 72nd minute, Taylor crossed a ball into the box that found Martinez. He then chipped it up to Messi, who volleyed it home with his right foot as Miami went up 3-1. This capped off a great second half for Messi and a victory for his team.
Messi’s Phenomenal Start in Miami
With his brace against Orlando, Messi has now scored five goals and assisted another in just three games. He has made it look easy so far in the U.S. after playing for 19 years in Europe.
In Inter Miami’s short history, their goal scoring record was set by the Argentinian striker, Gonzalo Higuain. He appeared in 70 games during an extended season in 2020-22 and scored 29 goals.
This record is in serious jeopardy as Messi is now just 24 goals away, and he has not yet played in a Major League Soccer game. He will be hard-pressed to beat his own record of 73 goals in a season that he set in the 2011-12 season. However, the frequency at which he has scored thus far in his Inter Miami tenure is outstanding.
Fans have come from all around to DRV PNK Stadium to watch Messi play, and Louis-Jacques said it has been well worth it.
It has only been three matches, but Messi’s start to his Inter Miami career has been quite the spectacle.
