In Major League Soccer on Sunday, struggling Toronto FC held an unimpressive Inter Miami to a 1-1 tie despite Lionel Messi's goal. Toronto, who haven't won this season, earned every point they earned and had enough opportunities to win the game. The Canadian club, ranked 14th out of 15 teams in the Eastern Conference, gave Miami's fragile defense a lot of trouble and hit the woodwork twice early in the game. In the 17th minute, Theo Corbeanu struck the post with a left-footed attempt. Two minutes later, following a scramble in the goalmouth, Corbeanu struck the post once more. When Messi created room to launch his signature low drive into the corner from the edge of the box in the 39th minute, Miami believed they had taken the lead. However, the attempt was disallowed after the VAR review determined that Messi had fouled French defender Nicksoen Gomis while he was making space for the shot. Federico Bernardeschi of Toronto scored seven minutes later as he twisted and turned inside the box and then poked the ball past Miami goalkeeper Drake Callender.

The lead was short-lived, nonetheless, as Messi's precise low drive gave Toronto keeper Sean Johnson no chance after Telasco Segovia found him with too much space on the box's edge. Toronto started the second half in a good mood and came very close early on when Bernardeschi, a former Juventus winger, missed a shot from a promising position. Miami was dangerous on the break and had a chance to regain the lead when Fafa Picault crossed from the right to Luis Suarez at the back post, but the seasoned Uruguayan forward lost his balance and missed his close-range attempt. However, Miami's play lacked structure and fluidity.

Too often Messi, who played the full game, was trying to create by himself while crowded out by Toronto defenders but did he test Johnson with a low shot in the 77th minute after working some space for himself.

Bernardeschi threatened again late in the game but was denied by a timely block from Miami’s Argentina defender Tomas Aviles.

Miami return to action on Wednesday in the Concacaf Champions Cup quarter-final second-leg against Los Angeles FC, trailing 1-0 from the first leg.

Coach Javier Mascherano said his team would be ready for that challenge despite his frustrations with Sunday’s performance.

“In the first half, for 10-15 minutes, we disconnected from the game and they scored. Then we started again and in the second half we tried to do something with the substitutes.

“It was a difficult game, people thought that maybe Toronto is not in a good position in the table but they have good quality up front and they played really, really well. We need to think about Wednesday,” he said.

Elsewhere in MLS on Sunday, former Inter Miami striker Josef Martinez scored a hat-trick as the San Jose Earthquakes hammered DC United 6-1.

New York City FC suffered a 2-1 loss at home to much-improved Minnesota United who move up to third place in the Western Conference with the win.