Onside: Major League Soccer (2025) s01e07 Episode Script

Atlanta desperately seeking a home win.
With four home defeats,
they have never lost five
in any regular season they've played.
Atlanta's gotta gain control here.
And Charlotte is
picking apart Atlanta United.
And suddenly Charlotte is on top!
This match has
turned into an absolute disaster.
Everybody has written us off.
Everyone said, "You're in a death spiral."
You then start to see some players
start making uncharacteristic mistakes.
This is not what
the fans here have grown accustomed to.
It is impossible to see
how this can continue into
the second half of the season.
As the CEO, the buck stops with me.
I mean, I have to own that.
I have to take responsibility for that.
- I got an antibiotic.
- Okay. I hope you feel better.
I feel… I actually feel fine.
I just got no freaking voice.
- So we're walking and talking?
- Walking, doing coffee…
I am Garth Lagerwey,
President and CEO, Atlanta United.
My job is to restore Atlanta United
to be the best in class in the MLS again.
As we were in 2018.
How 'bout it, Atlanta?
You know, it was ten years ago
that Arthur Blank had a vision
to bring Major League Soccer to this city.
And he believed that it would be
a world-class soccer city
with a championship team.
And tonight is
the culmination of that vision.
When Atlanta United launched,
it was arguably the best launch of
any team in professional sports history.
Everything was wonderful in Atlanta.
And I don't think anybody
would've predicted what happened next.
Now here's Acosta
with a cross to the back post.
Header, score.
The wheels kinda came off.
Atlanta United drop
a second straight game at the Benz
for the first time in a few years.
The team just kinda wandered
in the wilderness a little bit.
Very poor defending, Atlanta United.
We have not won
a playoff series in five years.
It's just a fact. And that's simply
not acceptable if you're Atlanta United.
We have the biggest fan base.
We have the highest attendance.
And that audience demands winning.
They've been suffering for five years.
We need to give them a winner.
I've won three MLS Cups.
I've won a Champions Cup.
The reason I'm here is to win titles.
That's it.
If those goals are not reached,
there will be accountability
for everybody,
potentially myself included.
- We got a big crowd out today.
- Yeah, it's awesome.
I'm gonna go out there
and see some of those fans in a minute.
- Yeah.
- It's great.
You know you're tired
when I'm getting coffee.
That's how you know it's been a long--
I was gonna say,
you're not a coffee person.
No, I'm not. That's how you know
it's been a really long season,
is if I am having coffee.
I don't even know
what I'm supposed to get.
We'll have to--
- Son of a sea ogre.
- That's a… Great shot though.
Atlanta United season right there.
With Garth's history of winning,
and his history of building teams
that win championships,
we're on a journey to win again.
We talked about, you know,
because of the bumpy five years,
if we're being honest,
we haven't won
a playoff series since 2019,
we're gonna have to reinvest
back in our club.
People were really excited
about this season going into it
and there was hope.
And then it was a hard crash and burn.
And Atlanta… Once again,
they couldn't hold on to the lead.
Atlanta United drop out
of the playoff positions,
sitting in tenth place.
Confidence may be an issue
without a win in four games.
And that's something that I'm sure
Gonzalo Pineda will want his team
to manage games better.
Another day, another opportunity.
Good morning.
- How you doing?
- All good.
Here, as a head coach,
the weight in your shoulders is bigger.
Everything is on me.
You're in the hot seat all the time.
All the fans are crazy
and you go to the shopping mall
and people comes to you,
and, like, ask autographs or pictures
or things like that.
So then you feel always…
people is watching you.
- Go, go, go, go, go!
- If the winger comes here,
the outlet is with Abram.
Abram, a quick combination with you,
and that's how we'll find Thiago
to get in behind.
Okay? Is that clear?
Yes? Dale, vamos, vamos. Let's go!
The back three against the two strikers.
I think this is a really challenging
job for a first-time head coach.
I'm rooting for Gonzo.
But we gotta have better results.
The roof is open.
Billed as serious contenders in the East,
Atlanta's winless in five,
with pressure on its stars.
Pressure on its coach.
Atlanta came into the season
with a roster with Giakoumakis.
