Lionel Messi's growing frustration and Inter Miami's miserable run of form continued with a 3-0 loss at home to Orlando City in Major League Soccer on Sunday.
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Match Report
The Florida derby defeat leaves Miami with just one win from their last seven games in all competitions and they slip to sixth in the Eastern Conference with Orlando leapfrogging them.
"Now we'll truly see if we're a team in difficult times, because when everything's going well it's very easy," Messi told Apple TV following the defeat.
"When difficult times come, that's when we have to be more united than ever, be a true team, and pull ourselves together," he added.
Messi also questioned the refereeing but in truth the loss had little to do with officiating and much to do with shambolic defending, a disjointed midfield and punchless attack led by the rapidly fading Luis Suarez.
Orlando grabbed the lead in the 43rd minute with a goal of absurd simplicity - goalkeeper Pedro Gallese launched the ball down the middle of the field and Luis Muriel ran clear and slotted past Oscar Ustari.
The visitors were getting plenty of joy from going direct against a Miami back-line which was all at sea and Argentine Marti Ojeda should have done better when he found himself clear on goal but blasted over the bar.
Coaches 'failing' team
Miami's veteran keeper Ustari then made a fine double save to deny Alexander Freeman and an Ojeda follow up shot but then the 38-year-old found himself to blame for Orlando's second goal.
The ball fell to Marco Pasilic on the edge of the box and his low shot went through the hands and legs of Ustari.
Miami coach Javier Mascherano then threw on attacking players in a bid to retrieve something from the game but it was largely in vain.
In the fourth minute of stoppage time, Duncan McGuire broke down the left and his low cross was slotted home by Icelandic forward Dagur Thorhallsson to wrap up an impressive performance from the visitors.
Miami have conceded 20 goals and scored 11 in their last seven games with their only victory coming against the New York Red Bulls on May 3.
Mascherano said his team had started as planned before the goal changed the tone of the game.
"I'd say for 25 or 30 minutes we had it completely under control playing in the opponent's half, but this is how it is, clearly. I'm not going to deny what the result is," he said.
"Unfortunately, we can't afford the mistakes we make; that's clear, but it's pointless for me to come here and tell this story, because it keeps happening.
"So, clearly, we as a coaching staff are failing in many of these ways, and we have to try to find a way around them so we don't continue failing and so the team starts getting results," he added.
Miami's MLS campaign was going well until their exit to the CONCACAF Champions Cup at the hands of the Vancouver Whitecaps and Mascherano admitted the team's morale had been hit.
“Clearly, something has happened where the team has lost a lot of confidence," he said.
"We have had a drop in level individually and collectively and it's clear one way or another we have tried with different schemes, different names, and still today we are hurting. We will keep trying to find a way."
Match Events
0' The match is about to start!
6' Match Event for Inter Miami CF vs Orlando City
10' Highlight from Inter Miami CF vs Orlando City
15' Match Event for Inter Miami CF vs Orlando City
19' Match Event for Inter Miami CF vs Orlando City
21' Highlight from Inter Miami CF vs Orlando City
22' Match Event for Inter Miami CF vs Orlando City
43' GOAL! Inter Miami CF 0-1 Orlando City (Luis Muriel)
53' GOAL! Inter Miami CF 0-2 Orlando City (Marco Pašalić)
62' Highlight from Inter Miami CF vs Orlando City
76' Match Event for Inter Miami CF vs Orlando City
84' Highlight from Inter Miami CF vs Orlando City
88' Highlight from Inter Miami CF vs Orlando City
Line-ups
Inter Miami CF XI: Óscar Ustari, Messi, Suarez, Alba, Busquets, Maximiliano Falcón, Tadeo Allende, Gonzalo Luján, Ian Fray, Noah Allen, Yannick Bright
Subs: Fafà Picault, David Martínez, Marcelo Weigandt, Rocco Ríos Novo, Telasco Segovia, Federico Redondo, Allen Obando, Benja Cremaschi, Tomás Avilés
Orlando City XI: P. Gallese, Muriel, Robin Jansson, Martín Ojeda, Rodrigo Schlegel, Iván Angulo, David Brekalo, Marco Pašalić, César Araújo, Alex Freeman, Joran Gerbet
Subs: Kyle Smith, Rafael Santos, Dagur Dan Thórhallsson, Javier Otero, Ramiro Enrique, Favian Loyola, Zakaria Taifi, Duncan McGuire, Colin Guske