Atlanta United vs. Inter Miami live score, result, updates as Lionel Messi enters MLS match off the bench

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With Lionel Messi in tow but a host of other players missing, a banged-up Inter Miami limps to Atlanta United on Wednesday, Sept. 18, hoping to secure their place atop the Supporters’ Shield race in MLS regular season action.

Against an offensively challenged opponent, the Herons are without a number of defensive players because of injury and suspension, including Sergio Busquets and Tomas Aviles. Still, they hold a seven-point lead atop the overall MLS standings and are in pole position to take home the league’s regular-season title. 

Hosts Atlanta United are in the thick of the playoff hunt, sitting one place out of the postseason positions but with a game in hand. Having sold offensive stars Thiago Almada and Giorgos Giakoumakis in recent months, the club has struggled to put together regularly potent attacking performances on a consistent basis.

It was expected that Messi would start this match after Tata Martino said he was not on a minutes restriction, but instead the Argentine begins on the bench alongside Luis Suarez and Jordi Alba who are also rotated out.

The Sporting News is following the Atlanta United vs. Inter Miami match live, providing score updates, commentary and highlights as they happen.

Atlanta United vs. Inter Miami live score

  Score (2H) Goal scorers
Atlanta United 1 Lobzhanidze (56′)
Inter Miami 2 D. Ruiz (29′),
Campana (59′)

Kickoff: 7:40 p.m. ET / 4:40 p.m. PT
Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta)
Referee: Rosendo Mendoza

Starting lineups:

Atlanta United (4-3-3, right to left): 1. Guzan (GK) — 11. Lennon, 5. Gregersen, 3. D. Williams, 18. Amador — 6. Slisz, 13. McCarty (Fortune, 61′), 8. Muyumba (Mosquera, 61′) — 59. Miranchuk, 19. Rios, 9. Saba.

Inter Miami (4-3-3, right to left): 1. Callender (GK) — 57. Weigandt, 27. Kryvtsov, 17. Fray, 33. Negri — 24. Gressel (Messi, 61′), 42. Bright, 30. Cremaschi — 41. D. Ruiz (Redondo, 67′), 8. Campana, 16. Taylor (Alba, 67′).

MORE: Find out which games are streaming free on MLS Season pass from Apple TV each week

Atlanta United vs. Inter Miami live updates, highlights from MLS match

71st min: An enormous opening for Atlanta United goes begging as Edwin Mosquera, again free down the right, sends a vicious cross along the face of goal, but it’s just inches in front of a streaking Saba Lobzhanidze at the far post.

67th min: Two more changes for Inter Miami as Jordi Alba and Federico Redondo enter to replace Robert Taylor and David Ruiz. Alba takes a position on the attacking wing, which is a pretty fun wrinkle from Tata Martino and his staff to finish this match!

64th min: Chance, Atlanta United! This match has exploded to life, and Drake Callender makes A HUGE DOUBLE SAVE! Edwin Mosquera gets free in behind the Inter Miami defense down the right, and with no defender to move wide to intercept, he dribbles to goal, but Callender comes off his line to make the exceptional one-on-one stop!

The follow up from a central position comes in but is hit right at the Inter Miami goalkeeper, and he smothers the chance!

61st min: As we suspected, Lionel Messi is into the match for the final 30 minutes, replacing Julian Gressel for the first substitution by either side. The Atlanta crowd erupts!

Atlanta United respond with two of their own, as Edwin Mosquera and Ajani Fortune come on to replace Dax McCarty and Tristan Muyumba.

59th min: GOAL! INTER MIAMI! The level scoreline lasted less than three minutes as Inter Miami go back in front, with Leo Campana scoring off a free-kick! Dax McCarty fouls Benjamin Cremaschi about 20 yards from goal, and Campana blasts his free-kick underneath the Atlanta wall. Just like on the first goal, the shot deflects off McCarty, this time resulting in a huge redirection which wrong-foots Brad Guzan and deposits the ball in the back of the net!

