Miami doesn't miss injured Lionel Messi, tops Toronto FC 3-1

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Rookie Federico Redondo scored the first two goals of his career in the second half after assisting on a first-half score by Diego Gomez and Inter Miami posted a 3-1 victory over Toronto FC on Wednesday night.

Neither team scored until Redondo fed Gomez for a goal in the 43rd minute to give Inter Miami (15-4-5) a 1-0 lead at halftime. It was the third goal for Gomez and the third assist for Redondo.

Redondo’s goals came in a six-minute span. The 21-year-old midfielder used an assist from defender Julian Gressel in the 53rd minute to forge a two-goal lead and found the net again — off passes from Gomez and Gressel — in the 59th to make it 3-0. Gomez has six assists this season, while Gressel has 12. Gressel has an assist in five straight matches. He and Lionel Messi are the second pair of teammates to pull off at least a five-match assist run in the same season in league history.

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Toronto (8-14-3) avoided a shutout when Derrick Etienne Jr. scored in the 80th minute. Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty notched his third assist and Kosi Thompson picked up his first on Etienne’s third goal this season.

Drake Callendar finished with three saves in goal for Inter Miami, becoming the first player to make 100 appearances in club history. Striker Robert Taylor subbed in for Gomez in the 80th minute for his 100th appearance to make it a two-man club.

Sean Johnson saved two shots for Toronto.

Luis Suarez subbed into the match in the second half in his return to Inter Miami after playing in Copa America for Uruguay. Messi, who played in the event for Argentina, is out indefinitely after suffering a ligament injury in his right ankle in a victory over Columbia in the final.

Toronto stays on the road to play CF Montreal on Saturday. Inter Miami will host the Chicago Fire on Saturday.

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