da 888casino： It was the Luis Suarez show for Inter Miami Saturday evening as the Herons ran Orlando City into the ground in MLS rivalry week.
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Inter Miami defeats Orlando City 5-0Suarez with four goal contributionsMessi scores five-minute braceUSA Today Sports TELL ME MORE
It was the most dominant performance we have seen in the Lionel Messi Era of Inter Miami. Up 3-0 at halftime, Luis Suarez scored a brace inside the first 12 minutes of the match while U.S. men's national team midfielder Julian Gressel went into the halftime break with two assists. The entire Herons squad played as one unit, and refused to let up on the gas pedal all evening.
Suarez ended up with four total goal contributions on the evening, notching two assists on top of his early brace. The Uruguayan played a pivotal role in the second half, assisting the Heron's fifth goal of the night – a brilliant cross to the head of a sprinting Lionel Messi. The Argentine net two himself, with a five-minute brace in the 57th and 62nd minutes of the match.
It was a stunning, and dominant, performance from Miami, who smashed their arch-rivals and utterly dominated them in every aspect of the match.
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This was Inter Miami's largest margin of victory in all competitions since Messi arrived last July. They defeated Toronto FC 4-0 in 2023, but this topped that match with a five-goal margin of victory.
USA Today Sports THE MVP
Luis Suarez: This isn't even up for debate. It felt like we were watching the Uruguayan play for Barcelona in 2014 when the Catalan club were on top of the world, where he last played with Messi, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets.
The first goal was a classic Suarez finish, where his late run at the edge of the box was timed perfectly. The second was an emphatic display of his talent at 37 years old, and Miami's third was him being unselfish and a team player.
Then, to add to it, he notched two assists. A true 10/10 performance from their forward.
THE BIG LOSER
The Eastern Conference: There was skepticism over whether or not Luis Suarez could actually play at the MLS level in 2024. In all of the Herons' preseason, he struggled and did not look fit – and frankly, Miami were bland and uninspiring. However, Saturday marked three straight MLS matches where they earned a result. They have seven points and sit atop the Eastern Conference and now their opposition is on edge.
If Suarez can truly perform at this level, alongside Messi and friends, there is no ceiling for this group. The rest of MLS and their opposition in tournament play should, rightfully, now be scared.