Soccer

Lionel Messi and Inter Miami eliminated from Major League playoffs

Atlanta United won 3-2 to win the three-game first round series.

Atlanta United players celebrate as Lionel Messi leaves the pitch (Rebecca Blackwell/AP)
Atlanta United players celebrate as Lionel Messi leaves the pitch (Rebecca Blackwell/AP) (Rebecca Blackwell/AP)

Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami have been eliminated from the MLS Cup playoffs as they went down 3-2 in a first-round upset against Atlanta United.

Jamal Thiare scored twice as Atlanta took a 2-1 lead in the deciding third game of the series, Bartosz Slisz grabbing the winner after Messi had equalised with a header.

Top-seeded Miami went ahead when Matias Rojas steered in a rebound after Messi’s initial effort was saved.

Inter Miami midfielder Tomas Aviles blocks a pass by Jamal Thiare during the second half (Rebecca Blackwell/AP)
Inter Miami midfielder Tomas Aviles blocks a pass by Jamal Thiare during the second half (Rebecca Blackwell/AP) (Rebecca Blackwell/AP)

But Thiare, who had already hit a post, found the top corner two minutes later and tapped in a pass from Alexey Miranchuk to put Atlanta ahead after 21 minutes.

Miami thought they had equalised within four minutes, only for Diego Gomez to be called offside, while they had penalty appeals for handball waved away before the break.

Messi finally tied things up midway through the second half, but Slisz grabbed the decisive goal 10 minutes later as the hosts called for play to be stopped with an injured play on the ground.

Atlanta, who needed to win their last two regular season games to reach the playoffs and came through a wildcard match in Montreal before recovering from losing the first match of the series against Miami, face Orlando City in the Eastern Conference semi-finals.