Messi urges unity as Miami face testing times

Inter Miami skipper Lionel Messi urged his teammates to "stay united" and keep pushing forward after a crushing 3-0 defeat to in-state rivals Orlando City at Chase Stadium on Sunday night — the club's fifth loss in their last seven matches.

The defeat leaves Miami in sixth place in the MLS Eastern Conference, and their form has been troubling since their Concacaf Champions Cup semifinal first leg against the Vancouver Whitecaps on April 24. In that span, they've leaked 20 goals — a stark contrast to their promising start to the season.

"[We need to] keep going. It's a complicated time," Messi said in a post-match interview with Apple TV. "But we'll all stay united. We're a team in difficult times, because when everyone wins, it's easy, but now that difficult times are coming, that's when we have to be more united than ever, be a true team, and move forward, because we have what it takes."

He added: "Think about what's next and prepare for the next game."

Miami's last win came on May 3 with a convincing 4-1 victory over the New York Red Bulls. Since then, they've drawn once and suffered two defeats, a slide that has raised questions around their consistency.

"We're coming off a period of bad results," Messi acknowledged. "But we have to keep working and think about what's next. With three or four games left in May, we [have to] finish the best possible way to be able to face the Club World Cup."

Head coach Javier Mascherano echoed Messi's sentiments in his post-match press conference, calling for collective responsibility and defending his players.

"When you are in this dynamic, if we each start pulling ourselves to the side it'll be impossible to overcome the moment," Mascherano said. "It's clear that we must overcome this all together because clearly this team has shown, especially at the beginning of the season, what they are capable of."

Mascherano shouldered the blame for the team's recent struggles, saying, "I take full responsibility. I will not point out any players publicly, I am not that way. No one enters the pitch trying to have a bad time or to suffer."

The Argentine coach admitted his side attempted a risky tactical approach to counter Orlando's strengths, but key errors cost them on the night.

Despite the slump, Mascherano remained optimistic earlier in the week, even hinting at a potential contract extension for Messi, whose current deal runs out at the end of the season.

Inter Miami will now look to regroup ahead of their trip to Subaru Park, where they face the Philadelphia Union on Saturday.