Soccer superstar Lionel Messi takes the field in Toronto as 2nd-half substitute

Neil Davidson · The Canadian Press

· Posted: Oct 05, 2024 4:13 PM EDT | Final Up to date: October 6

Leo Campana’s stoppage-time aim gave Inter Miami a 1-0 win and left Toronto FC’s playoff hopes hanging by a thread Saturday.

D.C. United’s 2-1 victory at New England later in the day sealed Toronto’s destiny, eliminating TFC from post-season competition.

Toronto wanted a win over Miami in its regular-season finale and assist from others to remain alive in the playoff race. And regardless of Miami holding stars like Lionel Messi in reserve till the hour-mark, TFC couldn’t take benefit.

Toronto (11-19-4, 37 factors) entered weekend play in ninth place in Main League Soccer’s Japanese Convention. The eighth- and ninth-place golf equipment meet in a wild-card playoff with the winner advancing to face the convention’s prime seed — Miami in the East — in a best-of-three first-round matchup.

The win in New England moved D.C. United (10-13-10, 40 factors) previous Toronto, which with an Oct. 19 bye must watch the league’s remaining regular-season slate of video games from the sidelines. And whereas the 2024 season represents a step ahead from the 4-2-10 debacle final 12 months, TFC will rue missed alternatives.

Whereas different groups picked up the tempo in the residence stretch, Toronto collected one level out of a doable 15 in its final 5 video games (0-4-1), together with three at residence.

And whereas Toronto led the dance for a lot of Saturday’s recreation, it lacked a innovative — as it has all season, Messi and Luis Suarez arrived with 35 league targets between them, simply 5 fewer than Toronto’s whole complete for the season.

“We aren’t as ruthless or as scientific as different groups,” stated Toronto coach John Herdman. “We see Miami get that one massive alternative, and it is taken.”

And the way.

Campana began the play, dispossessing Toronto midfielder Alonso Coello. Luis Suarez despatched in a well-flighted ball that Campana, discovering area between defenders in the Toronto penalty field, managed together with his leg earlier than turning and hammering a shot previous goalkeeper Sean Johnson for a highlight-reel winner in the 93rd minute — his eighth aim of the season.

Regardless of Federico Bernardeschi out via suspension and an ailing Lorenzo Insigne restricted to an 11-minute cameo, Toronto outshot Miami 15-4 (7-2 in pictures on the right track).

“I believed our lads did all the things however rating. … Standard story,” lamented Herdman.

Younger pitch invader will get selfie with Messi

Messi was the foremost attraction, prompting chants of “Messi, Messi” and turning up the quantity when he lastly got here on in the 61st minute. The 37-year-old Argentine captain drew cheers when he paused to permit a younger pitch invader to take a selfie with him in the 86th minute. An older fan didn’t get the similar welcome seconds later when he ran on the pitch.

“It was a wild evening. … It felt like a circus,” was Herdman’s blunt evaluation.

Miami (21-4-8) arrived on a excessive, coming off a 3-2 mid-week win at Columbus clinching the Supporters’ Protect that goes to the group with the league’s greatest regular-season file.

Saturday’s victory means Miami, with 71 factors and a recreation remaining, remains to be on monitor for the league’s single-season factors file of 73, set in 2021 by New England.

Miami joins the New York Pink Bulls (71 factors in 2018), Los Angeles FC (72 factors 2019), and New England as the solely 70-point groups in MLS historical past. In recording its eleventh away win of the season, Miami additionally tied CF Montreal (11 in 2022) for the most highway wins in a single season throughout the post-shootout period.

Unbeaten in its 10 league outings (7-0-3), Miami final misplaced July 6 — a 6-1 defeat at Cincinnati.

Miami made 10 adjustments to the beginning lineup that defeated Columbus in a recreation that mattered.

With first place in the East already secured, Miami coach Tata Martino opted to maintain Messi, Suarez and fellow stars Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba and goalkeeper Drake Callender amongst the substitutes to start out. With a mixed wage of some $33 million US, it made for a big-ticket Miami bench.

However Messi’s pink Miami and blue Argentina jerseys, as effectively as a number of from his FC Barcelona period, had been on show in the crowd. And all eyes had been on the Miami bench slightly than the starters when the gamers got here out.

The BMO Field crowd rose and cheered in the forty eighth minute as Messi left the bench to heat up with the different Miami substitutes.

Messi and Busquets got here on to extra cheers collectively. Suarez entered the recreation 10 minutes later, in the 71st minute.

Whereas Messi’s each contact drew a response from the introduced crowd of 30,217 — his blocked shot drew aahs in the 68th minute — that was about the solely drama in a colorless recreation save the successful aim.

Messi, who had performed the final 5 video games after coming back from harm, joins Argentina subsequent for World Cup qualifiers in opposition to Venezuela subsequent week throughout the FIFA worldwide window.

Herdman, lacking injured defenders Kevin Lengthy (concussion) and Kosi Thompson (knee), made 5 adjustments to his beginning lineup, slotting in Kobe Franklin, Nicksoen Gomis, Sigurd Rosted, Matty Longstaff and Coello.