Inter Miami Secures Victory Over Toronto with Late Campana Goal

Soccer fans in Toronto were eager to watch Lionel Messi in action, but it was another Leo who made headlines as Inter Miami secured a 1-0 victory over Toronto FC in a Major League Soccer (MLS) match on Saturday. While Messi entered the pitch in the second half, Leonardo Campana made the decisive impact by scoring in extra time to keep Inter Miami’s pursuit of the MLS points record alive with one match remaining this season.

The team’s aspirations for the MLS Supporters’ Shield appeared complete after securing the No. 1 seed in the MLS Cup Playoffs with their victory on Wednesday. However, Campana’s late winner has kept their hopes alive of setting a new league record with 74 points, if they secure a win against the New England Revolution on October 19. A draw against Toronto would have tied the existing record of 73 points set by New England in 2021.

Inter Miami coach Tata Martino commented on the strategy of resting key players like Messi, stating, “We were able to meet the two objectives of giving them a rest and winning the match.” Messi, who rose to cheers from fans at Toronto’s BMO Field, entered the match in the 60th minute. Despite showing skill with multiple touches, he was unable to convert any opportunities into goals.

The game marked Messi’s second appearance in Canada this season. A tense moment occurred when Messi was challenged hard by Toronto defender Sigurd Rosted, resulting in a yellow card for Rosted. Play was briefly halted in the 86th minute when a fan invaded the pitch, a recurring phenomenon this season when Messi has been on the field.

Some of Inter Miami’s stars, including Luis Suárez, Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba, and goalkeeper Drake Callender, were rested and did not start the match. Alongside Messi, Suárez and Busquets joined the game in the second half. Regarding Campana’s performance, Martino remarked, “With Leo and Luis joining, there are few possibilities for them to share the field. We left it, and we got the reward at the end.”

Messi has been steadily recovering from a right ankle injury sustained during Copa América, scoring four goals in six matches since his return. He has netted 17 goals in MLS matches throughout the season. Looking ahead, Messi will be absent as he joins the Argentina national team for World Cup qualifying matches on October 10 against Venezuela and October 15 against Bolivia. The MLS season will pause for the FIFA international window before wrapping up on October 19.

Inter Miami will play their final regular season game against New England Revolution, who previously set the points record in 2021. The team will subsequently gear up for the MLS Cup, commencing on October 25 against the winner of the Eastern Conference Wild Card match between the eighth and ninth seeds.