Inter Miami staged a remarkable comeback from two goals down to secure a 3-2 victory against Montreal in Major League Soccer on Saturday. Luis Suarez continued his impressive form by finding the net once again, contributing to the league leaders' fifth consecutive win.
Inter Miami showed their resilience by staging a remarkable comeback from two goals down to secure a thrilling 3-2 victory against Montreal in Major League Soccer on Saturday. Luis Suarez once again proved his scoring prowess as he found the target, contributing to the league leaders' fifth consecutive win.
Miami's tendency for slow starts this season persisted, and they found themselves trailing when Montreal took the lead in the 22nd minute, much to the delight of the capacity crowd. Former Miami player Bryce Duke capitalized on clever work from Jules-Anthony Vilsaint down the left, slipping the ball between the legs of Drake Callender to open the scoring.
Montreal's appeals for a penalty were waved away by referee Drew Fischer after Mathieu Choiniere went down under a challenge from Marcelo Weigandt.
The visitors had previously secured an upset win against a weakened Miami team in March and appeared poised for another surprise when they went 2-0 up in the 32nd minute. Jules-Anthony Vilsaint demonstrated composure as he slotted home Ariel Lassiter's pull back from the left with a side-foot finish into the far corner.
Following a heavy challenge, Lionel Messi briefly left the field for attention. During his absence, Miami won a free-kick in a dangerous area, where the absence of the Argentine maestro was felt. However, Paraguayan Matias Rojas stepped up and delivered a sublime finish, curling the ball over the wall and into the corner with precision.
Miami drew level just before halftime when Julian Gressel delivered a low corner, allowing Luis Suarez to bundle the ball home from close range for his 11th league goal of the season.
Miami looked like a different team in the second half, and it came as no surprise when they secured the winner in the 59th minute. Matias Rojas displayed his impressive skill by clipping the ball over the pushed-up Montreal defense, allowing Benjamin Cremaschi to latch onto the pass and poke home.
Despite Montreal's late pressure, Miami held firm to secure their eighth win in 13 games.
Inter coach Gerardo Martino admitted to taking the wrong approach to the match, stating, "I shouldn't change the way the team plays. We didn't feel comfortable. Today I tried to change it because of the strengths of the opponent, and in the minutes I tried to do it, we were losing 2-0."
In another MLS fixture, the defending champions Columbus Crew suffered a 2-1 defeat in the Ohio derby at home to FC Cincinnati. Luciano Acosta, the MLS Most Valuable Player, played a pivotal role as Cincinnati avenged their loss to their in-state rivals in last year's Eastern Conference final. Acosta set up Kevin Kelsy for Cincinnati's opener in the 74th minute and then doubled the lead just two minutes later with a well-taken goal. Although Maximilian Arfsten pulled one back for Columbus in the 89th minute, it was too late for a comeback from Wilfried Nancy's side.
Belgian international Christian Benteke showcased his aerial prowess by scoring a hat-trick of headers as D.C. United secured a 3-2 victory over Atlanta, with a decisive 55th-minute goal from a corner.
Meanwhile, Colombian striker Luis Muriel starred for Orlando City, netting twice in their impressive 3-2 win against the Philadelphia Union. Muriel's first goal came in the 42nd minute with a stunning long-distance strike, followed by a calm finish shortly after the break. Despite Daniel Gazdag pulling one back for Philadelphia from the spot, Orlando emerged victorious.
Elsewhere, Brazilian forward Joao Klauss bagged a brace to lead St. Louis to a 3-1 derby win over the Chicago Fire. In the Texas derby, Dallas emerged triumphant with a 2-1 victory over Austin.
