Inter Miami faced Atlanta United in the first playoff game of the MLS season on Friday, October 25 at Chase Stadium, seeking to start Lionel Messi’s first post-season with the right foot and eventually got it.
In a game that dominated from beginning to end, Inter Miami imposed itself with all justice 2-1 on Atlanta to put 1-0 the three-game series, to the best of two.
In truth, the score was too short for what happened on the court with 68 percent of the dominance of the ball of the local ensemble, with 22 shots at the door and 12 between the three sticks.
Messi tried every way possible but met Atlanta goalkeeper Brad Guzan on gala night to keep him from scoring. What he couldn’t help was Leo leading a brutal offensive that had his prize with the triumph.
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Miami scored Luis Suarez (2nd) and Jordi Alba (60th), while for Atlanta it was done by Saba Lobjanidze.
There were no surprises in Gerardo’s Eleven. Tata Martino with Drake Callender, Marcelo Weingandt, Tomas Aviles, Sergio Busquets, Alba, Federico Redondo, Jannick Bright, Diego Gomez, Leo Messi and Suarez.
“I liked the party for the control we had almost all of the teedo and because we didn’t have losses that led to the rival’s actions,” Martino said.
We were patient and if it wasn’t for Guzan’s performance we would have had more goals. We were dominant and saw many goal opportunities.
Inter Miami will now play the second game of the series next Saturday, November 2, at the Mercedes-Benz in Atlanta and if it wins it will advance to the semifinals of the Eastern Conference where it faces the winner of the series between Orlando and Charlotte.
In Atlanta, we’re going to have difficulties with the complex of the rival and what it means to play on that court. It’s gonna be hard.
The first half ended 1-1 which apparently looked unfair on the court, and not only because Miami had absolute control of the game in the first 45 minutes but because it attacked much more with 13 shots in the arc (6 among the three sticks), after 68.2 percent possession. At the same time, Atlanta was lucky to score on its only shot inside.
In the 2nd minute, Suarez scored 1-0 for his team after topping a right leg howitzer that could not stop the goalkeeper Guzan, after receiving a good pass from Gomez who gave it back after entering the area on the left and received a pass from Alba.
After the goal, Miami increased its dominance and in the 7th minute, Guzan took Messi a left-handed from outside the area in a typical combination with Alba, who was about to surprise.
With Busquets of the last man, Inter Miami was the absolute owner of the game (72%) after the first 20 minutes, although that dominance did not translate in danger thanks to Atlanta piling on the edge of his area, although at 26th he could not avoid Messi’s second shot from the balcony of the area that Guzan pulled out by hand changed.
About half an hour Miami squeezed into attack and between the stick, in Messi’s shot, and the goalkeeper, stopping Chelo’s bomb, avoided the second after 9 shots in total.
But at 39th came Atlanta’s surprising 1-1 draw in a magnificent combination. Pedro Amador took it from the left and when he was entering the center he leaked it to Saba Lobjanidze, who stung inside the area and pulled out a good left-handed cross-shot to score Atlanta’s goal, without Callender being able to do anything.
Inter Miami, although he tried, in the end, could not unbalance the scales and went to rest with a hug on the scoreboard that he knew little by little, very little.
At the beginning of the second half (52), Messi raised the crowd from his seats with a 25-metre foul shot that passed by rubbing the first stick, and then, at 54, Suarez could not contact a good center of Martinez from the left.
And so much was the pitcher to the fountain until the 60th time Alba, with a big left-handed shot from outside the area, put his team 2-1, in front after an assist from Messi with a back pass after pulling out a clister.
At 68, Benjamin Cremaschi entered through Redondo, in a good match, in a soda change, and at 72 Guzan rejected another goal sung to Messi within striking distance, after a reclaiming combination based on walls of Inter Miami.
Then at 75th, without Atlanta passing just from the center of the field, Ian Fray entered Aviles, who was also more fulfilled but two minutes later the United advanced and put fear in the body of the house club with a missile of Xande Silva who passed rubbing the long post.
From then on the domain was alternate, with occasions in both doors, without Messi stopping looking for his own. At 90th Fray was injured and left his place to Noah Allen. But there were only tries and Inter Miami took its first win of these playoffs.
