Toronto FC successfully halted Lionel Messi’s impressive scoring run as Inter Miami was forced to settle for a 1-1 draw in Saturday’s MLS showdown at BMO Field. The Argentine superstar’s streak of five goals across three games came to an abrupt end, thanks largely to an exceptional goalkeeping performance from Toronto’s Sean Johnson.
First Half Advantage for Miami
Inter Miami looked destined for victory when Tadeo Allende headed home a perfectly delivered Jordi Alba cross during first-half stoppage time. The goal gave the visitors a crucial 1-0 lead and seemed to set up another comfortable win for the playoff-bound side.
Defensive Frailties Prove Costly Again
Miami’s persistent defensive weaknesses were exposed once more in the second half, allowing Toronto to capitalize through a series of costly errors. Djordje Mihailovic found himself in the right place at the right time, slotting home a close-range equalizer in the 60th minute to level the score at 1-1.
Despite relentless pressure from Miami in the final thirty minutes, Johnson proved unbeatable between the posts. The Toronto goalkeeper made two outstanding saves to deny Messi’s goal-scoring attempts, earning praise from Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano, who described him as “the man of the match.”
The result leaves Miami sitting third in the Eastern Conference with 56 points, maintaining a four-point gap behind leaders Philadelphia Union, though they hold a crucial game in hand. Messi continues to lead the MLS Golden Boot race with an impressive tally of 24 goals in just 23 appearances this season.