Inter Miami advance without Messi

Agency:

Luis Suarez scored from the penalty spot and registered two assists as Inter Miami defeated Pumas 3-1 without injured Lionel Messi on match-day 3 of Leagues Cup opening-phase held on Wednesday in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

The result made Miami (2-0-1, 8 points) the first Major League Soccer (MLS) side to clinch a spot in the quarterfinals, despite seeing Messi depart with a hamstring issue in a 2-2 draw against Necaxa on Saturday. The top four teams from MLS and the top four teams from Liga MX will earn quarter-final berths.

Rodrigo de Paul produced his first goal in a Miami jersey to pull the Herons level just before halftime, and Tadeo Allende followed Suarez’s 59th-minute penalty-kick with a 69th minute strike that effectively sealed the outcome.

The Herons are currently atop the event’s standings among MLS teams, but they could finish as low as the third MLS seed based on later results. Jorge Ruvalcaba scored in the 34th minute for Pumas, which needed a win in regulation or penalty kicks to stay alive.