Lionel Messi urges Inter Miami to be ‘united’ amid struggles

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Inter Miami captain Lionel Messi urged the team to stay strong and remain united after losing 3-0 to in-state rivals Orlando City at Chase Stadium on Sunday night.

The result makes it five losses in the past seven games for Miami, which has conceded 20 goals since the first leg of the Concacaf Champions Cup semifinal series against the Vancouver Whitecaps on April 24.

“[We need to] keep going. It’s a complicated time,” Messi told Apple TV after the game. “But we’ll all stay united. We’re a team in difficult times, because when everyone wins, it’s easy, but now that difficult times are coming, that’s when we have to be more united than ever, be a true team, and move forward, because we have what it takes.

“Think about what’s next and prepare for the next game.”

The team last won on May 3, defeating the New York Red Bulls 4-1 before suffering two losses and one draw. Miami is sixth in the MLS Eastern Conference standings.

“We’re coming off a period of bad results,” Messi added. “But we have to keep working and think about what’s next. With three or four games left in May, we [have to] finish the best possible way to be able to face the Club World Cup.”

Head coach Javier Mascherano reiterated the captain’s message during his postmatch news conference, emphasizing it’s not the time for players to start pointing figures.

“When you are in this dynamic, if we each start pulling ourselves to the side it’ll be impossible to overcome the moment,” Mascherano said. “It’s clear that we must overcome this all together because clearly this team has shown, especially at the beginning of the season, what they are capable of.

“Right now, I take full responsibility. I will not point out any players publicly, I am not that way. No one enters the pitch trying to have a bad time or to suffer. Every player tries to do their best with virtues and errors, and now we have to try to get the best out of these players to move forward.”

Mascherano added the team tried to take risks tonight to offset Orlando City’s strengths, but ultimately a couple of errors led to the defeat.

The Miami coach said before the game that he remained optimistic about the future after alluding to a potential extension to Messi’s contract, which expires at the end of the season.

Inter Miami will now shift the focus to Saturday’s match against the Philadelphia Union at Subaru Park.