Inter Miami was brought down to earth following a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Atlanta United. Lionel Messi and his men looked clueless against their opponents, with Atlanta doing a great job of limiting Messi and Luis Suarez‘s involvement throughout the game. While Miami is still at the top of the Eastern Conference rankings, the team risks losing its top spot with Cincinnati holding a one-game advantage over the Herons.

Atlanta United head coach Gonzalo Pineda spoke about his team’s performance following the game. Pineda also pinpointed how his team contained the threat of Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, stating, “I think understanding that Messi and Suarez were going to be on top, I wanted to have always a three vs two against them. The players did amazing in terms of those times.”

He then added, “There were different difficult moments in the game where we didn’t read them or they were using balls in the buildup, but then we were always a good base of three players defending so that was also part of the why is because I wanted to be protected in the middle of the field in transition moments.”

Atlanta’s tight marking played a crucial role in the contest and could be one way to stop Inter Miami in the future. Meanwhile, Tata Martino will have to start preparing his team for life without their star players with both Messi and Suarez set to miss a chunk of games with Copa America on the horizon.

Can Inter Miami make the cut without Lionel Messi?

While the Herons have shown that they can survive without their captain for a couple of games, doing it for a stretched period is yet to be proven. The last time Inter Miami was without their captain for a long stretch, their campaign went into shambles. Inter Miami suffered ten consecutive defeats last season after Messi picked up an injury that ruled him out from the last half of the campaign. La Pulga and Luis Suarez have been Miami’s top scorers this season and their absence could put a big dent on the team’s attacking edge.

Inter Miami fans will hope that the likes of Matias Rojas, Leonardo Campana, and Robert Taylor can step up to the challenge. The three attackers could emerge as Miami’s biggest stars in the weeks to come if they keep the team floating at the top of the standings. However, things won’t be easy, considering the string of games Miami is up against. Do you think Inter Miami can stay on the top of the standings in Lionel Messi’s absence? Sound off in the comments below.