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Atlanta Rallies to Beat Messi's Miami 2-1 to Even Playoff Series

Nov 2, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Inter Miami CF forward Lionel Messi (10) and Atlanta United midfielder Xande Silva (16) battle for control of the ball during the second half in a 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs Round One match at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
Nov 2, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Inter Miami CF forward Lionel Messi (10) and Atlanta United midfielder Xande Silva (16) battle for control of the ball during the second half in a 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs Round One match at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
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Atlanta Rallies to Beat Messi's Miami 2-1 to Even Playoff Series

Nov 2, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Inter Miami CF forward Lionel Messi (10) and Atlanta United midfielder Xande Silva (16) battle for control of the ball during the second half in a 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs Round One match at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
Nov 2, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Inter Miami CF forward Lionel Messi (10) and Atlanta United midfielder Xande Silva (16) battle for control of the ball during the second half in a 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs Round One match at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Xande Silva scored with about a minute to go in stoppage time shortly after a goal by Lionel Messi was waved off by a clear offside, giving ninth-seeded Atlanta United a 2-1 victory over Inter Miami on Saturday night and evening the best-of-three MLS playoff series at one game apiece.
Silva blasted a right-footed shot into the top left corner to beat goalkeeper Drake Callender in the 94th minute. The Atlanta player celebrated by ripping off his shirt and dancing in front of the supporters section at Mercedes-Benz Stadium while the announced crowd of 68,455 cheered, The Associated Press reported.
Messi had plenty of good scoring chances but only found the back of the net with the flag raised for offside. Atlanta United took off the other way for Silva's game winner.
United rallied from a 1-0 halftime deficit, the result of a huge error by keeper Brad Guzan, to force a decisive game next Saturday in South Florida. Atlanta has a chance to pull off a major upset, having finishing a whopping 34 points behind Messi's star-studded squad, which had the best regular-season record in Major League Soccer.
Derrick Williams tied the game in the 58th minute after a corner kick was turned away by the Herons. Pedro Amador sent a cross back into the box from long range and Williams dove to get a head on it, skipping it past Callender.
Guzan's blunder handed Miami the opening goal in the 40th minute.
After easily grabbing a cross into the box, Guzan went to boot the ball away — only to stumble and loose control with Miami’s Federico Redondo running along beside him. Redondo sent the free ball to David Martínez, who casually flicked it over four United defenders into the unguarded goal while Guzan looked on helplessly.
The 40-year-old keeper claimed he was interfered with by Redondo, but the replay clearly showed Guzan tripped himself up.
Messi misfired on at least three shots, going wide a couple of times before blasting one over the net in the 83rd with Miami pressing for the go-ahead goal. He walked away rubbing his beard, clearly frustrated at his lack of accuracy.
In the 89th, United missed a prime chance to grab the lead when Saba Lobjanidze rocketed one off the crossbar. Bartosz Slisz collected the ricochet, but fired it over the net.
Silva made sure it didn't matter.
Miami won the opening game of the series 2-1 at home.
The winner of Game 3 will advance to the conference semifinals, facing the team that emerges from the Orlando-Charlotte series. Those teams are also tied 1-1.

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Guardiola Hits 'Reset' with Man City Floundering in the Premier League

Manchester City's head coach Pep Guardiola watches the play during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester City and Tottenham at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, England, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. (AP)
Manchester City's head coach Pep Guardiola watches the play during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester City and Tottenham at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, England, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. (AP)
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Guardiola Hits 'Reset' with Man City Floundering in the Premier League

Manchester City's head coach Pep Guardiola watches the play during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester City and Tottenham at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, England, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. (AP)
Manchester City's head coach Pep Guardiola watches the play during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester City and Tottenham at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, England, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. (AP)

For Pep Guardiola, the season starts now.

Chastened. Relieved. Defiant. The Manchester City manager displayed a whole range of emotions after his latest ordeal at Anfield that plunged the out-of-sorts English champions to an unlikely low.

Make that seven matches without a win for a team which, not so long ago, never lost.

That’s all in the past for Guardiola, though, The AP reported.

“Reset,” he said after a 2-0 loss to Liverpool in the Premier League on Sunday. “There’s a feeling we start from here this season.”

How he intends to move on from the worst run of results in his managerial career remains to be seen. But it all starts Wednesday with a home game against Nottingham Forest.

“We are not used to this,” Guardiola said. “Many, many things are happening. The teams are good and we can’t handle it right now. I have to find the solution to be stable and solid.

“These players gave me a chance to lead maybe the best years of my life. All I can do is find a solution — in the right moment, the club will make the decision what is needed for this club to continue to be there.”

Was he referring to making signings in the January transfer window? City’s fatigued and injury-ravaged squad sure needs some, especially in midfield.

Or was he referring to his own future? It’s not the first time in recent days that Guardiola brought up how fragile his position could quickly become if City keeps on losing.

Moments before walking down the tunnel after the final whistle at Anfield, Guardiola held up one outstretched hand and an extra finger as a retort to taunts by Liverpool fans. It was a nod to the six Premier League titles he has won in eight full seasons at City.

No. 7 doesn’t look likely this season. Not with City already 11 points behind Liverpool.

“Call me delusional or something like that,” Guardiola said, “but I have the feeling we will try to build back our confidence to win games.”

Indeed, Guardiola said he was taking some belief from recent training sessions. From the return to fitness of some players, such as Ruben Dias, Nathan Ake, Jack Grealish and Jeremy Doku. Maybe from a second-half display against Liverpool that, while hardly vintage City, at least showed some spirit and resolve, even if Liverpool appeared happy to play on the break and never looked troubled.

It felt like Guardiola was relieved to come away from Anfield with the damage limited and City’s hardest fixture of the season out of the way.

Yet his comments will sound so hollow if City goes on to lose to — or even draw with — sixth-place Forest, which is only one point and one spot further back and has a manager in Nuno Espirito Santo who has enjoyed some surprise results at City with former club Wolverhampton. Forest also is the only team to beat Liverpool in 20 games this season.

“Let's not forget they are the champions,” Espirito Santo said of City, “the team that won so many (titles) with so many quality players. It's going to be very tough.

“We'll take what other opponents did right (against City) so we can do it again.”

Guardiola's masterplan might include a change of role for Grealish, who could yet play more centrally as a No. 10 rather than as a winger. Or a first start since September for Kevin De Bruyne, who has had to settle for cameo roles off the bench as he struggles to fully overcome a groin injury.

Getting some energy into his midfield will be important as the absence of Rodri and Mateo Kovacic continues to bite hard and be City's biggest issue. That might come in the form of a new signing next month, unless Guardiola is working on a new plan on the training ground.

A midweek victory for City, coupled with setbacks for Liverpool at Newcastle and Arsenal at home to Manchester United elsewhere Wednesday, could yet rekindle some belief that all is not lost this season.

On current form, this is unlikely.

“I think it’s almost a mini-crisis at Manchester City," said Jamie Carragher, a pundit for British broadcaster Sky Sports. "I think City might have a fight on their hands for top four.”