Herdman targets Toronto playoff push as Inter Miami lick their wounds

John Herdman hopes Toronto FC’s bad run is behind them and a playoff push on the horizon as they prepare to meet Inter Miami, who are still bristling at suffering their joint-record defeat last time out in MLS.

Toronto staged a second-half comeback to beat the Philadelphia Union 2-1 on Saturday, snapping a seven-match losing streak across all competitions.

The Reds had been winless in nine ahead of their victory over the Union, which dragged them up to eighth in the Eastern Conference, three points adrift of the top seven.

With a number of players returning from injury and confidence restored, Herdman hopes that result can be something of a turning point.

“We can go into that match now against Miami with one of my best starting XIs for the first time since the beginning of the season,” Herdman said.

“We’re never too high and never too low, and we just keep our feet on the ground, stay focused.

“It’s one win – and I thank the fans, they have been brilliant with us, they kept us going – but it’s just the start, the start of a playoff push.”

Miami, meanwhile, have been knocked off the top of the Eastern Conference, losing 6-1 to FC Cincinnati on their last outing on July 7.

Cincinnati then won their subsequent match to leapfrog Miami, who have been without Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez due to the Copa America, at the summit.

Boss Gerardo Martino highlighted the Herons’ defensive issues after their last match, saying: “We had a period early in the season where we were vulnerable at the back.

“We started to fix that, the previous five or six games we did a solid job defending, but then we reverted defensively to how we played early in the season.

“We are still not there despite our good results and performances. We have to keep working and hoping in the final part of the season we can improve with our full roster.”

However, Miami may have to wait to reintroduce Messi after he exited Argentina’s Copa America final victory over Colombia with an ankle injury.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Inter Miami – Julian Gressel

Gressel has eight assists in MLS this season, a tally only bettered by Messi (nine) among Miami players.

His tally of 4.19 expected assists (xA), meanwhile, is better than Messi’s 3.59. With the Herons still missing some of their key men, they may need Gressel to supply the chances.

Toronto FC – Federico Bernardeschi

Only nine players have bettered Bernardeschi’s tally of 53 chances created in MLS this year, while he also has 12 goal involvements (eight goals, four assists).

Ranking fourth for shots attempted (79) but just 34th for expected goals (6.5 xG), the Italian is not afraid to try his luck from any position.

MATCH PREDICTION: INTER MIAMI WIN

Toronto halted a nine-game winless streak by beating Philadelphia last time out, but their last pair of back-to-back victories in MLS came in late April and early May.

C-L-U-T-C-H https://t.co/zFEEMGPw5d pic.twitter.com/LCunTB4aVJ

— Toronto FC (@TorontoFC) July 14, 2024

They are winless in their last seven away games, losing their last four in a row and conceding multiple goals in six of their last seven.

Miami, meanwhile, have only lost one of their last eight home matches in MLS, winning four of their last six. Despite their absences, they approach the game as favourites.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Inter Miami – 72.4%

Toronto FC – 11.7%

Draw – 15.9%