Inter Miami’s prospects for the upcoming playoff match against Atlanta United was enhanced as the team’s star player, Sergio Busquets, was declared fit to play after a medical assessment. Busquets had been ruled out for the game by coach Gerardo Martino, but he was cleared by the medical team who had monitored his progress following an injury sustained in Game 1 of the series. The hope is that having Busquets back on the team could boost Lionel Messi’s performance as well.
Busquets had suffered a blow to his midsection in Game 1 of the series and had developed pneumonia-like symptoms, due to which he did not play in Game 2. Inter Miami currently has to win the upcoming game to move on to the second round of the MLS Cup playoffs. Coach Martino stressed the high stakes of the match, stating, “At best, there are four finals left … each of the remaining games has the characteristics of a final game and we, with the expectations we have, are ready to face it in the best way.”
Inter Miami’s targets go beyond the upcoming match, as the team aspires to play four more games this season, encompassing a conference semifinal, conference final, and the MLS Cup final. If Inter Miami continues to win the series, all these matches will be played on home turf. However, the team, which won the Supporters’ Shield and posted the best regular-season record in MLS history, faces an abrupt end to its season if it loses any of the matches.
Atlanta United has already proven its mettle by winning four elimination games this season. These include two crucial matches to end the regular season against the New York Red Bulls and Orlando City, a wild-card match at Montreal, and Game 2 against Inter Miami. The upcoming match will prove decisive not only for Inter Miami but also for Messi, whose performance in this series until now has not been impressive.
The two wins that Atlanta notched over Inter Miami this season occurred when Messi was playing. Despite Messi’s presence, Miami is 2-1-1 this season against the No.1 overall seed. Atlanta’s strategy against Messi appears successful with him scoring one goal on 19 shots, eight of which were on target, in their four encounters this season. Atlanta United’s goalie Brad Guzan commented, “There’s very few times that Plan A works. It’s Plan B and Plan C and Plan D and you have to adjust very quickly.”
Although Busquets is declared fit to play, the club disclosed that it will evaluate his condition on the day of the match before making the final decision. This uncertainty contributes a significant variable to the playoff dynamics. Inter Miami fans and players will be hoping for Busquets’ health and performance to be at its peak in order to secure their trajectory in the playoffs.
