Despite having the MLS points record on the line, Tata Martino had to consider the long-term health of his stars on Saturday, resting Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez to begin their match at Toronto FC. After a first half when they should’ve trailed due to the strong attacking chances that Toronto created, Miami were still able to pull out a 1-0 victory thanks to a finish in stoppage time from Leonardo Campana. Messi came off the bench in the 61st minute.
With the victory, Miami’s final match of the season at home against the New England Revolution will give the Herons a chance to break the MLS single-season points record of 73 points. Campana, a consistent performer, saw his chance to step up and keep Miami on track and didn’t waste it to keep their hopes alive of setting the new mark.
Moments like that show just why Miami’s season has been so special. While Messi and Luis Suarez have been keys to the attack, there are other players who can step up. Sometimes it’s Matias Rojas, others it’s Robert Taylor, but Saturday, it was Campana. If the Herons are able to finish the job while setting the points record, that’s when discussions of whether this is the greatest single season in MLS history will begin.
Already winning the Supporters’ Shield, Miami will be favorites to lift the MLS Cup alongside it. For Toronto, their season has come to an end and they’ll now need to wait to see if they end up in a playoff position. Due to the uneven number of teams in Major League Soccer, Toronto will be the sole team not playing on Decision Day as the season comes to a close which means that they’ll be on the sidelines while the rest of the league battles for playoff positioning.
Form-wise, this is also an important win for Miami to build to the playoffs the right way. After a run of three consecutive draws, the Herons now have a chance to enter playoffs with three victories on the bounce. That’ll be useful having a first-round bye as the team will be quite confident in their chances in what could be an exciting run to the first MLS Cup in club history. Since Messi joined, Miami have been accomplishing firsts left and right, but now the biggest domestic prize is within reach.
