Sports Desk:

Luis Suárez delivered a standout performance with one goal and two assists as Inter Miami secured a 3-1 victory over Pumas on Wednesday night, moving forward in the Leagues Cup competition.

The team played without Lionel Messi, who remains sidelined indefinitely due to what the club described as a minor muscle injury in his right leg. Messi sustained the injury early in Inter Miami’s win against Necaxa on Saturday. He was present for Wednesday’s match, watching from a suite at Chase Stadium.

With eight points in the Leagues Cup standings, Inter Miami became the first Major League Soccer (MLS) club to qualify for the knockout stages of the tournament.

Rodrigo De Paul scored his maiden goal for Inter Miami in the 45th minute, assisted by Suárez, equalizing after Pumas’ Jorge Ruvalcaba opened the scoring in the 34th minute.

De Paul, a key midfielder for Argentina, joined MLS to play alongside his national teammate Messi. He made his club debut in the tournament’s opener against Atlas last Wednesday and registered two assists in the following match against Necaxa.

Suárez gave Miami a 2-1 lead in the 59th minute by converting a penalty kick, awarded after a handball by Pumas defender José Caicedo inside the box. It marked Suárez’s first goal since scoring against Palmeiras in Inter Miami’s Club World Cup clash on June 23.

Tadeo Allende sealed the win in the 69th minute, finishing Suárez’s second assist of the night.