Messi Scores, but Sluggish Inter Miami Falls 3-1 to Atlanta, Ending 10-Game Unbeaten Streak

Martino stated, "Atlanta's standing (11th place) is a bit misleading, and they showed it against us. When they have their best players like Thiago Almada on the field, they are a completely different team." Speedy Georgian Saba Lobjanidze scored the first two goals for the visitors. The first came just before halftime when an Atlanta midfielder intercepted a weak Busquets pass, and Lobjanidze outpaced Miami's defenders and unleashed a shot from outside the box that beat goalkeeper Drake Callender. The second came in the 59th minute, and once again, Lobjanidze had plenty of space to work with and found the back of the net.

Inter Miami's forward, Lionel Messi (10), reacts to a play during the first half of their MLS game against Atlanta United at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on Wednesday, May 29, 2024.

Messi gave Miami fans hope at DRV PNK Stadium in the 62nd minute with a left-footed golazo from distance, but Messi’s magic wasn’t enough. Jamal Thiare increased the lead 10 minutes later with a close-range shot. As the match progressed, Callender looked frustrated, and who could blame him? After three strong games from Miami's back line, the defense looked weak against Atlanta, though Martino praised center back Sergii Kryvtsov, who had one of his best games.

Atlanta's back line did a better job of containing Messi and Suarez compared to other opponents. Atlanta coach Pineda said, "Understanding that Messi and Suarez were going to stay up top, I always wanted to keep three against two. The players performed wonderfully with that plan. There were difficult moments in the game where we didn't read them well, or they were using balls in the buildup, but then we always had a solid base of three defenders, which was also part of why I wanted to be safe in the transition moments in the middle of the field."

Despite the loss, Miami still holds the best record in Major League Soccer through 17 games, with 10 wins, three losses, and four ties for 34 points. Defensive midfielder Federico Redondo, making his first start after missing two months due to a knee injury, also looked a bit rusty. Atlanta’s top scorer Giorgos Giakoumakis, who has five goals, missed the last game against Los Angeles FC due to a hamstring injury. He came on as a sub on Wednesday. Atlanta’s starting goalkeeper Brad Guzan was out due to a red card suspension.

Subbing in the second half for Miami were Matias Rojas and Leo Campana (who scored in the last two matches). Players who were not used: CJ Dos Santos, Ryan Sailor, Noah Allen, Franco Negri, David Ruiz, Leo Afonso, and Benja Cremaschi, who was called up to the U.S. camp on Wednesday for the June Olympic team camp in preparation for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.  Team needed attack-minded goal-scorers to make a comeback in the second half, and he felt Campana and Rojas were better suited for that role than the midfielders.

Cremaschi, the youngest player called to the camp by U.S. coach Marko Mitrovic, did not play in Inter Miami’s first seven matches this season due to sports hernia surgery. Since his return, he has played eight games and scored two goals. The Argentine-American player participated in all four matches of the U.S. men’s Olympic team’s last outing, scoring the only goal in a 1-1 draw with Iraq.

His injury earlier this year was a setback, but we're happy he’s back, and we can immediately see his impact on the field. Benja is vital to our roster, important to our team, and he’s the youngest player on our roster, so we believe his future with our MNT is bright."