The goal is historic, as it makes Campana the lone all-time goal scorer in Inter Miami history, breaking a tie with Gonzalo Higuain.

56th min: GOAL! ATLANTA UNITED! The start of the half has been extremely muted, but suddenly Atlanta United find the equalizer out of nothing! With the ball played out to the left, a deep cross by Pedro Amador is sent to the front of net and from about eight yards out, Saba Lobzhanidze rose high to head the ball towards goal, and it squirts through the legs of Drake Callender!

Regardless of whether Lobzhanidze or Ian Fray got the final touch, it’s a howler from Callender as the Inter Miami goalkeeper buries his face in the turf to show his disappointment.

54th min: Robert Taylor dribbles his way into a small window to shoot out top the penalty area, but under heavy pressure from a defender, he blasts his right-footed shot into the Georgia night sky.

49th min: Little has happened through the first few minutes of the second half, but the crowd gets excited up as multiple Inter Miami substitutes, including Lionel Messi, go warm up down the touchline. We expect Messi to come on to participate at some point in this second half, potentially around the 60th minute to play the final half-hour.

2nd half kickoff: They’re back under way at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, with no changes for either side. Inter Miami weren’t overwhelmingly strong in the first half, but Tata Martino (and today’s acting coach Jorge Theiler) will be pleased with the proceedings to this point.

HALFTIME: Atlanta United 0-1 Inter Miami

A relatively even first 45 minutes sees David Ruiz’s goal the difference as the teams head into the locker rooms. It was back-and-forth for a bit, and the visitors didn’t exactly create a multitude of chances themselves, but Atlanta United look clearly stunted up front. The hosts were unable to trouble an Inter Miami back line that is inundated with injuries and absences and hasn’t been the team’s strength this season even at full fitness.

The hosts have changes to make at halftime if they are to avoid a damaging home defeat in the playoff race.

42nd min: There’s a collision in midfield between Benjamin Cremaschi and Aleksey Miranchuk, and the referee demonstratively asks both teams to simmer down a bit as the match has ramped up in physicality.

38th min: Uh oh. Inter Miami, already ravaged by injuries and absences at the back, are forced to watch as Marcelo Weigandt goes down in serious pain clutching his knee. It comes from an off-ball situation without any contact, which is always cause for concern, but for now he gets up and seems ok to continue.

36th min: David Ruiz is searching for a second, but his straightaway shot from distance is too central and easily handled by Brad Guzan.

29th min: GOAL! INTER MIAMI! A first goal of the season for David Ruiz as Inter Miami go in front! It comes off a fortunate moment for the visitors, as the vertical entry feed from Franco Negri takes a slight deflection off the toe of Dax McCarty, sending it perfectly through the trees to Ruiz who is all by himself in front of goal.

There’s a VAR check after to make sure two potential offside decisions are clear, but the goal is given!

19th min: A long spell of attacking possession for Atlanta United goes unpunished. Saba Lobzhanidze, who skewered Inter Miami back in May, started it with a mazy run that put Robert Taylor in a blender before delivering a delicious ball to the far post, but it ends up headed across the face of goal and then cleared. The hosts can’t make the most of the ensuing attack, and it ultimately fizzles out.

15th min: Another early yellow card is shown, this time for Dax McCarty for a very wild hack at the ankles of Julian Gressel.

14th min: Chance, Inter Miami! A bad giveaway by the Atlanta United midfield allows Leonardo Campana to break, and he feeds a wonderful vertical delivery to Benjamin Cremaschi down the left. The youngster’s cross is behind Marcelon Weigandt making the near post run, but Julian Gressel chases it down and gets free for a tight-angle shot, and his rip is saved extremely well by Brad Guzan!

10th min: The first yellow card of the match is shown to Marcelo Weigandt for a thumping tackle on Pedro Amador just outside the top-left corner of the penalty area. It seems very harsh as Weigandt very clearly gets the ball on the challenge, but the referee felt it was dangerous. It gives the hosts a good set-piece opportunity but the delivery short and headed clear.