You've got Thiago Almada,
one of the best players in the league.
A top young homegrown in Caleb Wiley.
A veteran goalkeeper in Brad Guzan.
Really, you probably should win
with talent like that.
Thiago Almada.
Never enough on it. Saved by St. Clair,
and Atlanta United drop
a second straight game at the Benz
for the first time in a few years.
We look like we're not
gonna make the playoffs this year.
We look absolutely terrible.
And it's excruciating to watch.
I think fans are,
rightfully so, frustrated.
And the attendance is dwindling.
I can hear the noise.
People start to talk about me
maybe losing my job.
So… Am I worried? I mean…
The question is do we repeat
kind of the same thing that we did
in the last microcycle?
Those guys, when they finish the new ones,
they can come join them.
We can do some angle finishing.
Stuff like that.
No, because I want… I want tone.
Let's do my idea.
So just one v one…
Just a quick activation everyone does.
Okay? Good?
'Cause that's important we win, guys.
Being a head coach is being lonely.
Even though you have a lot of assistants,
a lot of people that care about you,
when you lose, it's only you.
That responsibility
is something that you have.
It's part of the weight
that comes with the job.
Guys, pay attention. Dale.
Timing, patience and composure. Okay?
Quickly, one and two touches
and into the flank.
- They won't allow…
- A team that's losing this much…
there's lots of questions.
There was games
where I didn't play my best.
Whether it was just one or,
you know, a couple games in a row.
But he still stuck with me.
He still believed in me.
And so, I'll always appreciate that.
Let's go.
Vamos, vamos, vamos, vamos, vamos, vamos!
Well, I think he's a great coach.
I try to listen to him,
to do what he asks me to do on the field.
He does what comes naturally to him,
and I think that's good, the freedom
that Gonzalo gives to all of us.
Hey, blues defend this side,
attacking this way.
No one wants to be
in the position that we're in.
Attacking this way.
It's a cutthroat business,
and it's winning, it's losing.
It's all those things.
Whether my job ends tomorrow,
I'm just trying to enjoy the day-to-day
and focus on the next game,
and be as supportive as I can.
Yes, good one-two.
I gotcha.
We feel like our luck will turn
at some point.
Right now, it's just not falling our way.
- And we just need to get through it.
- Yeah. Yeah, yeah. For sure.
You always think,
okay, you hit rock bottom.
But this season, we hit rock bottom,
and then you hit rock bottom again.
And you're like,
"Man, can this go any lower?"
And Atlanta United,
they're now winless in their last nine.
This is just about as bad
as it's been for the club.
They cannot dig out of this.
I always talk and praise your talent
and all this… things, guys.
And you know I love you.
I think we have a talented group.
Honestly, talent… doesn't matter.
Talent… doesn't matter, guys!
When it's about… winning games,
this can't continue!
We are… Atlanta United, guys!
Gavin Marshall says, "Pineda out!"
Nathan Davenport says,
"Pineda should be gone."
Is the front office going
to do anything about it?
Not really sure.
There's really, in my opinion, only
one way Atlanta United can stop this.
They have to hit a reset button.
And that needs to happen soon,
so the pressure on Garth Lagerwey
is enormous.
The firing of a manager,
that is the easy trigger to pull.
It placates the media.
It placates the fans.
We're not gonna cave
to emotion and pressure.
But the reality is that if you change
coaches in the middle of our season,
it's a form of suicide, in my opinion.
I think anyone who thinks that
they're gonna turn a team
around overnight is delusional.
A… T…
It's been pretty hard.
You know,
our fans are being loud this season.
They wanna win. They're hungry to win.
People are getting frustrated.
And they're not wrong.
- It's unacceptable.
- A… T…
So we have to win.
INTERVIEWER:
This is a critical question, Garth…
Atlanta United winless
in their last league matches…
GARTH: That's why again,
we gotta end on a win here,
because if you win this game tonight,
you finish the day in a playoff spot.
It's been a bumpy season.
What we have is
a chance to redeem ourselves.
Not just to our group, but to our fans.
You know, if we're able to beat Charlotte,
then we can really leave with that
right impression, with that foundation.
