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Lionel Messi, Inter Miami flop out of MLS playoffs, stunned by Atlanta

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Lionel Messi, Inter Miami flop out of MLS playoffs, stunned by Atlanta

Lionel Messi scored, but Atlanta United knocked Inter Miami out of the MLS playoffs with a 3-2 victory Saturday in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Lionel Messi’s first MLS playoffs began with momentum and mammoth expectations. They ended Saturday with a stunning upset and a GOAT’s whimper.

Messi and Inter Miami, the history-making top seed, crashed out in the first round with a second consecutive loss to Atlanta United — who barely snuck into the playoffs with a losing record and negative goal differential.

Messi, who’d been silent in a Game 2 loss, got his first playoff goal to level this decisive Game 3 at 2-2. But Atlanta responded; Bartosz Slisz snatched the lead back with a 76th-minute header; and the visitors sent shockwaves through American soccer with a 3-2 upset.

Miami entered these playoffs as the clearest favorite in MLS history. They waltzed to a victory in Game 1 of a three-game series, and seemed certain to advance. All they had to do was win one of two against an Atlanta team that had triumphed in less than a third of its regular-season matches — only 10 of 34.

But then, in Game 2, the Herons went silent in Atlanta.

Their 2-1 loss set up a “do-or-die” Game 3, Messi’s first in MLS.

Or, at least, that’s how English speakers described it. In Spanish, there’s a similar but different phrase. “Es un partido de matar o morir,” Inter Miami midfielder Federico Redondo said this week. Not “do-or-die,” but rather “kill-or-die.”

And, in a staggering Saturday twist, it was Atlanta who did the killing.

The No. 9 seed, who won a play-in game on penalties, weathered an early Miami storm at Chase Stadium. Then, immediately after an early Matias Rojas goal, Atlanta’s Jamal Thiare punished some lax defending. He scored twice in three minutes, and the underdog carried a 2-1 lead into halftime.

In the second half, Messi rose to meet the moment, temporarily.

But Atlanta answered.

And at the other end of the field, goalkeeper Brad Guzan, at age 40, made some heroic saves. He clawed away a close-range Jordi Alba header. He frustrated Luis Suarez and Messi. He made six stops in total.

Messi smashed two free kicks into Atlanta walls, and slumped in frustration.

And Miami’s title hopes died.

Their loss is also a massive loss for MLS, whose playoffs have now lost significant luster.

It doesn’t invalidate the best regular season in league history. “We celebrated the achievement, because it was something difficult and important,” Messi said in a recent interview. “But,” he acknowledged, “we are aware that the real title we want is the MLS [Cup].”

Now, he might only have one more year to chase it.

LIVE COVERAGE IS OVER37 updates

  • FULL TIME: Inter Miami 2-3 Atlanta United

    Miami’s dream season comes to an end after a thriller in Fort Lauderdale.

  • 7 minutes of stoppage time added

  • HIGHLIGHT: Slisz’s go-ahead golazo

  • 76′ GOAL

    Bartosz Slisz follows up Messi’s header with one of his own and Atlanta is back on top 2-3.

  • HIGHLIGHT: Messi’s equalizer

  • 65′ GOAL

    Guzan’s mean streak ends with Messi getting in a header to even the score.

  • 52′

    Guzan continues to play the role of hero with another stunning save, this time against a Jordi Alba header that looked good until the 40-year-old Guzan somehow scooped it away at the last second.

  • Second half kicks off!

    Just 45 minutes left to play for a spot in the Easter Conference semifinals.

  • Atlanta leads, 2-1, at halftime

    This, obviously, would be a stunner.

    But “would” is still the key word. Miami trailed in a majority of their MLS games during the regular season. They still broke the points record.

    They’ll surely create plenty of chances to equalize in the second half.

  • HIGHLIGHT: Guzan’s massive save

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