Luis Suárez of Inter Miami CF celebrates after scoring the team`s fourth goal during the MLS match between Houston Dynamo FC and Inter Miami at Shell Energy Stadium on March 02, 2025 in Houston, Texas.—AFP photo

Lionel Messi was rested but Inter Miami had no trouble in dealing with the Houston Dynamo cruising to a 4-1 win in Major League Soccer on Sunday with Telasco Segovia scoring twice.

Ticket buyers in the Texas city were upset to miss out on a chance to see the Argentine World Cup winner after his coach Javier Mascherano decided to leave him in Florida following a busy start to the season.

As compensation for Messi`s absence, Houston offered their fans free tickets to another game this season but unfortunately for the Dynamo their defence was just as generous.

Miami pressed as Houston tried to play out from the back and Benjamin Cremaschi nicked the ball to Suarez, whose deft touch put in Segovia and the Venezuelan slotted home.

Houston responded well, enjoying plenty of possession but they were hit on the break in the 37th minute with Tadeo Allende finishing off the counter-attack with an emphatic left-foot drive.

The third came just before the interval when Yannick Bright won the ball in midfield and powered forward slipping the ball outside to Luis Suarez who found Segovia, the striker holing off a challenge from Obafemi Awodesu before poking into the corner.

Powerful

After the break, Houston had the ball in the net but Ezequiel Ponce`s header was ruled out for offside.

Suarez then made it 4-0 in the 79th minute, turning and losing his markers as he powered into the box before beating Dynamo keeper Andrew Tarbell with a powerful left-foot drive.

A Nicolas Lodeiro goal in the 85th minute provided some consolation for the home side and there was another annoyance for Miami when defender Ian Fray received a red card for an incident after the final whistle.

But it was a performance that suggested Miami, Supporters Shield winners last year for their record-breaking regular season campaign, should be a dominant force again in the Eastern Conference.

"We started really well the first half to get 3-0 up," Suarez told broadcaster Apple TV.

"We will try our best, we know last year was painful to lose (in the playoffs) to Atlanta, it was so sad and this year we will do our best to win MLS," he added.

Defending champions Los Angeles Galaxy suffered a second straight defeat to start the season with a 2-1 loss at the Vancouver Whitecaps.

Sam Adekugbe put the home side ahead in the third minute before Gabriel Pec - after some shaky defending from Vancouver - levelled in the 39th minute.

But three minutes from the end, Pedro Vite floated in a cross from right which Brian White met with a glancing header to grab the three points for the Canadian team.

Source: AFP