Like, okay, this is the launchpad now
for the rest of the season.
We have to be prepared for that battle,
and we need to have
that kind of underdog mentality of,
"Man, it's us against the world."
Go, go, go!
Left side of the 18,
his cross is blocked… to Almada…
Shot! Scores!
That's it. That's it.
Good job.
Charlotte now will look for the equalizer.
On the out swing of this…
Takes a deflection, Cohen.
Did it cross the line?
A partial celebration in progress.
It looks as though it is over the line,
but it can be so deceiving,
depending on what angle you're looking at.
After review,
the ball did cross the goal line.
The final decision is a goal.
It's 1-1 now, the 44th
minute, and Charlotte is right back in it.
Go, go, go!
Pass to Muyumba, back to Saba.
In traffic at the penalty spot.
Spun off the ball cleanly.
This will be really big
for our playoff push,
if we're able to hang on
and win this game.
Pass to Abada, top of the arc, shot…
Fires, scores! Liel!
Ay, ay, ay, ay.
That fucking ball! That fucking ball!
Fucking ball!
It is all over.
Atlanta United has dropped
five consecutive home games.
It is the first time in their MLS history
that they've lost five home games
in an entire season.
- Good game.
- Good game.
Our fans are pissed.
And I understand why.
We've had the fans booing us at home.
And we can't have that.
Are you just concerned that,
for whatever reason,
the team just doesn't respond
as positively as you'd like
to what you're trying to coach and teach?
No.
How do you move forward, though,
after this fifth straight loss at home?
Like, what's the plan?
We'll have to try to regroup and try
to steal some points out on the road,
which, I think, has been also not great.
But the games at home,
we need to be stronger.
This season has been absolutely brutal.
Fans don't like losing.
You have to identify with them and say,
"We don't accept this either."
It was tough.
You know, I think Garth had a quote too,
of, "Is it the coach
or is it the players?"
Can you take that performance this summer,
and project that, or evaluate it, or use
that as part of the data analysis of,
"Does this guy translate?" Right?
From my perspective is what is
the risk we're taking on if we move him,
and then try and replace him?
You know, I think
we've really underachieved to this point.
Ultimately, we decided that
we needed a profound reset
on a cultural level.
Atlanta United just fired its head coach,
Gonzalo Pineda.
And this move comes
after yesterday's loss to Charlotte FC.
Pineda joined Atlanta United
nearly three years ago.
You know, for us…
We waited as long as we could.
And some would probably say
that we waited too long.
To remove the coach in the middle
of a season, well, it's a risk.
But is there something here,
a thread we can pull,
where we can maintain some continuity?
How about your son? Did he play?
Yeah, he played two yesterday.
Won one, lost one.
- Do you wanna just… Yeah.
- I'll go over there, yeah.
Most of the top coaches out there
aren't gonna wanna come in
at the middle of a season,
so, that's part of the reason we were
so reluctant to change the head coach.
Look, we're in the final playoff push.
Do you think we can make it?
Do you think we can do it?
Every game, as we approach it,
I always think they are winnable games.
No game in this league is easy.
Home games are important
to get the fans back on our side.
And I do believe that we can do it.
We made the decision to go
with Rob as the interim head coach.
If Rob can stabilize
that locker room a little bit,
and get us with a little bit
more self-confidence and belief,
particularly in how we play at home,
I think he can have
a positive impact on that group.
This is not going to be an easy job
because we're in some situations with some
players where, you know, we have to sell
Thiago Almada.
You know, we have to sell Caleb Wiley.
And there's no illusion on our end
that that's gonna help make
the team better in the short term.
But, ultimately, what we have
to do is watch how it is long term.
By moving from Gonzalo to Rob,
the change was not made
with the expectation,
"We're gonna flip a switch
and everyone is gonna be happy,
and then they're gonna go win every game."
The club needs an exorcism.
So we had to sell players that didn't have
that group belief that we were gonna win.
That the winning was what mattered.
It was a little bit more
about individual performance.
And any time you change people,
it's always a risk.
But you also have to have the conviction
and the belief that you can do better.
You know, we really wanted to try
and put ourselves on a different path,
and that's the risk we took,
and we'll see how it goes.
