MIAMI: Luis Suarez struck twice to take his season tally to 16 goals in 20 Major League Soccer games as Inter Miami cruised to a 4-1 win over Chicago Fire on Saturday at Luis Suarez scores twice as Inter Miami crush Chicago Fire.
Even without Lionel Messi—who is still out due to an ankle injury—Miami, led by Gerardo Martino, maintained their impressive play. The squad is still leading the race for the “Supporters’ Shield” during the regular season and has already guaranteed a spot in the playoffs.
However, there was no sign of Miami easing off as Suarez, the 37-year-old Uruguayan and former Barcelona striker, continued his impressive scoring streak at Luis Suarez scores twice as Inter Miami crush Chicago Fire.
Suarez played a key role in Miami’s opening goal in the 25th minute when his shot was parried by Chicago keeper Chris Brady, only for it to rebound off the unfortunate defender Tobias Salquist and into the net.
Just one minute into the second half, Suarez found the back of the net again, beating Brady with a low left-footed shot at the near post after a smart exchange with Diego Gomez at Luis Suarez scores twice as Inter Miami crush Chicago Fire.
The veteran striker completed his brace in the 53rd minute with a close-range finish after receiving a low ball into the box from his former Barcelona teammate, Jordi Alba.
Chicago Fire managed to pull one back in the 82nd minute through Giorgios Koutsias, but Miami sealed a convincing win when Leonardo Campana broke down the right and set up substitute Robert Taylor, who made no mistake in front of goal at Luis Suarez scores twice as Inter Miami crush Chicago Fire.
Elsewhere, defending champions Columbus Crew, fresh off their Leagues Cup triumph, appear well-placed to join Miami in the Eastern Conference postseason. Two stoppage-time goals earned them a dramatic 4-2 win over New York City FC.
Algerian forward Mounsef Bakrar looked to have secured a point for New York when he finished off a swift counter-attack to make it 2-2 in the 86th minute at Luis Suarez scores twice as Inter Miami crush Chicago Fire.
But in the third minute of stoppage time, DeJuan Jones capitalized on some hesitant New York defending to poke home, and Jacen Russell-Rowe added a fourth to secure the victory for the Crew, who are currently third in the Eastern Conference.
FC Cincinnati, playing without their suspended Argentine star Luciano Acosta, remains just ahead of the Crew after a 4-1 win over Montreal, with another Argentine, Luca Orellano, scoring twice. Orellano’s second goal, in the 57th minute to make it 3-0, was a spectacular strike from inside his own half at Luis Suarez scores twice as Inter Miami crush Chicago Fire.
In the Western Conference, second-placed Los Angeles FC suffered a surprising 2-0 home defeat to seventh-placed Houston Dynamo.
Ezequiel Ponce put Houston ahead in the 28th minute, turning home from inside the six-yard box after LAFC failed to clear their lines at Luis Suarez scores twice as Inter Miami crush Chicago Fire.
Substitute Lawrence Ennali made it 2-0, just two minutes after coming on as a 70th-minute substitute. Ennali displayed an electric pace as he burst down the left, cut inside, and rounded Hugo Lloris to slot into an empty net.
In the Pacific Northwest derby, Colombian Juan Mosquera’s 54th-minute strike secured a 1-0 win for Portland Timbers against Seattle Sounders. Portland, Houston, and Seattle are all tied on 40 points in the tight race for the top seven spots and automatic playoff qualification, with the Sounders currently sitting eighth on goal difference at Luis Suarez scores twice as Inter Miami crush Chicago Fire.