Suárez & Segovia carry Inter Miami in Lionel Messi's absence | OneFootball

By Ben Wright

No Lionel Messi, no problem.

Inter Miami CF rolled past Houston Dynamo FC in Sunday Night Soccer presented by Continental Tire, earning a 4-1 road victory at Shell Energy Stadium without the 2024 Landon Donovan MLS MVP.

Sans Messi, Luis Suárez put in a stunning individual performance. The iconic Uruguayan striker assisted on two first-half goals before scoring himself to seal the win.

"We are possibly talking about one of the best five center forwards in the world in the last 10 years," Miami head coach Javier Mascherano said post-match via a translator.

"He has played with great teams and everywhere he has had a great deal of influence, not just in Barcelona and Liverpool. Obviously for me, it's a privilege as a coach to train this kind of players."

Segovia & Tallende step up

Suárez wasn't the only standout for Miami, of course. Venezuela international Telasco Segovia bagged a first-half brace, putting him at three goals in his first two MLS matches. But for Mascherano, the 21-year-old's performance was no surprise.

"The decision to go get a player like Telasco is because we saw quality, he can play in our team, he contributes a lot of things," Mascherano said of the offseason signing, who's helped replace Diego Gómez moving to Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion.

"... He has the last pass, he also has a goal, but also in the defensive stance. We know that we can also count on him in different positions and gives us diversity that allows him to be a very important player. We're very happy with him."

Along with Segovia, on-loan forward Tadeo Allende continued his excellent form, smashing into the top corner for his second goal across all competitions. While there's no direct replacement for Messi in MLS – or on the planet – Miami continue to find contributions by committee.

"I am so happy for them because they come here to impact the team," Suárez told MLS Season Pass sideline reporter Andrew Wiebe after the match. "They work very hard to help the team with running and pressure. When we have the ball, they run a lot to create the chances."

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Messi's absence

After training on Friday, Messi was a surprise late scratch for the trip to Houston.

Miami's captain stayed home in South Florida amid a congested early-season schedule, a decision Mascherano said was not taken lightly. Miami are balancing MLS play with a Concacaf Champions Cup run, which continues Thursday in the Round of 16 by hosting Jamaican side Cavalier FC.

Amid great expectations, the record-setting 2024 Supporters' Shield winners are taking no chances with the Argentine No. 10's health.

"I don't know a single player that knows their body as Leo knows his," Mascherano said. "The three games in six days and the work that he had done, it was better for him to rest, especially on a trip that's two and a half or three hours. We're thinking about a little bit in his physical well-being."

WATCH: Inter Miami run rampant vs. Houston Dynamo