1. Domination in South Florida. Orlando City SC went into Fort Lauderdale and took care of Inter Miami CF, pulling out a commanding 3-0 victory on the road.
2. With the win, the Lions extend their unbeaten run to 12 games across all competitions, tying their Club record streak from 2020. To be able to accomplish a feat like that after a rivalry game is just the cherry on top.
3. To add on to that, the Lions also became the first team to shut out Inter Miami at Chase Stadium since October of 2023, a streak of 24 consecutive home matches that they had scored in. Some big saves from El Pulpo, Pedro Gallese, as well as the defensive effort of the backline and midfield helped frustrate and stymie the Herons' attack.
4. It was a fairly even game through the first 42 minutes with Inter Miami looking dangerous in moments as the half wore on. But all it took to open the game wide was a little "route one" magic from the Lions. After a play that the Miami players weren't happy about, Gallese decided to boot the ball downfield and find a sprinting Luis Muriel running into space. The Miami defense was nowhere to be found. A quick touch and a shot later and the Lions found themselves with a 1-0 lead just before halftime. The goal marked the sixth for Muriel this season, more than he scored all of last year. It also marked the first primary assist for Gallese in his Lions tenure.
5. The second half for Orlando started just as well as the first ended. It only took eight minutes for the Lions to double the lead, and it was the other DP, Marco Pašalić, who did the honors. Off a broken corner into the box, Muriel controlled the ball to Rodrigo Schlegel, who had come up for the corner. A quick pass into the box to Martín Ojeda found some space in the 18. Tincho then cut it back, and after a slight deflection, it gave just enough space and time for Marco to fire a shot on goal. It looked like the Miami keeper Oscar Ustari had it covered, but the shot was just too strong, and it slid right under the keeper's leg, doubling the Lions' lead.
6. As time wore on in the match, Miami continued to struggle to break down the Lions' defense. With the game creeping into stoppage time, the substitutes for Orlando decided they wanted to get in on the fun. A Kyle Smith ball over top found Duncan McGuire in space. After a few steps towards the endline, McGuire fired a ball into the box, finding a waiting Dagur Dan Thórhallsson to put a literal dagger into the match. It's now Dagur's second time during the regular season that he's come in off the bench and scored, matching his total goals from last year. His versatility on the pitch has proven to be a valuable weapon for the Lions, whether he starts or comes off the bench.
7. While he may not have gotten on the scoresheet, one of the best players on the pitch ended up being a rookie draft pick out of Clemson University. Joran Gerbet, over his last few matches, has cemented himself as a bonafide pro, with tonight being one of his best games yet for the Lions. He was tasked with shadowing Lionel Messi, and for the most part, kept one of the greatest players ever quiet. Gerbet led the team in recoveries (11), tackles (2), and was second in duels won (6). Not only that, but he finished the game with a 91% passing accuracy, the highest for the team. A lot of the plays won't show up on the stat sheet, the nature of a defensive midfielder, but the rookie looks to be another draft pick winner from the Lions' scouting department.
8. The final whistle marked a few more milestones for Orlando. Firstly, it was the largest margin of victory for the Lions in the matchup between the two teams. It also marked the largest margin of victory by any team in a home match that Lionel Messi has played in. That is 313 home matches that Messi has played in his career, and the Lions now have the distinction of being the lone team to hand his team the largest margin of defeat he has suffered. Ever.
9. Now the Lions turn to their next game this Wednesday, a U.S. Open Cup matchup against Nashville SC. The Round of 16 match will kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET from Inter&Co Stadium.
