Suarez steps up in Messi’s absence to send Inter Miami to Leagues Cup quarters

Inter Miami needed someone to step up in Lionel Messi’s absence in order to avoid an early elimination from the Leagues Cup.

Fellow superstar attacker Luis Suarez answered the call. Suarez scored a penalty kick and delivered two delightful assists to send Inter Miami through to the quarterfinals via a 3-1 home win over Mexican club Pumas UNAM on Wednesday night.

The South Florida side came from behind to grab the group stage victory, as Suarez dished out helpers to Rodrigo De Paul and Tadeo Allende that were sandwiched around a goal of his own.

Javier Mascherano’s club finished 2-1-0 with eight points in the group stage of the Leagues Cup, and as a result will open the knockout phase by hosting a yet-to-be-determined Mexican opponent on either Aug. 19 or 20.

Missing Messi due to the muscle injury sustained in last Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Necaxa, Mascherano trotted his team out in a 4-3-3 formation that saw De Paul playing closer to Suarez.

Pumas was the better team from the run of play in the first half, and took a lead in the 34th minute when U.S.-born attacker Jorge Ruvalcaba made a fantastic run in behind the defense to tuck away a lobbed pass from Pedro Vite.

Inter Miami struggled to generate clear-cut chances in the first half, but found life as Suarez sparked the comeback in the 45th minute with an assist on Rodrigo De Paul’s first goal for the Herons. Suarez got on the end of a precise long ball from Yannick Bright before curling a gorgeous cross from the left to De Paul, who tucked away a low effort to the right.

Inter Miami thought it had claimed the lead two minutes after halftime when a quick free kick was played past a napping Pumas back line, but Suarez’s cross-body sizzler was eventually whistled back for offside. No one would deny the Uruguayan striker on this day, though.

After a handball was whistled against Pumas midfielder Jose Caicedo, Suarez stepped up to the spot and gave Inter Miami a 59th-minute lead via a gutsy and classy panenka down the middle. He celebrated his 10th tally of the year across all competitions in the same manner that he had on the negated finish from earlier.

Suarez raced over to the sideline to put on a cowboy hat that read ‘Delfi’ — an apparent nod to his daughter Delfina, whose birthday was earlier this week — before blowing a kiss.

Allende wasted a glorious chance to make it a two-goal advantage for Inter Miami in the 67th minute, attempting to chip a shot over that was saved well by goalkeeper Miguel Angel Paul Hernandez. Pumas starting netminder Keylor Navas was suspended for the game due the red card he received late in the last match vs. Atlanta United.

Allende atoned for his miss two minutes later by racing onto an exquisite through ball from Suarez before rolling his open look into the back of the net.

Inter Miami missed two other glorious chances to find the back of the net, with Allende and substitute Benjamin Cremaschi failing to capitalize on quality looks from in close. It hardly mattered, as the South Florida side prevailed four days before returning to regular-season action. Inter Miami will next return to MLS play and travel to face arch-rivals Orlando City on Sunday night at 8. read more