CF Montreal’s defender Fernando Alvarez initiated the scoring merely 13 minutes into the game by nodding in a corner kιϲk. The visiting team maintained their lead for over 50 minutes before the situation took a drамаtic turn.

The Herons managed to equalize in the 71st minute with a goal from Leonardo Campana, only to have their efforts nullified four minutes later when Matias Coccoro scored for CF Montreal. Shortly after, Sunusi Ibrahim added a third goal, making it 3-1.

In the typical fashion of Inter Miami, they refused to concede defeat. Jordi Alba rekindled their hopes with an impressive strike in the 80th minute, resulting in a total of four goals between the two teams in just nine minutes. Despite Alba’s remarkable effort, it wasn’t enough for Inter Miami to avoid their first loss of the season, concluding the match with a score of 3-2.

Before the 2024 season kicked off, CF Montreal secured the services of former Inter Miami forward Josef Martinez. In his brief appearance as a substitute at halftime, Tomas Aviles, a defender for the Herons, received a yellow card for a severe tackle on his former teammate.

It’s a rare occurrence for a player not included in the matchday squad to be named MVP, but for Inter Miami on Sunday, the Argentine took that title. The narrative underscored his significance and indispensability to the Herons’ style of play, particularly in the final third.

The team faced challenges in transitioning from midfield to ɑttɑϲk, experiencing numerous turnovers in CF Montreal’s half. With Suarez on the bench, the burden of being the linking player alongside Campana fell on winger Robert Taylor, but the Finnish international found it too challenging to fulfill that role.

Messi serves as the linchpin in their ɑttɑϲk, and in his absence, the Herons appeared disoriented and lacking direction.