FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Atlanta United shocked the world Saturday night and made MLS history, upsetting Supporters’ Shield winners Inter Miami CF 3-2 in Game 3 of the Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs at Chase Stadium and eliminating the No. 1 seed from the postseason in a fantastic display of grit and determination.
Atlanta’s win is the team's second in the Round One Best-of-3 Series, which means the 5-Stripes advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals. They will take on No. 4 seed Orlando City SC, who beat Charlotte FC earlier in the evening.
No. 1 seed Inter Miami, the Supporters’ Shield winners that many experts picked to win it all this year, is knocked out of the postseason. As the 9-seed, Atlanta's upset marks the greatest points wise in MLS Cup Playoff history. No. 1 Miami was 34 points better than Atlanta in the regular season.
"The last couple of weeks, there's something special in the group, there's something special in the locker room, and that thing is belief, it's confidence, it's desire to help the group," captain Brad Guzan said.
A total of three goals were scored in the span of six minutes in the first half -- the opener from Miami, then two from Atlanta. Jamal Thiaré scored a back-to-back brace and Bartosz Slisz headed in the game-winner in the 76th minute. Guzan came up with another heroic performance to carry Atlanta United into the next round of the MLS Cup Playoffs.
"They've got some internal belief right now," interim head coach Rob Valentino said in his post-match press conference.
Atlanta’s target heading into Saturday was to keep the score nil-nil as long as possible to put the pressure on the home team and higher seed. Atlanta managed to keep it that way until the 17th minute. A counter developed quickly for Miami, and the ball landed at the feet of captain Lionel Messi at the center of the box. His shot on goal was blocked spectacularly by Atlanta's goalkeeper Guzan. However, Matías Rojas was in the area to collect the rebound and finish it off. His goal opened the scoring and made it 1-0 for the home team.
However, Atlanta responded quickly, and Thiaré evened the match moments later. After Atlanta United strung some passes together and maintained possession, Atlanta midfielder Dax McCarty sent a superb pass on a line up the pitch. It went by Alexey Miranchuk to where Thiaré was able to reach it with his run. The striker hammered home the equalizer in the 19th minute to make the match 1-1.
Thiaré wasn’t done. Just two minutes later, McCarty sent a rocket vertically to Miranchuk that went through two Miami defenders. Miranchuk tapped it one-touch with the outside of his foot to Thiaré running on. The striker put it away to secure his first-half brace.
Atlanta United went ahead 2-1 on the home team in the 21st minute.
"Tonight, I wasn't expecting it," Thiaré said. "Lately, I hadn't been very lucky with my goal scoring opportunities, but everything went great tonight. It's a fantastic memory for myself and for the team."
It appeared that Miami’s Diego Gómez leveled the match mere moments later in the 25th minute. However, after a VAR check the goal was disallowed due to offsides.
Messi nearly served up the equalizer for Inter Miami in the 52nd minute, but Guzan made a massive stop. The Argentine chipped a nice ball to the far post. Jordi Alba connected steps from the goal line and put a header on frame, but Guzan reacted quickly to get a decent hand on it and the ball rolled out of bounds for a Miami corner kick.
Guzan finished the night with seven saves, bringing his total in the series to 17.
It was indeed Miami’s captain that found the goal to bring his team level in the 65th minute. From the right edge of the box, Marcelo Weigandt lofted a cross. Messi rose and bounced a header for the equalizer to make it 2-2.
Following a strong pursuit toward goal from Saba Lobjanidze, the ball kicked out wide to fullback Pedro Amador with some space on the left flank. Amador, who has been dangerous when given space, swung the ball toward the far post. Midfielder Bartosz Slisz came flying in to score the go-ahead goal for Atlanta in the 76th minute.
The goal was Slisz’s second of the season. Amador continues his incredible streak, recording his fourth assist of the postseason and his 10th assist for the club since arriving this summer.
"We've made little tweaks and done certain things to try to win each game and done something a little bit different every time and there's been different players called upon, but that was a big message: we have to do this together," Valentino said. "It's not going to be one player that's just going to carry us. That's not an underlying tone to anybody else. It's just the fact that, I tell this group that you have to do this together. You can't have passengers."
The result required a dogged defensive effort from Atlanta United, especially as they looked to close out the match with a 3-2 lead against two of the most lethal goal scorers in the world, Messi and striker Luis Suárez. Guzan stopped a dangerous volley from Suárez earlier in the match and had to hold off the striker's relentless energy throughout the night. In the closing moments of the match, center back Noah Cobb, who entered in the 81st minute as a substitute, made a crucial goal line stop to preserve Atlanta's lead.
Atlanta United's gritty run in the MLS Cup Playoffs continues. Including Decision Day and their Cinderella postseason run since, Atlanta United has faced elimination four times -- and gone four-for-four.
On Saturday, they survived their toughest, strongest test yet. Now, the group is just two more wins away from an appearance in the MLS Cup Finals.
"We've been essentially playing knockout games that could potentially end our season for a month. A lot of teams could fold in that situation, but for whatever reason, we're rising to the occasion," McCarty said. "Tonight is just such a great example of that and such a fantastic reward for the hard work of so many people, and I'm really pleased for everyone."
