Rodrigo De Paul scored his first goal for Inter Miami as the Herons booked their spot in the Leagues Cup quarterfinals with a commanding 3-1 win over Mexican giants Pumas.
De Paul struck early to set the tone, and Luis Suárez ran the show in the final third, having a hand in all three goals. Javier Mascherano's side made light work of one of the tournament’s pre-tournament favorites, who now exit the competition earlier than expected.
The Herons struggled to find a foothold early on, especially in the absence of Lionel Messi. They lacked a focal point, instead opting to swing the ball around without real direction or intent. And Pumas took advantage with their one real good chance, Jorge Ruvalcaba finishing a well-constructed counter with a poked finish in the 34th minute.
But the Herons responded. Yannick Bright, finding form after an injury layoff, played architect. His sweeping pass found Suarez, who cut inside and found a surging De Paul, who tucked home to level things on the stroke of halftime. Miami thought they had a second when Suarez found the net off a set piece, but he was marginally offside when he finished - and VAR correctly ruled his goal out.
He was handed another chance 10 minutes later. Telasco Segovia's stray touch in the box hit the arm of a Pumas defender. The referee pointed to the spot, and Suarez converted with aplomb, chipping the ball down the middle. They grabbed a third to seal it after 70 minutes. Suarez played architect, perfectly feeding Tadeo Allende, who couldn't miss from close range. It might have been more, but Benjamin Cremaschi and Allende both missed late chances. Still, it won't matter, as the Herons remain in the hunt for another trophy.
GOAL rates Inter Miami's players from Chase Stadium...
