Luis Suarez embroiled in bizarre confrontation with a former Premier League goalkeeper during Inter Miami’s MLS Cup defeat – but cult hero, 40, has the last laugh!

Luis Suarez was involved in a bizarre confrontation with a former Premier League goalkeeper during Inter Miami’s MLS Cup defeat by Atlanta United on Saturday.

Miami, co-owned by England legend David Beckham, slumped to a 3-2 loss in the deciding game of their best-of-three first round play-off series at Chase Stadium.

Despite being the heavy favourites, Miami were dumped out at the earliest postseason hurdle with Jamal Thiare’s quickfire first-half brace and Bartosz Slisz’s late header securing a stunning victory for Atlanta.

However, the hosts looked to have rescued their hopes after Lionel Messi nodded home on 65 minutes to level the scores at 2-2, setting up a grandstand finish.

In the aftermath of the goal, Suarez appeared to taunt Atlanta’s stopper Brad Guzan, a 40-year-old Premier League cult hero and formerly of Aston Villa. 

Luis Suarez was involved in a bizarre confrontation with a Premier League cult hero

Suarez feuded with Atlanta United goalkeeper Brad Guzan during Inter Miami’s 3-2 defeat

Both players became tangled inside the goal as they looked to retrieve the ball.

Leonardo Campana was spotted purposefully shoving Guzan in the back, sending the veteran hurtling into the net. For a split second, the goalkeeper appeared to be stuck and only escaped after comically flailing his arms several times.

While he struggled to get out, Suarez raced over and gesticulated at him.

But as the game’s tide began to turn against Miami and tensions continued to simmer, Suarez was seen complaining on several occasions. Guzan, exacting revenge for the earlier incident, then laughed in the former Liverpool striker’s face. 

Suarez’s misery was only worsened when Slisz scored his tie-clinching header 11 minutes from time, leaving Miami’s expensively-assembled super team beaten. 

Guzan memorably played for Villa between 2008 and 2016 and spent a season on loan at Hull City in 2011. He then went on to join Middlesbrough in 2016.

After making just 10 appearances on Teesside, Guzan, who has been capped 64 times by the United States, moved to Atlanta the following year.

He won the MLS Cup in 2018 after a 2-0 victory over Portland Timbers and remains the only member of the title-winning side still on the books at Atlanta. 

Guzan was shoved into the back of his net after Lionel Messi headed home Miami’s equaliser

But Atlanta and Guzan had the last laugh after Bartosz Slisz’s late header at Chase Stadium

Lionel Messi’s side were dumped out of the play-offs at the first hurdle in a seismic MLS shock

Guzan made a string of stunning stops to deny Miami and speaking post-match, he declared his side had ‘fairy dust’ in their dressing room. 

‘Grinding, man,’ he told reporters. ‘Grinding. Believing. Resilient.

‘There’s some fairy dust in our locker. And I couldn’t be more proud of our guys.

‘But you know what? This is behind me. It’s on to the next one. Keep it going.’