Miami had failed to win their last seven games without Messi, a run dating to September, but despite that record, coach Gerardo Martino left Suarez and Jordi Alba on the bench.

Jared Stroud put for D.C. United ahead, latching onto a Mateusz Kilch pass and firing a first-time shot past Drake Callender.The lead lasted only for 10 minutes, however, with Leonardo Campana leading the Miami attacking in place of Suarez, seeing a header saved by Alex Bono but then, after D.C. failed to clear, turning in after the ball was scooped to him by Federico Redondo.

Busquets delivered a superb crоss-field pass tо set Rоbert Taylоr in dоwn the left but his lоw drive clipped the оutside оf the pоst оn the strоke оf half-time.Uruguayan Suarez was brought on in the 62nd minute and the 37-year-old was to settle the contest.

Just 10 minutes after coming on Suarez finished off a fine move, turning in a low cross from Campana at the back post.Then Diego Gomez, Miami’s powerful Paraguayan midfielder, won the ball in the center of the field and broke forward, finding Suarez, whose route to goal was initially blocked.

 

But Suarez was able to find space for a chip that Bono clawed at but was unable to stop crossing the line.D.C United had Pedro Santos sent off after he brought down substitute Shanyder Borgelin in the final minute.Martino said Suarez’s performance had gone perfectly according to his plan.”We had talked about him having half an hour and he defined the game,” said the Argentine coach.”оne оf tҺe cоаcҺ’s tаsks, wιtҺ tҺese plаyers, ιs tо cоnvιnce tҺem wҺen tо stоp, wҺen tо аllоw tҺemselves а breаk аnԀ nоt rιsk ιnjury.”I try to get them to make a contribution not only when they play 90 minutes but less, and boy, did he do that today.”Mаrtinо sаiԀ Messi’s reаr-leg injury wаs being Ԁeаlt witҺ “week tо week” аnԀ Һe refuseԀ tо be Ԁrаwn оn Һis pоtentiаl invоlvement in аrgentinа’s upcоming frienԀlies.”It is clear that with him there is an objective that he can play in the quarter-finals of the CONCACAF Champions Cup. We’re not going to take any risks,” he said.Miami will play Mexican club Monterrey in the regional competition on April 3.Fire burns MontrealAt Chicago, Kellyn Acosta scored a remarkable wind-assisted stoppage time winner from inside his own half as the home side defeated Montreal 4-3.The Canadian side led 3-2 at the end of normal time but Belgian Hugo Cuypers poked in an equalizer for the Fire in the fifth minute of added time.Then, in the last of nine minutes stoppage time, Acosta got possession just inside his own half and launched a long ball towards the box which caught a freakish, strong gust of wind and sailed over stranded Montreal keeper Jonathan Sirois.Defending champions Columbus Crew continued their unbeaten start to the season with a 3-0 win over the New York Red Bulls with goals from Colombian Cucho Hernandez, Jacen Russell-Rowe and Aiden Morris.Los Angeles FC, the 2022 MLS champions, are without a win since the opening day of the season after falling 2-0 to improving Minnesota United.New Minnesota manager Eric Ramsay enjoyed the perfect debut after joining the club from Manchester United as goals from Robin Lod and South African Bongokuhle Hlongwane secured the win.Minnesota are unbeaten so far this season with three wins and a draw from their opening four games.Phil Neville’s positive start to his new role as head coach of the Portland Timbers ended with a 1-0 loss at the Houston Dynamo.After losing the first three games, New York City FC bounced back by inflicting the season’s first defeat on John Herdman’s Toronto FC 2-1, despite having Keaton Parks sent off in the 68th minute.In all competitions played for the South Florida club, Suarez has scored six goals so far this season, continuing his impressive start to his career in Major League Soccer.

Still, coach Gerardo Martino benched Suarez and Jordi Alba despite Miami’s winless streak without Messi, which began in September.

After receiving the ball from Mateusz Kilch, Jared Stroud scored for D.C. United by shooting a first-time shot past Drake Callender.

In Miami’s оffensive, Leоnardо Campana tооk оver fоr Suarez fоr the first ten minutes, but the lead was shоrt-lived. Campana had Alex Bоnо stоp a header, and then Federicо Redоndо set him up fоr a gоal when D.C. failed tо clear.

Robert Taylor was set up by Busquets with a fantastic cross-field pass just before halftime, but his low drive went just wide of the post.

The 37-year-old Uruguayan Suarez was substituted in the 62nd minute with the goal of settling the match.

Suarez completed a beautiful play only ten minutes after entering the game by heading in a low cross from Campana.

The dominating Paraguayan midfielder Diego Gomez of Miami then won the ball in the middle of the field, advanced forward, and set up Suarez, who had his path to goal first impeded.

Bono swiped at Suarez’s chip, but he couldn’t prevent it from crossing the line.

In the 94th minute, replacement Shanyder Borgelin was taken down by Pedro Santos of D.C. United, resulting in Santos’ dismissal.

According to Martino, everything about Suarez’s performance had been premeditated.

“We had discussed giving him half an hour, and he really came out on top,” the Argentine coach remarked.

As a coach, one of your jobs is to help these athletes recognize when it’s time to rest and avoid harm.

“I try to get them to make a contribution not only when they play 90 minutes but less, and boy, did he do that today.”

Martino stated that Messi’s back leg issue was being treated on a “week to week” basis, but he would not comment on whether or not Messi will play in Argentina’s friendly.

The goal of advancing him to the CONCACAF Champions Cup quarterfinals is manifestly there with him. “We will not engage in any risky behavior,” he declared.

On April 3, Miami will face off against Monterrey, a club from Mexico, in the regional tournament.

Montreal goes up in flamesChicago won 4-3 at home thanks to a spectacular late goal by Kellyn Acosta, helped by the wind from within his own half.

Hugo Cuypers of Belgium scored an equalizer for the Fire in the fifth minute of extra time, cutting the Canadians’ lead to three goals after regulation time ended.

Then, with nine minutes remaining in stoppage time, Acosta gained possession just inside his own half and sent a long ball towards the box; the ball caught an unusually powerful gust of wind and went past Montreal goalkeeper Jonathan Sirois, who was left alone.

Cucho Hernandez of Colombia, Jacen Russell-Rowe, and Aiden Morris scored for the defending champions Columbus Crew, who improved to 3-0 on the season with a victory over the New York Red Bulls.

The 2022 Major League Soccer champions, Los Angeles FC, have lost their last two games, 2-0 to a Minnesota United team that has been steadily developing.

Robin Lod and South African Bongokuhle Hlongwane scored to seal the victory, giving new Minnesota manager Eric Ramsay a perfect debut after joining the club from Manchester United.

In their first four games of the season, Minnesota has gone undefeated with three victories and one tie.

Losing 1-0 to the Houston Dynamo ended Phil Neville’s promising debut as head coach of the Portland Timbers.

Despite having Keaton Parks sent off in the 68th minute, New York City FC bounced back from losing their first three games to upset John Herdman’s Toronto FC 2-1, the first defeat of the season.