VIDEO: Lionel Messi bursts into fit of laughter after Inter Miami team-mate Robert Taylor misses two penalties in shoot-out defeat to Vissel Kobe

The Herons fell to their fourth defeat of a terrible pre-season, losing on penalties to the Japanese side after a 0-0 draw in regulation time. Messi came on as a second-half substitute but could only watch on as he saw Miami falter on spot-kicks. Perhaps most spectacular were the failings of Taylor, who missed his first penalty only to be handed a lifeline after the goalkeeper was adjudged to be off his line. He stepped up a second time but blazed wildly over via the crossbar, causing Messi to see the funny side alongside long-term team-mate Jordi Alba.

While Messi laughed off yet another loss, preparations for the upcoming MLS campaign have been abysmal. Tata Martino's side won just one of their six off-season clashes - a 4-1 victory over a Hong Kong XI where Messi didn't even play in - while also drawing one and losing the rest, even if the last defeat came after normal time. The Florida-based outfit lost Facundo Farias,Benjamin Cremaschi and most recently Sergio Busquets through injury. They were damaged by off-field issues, too, as their trip to the Far East turned into a PR disaster following Messi's continued absence.

Miami can almost put that pre-season behind them, with a final game against Messi's boyhood club Newell's Old Boys scheduled for February 15. Martino's side then only have a week to prepare for their MLS opener, which comes at home against Salt Lake.