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.
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.
