Inter Miami is just one win away from breaking the Major League Soccer regular season record for most points scored in a single season after a last-second 1-0 win over Toronto FC on Saturday at BMO Field.
Forward Leonardo Campana took a pass from teammate Luis Suárez and found the back of the net in the 93rd minute of the game, breaking the tie and scoring his eighth goal of the season to take the Herons one step closer to history. I did it.
Despite the importance of the game, coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino decided to rest several key players and rotate his starting lineup after Miami secured the MLS Supporters’ Shield as the best regular season team last week.
Suarez, Lionel Messi, and Sergio Busquets only entered the game late in the second half, but still made a positive impact.
“Playing Suarez and Messi late is what we defined on Friday,” Martino said. “It was logical for us to rotate after both games because we played most of the games. I felt like if I rotated we should have some depth… and we were able to meet the rotation. We have two goals. One is for players to relax, and the other is for them to win the game, which is exactly what we wanted.
“We wanted to be able to achieve a score record, especially starting with what it represents in terms of motivation level.”
The New England Revolution currently hold the MLS record after scoring 73 points in 2021, but one more win in their final game of the campaign could see Inter Miami reach 74 points and set a new standard.
Fittingly, Miami will look to win the title when it hosts New England on Oct. 19, the final day of the regular season, at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
The Herons have already made history this season by winning the Supporters’ Shield, their first MLS title since debuting as an expansion franchise in 2020.
The win also means Inter Miami will have home field advantage throughout the MLS playoffs.
“Having home field advantage is amazing, especially for our fans. It’s the perfect situation for us,” said Inter Miami defender Ian Fray.
Miami opens a best-of-three first-round series against the winner of the Eastern Conference wild-card game on Oct. 25 at Chase Stadium.
