Messi, Miami Eliminated from MLS Cup Playoffs in First Round

AFP/APP

Fort Lauderdale, United States: Lionel Messi’s quest for an MLS Cup title ended on Saturday as Inter Miami faced a surprising first-round playoff exit, losing 3-2 at home to Atlanta United.

Miami, who dominated the regular season with a record points total, entered the playoffs as favorites, only to be knocked out after dropping two consecutive games in the best-of-three series.

Despite earning the Supporters’ Shield for their regular season triumph, Miami’s accomplishments proved futile as ninth-seeded Atlanta pulled off an upset.

Miami initially took the lead in the 17th minute when Messi’s attempt was saved by Atlanta goalkeeper Brad Guzan, allowing Matias Rojas to capitalize on the rebound.

However, Atlanta quickly responded as Dax McCarty’s deflected pass set up Jamal Thiare, who struck confidently to equalize. Just moments later, Thiare scored again, assisted by Aleksei Miranchuk, putting Atlanta up 2-1.

Miami appeared to tie the game in the 23rd minute through Diego Gomez, but the goal was disallowed for offside. Guzan’s goalkeeping heroics frustrated Miami’s attempts to equalize, especially in the second half, as he made several crucial saves.

Missing Spanish midfielder Sergio Busquets due to injury, Miami lacked creativity in the midfield, with Messi and former Barcelona teammate Luis Suarez struggling to create scoring opportunities.

In the 65th minute, Messi managed to level the game with a powerful header from Marcelo Weigandt’s cross. However, Atlanta reclaimed the lead with Bartosz Slisz’s back-post header following a cross from Pedro Amador, ultimately sealing Miami’s fate.

Inter players protested the referee’s decision to let play continue while defender Tomas Aviles lay injured, but their objections went unanswered. At the final whistle, Miami’s Chase Stadium fell silent as Atlanta celebrated their advancement to the Eastern Conference semi-finals, where they will face Orlando.

Head coach Gerardo Martino reflected on the loss, stating, “This season has had its highs and lows. Compared to last November, we’ve made significant progress as a club. But we fell short in the playoffs.”

Expressing the team’s disappointment, Martino added, “The players are understandably sad, as we fell short of our goals. We were accustomed to achieving objectives, but missed the most crucial one this time.”

Former Spain full-back Jordi Alba also voiced his dissatisfaction with the current MLS playoff format, suggesting it could be made fairer by pitting conference champions against each other.

Atlanta will now move forward to face Orlando, while New York Red Bulls and New York City will compete in the other Eastern Conference semi-final.