Messi playing? Leagues Cup scores, highlights

2024-08-09 16:15:02

Contents

Inter Miami vs. Toronto highlights Own goal helps Toronto trim Miami’s lead: Inter Miami 4, Toronto 3 Matias Rojas goal: Inter Miami 4, Toronto 2 Lorenzo Insigne goal: Inter Miami 3, Toronto 2 Lorenzo Insigne misses free kick goal: Inter Miami 3, Toronto 1 Luis Suarez goal: Inter Miami 3, Toronto 1 Lorenzo Insigne goal: Inter Miami 2, Toronto 1 Diego Gomez goal: Inter Miami 2, Toronto FC 0 Matias Rojas goal: Inter Miami 1, Toronto 0 How to watch: Inter Miami vs. Toronto FC live stream Is Messi playing tonight?Which team would Inter Miami face in Round of 16?What happened the last time Inter Miami played Toronto?Leagues Cup games on Thursday, August 8 Leagues Cup games on Friday, August 9 Leagues Cup results on Wednesday Leagues Cup Dates to Remember

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Lionel Messi may still be sidelined, but Inter Miami has reached the Round of 16 in its Leagues Cup title defense.

Messi’s former Barcelona teammate Jordi Alba had four assists, Paraguayan standout Matias Rojas scored goals in each half, and Inter Miami beat Toronto FC, 4-3, in their Leagues Cup match on Thursday night.

Rojas (3’), Paraguay Olympian Diego Gomez (11’), Uruguayan standout Luis Suarez (20’) and Rojas again (59’) scored for Inter Miami during the match, with a smiling Messi sitting in the stands at Chase Stadium.

Inter Miami’s next match during the tournament – which they won behind Messi’s heroics last year – will be on the road against either the Columbus Crew or Sporting Kansas City, in action on Friday.

However, Inter Miami must sharpen its play if it hopes to continue in Leagues Cup.

Inter Miami’s sloppy play defensively allowed Toronto’s Lorenzo Insigne to score on penalty kicks in the 15th and 41st minutes of the match, resulting in just a 3-2 lead for Miami at halftime.

With a 4-2 lead, it appeared Toronto’s Prince Owusu scored a header in the 79th minute, but the play was ruled an own goal by Inter Miami’s Noah Allen.

Inter Miami prevailed after playing down to 10 men after defender Héctor David Martínez was shown a red card in the 28th minute.

Thankfully, his foul was outside the penalty area, forcing Toronto to settle for a missed free kick blocked by goalie Drake Callender, instead of another penalty kick.

Messi missed his fifth straight match since hurting a right ankle ligament in the Copa America final on July 14, and 10th overall since Messi joined Argentina for the tournament.

Inter Miami has won eight of those matches without their star World Cup winner.

The club leads all MLS teams with 53 points in the standings when league play resumes later this month.

Check out these Leagues Cup highlights from Thursday’s Inter Miami-Toronto match:

Inter Miami vs. Toronto highlights

Own goal helps Toronto trim Miami’s lead: Inter Miami 4, Toronto 3

What appeared as a header by Toronto’s Prince Owusu in the 79th minute, has been ruled an own goal by Inter Miami’s Noah Allen to trim the deficit.

Matias Rojas goal: Inter Miami 4, Toronto 2

The middle of the pitch opened, and Jordi Alba found Matias Rojas again.

Rojas scored his second goal of the game in the 59th minute, and Alba delivered his fourth assist of the match for Inter Miami.

Lorenzo Insigne goal: Inter Miami 3, Toronto 2

Inter Miami’s foul trouble has come back to haunt them again in this match. Jordi Alba was penalized for a foul in the penalty area and Toronto’s Lorenzo Insigne has scored his second penalty kick in the match in the 41st minute.

Lorenzo Insigne misses free kick goal: Inter Miami 3, Toronto 1

If this game wasn’t eventful enough: Inter Miami defender Héctor David Martínez was shown a red card for a foul on Toronto’s Prince Owusu. Inter Miami goalie Drake Callender blocked a free kick by Toronto’s Lorenzo Insigne to keep the score 3-1.

The sequence resulted in a free kick, and not a penalty kick because the foul by Martinez happened just outside the penalty area. Still, Inter Miami will finish this match down to 10 men, instead of 11.

Luis Suarez goal: Inter Miami 3, Toronto 1

Three goals before 20 minutes? Not a bad start at all by Inter Miami. This time, Luis Suarez dribbled around a few defenders after Jordi Alba delivered his third assist in the match in the 20th minute.