Inter Miami picked up a 1–0 victory over hosts CF Montréal on Saturday night, as Brazilian soccer legend Casemiro made his MLS debut in pink; however, it was anything but a celebratory atmosphere.
Luis Suárez scored the lone goal in the 81st minute after a 10-minute stoppage in play due to a freak collision that saw striker Germán Berterame taken away in an ambulance. The Mexican international rose to contest a header with Montréal center back Efraín Morales and hit the ground without movement after a shoulder to the back of the head. Players rapidly called for medical attention as Berterame appeared to fall limp, with his chin chattering before emergency staff was able to reach the field. The ambulance drove onto the pitch, and Berterame was taken straight to hospital, where he began his recovery.
“Thank God he’s recovering,” said manager Guillermo Hoyos post-match. “He’s okay and conscious. His family has been informed of everything. We didn’t know what to do—it was a very desperate situation.”
Suárez made no mistake stepping up to the spot after seeing his teammate carted off, offering a deft panenka penalty to beat Montréal’s Sebastian Breza and secure Miami’s club-record sixth consecutive win. At the back, Rocco Ríos Novo made two saves, securing a clean sheet and avenging his horrific gaffe from midweek action against the Chicago Fire, further strengthening his case to be the permanent starter ahead of Dayne St. Clair.
A goal for @InterMiamiCF, a goal for Germán Berterame. 🩷 pic.twitter.com/c23xvNV91K
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) July 26, 2026
While the game might not feel as victorious as it could have, the win keeps Miami second in the Eastern Conference and thriving despite missing talisman Lionel Messi and Rodrigo De Paul, both of whom continue to recover from the 2026 World Cup final away from the team.
Here’s how it all went down on Saturday night in Montreal, and how Casemiro looked in his first minutes in pink.
Casemiro vs. CF Montréal —How It All Unfolded at Stade Saputo
A Creative Start
The opening half of Casemiro’s MLS career stunningly ended scoreless, with clear-cut chances from both teams falling short of crossing the goal line. Yet, the Brazilian stood out with a slipped-through pass in the 14th minute, when he calmly dribbled past a defender in a single move to expose space and time, before sending a ball through which Suárez was unable to get onto.
A minute later, he got on the end of a well-placed out-swinging corner kick near the penalty spot, but fired a header over the goal. While Miami showed defensive faults in the opening 45 minutes, with chances from Montréal’s Prince Owusu and Matty Longstaff, Casemiro’s presence was overall positive.
Small Moments and Tough Tackles
Casemiro played in the heart of Miami’s midfield alongside Telasco Segovia, and the two exchanged moments at which they would push forward into the attack. While the first half brought a largely cagey showing, Casemiro was able to open up space for Segovia to fire a shot off the crossbar in the 41st minute, before exchanges became more fluid throughout the second half.
Neither team was able to hold the ball for significant time in the second half. Despite some physical battles to maintain possession, Casemiro wasn’t able to get on the ball enough to truly influence the game. He looped in a free-kick from his own half and was credited for the shot, despite Breza easily securing the ball as he came out to challenge.
While both Casemiro and Segovia have shown the ability to produce marquee moments throughout their careers, neither was truly able to take charge in any attacking sense in a game where Montreal bunkered down.
The Brazilian ended his night with a crunching tackle on Fabian Herbers and posted 77 touches through a 90-minute effort, but lacked any memorable moments in a game that lost its spark after Berterame’s injury.
Berterame’s Health, Miami’s Record
The injury to Bertrame took the energy out of the rest of the game and caused instant panic around both teams. While Suárez offered a tribute after scoring, there was no immediate update on Berterame’s status before Hoyos mentioned that he was conscious in the hospital after the game. Should Miami be unable to turn to their star offseason acquisition, more of the goalscoring freight will fall on Suárez’s shoulders, a tall task for the 39-year-old, even as he rides a nine-goal season through a mere 793 minutes.
Miami’s win secured a record for the club as their sixth-consecutive in MLS play, and the Herons will look to extend that record next week against the Columbus Crew in the final regular season game before the 2026 Leagues Cup, the annual competition which pits 18 MLS teams against all 18 sides from Liga MX.
The Numbers That Explain Casemiro’s MLS Debut
- Casemiro’s ability to read space on a set piece nearly found him a goal off of a corner kick in the first half, despite being smaller than many of the players he was up against. That ended his night with 0.04 xG, on just one legitimate scoring chance.
- Despite Montréal offering a stingy effort in midfield, the Brazilian was able to send nine passes into the final third, all of which resulted in nothing.
- Miami will want a faster striker option to make them count, but Casemiro completed five long balls, which could offer scoring chances on a team with Messi or a more elusive and skilled forward than Suárez.
|
Statistic |
Tally |
|---|---|
|
Minutes Played |
90 |
|
Goals |
0 |
|
Assists |
0 |
|
Expected Goals (xG) |
0.04 |
|
xG on Target (xGOT) |
0.00 |
|
Expected Assists (xA) |
0.17 |
|
Accurate Passes |
57/64 (89%) |
|
Chances Created |
1 |
|
Big Chances Created |
0 |
|
Defensive Contributions |
3 |
|
Recoveries |
7 |
|
Shots on Target |
0 |
|
Shots Off Target |
2 |
|
Blocked Shots |
0 |
|
Shot Accuracy |
0/2 (50%) |
*Statistics Provided by FotMob
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