Bartosz Slisz scored on a 76th-minute header and visiting Atlanta United completed one of the biggest upsets in MLS Cup Playoff history with a 3-2 win over Lionel Messi's Inter Miami in the deciding game of their Round 1 series on Saturday night in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Slisz's goal came while Miami defender Tomas Aviles was down on the ground in his own penalty area and his teammates implored referee Lukasz Szpala to stop play.
But the laws of the game require referees halt play only if a head injury is suspected, and Aviles clearly grabbed at his leg. As Miami appealed, Atlanta played on, with Pedro Amador providing an outswinging cross from the left and Slisz meeting it to head emphatically past goalkeeper Drake Callender.
Jamal Thiare scored a first-half brace for ninth-seeded Atlanta, which needed to win its last two regular season matches just to reach the Eastern Conference wild-card match.
From there it triumphed on penalties at CF Montreal, then split the first two games against top-seeded Miami, with each home team winning 2-1, before pulling off Saturday's shocking away victory.
Brad Guzan made seven saves to complete a heroic effort across the best-of-three series and help Atlanta advance in an East bracket where all top three seeds were eliminated.
Atlanta will visit fourth-seeded Orlando City in an Eastern Conference semifinal after the November international window. Messi and Miami are eliminated after earning an MLS-record 74 points in the regular season to capture the Supporters' Shield and top overall playoff seed.
Messi scored a second-half equalizer for Miami, his first goal of the postseason and a rare one through the air after contributing an assist in the series-opening win two weekends ago.
Matias Rojas opened the scoring for the Herons in the 17th minute on a rebound after Guzan saved an earlier Messi attempt.
But Thiare turned an early deficit into an early lead for Atlanta in the next four minutes. In the 19th minute, he reached Dax McCarty's deflected through ball and hammered a finish past Callender into the top right corner.
Two minutes later, Thiare dispatched the finish of Aleksey Miranchuk's clever square pass after McCarty's ball from midfield freed Miranchuk down the right side.
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The rumors surrounding a possible departure of Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr. continues to gain traction. If Real Madrid's star player is sold, the club could line up a move for another superstar from the Premier League. Below are the latest transfer news and rumors surrounding Real Madrid from football publications and websites around the world. Real Madrid Transfer News and Rumors Real Madrid have not given up on signing Arsenal center-back William Saliba, despite Arsenal insisting the player is not for sale. The 24-year-old still has two years left on his current contract, and the London club are looking to extend that further to ward off Los Blancos.. - AS David Alaba has been linked with a move away from Real Madrid, but the veteran is reportedly eager to stay and fight for his place. Alaba, who has one year left on his contract, could play out the final year before departing. - Marca Real Madrid are considering a Plan B option if they cannot reach a deal for Liverpool center-back Ibrahima Konate. Xabi Alonso is looking at academy player Joan Martínez to make the jump up, just like Raul Asencio last season. - Defensa Central If Real Madrid sell Vinicius Jr. to the Saudi Pro League, they will likely attempt a big-money move for Manchester City striker Erling Haaland. The money they would receive would be enough to finance a move for the Norwegian superstar. - Fichajes
With the trade for Ryan McMahon now complete, it would seem New York Yankees’ general manager Brian Cashman has fulfilled one of his three priorities. He can now cross third base off the list, which leaves the rotation and bullpen as his remaining priorities. However, according to one Yankees writer, Cashman might not be done with the infield. Chris Kirschner of The Athletic reported this after the McMahon trade: “The Yankees may not be done adding to their infield. A team source said the Yankees are interested in adding a right-handed hitter who could play the infield.” Kirschner adds that the Yankees have had interest in Willi Castro and Amed Rosario. But the question now is, how would another player fit in the Yankees’ infield? Needless to say, Paul Goldschmidt and Jazz Chisholm Jr. aren’t going anywhere, and McMahon is just getting there. That leaves the low-hanging fruit. Anthony Volpe has been at the center of controversy all this season. His 13 errors, many of which had come at make-or-break moments, amount to the second-highest total in the game. In addition, his bat has not been able to compensate, hitting .214/.286/.407 with 14 home runs. There was always a lot to like about Volpe. He won a Gold Glove in his rookie year, his power has always been promising and his speed is nothing to scoff at. Unfortunately, his glove has become a liability and his speed has also produced very few results. Volpe has swiped just 10 bags in 17 attempts. His power is the one thing that still has some upside, but it hasn’t been enough to justify a spot in the lineup. Both Castro and Rosario have been far more productive at the plate this season than Volpe. Kirschner doesn’t clarify how serious the Yankees are in their pursuit of another infielder, but that most likely isn’t available information. Having just turned 24, Volpe could still become the type of player that was expected from him as a top prospect. However, his recent performance has weighed heavily on his team’s efforts and it may be buying him a ticket out of the Bronx — or at least a spot on the bench.
