The opponent wants the referee to give Messi a red card

In the 16th minute of the match on the morning of August 3, referee Ivan Barton blew a free kick to Wilder Cartagena, causing Orlando City players to react. At the same time, Messi jostled Cartagena to quickly get the ball, creating the first scuffle.

A few minutes later, the Argentine star swept the opponent's tower and received the first yellow card in the Inter Miami shirt.

At the end of the first half, Messi pushed Cesar Araujo down in a challenge without the ball but was not penalized. Araujo immediately chased and fouled Messi, which angered the 2022 World Cup champion and asked the referee to show the opponent a yellow card. These two players continued to scuffle in the tunnel at halftime.

Therefore, in the post-match press conference, coach Pareja criticized the referee for not showing the second yellow card to Messi. "I don't care if it's Messi or not, because the referee has to be fair to all the players. Everything has to be fair and that's not what happens on the pitch," emphasized the Colombian coach.

Coach Orlando City was also dissatisfied with the decision to give Inter Miami a penalty in the 48th minute, when the score was 1-1. Striker Josef Martinez penetrated the box and fell down despite not receiving a clear impact from midfielder Antonio Carlos. Orlando City players reacted violently to the referee, but VAR did not intervene. On the 11m mark, Martinez sank to the left corner, opposite the judgment of the Orlando City goalkeeper, raising the score to 2-1.

"We didn't deserve to be penalized like that. That decision was influenced and we were very disappointed. It was a very clear foul. A few years ago they didn't have VAR to assist the referee. But the situation In that situation, VAR wasn't even involved," added Pareja, and continued to criticize the referee for turning the match into a "circus".

This match, Messi continued to shine with a double. In the 7th minute, Robert Taylor clicked the ball into the penalty area to let the Argentine star support his chest and then volley his left foot to open the score. Messi's other goal came in the 72nd minute, with a one-touch shot with his right foot, sealing a 3-1 victory.

After a series of 11 draws and losses, Inter Miami has won the last three matches thanks to the brilliance of Messi. Coach Pareja admitted Inter Miami improved quality with stars like Messi, Sergio Busquets or Jordi Alba, but continued to repeat the view that Orlando City failed because of unfair decisions by the referee.

Lowering Orlando, Inter Miami will meet another American representative, FC Dallas in the 1/8 round on August 6.