Lionel Messi returned from injury to score his 13th and 14th MLS goals and add his 14th assist, and Inter Miami overcame an early deficit to beat Philadelphia Union 3-1 on Saturday night.

Luis Suarez scored his 17th goal in second-half stoppage time to become his team’s top scorer, moving him two goals behind DC’s Christian Benteke in the battle for the MLS Golden Boot and maintaining Miami’s lead in the race for the Supporters’ Shield.

Jordi Alba added his 11th and 12th assists on Messi’s goals on a night when Miami (19-4-5, 62 points) became the first team to surpass 60 points.

Drake Callender saved seven shots in the Herons’ fifth straight victory and ninth in 10, despite playing the first nine games without Messi, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner.

Mikael Uhre scored in the opening minutes for the Union, who began the evening in 11th place in the Eastern Conference and two points behind the play-off limit.

Philadelphia put up a better performance than the final score suggests, outscoring Miami 20-9 in shots on goal and 8-4 in shots on goal, but was slowed at times by Callender and others due to their own wastefulness.

Messi last played for Miami on June 1 before departing for Argentina’s Copa America campaign, and he had not played a single minute of competitive action since damaging ankle ligaments in the Copa America final on July 14.

But it didn’t take long for him to break through and make up for Miami’s early deficit.

In the 26th minute, Suarez received Alba’s pass with his back to goal and laid the ball out to the left with his first touch. Messi received the pass, evaded Kai Wagner’s challenge and then fired a low shot to beat Andrew Rick.

Four minutes later, Alba crossed the ball straight to Messi, who ran at the penalty spot and shot in. Rick dived low and touched the ball, but was unable to save it.

Miami withstood considerable pressure in the second half before Messi made his final contribution, laying the ball off to Suarez, who fired it into the bottom left corner in Miami’s final foray of the night.

–Field level media