Luis Suárez leads Inter Miami to 3-1 win over Pumas in Leagues Cup

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Luis Suárez scored and had two assists, and Inter Miami beat Pumas 3-1 on Wednesday night to advance in the Leagues Cup.

Miami played the match without Lionel Messi, who is sidelined indefinitely with what the team described as a minor muscle injury in his right leg.

Messi was hurt in the opening minutes of Inter Miami's win over Necaxa on Saturday. He was in attendance for Wednesday's match and watched from a suite at Chase Stadium.

Miami, which has eight points in the Major League Soccer Leagues Cup standings, is the first MLS club through to the tournament's knockout stages.

Rodrigo De Paul scored his first Inter Miami goal on an assist from Suárez in the 45th, tying the match after Pumas’ Jorge Ruvalcaba opened scoring in the 34th.

De Paul, the star Argentine midfielder who came to MLS to play with his national team friend Messi, made his club debut in Inter Miami's League's Cup opener against Atlas last Wednesday and had two assists against Necaxa.

Suárez put Inter Miami ahead 2-1 when he converted a penalty kick in the 59th after a handball was called on Pumas defender José Caicedo in the penalty area.

It was Suárez first goal since he scored in Inter Miami's Club World Cup match against Palmeiras on June 23.

Tadeo Allende finished Suárez's second assist of the night in the 69th.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

The ball gets past Pumas UNAM Goalkeeper Miguel Paul (181) on a goal scored by Inter Miami midfielder Rodrigo De Paul, not shown, during the first half of a Leagues Cup soccer match, Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Pumas UNAM midfielder Jorge Ruvalcaba (17), right, scores a goal against Inter Miami goalkeeper Rocco Ríos Novo (34) during the first half of a Leagues Cup soccer match, Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Inter Miami forward Tadeo Allende (21) attempts a shot on the goal as Pumas UNAM defender Ruben Duarte (5) defends during the first half of a Leagues Cup soccer match, Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi, left, sits with his wife Antonela Roccuzzo, right, before a Leagues Cup soccer match against Pumas UNAM, Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Inter Miami midfielder Rodrigo De Paul, left celebrates with forward Luis Suárez (9) after scoring a goal during the first half of a Leagues Cup soccer match against Puma UNAM, Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (AP) — Crews were making progress Saturday battling a fast-growing and smoky wildfire in southern California that broke out Friday morning, prompting mandatory evacuations and warnings.

Now encompassing roughly 6.3 square miles (about 16 square kilometers) east of Moreno Valley in Riverside County, the Springs Fire was 45% percent contained on Saturday, according to a state website. It was 25% contained on Friday.

More than a dozen zones in the county remained under mandatory evacuation orders or evacuation warnings, while six have been dropped. It was not immediately known how many households were affected by the orders.

Firefighters were battling strong winds. The National Weather Service issued an advisory for 15 mph to 20 mph winds (24 kph to 32 kph), with gusts up to 45 mph (72 kph), into Saturday afternoon. An air quality alert has also been issued for harmful fine particle pollution levels due to wildfire smoke.

Hundreds of people have been battling the blaze using helicopters, engines and water tenders. It's located in a populated unincorporated part of Riverside County, in a recreational area near the city of Moreno Valley, which has a population of roughly 200,000. The city is 10 miles (16 kilometers) southeast of Riverside and 64 miles (103 kilometers) east of Los Angeles.

Pechanga Fire Department firefighters monitor the smoky and fast-growing wildfire Springs Fire in Moreno Valley, Calif., Friday, April 3, 2026. (Terry Pierson /The Orange County Register via AP)