MIAMI — Inter Miami CF’s struggles continued Saturday night, as the Herons fell 2-1 to Toronto FC at Nu Stadium on UNICEF Night, extending their winless streak to five games.

Germán Berterame made his return after suffering a head injury against CF Montréal in July, but his presence wasn’t enough to spark a Miami attack that struggled for much of the night.

The Herons have now conceded 2.4 goals per game during their five-game winless streak. Despite the recent struggles, Miami needs only one strong performance to turn things around.

The match opened with a physical edge, as both teams traded fouls and neither side allowed much room for fast breaks.

Toronto earned the first dangerous opportunity when a foul by Miami gave the visitors a free kick on the right wing. The ensuing cross was cleared away by the Herons and out for the first corner of the match.

Miami handled the set piece with ease, but Toronto continued to make life difficult by immediately pressing whenever possession was lost.

Despite Toronto’s early pressure, Miami created the best chance of the opening stages.

The ball fell to Luis Suárez, who found himself one-on-one with the goalkeeper. However, the veteran forward pushed his shot wide, missing a golden opportunity to give the Herons an early lead.

After 25 minutes, the referee called for a hydration break with the score still 0-0.

Neither side could find a breakthrough before halftime, with the match remaining scoreless after 45 minutes — an unusual sight in a Miami match.

The Herons came out of the break with more urgency. Berterame nearly opened the scoring moments into the second half, but his shot went just wide of the post.

Toronto responded by earning a free kick near the edge of the 6-yard box, setting up a dangerous opportunity to break the deadlock. Miami’s wall stood firm, blocking the ensuing shot.

But the visitors wouldn’t have to wait much longer.

Toronto took the lead when Josh Sargent produced a stunning left-footed finish. Miami failed to clear the ball, leaving Sargent with enough space to fire into the bottom-left corner and make it 1-0.

The setback quickly became worse for the Herons.

Just minutes later, Derrick Etienne Jr. doubled Toronto’s advantage, slipping the ball past Dayne St. Clair to give the visitors a 2-0 lead.

Miami struggled to find an answer as Toronto’s defense continued to absorb the pressure and clear away attack after attack.

With 10 minutes remaining, the Herons had managed just one shot on target — a Casemiro header in the first half.

Then came the moment Miami had been waiting for.

Lionel Messi finally broke through, putting the Herons on the board with a left-footed finish after Rodrigo De Paul found him with a perfectly weighted through ball.

The goal brought Nu Stadium to life and gave Miami renewed hope.

The Herons immediately pushed forward in search of an equalizer, throwing numbers into the attack as the clock continued to wind down.

The fourth official indicated eight minutes of stoppage time, giving Miami one final chance to rescue a point.

But Toronto held firm.

The final whistle confirmed another frustrating night for the Herons, who have now gone five consecutive games without a victory, losing four of those matches.

Miami will have a full week to regroup before returning to action Aug. 29 against CF Montréal.

Copyright 2026 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved.