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Messi and Suárez Shine as Inter Miami Cruises Past D.C. United 4–0

 

 

Inter Miami CF delivered a dominant performance Saturday night, defeating D.C. United 4–0 at Nu Stadium on October 10 to snap a five-match winless streak in MLS regular-season play. Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez each scored twice, leading the Herons to a much-needed victory as the regular season approaches its conclusion. 

Miami wasted little time getting on the scoreboard. Suárez opened the scoring in the third minute, finishing a move initiated by Sergio Reguilón and Germán Berterame. The Uruguayan striker doubled the advantage in the 39th minute, capitalizing on another contribution from Berterame to send the Herons into halftime with a comfortable 2–0 lead.

Messi took over after the break. Just two minutes into the second half, Suárez delivered a precise pass into the penalty area, allowing Messi to finish and extend Miami’s lead to 3–0. The Argentine superstar struck again in the 60th minute, collecting a pass from Rodrigo De Paul before dribbling past two defenders and calmly finishing into the bottom-right corner.

The brace brought Messi to 23 MLS goals for the season, strengthening his position at the top of the league’s Golden Boot race. Suárez, meanwhile, reached 15 league goals and contributed an assist to Messi’s first goal. Berterame also played a key role with two assists, highlighting the effectiveness of Miami’s attacking combination. 

Defensively, Inter Miami secured a clean sheet behind goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair, who made two saves, including an important stop against Tai Baribo in the first half. Although D.C. United recorded 14 shots, only two were on target, as Miami limited the visitors’ most dangerous opportunities.

The victory was particularly significant for head coach Javier Mascherano’s successor, Cristian “Kily” González, as he earned his first MLS league win in charge. Miami also extended its unbeaten streak against D.C. United to seven matches and strengthened its position near the top of the Eastern Conference standings. 

Inter Miami will look to carry that momentum into its next match against New York City FC on October 14. With Messi and Suárez finding their scoring touch and the defense producing a shutout, the Herons will aim to build consistency heading into the postseason.

 

 

 

 

Written by: Daniel Torres