Outgunned in Miami: Atlanta’s Patchwork Falls 4–0

First Half

Atlanta arrived at Chase Stadium understrength and overexposed. The unavailable list ran long (Almirón, Slisz, Miranchuk, Lobjanidze, Hernández on call-ups; Lennon, Fortune, Edwards, Reilly, Sessock all unavailable), so Deila turned to a patched XI: Hibbert; Chong-Qui, Amador, Berrocal, Gregersen, Afonso; Cooper Sánchez, Alzate, Muyumba; Thiaré, Latte Lath. The bench pulled from the 2’s: Mazzaferro, Torres, Weah, Neri.

What Atlanta put on the field wasn’t the first choice, or the second - it was whoever could still stand.

Across the pitch stood something else entirely. Messi, Suárez, Busquets, and Alba—all starting, all in rhythm, all with the calm cruelty of players who have done this for decades. Miami’s legends, Atlanta’s missing stars. The imbalance told its own story before the whistle even blew.

From kickoff, the tone was set. Thiaré pressed and countered, Latte Lath chased every lost cause, and Chong-Qui twice had a go from the left (one effort megged a defender). Four red shirts swarmed Messi at the arc to blunt early danger. But the cracks were visible: Amador twice turned it over in bad spots, and Hibbert was already busy denying a Messi volley through traffic, then dropping for a sharp reflex save.

The 15th min saw the turning point. Gregersen pulled up holding his hamstring, his season likely done. Teammates signaled for a sub, which saw Mazzaferro entering the pitch for his MLS debut on his birthday. From that moment, Atlanta had a 2s center-back tracking Messi and Suárez. By the twenty-minute mark, only one returning defender and a 2’s center-back were marking Messi and Suárez - a perfect summary of Atlanta’s year.

Miami’s pressure kept building: Busquets chips, Alba overlaps, Messi probing deeper for touches. Hibbert stonewalled a 7-yard Messi chance and dealt with an olympico attempt, even pawed away a curling effort at full stretch. But on 39′ a Muyumba misplay triggered transition and Messi curled in the inevitable 1–0. The run and finish were pure art. Atlanta still punched back - Latte Lath forced a save from Ríos Novo - but Miami led at the break and it “could have been worse.”

Halftime notes: For Miami, it was the Messi/Alba/Busquets/Suárez show. For Atlanta, Hibbert outstanding, Chong-Qui positive, Thiaré–Latte Lath showing signs, but individual giveaways (2 from Amador, one from Muyumba) continues Atlanta’s true 2025 form.

Second Half

Atlanta kept searching for release valves: Afonso overlapped until his legs went at 70′, forcing a striker swap (Afonso off, Togashi on) with no defenders left. Deila leaned into chaos—eventually four strikers on the pitch (Thiaré, Latte Lath, Togashi, Weah)—and the midfield still stitched the odd sequence (Muyumba–Alzate combinations, long balls for Latte Lath, Thiaré’s constant runs behind). But the final action wasn’t there. One dangerous pinball to the six saw Ríos Novo smother; another through-ball died in front of goal. Yet even when three of the four strikers touched the ball in the box, no shot. 2025 in a play.

In the end, nothing changed. Alba over the top to Messi, one touch, one goal. 4–0. Pure quality.

Post Match

From the moment the lineups were posted, this was always going to be a write-off. The gulf in quality was far too much to overcome. Miami’s big four were irresistible. There were glimpses of positivity: Atlanta’s midfield connected in spells but kept gifting Miami chances. Despite not playing together previously, Thiaré and Latte Lath showed chemistry. Something to consider for next year, could ATLUTD play with a 2 striker system in 2026? But even then, Ríos Novo was never truly troubled. Chong-Qui was bold. Hibbert, again, belonged. “This is Hibbert’s team,” one post read, and it felt true.

The Bottom Line

Miami honored Jordi Alba’s final regular-season home game with family on the pitch. Atlanta, meanwhile, could only look toward Decision Day with the Wooden Spoon uncomfortably and firmly within reach.