Lionel Messi Absent but Inter Miami Triumphs Over Houston Dynamo in MLS

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Inter Miami had no trouble dealing with the Houston Dynamo, cruising to a 4-1 win in Major League Soccer on Sunday, despite the absence of Lionel Messi. The Argentine World Cup winner was rested by his coach, Javier Mascherano, following a busy start to the season. As compensation for Messi's absence, Houston offered their fans free tickets to another game this season. Unfortunately for the Dynamo, their defense was just as generous, allowing Inter Miami to score four goals.

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 goal 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.

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. The match scores were as follows:

• Inter Miami: 4
• Houston Dynamo: 1

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 leveled in the 39th minute. But three minutes from the end, Pedro Vite floated in a cross from the right, which Brian White met with a glancing header to grab the three points for the Canadian team. The tournament schedule for the upcoming matches will be released soon, and the team rankings are as follows:

1. Inter Miami
2. Vancouver Whitecaps
3. Los Angeles Galaxy

Inter Miami's performance suggested that they should be a dominant force again in the Eastern Conference, with Luis Suarez and Telasco Segovia leading the team to victory. The Uruguayan scored one and assisted three as the Herons outclassed the Dynamo with Messi left out of the squad. With their impressive win, Inter Miami is looking to make a strong comeback in the MLS season.