Lionel Messi scored twice in Inter Miami’s 3-1 League Cup round-of-32 win over Orlando City on Wednesday, giving him five goals in three outings.
Messi scored twice from close range to keep his perfect record with Miami, who had gone winless in 11 league games prior to his arrival.
Messi will now travel with Miami for the first time, with Sunday’s match against FC Dallas in Texas giving a place in the tournament’s quarter-finals for top-tier teams from Major League Soccer and Mexico’s Liga MX.
The Florida derby on Wednesday will not be featured in Messi highlight reels, but despite being tormented by tight marking for the majority of the game, the seven-time Ballon D’Or winner emerged as the decisive figure once again.
The game was delayed for 95 minutes due to a thunderstorm, but Miami continued where they left off in their 4-0 triumph against Atlanta United last week, attacking with intensity.
The Finnish winger, Robert Taylor, cut in from the left and chipped a wonderful ball into the path of Messi, who brought the ball down with his chest and volleyed in from six yards out.
But Orlando replied forcefully, drawing level ten minutes later when Ivan Angulo’s low attempt was pushed out by Miami keeper Drake Callender, and Uruguayan Cesar Araujo pounced on the outside of the box to strike a low shot into the corner.
Frustration
Orlando were becoming increasingly efficient at containing Messi, and the Argentine displayed the first indications of frustration when he received a yellow card for a foul on Wilder Cartagena.
Orlando coach Oscar Pareja had plainly instructed his squad to give up possession to Miami in order to crowd out and neutralize Messi and Busquets, and the strategy was working.
Messi had few chances, and when he did find some space near the goal in the 32nd minute, following superb work from DeAndre Yedlin, he blasted wide with his left foot.
Just before the halftime, the Argentine had a chance with a free-kick from within his range, but his effort from more than 25 yards out was comfortably turned over by keeper Pedro Gallese.
Messi appeared dissatisfied as he exited the field at halftime, presumably due to the physical aspect of some of the marking he had gotten as well as the lack of space he had found in the game.
But Miami found a way to reclaim the lead without involving their top player – 18-year-old Benjamin Cremaschi slipped a pass into the box to Martinez, who fell down after feeling a small tug from Antonio Carlos and won a penalty.
Orlando was upset with the decision, but their appeals were in vain, and Martinez fired home after a stutter and shuffle.
Miami sealed the victory and advanced to the round of 16 when Taylor broke down the left and found Martinez at the back of the box, who chested the ball and found Messi with a brilliant chip that the Argentine happily tucked away.
Former Barcelona star Jordi Alba made his Miami debut, coming on as a 64th-minute substitute, and while Araujo had an effort disallowed in stoppage time, Messi’s club had little trouble in the closing seconds.
Miami’s right-back DeAndre Yedlin suggested that Orlando’s approach had come from fear while Miami continued to play with belief.
“He just gives everyone around him confidence. You can give him balls in difficult situations and know he’s going to make something out of it.
“The flipside is that for the teams we’re playing against, it puts a bit of fear in their eyes. They’re dropping back on their heels a bit and that gives us more space to play,” he said.