And players that are leaving,
we obviously wish them well,
but when they're not here anymore,
they're not here anymore.
We can't focus on what's not here.
We just focus on where we're at
and put our hard hats on, and go.
All right.
- Let's do it. You got it, man.
- Thank you.
What we hope for from Rob
is that he's a new voice.
He's a guy who's been here from day one.
He's been with the club for seven seasons,
and he's really good at being authentic.
And I think he is a real good motivator.
If we can get on a run here
and win some games…
And if we don't, then we're
gonna have to look at everything.
I'm more of a morning person.
I kind of always have been.
It's kind of just always been my routine.
Even when I was a kid,
I used to wake up early with my mom,
and just kind of hang out,
whatever we were doing.
I am a dedicated person, I would say that.
But it's not to prove anything to anyone,
it's just my own standard
that I really set, so…
Good morning, guys.
Hi. Good morning, Robert.
Hola. Buen día.
I'm the interim head coach,
which is not something
that any of us feel,
like, was the step we thought
we would be taking this year.
I'm processing the different emotions
of the sadness of Gonzo's dismissal,
and also being grateful for an opportunity
that I was gonna go forward.
Thinking like, "Okay, now this is on you
to command the whole group.
Now, all eyes are gonna be on you
in this moment
and how are you gonna handle it?"
Twenty seconds!
- Nice! Careful.
- Come on, last little bit.
Don't concede. Can you score one?
- Go tight!
- Yeah, you're all good.
Now you're back in.
Gotta open on him
and play wide. Turn! Good.
Turn! Time!
I'm Brad Guzan.
Goalkeeper. Atlanta United.
Get across here. Sweet!
Rob and I obviously have
a little bit of a unique relationship,
just because we've been together
at the club for so long.
At the beginning of the club itself.
I've been here since '17,
first year of the team,
and I've seen the highest of highs,
the lowest of lows.
To see the success that we had early on,
in the early years,
those memories, those moments,
are some of the greatest of my career.
And that's what we wanna get
Atlanta United back to.
Bobby, when they're narrow,
we gotta play wide to open 'em.
Talk, Derrick. Talk.
Stay with Matty.
Listen to him.
Yes!
Edwin, bien!
As a group of players,
along with Rob and his staff,
we need to keep fighting
to win to get into the playoffs.
If you're in the middle,
you gotta be aware of each other.
Last week was a bit of a crazy one, right?
You know how it is. You gotta keep going.
Rob, in a lot of ways, I think
he's inspired a little bit of that spark
within the group.
Yeah, for sure.
I think he connects with everybody.
That part's massive
when you're going to battle
with the games that we've got coming up.
For sure.
All these moves by Garth?
Yeah, it looks like it's a big risk.
The gamble Garth is making,
he's trusting the interim manager,
in Rob Valentino,
and one of the oldest players
in the league, in Brad Guzan,
two guys who have a very, very good
understanding of what this club means,
what this club wants
and what this club can be.
Whatever you did with Shawn yesterday,
he felt good.
So the big question now is,
"When it's all said and done,
will all these risks have paid off?"
- How are ya?
- Good.
- How was school? Yeah?
- Good.
- Hey, I'll unpack for you.
- In the bus?
What do you wanna play?
- Either FIFA or Madden.
- Okay.
My family, they are my motivation.
Any moments
where it's tense and it's stressful,
they pick me up and they can
keep me really driving forward.
Do you ever play as Atlanta United?
Rarely.
The only issue we have with this game
is Christian getting red cards.
And he traded all these players
in all the different teams,
and he put, like, Ronaldo and Messi
on all these different teams--
I put them all on the same squad
and it was so funny.
Rob being thrust
into the head coaching position,
I couldn't be more proud.
But I'm also not surprised.
To be a coach, and whether
that's head coach or assistant coach,
the pressure is always there.
What happened there?
- No. Actually, what happened?
- I don't know, buddy.
There's been plenty of times
now in my life
where the tough moments
have shaped me to where I am now.
I played in Orlando.
I had to really work and try to fight
and claw my way to stay in at the team.
