The postseason delivered on the entertainment value in the U.S. over the weekend, but while the favorites came out on top in the NWSL Playoffs, the biggest surprise of the weekend came courtesy of MLS.

Atlanta United oust Inter Miami

Atlanta United pulled off the biggest upset of the MLS Cup Playoffs so far on Saturday, beating Supporters’ Shield winners Inter Miami in South Florida after a thrilling 3-2 win.

Miami out-possessed and outshot Atlanta, taking 25 shots to the opponent’s nine and generating 2.77 expected goals to Atlanta’s 1.76. The back-and-forth nature of the game, though, meant the game kept slipping out of reach. Matias Rojas’ 17th minute goal was canceled out by Jamal Thiare’s equalizer just two minutes later, and matters grew worse when Thiare had Atlanta in the lead by the 21st minute. Their flurry of shots finally led them to a 65th minute equalizer from Lionel Messi, who was influential with seven shots on Saturday. That momentum switch was fleeting, too – Bartosz Slisz scored Atlanta’s game-winner just 11 minutes later.

Atlanta withstood Miami’s attack thanks in large part to 40-year-old Brad Guzan, who made nine saves on Saturday and became only the second-ever goalkeeper to make eight-plus saves in multiple playoff games in a single season. The result completes a remarkable turn of form for Atlanta, who are the lowest-seeded team in the Eastern Conference after a far from ideal season, as Chuck Booth writes.

• Booth: “From selling Thiago Almada and Giorgos Giakoumakis to firing head coach Gonzalo Pineda and needing help to make the playoffs, the Five Stripes weren’t supposed to be in this series against Inter Miami but they not only made it but they were able to hold their own. [Sergio] Busquets being unavailable for the second game and only being fit enough to come off the bench in this one hurt the defensive shape for Miami, and while the attackers performed well, Guzan was there to stop everything that came his way.”

Atlanta will face Orlando City in the conference semifinals, when the competition switches to a single-elimination format. New York City FC will host the first edition of the Hudson River Derby in the playoffs when they take on the New York Red Bulls, who surprisingly ousted reigning MLS Cup champions Columbus Crew last week. In the West, LAFC will face the Seattle Sounders and the LA Galaxy will take on Minnesota United.

NWSL’s top four make up final four

Each of the top seeds advanced in the NWSL Playoffs over the weekend, though it was not exactly smooth sailing for most of them. Though the Orlando Pride advanced with an unfussy 4-1 win over the Chicago Red Stars, the Kansas City Current, the Washington Spirit and NJ/NY Gotham FC all advanced after closely-contested games.

The Pride will face the Current in the semifinals, who survived the North Carolina Courage’s push for goal after Temwa Chawinga’s eighth minute strike ensured they would carry a 1-0 lead until the final whistle blew. Chawinga’s availability, though, will loom over this matchup for the next week. This season’s top goalscorer has been carrying a knee injury for several weeks now, playing only the first half of the Current’s win over Gotham in the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup final on Oct. 25 and missing out on their win over the Red Stars on Nov. 3 entirely. She played all 90 minutes against the Courage on Saturday but after being treated for an injury late in the game, questions around her fitness remain.

The Spirit will meet Gotham on the flip side of the bracket after surviving competitive games of their own. The Spirit beat expansion team Bay FC 2-1 after extra time on Sunday, picking things up in the second half after Bay’s low block stumped them in the first and then responding strongly after Asisat Oshoala gave Bay the lead in the 82nd minute by finding an equalizer just four minutes later through Tara McKeown. Later on Sunday, Gotham dominated against a defense-oriented Portland Thorns team and eventually got a 2-1 win with stoppage time winner from Rose Lavelle.