Atlanta United finished a significant 34 points behind Lionel Messi and the star-filled Inter Miami during the regular season.
Now, the Five Stripes have a chance to pull off a surprising upset against the top team in Major League Soccer.
Xande Silva scored with about a minute remaining in stoppage time, just after a goal by Messi was disallowed for offside, leading ninth-seeded United to a 2-1 win over Miami on Saturday night. This result ties the best-of-three MLS playoff series at one game each.
“We’ve been the so-called underdogs every week,” said Derrick Williams, who scored Atlanta’s first goal. “We’re in fight-or-flight mode, and we’re definitely fighting.”
United secured a wild-card victory at Montreal through penalty kicks just to earn the chance to face the Supporters’ Shield winner, which set an MLS regular-season record with 74 points.
United finished the season with only 40 points, the lowest of any playoff team, and only made it to the postseason on the final day of the regular season.
None of that mattered when Silva fired a right-footed shot into the top left corner, beating goalkeeper Drake Callender in the 94th minute.
Silva celebrated by taking off his shirt and dancing in front of the fans at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, where 68,455 people cheered. “I saw space there and then, boom!” said Silva, who had just come off the bench in the 89th minute.
Messi had several good scoring opportunities but only managed to score when the flag was raised for offside. Atlanta United then quickly moved down the field for Silva’s winning goal.
“I was thinking, ‘Please be offsides,’” Williams said with a smile. “He didn’t time his run right.”
United came back from being down 1-0 at halftime, a score caused by a big mistake from keeper Brad Guzan, to set up a crucial game next Saturday night in South Florida.
“The truth is that we came to win,” Miami defender Tomás Avilés said through a translator. “But now there is the possibility of playing one more game, so we are very calm that it will be decided at home.”
Miami coach Tata Martino, who led Atlanta United to the MLS Cup title in 2018, lamented his current team’s inability to finish their chances.
“We did a lot to deserve to win the game,” Martino said. “We weren’t sharp in front of the goal, and Atlanta, with fewer chances, fewer attacks, and less control of the game, ended up taking it in the end.”
Williams equalized in the 58th minute after a corner kick was cleared by Miami. Pedro Amador sent a cross back into the box from a distance, and Williams dove to head it past Callender.
Messi missed at least three shots, going wide a couple of times before shooting one over the net in the 83rd minute while Miami was trying to score again. He walked away rubbing his beard, clearly frustrated with his lack of accuracy.
“Keeping him quiet is massive,” Williams said. “He’s the best player to ever play.” Guzan’s mistake gave Miami their first goal in the 40th minute.
After easily catching a cross into the box, Guzan tried to kick the ball away but stumbled and lost control while Miami’s Federico Redondo was next to him.
Redondo passed the loose ball to David Martínez, who flicked it over four United defenders into the open goal while Guzan watched helplessly.
The 40-year-old keeper said he was interfered with by Redondo, but the replay showed that Guzan tripped over his own feet.
In the 89th minute, United had a great chance to take the lead when Saba Lobjanidze shot the ball off the crossbar. Bartosz Slisz grabbed the rebound but shot it over the net. Silva made sure that it didn’t matter.
