Inter Miami CF discovered on Friday night that the allure—and risk—of the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs is that certainty is elusive.

Regardless of seeding, home advantage, or reputation, this stage allows individual players to shine and underdogs to often succeed, complicating matters for even the strongest of favourites.

Miami certainly found themselves in the latter category during their Round One series against Atlanta United and demonstrated this over the 90-plus minutes of Game 1 at Chase Stadium. However, it was left-back Jordi Alba, not Lionel Messi, who emerged as the match-winner, assisting on Luis Suárez’s second-minute opener before striking from long range to thwart the Five Stripes’ upset bid with a tense 2-1 victory.

“It is not easy to find full-backs who are so influential and contribute significantly to the team’s attacking play—Dani Alves, Cafu, Marcelo, Roberto Carlos; they are all in that league,” remarked IMCF head coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino in Spanish after the match, placing Alba among the finest attacking full-backs in the history of world football.

“Technically, he possesses a quality that is very rare in a wide defender, excelling when he understands where Luis and Leo are positioned and how they can find him if they locate Jordi. It is certainly challenging to find a player in his position who is as decisive.”

The Spaniard’s brilliance served as another reminder of the impressive array of weapons at the Herons’ disposal. However, it was a testament to the visitors that the final whistle on Miami’s victory—marking their first postseason win in five years—brought more relief than celebration.

This was largely due to the determined resistance of the Five Stripes and their veteran goalkeeper, Brad Guzan, whose eight saves transformed what should have been a one-sided affair into a nail-biter, despite ATL’s evident fatigue just 72 hours after their unexpected victory over CF Montréal in the Eastern Conference Wild Card match.

“It is a significant achievement for us to defeat Atlanta for the first time this season,” said Martino, whose side suffered one of only two home defeats in league play during 2024 at the hands of ATLUTD, a 3-1 setback on May 29.

“If it hadn’t been for Brad’s performance, the match would have had a more pronounced goal difference.”

Midfielder Yannick Bright added: “When the intensity rises in the playoffs, our level must also increase. They were clearly a strong team and played well. We simply showed them that we are the superior side, and we must continue to prove that.”

Guzan’s determination, coupled with a moment of creativity from Saba Lobjanidze and Pedro Amador that brought Atlanta level in the 39th minute, forced Miami to endure more pressure than expected. Nonetheless, a stark expected goals difference of 3.5 to 0.7 underscored how frequently the hosts unlocked their opponents, easing some dissatisfaction among Martino and his team.

“We probably spent 70% of the match within 50 metres of the goal we were attacking; we had numerous excellent opportunities around the goal,” said the coach.

“We were frustrated at half-time because inexplicably we were tied at one, but I believe the team possesses the patience to remain organised in any circumstances. Given how crucial this home game is, we could have lost our shape and afforded them opportunities, but that did not happen.”

Midfielder Diego Gómez remarked: “This was a challenging game. We know Atlanta are a formidable opponent, and we are very pleased with our performance.”

Yet for IMCF, that sentiment felt like cold comfort, as Martino explained, due to the looming shadow cast over his squad by an injury to second-half substitute Ian Fray.

The Herons’ homegrown defender fell to the ground clutching his right knee after a non-contact incident, and the despair on his face suggested he may have sustained another serious injury—sinking the hearts of Rosanegra supporters who watched in disbelief as Fray, 22, had bravely and methodically recovered from not one but three ACL tears early in his first-team career.

Last year, Messi famously dedicated his heroics in his Herons debut—a dramatic Leagues Cup victory over Cruz Azul—to Fray after the youngster tore his ACL in that match, and Fray’s subsequent recovery had earned him significant recognition for the ‘24 MLS Comeback Player of the Year award. Martino could not provide a diagnosis in his post-match press conference, cautioning that medical evaluations were still underway, but made it clear that IMCF were preparing for the worst.

“In the end, I think we feel less satisfaction than we could regarding the match’s development, primarily because of Ian,” said the Argentine. “We are all feeling a bit down, anxious, and waiting to see the extent of his injury.”

Meanwhile, focus now shifts to next weekend’s Game 2 at ATLUTD’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium, a homecoming of sorts for Martino, who led the Five Stripes to the 2018 MLS Cup title and remains a cherished figure in the club’s history.

Miami can secure the series and advance to the Conference Semifinals with a win, although they expect to face a challenging test on the expansive pitch and rapid synthetic turf at MBS.

“They work exceptionally well. Rob [interim coach Rob Valentino] is doing a fantastic job training them,” said Martino. “In Atlanta, given the width of the pitch, it will be difficult for us, as this opponent has been throughout the season.”