Toronto FC handed Inter Miami another setback Saturday night, scoring twice in three second-half minutes before holding on for a 2-1 victory that extended Miami’s difficult stretch in MLS. Josh Sargent and Derrick Etienne Jr. provided the decisive goals for Toronto, which secured just its fifth victory in 21 MLS matches this season.
The result also moved Toronto to four games unbeaten and back into the playoff picture. Inter Miami, meanwhile, suffered its fourth defeat in its last five games. Lionel Messi scored his 14th goal of the season late in the match, but his effort was not enough to rescue the home side at Nu Stadium.
Toronto broke through in the second half when United States striker Josh Sargent found the net. Just three minutes later, Etienne Jr. doubled the visitors’ advantage, putting Miami in a difficult position with little time remaining.
Messi gave Inter Miami hope with eight minutes of regulation time left. The Argentine superstar connected with a Rodrigo De Paul throughball and finished first time to cut Toronto’s lead to 2-1.
Miami pushed for an equalizer in the closing minutes, but Toronto’s defense held firm to secure a valuable road victory.
The loss continues a troubling run for Inter Miami. Miami was eliminated from the Leagues Cup at the first hurdle after suffering two defeats and was then beaten 4-1 by Nashville SC last week. A 2-2 draw against the Philadelphia Union in midweek, which included another Messi goal, briefly stopped the losing streak, but Miami has now gone almost a month without a victory in MLS.
The recent results have also allowed Nashville to strengthen its position at the top of the Eastern Conference and Supporters’ Shield standings. Nashville has opened a 10-point advantage over Miami, although Inter Miami remains second in the East.
With the playoffs approaching, Miami’s focus is increasingly shifting toward securing a top-four finish and home-field advantage in the opening round. The defending MLS Cup champions now have little margin for error as the regular season enters a crucial stretch.
Miami coach Hoyos, who took over in April after replacing Javier Mascherano following his move from sporting director to head coach, said he had not “heard anything” from club ownership regarding his job status amid the recent poor run.
The defeat came just one day after MLS fined Messi and Miami defender Ian Fray undisclosed amounts for making contact with opponents in the head and neck area during separate incidents in the midweek match against Philadelphia.
While Miami searches for answers, Toronto FC is heading in the opposite direction. Four consecutive matches without a loss have revived the Canadian club’s playoff hopes and provided a much-needed boost after a difficult season.
For Inter Miami, however, Messi’s latest goal could not hide the bigger problem: the defending champions are struggling for consistency at precisely the wrong time.
