Jamal Thiare has stated that intensifying training efforts was the key to Atlanta United eliminating Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami from the MLS playoffs, Afrosport reports.
Both sides met for a winner-takes-all game three fixture in Miami on Saturday night and Thiare was the difference with his brace giving Atlanta a 2-1 first half lead.
Messi scored to level for Miami in the second half but Bartosz Slisz scored the winner to send Atlanta into the Western Conference semi-finals where they take on Orlando City.
Reflecting on knocking out the Supporters Shield holders, Senegalese Thiare said: “It took everyone’s special amount of running and giving everything that they got.
“Everyone’s held each other accountable, fighting when we’re basically backs against the wall. We didn’t want to finish the season like this, so it was good effort in training, but it was really something that the group discovered along the lines of the last few games. And something great is igniting from all of this.”
Jamal Thiare’s brace was HUGE for @ALTUTD. // Audi #MLSCupPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/yVEpcHTlyT
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) November 10, 2024
Meanwhile, Atlanta goalkeeper Brad Guzan was pleased with Thiare’s non-offensive contributions.
“Aside from his two goals, I thought Jamal was fantastic in terms of his work rate and defensive ability and holding the ball for us,” he said.
“I mean, those are huge plays that he gets zero credit for on the stat sheet and the numbers and all that. But those are big, big plays for us.”
Atlanta United’s victory over Inter Miami will give them a shot at winning the MLS Cup which they previously claimed in 2018, a year after becoming an expansion team.
