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Inter Miami romped to a 4-0 victory over Toronto FC on Wednesday (September 20) although Lionel Messi was forced off with an injury in the first half.
The Herons were the dominant side at DRV PNK Stadium but their victory was marred by Messi's injury. The Argentine icon lasted just 37 minutes on his return to action with the MLS side after muscle fatigue hit the legendary forward. His longtime teammate Jordi Alba also made an early exit after running into a fitness issue.
However, Gerardo Martino's men didn't cater following Messi and Alba's injury blows and they took the lead in the 45+3rd minute. Argentine youngster Facundo Faris capitalized on a poor clearance from Toronto goalkeeper Tomas Romero and lashed a fierce volley home to give the hosts a 1-0 lead.
Lionel Messi was replaced by Robert Taylor and he came to the fore in the 54th minute to double Inter Miami's lead. The Finnish forward sent an exquisite finish past Romero with his side's first attack of the second half.
The Herons then put together a delightful move in the 73rd minute and this time it was Benjamin Cremaschi who bagged his third goal of the season. The American teenage midfielder was found by Taylor before slotting home his side's third of the evening.
Inter Miami weren't done there and Taylor was shining in Messi's absence. The 2022 FIFA World Cup winner's replacement grabbed himself a brace in the 87th minute with another impressive finish.
Many of the DRV PNK faithful will have feared when they saw Lionel Messi's return cut short in the first half. However, Martino's men secured all three points to help their push for a playoff finish in the MLS Eastern Conference League.
One fan was still singing Messi's praises despite his early withdrawal:
"Still the best player of all time."
Another fan reckons the Herons' showed their talents in their captain's absence:
"Messi held back this superteam."
Here's how fans on X (formerly Twitter) reacted to Vice City's vital win despite Messi's injury concern:
Kamal Miller suggested Inter Miami were too reliant on Lionel Messi
Inter Miami now know what life is like without Lionel Messi wreaking havoc for them in the MLS. They were without their skipper in a 3-2 win against Sporting Kansas and a 5-2 defeat to Atlanta United.
Many wondered if Martino's side could perform without the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner. However, tonight's display indicates that an exciting team is being assembled and one that can clinch victory in Messi's absence.
Kamal Miller touched on how the Herons can often be too reliant on the Argentina captain ahead of tonight's win. He said:
"We have to come up with more ways as a team to break the opponent down when they’re sitting on the low block and move the ball faster and not just depend on Leo.”
There's a good reason why Inter Miami are dependent on Lionel Messi as he has made a superb start to life at DRV PNK. He has bagged 11 goals and five assists in 12 games across competitions. He captained them to their first-ever trophy when they won the Leagues Cup with the iconic forward finishing as top goalscorer with 10 goals.
