Miami, who will play Orlando on Sunday, climbs to position 13 in the Eastern Conference and is now only five points behind Wayne Rooney's D.C. United, who are in ninth place overall and the final playoff slot.
Robert Taylor scored twice as Inter Miami defeated Toronto FC 4-0 on Wednesday, overcoming a Lionel Messi injury concern to raise its playoff chances.
After sitting out Saturday's 5-2 loss in Atlanta due to muscle soreness, Messi returned to the lineup, but he had to leave the pitch in the 38th minute, looking uneasy.
His former Barcelona teammate Jordi Alba, a Spaniard who had also skipped the trip to Atlanta, had left the match in pain three minutes earlier.
We will assess them in the coming days, Miami coach Gerardo Martino said to the broadcasters on Apple TV during the half.
Miami easily defeated the weakest team in the Eastern Conference despite the blow of losing its star and one of its most important players.
At the stroke of halftime, Facundo Farias scored with a powerful volley after Toronto custodian Tomas Romero had clumsily palmed a cross from Noah Allen.
Substitute After gliding across the box from the left and unleashing a brilliantly angled drive back into the bottom corner, Robert Taylor then made it 2-0 with an incredible solo goal in the 54th minute.
In order to make it 3-0, Taylor then switched roles, unleashing another substitute, Benjamin Cremaschi, who shot through Romero's legs.
With the fourth goal, Finnish international Taylor brought down a floating pass over the top from Farias and blasted home from close range to cap off an emphatic display.
Even if Messi and Alba might require additional time to regain their health, Miami will feel confident that it can continue to push for the postseason thanks to the performance of Taylor, Cremaschi, and other substitutes.
Goalkeeper Drake Callender remarked, "It shows guys are willing to step up, shows the depth we have on our team, and shows the collective mentality we approach each game with."
I believe it demonstrates that if you get the chance to play on this team, you're ready for it, regardless of whether we have our original starting eleven or whether we have guys that come off the bench," he continued.
Miami, which plays in Orlando on Sunday, climbs to position 13 in the Eastern Conference and is now only five points behind Wayne Rooney's D.C. United, who are in ninth place overall and the final playoff slot. Miami has two games left to play.
Atlanta held D.C. United to a 1-1 draw at home, and Miami also benefited from other victories.
