Inter Miami continues their pursuit of the Major League Soccer points record after a dramatic 1-0 victory over Toronto, courtesy of Leonardo Campana's stoppage-time goal. Miami started with their stars, including Lionel Messi, on the bench, but the Argentine was brought on in the 61st minute, drawing cheers from the Toronto crowd. Having already clinched the Supporters' Shield for the best regular-season record after defeating Columbus Crew midweek, Miami is now chasing the all-time points record of 73, set by the New England Revolution in 2021.
Miami’s
win puts them at 71 points, with one game left—against New England on October
19. On a subpar pitch, the game was uneventful until substitute Luis Suarez
delivered a cross in added time, which Ecuador’s Campana skillfully controlled
and volleyed in. It was Miami’s second shot on target, but it was enough to
secure the victory. Midfielder Julian Gressel admitted the record is on their
minds, saying, "We'd all be lying if we said it doesn't matter. It would
be a nice way to finish in front of our home fans."For Toronto, this match
marked the end of their season. Their slim playoff hopes were dashed later when
D.C.
United claimed a 2-1 win against New England. Pedro Santos opened the
scoring for D.C. in the third minute, followed by Christian Benteke’s 23rd goal
of the season just five minutes later. An own goal from Matti Pelotola gave New
England some hope, but D.C. held on for the win, putting them in 8th place with
40 points.Meanwhile, Philadelphia suffered a 3-2 loss to Columbus Crew,
severely jeopardizing their playoff hopes. Colombian striker Cucho Hernandez
scored twice for Columbus, who secured second place in the Eastern Conference
behind Miami. In the Western Conference, eight of nine playoff spots have been
claimed, with Austin and Portland battling for the final wildcard slot. Austin
faced LA Galaxy on Saturday, while Portland will take on Dallas on Sunday
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