Inter Miami enjoyed a record-breaking 2024 MLS regular season that saw them set a new single-season points record with 74 points collected from 34 matches.
As the team secured the most points in one MLS season, Miami also lifted the 2024 Supporters' Shield, its second trophy in club history. Superstar Lionel Messi returned from his ankle injury in September to stage a late run at the MVP award en route to becoming the team's all-time leading goalscorer with 33 goals.
However, Miami's historic season is just 90 minutes away from vanishing into thin air against a team that many thought would end up sweeping in Round One of the MLS Cup playoffs.
The Herons are tied 1–1 leading into Game 3 of the Round One series against Atlanta United. The two teams square off again for the final time in 2024 on Saturday night at Chase Stadium with the winner advancing to take on either Charlotte FC or Orlando City in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Miami did the expected in Game 1 and came away with a victory—but it wasn't exactly straightforward for Tata Martino's team. Atlanta took four points off Miami during the regular season—one win and one draw—while played Miami fairly well in Game 1 as Jordi Alba's stunner sealed the win.
Since Miami's 4–0 win over Atlanta back in the 2023 Leagues Cup group stage, Miami has managed just one win, one draw and three defeats against the Five Stripes. It seems that whenever Martino takes the touchline against his former team, Atlanta comes ready to play and often gives Miami a tough battle.
It's likely due to Atlanta having enough quick players to do damage on the counter against Miami. This isn't exclusive to Atlanta as other MLS teams have successfully countered against Miami in the regular season, but this issue has been highlighted in Round One because Messi and Luis Suárez didn't do much defensive work when the ball was lost in dangerous areas of the pitch—leaving Miami at a numerical disadvantage in transition.
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Atlanta proved to be more difficult to take down in Game 2 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in front of a crowd of 68,000-plus. While Miami opened the scoring in the first half thanks to mistake from Brad Guzan, Atlanta rallied in the second half to overcome the 1–0 deficit and take Game 2. Xande Silva produced the ultimate super-sub moment with a 94th-minute winner to force a Game 3 in south Florida this weekend.
Not only were Atlanta excellent outside of Guzan's mistake, but Miami weren't clinical when opportunities arose. Messi found himself all alone at the back post after a set-piece sequence and his low-driven shot was just wide of the post while the 37 year old also came close to scoring early on in the first half.
Miami came to Atlanta playing with a back-three system while the hosts implemented a similar setup that allowed them to spring forward on the counter with wing backs Ronald Hernández and Pedro Amador.
Heading in to Game 3, there's a ton of pressure on Miami to get the job by done by any means necessary. Of course, Martino would like to dispatch Atlanta in comfortable fashion but Miami cannot afford to fall short in Round One. It would be a huge let down for the club that would no doubt make them the best MLS team to not win the MLS Cup.
Atlanta, guided by interim head coach Rob Valentino, finished in ninth place in the Eastern Conference standings and have nothing to lose while Miami won't want to overexert themselves with the next round of the postseason in mind—should they progress.
Miami players are equipped to deal with pressure after taking home the Supporters' Shield, after all. Sergio Busquets should return to the mix after missing out with illness but Atlanta is set to welcome defender Stian Gregersen back into the lineup after he watched on from the bench while recovering from a hamstring injury.
It's important to note that Atlanta hasn't really been intimidated with the idea of playing at Chase Stadium. Miami is a solid home team but Atlanta has performed well in its last two matches in south Florida and will surely lay everything on the line in a bid to force arguably the greatest upset in MLS postseason history.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Why Inter Miami's Historic Season Is Under Threat.
