ATLANTA PULL OFF THE UPSET
Inter Miami are OUT in the first round of the MLS Playoffs after getting the regular season points record and Supporters’ Shield.
Messi, Suarez, Busquets, Alba and more… all out.
Bartosz Slisz scores the 3-2 winner.pic.twitter.com/Az1Bap5KES
— Ben Steiner (@BenSteiner00) November 10, 2024
ESPN
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Inter Miami suffered a stunning first-round elimination from the 2024 Major League Soccer playoffs after falling 3-2 against Atlanta United in Game 3 at Chase Stadium on Saturday night.
Lionel Messi looked to have rescued Miami when scoring a second-half equalizer but Bartosz Slisz won the game and the series for Atlanta with a controversial 76th minute header.
The goal was scored while Miami defender Tomás Avilés was down hurt in his own penalty area, with his teammates appealing for the referee to stop the game to allow him to receive treatment.
Messi twice had chances to level the scores once more with free-kicks but on both occasions hit his efforts into the wall as Miami fell victim to arguably the biggest upset in MLS playoff history.
Led by the Argentina star, Miami entered the postseason as the No. 1 seed after setting the MLS record for most points recorded in a single season to claim its first Supporters’ Shield. But it fell short by two games to one against an Atlanta side that finished ninth in the Eastern Conference, 34 points behind Miami, and only qualified for the postseason with a final-day win to clinch a wild-card spot.
