Inter Miami picked up three more points in Major League Soccer action as Luiz Suarez scored a brace to power the South Florida side to a 4-1 triumph over the Chicago Fire.
The two Eastern Conference teams traded blows in the early stages with plenty of open space in transition. However, the visiting Herons would score the first 25 minutes of the first half in the form of an own goal.
Diego Gómez found space on the right and sent Luis Suárez with a low cross into the center of the Chicago area. Suarez’s shot was met by Chris Brady, but the goalkeeper’s save bounced off defender Tobias Salquist and into his own net for the goal. herons the lead
Suarez was again denied moments later after a powerful header bounced off the crossbar and out of danger for the Fires, but Suarez got on the scoresheet early in the second 45.
The Pistolero was played through again by Gómez, and the former Gremio striker finished easily with his weaker left foot to double Miami’s lead. It was a superb pass to set up Gomez’s Uruguayan with an even better finish to silence the home crowd at Soldier Field.
The Herons weren’t done scoring, though. Suarez got his brace to mark his 16th MLS goal of 2024 after a simple cross from former Barça teammate Jordi Alba in the Fire area. Suarez made no mistake from a few yards out as Alba grabbed his eighth assist of the campaign.
Just as the Herons were closing in on their sixth shutout of the season, Chicago pulled one back with less than 10 minutes left in regulation. Former LAFC midfielder Kellyn Acosta sent an attractive low cross into the Miami penalty area that Georgios Koutsias tapped home from close range.
Miami would restore their three-goal lead in stoppage time as two of Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino’s substitutes combined to make it 4-1 to the visitors. Leo Campana was all alone on the right side of the field to play a simple ball across the Chicago penalty area for Robert Taylor to fire into the back of the net past Brady.
Although the legendary Lionel Messi has not made his long-awaited return from an ankle injury, the Herons have shown no signs of slowing down. The win over Chicago was Miami’s 18th MLS win of the season as Martino’s side sit top of the Supporters’ Shield with 59 points from 27 games played, while the Fire’s struggles continue in 14th place in the Eastern Conference table.
GK: Drake Callender – 6/10 – Pretty much a spectator in the first half and pretty much the same story in the second half until Koutsias scored from close range, couldn’t have done much there.
CB: Ian Fray – 7/10 – He stepped up to take on a different role at center back and was mostly solid.
CB: Sergio Busquets – 7/10 – He continues to fill in as a central midfielder and hasn’t looked out of place. He made a great block in the opening minutes to deny Hug Cuypers a tap-in goal while also standing tall against Maren Haile-Selassie.
CB: Héctor Martínez – 7/10 – He started off on the wrong foot as he fought Haile-Selassie. However, he got better as the match went on.
RWB: Marcelo Weigandt – 6/10 – He didn’t really have the desired impact offensively, but his constant pressure put the fire under pressure at times.
CM: Federico Redondo – 6/10 – A quiet performance from Redondo who made a pitch with the necessary dirty work while stepping in to make interceptions and fumble recoveries.
CM: Yannick Bright – 7/10 – Orderly in possession as he continues his development in his first season with the team. Bright has proven to be a solid team player to stick around long-term and has a lot of potential.
LWB: Jordi Alba – 7/10 – It was a quiet performance from the veteran winger, but he picked up the pace in the second half to grab an assist to set up Suarez.
RW: Julian Gressel – 7/10 – The former Columbus Crew player’s move was impressive on the right side as he linked up well with his teammates in difficult situations.
ST: Luis Suarez – 9/10 – Excellent leading the line for the Herons. His set-piece play was on point and his header led to the opener before he got on the scoresheet with a calm finish in the second half. He covered his arm with a touch at the end.
LW: Diego Gomez – 8/10 – Make another change on the wing setting up both of Miami’s goals. His ability to take on his defender and play with his teammates in goal makes him such a versatile player on the Miami team.
Substitutes
SUB: David Ruiz (72′ for Redondo) – 6/10 – He came to solidify the center of the park in the last stages of the game.
SUB: Benjamin Cremaschi (72′ for Gressel) – 6/10 – He helped relieve the pressure in the final third to slow things down.
SUB: Leo Campana (80′ for Suarez) – 7/10 – He picked up an assist with a perfect pass into Taylor’s path.
SUB: Robert Taylor (90′ for Gomez) – 7/10 – He reminded Miami fans that he’s still a valuable player on the roster with a stoppage time strike.
manager
Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino – 9/10 – Martino’s decision to stick with the 3-4-3 looks like a masterstroke for the second week in a row. Miami didn’t concede too many clear-cut chances, which hasn’t been the case for most of the season, while they were also ruthless in transition to initiate counterattacks.
