Toronto FC’s quest for the 2024 Leagues Cup ended in dramatic fashion after the Reds were defeated 4-3 by the defending champions Inter Miami CF in the Round of 32 at Chase Stadium on Thursday evening.
First Half:
Toronto FC Head Coach John Herdman made a pair of changes from his side that defeated C.F. Pachuca in the Leagues Cup group stage four nights ago with Henry Wingo called in for his first start, along with Shane O’Neill and Deybi Flores coming in for Nicksoen Gomis, Kosi Thompson and Matty Longstaff.
The Round of 32 knockout affair sparked up an all-action first half that that included five goals, a pair of penalty kicks, multiple video reviews, a red card and an enforced substitution all taking place through the first 45 minutes at Chase Stadium.
Inter Miami CF began the tie on the front foot and raced into a rapid two-goal lead within the opening 11 minutes. First, Jordi Alba’s third-minute cross to the far post was volleyed home in emphatic fashion by Paraguayan midfielder Matías Rojas before his international compatriot Diego Gómez picked up Alba’s pass and unleashed a powerful strike past Sean Johnson in Toronto’s goal eight minutes later.
Shortly after, Toronto FC were awarded a penalty kick and an opportunity to half their deficit when Marcelo “Chelo” Weigandt clipped Derrick Etienne Jr. in the box. Up stepped Lorenzo Insigne who made no mistake in sending Inter Miami’s Drake Callender the wrong way as the Italian attacker found the bottom-left corner with his spot kick, getting the Reds on the board with his fifth goal of the 2024 season.
TFC were then forced into an early substitution when Federico Bernardeschi went down with an injury, forcing the Italian wingback to depart and be replaced by Prince Owusu in the 18th minute.
Two minutes later, Spanish left-back Jordi Alba completed a hat-trick of assists when his clipped pass around Toronto’s back-line was met by a clever run and finish from Uruguayan forward Luis Suárez in the 20th minute.
Referee Adonai Escobedo González then pointed to the penalty spot for the second time moments before brandishing a yellow card to Inter Miami’s Héctor Martínez for a last-man challenge on Prince Owusu in the 27th minute. Following a video review, however, the spot kick was switched to a free-kick on the edge of the penalty area and Martínez’s caution was upgraded to a direct red card, reducing the hosts to 10 men with over an hour of regular time left to play. Lorenzo Insigne nearly doubled his tally on the night from the resulting free-kick, only for his well-struck effort to be clawed out for a corner by Miami captain Drake Callender.
Further drama ensued ten minutes later when Jordi Alba was adjudged to have fouled Prince Owusu in the box in the 38th minute, with the referee pointing to the penalty spot without hesitation again. This time around, following the video review, the penalty for the visitors stood in spite of lengthy protests and pleas of innocence from Miami’s Alba.
Lorenzo Insigne versus Drake Callender from 12 yards out for the second time of the night yielded a similar outcome to round one. The Italian successfully converted his spot-kick into the bottom-left corner again in the 41st minute, cutting Toronto’s deficit to one as the Reds entered the half-time interval trailing 3-2 to the Herons.
Second Half:
With both sides seeking the crucial next goal of the affair, Inter Miami struck for the fourth time through Matías Rojas’ in the 59th minute. On the goal, Jordi Alba capped off a Man of the Match performance with his fourth assist of the night, this time laying a pass into the path of Rojas whose fierce long-range effort restored the Herons’ two-goal advantage.
Twenty minutes later, the Reds cut Miami’s lead down to one for the third and final time on the night. Lorenzo Insigne delivered a pin-point cross to German forward Prince Owusu whose header was deflected into the net by Inter Miami’s Noah Allen in the 79th minute.
Inter Miami CF then navigated the closing stages to hold onto the one-goal lead despite TFC’s best efforts to snatch a late equalizer and send the knockout match into a penalty shootout. The defending Leagues Cup champions Inter Miami CF ultimately emerged victorious in the seven-goal thriller and advance into the tournament’s Round of 16 with the 4-3 victory.
Following the Leagues Cup heartbreak and exit, the Reds resume Major League Soccer regular season action when they visit Houston Dynamo FC on Saturday, August 24. Kick-off from Shell Energy Stadium in Houston, Texas is set for 8:30 p.m. ET and will be broadcast globally on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
LINEUPS
INTER MIAMI CF – Drake Callender (C); Marcelo Weigandt, Tomás Avilés (Noah Allen 71’), Héctor David Martínez, Jordi Alba; Matías Rojas (Benjamin Cremaschi 80’), Sergio Busquets, Federico Redondo; Julian Gressel (Yannick Bright 46’), Diego Gómez (David Ruiz 80’), Luis Suárez (Leonardo Campana 80’)
Substitutes Not Used: Carlos dos Santos, Cole Jensen, Ian Fray, Sergii Kryvtsov, Franco Negri, Robert Taylor, Leonardo Frugis Afonso
TORONTO FC – Sean Johnson; Henry Wingo (Kosi Thompson 61’), Shane O’Neill (Kobe Franklin 46’), Kevin Long, Raoul Petretta (Matty Longstaff 61’); Federico Bernardeschi (Prince Owusu 18’), Jonathan Osorio (C), Deybi Flores (Aimé Mabika 76’), Richie Laryea; Derrick Etienne Jr., Lorenzo Insigne
Substitutes Not Used: Greg Ranjitsingh, Luka Gavran, Sigurd Rosted, Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty, Julian Altobelli
MEDIA NOTES
- Lorenzo Insigne scored his second brace for Toronto FC and his first since scoring two against CF Montréal on September 4, 2022.
- With his two goals tonight, Lorenzo Insigne enters Toronto FC’s all-time top 10 goalscorers chart with 17 goals.
- Raoul Petretta made his 50th appearance for Toronto FC across all competitions, becoming the tenth current TFC player (Jonathan Osorio, Richie Laryea, Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty, Deandre Kerr, Federico Bernardeschi, Shane O’Neill, Kosi Thompson, Kobe Franklin and Lorenzo Insigne) to reach the milestone.
- Henry Wingo started his first match for Toronto FC.
POSTMATCH SOUND
