Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez Score Twice Each as Inter Miami Rout D.C. United 4-0

Four days after what the AP described as his farewell match with Argentina, Lionel Messi came home to Nu Stadium and played like a man with zero interest in a farewell tour. He scored twice, hit the post, and played all 90 minutes. Luis Suárez matched him goal for goal.

Inter Miami CF beat D.C. United 4-0 on Saturday night, and it was a result the Herons badly needed. According to the AP, it snapped a five-match winless skid, gave Miami its first win since a 7-1 rout of CF Montréal on Aug. 29, and handed Cristian "Kily" González his first league win since taking over as head coach on Sept. 16.

Suárez Sets the Tone

It took less than three minutes. Sergio Reguilón crossed from the left, Germán Berterame headed the ball toward the middle of the box, and Suárez hit a first-time left-footed finish into the top left corner. Miami's report says it was his 14th goal of the regular season.

D.C. did not fold right away. Hosei Kijima forced Dayne St. Clair into a save in the sixth minute, Tai Baribo had a header blocked in the 14th, and two minutes later St. Clair had to get down quickly to keep out Baribo's shot from the right side of the box. D.C. United's own notes point out that the visitors matched Miami in shots (six) and shots on target (two) through the first 38 minutes. That was the high point of their evening.

Then Miami's stars started connecting. Messi had two efforts blocked, and in the 38th minute he got a clean look from the middle of the box that Sean Johnson saved. The rebound found Berterame, who headed it back across goal, and Suárez tapped in from close range in the 39th. Two goals for Suárez, two assists for Berterame, and Miami were 2-0 up at halftime. Messi had one more go in stoppage time, forcing Johnson into a save toward the top left corner.

Messi Takes the Wheel

The second half belonged to the No. 10. Two minutes after the restart, Suárez worked space on the left side of the box and slid the ball to Messi, who swept a first-time left-footed shot into the bottom right corner. Suárez nearly added a hat trick shortly after, but Johnson saved his effort from the right side of the six-yard box in the 52nd minute. Messi then hit the left post on a fast break in the 54th.

He did not miss the next one. In the 60th minute, Rodrigo De Paul fed Messi through the middle, and he dribbled past two D.C. defenders before beating Johnson with a left-footed finish into the bottom right corner. The AP says the brace gave him a league-leading 23 goals, and MLSsoccer.com says that put him four clear of FC Dallas striker Petar Musa in the Golden Boot race.

Suárez came off in the 61st minute, and the rest of the night was mostly D.C. trying to find a consolation that never came. Nathan Ordaz, Kimito Nono and Matti Peltola all fired off target, and Kijima left in the 68th minute because of an injury. Messi fired one just wide from distance in the 86th, and Johnson made one more save on Berterame in stoppage time.

The Stars

Lionel Messi took eight shots, put four on target, scored twice and hit the post. For a player four days removed from his last international match, the legs looked very much fine.

Luis Suárez put all four of his shots on target, scored twice and set up Messi's first. Miami's report says the assist was his ninth of the regular season.

Germán Berterame assisted both Suárez goals, one of them with a headed pass, and Miami says the second was his seventh assist of the league campaign.

Sean Johnson made five saves and kept the scoreline from getting truly ugly.

Dayne St. Clair made two saves, including the stop on Baribo, to earn the clean sheet.

The Turning Point

Suárez's second goal in the 39th minute. D.C. had spent the first half hanging around, matching Miami shot for shot for long stretches, and a 1-0 halftime score would have given the visitors real hope. Instead, Messi's saved shot turned into a rebound, the rebound turned into Berterame's header, and the header turned into a two-goal cushion. Two minutes into the second half, Messi made it three, and the contest was effectively over.

Stats That Matter

• Shots on target: Miami 9, D.C. 2.
• Possession: Miami controlled 61.7 percent of the ball.
• Passing: Miami completed 568 of 622 passes. D.C. completed 319 of 373.
• Saves: Johnson made five. St. Clair made two.
• Total shots: Despite the score, D.C. finished with 15 shots to Miami's 17.

What It Means

Inter Miami move to 13-10-5 with 49 points. MLSsoccer.com says the win solidified Miami's hold on second place in the Eastern Conference behind Nashville SC with six regular-season games left, and the club says it is now unbeaten in seven matches against D.C. United. González liked what he saw: "I think we defended very well; we were very decisive and scored in the right moments." He also added, "I think we could've scored more goals, so I'm satisfied." Next up is New York City FC at home on Wednesday.

D.C. United fall to 6-12-9 with 30 points and are winless in their last four league matches. The club's numbers show just two road wins all season. D.C. host the New York Red Bulls on Wednesday.

The Closing Take

This was Top Gun: Maverick with a pink jersey. Everyone keeps talking about the veterans' final missions, and the veterans keep flying circles around the competition. González summed up his striker in a way that applies to both of them: "Anybody who didn't understand before should understand now that he's a fundamental player for this team."

Stats from ESPN's match data. Additional details from the AP recap via ESPN and as reported by Inter Miami CF and D.C. United. Postgame quotes as reported by MLSsoccer.com.