Audi Field, Washington D.C. – Luis Suarez scored a brace and Leonardo Campana bagged a goal to lead Inter Miami to a 3-1 victory on the road over DC United. The legendary striker and the young star teamed up to give Miami three big points away from home against a good United squad.
Starting XI
The Herons came out in a 4-3-3 formation against DC United, with Tata Martino making several changes from the previous match in CONCACAF Champions versus Nashville SC. Noah Allen, Nicolas Freire, Tomas Aviles, and David Ruiz formed the backline which featured three youthful defenders. Diego Gomez and Federico Redondo once again flanked Sergio Busquets in the midfield. Robert Taylor and Julian Gressel played alongside Leo Campana, who got the start.
Our squad for tonight 🤝 #DCvMIA
2PM ET | 📺 #MLSSeasonPass on @AppleTV pic.twitter.com/EkkzR6Do38
— Inter Miami CF (@InterMiamiCF) March 16, 2024
Campana & Suarez Lead The Way
In lieu of Lionel Messi’s absence, I asked who would lead the way for Miami in the match against DC United. I wondered if it would be one of the Fantastics or one of the young stars. It was a Fantastic in Luis Suarez and a young star in Leo Campana.
No #Messi𓃵 for today’s match 🆚 DC United
Who will take command & lead the team?
Will it be one of the Fantastics or a young star?#InterMiamiCF #MLS https://t.co/qnBtHfimXg
— Xavier Guerrero (@XGLAVOZ) March 16, 2024
The Match
DC United struck first with a rocket shot by Jared Stroud in the 14th minute. Stroud turned in a space between Noah Allen and Nicolas Freire then took a beautiful strike to open the scoring.
Turn. Finish. 1-0.
Take a bow, Jared Stroud!
📺 Free on Apple TV: https://t.co/4JqSpewPKm pic.twitter.com/IPmLtMmTOa
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) March 16, 2024
Leo Campana cleaned up a loose ball in the DC box with a left-footed shot for Miami’s tying goal 24 minutes into the first half. The back-and-forth continued with both teams unable to score again in the first half.
All tied up at 1 here in the Nations Capital thanks to this left footed finish from our other Leo 😉 Leo Campana 🔔 #InterMiamiCF // #MLS
— Lemon City Live (@LemonCityLive) March 16, 2024
Suarez Brace
Luis Suarez entered the match in the second half, and just ten minutes after coming on he gave Inter Miami the 2-1 lead with a tap-in of a nice Leonardo Campana service.
Luis Suarez stays scoring.@InterMiamiCF go back to front and take the lead in DC! pic.twitter.com/S7smxs4K8L
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) March 16, 2024
Suarez scored his second goal spectacularly with a left-footed lob over the DC keeper to extend the Heron’s lead to 3-1. Inter Miami earned an important three points on the road against a good opponent.
LUIS. SUAREZ.
What a way to bag your brace. 😅 pic.twitter.com/V62y9NFmyR
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) March 16, 2024
Postgame Comments
Julian Gressel spoke on the importance of the young players getting playing time and the confidence that winning without Messi gives the team,
I think it’s important for guys to see more minutes and come off the bench, that’s how it’s going to be throughout the summer so we’re going to have to find ways to get results if we want to be a top team in this league…It gives us some confidenc and some belief that we can do it even when he [Messi] is not there with us.
The Miami backline against DC United consisted of three very young defenders Noah Allen, Tomas Aviles, and David Ruiz, with Nicolas Freire the only veteran player. The midfield had two talented young prospects in Diego Gomez and Federico Redondo, with a still young Leonardo Campana as striker. Six of the eleven Miami starters against DC were young talented players who form the club’s future. The organization is laying a strong foundation.
Luis Suárez gets a brace in DC…The cherry blossoms 🌸 & #InterMiamiCF turn the nation’s capital pink
No #Messi no problem 😉 #MLS pic.twitter.com/ZY8O9YDkYz
— Xavier Guerrero (@XGLAVOZ) March 16, 2024
Final Thoughts
Inter Miami added three huge points with their big win against DC United on the road. Tata Martino changed formations and rotated players in the lineup. So far, Martino is making decisions and has Miami at the top of the Eastern Conference and alive in the CONCACAF Champions Cup. Hopefully, he continues to make the right moves for the Herons.
David Ruiz is a young stud. I know that Diego Gomez and Federico Redondo get a lot of love for their quality and abilities, but David Ruiz is a baller and deserves some love too. He plays in multiple positions on the pitch and plays them all at a good level. His strong game at right-back against DC United allowed Tata to play Redondo in the midfield and push Gressel to the right wing. The kid is earning himself some money in the not-too-distant future.
Inter Miami showed it can win MLS games without Messi with a strong 3-1 victory on the road against a good DC United squad. Now, to win championships they will need Lionel. It’s of dire and extreme importance that Messi recovers from his current hamstring injury. Tata’s decisions and Messi’s rehabilitation are the two major components that will determine the outcome of this game-filled season.
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