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Good fortune wasn't enough for Lionel Messi and Inter Miami as they lost 2-1 to Atlanta United at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Game 2 of their First Round MLS Playoffs series. Miami took advantage of a controversial situation in the first half as Federico Redondo appeared to interfere with Brad Guzan's goalkick in the 39th minute. The midfielder stood directly in Guzan's range of motion on the delivery and the ball sputtered out with Redondo then finding defender Hector David Martinez in the box. The center back lofted a soft chip directly past a scrambling Atlanta defense to score on an empty net. The moment appeared to be back-breaking for the home side, but they would respond dramatically in the second half. Derrick Williams took advantage of some poor set-piece defending to score the Five Stripes equalizer while supersub Xande Silva also benefitted from some lackadaisical defending to seal the win for Atlanta. All eyes now turn to Miami, which will host Game 3 at their stadium. Will the club be able to deliver on sky high expectations? Time will tell. GOAL rates Inter Miami's players following the Game 2 loss...

Inter Miami player ratings vs. Atlanta United: Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez struggle mightily as the Herons are stunned with a Game 2 loss

Major League Soccer

Inter Miami CF

Atlanta United

Drake Callender (6/10):Made three impressive saves, including stopping what would have been a Goal of the Year candidate from Atlanta star Alexey Miranchuk midway in the first half. Couldn't do much with either goal scored. Hector David Martínez (6/10):Hey, it's not his fault controversial circumstances created the goal he scored. And he made sure he converted it with a soft chip at an open net with Atlanta scrambling (more on that below). He also made some key clearances, but was part of the group culpable for the game-winner. Noah Allen (8/10):Was a surprise inclusion to replace Busquets (illness), but the midfielder-turned-defender was impressive in a rare start. Allen excelled in the sweeper role Busquets has recently been tasked. He made nine clearances (!) and his top moment might have came midway in the first half where he stopped Jamal Thiaré from a clear cut chance on a killer pass. Subbed off when Tata Martino went for additional striker. He probably should have stayed on. Tomas Aviles (4/10):Was sloppy at times for Inter, getting called for two fouls and barely made an impact in winning the ball.

Goalkeeper & Defense

Jordi Alba (6/10):Was at his creative best at the first half, trying to fill the void of Busquets, but was kept quiet in the second half as Atlanta grabbed the momentum. His through-ball to Messi between two defenders showed why he was once considered the best attacking left-back in the world. Federico Redondo (4/10):Tapped into a master of the dark arts moment as he clearly interfered with Guzan's goal kick, but was fortunate to walk away with an assist as United's keeper didn't go full motion on his kick. Otherwise didn't offer much on either side of the pitch. Yannick Bright (5/10):Miami struggled to control the midfield in the first half and Bright's struggles were part of the reason. He is one of MLS's better ball-winning midfielders, but he couldn't stop Atlanta from creating chances from the center of park and offered nothing on attack. Tough outing, but it was revealed he was dealing with a hamstring injury. His replacement Benjamin Cremaschi didn't offer much better. Marcelo Weigandt (6/10):Put in a shift for Miami, leading the team in tackles and was tidy with the ball in attack on the other end. Didn't stand out, but didn't cause any mistakes - which was vital.

Midfield

Lionel Messi (4/10):This might have been Messi's most human performance since joining MLS, and that's saying a lot. He was off his game the entire match, missing easy chances throughout the match. The biggest might have came in the 83rd minute when he was wide open in the box but in a rare moment shot off his right foot as opposed to his famous left. The shot went way into the stands. Was also called offside on the moment where he finally beat Guzan in the 90+2 mark. Luis Suarez (4/10):Looked every bit of 37 Saturday night, he couldn't past Atlanta's defense and missed a sitter in the second half that would have iced the game in regulation. Diego Gomez (6/10):Started brightly as he created a clear cut chance for Messi that the Argentine should have buried. Was almost non-existent in the second half before being subbed.

Attack

Benjamin Cremaschi (3/10):This is harsh on the teen, but he provided a ton of energy and very little impetus in Miami's loss. He lost his man on the set piece that gave Atlanta its first goal and renewed hope. Matías Rojas (N/A):Came on for Gomez at the 84th minute and was largely unable to change much. Leonardo Campana (N/A):Came on in the 84th minute for Allen and struggled to make an impact. Should've came on for Suarez instead. Tata Martino (5/10):Made a brave decision to start Allen, which paid off as the defender was Miami's best player on the night. He will rue the set piece defending on Atlanta's first goal. His tactical call to go for it in the final 10 minutes would backfire dramatically though as none of his attacking subs had an impact and his team was caught with a defensive lapse to concede the winner.

Subs & Manager

Inter Miami player ratings vs. Atlanta United: Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez struggle mightily as the Herons are stunned with a Game 2 loss | Goal.com

Messi couldn&apos;t not convert chances he usually finishes with ease and Miami couldn&apos;t get past a determined Atlanta side as a result. 