Amid the fanfare, the glitz and glamor and the sold-out stadium, an Argentine superstar wearing number 10 received an enthusiastic welcome as he walked out of the tunnel in Atlanta. The catch? It was Thiago Almada, not Lionel Messi.
This was billed as the next leg of Messi’s US tour, once again a sold out stadium and the biggest crowd of the MLS season, crackling with excitement at seeing the best to ever play the match.
In the end, they could have done it with him: After an eight-minute first-half collapse, Miami fell from 1-0 to 3-1, and their unlikely playoff push took a huge blow in the process.
Late Friday night, it emerged that Inter Miami had opted to let Messi back to South Florida, where he ate pizza and watched his son Thiago play for the club’s academy rather than travel to Georgia and Atlanta’s artificial pitch.
It was the worst possible news for the MLS season record attendance of 71,635 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, thousands of whom were decked out in Messi 10 shirts, paid hundreds of dollars and traveled thousands of miles to attend the game.
Brooks Lennon celebrates after scoring the third of Atlanta United’s five goals on Saturday
The Gulch, Atlanta’s raucous home support behind the goal, celebrates their team’s fifth-place finish
A young fan in the stands sums up the thoughts of many in attendance in Atlanta, Georgia
In reality, Tata Martino – a man revered in these parts after leading Atlanta United to the MLS Cup in 2018 – may regret the decision to rest his star man. The math is simple: leave Messi out and you lose, 100 percent of the time.
Going into Saturday night’s match, Inter Miami were undefeated in 12 – 11 of which ended in victories – a streak dating back to the day Messi signed. This was the first time he was absent from the roster, and the first time the hype train went off track.
It all started so well for Martino and Miami, who encountered some early Atlanta pressure and then used a moment of pure magic to take the lead and silence the notoriously rowdy Atlanta crowd, who were desperate for an entertaining match after the initial disappointment over Messi’s absence. .
The move was started by Dixon Arroyo, whose long-range missile rattled the frame of the goal, before Leonardo Campana took over the reins and completed the move brilliantly.
The Ecuadorian youngster signed a four-year contract extension this week and celebrated by lifting the ball over the head of Atlanta centre-back Miles Robinson and volleying it past a helpless Brad Guzan.
Lennon and his teammates celebrate on a night when they asserted their dominance
Lionel Messi was spotted watching his eldest son Thiago train in Miami on Saturday morning
Messi jerseys were everywhere but on the pitch itself in Atlanta, leaving fans upset
Thiago Almada was the Argentine number 10 on display on Saturday night – not Messi as many had hoped
All the talk after the goal revolved around Miami’s playoff hopes. This was their toughest MLS test yet – and even without Messi they were ahead. At the live table on Atlanta’s 360-degree video board, they trailed New York Red Bulls, New York City FC and Charlotte to 11th place and just three points away from a Wildcard spot.
Then reality set in. First it was Tristan Muyumba who came to Atlanta’s rescue, firing a header from close to the far post and – just – over the line. A lengthy VAR check left the stadium holding its breath, but eventually the goal was given and Miami’s bubble burst.
Four minutes later, this incredible indoor arena erupted – at the expense of Inter Miami defender Kamal Miller. The move was started by Edwin Mosquera on the left, with the diminutive midfielder whipping in a cross into a dangerous area. Miller, with his legs in disarray, inadvertently bundled the ball past his own goalie, and Miami’s night went from good to bad to worse.
Worse became disastrous three minutes later when Atlanta added a third goal before halftime, leaving Miami’s defense completely at sea for Brooks Lennon to fire home. Caleb Wiley’s cross found the former Liverpool academy star unoccupied in the penalty area, and he took one touch to clear the ball from his feet, and another to fire home to give his side a 3-1 lead .
Tata Martino left his star man at home for the first time and Miami suffered a first defeat in 12
Xande Silva (left) and Tristan Muyumba (right) celebrate after Kamal Miller’s own goal
In just eight minutes, Miami’s woeful defensive performance provided a glimpse into life before Messi, Alba and Busquets, a reminder that this team was at rock bottom and staring down the barrel of another disastrous season.
A comeback threatened in the second half when a Luis Abram handball gave Inter Miami a penalty and a route back to the match.
The goal was deservedly scored by Campana, who scored his fifth goal in just three games to make it 3-2. Miami had been here earlier in the season, making remarkable comebacks, but only with their talisman on the court. This time he was 700 miles away, feet up, looking at the television.
In reality, Martino’s side never really threatened Guzan’s goal again. Despite being only a goal behind, it looked increasingly likely that Atlanta would increase their lead, and that became a reality in the 76th minute when star striker Giorgos Giakoumatis came into action.
Leonardo Campana celebrates after scoring for Inter Miami, but it wasn’t enough for victory
Josef Martinez was received enthusiastically upon his return to Atlanta, but his team lost
The Greek forward is in the middle of a remarkable campaign and he capped off a brilliant team move to score his fourteenth goal of the year, moving Nashville’s Hany Mukhtar into the lead.
In the 89th minute, substitute Tyler Wolff capped Atlanta’s five-star display with a fifth goal, putting the result beyond doubt.
And so it was a heavy defeat for Inter Miami – their first since Messi arrived in South Florida. The Argentine superstar has lifted the fog surrounding the team, but this was a stark reminder that without him they are just another MLS team – and below average at that.
If they want to have any chance of reaching the postseason, they need him at his brilliant best. No more pizza breaks.