Robert Taylor scored his third goal of the season and first since early March, and also had an assist to help Inter Miami to a 2-1 victory over the host Vancouver Whitecaps despite the absence of Lionel Messi and other stars.
Leonardo Campana added his fourth goal and second in as many matches off Taylor’s feed in what eventually proved the winner. Miami has not lost in 10 straight regular-season matches.
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Messi was left in Florida along with his fellow former Barcelona teammates Luis Suarez and Sergio Busquets as planned rest.
The match was the first of three for Miami (10-2-4, 34 points) in eight days, with the latter two at home after the trip to face the Whitecaps.
Ryan Gauld scored his fifth goal for Vancouver (5-5-4, 19 points) when he cut the deficit in half from the penalty spot. But the Whitecaps extended their winless run to six matches.
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Taylor put Miami in front in the 38th minute when he ran to Jordi Alba’s excellent pass down the left flank.
But Taylor still had a lot to do, cutting the ball back to his right foot before striking a powerful shot that beat the diving Yohei Takaoka to the top right corner.
Miami scored its second goal in the 54th minute on an attack that began when Campana won a 50-50 ball near the center circle, then progressed the ball to Taylor down the left.
Taylor used a cutback to elude his first defender on the dribble and then slotted the ball back toward the penalty spot, where Campana drove a low finish inside the far right post.
Vancouver was handed a lifeline midway through the second half when video assistant referee Sorin Stoica spotted a shove in the penalty area by Miami defender Tomas Aviles on Vancouver attacker Fafa Picault.
Referee Joe Dickerson awarded the penalty after a video review, and Gauld stepped up to convert from the spot.
“We came without our great players: Leo, Luis, Busi and Diego Gomez,” Inter Miami coach Gerardo Martino said after the game.
“And still we competed well, and that’s the most valuable thing. Of course, we would’ve lost having competed well then we wouldn’t have the joy we have now. But it’s a big prize for the boys for the effort they did.”
