The MLS Cup Playoffs continued Saturday night with a trio of decisive third-place matches in the Eastern Conference, including Atlanta United’s visit to Miami in search of a major upset.

This is what happened.

Inter Miami 2-3 Atlanta United

Scorers: Rojas 17′, Messi 65′; Thiaré 19′, 21′, Slisz 76′

Atlanta United pulled off an all-time MLS upset with a third-leg win over Inter Miami, sending the Supporters Shield holders out of the playoffs.

It was total chaos in the first 25 minutes, when Inter Miami took the lead through Matías Rojas, but within four minutes Atlanta responded with a pair of goals from Jamal Thiaré.

The hosts unleashed relentless pressure after the break as they looked to draw level on the evening to save their season. And although Brad Guzan made some fantastic saves to keep the Herons out, the visitors were ultimately undone – and who else would score the equalizer than Lionel Messi?

The Argentinian struggled to find space all night but was seemingly ignored by Atlanta’s backline as he darted into the penalty area to get on the end of a cross and head in his first-ever MLS Cup Playoffs goal.

While Miami looked ready to move on and find the winner, it was the Five Stripes who stunned the home crowd by regaining the lead in the final fifteen minutes thanks to a Bartosz Slisz header.

They may have pushed for another late battle, but the hosts could not find the all-important equalizer a second time as their record-breaking season ended in disaster.

Orlando City 1-1 Charlotte FC

Scorers: Torres (P) 98′; Świderski 81′

Orlando City needed an equalizer and a penalty shootout from the spot in the 98th minute, but they booked their place in the semi-finals after a dramatic series with Charlotte FC

Unlike the game earlier in Cincinnati, the offensive play in Orlando was at the forefront during the opening exchanges of the third game.

Facundo Torres hit the post twice within minutes as Orlando City pressed for the opener in front of the home fans, but it was Charlotte who put the ball in the back of the net first.

In the final minutes of the first half, Patrick Agyemang slotted in a beautiful chip to seemingly give the visitors the lead, but the striker’s celebrations were cut short when the referee raised his flag after Agyemang was ruled offside in the build-up.

However, Charlotte eventually took the lead in the final ten minutes when a lightning counter-attack was capped off by substitute Karol Świderski in the second half.

Although it looked like Charlotte would hold on and book the ticket for the semi-final, a late shirt pull in the box saw Orlando awarded a penalty deep into stoppage time, which Facundo Torres initially saw saved, but the Uruguayan tapped his own rebound in to steer the affair. to a penalty shootout.

Veteran goalkeeper Pedro Gallese made a pair of huge saves in the shootout to help Orlando keep their ticket to the semi-finals, where they will await the winner of Inter Miami and Atlanta United.

FC Cincinnati 0-0 NYCFC

NYCFC stunned higher-seeded FC Cincinnati in a penalty shootout to advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Silky attacking football was not the theme of the opening 45 minutes as both teams looked to find their footing in the match.

The best chance of the opening interval fell to Luca Orellano, but the Cincinnati man’s effort was denied in style by Matt Freese in the NYCFC net.

There were few high-quality scoring opportunities in the final minutes of the match, with the affair culminating in penalties that decided the series.

It was the goalkeepers’ show in the penalty shootout as the two shot-stoppers matched each other several times before a final Cincinnati miss saw the hosts fall in dramatic fashion.

The result sets up an Eastern Conference semi-final between New York rivals NYCFC and New York Red Bulls.

© Sam Navarro-Imagn Images