MIAMI: Lionel Messi scored two goals to give him a league-leading 23 this season, and Inter Miami beat D.C. United 4-0 on Saturday night.
Luis Suárez also scored twice and Germán Berterame had two assists for Inter Miami, which snapped a five-match winless skid. Miami had four draws and one loss before Saturday’s outburst.
Four days after playing his farewell match that ended a 21-year tenure with the Argentine national team, Messi played the entire 90 minutes.
The win was Miami’s first since a 7-1 rout of CF Montreal on Aug. 29. It was also the first league win for new coach Cristian “Kily” González, who took over Sept. 16.
D.C. United is winless in its last five matches.
Messi scored his first in the 47th minute after Suárez tallied twice in the first half to give Inter Miami a 2-0 lead at the break. Suárez centered a pass near the 6-yard box, where Messi retrieved it and tapped in a shot inside the right post.
Inter Miami padded its lead when Messi struck again in the 60th minute. He received Rodrigo De Paul’s pass, dribbled inside the large area and eluded two United defenders to beat goalkeeper Sean Johnson with a shot from 12 yards.
Inter Miami’s first scoring threat resulted in Suárez’s goal three minutes into the match. Suárez received Berterame’s header and beat Johnson with a shot that landed inside the left post.
Suárez made it 2-0 with his second goal in the 39th minute. Johnson deflected Messi’s point-blank shot to an open Berterame, who fed Suárez with another header that he retrieved inside the 6-yard box. Suárez then tapped in a shot for his brace.
Inter Miami hosts New York City FC on Wednesday night.
D.C. United faces the New York Red Bulls on Wednesday night.
