Lionel Messi marked his return from injury in spectacular fashion, scoring twice and adding another assist to power Inter Miami to a 3-1 comeback win over the Philadelphia Union on Saturday night.
With these goals, Messi netted his 13th and 14th strikes in Major League Soccer, while also recording his 14th assist of the season.
Luis Suarez, Miami’s prolific striker, continued his red-hot form by notching his 17th goal deep into second-half stoppage time, further tightening his chase for the MLS Golden Boot.
Despite Suarez’s goal tally, he remains two behind D.C. United’s Christian Benteke in the race for the top scorer honour.
However, Suarez’s late strike also helped maintain Miami’s grip on the top spot in the Supporters’ Shield standings, as the Herons became the first team to eclipse the 60-point mark this season, sitting comfortably with 62 points from 28 matches (19-4-5).
It wasn’t all smooth sailing, as Philadelphia Union’s Mikael Uhre opened the scoring in the early moments of the match, sending the Herons on the back foot.
Yet Miami’s resilience, buoyed by the presence of their key players, came through. Jordi Alba was pivotal, delivering two assists on Messi’s goals to push his season tally to 12.
Inter Miami goalkeeper Drake Callender played a critical role, making seven saves to help preserve Miami’s fifth consecutive victory and ninth in their last 10 games.
Despite dominating much of the match, outshooting Miami 20-9 and creating eight shots on target to Miami’s four, Philadelphia couldn’t capitalize on their chances.
Their wastefulness, coupled with a standout performance from Callender, kept them at bay.
Messi’s return was nothing short of monumental for Miami. The Argentine had been sidelined since June 1 after joining up with Argentina for the Copa America and suffering an ankle ligament injury in the July 14 final.
Despite the lengthy layoff, Messi showed no signs of rust, quickly asserting himself to pull Miami out of their early deficit.
In the 26th minute, Alba’s clever pass found Suarez, who, with his back to goal, laid it off for Messi. The diminutive forward danced past Kai Wagner before slotting home a precise low shot past Philadelphia goalkeeper Andrew Rick to level the score.
Just four minutes later, the ecstatic crowd was still celebrating when Messi put Inter Miami in front in the 30th minute, once again linking up with Alba before unleashing a left-footed shot from the center of the box into the bottom right corner.
Rick managed to get a hand to the effort but couldn’t prevent the ball from finding the back of the net.
Philadelphia pressed hard in the second half, but Miami weathered the storm with a solid defensive display and Callender’s heroics.
Inter believed Suarez had extended their lead to 3-1 before halftime, but his goal was overturned after a VAR review.
However, Suarez eventually found the back of the net in second-half stoppage time, with Messi – who also received his first yellow card in MLS for delaying a corner kick – delivering the assist.
Messi would have the final say, orchestrating Miami’s last counterattack. The Argentine maestro coolly teed up Suarez, who curled a brilliant finish into the bottom left corner, sealing the victory and extending Miami’s unbeaten run.
Philadelphia Union, despite their efforts, remained in 11th place in the Eastern Conference, two points below the playoff line.
The Union can take heart from their overall performance, but their inability to finish key chances once again proved costly.
Meanwhile, Messi’s return has only added to the belief that Inter Miami is a team on a mission, with their eyes firmly set on further silverware.
