Replacement Fafa Picault scored its first goal for Inter Miami in the 89th minute, Lionel Messi also made his first of the regular season and Inter Miami got a dramatic 2-1 victory at Atlanta United on Sunday evening.
Miami (3-1-0, 10 points) won despite six rescues from Atlanta’s Brad Guzan, who played an integrated role in Atlanta’s playoffs of Messi’s squad in a best-three round a series of last fall.
Messi’s goal came in the 20th minute of only his second regular season appearance for Miami, who has already played eight matches due to Concacaf Champions Cup Play. He had missed three matches due to muscle fatigue before coming from the bench on Thursday evening in a 2-0 victory at Cavalier FC in Jamaica.
Emmanuel Late Lath scored his third goal in the 11th minute to give Atlanta (1-1-2, 4 points) an early lead. But his teammates are still stuck on a goal combined when Atlanta’s profitless driving extended to three matches after defeating Montreal in their season opener.
Both teams had plenty of chances for a winner of the second half from Open Play, but the declining Picault that provided an unlikely heading ultimately decided business.
Jordi Alba got the ball out of a late short corner park and served an outswear ball to the back chair. Picault surpassed the Ajani wealth and sent a heading that jumped back over the goal, somehow incorrect Guzan and embedded in the far left post. It was Picault’s first goal for his sixth MLS club, after moving to Miami from Vancouver this season.
Atlanta’s Miguel Almiron started the attack and opened the point with an excellent ball over the top to play Brooks Lennon down to the right. Lennon then served an excellent, early outswing cross that Late Lath hit a powerful back-post head past Rocco Rios Novo.
Late Lath thought he has his second shortly after the quarter-hour mark, but it was controlled offside. Miami pulled level on his next move forward.
Guzan sprayed by his line to disturb a first cross from the right. But Messi surprised Bartosz Slisz with a rare defensive pressure to remove the midfielder when Atlanta tried to play. From there he weaved past the sliding Derrick Williams, and then chipped the charging Guzan.
-Field level media
