Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez turned back the clock with a dazzling display on Wednesday night, each netting a brace to propel Inter Miami to a 4-2 victory over CF Montreal in Major League Soccer action.
Messi opened the scoring in the 27th minute with a clinical finish and later turned provider, assisting Suarez in the 68th minute for a 2-0 advantage. Suarez found the net again just three minutes later, seemingly putting the game out of reach.
Montreal’s Dante Sealy offered a quick reply in the 74th minute, but Messi responded with his second goal of the night in the 87th to seal the result. Victor Loturi added a consolation goal for the visitors two minutes into stoppage time.
The win marked a much-needed turnaround for Miami, which had failed to secure a victory in its previous four matches. With the result, the club climbed to sixth place in the Eastern Conference standings with a 7-3-5 record. Meanwhile, struggling Montreal continued to languish at the bottom with just one win in 16 matches.
“We had to take responsibility for the poor results,” said Suarez. “It’s a matter of correcting to regain confidence. This win means a lot. We have to continue to gain confidence in this kind of game.”
Despite the victory, Miami’s celebration was tempered by injury concerns. Head coach Javier Mascherano expressed concern over muscular issues for defenders Gonzalo Lujan and Jordi Alba, while Tomas “Toto” Aviles suffered an ankle knock. “Unfortunately, the victory is tarnished by the departure of Gonzalo, Jordi, and Toto,” Mascherano said.
In other league action, Philadelphia Union staged a dramatic late comeback to edge Toronto FC 2-1. After going behind to a 75th-minute strike from Norway’s Ola Brynhildsen, Nathan Harriel leveled in the 86th minute, and Kai Wagner netted the winner in stoppage time. The result solidified the Union’s position atop the MLS standings with 33 points.
Elsewhere, second-place Cincinnati drew 3-3 with Dallas, while third-place Nashville and fourth-place Columbus battled to a 2-2 stalemate, leaving Philadelphia further ahead in the race for the Supporters’ Shield.
Written By Rodney Mbua
