Inter Miami suffered its first loss since Lionel Messi’s arrival in July, losing 5-2 to Atlanta United at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. A crowd of 71,635 witnessed Tristan Muyumba, Brooks Lennon, and an own goal by Kamal Miller give Atlanta the lead at halftime. In the second half, Georgios Giakoumakis and Tyler Wolff scored for Atlanta, while Leonardo Campana scored twice for Miami. Despite the defeat, Atlanta remains in sixth place in the MLS Eastern Conference, while Miami’s unbeaten streak of 12 games across all competitions came to an end.
Miami manager Gerardo “Tata” Martino explained that Messi and Jordi Alba missed the game due to muscular fatigue and that their absence had nothing to do with the FieldTurf surface at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. On the other hand, Atlanta United coach Gonzalo Pineda discovered Messi’s decision on social media and advised his players to stay focused amidst the attention surrounding Messi’s absence.
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Although Campana’s penalty kick goal reduced Miami’s deficit to 3-1 in the second half, Giakoumakis and Wolff secured the win for Atlanta with goals in the 76th and 89th minutes respectively. Giakoumakis’ goal also tied him for the league lead with 14 goals. Miami initially took the lead in the 25th minute through Campana’s eighth goal of the season, but Atlanta quickly turned the tide with three goals in eight minutes.
Campana showcased his skill and footwork as he scored off Arroyo’s rebound and evaded Miles Robinson to beat Brad Guzan. Muyumba equalized for Atlanta with a header in the 36th minute, while an own goal by Miller gave Atlanta the lead. Lennon extended Atlanta’s advantage to 3-1 with a right-footed strike. Miami’s upcoming matches include a home game against Toronto, an away game against Orlando, and the U.S. Open Cup final against the Houston Dynamo.
Information from Reuters and the Associated Press was used in this report.
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