I gave everything I could
and that didn't keep me with them,
and that was really, really devastating.
Our housing was tied up in his contract.
So, we were unemployed, having a baby,
and now no house.
So…
It was pretty crazy times.
Eventually, it became time to retire
and I got an opportunity to go coach.
So that's when
the coaching journey started.
When we do experience lows,
and he experiences a loss,
a disappointment, a frustration…
Yes, he knows the soccer and the tactics,
but his ability to really just
be very brave himself and step into it,
it helps us all move through that.
- Love you. See you later.
- Love you too. Talk to you later.
- What kinda hug was that?
- What do you mean…
And I think that a super strength of his,
he's extremely resilient.
He makes everyone around him better.
The kids love when we hug and kiss.
Gross!
You literally have a picture of us
being like this 'cause it's so gross.
That's a good one.
You just have to keep showing up.
And never give up on life.
Never give up on adverse moments.
Are they tough? Sure.
That's why the support system
of a family, wife, kids,
they're just really important.
I understand that
there's external pressure.
My approach is to be
as supportive as I can,
and take any pressure or stress
off the players.
Good morning, everybody.
At this stage of the season,
with these last however-many games
that we've got,
if we can get ourselves
in a really good run of form here,
we could be in a really good position,
come playoffs.
That's what we're really hoping to do.
And there is the final whistle.
A massive win in the Eastern Conference.
We're trying to get the players
to shift their mentality to,
"This is tough, but we're gonna fix it."
Pick your heads up and go again 'cause
we're gonna go and attack the next game.
We have to. We have no choice.
Nothing to lose.
We really need to make sure
that the mentality is,
"We're fighting for our lives here."
Hands on hips for Miranchuk.
He gets the whistle.
Steps up to the ball, strikes it…
And score!
Right now, we still feel like
there's another level to us.
Tyler, one v the keeper.
Walking into the box, Tyler Wolff's shot…
Score!
Somehow, some way,
this team is going to have a chance
on Decision Day to make the playoffs.
This season obviously
hasn't been as easy as it could've been.
A couple of weeks ago,
we had a 4% chance of making the playoffs.
But we beat Red Bull
and we're going into Orlando,
and now we got a 9% chance of getting in.
2-1? Yeah. Morning.
MLS is the only league
where all this change could happen.
Manager, gone. Players, gone.
And yet, we're still "technically"
fighting for a playoff spot.
So you can be bad all season, or average,
and just sneak in.
But that's what the playoffs are.
- Yeah. Yeah.
- It's who gets hot at the right time.
- It's like--
- Everyone feels like they have a chance.
It could be us, baby.
278 days ago,
January 15th,
that's when preseason convened.
All this work, all these points,
99 available from 33 games,
comes down to today.
It is getting hot.
You look at those final two
playoff positions, DC United and Montréal.
If those two teams do lose tonight,
there is still hope
for Philadelphia and Atlanta,
who both need wins.
Three minutes!
A while back, I sat with all of you guys
and I asked you a question,
"What do you want out of your teammate
and at the end of the season?"
I wrote those words up there on the board
because that was the main thing
that everybody kept saying.
Fucking fight, work hard,
give everything you have to each other.
Don't look back at the end of this game
and think, "I could've done a bit more."
Fucking leave it all out there
on the pitch tonight,
and we'll fucking come in here
with a win. Come on!
Come on!
- Together on three! One, two, three!
- Together!
Two southern rivals square up.
Orlando City in the purple.
Atlanta United in the light blue.
And with that, match day 38 is underway
from Inter&Co Stadium.
Now Araújo firing a shot!
One-handed save.
Rebound shot goes into the stands.
Brad Guzan comes up
with a big left-handed save early on.
Here's Lobjanidze!
Lobjanidze tucks it in perfectly
and puts the visitors in front.
Drives it in low.
It sneaks across and it's parried away,
but then stabbed home
on the rebound by Thiaré.
Atlanta United
have opened up a two-nil lead.
We got off to this incredible start,
up two-nothing.
All the way to the far side it goes.
But then Orlando turned things around.
Santos sets up for another cross in.
And this one is turned home!
And Orlando City have put themselves
right back into this match.
