It wasn’t quite the Sunday night Inter Miami CF were hoping for, tying previously last-place Toronto FC 1–1 on their home pitch at Chase Stadium.
After losing the first leg of the Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinals 1–0 to LAFC, Miami were determined to right their form and claim all three points against Toronto.
However, they struggled to finish early and couldn’t dictate the game as much as they usually do, with Toronto consistently frustrating their attacks. Despite leading the xG 2.63 to1.4, Miami could only score once through a record-setting Lionel Messi strike.
Now, they have to look ahead to overturning the deficit against LAFC and hope Messi and the rest of the squad have enough energy to do so after dropping points for the second time in the MLS regular season.
With the dropped points, Miami remain second in the Eastern Conference on 14 points, trailing Columbus Crew SC on 15. Vancouver Whitecaps FC lead MLS on 16 points.
Was Mascherano irresponsible to play Messi?
Heading into the match, head coach Javier Mascherano told reporters that winning quickly would have been the best way to get over losing to LAFC in the Concacaf Champions Cup midweek. However, that desire may have cost Miami more—and they didn’t even get three points out of it.
While Sergio Busquets starting is understandable, considering his suspension for the second leg against LAFC, putting significant minutes on Lionel Messi, Jordi Alba, and Luis Suárez may not have been wise, especially running 37-year-old injury-plagued Messi for the full 90 minutes.
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Messi put himself on the scoresheet and called upon his brilliance to save a draw for the Herons, but Suárez and Alba were largely ineffective and could have been replaced by younger depth options.
If winning is so important to the club, prioritizing competitions has to be part of the decision-making factors. Given Messi’s health and inconsistency this season, he could be tired for the clash with LAFC, a far more critical match in Inter Miami's overall outlook.
As much as Mascherano can be a winning coach, it’s still clear he’s learning in his first professional job and has yet to adapt to the rigors of MLS and Concacaf competitions fully.
Telasco Segovia’s versatility
Since signing with Inter Miami ahead of the 2025 MLS season, Telasco Segovia, 22, has enjoyed a meteoric rise to become one of the best young players in MLS through the first seven weeks.
Usually playing as a left or central midfielder, he showcased his tactical versatility in a shift from Mascherano on Sunday. When in possession, the team shifted to a 3-3-4 formation, with Segovia pushing into midfield as Robert Taylor and Alba pushed into the attack alongside Messi and Suárez.
