Javier Mascherano insists Inter Miami are "not going to make a tragedy" of their season-opening defeat to Los Angeles FC ahead of their second MLS match against Orlando City SC on Sunday. 

MLS Cup champions Miami got their title defence off to a shaky start as they were held back by an inspired LAFC performance, with goals from Denis Bouanga, David Martinez and Nathan Ordaz condemning Mascherano's side to a 3-0 defeat at the LA Memorial Coliseum last week. 

The Herons enjoyed a historic 2025 campaign as they claimed their maiden MLS Cup title in spectacular fashion after finishing third in the East, eventually defeating the Vancouver Whitecaps in the league's showpiece match. 

Miami will now hope to get their first points on the board this season as they travel across Florida to face state rivals Orlando City at Inter&Co Stadium on Sunday.

"[LAFC] beat us fair and square, that's the reality," Mascherano said following their season opener.  

"My initial analysis is that the result is somewhat misleading, as there wasn't that much difference in the game itself. Los Angeles clearly made the difference in terms of transitions; they hurt us a lot. 

"But we're not going to make a tragedy out of it either, we know we have to improve, we have to keep insisting on the positive things we've done. 

"The team had moments where it controlled the game, but you will never hear me make individual assessments of players, especially after a defeat.  

"Now I am the only one responsible." 

Orlando also suffered a loss in their first game of the season, falling 2-1 to the New York Red Bulls at home. 

A first-half brace from Julian Hall put the Red Bulls ahead, though Tiago managed to secure a goal for the hosts in the sixth minute of stoppage time. It was too little, too late, for Orlando, however.

PLAYERS TO WATCH  

Orlando City – Tiago  

Tiago came off the bench to score Orlando's lone goal in their defeat to NYRB on Saturday, becoming the sixth Orlando City player to score on his MLS debut.  

Should he find the net against Miami, he would become only the second Lions player to score on each of his first two MLS appearances, after Daryl Dike in 2020. 

Inter Miami – Lionel Messi 

All eyes will naturally be on Messi when the Herons take the field. The Miami skipper has scored six goals in four career matches against the Lions in all competitions, netting braces in three of his four games. 

In fact, Orlando are one of 36 teams, including eight in MLS, that Messi has more goals than games played against in his club career (all competitions). 

MATCH PREDICTION: INTER MIAMI WIN 

Miami are pegged as favourites by Opta's supercomputer.

Their defeat to LAFC marked just the seventh time star man Messi has played in a league match in which his team lost by a margin of three goals, with five of those coming since May 2025. 

Miami are looking for their first MLS victory over Orlando since March 2024 and will be hoping to settle a score from last season when the Lions defeated them 4-1 at Inter&Co Stadium in August. 

Orlando, meanwhile, will take encouragement from never having lost a home match to Miami in all competitions (W3 D5), with the Herons failing to score more than once in any of those matches. 

Their season-opening loss to NYRB, though, marked the 17th consecutive regular-season match in which Orlando both scored and conceded – the second-longest such streak in MLS history, after the San Jose Clash went 18 straight in 1997. 

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY 

Orlando City – 29.3% 

Draw – 24.6% 

Inter Miami – 46.1%