Inter Miami returned to winning ways on Saturday night with a narrow 1-0 victory over DC United in Major League Soccer action.
It may not have been the way Miami Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino drew it, but another three points on the board for the south Florida side. DC’s win saw the Herons retain their top spot in the Supporters’ Shield with 31 points from 15 games played.
The Herons have welcomed the return of superstar Lionel Messi after the 36-year-old played out a 0-0 draw with Orlando City in midweek. However, Messi fell off the pace — much like his senior partner Luis Suarez — as the Herons struggled to create real chances for much of the game.
DC managed to accumulate 1.06 xG and 15 shots to Miami’s .77 and eight shots — but nothing significant as the clock ticked down at Chase Stadium. It wasn’t Suarez, Messi or new signing Matias Rojas who saved the day – it was Leo Campana.
The Ecuadorian was brought on in the latter stages of the tournament and made an immediate impact by latching on to Sergio Busquets who was elevated on the ball. The shirt celebration may have been a bit over the top, but Campana will not tire as he grabbed his fourth goal in just 441 minutes of action to win for Miami.
Campana just started to find his footing late last season for Miami. The former Wolverhampton Wanderers striker has scored 11 goals in all appearances for Miami and has shown real signs of promise with Josef Martinez set to leave the club soon – meaning he could have the chance to make his place up front his own.
That all changed when rumors began to heat up about a possible reunion between the greatest soccer duos of all time in Suarez and Messi. Although Suarez is at the end of his career, he still proved to be a top-class striker with 11 goals in Miami in 2024.
Suarez’s efficiency coupled with his chemistry with Messi meant that Campana’s minutes were reduced. Not only has he played less than 500 minutes, but Campana has only managed to start five games. However, he used his limited minutes well with three goals and one assist to show his quality.
Maybe one day Martino will choose a formation that allows both Campana and Suarez to take the pitch at the same time.
But Martino rarely deviates from his 4-3-3 formation, and while Suarez will be heavily relied upon for the campaign, Campana has reminded everyone of the quality he possesses and could end up getting more minutes when the Copa America starts this summer. when Suarez traveled to Uruguay.
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