Inter Miami CF Defeat Toronto FC 3-1, Extend Home Winning Streak

Inter Miami CF extended their home winning streak Saturday night after a 3-1 win over Toronto FC. A brace from Rodolfo Pizarro will lead the headlines, as his renowned “joker” celebration came out for the second and third time all season in Saturday’s match.

The win marked the fourth time in a row that Inter Miami has won at home, and this comes after not winning a home match all season before.

Rodolfo Pizarro opened the scoring in the 15th minute after a Gonzalo Higuain pass found him at the top of the box. Pizarro beat his defender with a chop and beautifully placed the ball into the back of the net with a left-footed finish that found the bottom corner. The play stemmed from a Kieran Gibbs sliding interception to take back possession from Toronto, which highlighted how well Miami pressed upfront in the match.

Just twenty minutes later, Leandro Gonzalez Pirez, from his center back position, found himself in a place to make an outside-the-foot pass through to Robbie Robinson on the left-wing. Robinson received the pass in stride and beat Toronto defender and former United States International Omar Gonzalez to get a left-footed shot past the keeper and right under the crossbar for the goal.

With a 2-0 lead, Miami was in the driver’s seat. Miami was able to hold on to the 2-0 lead in the first half despite a couple of nervy possessions in which the defense gave up a couple of fouls in good areas.

Toronto came very close to scoring on a free kick taken by the 5’2 man, Yeferson Sotledo, in the 27th minute as he hit the crossbar from just outside the box.

It was only right after the second half began that Inter Miami scored their third goal. LGP found Pizarro with an over-the-top through ball, and he finished with a chip over the keeper from outside of the box. It was a magnificent finish from the Mexican International, who was on pace to score the first hattrick in the club’s history.

He was later subbed off before he could achieve that feat.

Noticeably, Pizarro walked off the pitch disappointed, and Neville touched on it post-game.

“He wanted the match ball; he wants to score goals,” Neville stated. “I loved his reaction when he got angry when he came off.”


Kieran Gibbs became the fourth goalscorer of the night, but not how he or the club would have wanted. Toronto lined up for a set-piece, whipped in a cross, and Gibbs scored his second header of the season as an own goal.

That own goal ruined Miami’s chances of getting their second clean sheet on the year. As they still search for their first shutout since May 2nd (0-0 away at Nashville), it’s a good thing the offense is clicking and scoring goals.

Miami matched their highest goal number in a game with three and have now scored six in their last two games, both in which they won.

The 3-1 scoreline, in the end, was a great and much-needed result for Miami as they defeated the worst team in the Eastern Conference. At the same time, with Chicago’s loss to Orlando City following the match’s conclusion in Fort Lauderdale, Miami jumped to 11th place in the Eastern Conference.

Inter Miami CF ended the night five points out of a playoff spot, with two games in hand on the teams above them.

On Friday, August 27th, Miami plays in Orlando to take on OCSC for the third and final time in the MLS Regular Season.

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