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Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez both scored twice and exchanged assists in Inter Miami's 4-2 win over Montreal as Javier Mascherano's side relaunched themselves in MLS.
Messi reached eight goals in the US league and Suarez ended his goal drought to boost an Inter Miami side that went into the game having won just one of its previous eight games.
A storm stopped and the sun came out. In Miami, storms don't usually last that long. This storm lasted quite a while
Suarez, 38, vindicated himself after a difficult moment and celebrated his third and fourth goals in MLS. The striker had only scored one goal since March 14.
Despite the victory, Inter Miami ended the game with concern over injuries to Spaniard Jordi Alba and Argentine Gonzalo Lujan, with just over two weeks to go before the start of the Club World Cup.
Leo Messi shows us the way to compete. Football-wise, there are no words
It was Messi who opened the scoring at Chase Stadium in the 27th minute with a great left-footed shot from outside the area after a brilliant play by Spaniard Sergio Busquets, who recovered the ball in the three-quarter zone and assisted the Argentine.
His goal saved Inter Miami, whose match had started in the worst possible way, with injuries to Jordi Alba and Gonzalo Lujan. In the Spaniard's case, the problem was muscular.
I'm very happy for Luis Suarez, a player who has scored so many goals in his career, many times that a few games go by without scoring, I even think that for him it must be rare
Messi's goal put the game in Inter Miami's favor, and after the break, Luis Suarez's double sealed the victory.
The Uruguayan ended his goal drought when he slotted home Messi's cross in the 68th minute and, three minutes later, took advantage of a defensive error by Montreal to extend the lead with his personal brace.
Montreal cut the deficit with a goal from Dante Sealy in the 74th minute, but Inter Miami did not give the Canadians any chance of a comeback. It was Messi who sealed the game after a great combination with Suarez, which he finished with an elegant touch with his left foot to beat the goalkeeper.
Canadian Victor Loturi's 4-2 goal only served for the statistics and could not prevent Montreal's defeat
Mascherano: "Messi has us spoiled"
Argentine Javier Mascherano, Inter Miami coach, said that Leo Messi "has us so spoiled that it seems that everything he does is very simple", when commenting on the double and the assist signed in the 4-2 victory against Montreal.
"Leo Messi is a player who has us so spoiled that it seems that everything he does is very simple, even at this stage of his career. The reality is that I always try to focus not only on what he does but also on his desire to play," Mascherano said in the post-match press conference.
"You see how he infects, how he competes. He is the reflection in which we all have to look at ourselves. He shows us the way to compete. Football-wise, there are no words," he continued.
Messi scored twice against Montreal and provided an assist for Uruguay's Luis Suarez, who also scored twice.
"I'm very happy for him (Suarez), a player who has scored so many goals in his career, many times that a few games go by without scoring, I even think that for him it must be strange. But there is the effort, the desire, he never tries to give up and that is an aspect that also infects," he said.
With this victory, Inter Miami left behind a difficult period in which it had won only one of eight matches.
"A storm stopped and the sun came out. In Miami, storms don't usually last that long. This storm lasted quite a while. We needed to cut the negative dynamic, I had good feelings about what the second half was in Philadelphia, not only for coming back from a result, but also against who it was. I'm happy for the victory," said Mascherano