Luis Suarez made a significant impact as he came off the bench to score twice for Inter Miami in their 3-1 victory against D.C. United in Major League Soccer on Saturday, in the absence of the injured Lionel Messi.

Suarez, who has been prolific since joining MLS, continued his impressive form with two goals, bringing his tally to six in seven games across all competitions for Inter Miami.

Despite Miami's previous struggles without Messi, coach Gerardo Martino opted to start Suarez and Jordi Alba on the bench. D.C. United took the lead through Jared Stroud, but Leonardo Campana equalized for Miami before half-time.

Suarez entered the game in the 62nd minute and quickly made an impact. He scored his first goal just 10 minutes later, finishing off a well-executed move with a low cross from Campana. Then, Suarez scored his second goal with a clever chip after being set up by Diego Gomez.

D.C. United's hopes of a comeback were further dashed when Pedro Santos was sent off in the final minute for a foul on substitute Shanyder Borgelin.

Martino praised Suarez's performance, stating that it perfectly aligned with their plan for his involvement in the game.

Meanwhile, defending champions Columbus Crew maintained their unbeaten start with a 3-0 win over the New York Red Bulls, while Los Angeles FC suffered a 2-0 defeat against Minnesota United.

In other matches, Chicago Fire secured a dramatic 4-3 win over Montreal, with Kellyn Acosta scoring a remarkable wind-assisted winner from inside his own half. Additionally, New York City FC bounced back from their early struggles to defeat Toronto FC 2-1, despite being reduced to 10 men after Keaton Parks was sent off.

Overall, it was an eventful day in MLS with standout performances and unexpected results across the league.