Lionel Messi EXITS In 1st Half With DISCOMFORT In Leg, Inter Miami DOMINATES Toronto FC I CBS Sports

They win at 4-0, unbeaten last nine home matches. Toronto, 18 straight road loss for them. So this is what it looks like with regards to them climbing into the playoff hunt. Top nine make the playoffs. They have to jump four teams, make up five points. Miami currently at 31 points. You see D.C. United occupies that last spot with 36 points. They got work to do. CBS soccer analyst Jimmy Conrad. Leo Messi is hurt. He played 12 games in 48 days prior to going off for the international break with Argentina. He got hurt against Ecuador in their first World Cup qualifier for his country after scoring the game winner. Another sick free kick because that's what he does. And now they maybe potentially rush him back and he leaves before the first half even ends. And so did one of his teammates, Jordi Alba. Now, I think everything that people need to keep in mind is that they have a big final next week, the U.S. Open Cup final, which will be here on Paramount+. Very excited about that. That's another chance for them to get a trophy. They've already won the League's Cup, and that's just a one-off. They still have a lot of work to do in the playoffs, as we saw there with the standings. They've got plenty of teams ahead of them that are also getting results, and that's going to be a bit more of a slog for them because they got six games. Well, actually, they just played this one. Now they have five more games in their next 17 days. So that is a lot of games to manage for these players, specifically Leo Messi. However, they look great tonight against Toronto FC. Messi goes out at 0-0, doesn't matter. They got four goals, and they're going to need that supporting cast to continue to step up and get results and make plays if they're going to have a chance to maybe win three trophies this season, which would be absolutely remarkable given where Miami was prior to Messi showing up. So I don't know. Big question mark, I'd say, on Leo Messi, but one game at a time for Tata Martino, the manager, and for the players and for all the fans. But everything still looks like it's on the up-and-up in South Florida. Keep in mind, they're still unbeaten in matches that Messi does play in. This, the upcoming schedule, the Sunshine State matchup, is next September 24th at Orlando. As Jimmy mentioned, that U.S. Open Cup final against Houston, September 27th. And then New York City FC, three days later. October starts with Chicago, Cincinnati, and then a home-and-home with Charlotte. They got some making up to do. Five points to make up, four teams to jump to get in that playoff picture.