Inter Miami rested Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez but still managed to beat the Vancouver Whitecaps 2-1 on Saturday, extending their unbeaten streak in Major League Soccer to 10 games.
With Miami's two star strikers, as well as his former Barcelona teammate, midfielder Sergio Busquets, absent from the trip to Canada, coach Gerard Martino deployed Ecuadorian forward Leonardo Campana and Finnish winger Robert Taylor up front, who provided the goals.
Martino said none of the three former Barcelona players were injured but he thought it wise to rest them ahead of Wednesday's midweek match against Atlanta and avoid the 12-hour flight home.
The Whitecaps sold out the 55,000-seat stadium in anticipation of Messi's appearance, and Vancouver offered half-price food as compensation, but some spectators held up signs protesting Messi's absence.
Taylor put Miami ahead in the 38th minute after receiving a great pass from Jordi Alba, cutting in with his right foot and smashing a shot into the far corner.
Taylor then set up Miami's second goal in the 54th minute, as Campana led a counterattack and switched the pass to Taylor on the left wing, and the winger charged into the penalty area and delivered a precise pass to the Ecuadorian, who Campana slotted home confidently.
The Whitecaps pulled within a point in the 72nd minute with a Ryan Gauld penalty after a foul on Tomas Aviles, and Vancouver stepped up the pressure in their bid to tie the score.
Fafa Picaud's header hit the post and the Haitian forward struggled repeatedly with Miami's defense in the second half, but the team persevered to earn the three points.
– Rossi Brace –
Diego Rossi scored two goals and defending MLS champion Columbus Crew recorded a 2-0 victory at Orlando City for their third straight away win.
The Crew, who will play in the CONCACAF Champions Cup final against Mexico's Pachuca next Saturday, got off to a slow start to the MLS regular season but Wilfried Nancy's team appears to be on a roll.
Uruguay's Rossi gave Columbus the lead with a rare penalty kick just before halftime.
Orlando was awarded a penalty after Crew defender Steven Moreira brought down City's Colombian winger Luis Muriel in the penalty box, but video review showed there had been a foul at the start of play at the other end of the field.
After checking the monitor, referee Jair Marufo determined that Cesar Araujo had brought down Aidan Morris in the penalty area, giving Columbus a penalty kick that Rossi celebrated by converting.
Rossi's second goal, in the 61st minute, was far less controversial. The forward ran on to a pass from Yaw Yeboah and scored a beautiful chip kick with the outside of his foot that beat Pedro Gallese.
In a thrilling seven-goal game in Toronto, the home team trailed 3-3 against Cincinnati on a Lorenzo Insigne penalty in the 85th minute, but Cincinnati's Sergio Santos scored a goal in added time to make it 4-3.
There was still time for former Italy striker Insigne to score again, but his final shot was ruled out for offside.
Former United States and Premier League goalkeeper Brad Guzan was sent off during Atlanta United's 1-0 loss at home to Los Angeles FC.
Guzan's attempted clearance with a header outside the penalty area was deflected off LAFC's Mateusz Bogusz, and the 39-year-old keeper's outstretched leg brought down the Polish attacker.
Following a VAR review, Guzan was shown a red card and substitute goalkeeper Josh Cohen's first task was to retrieve the ball after it had deflected from Bogus' free kick and hit the goal.
The game ended 10-10 after LAFC's Eduardo Atuesta was sent off after receiving a second yellow card, but the visitors won 1-0.
Western Conference leader Real Salt Lake is quickly becoming one of MLS' comeback specialists, surviving a three-goal deficit to earn a 3-3 draw at FC Dallas a week after scoring three late goals to beat the Colorado Rapids 5-3.
Nelson Palacios equalized with a left-footed shot in the final eight minutes of added time.
Critical/Critical
