Atlanta United Upsets Inter Miami CF 3-2 in Game 3 of Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs

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Atlanta United FC

Atlanta United Upsets Inter Miami CF 3-2 in Game 3 of Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs

November 9, 2024 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Atlanta United FC News Release


FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - Atlanta United defeated top seed Inter Miami CF 3-2 in Game 3 of the Round One Best-of-3 series on Saturday night at Chase Stadium. With the victory, Atlanta advances to the Eastern Conference Semifinals where it will head on the road to face Orlando City SC on Nov. 24 at 3:30 p.m. ET (MLS Season Pass on Apple TV, 92.9 The Game, La Mejor). Bartosz Slisz scored the game-winning goal in the 76th minute to lift Atlanta to its first playoff series win in five years.

In an entertaining, back and forth match, Atlanta created the first good chance in the 15th minute when Alexey Miranchuk played a diagonal ball to Pedro Amador on the left side of the box. The left back took a touch and played the ball across the face of goal to Jamal Thiaré, however his touch towards goal deflected off the near post.

Miami took the lead in the 17th minute through Matias Rojas. Lionel Messi received the ball in the center of the box and placed a shot on goal that Brad Guzan was able to save, however the rebound fell to Rojas who was able to finish from a tight angle for the opening goal.

Atlanta responded quickly and leveled the match in the 19th minute through Thiaré. Dax McCarty played a ball into space between a pair of Miami defenders where Thiaré ran onto the ball and fired a first-time shot into the top right corner of the goal.

Thiaré scored his second goal of the night just two minutes later to give Atlanta the lead in the 21st minute after a clinical counter attack in just six touches. Ronald Hernández intercepted a pass in Atlanta's half and played forward to Slisz, who squared the ball to McCarty in the center of the field where the midfielder played a perfect first-time ball over Miami's backline to Miranchuk. He controlled the ball and then played a clever touch to lay it off to Thiaré who smashed the ball into the net.

Guzan made a key save to again deny Messi in the 34th minute, diving to his left to save a low shot from inside the box. Atlanta's captain made another huge save in first-half stoppage time, this time on Luis Suarez who volleyed a lobbed ball by Messi on target. Atlanta took a 2-1 lead into halftime.

Miami started the second half on the front foot and forced Guzan into another brilliant save in the 52nd minute. Messi chipped the ball towards the center of the goal where Jordi Alba met the cross with a header on frame. Guzan dove to his left and saved the ball out for a corner kick.

Miami's pressure paid off in the 65th minute though. After good combination play at the top of the box, Marcelo Weigandt floated a cross to the back post. Messi got between two defenders and headed the ball into the back of the net for the equalizer.

Atlanta continued to look dangerous on the counter attack and finished off one for what proved to be the game-winning goal. Pedro Amador was given time and space on the left wing and he delivered a pin-point cross to the far post for Slisz who rose above the Miami defense and finished with a powerful header. Amador has recorded an assist in each of his first four playoff matches, and five consecutive matches dating back to the end of the regular season.

Atlanta held off a late flurry of attacks from Miami with Guzan making a couple more key stops to finish the match with seven saves. Atlanta will play No. 4 Orlando City in the Eastern Conference Semifinals on the road. The playoffs now switch to single elimination format moving forward.

MLS Season Pass on Apple TV will broadcast every match in the Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs and is available through the Apple TV app on Apple devices, smart TVs, streaming devices, set-top boxes, and game consoles, as well as on the web at tv.apple.com. Fans in more than 100 countries and regions can sign up for MLS Season Pass for $9.99 for the remainder of the season. Existing Apple TV+ subscribers can sign up for a subscription to MLS Season Pass for free for the remainder of the 2024 season. For more information and to subscribe to MLS Season Pass visit apple.co/_MLS_.

Match Summary

Stats

Shots: 27-9 Miami

Shots on target: 9-4 Miami

Corner kicks: 8-4 Miami

Fouls Committed: 11-6 Atlanta

xG: 3.8 - 2.1 Miami

Possession: 61-39 Miami

Passing accuracy: 87-81 Miami

Scoring

MIA - Matias Rojas 17'

ATL - Jamal Thiaré (McCarty)19'

ATL - Jamal Thiaré (Miranchuk, McCarty) 21'

MIA - Lionel Messi (Weigandt, Suarez) 65'

ATL - Bartosz Slisz (Amador) 76'

Disciplinary

MIA - Federico Redondo 35'

MIA - Sergio Busquets 80'

ATL - Pedro Amador 88' Notes

Jamal Thiaré scored his seventh and eighth goals of the season. He also became just the second ATL UTD player to score a brace in a playoff match.

Brad Guzan made 7 saves tonight. That gives him 17 saves in the series.

Alexey Miranchuk recorded his third assist with Atlanta United.

Dax McCarty recorded his second and third assists of the season. McCarty had recorded just one assist during the regular season.

Pedro Amador recorded his 10th assist of the season and tallied an assist for the fifth straight match.

Amador's fourth consecutive playoff match with an assist is tied for the most by an MLS player in his first four playoff matches.

Bartosz Slisz scored his first career playoff goal. It was his second goal this season.

The 34-point regular season difference between Miami (74) and Atlanta (40) was the largest between two clubs facing each other in MLS postseason history.

Attendance: 20,673

ATLANTA UNITED STARTING LINEUP

GK: Brad Guzan (c)

D: Pedro Amador

D: Luis Abram

D: Derrick Williams (Xande Silva - 77')

D: Ronald Hernández

M: Dax McCarty (Stian Gregersen - 59')

M: Bartosz Slisz

M: Tristan Muyumba (Jay Fortune - 59')

M: Alexey Miranchuk (Noah Cobb - 81')

M: Saba Lobjanidze

F: Jamal Thiaré (Daniel Ríos - 77')

Substitutes not used:

Josh Cohen

Luke Brennan

Matt Edwards

Tyler Wolff

INTER MIAMI CF STARTING LINEUP

GK: Drake Callender

D: Tomas Aviles (Sergio Busquets - 78')

D: Hector Martinez

D: Jordi Alba

D: Marcelo Weigandt

M: Matias Rojas (Robert Taylor - 83')

M: Diego Gomez

M: Benjamin Cremaschi (Leo Campana - 59')

M: Federico Redondo

F: Lionel Messi (c)

F: Luis Suarez

Substitutes not used:

CJ Dos Santos

Noah Allen

Julian Gressel

Franco Negri

Ryan Sailor

Lawson Sunderland

OFFICIALS

Lukasz Szpala (referee), Corey Rockwell (assistant), Andrew Bigelow (assistant), Tori Penso (fourth), Jose Carlos Rivero (VAR), Mike Kampmeinert (AVAR)

Media Contacts:

Chris Winkler - Director of Communications

E: Cwinkler@atlutd.com

Justin Veldhuis - Manager of Sports Communications

E: Justin.Veldhuis@atlutd.com

Chris Raimondi - Manager of Brand Communications

E: Craimondi@atlutd.com

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