Miami wins despite Messi’s early exit
Inter Miami shrugged off an injury concern to Lionel Messi to boost their Major League Soccer playoff hopes with a a 4-0 thrashing of Toronto FC 4-0 on Wednesday.
Messi returned to the starting line-up after skipping Saturday's 5-2 defeat at Atlanta due to muscle fatigue but left the field in the 38th minute looking uncomfortable.
His former Barcelona team-mate, Spaniard Jordi Alba who had also sat out the trip to Atlanta, also limped off three minutes earlier in the game.
Miami coach Gerardo Martino said the pair are now ruled out for Sunday's Florida derby with Orlando City and was uncertain about their involvement in next week's US Open Cup final.
"We have to go day by day, see the doctor's report, what they tell us and we will decide. Obviously, there is no 'chance' that they will be there on Sunday," he said.
"I don't think it's anything new or bigger than what they had been having. It's just fatigue, I don't think there is a muscular injury," he said, defending the decision to play them.
"Everything was in place for the players to play ... There is no possibility (that they were pressured to play). If we made them play it was because they were fit to play."
"After talking to them, I don't have the same pessimism I had when I had to take them out," he said.
Despite the blow of losing their star and one of their most influential players, Miami swept aside the Eastern Conference's bottom club with ease, Messi's replacement Robert Taylor scoring twice after coming on.
Facundo Farias opened the scoring on the stroke of half-time with a blistering volley after Toronto keeper Tomas Romero had meekly palmed out a Noah Allen cross.
Taylor then made it 2-0 in the 54th minute with an outstanding individual strike, dribbling across the box from the left before unleashing a sharply angled drive back into the bottom corner.
Taylor then turned provider, releasing another substitute Benjamin Cremaschi who fired through the legs of Romero to make it 3-0.
Finland international Taylor completed his impactful performance with the fourth, bringing down a floated pass over the top from Farias and blasting home from close range.
Miami move up to 13th in the Eastern Conference and are now just five points off Wayne Rooney's D.C. United who occupy ninth spot, the final playoff position. Miami have two games in hand.
D.C United were held to a 1-1 draw at home to Atlanta while other results were also favourable for Miami.
Charlotte, who Miami have to play twice, are now just two points ahead of the Florida side after they let a two-goal lead slip in a 2-2 draw at home to Philadelphia, conceding a stoppage time penalty which was converted by Daniel Gazdag. The draw guaranteed Philadelphia a place in the playoffs.
The Columbus Crew also secured their place in the playoffs beating the Chicago Fire 3-0 with Colombian Cucho Hernandez scoring all three inside 23 minutes -- the second fastest hattrick from the start in MLS history.
Tenth placed New York City kept their playoff hopes alive with a 2-0 win at home to second placed Orlando City. Despite the defeat Orlando are now sure of a place in the post-season.
Eastern Conference leaders Cincinnati needed a goal deep in stoppage time from Argentina Luciano Acosta to earn a point at eighth placed Montreal.
-
A global problem is preventing the wars in Ukraine and Gaza from coming to an end.Singaporeans excited about hosting TrumpDonald Trump is officially a Florida Man.Premier League games postponed following Queen’s death11 Places to See Tiny TrainsBagnaia ignores MotoGP title talkTrump, Kim likely to 'reach accord' in SingaporeSingaporeans excited about hosting TrumpDoosan scraps controversial RoboticsTesla asks fans to lobby the government on its behalf
下一篇:评论丨农事运动会:一场农民的盛会、新农人风采展现的盛会、城乡双向奔赴的盛会
- ·全国土壤普查办抽验组到广东开展土壤普查质量抽验
- ·Samsung unveils new lineup of mid
- ·Hyundai to form international consortium for NK biz
- ·Ivory Coast reiterates commitment to bilateral ties with Korea at 62nd Independence Day
- ·The AI stock bubble has burst. Here's how we know.
- ·World's biggest battery to grow 50 percent bigger next year
- ·Long live photo dumps
- ·Zoom Escaper makes it easy to sabotage that unbearable Zoom meeting
- ·When will Trump and Harris debate? The presidential campaigns snipe over ABC News’ rules.
- ·N. Korean hackers steal $1b in crypto from DeFi protocols this year: report
- ·Pence warns Kim Jong
- ·Trump, Kim likely to 'reach accord' in Singapore
- ·[Online Predators] Deepfake pornography haunts S. Korea
- ·McDonald’s ousts CEO Easterbrook after relationship with employee.
- ·[ISSUE TODAY] 'Moon, the mediator' seeks coordination before Kim
- ·Snapchat lenses come to Bumble to make virtual dates more romantic
- ·Courting Disaster
- ·Photos of Disneyland reopening show emotional guests and employees
- ·韶关山珍直播周启动!多位网红达人打CALL
- ·In Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro’s anti
- ·The Best AMD Ryzen Gaming Laptops (So Far)
- ·'Wordle' alternatives for movie fans: 'Framed' and 'Actorle'
- ·Extraordinary scenes of Venice underwater after historic flood in Italy.
- ·Former coal baron Don Blankenship announces presidential bid.
- ·Number Representations in Computer Hardware
- ·S. Korea’s COVID
- ·DOJ accuses TikTok of collecting and sharing users' personal views, as the app fights a ban
- ·Chelsea sack Tuchel after poor start to season
- ·'No words' to describe Alcaraz achievements
- ·China, Japan poles apart over NK
- ·The local version of Project 2025 is already causing devastation.
- ·'Wordle' alternatives for movie fans: 'Framed' and 'Actorle'
- ·Roger Stone's criminal defense is the same as Trump's impeachment defense.
- ·The 'rose' is sweeping TikTok, but the viral sex toy is kind of sketchy
- ·22 Unusual Things You Can Find in the Desert
- ·Tinder releases 'Are You Sure?' feature to stop harmful messages before they happen