FORT LAUDERDALE — Defender Jordi Alba scored two minutes after Chicago pulled even in the second half to rally Inter Miami to a 2-1 victory over the Fire on Saturday night.
Rookie Matías Rojas scored for a fourth time this season to give Inter Miami (16-4-5) a 1-0 lead in the sixth minute. Robert Taylor picked up his fourth assist and 20-year-old defender Tomás Avilés snagged his first of the season and the second of his two-year career on the goal. It was the seventh start and 10th appearance of the campaign for Rojas.
Chicago (6-12-7) trailed until defender Rafael Czichos used Gastón Giménez’s third assist of the season in the 75th minute to score his first goal this season and the sixth in his three years in the league.
The tie lasted until Alba scored unassisted with a left-footed shot from the left side of the box in the 77th. It was the fourth goal this season for Alba and his fifth in 22 starts and 27 appearances in his two seasons with the club.
Drake Callender finished with four saves in goal for Inter Miami. Chris Brady stopped seven shots for the Fire. Callender needed to make just one save to keep the Fire off the scoreboard in the first half. Brady had four saves by halftime to keep Chicago close.
Chicago knocked FC Cincinnati out of the top spot in the Supporters’ Shield race with a 1-0 road victory on Wednesday.
Inter Miami is 2-4-1 all time versus the Fire.
As the league goes on a month-long hiatus for the Leagues Cup, Inter Miami leads the league with 53 points at the break in 25 games played, with the Los Angeles Galaxy (49 points in 26 games), FC Cincinnati (48 points in 25) and Los Angeles FC (47 points in 24 games) jockeying for second place in the league.
Inter Miami will host Cincinnati on Aug. 24 when play resumes. The Fire will travel to play New York City FC on Aug. 24.
Inter Miami kept cruising through the MLS season without their superstar, Lionel Messi. Despite Messi having missed more than half the team’s games (13 of 25) with other commitments and injuries, Inter Miami built onto the franchise points record against the Fire, with the 53 continuing to pull away from the former team record of 48, established in 2022.
There are nine regular-season games left.
