Xande Silva stunner carries Atlanta United to win against Inter Miami

Atlanta United’s season will continue.

Xande Silva’s goal in the fourth minute of stoppage time lifted Atlanta United to a 2-1 victory over Inter Miami on Saturday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium and evened their best-of-three playoff series at 1-1. Game 3 will be played at 8 p.m. Nov. 9 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

It was Silva’s third goal this season and was a well-struck effort from 18 yards out in front of an announced attendance of 68,455, fifth-largest in MLS playoffs history.

“I saw the space there and then, boom,” Silva said.

Atlanta United’s players hinted during the week that playing after a week of rest, and at home, would produced a much different result than its 2-1 loss last week in Game 1 when they were playing their third road match in seven days.

They were right.

ExploreMore AJC coverage of Atlanta United

Miami’s goal came from one of the more bizarre sequences in soccer in several years. Atlanta United’s goals came from Derrick Williams, his first this season, and then Silva.

“The way it goes down is just wild,” interim manager Rob Valentino said. “I guess that’s our story this year, or maybe every year. I don’t know. We make things interesting, don’t we?”

Atlanta United ran with striker Jamal Thiare, midfielders Alexey Miranchuk, Saba Lobjanidze, Jay Fortune, Bartosz Slisz and Dax McCarty, fullbacks Pedro Amador and Ronald Hernandez, centerbacks Williams and Luis Abram, and goalkeeper Brad Guzan. The team was without two of its typical starters because they suffered injuries in the first game of the series. Brooks Lennon (dislocated) shoulder was replaced by Hernandez. Stian Gregersen (hamstring) made the game-day roster. He was replaced in the starting lineup by Abram.

The first half was evenly played until Miami took a 1-0 lead in the 40th minute with a goal that, of all the weird goals allowed by Atlanta United this season, will top those.

Guzan collected a cross. As he ran toward the top of the 18-yard box to punt the ball, he suddenly stopped his motion, dropped the ball and fell down as Federico Redondo, who was walking ahead of him, made a slight feint as if he was going to try to block the punt. Redondo reacted first and passed the ball left to Hector Martinez, who shot and scored. Guzan protested to referee Rubiel Vazquez. It didn’t appear that Guzan was touched by Redondo as he started to punt the ball. The feint by Redondo is one that players frequently make toward goalkeepers.

Guzan is left-footed. Because Redondo was on his left side, and feinted into him, Guzan said he thought if he kicked the ball there was a chance it could hit Redondo and the referee might not give the foul. So he stopped his movement. Vasquez wrote to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, as the assigned media pool reporter, after the game that the attacker did not kick or attempt to kick the ball or prevent the goalkeeper from releasing the ball. Therefore, there was no foul, per the Laws of the Game. Guzan responded by asking what goalkeeper doesn’t kick the ball from his side?

After a short review the goal stood, and Atlanta United trailed 1-0 at halftime.

When Miami’s players tardily emerged from the tunnel to start the second half, they were welcomed with boos.

Atlanta United had 45 minutes to keep its season going. The club was able to do that in its final two matches of the regular season, and in its playoff win at Montreal. The difference between Saturday’s match and those was this time Atlanta United trailed by a goal, a situation in which it was 0-5-0 in its playoff history.

So much for history, at least this season.

Atlanta United tied the score at 1-1 in the 58th minute on a diving header by Williams. It was his first goal after just missing with several headers previously this season, including one earlier in the half that went inches wide. Amador was credited with the assist, his seventh total for the regular season and the playoffs. Fortune also was credited with an assist, his third this season.

“The first one, I saw it kind of late,” Williams said. “So when Pedro whipped it in, I was just making sure I got full contact on it in the second.”

Tristan Muyumba replaced McCarty in the 70th minute. Rios replaced Thiare in the 78th minute.

Atlanta United, unable to win possession, played for several minutes mostly in its 18-yard box as it blunted numerous Miami attacks. Atlanta United twice survived shots from Lionel Messi after he found space in dangerous areas. The first shot flew over the goal from a tight angle. The second was blocked.

“We had 11 players in the box, and that’s what we’re going to need,” Williams said. “We were just focused, switched on. We didn’t give them any clear-cut chances, which was massive.”

Atlanta United broke Miami’s pressure to win a corner kick in the 88th minute. Silva replaced Fortune before the kick. From Miranchuk’s corner, Lobjanidze’s reverse volley slammed off the crossbar.

The winning goal started with Rios winning an aerial dual. Miranchuk followed with a tackle. He played it to Rios, who played it back to Miranchuk, who passed it forward to Muyumba, who hit a spinning backheel to Miranchuk, who one-touched it forward to Silva. He took a touch and the unleashed a season-saving shot to send the supporters into a full-throated roar that reminded Valentino of 2018, when Atlanta United won the MLS Cup.

“I’m grateful for the people that showed up,” Valentino said. “It was an unbelievable moment. To be honest, I talked to these guys about memories, about creating memories. Winning is important. But we had a really cool memory in Miami. I thought that the grit and the resilience they showed was awesome. And then to come home and show that resilience, show that intensity. ... I had a ton of family here, and that was a really cool moment. My son is now cheering for us, which is a positive.”

For more content about Atlanta United

Follow me on Twitter/X @DougRobersonAJC

On Facebook at Atlanta United News Now

On Instagram at DouglasDavidRoberson

Atlanta United coverage on The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Southern Fried Soccer podcast can be found

Apple - https://apple.co/3ISD6Ve

Spotify - https://spoti.fi/3L8TN0C

Google podcasts - https://bit.ly/32KlZW3

If you are going to listen to the podcast for the first time, please follow it on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts ... and if you like what you hear, please give us a good rating so we can grow the show. If you have questions about the MLS team, you can email Doug Roberson at droberson@ajc.com, DM him on Twitter @dougrobersonajc or call 404-526-2527.

Stay up to date every day on breaking news, in-depth investigations, politics, sports, entertainment, food and dining and so much more by becoming a subscriber to the AJC. Go to AJC.com/start for a very special offer and unlock hundreds of original articles published daily on the refreshed AJC.com and the new AJC mobile app. Plus, access to our news alerts, subscriber-only events, AJC original shows, films and videos, newsletters, and so much more.

Atlanta United’s 2024 schedule

Feb. 24 Columbus 1, Atlanta United 0

March 9 Atlanta United 4, New England 1

March 17 Atlanta United 2, Orlando 0

March 23 Toronto 2, Atlanta United 0

March 31 Atlanta United 3, Chicago 0

April 6 Atlanta United 1, NYCFC 1

April 14 Atlanta United 2, Philadelphia 2

April 20 Cincinnati 2, Atlanta United 1

April 27 Atlanta United 1, Chicago 1

May 4 Minnesota 2, Atlanta United 1

May 7 Atlanta United 3, Charlotte Independence 0 in U.S. Open Cup