SANDY, Utah — Rodrigo De Paul and Luis Suárez found the back of the net just a minute apart in the late stages of the second half, while Dayne St. Clair achieved his second clean sheet of the season, leading Inter Miami to a 2-0 victory over Real Salt Lake on Wednesday night.
With a record of 5-1-3, Miami remains unbeaten in their last eight regular-season matches, positioning themselves second in the Eastern Conference standings.
This loss ended a six-game unbeaten streak for Salt Lake (5-1-2), who had previously secured multi-goal victories in their last two outings.
De Paul opened the scoring in the 82nd minute, curling a shot into the upper-right corner following a short corner taken by Telasco Segovia.
Suárez, who came on in the 75th minute, quickly made an impact by volleying a left-footed shot past goalkeeper Rafael Cabral, netting his second goal of the season.
Miami’s coach Guillermo Hoyos praised Suárez’s contribution, saying, “It wasn’t just a goal; it was a ‘golazo.’ When you have players of this caliber, it’s natural for them to feel frustrated when sitting on the bench. However, there was no sign of that behavior here.”
Photo by Alex Goodlett/MLS via Getty Images
Despite scoring a brace last Saturday against the Colorado Rapids, Lionel Messi was unable to score during this match in Salt Lake City. The Argentine superstar had several clear chances, but RSL’s goalkeeper Rafael was effective in denying him.
“I would have loved to see Leo score one, two, or even three goals given his many opportunities,” Hoyos remarked. “Ultimately, other teammates stepped up. I’m thrilled with Suárez’s goal; he’s been putting in a lot of hard work. He seized his chance and converted it brilliantly, just like Rodri did.”
This was the second matchup between the teams, with the first having concluded in a 2-0 home win for Miami during the 2024 season opener.
De Paul expressed his admiration for Suárez’s goal, stating, “Suárez is simply remarkable. His goal is a testament to that.” He also emphasized, “There’s an important lesson here, especially for legendary players who may struggle with not getting enough playing time.”
This report includes information from The Associated Press.