That was brilliant. Fucking brilliant.
Minus the last ten minutes,
that was fucking chaos. But listen.
We're gonna have to dig in.
Nothing in this fucking league
is easy, man.
They're gonna come out
with fucking more steam.
They're gonna come out ahead of it.
They're gonna come out with some passion.
They've gotta fix something. Okay?
You're in the lead.
Give everything you can to each other.
- Come on!
- Come on, guys!
Second half is underway on Decision Day.
Rob Valentino says he doesn't want his
players to know what's going on right now,
even though the news would be very good.
I was really adamant with the staff
that I didn't want to know
the scores of the other games.
As we take a look
at the Decision Day scores,
it looks as though Charlotte done
Atlanta United a massive solid.
Charlotte got a three-nil win
over DC United.
That loss by DC United, coupled
with the loss by the Philadelphia Union,
means that if Atlanta United can hold on
to this 2-1 lead,
they're on to the postseason.
At some point, when I looked at the clock,
I turned to them and I said,
"Hey, what are the other scores?"
And they said, "If we win, we're in."
And then at that point, I was like,
"All right. Come on.
Go, go, go! Come on!"
Can Atlanta United hold on?
Can they punch their ticket
to that wild card?
And it's Duncan McGuire smashing it home!
Orlando City have drawn level
here in the 89th minute.
And they might have just knocked
their rivals out of the postseason.
The goal goes in and I just
felt like the life out of me was gone.
I knew everything had gone our way,
and then that happens.
Of course, this play will be checked.
The postseason lives of Atlanta United
are resting on the video review check
of this goal.
If it hits his arm, it's a handball.
- If… But that's the question.
- That's the thing.
That's the question.
Here's the decision.
After review, number 13 handled the ball
before it goes in the net.
Handball. No goal.
And that decision has kept
Atlanta United in the playoff picture.
And Decision Day dreams have come true.
Against all odds,
they are on to the postseason.
Man, I'm so fucking proud of you guys.
No one fucking thought you'd do it,
but you fucking proved them wrong.
You're not fucking done now.
So prove to them that
you've got fucking more in you.
Everybody in here, fuck 'em all.
Let's fucking go at it.
Now we push on to Montréal,
and everything is 100% in our hands.
Now it's about winning the game,
and you win, you advance.
Welcome to Montréal, Quebec.
Atlanta, who defied the odds to get here,
not 72 hours ago, to Stade Saputo
and the Wild Card game.
Can they… Could they go one further again?
After Atlanta United get through
the craziness that was MLS Decision Day,
they have to play in the Wild Card game
against Montréal.
It all comes down to this.
Can they win in penalty kicks, something
they've never done in their history?
Lobjanidze.
Score!
Atlanta United wins the first
playoffs shootout in franchise history.
Lionel Messi, we'll see you Friday night!
You survive Orlando.
Survive Montréal.
Atlanta United's reward?
They get to play against the historic
Messi and friends, Inter Miami,
in a best-of-three series
in the next round.
Shit shoes. They're already falling apart.
Talking about finally falling apart…
- Stay humble.
- Hey, hey.
- Stay humble.
- That's right.
Don't forget where you came from.
Score!
Go. Go!
Another time.
- Fucking go!
- Good save. Good save.
People want to win trophies
when you get in the playoffs.
Put a name on it if you can.
You can shoot or pass it out.
Score. Score.
Yes!
And to do that,
you have to beat the best teams.
Messi!
Well, I've seen this happen before.
I got you. Come on. Yes, Shawn.
So that's probably why
I have that belief that this can happen,
and you can go on a run
at the right times.
I've seen other teams do it,
so why not this group?
Good quality.
Good work. Well done. Good. I love it.
Game 1 of this Round 1
best-of-three series…
goes to Inter Miami,
2-1 over Atlanta United. It wasn't easy.
Brad Guzan kept them in the game.
Brad had nine saves in this game.
His performance tonight
left our jaws on the floor.
That game could've been
7-1 if it wasn't for Brad Guzan.
You can't do that in the next game.
Otherwise, it's gonna be trouble.
I didn't know you knew
where these tubs were.
