New Delhi: Lionel Messi scored but Inter Miami were eliminated in the first round of the play-offs for the MLS Cup title. At their home of Fort Lauderdale, Miami crashed to a 2-3 defeat to Atlanta United.
After winning the regular season campaign with a record points total, Miami were considered the favourite for the Cup but lost two times in the best-of-three series to get knocked out.
Atlanta had finished ninth in the Eastern Conference but rallied to win. They went behind in the 17th minute when Matias Rojas followed the loose ball after Atlanta keeper Brad Guzan had dived to deny Messi.
Atlanta equalised two minutes later when Dax McCarty’s deflected pass was fired in by Jamal Thiare with a powerful strike. They then took the lead moments later when Thiare again scored with an opportunistic finish after being fed by Aleksei Miranchuk.
GOALLLL!!!! MESSSSS!!!!!!
LIONEL MESSI SCORES A BEAUTIFUL HEADER!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/ZCdFtwDeiN
— Olt Sports (@oltsport_) November 10, 2024
Inter Miami then scored but Diego Gomez’s attempt in the 23rd minute was chalked off for being offside. Miami kept on pushing and Messi finally found a way in the 65th minute when he rose high to head in Marcelo Weigandt’s cross from the right channel.
After making it 2-2, Miami committed more men forward in search of the winner but were undone at the back. They failed to keep out Pedro Amador’s cross from the left channel as Bartosz Slisz snuck in at the back post to head home.
After their win, Atlanta have set up a meeting with Orlando in the Eastern Conference semi-finals while New York Red Bulls and New York City face off in the other conference last four clash.
Lionel Messi was on target but Inter Miami crashed to a 2-3 defeat to Atlanta United to get elimiated from the MLS Cup playoffs Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
