Lionel Messi and Inter Miami were unable to secure a spot in the Eastern Conference semifinals of the 2024 MLS Playoffs on Saturday, losing the second leg of the quarterfinals to Atlanta United at the Mercedes-Benz Arena.
Atlanta United rallied to secure a 2-1 victory after the visiting team took the lead in the first half, with David Martínez scoring in the 40th minute, capitalizing on a critical error by the goalkeeper that made the task appear straightforward. I
In the second half, as Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez, and Jordi Alba stepped up their performance in pursuit of a second win in the leg, it was Atlanta United who shocked Inter with two late goals.
Derrick Williams equalized in the 58th minute, and then Xande Silva scored in stoppage time at 90+4′, giving his team a 2-1 lead in the second game of this best-of-three series, where the first team to win two games progresses. Messi created numerous scoring opportunities but was only able to find the back of the net when the flag was raised for offside.
XANDE SILVA DID 𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗧. WE'RE GOING TO GAME 3.#UniteThe404 x #MLSCupPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/aI9v9fjvMN
— Atlanta United FC (@ATLUTD) November 3, 2024
In a bid to secure victory and clinch the series before a potential penalty shootout, Martino substituted in attacking players Leonardo Campana and Matías Rojas, but it was Atlanta that capitalized on the frantic finale.
Miami was missing Sergio Busquets, as Martino later revealed that the midfielder sustained a knock during the first match against Atlanta and showed early signs of pneumonia, which prevented him from participating in training this week.
“It seems to me that we did a lot of good work to be able to win the game,” Martino added. “Even in the last 10 minutes, we decided to go after them with four attackers.
“We were optimistic even going to penalties because of the very good performers who would have remained on the field if we had finished 1-1. Beyond that, the search was to try to win it in the 90 minutes.”
The series is now even with one win for each team, as the first match concluded with the same score but resulted in a victory for Inter Miami. The final match of this leg between Inter Miami and Atlanta United is scheduled for November 9 at Chase Stadium at 8:00 p.m. Eastern, and it’s a crucial showdown, as neither team holds a clear advantage in the series.
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Mohd Faisal Hakak is a sports author from Kashmir. He likes to keep tabs on the sporting world with a keen interest in football, motorsports, NBA, and other marquee sports. He is a science graduate from Islamia College Srinagar.
