Inter Miami triumphed 4-0 over Toronto FC on Wednesday night at DRV PNK Stadium as Robert Taylor, Facundo Farias and Benjamin Cremaschi carried the Herons to three points.
Toronto kicked off stronger, retaining possession and dancing through Miami’s midfield to reach the final third but could not capitalize on any goal-scoring opportunities.The Heron’s failure to find a rhythm early on would have cost them a goal if Toronto aimed with more precision.
But the entire dynamic changed late in the first half as Jordi Alba and Lionel Messi came off the field. Noah Allen and Robert Taylor entered the match to replace the former Barcelona figures, forcing Josef Martinez and Farias to lead the attack.
Though the Herons saw a slow start, the team ramped up to find the opening goal just minutes before halftime. After an attempt by Noah Allen from the right saw Toronto goalkeeper Tomás Romero struggle to clear the ball, Farias took advantage of the rebound and managed the right-footed shot to secure the lead.
Miami doubled the score seconds after the whistle, as Taylor’s right-footed strike from the right sent the ball into the lower left corner. And the goals did not stop from the Herons.
Benjamin Cremaschi managed the team’s third, finding the back of the net after beating Toronto’s defense on the right. Taylor finally sealed the score in a stunning fashion, rocketing a volley into the lower left corner once again.
The team continue to climb the Eastern Conference table in hopes of securing a playoff slot.
GK: Drake Callender – 8/10 – Overall, untested throughout the match.
RB: DeAndre Yedlin – 7.5/10 – A quiet perfomance from the former captain, not much work to do.
CB: Tomás Avilés – 7/10 – Didn’t experience too many threats from Toronto, but delivered.
CB: Serhiy Kryvstov – 8/10 – Hard-fought in the opening minutes, sustaining a quick injury but a decent job throughout.
CB: Kamal Miller – 7/10 – Faded into the background, but not the worst thing to do as a defender when up by four goals.
LB: Jordi Alba – N/A – Subbed off in the first half due to injury.
CM: David Ruiz – 7/10 – Didn’t stand out in 60 minutes on the field. Might as well not have been there.
CM: Sergio Busquets – 7/10 – Not at his best. Made several silly mistakes in the first half half that could’ve inspired a goal from Toronto if the team was a bit better.
CM: Facundo Farías – 9/10 – Scored the opening goal and served as a consistent threat in the final third.
ST: Lionel Messi – 7/10 – Had a couple opportunities at goal before being subbed off in the 35th minute.
ST: Josef Martinez – 7/10 – Another disappointing performance. No creativity or threat before being subbed off early in the second half.
Substitutes
LB: Noah Allen (34′ for Jordi Alba) – 8/10 – Inspired the opening goal.
RW: Robert Taylor ( ’37 for Lionel Messi) – 10/10 – Scored the second goal.
CM: Dixon Arroyo (’66 for Tomas Aviles) – 8/10 – Decent enough.
CM: Benjamin Cremaschi (’66 for David Ruiz) – 10/10 – Came off the bench to score the third goal.
ST: Leonardo Campana (’66 for Josef Martinez) – 7/10 – Could’ve done more given the landscape of the match and his potential.
Manager
Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino – 5/10 – Confusing decisions all around. Gave Jordi Alba and Lionel Messi the start when clearly not fit instead of trusting the bench. 3/4 goals came from players who didn’t start the game, so clearly capable against Toronto FC.
