11/10/2023 0 Comments Elsewhere nyc![]() The 36-year-old Spaniard, who had seen a total of 53 minutes playing time in four substitute appearances since returning from a 4 1/2-month injury absence, rose through the ranks with Messi at FC Barcelona's famed youth academy. ![]() Perhaps with an eye to the occasion, interim Toronto coach Terry Dunfield gave veteran midfielder Victor Vazquez his first start since March 25. In the 23rd minute, Messi's attempted volley of a cross from Farías was off-target. Three minutes later, he danced through several defenders in the Toronto penalty box only to see his shot blocked by Raoul Petretta. He sprang into action in the 18th minute, accelerating through space and firing a shot directly at Romero. Messi was essentially a bystander in the early going Wednesday before showing flashes of the threat he poses. Messi sat out that game and the one before, a 3-2 victory over Sporting Kansas City, last seeing action Sept. Miami was coming off a 5-2 weekend loss in Atlanta that snapped a 12-game unbeaten run in all competitions. Toronto is now winless in its last 18 road games (0-14-4) in all competitions, failing to score in the last five away matches and 12 of 18 games during that run. Taylor rubbed salt in the wound, roofing a shot in the 87th minute after a Farias feed unlocked the Toronto defence. It was the second goal of his MLS career for the 18-year-old American rookie who had entered the game eight minutes earlier. It was the Finnish international midfielder's third goal of the season.Ĭremaschi added to the lead in the 73rd minute, beating Romero to cap a counterattack. Taylor made it 2-1 in the 54th minute after outpacing the TFC defence to make room for a low, angled shot from the edge of the penalty box. It was Farias' third goal in six career MLS games. But the pair made the starting 11 along with veteran Spanish midfielder Sergio Busquets and Canadian Kamal Miller, who has been ever-present in the Miami backline since arriving from CF Montreal in an April trade.Īnother Argentine opened the scoring in first-half stoppage time with the 21-year-old Farías volleying the ball home after a weak clearance by goalkeeper Tomas Romero of a Noah Allen cross. Messi and Alba had been question-marks to start after being sidelined by what was described as muscle fatigue. Injuries reduced the star power at DRV Pink Stadium, with each team having to make two enforced changes in the first half. Miami had 60.5 per cent of possession and outshot Toronto 13-8 (5-2 in shots on target). In contrast, Toronto (4-15-10) has won just one of its last 16 outings in all competitions. ![]() Robert Taylor, who replaced Messi, scored twice while Facundo Farías and Benjamin Cremaschi added singles for Miami (9-15-4), which has lost just once in its last 14 matches in all competitions. Open Cup final against the Houston Dynamo. The 34-year Alba also was not suffering anything serious, according to Martino, whose team has a busy schedule ahead, including the Sept. But we have to continue being careful and we'll look at it in the next few days."Īccording to Opta, it was only the eighth time in 937 career starts in his senior career that Messi had been substituted before halftime - and the first since October 2018. ![]() That's also from a conversation that I just had with him. "And the scans that he had with the national team didn't show any muscle injury. "He had an old injury that had been bothering him," the Argentine coach said though an interpreter. Miami coach Gerardo (Tata) Martino downplayed Messi's early departure. But Inter Miami CF had more than enough firepower in reserve to thump Toronto 4-0 in MLS play. The 36-year-old Argentine star exited in the 37th minute Wednesday, two minutes after Spanish fullback Jordi Alba was forced to leave. But this time the loss takes a back seat to Lionel Messi's health.
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