Come for the Messi show, stay for the Suarez highlights

When Lionel Messi was out, Luis Suarez stepped up to produce goals at a rate worth the price of admission.

Earlier this month, a packed crowd of 19,365 entered Audi Field to see DC United take on Inter Miami, and for many in the crowd, there was one person that caused them to purchase their tickets.

Lionel Messi has garnered massive interest and very high ticket prices wherever Miami plays. However, that one person who most came to see wasn’t there.

Out of the match with an injury, Messi didn’t make the trip to the nation’s capital and initially, there was some disappointment from the people who wanted to see Messi play for the first time. Still, that didn’t stop them from embracing the other stars on the field on that day, specifically, Luis Suarez.

Suarez, along with Jordi Alba, didn’t start that match last weekend against DC United. But, the loudest cheers of the afternoon came when Suarez came out of the locker room with the rest of the Miami substitutes. Waving to the crowd, Suarez acknowledged the people who came out to see them play. He got even more cheers when he got off the bench early in the second half to begin warming up. Fans were ready to see yet another major star get ready to take the field.

Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

Luis Suarez entered in the 62nd minute to raucous applause from the Miami fans and even DC fans who wanted to see him lose. The score 1-1 at the time, Miami was looking for a spark. Instead, the 19.365 in attendance received something better: The Suarez Show.

Suarez didn’t wait long to make an impact, as he was able to score the go ahead goal in the 72nd minute. After a foul that DC United probably thought should have been called on a chance on one end, Miami went out on the break. Suarez bided his time on the run and timed it perfectly. The ball found its way to Leo Campana, who found a streaking Suarez in the box. Suarez puts a toe on it to put it in the net to make it 2-1 Miami.

Suarez added another one 11 minutes later to seal it for Miami, chipping DC United goalkeeper Alex Bono with a very patient strike that Bono almost kept out of the net but didn’t get enough of his hands on the ball.

3-1. A Luis Suarez brace. The roar from the Miami fans in attendance said it all. He had a brace in under 25 minutes on the field.

There had been many doubts early in the preseason about whether Luis Suarez would be able to hold up against the rigors of Major League Soccer, notably the more physical play, the loaded schedule, and the lengthy travel.

He’s lost several steps of speed and his knees have required constant treatment, at times limiting his minutes. But, he’s still been able to take his talents to the league in a big way early on. He is tied for the most goals in the league in the early part of the season with 4, including a brace against Orlando City in addition to the brace he had against DC United.

As the Inter Miami schedule continues, the team looks to be without Lionel Messi at least for the short term as he deals with injury. However, if it means that Luis Suarez is going to continue to heat up, the Suarez Show may be worth the hefty price of admission.