Inter Miami took on Toronto FC last night at BMO Field, with Lionel Messi making a 30-minute cameo from the bench for the Herons.
Having wrapped up the Supporters’ Shield title on Wednesday with a history 3-2 victory against the Columbus Crew, Inter Miami maintained their winning run with a 1-0 result against Toronto thanks to a late Leonardo Campana winner.
With Tata Martino saying Messi was always planned to be rested, the decision to give the Argentine most of the night off, alongside Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, was a smart decision that paid off massively for Inter Miami.
And Toronto fans were certainly excited to see Messi in action for the first time in the 6.
Toronto fans in hysterics when Messi came on for Inter Miami
As reported by the Miami Herald, Toronto fans were borderline hysterical when Messi was brought on just past the hour mark, with the home support excited to see the Inter Miami captain for the first time the Canadian city.
Having played two full games heading into yesterday’s tie in Toronto, there’s a good reason why Messi was rested from the very beginning and took things easy for Inter Miami in their win against the Reds.
Moreover, winning the Supporters’ Shield on Wednesday also lifted the pressure for Inter Miami to play a full-strength XI against Toronto, who this season have been one of the biggest disappointments in MLS.
Indeed, Inter Miami can make further history if they win their final game of the regular season against the New England Revolution after the international break, and Messi will want to be fully fit for that tie later this month.
Messi will want to make as much MLS history as possible this year
Inter Miami have been the best team in MLS this year by some distance, with the Herons thriving with and without Messi, who this season has missed over half the available games due to injury or international commitments.
Yet with Messi back and now working his way to full match fitness, the Argentine will want to make as much history as possible with Inter Miami one win away from the regular season points record.
With Inter Miami also favorites for MLS Cup, Messi will want to push the Herons to the biggest prize in American soccer, with the play-offs set to test the Florida franchise to the max in the coming weeks.