A goal from the Portuguese Xande Silva in the 94th minute gave the Atlanta United a long-suffering 2-1 home win against Inter Miami and forced the third and decisive game of the first round series of the playoffs of the MLS. We will have to wait for next Saturday’s clash at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale to settle this tie, after Atlanta overcame a serious mistake by their goalkeeper Brad Guzan, paid for with a goal from Paraguayan David Martínez, and turned the corner to the marker.
The Irishman Derrick Williams, with a header on the hour mark, and Xande Silva, with a powerful right foot five minutes after taking the field, gave life to Atlanta United. Inter Miami, champion of the Supporters’ Shield for the best team of the regular season, had scored seconds earlier with a header from Messi, but the goal was correctly disallowed for offside.
Atlanta United lost with honor in Miami in the first game of the series and this Saturday the Mercedes Benz Stadium opened all sectors of the facility, something very unusual for an MLS match, to have the maximum possible support from its fans . Confidence was evident in the local team, which pushed hard against an Inter Miami that finally did not have Sergio Busquets, who was suffering from physical discomfort and did not risk worsening his condition.
Inter Miami’s goalkeeper, Drake Callender, appeared with a great save half an hour into the game to repel a powerful left-footed shot from Russian Aleksey Miranchuk from outside the area, and on the other side of the field, veteran Brad Guzan committed a serious mistake that frustrated Atlanta’s efforts. With the ball in his hands, the 40-year-old goalkeeper completely missed the serve, annoyed by the presence of Federico Redondo, and the ball reached the boots of Martínez, who put Inter Miami ahead.
Silva celebrates his goal, which allows Atlanta United to have another chance on Saturday
Inter Miami gained confidence and, with Messi lighting up the game, created potentially dangerous situations, but without being able to achieve them. And Atlanta managed to respond. At the hour mark, Pedro Amador delivered a perfect left-footed cross that Derrick Williams, another central defender, headed into the back of the net.
The match became a round-trip match, in which both teams could win. Messi came close to scoring an Olympic goal, something he has never achieved in his career, in the 70th minute, and was about to give his team a place in added time, but his headed goal was disallowed for offside.
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With the shadow of penalties already looming, Atlanta struck. He did it with the help of Xande Silva, who celebrated in style by taking off his shirt. He wasn’t even interested in the yellow card that the referee showed him. The series will be decided in Miami.
TECHNICAL SHEET
2 – Atlanta United: Guzan; Hernandez, Abram, Williams, Amador; Fortune (Silva, m.89), Slisz, McCarty (Muyumba, m.71), Lobjanidze; Miranchuk, Thiare (Rivers, m.78).
Coach: Rob Valentino
1 – InterMiami: Callender; Avilés, Martínez, Allen (Campana, m.84); Weigandt, Bright (Cremaschi, m.46), Redondo, Alba; Messi, Suárez, Gómez (Rojas, m.84).
Coach: Gerardo Martino
Goals: 1-0, Martínez (m. 40); 1-1, Williams (d. 58); 2-1, Silva (m. 94)
Referee: Rubiel Vázquez (USA). He showed yellow cards to Hernández (m.45), Williams (m.64), Slisz (m.93) and Silva (m.95), from Atlanta, and Avilés, from Inter Miami.
Incidents: Second game of the best-of-three series corresponding to the first round of the MLS playoffs played at the Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta (USA).
