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- Lionel Messi limped off with injury in first half
- Inter Miami stay in the Playoff hunt with their fourth win in last six
- Toronto remain winless in South Florida
Inter Miami Player Ratings: Taylor and Farias combine to perfection
Contents
Drake Callender 7/10 – another top performance from the 25-year-old stopper
DeAndre Yedlin 6.5/10 – Projected well on right, finding space to cross regularly
Sergey Kryvstov 6.5/10 – Typically robust performance as he shut out Kerr
Kamal Miller 6.5/10 – Bounced back well from a poor game in Atlanta
Tomás Avilés 6.5/10 – Looked more comfortable in a back three, acquitted himself well
Jordi Alba 6/10 – Bright start before leaving field with a thigh injury
David Ruiz 6.5/10 – Began well but tired into game as he was subbed off
Sergio Busquets 6.5/10 – Like his former Barcelona teammates he was a touch off the pace
Facundo Farias 8/10 – The best attacking threat, took the offensive responsibility on his shoulders after Messi substitution
Josef Martínez 6/10 – missed early chance and didn’t quite click with his teammates in another goalless evening
Lionel Messi 6/10 – The most productive player in first half but looked sluggish, replaced on 36 mins
Substitutes
Noah Allen 6.5/10 – showed great composure after coming on
Robert Taylor 8/10 – two very well taken goals in second half
Leonardo Campana N/A
Dixon Arroyo N/A
Benjamin Cremaschi N/A
Toronto Player Ratings: Insigne ineffective despite space to work
Tomás Romero 5.5/10 – A poor flap gave Farias the chance to break the deadlock
Kobe Franklin 6.5/10 – Pegged back by opponents, unable to do much
Michael Bradley 7/10 – well positioned, six clearances and organized side
Sigurd Rosted 6.5/10 – good performance despite result
Raoul Petretta 6/10 – workmanlike showing, didn’t make a difference
Jonathan Osorio 7/10 – Most influential Toronto player in build up phase, tidy football
Alonso Coello 6.5/10 – combined well when close to Osorio, but didn’t lay a glove on Taylor for goal
Víctor Vázquez N/A – rushed back from injury and left field on 12 mins
Federico Bernardeschi 7/10 – The team’s topscorer worked hard to try and make a difference, had a goal ruled out
Lorenzo Insigne 6.5/10 – Had space on flank but was wasteful for the most part, hit post
DeAndre Kerr 6.5/10 – almost scored, twice, in early stages which could have changed course of game
Substitutes
Brandon Servania N/A – injured after just 14 mins on pitch
Franco Ibarra 6/10 – wasn’t at the races
Latif Blessing N/A
Charles Sapong N/A
Themi Antonoglou N/A
Inter Miami vs Toronto Match Summary and Highlights
It was a cagey start to the match, Inter Miami playing five at the back and without in-form Leonardo Campana up front they were missing some zip. The best early chance went to the visitors, Lorenzo Insigne’s good run was cut out, only for Sergio Busquets to lose a duel to DeAndre Kerr. The young Canadian forced Callender into a good save and then hit the post with the rebound.
The flow of the game wasn’t helped by the raft of injuries, most notably to Lionel Messi who trudged off after 36 minutes. Incredibly he was the fourth substitute of the game at that point, Víctor Vázquez and his replacement Brandon Servania and Jordi Alba had all limped off by then.
⚠️ El Momento Preocupante ⚠️
Lionel Messi removed his armband and was substituted in the first half — a worrying sight in general but specially ahead of next Wednesday’s U.S. Open Cup final.#InterMiamiCF #Messi𓃵 pic.twitter.com/2Y4PEOARkn
— Franco Panizo (@FrancoPanizo) September 21, 2023
The match finally came to life in the 2nd of nine first half stoppage minutes, Facundo Farias pounced on a poor Tomás Romero flap to volley in. The Argentinian has now scored three times since joining from Colón de Santa Fe.
Inter Miami settled into patterns of prolonged possession in the second half, Toronto had dropped off which was evident for Robert Taylor’s well-taken individual goal. As the match wore on the contest became more comfortable for the hosts who cruised to a 4-0 victory. Benjamin Cremaschi emerged from the bench to slot home a third and Farias fed Taylor for his second.
Man of the Match: Facundo Farias
Facundo Farias was bright, alert and showed an intensity from the start that was at odds with the rest of the game. Although his opener arrived from a goalkeeping error, there was still plenty to do as he caught the volley expertly to fire past the defenders. It was his foray down the right that began the move for Taylor’s goal and the team’s second. He drifted off the left to assist Taylor for the fourth and final goal. A positive display from the 21 year old midfielder.
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