John Herdman Comments on the Defeat Against Inter Miami

Once again, Toronto FC returns to defeat after a brief recovery, having ended their negative MLS streak with a 2-1 victory over Philadelphia Union. However, the joy was short-lived for John Herdman's team, which suffered a tough 3-1 loss to Inter Miami, even without Lionel Messi.

John Herdman spoke about this match, sharing his perspective from the technical direction, noting how the result is misleading considering the performance Toronto FC put in, including several chances created.

Toronto FC is not experiencing the best moment of 2024, but Herdman believes they will overcome this

Despite the current difficult stretch, Herdman remains optimistic. He believes that Toronto FC is doing things right, but unfortunately, they struggle with one of the worst goal conversion rates in the MLS. He also highlighted that the team’s tactical performance is not reflected in the scoreline.

According to Herdman, Toronto FC deserved much more against Miami on July 17, with goals resulting mainly from defensive errors or the opponent’s effectiveness.

"We missed out on big opportunities and I think that was the gap for us. When I look at the overall stats, once again, it’s ten shots to eight, five shots on target to our four. We had more possession, more passes, more corners, but they scored three goals and we only one. We have to take risks. That’s a big one."
John Herdman

Analyzing the goals is challenging, especially when they come from moments of brilliance by an opposing player, creating unstoppable scoring opportunities for Sean Johnson.

"If you just look at the game from box to box, they did better in their box keeping the ball out of the net and finishing, and we didn’t do as well in those moments. The game on paper was fairly even in a tough environment to come."
John Herdman

Toronto FC had their chances but did not capitalize on them, and there were periods where the Toronto team even appeared superior to Inter Miami. However, the failure to convert these few chances into goals remains a headache post-match.

"We had some chances to get even closer. So, again, that little period, a 15-minute stretch, cost us. I felt like we were still there. We felt we were there and back in the fight."
John Herdman