Hey, the young kids
don't fucking know where it is.
This is the key.
Look at them. They're out there playing,
and we're in here.
That's not where it happens.
I think Tata plays the same team.
Yeah. I believe it.
They're world-class players,
but they're not doing anything
individually super insane.
But you know what? It will be different.
It will be 70,000 people.
Like, we'll have more energy.
Like, just based on an energy standpoint--
- Just from the rest period.
- Yeah.
We'll be able to take it to 'em
a little bit more.
Yeah.
But when you talk about the season,
you talk about your goals
at the beginning of the year,
you wanna have the ability
to be playing in the playoffs.
And so when you get to this point,
you cherish it,
and you rise to the challenge
of being in there
because everyone starts at scratch.
You go out to compete and, hopefully,
by the end of a handful of games,
you find yourself lifting the trophy.
Keys to success.
Score more than them.
Inter Miami lead in this
best-of-three series, game 2 at the Benz,
which will be full and rocking.
Different atmosphere in Atlanta.
It's the first time since April
that the lot has been pumping.
We're ready to go. We know who's playing.
We're gonna come out
and give everything we got.
Round one of the playoffs.
Miami win the game,
but Atlanta showed better than I expected.
So you go into game two
for Atlanta United,
and it's win or go home at this point.
It's been a long time
since this building has sounded like this.
Let's go!
Your fans have shown up.
They packed out the stadium.
The energy that they create,
it's infectious. So you gotta show up.
Inter Miami with a one-nothing lead.
It is desperation time for Atlanta United
and their 2024 season.
Dangerous ball!
Headed in! It's hope for Atlanta United.
They take everything
that they showed in game one in Miami,
and they take it up a notch.
Ninety-fourth minute.
Muyumba. Miranchuk. Xande Silva!
Atlanta wins, forcing game three.
They're going back to South Florida.
You gotta believe,
and Rob Valentino believed ten days ago
that they could win.
Come on!
Yes!
It was supposed
to be a foregone conclusion
that Atlanta United
was gonna be out in two games.
Instead, they're in a one-and-done,
win-or-go-home game,
chance to knock Lionel Messi
out of the playoffs
after winning the Supporters' Shield.
No one expects us to win.
But you can always shock the world, right?
Game three, let's go.
Nobody saw this coming.
Four weeks ago, no way.
And I didn't give them a chance against
Miami because I thought, "You know what?
I think they've used up
all their luck they've had.
All their fight."
But I have to give a lot of credit
to Atlanta United.
They are really galvanized,
and I think they have the perfect coach
for them right now in Rob Valentino
to keep saying, "This is it, guys.
We're all in this together.
Everybody else is against us,
but this group believes."
Will the dynamic duo
of Messi and Suárez find a way?
It comes down to this decisive game three
for Inter Miami
and the Cinderella kids, Atlanta United,
at Chase Stadium.
Don't fucking play safe tonight.
Give it everything you've got.
Leave nothing else on that fucking pitch,
and we'll take the fucking result
from there. Come on!
Fucking let's go!
Together on three!
- One, two, three!
- Together!
We've done everything that
we can to be prepared for the game.
I think everything and more.
Inter Miami, Atlanta United
in this decisive game three.
It's a big game. I understand that.
But for me, they've all been big.
So I've been fighting
for my job all along,
and helping these guys
to try to fight for something.
We fucking earned the right to be here.
Nobody outside of our fucking group
gives us a fucking chance.
Go out there, fucking enjoy it,
play for each other, and…
- Come on. One, two three!
- Win!
And we're underway
tonight in South Florida.
Here's Messi.
Follow the run!
Follow the run!
That's Messi! Saved there by Guzan.
Follow-up try and goal!
Inter Miami with the one-nothing lead.
The pressure of an elimination game
brings different things.
Here comes Thiaré,
looking to level and he does!
A laser off the foot of Jamal Thiaré.
How about that for a response?
Hey, transition moments
are really important.
Here's Messi.
Into the 18. Messi, saved by Guzan!
And he covers.
Incredible save.
No! What the…
Here comes Messi again.
Messi, tracked by Muyumba,
able to shake him off.
Messi's service, header! Saved by Guzan!
