Orlando City vs. Atlanta United: Final Score 2-1 as Lions Pull Off Comeback Road Victory

Orlando City conceded first but goals by Antonio Carlos and Duncan McGuire brought the Lions back for a 2-1 win over Atlanta United at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Caleb Wiley put the hosts ahead but Orlando City (10-6-7, 37 points) showed resiliency to come from behind and then hold off a furious rally attempt late by Atlanta (9-7-8, 35 points).

It was just Orlando’s second road win in the all-time series and paid the Five Stripes back for them stealing a late point at Exploria Stadium back in May. The Lions leapfrogged Atlanta in the Eastern Conference standings and hold a game in hand.

“I saw today a lot of character on the field with a team that had a tough experience over the past weekend,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “And today coming to Atlanta this game was important for our confidence. It was important for the standings but for our confidence too.”

Pareja kept the same lineup from the last couple of games, with Pedro Gallese in goal behind a back line of Rafael Santos, Robin Jansson, Carlos, and Kyle Smith. Cesar Araujo and Wilder Cartagena played central midfield behind an attacking line of Ivan Angulo, Mauricio Pereyra, and Facundo Torres, with McGuire up top.

The Lions started quickly and created a good chance in the first minute. McGuire slipped Pereyra in behind the defense but the captain’s first touch was poor on the carpet and that allowed Brad Guzan to come off his line and challenge the shot. He was able to make the save from close range.

Torres tried a shot from distance but leaned back and got well under it in the fifth minute. McGuire and Araujo sent soft shots at Guzan in the sixth and eighth minutes, respectively.

Santos’ long ball for McGuire looked to put the rookie in behind the defense but he was called for a foul when Juan Jose Purata went down easily, baiting the referee into a call.

Orlando relaxed its pressure after the quick start and Atlanta held more possession and got some rhythm, but mistakes by the Lions created their own biggest problems. A poor pass by Smith was easily blocked by a defender right in front of him and it ignited the break in the 17th minute. Brooks Lennon sent in a dangerous cross through the six but none of his teammates could get onto it.

“It was hard to keep (the press) there all the time, but we really wanted to set the tone of the game in the beginning,” Pareja said.

The hosts took the lead five minutes later on a comedy of errors by Orlando. A poor throw-in play turned the ball over deep in the Lions’ end and when the ball got away, it appeared multiple Orlando players could have intervened and taken possession but no one did. Atlanta retained possession and a shot dribbled through Gallese. Carlos cleared it off the line but it went to Wiley who fired it home in the 22nd minute. Smith was caught ball watching on the play as Wiley was the only dangerous player in his area but he paid him no attention.

The Lions managed a quick response. Pereyra stood over a free kick from the left side and sent a good cross into the box. Carlos was headed toward goal, but changed directions and attacked the ball in the air, winning his battle and powering a header into the back of the net in the 25th minute. It was a rare set piece goal for the 2023 Lions and the first goal by an Orlando City center back this season.

“I am really happy to have scored that goal. It’s a goal that I’ve been after all season for quite some time,” Carlos said through a club interpreter. “I’ve come really close. Some other goalkeepers have made some really incredible saves to deny that goal, but finally it went in. I’m very happy to not only have scored, but to help the team defensively as well. And I’m just thrilled that we were able to pick up all three points.”

The goal seemed to give Orlando confidence. McGuire tried to catch Guzan off his line in the 33rd minute but the rookie’s shot was well off target. Two minutes later, a nice give-and-go ended with a blast by Angulo that skipped just inches wide of the left post.

Smith tried a shot from outside the area in the 42nd minute but it was just over the bar and Guzan let it go when he saw it was rising. That was the last look of the half but Orlando picked up two late yellow cards to Cartagena and Jansson — the latter after the halftime whistle.

Atlanta finished the half with more possession (52.1%-47.9%) and corners (2-0), while Orlando City had more shots (7-5) and shots on target (3-2) and passed more accurately (81.3%-78.2%).

