What went wrong for Lionel Messi's Inter Miami against Atlanta United?

The Herons were eliminated from the MLS Cup playoffs.

On Saturday, November 9, 2024, Lionel Messi’s dream of capturing the MLS Cup was abruptly dashed as his Inter Miami team were shocked and eliminated from the playoffs following a 3-2 home loss to Atlanta United.

Miami finished the regular season with the MLS Supporters’ Shield title. In doing so they even broke the highest number of points record set by the New England Revolution. But the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner and the Major League Soccer (MLS) Cup favourites are out after falling twice in the best-of-three playoff.

All of Miami’s praise for winning the “Supporters’ Shield” during the regular season is meaningless now that a club that placed ninth in the Eastern Conference (Atlanta United) pulled off an incredible upset.

Miami had difficulty creating chances from restricted service, and neither Messi nor his old Barcelona attack partner Luis Suarez were at their finest. The Spanish midfielder Sergio Busquets was sidelined due to injury, and the team lacked rhythm in their midfield.

🚨🇺🇸 Season over for Inter Miami as Leo Messi’s header is not enough after conceding 3 goals to Atlanta United.Inter Miami are out of the playoffs and the season has come to an end. pic.twitter.com/KGYXGRfpjY

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) November 10, 2024

What went wrong in Inter Miami’s defeat against Atlanta?

The defeat came as a surprise. On Saturday, Inter Miami were expected to easily defeat Atlanta United. But then, something went wrong—at least in MLS.

Nevertheless, Tata Martino’s side ought to have made things simpler in spite of those warnings. They lost the second and third game after defeating Atlanta in the first, and throughout the ninety minutes, they never really looked credible.

This season, ageing legs were always going to be an issue for Miami. After all, it appeared a surefire way to ruin a club that already lacked speed by adding a 37-year-old Suarez with worn knees from nearly two decades of playing. But Miami dominated games for extended periods of the season. Simply said, they had the ball more than their opponents, so they didn’t have to cover much territory.

However, Miami also makes the most mistakes that result in goals in MLS. They played straight into Atlanta’s hands twice, first during the regular season and again on Saturday. That was enough to predict the subsequent winner in Atlanta. Atlanta did a good job of moving Miami, who were stretched.

Miami have struggled in areas other than attack, though. There was always going to be some worry about Sergio Busquets‘ absence from match three because the former Barcelona player has been instrumental for Martino’s team this season in a number of positions. Despite his advanced age and the fact that this is a new league, Busquets still appears to be the ideal pacesetter.

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