FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA — Oohs and ahs for practice shots, more than half of the building in No. 10 jerseys, and fans walking backward up stairs to their seats with their eyes trained on their hero; there were moments during the run-up to Inter Miami’s home match with Orlando City in which the question was whether the second word in the home team’s name should’ve been the other M-word.
And though Messi scored twice while old running mate Luis Suarez had two goals and two assists, there was no way to leave Chase Stadium after Inter Miami’s 5-0 win over Florida rivals Orlando City thinking there was anything other than a long and special run ahead for David Beckham’s finally-arrived club (Robert Taylor had Miami’s other goal).
[ MORE: Messi’s schedule at Inter Miami ]
I was sat one section to the left of Inter Miami’s supporters groups and before I say this, the reader needs to know this is not my first MLS rodeo. I had season tickets to Toronto FC and have been to games all over the Eastern Conference — Orlando, Columbus, and an MLS Cup final at BMO Field to name a few. What I experienced on Saturday night was different.
The experience was so lively, so transcendent — my cursory at best grasp of Spanish did not stop the electricity from coursing through me as 98% of chanting was not in English — that you couldn’t help but wonder how the Miami Fusion failed to take hold (there are articles on this, it’s a rhetorical question).
Messi unquestionably takes the atmosphere to a new level, especially in the surrounding sections. Using strictly the eyeball test, more than 90% of the personalized Inter Miami jerseys in the stadium were Messi No. 10. Second place was Luis Suarez. Third were fans’ own names or nicknames. But somewhere in between Messi Miami jerseys and Suarez Miami jerseys were Messi jerseys from Barcelona or Argentina, and Suarez’s tops from Barca or Uruguay.
A man lifted his 1-year-old son over his head to watch Messi take a corner, like the image could seep into the baby’s brain and conjure the next coming. Fans chant “Mes-si! Mes-si!” before he takes set pieces. And there were certainly vanity plays, as waiting in the long line for the team store or a merch container would’ve certainly cost you minutes of game time. Those minutes were seemingly made up after the final whistle as the makeshift game between the children of Messi, Alba, Suarez, and teammates got focus and attention. Yes, for real.
Still — the SGs made the occasion and these weren’t cookie cutter chants or devoted to one man. This spirit was here, and Miami’s harnessed it.
Tremendous time at @InterMiamiCF last night and this photo of a dad making sure his baby saw Messi take a corner is my fav moment of a night of fun moments w/ my oldest dude
— Nicholas Mendola (@NicholasMendola) March 3, 2024
SGs sang almost all Spanish — i know v little and it didn’t matter: intoxicating & electric 🩷🖤 pic.twitter.com/mMf2EOPEa4
Inter Miami 5-0 Orlando City recap
Goals: Suarez (4', 11'), Taylor (29'), Messi (57', 62')
It wasn’t close, as Suarez’s two rocket goals in the first 11 minutes meant Miami could wait for their chances to spring forward through the vibrant Jordi Alba. Orlando had the ball around the 18 at times but Miami closed the ball down well and all of Orlando’s shots on target came in the second half.
Miami were ruthless in their efficiency, 3.07 xG coming off just 11 shots. Six of those shots were on target.
Suarez’s first goal was very Suarez, the Uruguayan darting into the box to hammer a hard Julian Gressel cross home despite little distance between the two. Gressel cued up Suarez’s second goal as well, another vicious finish.
Suarez turned provider for Taylor’s goal up the left side, and the 3-0 halftime lead was well-deserved. Orlando’s star goalkeeper Pedro Gallese has rescued a great many games but this would not be one of them.
Messi struck in the 57th minute with one of the goofier goals of his career after a desperation Orlando cross rocketed off the cross bar and the Argentine chest trapped the ball and watched it bounce into the open goal.
His second was off a Suarez cross to the back post, and Messi leaped to deliver a rare headed goal across frame and inside the post.