Three days of Green Bay Packers training camp are in the books and cornerback Carrington Valentine has reinforced his status as the default CB3. It’s only a minute sample size, of course, and the team hasn’t even moved to padded sessions yet. Nonetheless, it’s encouraging to see the former 232nd overall pick put down some roots in a cornerback group that will need meaningful contributions from a slew of less than household names. Carrington Valentine starts strong in Green Bay Packers training camp Writing for Packers Wire, Mark Oldacres observed that Valentine has already picked off a pair of passes in the early going. Stats don’t much much in training camp, but it’s a reflection of Valentine’s keyed-in performance thus far, which included matching up well with standout rookie receiver Matthew Golden. Each player has impressed so far in camp. The Packers are counting on Valentine to backup Keisean Nixon and Nate Hobbs on the depth chart, or take the field with them in nickelback formations. While he is still developing his overall tools, he already has a place on an NFL field due to his coverage skills. Says Oldacres, “Arguably Green Bay’s most gifted cover corner, Valentine is showing signs of hitting his upside in coverage specifically, although proving he is reliable enough in defending the run will still be crucial for him to truly become a full time player.” Valentine enjoyed a decent chunk of playing time last season as a sophomore, taking advantage of Jaire Alexander’s extended injury absence to amass 546 snaps. He notched the first two interceptions of his career and earned a PFF grade of 70.4, which ranked in the 80th percentile of qualified cornerbacks. With Alexander released and Eric Stokes leaving in free agency, Valentine will have an even greater opportunity in 2025. The players behind him on the depth chart are fringe reserves, draft picks, or ex-receivers (Bo Melton). The job behind Nixon and Hobbs is his to lose. If the latter hits the injured list again – Hobbs missed 17 games across his last three seasons in Las Vegas – Valentine could step into an elevated role. Promoting him naturally at some point, injuries or not, might not be such a bad thing. For his part, Oldacres is pretty high on Valentine’s potential. “Entering year three in the NFL and soon to turn 24, Valentine is probably the best bet to lift the ceiling of Green Bay’s cornerback group as a whole.”
Veteran assistant coach Pablo Prigioni has decided to remain with the Timberwolves amid interest from the Knicks, reports Ian Begley of SNY.tv. According to Begley, Prigioni — who has been on the Wolves staff since 2019 — cited family reasons for his decision to stay in Minnesota. Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic noted earlier this week that Prigioni is “highly thought of” within the Wolves organization and has been working closely with 2024 lottery pick Rob Dillingham. A former NBA point guard who spent two-and-a-half seasons in New York as a player from 2012-15, Prigioni transitioned to coaching following his retirement in 2017. He spent one season on Brooklyn’s bench in 2018-19 before landing with the Wolves. Prigioni, 48, was originally hired under Ryan Saunders, but carried over to Chris Finch‘s staff in 2021 and has now been with the Timberwolves for six seasons in total. The Knicks were recently granted permission to speak to Prigioni as they look to fill out their coaching staff under new head coach Mike Brown. As the Knicks continue to consider their options on the coaching market, one candidate who is “squarely on their radar” is Clippers assistant Brendan O’Connor, according to Begley, who says O’Connor is known for his defensive acumen. Even if the Knicks were to hire O’Connor away from L.A., they’d likely remain on the lookout for another assistant who could help with their offense, Begley adds.
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