After defeating Inter Miami 5-2 on Saturday, in Major League Soccer (MLS), Atlanta United took a playful jab at Lionel Messi, who was unavailable for the game. A breathtaking volley by Leonardo Campana, who opened the scoring, is a lock for goal of the week.
Atlanta, though, managed to tie the score after eight minutes, dealing Tata Martino's team a blow from which they were unable to recover. They made themselves vulnerable by advancing in a huddle, and they paid the price.
It was Miami's worst loss since the Philadelphia Union's 4-1 beating of them in June, right before Messi signed. Atlanta United didn't miss the opportunity to take a dig at Messi. The Argentine was seen with his kids, Ciro and Mateo, at Inter Miami's academy on Sunday morning, watching his oldest son, Thiago, play after it was reported on Friday night that he would not be going to Atlanta.
On Friday, the World Cup winner shared an Instagram story in which he was seen purchasing a Miami-based restaurant's tomato-loaded pizza.
Atlanta United used the pizza, which was covered with tomatoes, to troll Messi. After their victory over Inter Miami, they posted an image of a similar pizza, but with a big ‘L’ on it to indicate the 5-2 loss Inter Miami took. It had the caption, “Here you have your pizza for the trip.”
Inter Miami will now square off against Toronto on Thursday at their home, the DRV PNK Stadium in Miami. Lionel Messi is expected to be back in the lineup for the first time after the International break.