Toronto FC falls 1-0 to Inter Miami in agonizing fashion – Toronto Sun

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There were plenty of breaks on Tuesday at BMO Field.

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Inter Miami got the good breaks and Toronto FC the heartbreak.

The Reds dropped a 1-0 decision to in the worst way imaginable — a penalty kick in added time.

Worse than that, twice it appeared that the Reds were going to take the lead, and perhaps finally get a win, only to have a penalty kick awarded to them called back and an apparent goal ruled a no-goal.

It’s almost like this Reds team is cursed.

Christian Makoun scored on a penalty kick for Inter Miami in stoppage time, after a Chris Mavinga foul, to give the Herons the victory, just minutes after it appeared TFC had taken a lead.

TFC has now lost six in a row and are winless in nine games. The Reds certainly deserved better than the loss, controlling the play for most the game despite being down a man.

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In the final three minutes of the match, young Canadian winger Jacob Shaffelburg, who came into the game early as a substitute and played out of his mind, left-footed a shot into the goal. The ball appeared to go into the goal, but because a lack of goal line technology, the original ruling of no-goal, stood. Miami keeper Nick Marsman seemed to have made the save after the ball had crossed the line but it wasn’t 100% clear on the replay.

TFC coach Javier Perez was furious afterwards, insisting that Shaffelburg scored and that there was encroachment by Miami players on Makoun’s goal and the shot should have been called back.

“It’s just unbelievable that we have all this technology they put in place just to get things right and instead what they do is create more confusion and things that are unfair. I think it’s unacceptable what we witnessed tonight,” said Perez. “I don’t want to judge or assume things but it’s very difficult to believe that this is not something that is not done on purpose.”

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A number of TFC players rose to the occasion against a rising Miami club, particularly Shaffelburg, Yeferson Soteldo and Richie Laryea on the attack and Mavinga at centre back, despite his costly foul in added time on Makoun, whom he shoulder-checked off the ball. One of TFC’s three Designated Players, Soteldo, returned to the starting XI after coming back from the international break last week, though Toronto was again without his other two DP’s — star attacking midfielder Alejandro Pozuelo (quad) and forward Jozy Altidore (foot). Perez is hopeful that Pozuelo will be available to play some minutes on Saturday night when the Reds host Nashville at BMO Field.

TFC started the game well and the BMO Field crowd thought they could smell a goal early when, in the 14th minute, Soteldo took a quick free kick and fed the ball to Laryea in the box and the Canadian international was pulled down by a Miami defender after getting away a shot. Referee Ramy Touchan ruled a penalty kick though after going to the VAR, the play was ruled offside.

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Lawrence picked up his red card in the 37th minute when he pulled down Miami forward Robbie Robinson just outside the box after a great pass from former Red and Canadian international Jay Chapman. It was the second time in the last there games TFC went down a man early.

Perez re-organized his team to a 4-4-1 formation in the second half and that paid dividends.

The Reds, to their credit, remained on the front foot in the second half, displaying some brilliance on the attack in the 58th minute on a counter-attack started and finished by Laryea. Laryea fed Shaffelburg a pass on the left side from TFC’s end. The Port Williams, N.S., native charged down the field and found Soteldo just outside the middle of the box and the Venezuelan dropped it back to Laryea who right-footed a shot at Marsman.

SBuffery@postmedia.com

Twitter @Beezersun