Toronto FC fly into South Florida this weekend to face Inter Miami FC with a two-game unbeaten streak on the line. The Reds will be hoping to harness the magic that propelled them to come back from two goals down, with ten men, to draw Charlotte FC. The two teams previously met in May at BMO Field, with the Herons coming through with a 4-2 win in a hotly contested match.
Inter Miami's recent form
Miami sit second in MLS's Eastern Conference with 39 points, seven points back from Supporters' Shield leaders Nashville SC. Their recent 4-1 defeat to Nashville has opened a gulf between the two top teams in the conference.
The Florida side's attack has never been an issue, with their 48 goals scored tied for first in MLS with FC Cincinnati. Defence, however, has been a concern, as the 38 goals Miami have shipped are the fourth-worst in the league. While the Miami midfield was recently boosted by the acquisition of ageing Brazilian star Casemiro, the backline remains among the weakest in MLS.
Miami's results have been mixed since the resumption of league play, with two wins, two draws, and a loss, but their most recent win was a narrow 1-0 victory over CF Montréal on 25 July 2026. Mixed into this was an unsuccessful foray in the Leagues Cup, where Miami finished with one win and two defeats.
In their past five league matches, Inter Miami have scored nine goals but conceded ten. During much of this post-World Cup stretch, Inter Miami manager Guillermo Hoyos experimented with goalkeeper Rocco Ríos Novo in place of veteran Dayne St. Clair. However, after several high-profile mistakes and poor goalkeeping numbers from Novo, the Miami manager has returned St. Clair — the reigning MLS Goalkeeper of the Year — between the posts.
Inter Miami's recent 2-2 draw with the Philadelphia Union finished with some fireworks that could have had significant consequences for Saturday's match with Toronto. Right-sided midfielder Yannick Bright's red card in the closing moments of the match will see him suspended for this weekend.
Additionally, the MLS Disciplinary Committee announced it had fined Lionel Messi for the incident against the Philadelphia Union, but that no suspension was imposed.
Toronto FC's recent form
The Reds' results since the World Cup break would not be overly concerning if their pre-World Cup record had not been so abysmal. One win and one loss among four draws, with most of this stretch played on the road, would not be disappointing if the team were not four points out of a play-in spot. What Toronto need so desperately now are wins.
Toronto's recent play has shown signs of life and marked improvement since the World Cup break. Having a largely healthy squad at his disposal has certainly helped manager Robin Fraser, but inconsistencies within their game have hamstrung the team in their pursuit of wins. Fraser acknowledged after the Charlotte match: "I know we are not where we need to be."
Robin Fraser's criticisms of MLS officiating after the Charlotte game were blunt and not entirely without merit. Nevertheless, the obvious area in need of improvement begins with discipline, and not for the first time this season. In the last two games, key players have seen red. Against the Revolution last weekend, it was Đorđe Mihailović, and midweek against Charlotte it was Walker Zimmerman. The absence of players in leadership positions has not been helpful.
Fraser will also be looking for his squad to clean up their tendency for needless turnovers, especially in their own half. Luka Gavran's miscue that led to Charlotte's first goal on Wednesday immediately comes to mind, but there have been far too many misplaced passes from a team that still looks to have players learning to understand their teammates' tendencies and patterns of play.
Wishing Niklas a speedy recovery ♥️
— Toronto FC (@TorontoFC) August 21, 2026
Niklas Dorsch underwent successful surgery to repair a facial fracture following an injury sustained last match. pic.twitter.com/UDNG3qKuJK
The team will have to do without the services of their new midfield heartbeat, as Niklas Dorsch underwent surgery to repair a facial fracture after receiving an elbow to the face late in the game against Charlotte. The defensive dynamo has become a critical piece in the centre of the Reds' midfield since arriving from FC Heidenheim of the Bundesliga earlier this transfer window. Aside from his defensive quality and organizational ability, Dorsch has unexpectedly contributed two key goals in his first three matches.
With captain Jonathan Osorio still out with a knee injury, the midfield double pivot appears to belong to Alonso Coello and young Markus Cimermancic. In the last two games, the latter has stepped in to partner Dorsch at the base of midfield and filled in as the number ten in Mihailović's absence, scoring his first MLS goal in the process against Charlotte, a goal Cimermancic described as "amazing, obviously! Probably a generic answer, but a dream come true."
Player availability
Inter Miami are in the enviable position of having no injuries to report. However, as previously noted, Yannick Bright will be suspended for the match on account of his straight red card in the midweek match against the Philadelphia Union. Influential midfielder Rodrigo de Paul is back, however, after a one-match suspension for yellow card accumulation.
Toronto FC are expected to have four players officially unavailable: Deandre Kerr, Jonathan Osorio, Nelson Palacio, and now Niklas Dorsch. While Đorđe Mihailović is expected back after serving his one-game suspension for a red card, Walker Zimmerman will be suspended for the match against Inter Miami.
Projected XIs
Inter Miami FC (4-3-3): Dayne St. Clair; Sergio Reguilón, Maximiliano Falcón, Gonzalo Luján, Facundo Mura; David Ayala, Casemiro, Rodrigo de Paul; Telasco Segovia, Luis Suárez, Lionel Messi
Toronto FC (4-2-3-1): Luka Gavran; Jackson Gilman, Benjamín Kuscevic, Zane Monlouis, Richie Laryea; Markus Cimermancic, Alonso Coello; Dániel Sallói, Đorđe Mihailović, Theo Corbeanu; Josh Sargent
Game information and how to watch
⏰ 7:30 pm ET / 10:30 pm PT
📆 Saturday, August 22, 2026
📺 Apple TV
🧑⚖️ Ismail Elfath
🏟 Nu Stadium, Miami, Florida
