Inter Miami Struggle Against Toronto FC: Takeaways from a Frustrating Draw | OneFootball

It wasn’t quite the Sunday night Inter Miami CF were hoping for, tying previously last-place Toronto FC 1–1 on their home pitch at Chase Stadium.

After losing the first leg of the Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinals 1–0 to LAFC, Miami were determined to right their form and claim all three points against Toronto.

However, they struggled to finish early and couldn’t dictate the game as much as they usually do, with Toronto consistently frustrating their attacks. Despite leading the xG 2.63 to1.4, Miami could only score once through a record-setting Lionel Messi strike.

Now, they have to look ahead to overturning the deficit against LAFC and hope Messi and the rest of the squad have enough energy to do so after dropping points for the second time in the MLS regular season.

With the dropped points, Miami remain second in the Eastern Conference on 14 points, trailing Columbus Crew SC on 15. Vancouver Whitecaps FC lead MLS on 16 points.

Was Mascherano irresponsible to play Messi?

Javier Mascherano seems to still be learning the rigors of MLS and Concacaf competitions / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Heading into the match, head coach Javier Mascherano told reporters that winning quickly would have been the best way to get over losing to LAFC in the Concacaf Champions Cup midweek. However, that desire may have cost Miami more—and they didn’t even get three points out of it.

While Sergio Busquets starting is understandable, considering his suspension for the second leg against LAFC, putting significant minutes on Lionel Messi, Jordi Alba, and Luis Suárez may not have been wise, especially running 37-year-old injury-plagued Messi for the full 90 minutes.

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Messi put himself on the scoresheet and called upon his brilliance to save a draw for the Herons, but Suárez and Alba were largely ineffective and could have been replaced by younger depth options.

If winning is so important to the club, prioritizing competitions has to be part of the decision-making factors. Given Messi’s health and inconsistency this season, he could be tired for the clash with LAFC, a far more critical match in Inter Miami's overall outlook.

As much as Mascherano can be a winning coach, it’s still clear he’s learning in his first professional job and has yet to adapt to the rigors of MLS and Concacaf competitions fully.

Telasco Segovia’s versatility

Telasco Segovia has been stellar since joining Inter Miami ahead of the 2025 MLS season / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Since signing with Inter Miami ahead of the 2025 MLS season, Telasco Segovia, 22, has enjoyed a meteoric rise to become one of the best young players in MLS through the first seven weeks.

Usually playing as a left or central midfielder, he showcased his tactical versatility in a shift from Mascherano on Sunday.  When in possession, the team shifted to a 3-3-4 formation, with Segovia pushing into midfield as Robert Taylor and Alba pushed into the attack alongside Messi and Suárez.

By making that move, he opens up more space for either him or Messi, demanding the defending team send a player to shut one of them down. Considering how teams often like to man-mark Messi, it gives Segovia opportunities to create chances, of which he had four against Toronto.

In the shift, Ian Fray, Tomas Aviles and Gonzalo Lujan remained as a back three before Alba dropped back into the 4-2-3-1 when the team lost the ball.

Callender returns, but does Inter Miami CF need a goalkeeping upgrade?

In what was an overall frustrating performance from many of Inter Miami’s stars, Drake Callender earned his first start of the season and looked good. He made two saves and ensured Toronto couldn’t make the most of their ample scoring opportunities.

While it is difficult to tell whether he will be the outright starter once again or if it was simply a rest day for 38-year-old Oscar Ustari, getting the USMNT goalkeeper back between the sticks was important.

Within the bigger picture, though, Miami will have to question if Callender, Ustari, or Rocco Rios Novo are good enough to win an MLS Cup. Through the last several games, it has become clear that pure skill and stardom will not guarantee anything in MLS and that the Herons aren’t any better than they were last season when Callender faltered and they struggled in the MLS Cup Playoffs.

The summer transfer window is looming. Could there be a move to make there?