8th min: The opening few minutes have been cagey, not for either side’s lack of attacking intent, but instead down to defensive solidity. Atlanta United especially have done well hemming Inter Miami in when they advance into the final third. The Herons have had good possessional dominance, but nothing to show for it just yet.

Kickoff: They’re under way at the beautiful Mercedes-Benz Stadium! We’ll see if a heavily rotated Inter Miami side can get the job done on the road, or if Atlanta United will capitalize on the chance to secure valuable points in the playoff hunt.

A note that Tata Martino is not on the sideline for tonight’s match, as he is also suspended for this match due to yellow card accumulation. Coaching Inter Miami tonight in his stead is Jorge Theiler.

Atlanta United vs. Inter Miami: Pre-match commentary, analysis, more

15 mins to kickoff: Lionel Messi has never played Atlanta United on the road before, but he has played in this venue, opening the Copa America for Argentina against Canada this past summer.

From someone who was there for that Copa America group match, this stadium an absolutely fantastic place to watch or play a match. Truly one of the best and most enjoyable sporting venues in the United States.

30 mins to kickoff: Inter Miami have clearly placed a deep playoff run top of their priority list, but there’s still plenty to chase in the regular season. They will want to secure the Supporters’ Shield, which signifies the regular season championship, something the club has never won before.

Even more impressive would be an MLS points record, which is also within reach: the high-water mark is 73 points set by the New England Revolution in 2021. With Inter Miami currently on 62 points with six games remaining, they can only drop seven points the rest of the way if they wish to at least equal the record, and only six points if they wish to break it entirely.

What’s crazy about those numbers? They are currently averaging 2.2 points per match…at that rate, they’d accumulate nearly 80 points at the end of the campaign, meaning they are on pace to not just break the record but smash it.

45 mins to kickoff: Tata Martino has left Lionel Messi on the bench for tonight. Here’s why:

Messi, now 37 years old, only just returned four days ago from a two-month long ankle injury to play 90 minutes in the win over the Philadelphia Union. Inter Miami now have two straight road matches to navigate, one tonight and one at NYCFC on Saturday.

With the games coming quick and fast, and the club needing Messi for higher-leverage playoff games in the near future, it’s smart to keep him fit given his lengthy injury history over the past three years. The club has a big lead in the Supporters’ Shield race, and even if they botch that down the stretch, the playoffs are far more important.

1 hour to kickoff: Lineups are in, and we have a surprise as Lionel Messi is on the BENCH for Inter Miami, not in the starting lineup as we expected. Herons’ boss Tata Martino said that Messi had no minutes restrictions going in to this match, and that was clearly a lie.

In truth, it’s probably the right decision to rest him given the tight turnaround on a road trip, and another coming up on Saturday. Still, the club was not forthcoming with the public about his use.

Luis Suarez, who Martino also said was not restricted, is also on the bench as Leo Campana starts up front, while Jordi Alba is also rested.

1 hour 15 mins to kick: Atlanta United currently have a head coaching vacancy, with Rob Valentino currently serving as interim boss following the departure of Gonzalo Pineda in early June. Felipe Cardenas of The Athletic speculated recently on social media that he believes former NYCFC and Crystal Palace manager Patrick Vieira is in line to take the job once the season is over, or potentially before.

1 hour 30 mins to kick: All eyes are on Lionel Messi wherever Inter Miami play, but this match is incredibly important for Atlanta United as well. They sit just two points below the playoff cut line but have a game in hand, meaning there are razor thin margins with just seven matches to go.

The hosts are in a bit of a rut at the moment, but they managed to beat Inter Miami last time they played back in late May, so they will hope to use that result as a springboard towards what would be a truly critical double if they can emerge victorious over the Supporters’ Shield leaders.

1 hour 45 mins to kick: Incredibly, Lionel Messi has a chance to equal or break Inter Miami’s all-time goal scoring record. His countrymate Gonzalo Higuain currently holds the record with 29 for the club, equal with Messi’s current teammate Leonardo Campana.

