FORT LAUDERDALE — Inter Miami CF heads into the FIFA World Cup break ranked third in MLS after Luis Suárez’s hat trick powered a 6-4 victory over Philadelphia, a result that captured both the club’s firepower and its defensive vulnerabilities at the season’s midpoint.

Suárez’s three goals accounted for half of Miami’s output in what MLS described as “a completely absurd 6-4 win.” The club got the job done, but allowing four goals in the first half to Philadelphia was “a pretty clear indication that this team might be a teeeensssy bit flawed,” according to the league’s power rankings voters.

Nashville SC claimed the top spot in the rankings and atop the Supporters’ Shield standings after a 2-1 win over NYCFC, having recorded just one loss all season. The Vancouver Whitecaps sit second, leading the Western Conference and trailing Nashville by just one point in the Shield race. The league’s underlying numbers suggest Vancouver is the best team in MLS.

Orlando City, the other Florida MLS club, had a mixed close to the first half. The Lions advanced to the U.S. Open Cup semifinals with a dominant win over Atlanta but have allowed more goals in the Eastern Conference than every team except FC Cincinnati, who steamrolled Orlando 6-2 behind a 2-goal, 3-assist performance from Evander.

San Jose sits fourth overall with 32 points after 14 matches despite playing most of May without star forward Timo Werner and playmaker Niko Tsakiris. The Chicago Fire, with 14 games played, have largely met their high preseason expectations, while FC Dallas collected 12 points through five May matches to reach 25 points in 15 games — good for fourth in the West.

Several clubs face pivotal decisions during the break. FC Dallas must determine whether to retain 19-year-old homegrown attacker Zavier Gozo, who has openly expressed his desire to play in Europe. The Columbus Crew executed a dramatic turnaround under interim head coach Laurent Courtois, winning their U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal 1-0 over NYCFC and beating Atlanta United 2-0 while welcoming back executive Tim Bezbatchenko. Portland parted ways with head coach Phil Neville after sitting on a 1.00 points-per-game pace, six points below the Western Conference playoff line, and Austin FC is undergoing a full leadership overhaul after dismissing head coach Nico Estévez and sporting director Rodolfo Borrell.

League play is scheduled to resume in mid-July following the FIFA World Cup break.