Luis Suárez scored two goals in a second straight match to spark Inter Miami to a 4-1 victory against the Chicago Fire at Soldier Field on Saturday night.
Inter Miami once again played without superstar Lionel Messi, who has been out since July 14 when he suffered an ankle injury while playing for Argentina in the Copa America final.
Suárez scored both goals in a 2-0 victory over visiting FC Cincinnati last time out as Inter Miami became the third-fastest team to clinch a playoff spot in a 34-match season. Only Los Angeles FC (25 in 2019 and 2022) and Cincinnati (26 in 2023) qualified earlier. He scored the earliest goal in club history when he needed just 30 seconds to find the net against Cincinnati.
Inter Miami (18-4-5) led 1-0 at halftime thanks to an own goal by Fire defender Tobias Salquist in the 25th minute.
Suarez scored in the first minute of the second half for a two-goal lead, and the 37-year-old forward made it 3-0 in the 65th minute with his single-season club-record 16th goal in his first season in the league.
The Fire (6-13-8) avoided the shutout in the 82nd minute when 20-year-old forward Georgios Koutsias scored his first of the season, assisted by Kellyn Acosta.
Miami’s Robert Taylor scored in the third minute of stoppage time to complete the scoring. It was his fifth goal this season.
The Fire will host D.C. United on Saturday. Inter Miami is off until Sept. 14 when it hosts Charlotte FC.