Lionel Messi continued his scoring streak, providing the lone highlight for Inter Miami as its 10-match winning streak in Major League Soccer came to an end against Atlanta United, which secured its first league victory in almost two months.
Saba Lobjanidze scored a goal in each half, with Jamal Thiare adding another in the 73rd minute, leading Atlanta United to a 3-1 win on Wednesday night.
This victory marked the end of Atlanta United's nine-match winless streak in MLS play, during which it had gone 0-5-4 since its 3-0 victory over Chicago on March 31.
Atlanta United maintained control throughout the match, never falling behind. Lobjanidze scored late in the first half to give his team the lead and then added another in the 59th minute. Following Messi's goal, Atlanta United adopted a defensive approach, keeping all 10 field players in its defensive end whenever Inter Miami had deep possession in the final 30 minutes.
Messi's goal was his 11th of the MLS season, tying him with Luis Suarez for the team lead.
Despite the loss, Inter Miami (10-3-4, 34 points) retained a one-point lead at the top of the Eastern Conference and the overall MLS standings over Cincinnati (10-3-3, 33 points), which missed an opportunity to claim the top spot by losing to Nashville on Wednesday night.
"We were missing a gear," Inter Miami coach Gerardo "Tata" Martino said through an interpreter.
Inter Miami entered Wednesday with a 7-0-3 record in its last 10 MLS matches. It is now 10-0-4 when allowing two goals or fewer in MLS play this season – and 0-3-0 when surrendering three goals or more.
"I’d say it was a night where the team went backward from other matches," Martino said.
So, Wednesday was a dud. The first half of the season, though, has gone largely to plan.
With 34 points through exactly half the MLS schedule – matching its total from all of the 2023 season, when Messi joined around the midway point and helped the team win the Leagues Cup but couldn't get it into the playoffs – Inter Miami is on pace for 68 points this season.
Mathematically, yes, that's correct.
Realistically, well, probably not so much.
The plan, for now, calls for Messi to play at least some minutes when Inter Miami plays host to St. Louis on Saturday. After that, Messi will be trading Inter Miami's pink kit for the blue of Argentina – playing for the country instead of the club for a bit.
Copa America – the 16-team tournament which runs from June 20 through July 14 – is looming, with Messi set to play for defending champion Argentina and Suarez a possibility to play for Uruguay. They may miss MLS matches when Inter Miami plays at Philadelphia (June 15), versus Columbus (June 19), at Nashville (June 29), at Charlotte (July 3), and at Cincinnati (July 6). Following the Copa America final, Miami also has home matches against Toronto (July 17) and Chicago (July 20).
Unlike most leagues, MLS schedules games during some FIFA fixture periods, when the release of players to national teams is mandatory. And after Copa, it would seem likely that Inter Miami may lose some players again when national teams call for the Paris Olympics.
Messi had some opportunities in the early going, including a diving header about four minutes into the match off a chip into the middle of the box by Jordi Alba. Messi, fending off some contact, sent the ball into the turf and the carom spun over the crossbar; he gave Alba a thumbs-up for the idea as he picked himself up from the grass with a smile.
And in the 21st minute, Messi sent a chip toward the left post – just over a leaping Robert Taylor, who would have had plenty of net to aim for had he been able to attempt the header.
His goal in the 63rd minute was a typical Messi masterpiece, threading a ball between two defenders and just inside the right post, barely out of the reach of a diving Atlanta goalie, Josh Cohen.