Orlando City overwhelm Inter Miami for Florida Derby bragging rights | OneFootball

By Charles Boehm

It was the best gift Orlando City could have presented their head coach with on his 57th birthday.

Oscar Pareja looked like a proud father at Inter&Co Stadium as his Lions celebrated his latest trip around the sun by not merely beating their cross-state rivals Inter Miami, but doing so with gusto, via a 4-1 trouncing spearheaded by Designated Players Luis Muriel and Martín Ojeda, in front of a spirited crowd of more than 25,000 in downtown Orlando delighted at the sight of their side completing a season sweep of the star-studded adversary to the south.

“We played very well, offensively and defensively, and probably what kept us with the pace that we started the game was that defensively, we showed consistency, responsibility,” Pareja said postgame, underlining the defensive commitment that limited an IMCF squad who just racked up seven goals in three Leagues Cup Phase One matches to an expected-goals total of just 0.7.

“All that happened up front, for me, is a result of that collective effort that we did as a team. So we played against a great rival and tonight, having these three points and scoring in front of our fans, again, it was strong night, fantastic night for us.”

Florida is purple

Combined with their 3-0 stunner at Chase Stadium back in May, Orlando have now beaten the Herons 7-1 on aggregate in 2025, in sum an emphatic declaration that Florida is purple – and that the Lions are legitimate contenders for both MLS Cup and Leagues Cup hardware.

For all the remarkable achievements of this Miami project headlined by Lionel Messi, the Herons have never won in The City Beautiful in five-plus years of trying. This time, the visitors’ manager was left frustrated by his team’s inability to recognize the moment and muster the steel required for this environment.

“Tonight, there was only one team: Orlando,” Miami head coach Javier Mascherano said in Spanish. “We didn’t play with the intensity required of this game and they were clearly better than us from the first minute to the last … I’m very hurt, very worried. But more than anything, we’re left thinking that if we really want to compete, this isn’t the path. I’m sorry, but this isn’t the path.

“It hurts a lot because in soccer, you can win or lose, you can be outplayed. But I think today the team didn’t have the tone, the intensity that the game demanded,” he later added. “One team was hungrier than the other.”

Super supporters

In keeping with the pugnacious spirit of this Florida Derby, dubbed ‘El Clásico del Sol’ by supporters on both sides, the home faithful added fuel to the fire with an extensive array of chants and cheers mocking the Rosanegra throughout. The energy was tangible enough for Pareja to go out of his way to express collective gratitude for the “extraordinary” backing.

“Thank you so much, fans. Thank you so much for your energy. The boys were talking about it, and I wanted to highlight that,” said Pareja.

“Seeing them in the stadium, for sure, that gave us a lot of energy. Again, the boys were talking all night about it, and what I saw today was that connection with our fans. And the boys had a tremendous response on the pitch, because that's what our fans want to see, that effort, that energy, that good football, goals, and we are really committed to continuing that way.”

DP excellence

Anyone in the stands who might’ve been saddened by the absence of Messi due to a hamstring injury could take heart from the vibrant soccer on display by the hosts.

Muriel and Ojeda ran riot in OCSC’s final third, their fellow DP Marco Pašalić added a late exclamation point and even goalkeeper Pedro Gallese entertained in his own right, making a Save of the Year-caliber play when he launched himself into his own net to parry Luis Suárez’s goalbound midfield chip in the 67th minute.

With a goal and an assist, Ojeda is now up to 17g/17a across all competitions, bolstering his Landon Donovan MLS MVP credentials. Meanwhile Muriel’s 2g/1a against Miami takes him to 18 goal contributions overall, prompting Pareja to call attention to his fellow Colombian’s credentials for a return to their country’s national team, revealing the former Atalanta star speaks of his desire to surge back into the Cafeteros reckoning in time for next summer’s World Cup on North American soil.

“I guess that now they found in those moments, they found in those things that are hard to explain,” said Pareja of the Lions’ creative duo. “It's great to see, and I know – I can see it on the training ground, I can see in the locker room. So we hope for those chemistries to continue.

“What is happening with Martín and Luis up front, it is extraordinary. I think both of them are finding that connection that is making us way much better than before.”

WATCH: Florida is purple! Orlando complete season sweep of Miami