Leagues Cup 2024: 3 Observations from Inter Miami’s Looney Tunes-esque Win over Toronto FC

Soccer is deeply unserious sometimes.

photo credit: Inter Miami CF

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Inter Miami book their ticket to the Round of 16 in the Leagues Cup with a 4-3 win over Toronto FC.

The Herons may have come out of the gates swinging, scoring three goals in 25 minutes, but silly mistakes and persistent penalty calls ruined the flow of the match.

Albeit, most of Miami’s wounds were self-inflicted, Toronto dug deep and was in contention until the very end.

As the men in pink shift their focus to the next round, they should be optimistic about their chances.

Though I made an argument as to why Miami shouldn't push too hard in the tournament, with a performance like they displayed against Toronto, it's clear that they’re hungry for trophies, no matter what they are.

Here are three observations from IMCF’s win vs. Toronto.

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1.) Ref Was Quite Liberal With His Whistle

Although the penalty calls may have been correct, the referee in this match was quite free with his whistle.

Out of the three penalties that were called, one was pulled back and two were comfortably slotted in for Toronto.

Additionally, the game also had plenty of fouls, with both teams racking up a total of 28 between them.

In the end, this match was unfathomably sloppy and even got a bit heated towards the end. As Miami gets deeper into the knockout stages, expect it to get even more intense in that regard.

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2.) Paraguay To The World!🔝

photo credit: Inter Miami CF

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Welcome back, Diego Gomez and Matias Rojas take a bow!

The two Paraguayans were integral to Miami’s win, with the duo netting three goals to help earn Miami a berth in the Round of 16.

Rojas got the scoring going in the third minute, smashing a scintillating volley into the side netting. Then Gomez followed shortly thereafter, scoring an impressive goal in his own right.

Suarez then netted in the 20th minute, with Rojas finishing off the match with a banger just before 60 minutes hit the clock.

Impressive night for the two compatriots, eh?

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3.) Jordi Alba Shows His Class, Once Again

*Politely golf claps*

Quick note here, Jordi Alba is an additional playmaker for Miami on the left flank. When a creative monster like Messi isn’t on the field for the Herons, Alba has shown that he can pick up where the Argentine leaves off.

No player can recreate Messi’s impact, but Alba is doing his best all while playing as a left-back.

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How’d you all feel about Miami’s match tonight? Let me know in the comments!