“Costed us the game”, "Just awful” - Fans destroy Inter Miami attacker for his underwhelming display against Orlando in Lionel Messi’s absence 

Inter Miami were held to a 1-1 draw against Orlando City at the Exploria Stadium in Lionel Messi's absence yesterday (September 24). Fans blasted Josef Martinez on X (formerly Twitter) after he failed to have an impact in the MLS clash.

Lionel Messi picked up a muscle knock while on international duty for Argentina during their 1-0 win against Ecuador on September 7. Despite not featuring in their next game against Bolivia, the 36-year-old was named in the starting XI to face Toronto FC for Inter Miami on September 20.

The Argentina icon was substituted after just 37 minutes as he aggravated his injury. Hence, he was excluded from the Herons' matchday squad to face second-placed Orlando City on Sunday.

David Ruiz gave Inter Miami the lead in the 52nd minute, however, Duncan McGuire scored in the 66th minute to make it 1-1. The Herons were unable to find a winner, forcing them to settle for a point.

Fans slammed Josef Martinez for his performance. The 30-year-old forward had a pass accuracy of just 73%, lost three duels, and didn't register a goal contribution, failing to make an impact in the absence of Lionel Messi.

One fan wrote:

"Martinez costed us this game"

Another fan wrote:

"Josef Martinez is just awful!!!"

Tata Martino and Co. will be disappointed to not secure all three points. They are still 14th in the MLS Eastern Conference with 32 points from 29 games, five points behind a playoff spot (with two games in hand).

They will be hoping Lionel Messi will be able to recover in time for the US Open Cup final on September 27 where the Herons face Houston Dynamo. The Argentine ace was an integral part of the club's Leagues Cup triumph last month.

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Orlando City vs Inter Miami: Exploring the stats from MLS clash in the absence of Lionel Messi

Inter Miami dropped points without Lionel Messi as they were held to a 1-1 draw against Orlando City away from home in the MLS. Let's take a look at the stats to see how both teams performed.

Possession was split almost equally between the two teams, with Orlando marginally edging it with 51%. They completed 397 passes with an accuracy of 83%. In contrast, Tata Martino's men had 49% of the ball and registered 381 passes with an accuracy of 82%.

The home team looked more threatening in attack as well, landing a total of 13 shots with six being on target. On the other hand, Inter Miami had nine shots in total, with five being on target.