Lionel Messi’s first MLS playoffs began with momentum and mammoth expectations. They ended Saturday with a stunning upset and a GOAT’s whimper.
Messi and Inter Miami, the history-making top seed, crashed out in the first round with a second consecutive loss to Atlanta United — who barely snuck into the playoffs with a losing record and negative goal differential.
Messi, who’d been silent in a Game 2 loss, got his first playoff goal to level this decisive Game 3 at 2-2. But Atlanta responded; Bartosz Slisz snatched the lead back with a 76th-minute header; and the visitors sent shockwaves through American soccer with a 3-2 upset.
Miami entered these playoffs as the clearest favorite in MLS history. They waltzed to a victory in Game 1 of a three-game series, and seemed certain to advance. All they had to do was win one of two against an Atlanta team that had triumphed in less than a third of its regular-season matches — only 10 of 34.
But then, in Game 2, the Herons went silent in Atlanta.
Their 2-1 loss set up a “do-or-die” Game 3, Messi’s first in MLS.
Or, at least, that’s how English speakers described it. In Spanish, there’s a similar but different phrase. “Es un partido de matar o morir,” Inter Miami midfielder Federico Redondo said this week. Not “do-or-die,” but rather “kill-or-die.”
And, in a staggering Saturday twist, it was Atlanta who did the killing.
The No. 9 seed, who won a play-in game on penalties, weathered an early Miami storm at Chase Stadium. Then, immediately after an early Matias Rojas goal, Atlanta’s Jamal Thiare punished some lax defending. He scored twice in three minutes, and the underdog carried a 2-1 lead into halftime.
In the second half, Messi rose to meet the moment, temporarily.
But Atlanta answered.
And at the other end of the field, goalkeeper Brad Guzan, at age 40, made some heroic saves. He clawed away a close-range Jordi Alba header. He frustrated Luis Suarez and Messi. He made six stops in total.
Messi smashed two free kicks into Atlanta walls, and slumped in frustration.
And Miami’s title hopes died.
Their loss is also a massive loss for MLS, whose playoffs have now lost significant luster.
It doesn’t invalidate the best regular season in league history. “We celebrated the achievement, because it was something difficult and important,” Messi said in a recent interview. “But,” he acknowledged, “we are aware that the real title we want is the MLS [Cup].”
Now, he might only have one more year to chase it.
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Atlanta leads, 2-1, at halftime
This, obviously, would be a stunner.
But “would” is still the key word. Miami trailed in a majority of their MLS games during the regular season. They still broke the points record.
They’ll surely create plenty of chances to equalize in the second half.
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