Messi stands at 27 goals across all competitions, needing a brace to tie the mark or a hat-trick to top it. Incredibly, Messi’s reached his tally in just 30 games for the club, while Higuain needed 70 to accumulate his haul and Campana did so in 93 matches.

2 hours to kickoff: While this could have been considered a prime chance to rest Lionel Messi for a road match just days after returning from a two-month injury absence, Inter Miami coach Tata Martino is continuing to lean on the Argentine in the thick of the Supporters’ Shield hunt. Messi is available for this match and will be likely to start.

Atlanta United vs. Inter Miami kickoff time

This MLS regular season match kicks off from Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Wednesday, Sep. 18 at 7:30 p.m. local time in Atlanta. Here’s how that translates across the major time zones in North America:

  Date Kickoff time
Eastern Time Wed, Sep. 18 7:30 p.m. ET
Central Time Wed, Sep. 18 6:30 p.m. CT
Mountain Time Wed, Sep. 18 5:30 p.m. MT
Pacific Time Wed, Sep. 18 4:30 p.m. PT

Atlanta United vs. Inter Miami lineups, team news, starting 11

Without the offloaded Thiago Almada and Giorgis Giakoumakis, this Atlanta United forward unit has looked utterly stale. Injuries are not to blame, as the only fitness concerns for the side today are to third-choice goalkeeper Quentin Westberg and right-back Ronald Hernandez

Midfielder Tristan Muyumba has returned from his hip issue and slots back into the starting lineup, while Dax McCarty starts ahead of his impending retirement at the end of the season.

New signing Aleksey Miranchuk has only just begun to see the field after arriving from Atalanta at the end of the transfer window, and is still seeking his first goal contribution for his new club.

Atlanta United starting lineup (4-3-3): Guzan (GK) — Lennon, Gregersen, D. Williams, Amador — Slisz, McCarty, Muyumba — Miranchuk, Rios, Saba.

Atlanta United subs (9): Cohen (GK), Abram, Brennan, Cobb, Edwards, Fortune, Mosquera, Thiare, Wolff.

While it was expected that Lionel Messi will be ready to start this match given Tata Martino’s pre-match comments, he is rotated out and placed on the bench alongside Luis Suarez and Jordi Alba.

Inter Miami are missing a host of central defenders for this match. Both Tomas Aviles and Sergio Busquets (who has been playing along the back a lot this season) picked up yellow-card suspensions and will miss out. Noah Allen is “fine” according to Martino, but after taking a blow to the head late in Saturday’s game, he is in concussion protocol and will not be available. Nicolas Freire is out for the season with an ACL tear, and new signing David Martinez picked up a groin injury Saturday.

Along the back it’s Ian Fray and Sergiy Kryvtsov who get the start, while Franco Negri sees time in place of Alba and Leo Campana starts up front. Kryvtsov has seen his playing time drop this season, which Martino chalked up to the mental challenges of the war back in his native Ukraine.

Inter Miami starting lineup (4-3-3): Callender (GK) — Weigandt, Kryvtsov, Fray, Negri — Gressel, Bright, Cremaschi — D. Ruiz, Campana, Taylor.

Inter Miami subs (7): Ustari (GK), Alba, Sailor, Sunderland, Redondo, Messi, Suarez.

Atlanta United vs. Inter Miami live stream, TV channel

The MLS match between Atlanta United and Inter Miami will be available exclusively to MLS Season Pass subscribers on Apple TV.

With the home stretch in view, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV is being offered at its lowest price of the season. Fans can sign up for a seasonal subscription to MLS Season Pass for just $9.99 to catch the remainder of the 2024 season, including the MLS Cup playoffs. Existing Apple TV+ subscribers can sign up for a seasonal subscription to MLS Season Pass for free for the remainder of the 2024 season and playoffs.

This article was originally published by Sportingnews.com. Read the original article here.
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