Lionel Messi reached 923 career goals on Saturday, but his strike was not enough to prevent Inter Miami from suffering a 2-1 home defeat to Toronto FC, extending the Herons' winless run in MLS to four matches.
Messi reaches 923 career goals, but Inter Miami falls again in MLS
Lionel Messi reached 923 career goals on Saturday, but his strike was not enough to prevent Inter Miami from suffering a 2-1 home defeat to Toronto FC, extending the Herons' winless run in MLS to four matches.
The Florida side has collected just two points from its last four MLS games, while also suffering a first-round elimination from the Leagues Cup.
At NU Stadium in Miami, Toronto FC added to Inter Miami's struggles by building a two-goal advantage within a matter of minutes in the second half.
Toronto strikes twice in quick succession
After a scoreless first half, Josh Sargent broke the deadlock in the 59th minute.
Just three minutes later, Derrick Etienne struck to make it 2-0 and leave Inter Miami facing a difficult comeback.
The result was particularly notable given Toronto's struggles on the road. The Canadian side had won only one of its nine away matches this season.
Inter Miami responded by pushing forward, with Messi once again at the center of its attacking threat.
Lionel Messi scores career goal No. 923
The Argentine found his breakthrough in the 82nd minute.
Rodrigo De Paul picked out Messi with a vertical pass before the Argentine captain finished with his left foot in a one-on-one with the goalkeeper, cutting the deficit to 2-1.
The strike took Lionel Messi to 923 career goals and also marked his second consecutive game on the scoresheet for Inter Miami.
Messi had previously scored against Philadelphia Union, his first goal since the death of his father, Jorge Messi.
This time, however, his goal was not enough to change the outcome.
Inter Miami goes four MLS matches without a win
Inter Miami pushed for an equalizer in the closing stages but could not find a second goal and suffered another home defeat.
Its most recent home victory in MLS came on July 22, a 3-2 win against Chicago Fire.
Following the result, Inter Miami sits second in the Eastern Conference with 39 points, while Toronto FC is 10th with 24 points and remains outside the playoff positions.
For Messi, the defeat still produced another individual milestone: 923 career goals and goals in back-to-back matches.
