Player Ratings From Inter Miami's Messi-less Rivalry Match vs. Orlando City

+ An update on Messi's availability.

May 16, 2024

photo credit: Inter Miami CF

In the sweltering heat of Central Florida, Inter Miami continued its MLS regular season campaign with a 0-0 draw against rival Orlando City.

Before the match, Tom Bogert of The Athletic reported that Lionel Messi wouldn’t travel with the team after suffering a knee knock during Miami’s 3-2 win over Montreal.

Nonetheless, the Herons persisted, grinding out a difficult draw on the road.

It wasn’t the sharpest of games from the men in pink. With heavy legs and tired minds evident on the field, this match wasn’t pretty.

Given the team's short rest and the absence of the greatest player of all time from its starting eleven, it's natural for the playing style to look different.

In the grand scheme of the Supporter’s Shield race, stealing a point away from home will be valuable come the end of the season.

Here are Player Ratings from Inter Miami's sweaty draw vs. Orlando.

Goalkeeping, Defense:

🧤 Drake Callendar - 8: One of the better players on the field alongside Matias Rojas. Made several saves that helped Miami stay in the game. Also kept a clean sheet.
🍝 Franco Negri - 6.6: Not his usual gallivanting self on the left flank. Looked tired. With Jordi Alba back to full fitness, the Argentine will get a well-deserved rest.
🐻 Nicolás Freire - 8.3: Once again, Nico is showing why he’s Miami’s best center-back at the moment. Was strong, commanding, and communicated to his backline well. Also came up big with multiple tackles.
🦌 Tomas Avilés - 7.7: Also had a solid game, but quickly ran out of gas.
🎻 Marcelo Weigandt - 6.8: Quiet game from the right-back, but I appreciate his commitment to defense.

Midfield:

💪 Benjamin Cremaschi - 7.3: Was lively in midfield for the Herons. Had several nifty plays that led to potential goal-scoring opportunities.
🧮 Sergio Busquets - 7.6: The pressure valve Miami always needs whenever the temperature gets too high. Circulated the ball well and dictated Miami’s attack from deep.
🥨 Julian Gressel - 6.7: Not his best game. Had a couple of giveaways that led to Orlando counter-attacks. I know fans have a player du jour that they like to pile on, but I truly believe that Gressel needs to find his footing again. After all, he does have the third most assists on the team with three.

Attack:

💉 Matias Rojas - 8: Great game from the Paraguayan. Tata stated in his post-game conference that he’s happy with what he’s giving to the team. He showed his passing range and knack for creativity against the Lions very well.
🔫 Luis Suárez - 6.9: Off night for Lucho, but knowing how it’s gone so far this season, he’ll probably end up scoring three against DC United this weekend.
🪽 Robert Taylor - 6.5: Like Suarez, an off night for Robbie Taylor. Appreciate his hustle, though!

Substitutes:

💨 Jordi Alba - 6.5: Wasn’t on the field long enough to make an impact, but welcome back from injury!
🛎️ Leonardo Campana - 6: Didn’t do quite enough to move the needle offensively for Miami.
💈 David Ruiz - 6.4: Had some solid ball progression, but unfortunately didn’t bring enough to push for the game-winner.
🦁(#73) Leo Afonso - N/A: Didn’t play enough for a rating.

Coaching:

🔢 Tata Martino - 6.8: Thought he could’ve been quicker and earlier with his substitutes, but I liked what he did to Miami’s attacking setup to numerically match Orlando’s 3-4-2-1. He shifted from a 4-3-3 initially to a back three with Busquets as the third center back.

Tata’s update on Lionel Messi:

“He had [something bothering him.] Went to the physical therapist.”
Tata said it was his knee and he had some tests, but everything is okay. Mentions that Messi could play on Saturday depending on his evaluation during the coming days.

Agree? Disagree? Leave a comment below! Let’s discuss it!