Inter Miami grabs win in Messi's MLS playoff debut, tops Atlanta United

Lionel Messi repeatedly had chances to score, but was repeatedly denied. Turns out he just had to deliver the right pass at the right time.

Jordi Alba converted a pass from Messi into the opening goal in the 60th minute, Luis Suarez also scored and Inter Miami beat Atlanta United 2-1 on Friday night in the opening game of the best-of-three Major League first-round soccer playoffs. Series.

It wasn't the easiest start for the Supporters' Shield winners and No. 1 overall seed in the MLS Cup playoffs, a team that set a league record with 74 points in the regular season, 34 points ahead of wild card Atlanta in the season rankings.

Saba Lobjanidze scored a goal for Atlanta, which received eight saves from goaltender Brad Guzan. Game 2 will take place on November 2nd in Atlanta – the final away game of the season, no matter what, for Inter Miami. Game 3, if necessary, will take place on November 9th in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

“It will be difficult for us,” said Inter Miami coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino. “It will be difficult because this rival has been like that all season.”

Inter Miami's first home playoff game and Messi's MLS playoff debut were sold out – Messi games almost always are, anywhere in the world – and MLS even had a camera trained on him throughout the game, streaming that view on TikTok. There were plans to also broadcast the game live on a giant screen in New York's Times Square; that was ultimately canceled, but Apple will plan another viewing of the game there.

Atlanta was the only team to beat Inter Miami when Messi was on the roster this season, and it was almost as if the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner – and finalist for the MLS MVP award – knew that it wouldn't be easy.

“It will be settled on the pitch,” Messi said in an interview recorded before the playoffs. MLS teased it on social media and said it would be distributed on its season pass platform. “Anything can happen in a game.”

And for 60 minutes the scoreboard read that these teams were evenly matched.

Suarez scored when the game was barely a minute old and Messi had three quality chances later in the half.

Messi's left foot almost made it 2-0 after six minutes; Guzan had to spread to his right to just block the shot. Messi found some space and shot again in the 26th minute; This time Guzan hit the ball over the crossbar. And in the 29th minute it wasn't Guzan who saved Messi, but the post. The rebound came to Inter Miami's Marcelo Weigandt and his shot was blocked by Guzan.

Without Guzan it could have been 2-0, 3-0, maybe even 4-0 at that point.

Instead it was 1-1 at the break. Lobjanidze got behind the defense and beat Drake Callender from close range in the 39th minute, and Atlanta – which won at Chase Stadium in May – showed everything in the second half.

“We were frustrated,” Martino said.

In the 52nd minute, Messi's direct shot from 25 meters almost put Inter Miami back in the lead, but the ball went just past the post to Guzan's left. The breakthrough came about eight minutes later when Messi was lifted into the air by Alba in celebration after the goal.

“We have to keep our heads up and get going again,” Guzan said. “We have had our backs against the wall for quite some time. And when our backs were against the wall, we found a way. We now have our backs to the wall. We have to go to Game 2 and we have to win.

The night took a bad turn for Inter Miami late on. Ian Fray, a South Florida native already battling three torn ACLs, left in the 90th minute after a non-contact injury left him unable to put weight on his right leg. There was initially no information about the severity of Fray's injury.

“It was a very good game… but we're not as happy as we could be because of Ian,” Martino said. “We are all a little sad. We’ll wait and see what kind of injury he has.”