Orlando City secure 4-1 victory over Inter Miami in Florida Derby

ORLANDO: Orlando City claimed a strong 4-1 win against local rivals Inter Miami at the Inter&Co Stadium, strengthening their position in the Eastern Conference.

The hosts took early control and maintained their dominance throughout the game.

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The visitors were without their star forward due to a recent injury sustained in the Leagues Cup. Despite this, Inter Miami responded quickly to falling behind, with Yannick Bright scoring a powerful volley just five minutes into the match. This mars his first goal for the senior team and levelling the score.

Orlando City opened the scoring in the second minute through Luis Muriel, who struck early to give the home side the lead. After the equaliser, Orlando regained momentum and increased their advantage after the break.

Muriel scored his second goal shortly after the restart. Eight minutes later, Martin Ojeda extended Orlando’s lead with a precise finish that left the Inter Miami goalkeeper with little chance.

Late in the match, Orlando’s Marco Pasalic added a fourth goal, putting the game beyond doubt and capping a strong performance.

Inter Miami struggled to create clear scoring chances and were unable to keep pace with Orlando’s attacking threat.

The match statistics reflected Orlando’s control in critical areas. Orlando City outshot Inter Miami 22 to 10 and earned more corner, while the latter held a slightly higher share of possession but failed to convert that into effective pressure.

Inter Miami’s head coach acknowledged his team was outplayed across the 90 minutes. He described Orlando as applying sustained pressure from start to finish.

The coach took responsibility for the defeat, admitting his squad needed to raise their intensity and focus in upcoming matches.

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Orlando’s solid form was evident, as they capitalised on defensive lapses and clinical finishing to win.

Both teams now turn their attention to other matches, as Inter Miami is preparing for a home game against LA Galaxy next weekend, while Orlando City hopes to continue their good form.