As it juggles its MLS regular season matches with its participation in the Concacaf Champions Cup, Inter Miami has decisions to make as far as who plays on Sunday against Toronto FC in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Lionel Messi, obviously, will be the biggest choice for the organization to make.
Inter Miami (4-0-1, 13 points) currently sits in second place in the Eastern Conference standings. Toronto FC (0-4-2, 2 points) sits in a last-place tie with Montreal at the bottom.
But Inter Miami has a decisive matchup Wednesday against LAFC in the Champions Cup. Inter Miami hosts the second leg after losing the first, 1-0, and now must find a way to come out on the plus side of the aggregate score. LAFC advances with a win, draw or a single-goal loss if they score a goal. If Miami wins 1-0, the game goes into extra time to decide who advances.
“We have two games so close together so we have to figure out how we can put two competitive teams out there Sunday and Wednesday,” Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano told reporters Friday morning.
Sergio Busquets is one of the primary Miami players who figure to play against Toronto since he will be forced to sit out Wednesday’s match due to yellow card accumulation. Recently-acquired Ecuadorean Allen Obando could make his team debut Sunday.
It’s been a rough start for Toronto to say the least when even positives like Deandre Kerr, who scored two goals, limped off the field last week and it’s uncertain when he’ll be ready to return.
Toronto brought in some reinforcements this week with the signing of midfielder Maxime Dominguez on loan from Brazilian club Vasco de Gama. Dominguez appeared in 14 matches across all competitions for Vasco de Gama since signing with them in September 2024.
“Maxime will provide us with a boost in our midfield given his technical ability, work rate, and eye for delivering a pass that unlocks the opposition,” Toronto FC general manager Jason Hernandez said in a released statement.
–Field Level Media
