Lionel Messi’s pursuit of an MLS Cup title came to a surprising end on Saturday as Inter Miami suffered a first-round playoff exit with a 3-2 defeat at home against Atlanta United.
Despite setting a regular-season points record and being favorites for the title, Miami was eliminated after losing twice in their best-of-three series. Miami’s regular-season accomplishments, including the ‘Supporters’ Shield’ for finishing top of the league, were overshadowed by Atlanta’s upset, as the ninth-seeded Eastern Conference side rose to the occasion.
The host side took the lead in the 17th minute when Messi’s shot was parried by Atlanta goalkeeper Brad Guzan, allowing Matias Rojas to tap in the rebound.
However, just two minutes later, Atlanta equalized as a deflected pass from Dax McCarty reached Jamal Thiare, who finished with precision. The visitors then took the lead when McCarty lifted a pass forward to Aleksei Miranchuk, who set up Thiare for his second goal, putting Atlanta up 2-1.
With Spanish midfielder Sergio Busquets sidelined on the bench due to injury, the Heron’s midfield lacked that cutting edge, and both Messi and his former Barcelona teammate Luis Suarez struggled to create chances with limited service. However, in the 65th minute, Messi found a breakthrough, powering a header into the net from a well-placed cross by Marcelo Weigandt on the right.
Miami pressed forward in pursuit of a winning goal, but they were left exposed as Pedro Amador delivered a cross from the left, finding Polish midfielder Bartosz Slisz, who headed it in at the back post to win the game for The Five Stripes.
“This season has had good and bad things. If you think about where we were in November last year, there has obviously been progress in terms of the club, not just the team. If you think about the expectations we had for this playoffs, obviously we came up a little short,” Inter Miami coach Gerardo Martino said after the game.
“The players are sad, as they should be when there are so many expectations and the team can’t fulfill them. In this final part of the year we got used to achieving the objectives but we couldn’t achieve the most important one,” he added.
ATLANTA PULL OFF ONE OF THE BIGGEST UPSETS IN MLS HISTORY TO ADVANCE ‼️ MIAMI ARE ELIMINATED IN THE FIRST ROUND ‼️ pic.twitter.com/YaEo9VaX5D
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) November 10, 2024
The Herons claimed a 2-1 victory over Atlanta in their first home game, but a 2-1 defeat in Game 2 at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium led to a crucial third match. The defeat continued Miami’s challenges in the MLS playoffs, as the David Beckham co-owned team has yet to advance past the first round of the playoffs.
The Herons’ focus will now turn towards the newly expanded 32-team FIFA Club World Cup. The club earned that spot after winning the MLS Supporters’ Shield, awarded to the team with the best regular-season record in the league.
On the other hand, Atlanta United progressed to the semifinals of the Eastern Conference where they will lock horns with Orlando City SC.
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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.
