Lionel Messi and his Inter Miami teammates were considered locks to advance from the opening round of the MLS Playoffs. They had secured the Supporters’ Shield in record-breaking form, racking up more points than any team in league history. Their 79 goals were the most in the league, by far.
Messi was coming off back-to-back hat tricks for country and club, including an 11-minute hat trick in the regular-season finale against New England. And yet, Miami finds itself on the brink of elimination, its historic season one loss from ending prematurely against a ninth-place Atlanta United team that barely made the playoffs. Miami and Atlanta are tied 1-1 heading into the decisive Game 3 on Saturday at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale.
The winner plays Orlando City or Charlotte FC in the Eastern Conference semifinals. It is a win-or-go-home situation for both teams, but Miami has so much at stake, while Atlanta has nothing to lose. A Miami loss would render this season a failure by most fans, even though the team had the best record over the course of the 34-game season with 22 wins, four losses and eight ties.
Inter Miami boasts the most expensive payroll in the league by far at $41.7 million, and the roster includes Messi and his former Barcelona teammates Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba. The league, Apple TV, adidas and all of Messi’s sponsors surely are banking on Inter Miami making a deep playoff run and competing for its first MLS Cup trophy.
Standing in the wa.