MLS round-up: Lionel Messi returns but cannot save Inter Miami as Robert Lewandowski scores twice on Chicago Fire home debut

Messi’s comeback turned out to be a little underwhelming, but Lewandowski marked his home arrival in Chicago in emphatic fashion.

Lionel Messi’s return grabbed most of the attention, but the most significant MLS contest on Saturday was played in the Western Conference.

Inter Miami kept everyone guessing over Messi’s availability. After getting back into training in the middle of the week, he was named on the bench on Saturday. When he came on in the 52nd minute with Miami 2-1 ahead, it looked as though the script was set for another trademark moment. Instead, things unfolded very differently.

Elsewhere, in what was arguably the more decisive fixture, the two most complete teams in the West, LAFC and Vancouver, underlined why they are level on points. And in Chicago, there was also a reminder that moving on from Hugo Cuypers may not have been such a bad call after all. Here is a look at some of the biggest talking points from Saturday night’s MLS action.

No Messi magic for Miami

Late in the second half, the big chance arrived for Lionel Messi. The Crew had done an excellent job on him for most of his 40-plus-minute appearance from the bench, giving the Argentine hardly any room to operate. Then, with the score locked at 2-2 in second-half stoppage time, they briefly switched off. Messi found a few yards of space and had time to set himself for a shot. He checked the angles, opened up his weaker right foot and then fired the ball well over the bar.

It was a slightly flat finish to what could have been a glorious return for the Miami star, who made his comeback off the bench against the Crew on Saturday night. Miami, it must be said, were disappointing overall. Luis Suarez scored a fine goal. Noah Allen added another. But an own goal from an unconvincing Casemiro, followed by Brais Mendez’s late free-kick equaliser, showed once again that this side still has plenty of vulnerabilities.

Normally, Messi is the player who solves those problems, or at least covers them up. Against the Crew, though, he could not. A frustrating night for the GOAT.

Vancouver and LAFC trade blows in the West

This was unquestionably the headline fixture of the week. LAFC and Vancouver sit first and second in the Western Conference, and they are comfortably the two most complete sides as well. The Whitecaps have barely missed a step since reaching the MLS Cup final last year and, even though they will have to deal with the departure of Sebastian Berhalter, they still look like Cup contenders. LAFC, meanwhile, have found an excellent run of form, helped in large part by Son Heung-min returning to the goals.

Saturday’s match was far from a classic. LAFC sat deep for spells. Vancouver moved the ball well and created a number of half-chances, but never quite fashioned a truly clear opening. All the while, there was a feeling LAFC could strike on the counter. That is exactly what happened. The Denis Bouanga-Son combination delivered, with Son scoring in a fourth straight game. Vancouver eventually found a deserved equaliser late on, as Thomas Muller converted from the penalty spot.

That was more or less the story of the game. The statistics suggested Vancouver were on top. The eye test showed LAFC simply defended very effectively. If these teams do meet in a Western Conference final, and they probably should, there may be a little more end-to-end action.

Kai Wagner’s magic keeps going

Wagner looked like a smart signing for the Union, only six months after they allowed him to leave for Birmingham City. Philadelphia are, of course, a club that prefer to build from within. Even so, bringing back such an important player, someone who knows the club well and who is its all-time assists leader, made complete sense. And, to be fair, it was not as though an already struggling Union side could become much worse.

Still, few would have expected the turnaround to be this dramatic. In fairness, several factors have played a part. Ryan Richter has given the team a little more freedom in the way they play. Cavan Sullivan is now a regular. His brother Quinn is rediscovering form after a lengthy injury lay-off. Milan Iloski has now scored in a club-record six straight MLS matches.

But Wagner’s brilliant left foot has been behind many of the goals. That was again the case on Saturday night. Philadelphia, rather inexplicably, fell 2-0 behind against a 10-man Atlanta United. Yet they fought back and scored twice in second-half stoppage time to complete a 3-2 victory. Wagner assisted two of the three goals. That makes it three wins from three, with a familiar face, though not exactly a new one, driving the revival.

Lewandowski gets going

So, are people still thinking about Hugo Cuypers? The signs were surely there the moment Chicago signed Robert Lewandowski. It hardly mattered that Cuypers had scored 13 goals in 11 matches for the Fire before the World Cup. Sometimes top footballers are simply top footballers. Chicago brought in Lewandowski and then moved Cuypers on to Monterrey fairly quickly.

Lewandowski had endured a difficult first couple of matches, failing to score as Chicago lost tough away fixtures against NYCFC and Inter Miami. But playing at home suited him much better on Saturday night. He scored twice in his first home game, both of them classy centre-forward finishes, to guide Chicago to a hard-fought win over Charlotte.

Perhaps even more significant was how efficient it all looked. Lewandowski did not need a flood of chances. He did not even have to spend long stretches on the ball. Yes, he linked play well and chose the right passes. But he is not the kind of striker who constantly demands possession. Instead, he is an exceptionally efficient footballer, and that served Gregg Berhalter’s side extremely well.

Montreal show some spirit

A word too for CF Montreal, who have found this season really difficult. It is not that this is an especially poor side. Yes, they are down near the bottom of the Eastern Conference. Yes, they have had plenty of defensive issues. They just seem a little flat. There is not a great deal to get excited about at the moment. That is unfortunate, because Montreal supporters are passionate and care deeply about this team.

On Saturday, though, they gave those fans a moment of magic. Some very poor defending left them 2-0 down against the New England Revolution. From there, it could easily have turned into a heavy defeat. The Revs were flowing, while Montreal were creating very little. Then Brayan Vera, who had scored only six goals across almost four full years in MLS, smashed one in from 40 yards. Prince Owusu followed with a neat finish. And Montreal came away with a scrappy 2-2 draw against a strong side.

It must be slightly frustrating for coach Philippe Eullaffroy to know his team is capable of producing football at this standard. Consistency remains difficult to find. Even so, this was a good night for a side that has not had many of them.