Atlanta United players bumped chests. The coaching staff linked arms. Team executives hugged. Why shouldn't they celebrate? They'd just bounced Lionel Messi and Inter Miami CF from the 2024 MLS postseason, pulling off one of the biggest playoff upsets in American sports history.
It was a huge upset, right? Right?
Whether you find it maddening or irresistible, MLS's fine margins remain a key part of the league. Even against the best of the best, like last year's Miami team that set a single-season points record, struggling teams still have a chance to win thanks to closely controlled roster rules designed to maintain parity.