Lionel Messi returned to Inter Miami action with a pair of goals in a 4-0 victory over DC United at the Nu Stadium in Major League Soccer, La Nación reported.
Inter Miami Opens the Scoring Early Against DC United
The home side caught DC United cold right from the opening whistle. Just two minutes into the contest, Messi sparked an attacking sequence down the right flank that traveled across the pitch to Sergio Reguilón. The full-back delivered a cross that Germán Berterame flicked on toward the back post, where Luis Suárez arrived to finish with an unorthodox, looping left-footed shot over goalkeeper Sean Johnson for a 1-0 lead, according to Infobae.
Despite the early breakthrough, manager Cristian “Kily” González saw his team weather several testing moments. DC United nearly found an equalizer in the 15th minute when Tai Baribo fired a dangerous cross-shot that flashed past the frame, though Dayne St. Clair and the Miami defense managed to hold firm.
Suárez and Messi Double the Advantage Before Halftime
Inter Miami doubled their advantage in the 38th minute through a slick combination between the team’s veteran stars. Messi and Suárez carved through the defense with three quick wall-passes before the Argentine let fly with a right-footed effort that Johnson blocked. Berterame collected the loose ball and nodded a header across to Suárez, who tapped in easily from close range to make it 2-0 before the break.
The sequence underlined the chemistry between the two forwards, leaving the visitors scrambling to cope with the sudden bursts of speed in the final third. Infobae noted that González praised Messi’s influence in training ahead of the match, stating that the captain demands absolute commitment from everyone in the squad every single day.
Messi Seals the Win with a Second-Half Brace
The match turned decisively in Miami’s favor immediately after the restart. Barely a minute into the second half, Suárez chased down a loose ball inside the penalty box, chipped a defender with a clever sombrero, and squared it to Messi. The captain drove his shot firmly inside the near post for his first goal since stepping away from international duty with Argentina.
In the 59th minute, Messi struck again via a sharp individual effort. Rodrigo De Paul fed a pass that Suárez cleverly let run through his legs, allowing Messi to drive straight down the middle. He dropped his shoulder to freeze two defenders, shifted the ball back onto his lethal left foot, and whipped another low shot past Johnson to stretch the lead to 4-0.
The brace brought Messi’s career tally to 934 goals, breaking a five-match winless skid for the Florida club in MLS play. He nearly completed a hat-trick four minutes from time, curling an effort from the edge of the box that scraped just past the right upright.
Standings and Upcoming Fixtures in the MLS Eastern Conference
The emphatic win pushed Inter Miami to 49 points in the Eastern Conference standings, leaving them 14 points behind table leaders Nashville SC, as detailed by Olé. González’s squad sits comfortably in second place with six matches remaining in the regular season as they prepare for the upcoming Audi MLS Cup Playoffs in November.
Inter Miami returns to the Nu Stadium next Wednesday to face New York City FC, with kickoff scheduled for 8:30 PM local time in Argentina (7:30 PM Eastern Time), broadcast globally on MLS Season Pass via Apple TV. New York City enters the fixture in ninth place in the East, striving to lock down a direct postseason berth or secure a spot in the wild-card play-in round.
Keep reading
