Inter Miami responds to Fire challenge to net win

Jordi Alba scored the tiebreaking goal in the 75th minute to help Inter Miami CF post a 2-1 victory over the Chicago Fire on Saturday night at Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Matias Rojas scored in the first half for Inter Miami (16-4-5, MLS-best 53 points), who played without star Lionel Messi (ankle) for the second straight game. Messi sustained the injury while playing for Argentina in the Copa America championship game on Sunday. Argentina defeated Colombia 1-0.

Rafael Czichos scored the lone goal for Chicago (6-12-7, 25 points), which dropped to 2-7-4 on the road.

Miami ended its woes against the Fire, halting a three-game losing streak and four-match winless stretch.

Drake Callender made four saves while helping the Herons improve to 6-1-1 over their past eight matches.

Chris Brady of the Fire had seven stops.

Chicago tied the match in the 73rd minute when Czichos dribbled through traffic and sent a left-footed shot past Callender. The goal was the first of the season for Czichos.

Two minutes later, Miami was back in the lead. Brady came out to try and punch away a high ball but was unsuccessful as teammate Mauricio Pineda headed it in the direction of Alba, who sent a left-footed shot into the open net for his fourth goal of the season.

Earlier, Miami struck in the sixth minute and the sequence began with Tomas Aviles delivering a long pass from his own end to Robert Taylor on the left wing.

Taylor ended up driving along the end line before slipping a pass back to Rojas, who knocked a left-footed shot into the right corner of the net. It was Rojas' fourth goal of the season.

Miami had chances to take a two-goal lead late in the first half, but Julian Gressel hit the top of the crossbar in the second minute of stoppage time and Federico Redondo sent the rebound over the net.

The Fire turned up the pressure in the second half and Hugo Cuypers sent a header over the net in the 64th minute. Three minutes later, Brian Gutierrez's right-footer was stopped by Callender, who then swung his legs to clear the ball just before Chicago's charging Chris Mueller arrived to try to knock the ball into the net.

Miami had a 19-14 edge in shots and placed nine on target to Chicago's six.

--Field Level Media