Far from the draw the match was two years ago, when Leonel Messi led Inter Miami to Saputo Stadium to face CF Montreal; the two teams will meet tonight. This year, however, the diminutive Argentinian maestro will not be there, and tickets will likely not fetch $300+, as the Eastern Conference’s first-place team (10-2-4) meets the lowly Montreal side, which sits in 12th (4-9-3). Messi and fellow Argentine Rodrigo De Paul have been given time off after playing the entire 120-minute World Cup final in New Jersey last weekend. Messi played in all eight of Argentina’s games. Former Uruguayan international Luis Suarez, however, will be in pink and black and is in fine form for his club side. After scoring a brace against the Chicago Fire and a hat trick the game prior against Philadelphia, Suarez will lead the attack against the bleu et noir, a team that hasn’t won a game in five. It is the first time the two teams will meet this season. Montreal is hoping that German-born Ghanaian Prince-Osei Owusu (nine goals, six assists) will be able to find some scoring form. The team’s leading goal-scorer bagged a hat trick against D.C. United on May 23, but hasn’t found the back of the net in three games. Game starts at 7:30 p.m.
