Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez scored two goals each as Inter Miami turned on the style to beat Orlando City 5-0 in Major League Soccer. Florida rivals Orlando finished second in the Eastern Conference last season and are considered contenders for this season's MLS Cup, but they were outclassed by Miami from the start. Suarez has lacked sharpness and match fitness in his first two appearances, but Gremio's prolific 37-year-old top scorer in Brazil last season put aside any doubts about his continued ability in the final third. “I'm very happy for him that he was able to score. We were calm anyway, we know what Luis is and what he is capable of and everyone knows that,” Messi said.
Messi's free kick hits a baby in the crowdpic.twitter.com/ZT6DrxQt73
— Troll Football (@TrollFootball) March 3, 2024
“He's like that. When you least expect it, he solves a game for you like he did today, with the goals and the assists.”
Suarez needed just four minutes to get Miami on the scoreboard and his first goal for his new club came in emphatic style as he met Julian Gressel's low cross with a thudding first-time shot at the near post.
Seven minutes later, Suarez had doubled his tally, with Gressel again providing the Uruguayan, who showed good control in the penalty area before burrowing into the corner.
Miami were in complete control and the crowd picked up some lovely touches from Messi, but it was his former Barcelona teammate Suarez who did the damage.
Robert Taylor made it 3-0 in the 29th minute after the excellent Gressel separated the Orlando defenders and found Suarez, who unselfishly picked out Taylor for a simple tap-in.
Messi then struck a trademark curling free-kick against the post from 30 yards and minutes later provided a stylish through ball to Suarez, who found the net. But his hopes of a hat-trick celebration were dashed by an offside flag.
Orlando came out aggressively after the break looking for a possible way out of the match and they were left frustrated when Martin Ojeda's effort was ruled out for offside.
Miami quickly found a groove, Messi shooting inches wide in the 54th minute and then Gressel hitting the crossbar after a clever exchange with Suarez.
Another ex-Barca quartet from Miami, left back Jordi Alba, created the fourth when he burst down the flank, played a one-two with Suarez and fired the ball towards goal.
Orlando captain Robin Jansson's desperate ball flew off the crossbar and Messi was ready to fire the ball home.
Suarez looked eager for his hat-trick, but when found in space in the left channel, he looked up to see Messi at the back post and met him with a perfectly weighted left-foot cross, which the Argentine headed into the far corner.
Miami, with seven points from its first three games, is back in action against Nashville in the CONCACAF Champions Cup on Thursday.
“We are doing well, we are enjoying it and we are growing,” Messi said. “Today was an important match to win, to continue on this path of growth and this should make us very strong for everything that is yet to come.”
Earlier, defending champion Columbus Crew was held to a 1-1 draw against the unworthy Minnesota United.
Colombian striker Cucho Hernandez put the Crew ahead with a strike from the edge of the penalty area in the 58th minute, but Minnesota grabbed a point deep in stoppage time through Tani Oluwaseyi.
Los Angeles FC, second in the 2023 MLS, fell 3-0 in snowy conditions to Real Salt Lake, with Andres Gomez providing a brace for the home side.
The match was played on a snow-covered pitch and LAFC coach Steve Cherundolo was furious with the decision to allow the match to go ahead.
“It was an absolute joke that we had to play today. It was one of the worst professional sporting events I have ever seen in my life,” he said.
“I feel terrible for the players that we did this to them. The match could and should have been canceled. In my opinion it was an absolute shame that we had to play today.”
The Los Angeles Galaxy posted a 3-1 win in San Jose in their all-California matchup.
(This story has not been edited by DailyExpertNews staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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