The Biggest MLS Upset of All Time?
Bama in ATL, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
On Saturday, November 11th two Major League Soccer teams went head to head in the first round of the MLS playoffs. Inter Miami won the first game but Atlanta United came back to win the second game. Going into the third game Inter Miami was still the heavy favorite to progress even after the loss in game two. A record-setting 68,455 fans were in attendance at this crucial game in Miami. The game went back and forth for the majority of the game until the 76th minute when Bartosz Silsz scored for Atlanta United. The game finished at 3-2 and Atlanta United had beat the number one seed.
This game has been referred to as the biggest upset in MLS history by sports fans and even sports writers. Inter Miami was a heavy favorite, partially because Lionel Messi was leading the team. Messi, one of the best players in the world, was playing with his former teammates Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba, and Sergio Busquets who also played for FC Barcelona. Inter Miami’s payroll for the 2024 season was around $42 million which led the MLS, while Atlanta United’s was only about $20 million. So not only does Inter Miami have some of the best players, but they also spend the most money. Therefore, Inter Miami was expected to win the MLS Championship.
Atlanta United did not have a great year, only winning 10 games and drawing 10 games while losing 14, yet somehow they snuck into the playoffs and shocked the world. This win for Atlanta United is a shock because of the payroll difference between the two teams and then again the player difference. Atlanta’s highest-paid player is only earning $3.5 million a year compared to Messi’s $20.5 million a year. With Messi, this year Inter Miami won 22 games while only losing 4. They were the number one seed which makes the loss even more surprising. Atlanta United, with a very underrated squad, was able to beat what has been called the best team the MLS has ever seen.
After the big upset, Atlanta United players were in shock themselves. Jamal Thiare, who scored twice in the victory for Atlanta, said after the game, “We didn't want to finish the season like this, so it was a good effort in training, but it was really something that the group discovered along the lines of the last few games. And something great is igniting from all of this.”
Atlanta United players knew they were the underdogs going into the games against Miami’s superstar-filled squad, but Thiare said they still worked hard in training and it paid off. Atlanta United being able to defeat the number one team going into the playoffs will bring a different type of energy to the team, and Thiare said now that the win has ignited something in the team, they are expected to be ready for whoever comes their way. Atlanta United’s next game is November 24th against Orlando City FC, and they will look to continue this underdog story.
By Adam Berardi