Monumental hit by Leo Messi’s Inter Miami!

He Inter Miami of Lionel Messi crashed this Saturday in the first round of the ‘playoff’ of the MLS against Atlanta Unitedwhich added its second victory in the three-game series by winning away 2-3 and eliminating those in pink. Inter Miami was the best team in the regular season and broke the MLS points record (74), but this Saturday they suffered a hard blow when they fell to an Atlanta United that finished in ninth place in the East with 40 points and reached to the playoffs as eighth through the ‘wild card’.

Messi and company, who were the favorites to win the MLS Cup, closed with a resounding defeat a 2024 season in which they won the MLS Supporters’ Shield title. In addition to this elimination in the first round, Gerardo Martino’s team fell this year in the quarterfinals of the Concacaf Champions Cup against Monterrey and lost in the round of 16 of the Leagues Cup against the Columbus Crew. However, FIFA, due to his good performance in the MLS regular season, gave him the invitation that the host country (USA) had for the expanded 2025 Club World Cup.

Those in pink won the first game of this series 2-1 but lost 1-2 in the second. Tonight they had everything in their favor in their stadium, but Atlanta United sealed an unforgettable performance with goalkeeper Brad Guzan as the hero, and with dynamite on the counterattacks to exploit the shortcomings behind Inter Miami. Atlanta United will face Orlando City (fourth) in the East semifinals. On the other side of the table, New York City (sixth) and the New York Red Bulls (seventh) will face each other.

Without Sergio Busquets starting due to a blow (he entered in the 78th already with 2-3), Inter Miami assumed the role that corresponded to it from the beginning: long possessions, control of the match and harassment of an opponent completely sheltered behind. However, the visiting team made it clear very quickly that they would be very dangerous on the counterattacks and in the 14th minute Thiaré sent a ball to the post.

Only three minutes after that scare, Inter Miami took the lead on the scoreboard. Messi received a ball at the penalty spot and made a mistake, which he does not usually make, but after Guzan’s enormous save the ball fell to Paraguayan Matías Rojas, who did not forgive.

The script was being fulfilled and Inter Miami had the tie on track, but Atlanta United revolutionized the game with two blows practically in a row. In the 19th minute, Jamal Thiaré took advantage of the immense spaces behind the local defense and beat Drake Callender with a right foot into the top corner. Just two minutes later, Atlanta United went on the counterattack, Alexey Miranchuk assisted Thiaré and the Senegalese made it 1-2.

Those two goals left Inter Miami in shock, but like a wounded lion, Messi’s team launched a total siege by land, sea and air on Atlanta’s goal. Paraguayan Diego Gómez scored the equalizer but it was disallowed for offside. It was not the only opportunity for an Inter Miami with multiple avenues of attack but no precision: Messi did not hit the mark after an excellent combination with Suárez, the Uruguayan did not score either with an acrobatic shot, the Argentine David Martínez had his own with a header… .

And in most of the photos of Miami’s frustration, Guzan appeared, full of energy and with several extraordinary stops before the break. The locker room did not cool down because the goalkeeper, after the restart, made an impressive save on the goal line after a header from Jordi Alba. Inter Miami showed signs of frustration, but the usual one came to the rescue: Messi. The 10 sealed a header in the 65th minute from a cross from his compatriot Marcelo Weigandt and the locals began to emerge from the maze.