Atlanta United has forced game three against Inter Miami. Lionel Messi is thus facing the prospect of an early exit in the MLS playoffs.
After their opening win in the best-of-three series, Inter Miami were beaten 2-1 by Atlanta United in the second game, with the only goal coming in injury time.
With star players Messi, Luis Suarez and Jordi Alba in the starting lineup, Miami took an early lead through Martinez (40′) in front of 68,455 spectators at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Williams (58′) equalized after the break, before Xande Silva (90’+4) finished a strong move by the hosts deep into stoppage time with a powerful shot into the left corner.
The series is now tied at 1-1. The deciding game will be played in Miami on Saturday night (2 a.m. CET), with the winner advancing to the Eastern Conference semi-finals, where they will face Orlando City or Charlotte FC (also tied 1-1 in their series).
The Messi team had qualified for the playoffs as the best team in the MLS regular season. No club had ever scored 74 points before Inter.