Wow. He has pulled off
some unbelievable saves.
This is the best of the lot.
Hey! Be alert! Be alert!
…worked ahead to Slisz.
To McCarty, tucked down the middle
to Miranchuk,
onside behind the defense.
Miranchuk to Thiaré. A shot. Score!
Chase Stadium is stunned
as Atlanta United takes the lead
some 21 minutes into the match.
Cover, Luis!
Inter Miami looks for the equalizer.
Return!
Suárez picks out Weigandt,
able to work it across.
Tied game.
Lionel Messi!
Brad Guzan got thrown into his own goal.
- Yes, he did.
- Unbelievable.
Guzan wants more than a word
with Luis Suárez.
Guzan barking at
the referee Lukasz Szpala.
- What did he do?
- He shoved me into the goddamn goal!
- Okay. Relax.
- Fuck me!
Relax. Just let me take care of it, okay?
He was slammed into the back of the net.
And you can see Guzan, he's not happy.
Relax. Please.
You're not gonna do anything
about pushing me?
- No.
- Ah, that's fucking shameful.
Relax. Relax.
Hey, you gotta stay composed here.
Come on, guys!
Sixty-seventh minute
of the decisive game three.
No matter what the outcome is,
I'm just really grateful for where I'm at.
The guys worked so hard to get here
and the adversity that we have faced,
this moment makes it so sweet.
Get into the tackle!
Amador has got it.
And it's a goal!
He scored!
Atlanta have stunned Chase Stadium again.
They regain the lead.
What you're seeing is unbelievable.
Is this the final chance for Inter Miami?
Seven minutes of stoppage time.
Will it be won and done?
Messi with other ideas.
It is deflected out for a corner.
Come on!
Now it's the last chance saloon
for Inter Miami now.
They'll play it across.
Takes a deflection.
Atlanta trying to see this out.
And, indeed, they will!
That's it! They blow for full time!
Atlanta United has pulled
the greatest upset
in the history of Major League Soccer.
They have blacked out Messi.
They have blacked out Miami.
Certainly for a guy like Rob Valentino,
you gotta feel
like it's instant credibility.
If you're Garth Lagerwey with ownership,
you gotta feel like this is
the first step in the right direction.
This is a massive upset.
For me, this experience that
I've had as the interim head coach…
I know it will only serve me well
in the future.
Come on!
What is happening with us in this moment,
and what we've created,
is exactly what I wanted.
I stayed true to my message of,
"You just have to keep showing up.
Never give up on life.
Never give up on adverse moments."
- Let's go and win the title, baby!
- Well done, guys.
Awesome, man. Congrats.
Yeah, I'm pumped.
Yeah, it's exciting.
I mean, to be where we are
is pretty incredible.
A lot of credit to Rob and to his staff.
It's not easy to go through
that much adversity during the year,
and then get to where they are.
You just pulled off one of
the biggest upsets in MLS history.
- How did you get it done?
- Grinding, man.
Grinding, believing, resilience.
I don't know, there is some
fairy dust in our locker room, man.
I mean,
I couldn't be more proud of our guys.
When you give your life to something,
you give your whole career,
you wanna make a difference…
A medium club, but now at a big club…
But ultimately, people want the best.
They wanna see the best possible soccer.
And that's something
that means a lot to me,
to be a part of that and to see if we can…
Can we transform what we are
from a mere transaction
of Mercedes-Benz Stadium
as a fun place to go and party,
to "I wanna watch Atlanta United play
because I think it's some
of the best soccer in the world"?
Riqui gets injured.
The MLS Cup is the Super Bowl.
I know how much he's put into this
and I know how important
getting to this moment is to him.
Headed, and a goal!
New York Red Bulls are headed to MLS Cup.
We are definitely here
to spoil the Galaxy party.
Our optimism is that it's not an ACL.
It's kind of wait and see.
This is David versus Goliath,
Goliath being the LA Galaxy.
The New York Red Bulls,
the lowest seed ever to make MLS Cup.
Win!
The LA Galaxy, the winningest organization
in Major League Soccer's history.
But who are the Galaxy without
their MVP candidate Riqui Puig?