Without Messi, but with Suarez's brace, Inter Miami beat last season's champions

Today, an MLS regular season match took place, with Inter Miami hosting last season's Eastern Conference champions, FC Cincinnati.

Inter Miami's star player, Lionel Messi, was unable to take the field as he continues to recover from an injury sustained in the Copa América final. However, other former Barcelona stars—Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba, and Luis Suárez—started the match.

It took less than 30 seconds after the kickoff for Suárez to open the scoring. He skillfully received the ball in the penalty area and sent it into the bottom corner of the net. Just five minutes later, he combined well with a teammate to score his second goal of the match.

Throughout the game, the visitors tried to equalize, registering 17 shots on goal, 8 of which were on target, but they failed to find the back of the net. Notably, Inter Miami managed only five shots on goal, with three on target.

MLS
Inter Miami 2–0 FC Cincinnati
Goals: Suárez 1’, 6’

With this victory, Inter Miami solidifies its position at the top of the Eastern Conference standings, extending its lead over Cincinnati to eight points. Suárez’s brace lifts him to fourth place in the league's top scorers list, with 14 goals and 5 assists. The top spot is currently held by Cristian Arango of Real Salt Lake, who has 17 goals.