Messi-less Miami win on Casemiro debut, Berterame suffers head blow

Inter Miami claimed a narrow 1-0 victory against Montreal, a match notable for the debut of Brazilian midfielder Casemiro. The team, however, played without its superstar Lionel Messi, who was still resting following his World Cup commitments. The decisive moment of the game came in the 81st minute when Luis Suarez converted a penalty, securing the three points for Miami.

The penalty was awarded after a frightening incident involving Miami's German Berterame. He sustained a severe head injury during a clash of heads with Montreal's Efrain Morales while contesting a ball. Berterame fell to the ground and remained motionless, prompting immediate calls for medical assistance from players on both sides. After a lengthy delay and treatment on the pitch, he was taken to the hospital by ambulance. Miami's coach, Guillermo Hoyos, later confirmed that Berterame was conscious and "OK," and that his family had been fully informed.

Suarez, who converted the penalty, celebrated by holding up Berterame's jersey. The Uruguayan forward continued his impressive scoring run, netting his ninth goal of the season and extending his scoring streak to six goals in his last three matches. Casemiro, a decorated player with 91 caps for Brazil and five Champions League titles from his time at Real Madrid, made his first appearance for Miami after joining from Manchester United earlier in the week. He played a significant role in controlling the midfield throughout the game, though both teams struggled with their finishing.

Messi and his Argentina teammate Rodrigo De Paul were absent for the second consecutive game, still recovering from Argentina's World Cup final loss to Spain the previous weekend. Major League Soccer officials confirmed that Messi would not be required to participate in the upcoming All-Star game. Inter Miami has now won both of their matches since the league resumed after the World Cup, extending their winning streak to six games and positioning them two points behind Eastern Conference leaders Nashville.

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His family has been informed of everything. We didn’t know what to do, it was a very desperate situation.