Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez Shine as Inter Miami Dominates DC United with 4-0 Victory

Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi each netted a brace to propel Inter Miami to a dominant 4-0 shutout against DC United on Saturday night in Miami, successfully breaking a five-match winless skid. The fixture marked Messi's first appearance for his club following his recent emotional farewell match for Argentina earlier in the week. Suarez also contributed an assist on one of Messi's goals as Inter Miami improved their record to 13-5-10, accumulating 49 points to climb into second place in Major League Soccer's Eastern Conference, just one point ahead of the Chicago Fire.

German Berterame chipped in with two assists, while Sergio Reguilon and Rodrigo De Paul each added one of their own. "We had to win again, and we did it convincingly," remarked Inter Miami coach Kily Gonzalez, expressing satisfaction with the team's overall display. Meanwhile, DC United dropped to a 6-9-12 record with 30 points, sliding further away from the playoff race and sitting six points behind FC Cincinnati for the final conference post-season play-in spot.

Suarez found the back of the net for his 14th and 15th goals before being substituted in the 61st minute. The performance boosted Inter Miami's MLS-leading goal tally to 68 and secured their fifth clean sheet of the season, their first in 10 matches. DC United managed 14 total shots, though only two tested the goalkeeper, highlighted by a second-half effort from Matti Peltola that sailed just over the crossbar.

Suarez opened the scoring in the third minute by converting a long cross from Berterame past DC United goalkeeper Sean Johnson. Reguilon started the sequence by passing to Berterame, whose high-arching delivery found Suarez. Suarez added his second in the 39th minute after Berterame controlled a rebound and headed it directly to him in front of the goal, following a prior attempt by Messi that goalkeeper Sean Johnson had blocked.

Messi etched his name on the scoresheet in the 47th minute, notching his MLS-leading 22nd goal to extend the lead to 3-0. After his initial shot at the top of the box was deflected, Suarez corralled the loose ball and lobbed a cross to Messi for an easy tap-past Johnson. Messi then sealed the scoring in the 60th minute by collecting a back heel from Rodrigo De Paul, maneuvering past DC United's Lucas Bartlett, and curling a shot inside the far post.