Rodrigo De Paul and Luis Suarez scored a minute apart late in the second half, breaking a deadlock and handing Inter Miami a 2-0 win over Real Salt Lake on Wednesday in Sandy, Utah.
Dayne St. Clair made four saves in his first clean sheet of the season as Miami (5-1-3, 18 points) went 2-0-0 on a trip to Colorado and Utah, which were also the first two matches under interim manager Guillermo Hoyos.
Rafael Cabral recorded five saves for Real Salt Lake (5-2-1, 16 points) in their first loss since the season opener, ending a six-match unbeaten run.
The possession was nearly even throughout the night until Miami took over in the final 10 minutes. The visitors broke the seal in the 82nd minute off a corner kick.
Rather than send in a cross, Telasco Segovia passed to the outside for De Paul, who was left unmarked and fired in a perfect shot to the far corner.
Miami regained possession quickly after an offside call on RSL. Suarez, who subbed in during the 75th minute after not playing Saturday against the Rapids, was the beneficiary of a juggled pass by teammate German Berterame. Suarez buried a left-footed shot on the run.
It was the second goal of the season for both De Paul and Suarez.
Salt Lake thought it had scored within the first five minutes of the match for the third straight contest.
Morgan Guilavogui’s fifth-minute goal, a rebound of his own initial attempt, was taken off the board as Sergi Solans was ruled offside by mere inches.
Miami star Lionel Messi had one shot off a cross parried away by Cabral. Otherwise, quality looks were hard to come by in a scoreless first half.
RSL had their chances in the second half before Miami heated up. Zavier Gozo badly missed the net after Diego Luna’s creative backheel pass to him in the box in the 64th minute.
RSL’s DeAndre Yedlin expertly blocked out Facundo Mura’s push in the 76th. Salt Lake went on the counterattack and won a free kick near the penalty arc, but Luna’s free-kick shot went inches over the crossbar.
–Field Level Media
