CHICAGO — Inter Miami CF certainly missed the injured Lionel Messi during last season's loss at Chicago Fire FC. For Saturday's return visit to Soldier Field, Messi's absence wasn't as notable, thanks to Luis Suárez.
The legendary Uruguayan forward scored twice in the early minutes of the second half, allowing Miami to flip the script from last year and cruise to a 4-1 victory over the Fire in front of more than 55,000 fans.
“Luis was the best player on the field,” Herons head coach Tata Martino said postgame. “Everything he does to give the team circulation, to create passing opportunities and chances… the truth is, he did very well.”
The win extends Miami’s MLS win streak to four, including last week's 2-0 victory over Eastern Conference rivals FC Cincinnati.
Cruising to the Shield
Suárez led the line for a still Messi-less Miami team, but things started pretty evenly in the first half. The Fire were hosting the second-largest crowd in club history, after last year’s Miami game, and the initial minutes matched the stadium’s energy. However, midway through the first half, an unlucky own goal from Tobias Salquist gave Miami the lead, and from there the Herons took control.
The visitors jumped to a 3-0 lead thanks to Suárez, and after a late flurry with Georgios Koutsias and Robert Taylor scoring at either end, the game concluded 4-1.
With the win, Miami remain comfortably atop the Supporters' Shield and Eastern Conference standings, having clinched a playoff berth last week. They’re now on course for an all-time regular season points record, with a current projected total of 74. The 2021 New England Revolution set the current record of 73 points.
“We're in the playoffs, but we have bigger goals than that,” midfielder Julian Gressel said. “We want to win every game. We want to be on top of the Supporters' Shield and eventually win the Supporters' Shield.
“And then obviously, MLS Cup after that, and we have to come through tough environments and figure things out on the road. We did that again tonight, so it's about continuing that kind of trend right now.”
Suárez in the Golden Boot mix
While pop star Jason Derulo performed after the match, it was undoubtedly Suárez who was the star of the show on the night. His second straight brace proved that even at age 37, Uruguay's all-time leading scorer isn't letting up on his pursuit of the 2024 Golden Boot presented by Audi.
A Golden Boot winner in LaLiga, the Premier League and the Dutch Eredivisie, El Pistolero reached 16 goals - just one shy of Real Salt Lake's Cristian Arango and D.C. United's Christian Benteke for the league lead.
“He's been doing it his whole career,” said defender Ian Fray. “Nothing's changed. It's just amazing to be on the field with these types of guys and have them there. It's just a boost of confidence for everybody.
“He means so much in the stuff he creates for us,” Gressel added. “And obviously, the stuff he puts away for us is incredible. Tonight, two goals again, last game as well… There's certainly a different quality when he's on like that, and it makes a big difference when you have game-changers like him.”
Messi back soon
In the last three months, Miami have proven they have the necessary depth to pace the Shield race even without their biggest star. Between Copa América duty and injury, Messi hasn't seen the field for the Herons since June 1.
“Leo [is] doing well and spent time training with the group,” Martino said. “We felt that for the time he could give us in this match, it might be better to consider the next 15 days. Ultimately, we discussed it and concluded that this second option was better.”
“So, we’re aiming to have him available for the match against Philadelphia [on Sept. 14]."
While Miami have been doing just fine without him, Messi's imminent return will be even more of a game-changer that his teammates hope will bring them to another level in pursuit of their ultimate goals.
“You guys all know that Messi is the best player in the world,” Fray said. “Yeah, of course we miss him when he's not on the field, but we're happy to have him back soon.
“We have the best player in the world on our team, so you never get used to it.”
