Luis Suarez scored a brace and a 10-man team, Inter Miami, became the first team to secure a spot in this season’s Major League Soccer playoffs with a 2-0 win over Cincinnati on Saturday at Chase Stadium.

Uruguayan veteran Suarez scored a goal just 32 seconds into the game and added a second five minutes later to secure a place in the postseason for Miami, which was without injured superstar Lionel Messi.

Miami is eight points ahead of second-place Cincinnati in the Eastern Conference.

Messi has not played since sustaining an ankle injury in Argentina’s victory over Colombia in the Copa America final on July 14.

However, Miami expects Messi to be back before the end of the regular season, which ends on October 19 and begins the playoffs the following week.

Cincinnati humiliated Miami on July 6 with a 6-1 victory over Gerardo Martino’s team in Ohio, and the start of the game suggested that Inter were determined to avenge that defeat.

Yannick Bright passed to Marcelo Weigandt on the right and the Argentine found Suarez, who took the ball down and put it in the net.

With former NFL star Tom Brady and Miami co-owner David Beckham watching, former Barcelona striker Suarez then doubled the lead with another clinical finish after a clever one-two with Matias Rojas.

Miami seemed to have the game firmly under control until three minutes before halftime, when Argentine defender Tomas Aviles was sent off with a second yellow card for a reckless foul on Kevin Kelsy.

At halftime, Cincinnati brought in Luciano Acosta, the league’s reigning most valuable player, who returned from an injury layoff.

And although the Argentine added a creative touch in the second half, he could not prevent Cincinnati from suffering its fourth consecutive league defeat.

Miami maintained its form and discipline to defend its lead, with Italian midfielder Yannick Bright delivering another impressive performance.

sev/des