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No Messi, no spark, as Orlando and Miami's MLS rivalry falls flat

No Messi, no spark, as Orlando and Miami's MLS rivalry falls flat

-- The 0-0 draw between Orlando City and Inter Miami in MLS on Wednesday night exposed some harsh realities for both teams, but it also shone a spotlight on a supposed rivalry that has never really caught fire. The match may have been scheduled during MLS' marketable "Rivalry Week" -- a matchday used to pit the league's fiercest rivals against each other -- but, with Lionel Messi sitting out due to injury, the forced narrative seemed to only convince one of Florida's two sides. Orlando welcomed Miami with a slate of jokes at the Herons' expense.