Leo Campana scored in stoppage time to leave Toronto FC’s playoff hopes hanging by a thread after a 1-0 Inter Miami victory on Saturday.
The Ecuador forward controlled a Luis Suarez cross with his leg, turned and fired a shot past goalkeeper Sean Johnson for a scoring winner in the 93rd minute – his eighth goal of the season.
Toronto entered the weekend’s game in ninth place in the East, the last available playoff spot, needing a win over Miami and help elsewhere to keep its playoff hopes alive. The game ended with TFC knowing that a win or draw by Philadelphia (at Columbus) or DC United (at New England) later in the day would end their postseason hopes .
Toronto dominated Miami 15-4 (7-2 on shots on target).
It seemed like the game was destined to end a scoreless draw with an undermanned Miami team keeping Lionel Messi and other stars on the bench to start.
The 37-year-old Argentina captain was the main attraction, provoking chants of “Messi, Messi” and turning up the volume when he finally came on in the 61st minute at BMO Field.
Young pitch invader takes selfie with Messi
He drew cheers when he paused to allow a young invader to take a selfie with him in the 86th minute. An older fan didn’t get the same reception seconds later when he ran onto the field.
With a bye on Oct. 19, Toronto (11-9-4) will have to watch the league’s final regular-season slate of games from the sidelines.
Miami (21-4-8) arrived on a high note after a 3-2 midweek victory in Columbus, winning the Supporters’ Shield which goes to the team with the league’s best regular-season record.
The win means Miami, with 71 points and one game remaining, is still on track to reach the league’s single-season points record of 73, set in 2021 by New England.
With first place in the MLS Eastern Conference already assured, Miami coach Tata Martino opted to keep Messi, Suarez and compatriot Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba and goalkeeper Drake Callender among the substitutes to start. With a combined salary of around US$33 million, that made for an expensive bench in Miami.
But Messi’s Miami pink and Argentina blue jerseys, as well as a few from his FC Barcelona days, were on display in the crowd. And all eyes were on the Miami bench rather than the starters when the players came out.
The BMO Field crowd stood and applauded in the 48th minute as Messi came off the bench to warm up with Miami’s other substitutes.
Messi and Busquets applauded together. Suarez came on 10 minutes later, in the 71st minute.
While every touch from Messi elicited a reaction from the announced 30,217 spectators – his blocked shot drew aahs in the 68th minute – that was about the only drama in a lackluster match.
Toronto’s lack of forward thinking was evident from the start, with Federico Bernardeschi suspended and an ailing Lorenzo Insigne limited to an 11-minute appearance. Still, Toronto offered more on offense than the makeshift visiting team.
Miami made 10 changes to the starting lineup that beat Columbus in an important game.
Messi, Suarez and Busquets did not play in Miami’s 2-1 win in Vancouver on May 25, disappointing an announced crowd of 51,035 at BC Place Stadium. All three started in Miami’s 3-2 victory in Montreal on May 11 in front of 19,619 people at Stade Saputo.
Messi and Suarez arrived with 35 league goals between them, just five short of Toronto’s total tally for the season.
Messi, who has played the last five matches after returning from injury, will next join Argentina for the World Cup qualifier against Venezuela next week during the FIFA international window.
Toronto was three points behind CF Montreal who had played a game less. Philadelphia and DC United (both 9-13-10) also had 37 points – behind TFC in the tiebreaker (most wins) – but also had a game in hand.
The eighth- and ninth-ranked clubs face each other in a playoff, with the winner facing conference top seed Miami in the East in a best-of-three match in the first round.
The best Toronto could do was win Saturday and hope others stumble down the stretch. But there were more bad scenarios than good ones.
Toronto coach John Herdman made five changes to his starting lineup, adding Franklin, Nicksoen Gomis, Sigurd Rosted, Matty Longstaff and Alonso Coello.
Toronto was also without injured defensemen Kevin Long (concussion) and Kosi Thompson (knee).
Toronto had lost three of its last four league outings (0-3-1) and was 3-5-1 since a 3-1 loss at Miami on July 17.
Miami was undefeated in its last nine league outings (6-0-3). Their last league loss was on July 6, a 6-1 defeat at Cincinnati.
