FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Lionel Messi and Jordi Alba exited early but Inter Miami CF had more than enough firepower in reserve Wednesday to thump Toronto FC 4-0 in Major League Soccer play.
Robert Taylor, who replaced Messi in the first half, scored twice while Facundo Farías and Benjamin Cremaschi added singles for Miami , which has lost just once in its last 14 matches in all competitions. In contrast, Toronto has won just one of its last 16 outings in all competitions.
According to Opta, it was only the eighth time in 937 career starts in his senior career that Messi had been substituted before halftime — and the first since October 2018. Cremaschi added to the lead in the 73rd minute, beating Romero to cap a counterattack. It was the second goal of his MLS career for the 18-year-old American rookie who had entered the game eight minutes earlier.
He sprang into action in the 18th minute, accelerating through space and firing a shot directly at Romero. Three minutes later, he danced through several defenders in the Toronto penalty box only to see his shot blocked by Raoul Petretta.Perhaps with an eye to the occasion, interim Toronto coach Terry Dunfield gave veteran midfielder Victor Vazquez his first start March 25.
It was a stop-and-start first half Wednesday with injury substitutions and Miami's Ukrainian defender Serhiy Kryvtsov needing repairs and a new jersey after a clash of heads near halftime.
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