Messi Leads Inter Miami to Crucial Draw Against Toronto FC

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Never tell Lionel Messi a game doesn’t matter, especially after witnessing his passionate reaction to scoring just before the half-time whistle. Positioned perfectly in the heart of the penalty box, Messi unleashed his famed left foot to send the ball sailing into the bottom right corner. The goal electrified him, prompting a spirited celebration with clenched fists and a triumphal right-arm punch. Surrounded by teammates, he pointed skyward in exultation. This moment of triumph was a big one for Messi and sealed a vital 1-1 draw for Inter Miami against Toronto FC during “Sunday Night Soccer” at Chase Stadium. While the match was a typical MLS regular-season encounter against a team ranked 14th out of the 15 clubs in the Eastern Conference, given Inter Miami’s recent loss in Los Angeles, Messi was extra motivated.

Inter Miami is gearing up for a pivotal clash against LAFC in the second leg of their Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinal this Wednesday. Competing for one of five championships this year, Inter Miami finds itself trailing 1-0 in the aggregate score. In Los Angeles, Messi didn’t score, and in this game, two of his goals got nullified after official review. One was due to Luis Suarez being offside, and the other when Messi was deemed to have tripped a defender just before netting the ball in the 39th minute. Shortly afterward, Toronto’s Federico Bernardeschi skillfully maneuvered past three defenders to score against Inter Miami’s goalie Drake Callender, who was playing his first match of the season, closing the first half at 45’+2’. Merely two minutes later, Messi responded and scored his goal that counted, marking his sixth goal of the year and an impressive 40th for Inter Miami.