Lionel Messi found the net, but it wasn’t enough as Inter Miami were held to a 1-1 draw by winless Toronto FC in a Major League Soccer clash on Sunday.
Toronto, sitting 14th out of 15 in the Eastern Conference, impressed throughout the game and created several chances, including hitting the woodwork twice in the first half through Theo Corbeanu.
Messi thought he had opened the scoring in the 39th minute with a trademark low drive, but VAR disallowed the goal for a foul on French defender Nicksoen Gomis. Toronto capitalized minutes later, with Federico Bernardeschi scoring after a clever move inside the box.
The Argentine captain eventually got on the scoresheet in the 45th minute, drilling a precise shot past Sean Johnson after being set up by Telasco Segovia.
Despite Messi’s efforts, Miami struggled for rhythm and structure, narrowly missing a second goal when Luis Suarez failed to convert from close range. Bernardeschi continued to threaten but was denied late by defender Tomas Aviles.
Head coach Javier Mascherano expressed frustration with his team’s first-half performance, admitting Toronto’s attacking quality caused problems. Miami now shifts focus to Wednesday’s Concacaf Champions Cup quarter-final second leg against LAFC, trailing 1-0 on aggregate.
Elsewhere in the MLS, Josef Martinez scored a hat-trick in San Jose Earthquakes’ emphatic 6-1 win over DC United, while Minnesota United edged New York City FC 2-1 to climb to third in the Western Conference.