The second half started more cautiously than the first but several of Orlando’s attacks broke down because Smith kept trying to pass the ball through opponents or left crosses short. It was a night of struggles in the attack for the veteran fullback.

The first chance of the second period came off Orlando’s first corner kick of the game, won by Angulo. Pereyra’s ball in hit off of McGuire, took a deflection, and then dribbled slowly toward goal and went inches wide of the right post in the 51st minute.

Just after that chance, Gallese bowled the ball to Smith, who seemed to see Wiley coming up behind him but lost the ball in his own end anyway. Orlando survived the turnover. Atlanta then won a corner and although the Lions cleared the initial danger, Santiago Sosa chipped a ball onto the roof of the net in the 55th minute.

The Lions took the lead at the hour mark. Pereyra sent in a gorgeous ball to send McGuire behind the back line. The rookie held off a defender while slotting home his team-leading eighth goal past Guzan to make it 2-1.

Derrick Etienne Jr. tried to pull McGuire’s goal right back but sent his effort over Gallese’s crossbar.

The Lions came within inches of an insurance goal in the 68th minute. Torres was sent down the right side and used his weaker right foot to send an excellent cross to the top of the six. Substitute Ramiro Enrique got his head to it but smashed it off the left post.

Matheus Rossetto had a go from distance in the 70th minute when Orlando gave him space but his blast was over the bar.

Pareja changed formations to try to see out the game, sending on Rodrigo Schlegel, Martin Ojeda, and Dagur Dan Thorhallsson for Pereyra, Torres, and Smith. The hosts, needing a goal, brought on Edwin Mosquera and Designated Player Giorgos Giakoumakis.

Playing a five-man back line, Orlando got pinned back over the final 20 minutes of the game, plus an extreme amount of stoppage time from referee Victor Rivas. The defensive block was pushed too deep but Araujo and Cartagena did a good job of maintaining their concentration whenever league MVP candidate Thiago Almada tried to play the ball into dangerous areas or came forward himself, looking for a shot.

The Five Stripes were able to pile up lots of set pieces down the stretch but the Lions defended them much better than the ones a week ago at Real Salt Lake.

Just past the 80th minute, Atlanta got a couple of looks but Orlando defenders were there to block them and clean up the rebounds. Almada tried to tie the game himself in the 88th minute, working his way inside the top of the box but his shot took a deflection and bounced weakly to Gallese. Rossetto again found some space outside the area in the 90th minute but hit his shot similarly over the bar.

Time wound down and five minuts of injury time were added but Rivas allowed nearly double that amount in the end, despite only one sub being made and a fairly normal amount of time-wasting gamesmanship. That was nearly enough time to allow Atlanta to tie the match.

Although Gallese had little to do in the game but a foul against Almada gave Atlanta a free kick from a dangerous area. Almada went for goal and fired a good shot on target, but Gallese made a huge diving save going to his left to preserve the lead in the 99th minute.

Rivas then allowed Atlanta to take the ensuing corner but Orlando was able to clear it wide and the final whistle mercifully came at last.

The late spell of attacking pressure helped Atlanta take a commanding lead in possession (59.2%-40.8%), corners (7-1), and shot attempts (17-10), but the Lions equaled the hosts’ four shots on target for the match. Atlanta was also able to build an advantage in passing accuracy (84%-76.3%) as the Lions lumped the ball into space rather than trying to pick each other out in traffic.

“We knew that this was going to be a tough game. We knew that after the goal that Atlanta were going to go after the game. They were going to attack. They were going to go all in on the game,” Carlos said. “

“Obviously in the last 15 minutes we defended more than we wanted,” Pareja said. “All the credit for the players. They showed character. I’m very proud.”

The Lions get a break from MLS play until Aug. 20, when they’ll visit the Chicago Fire. However, Orlando City will be back in action on Friday night at home against the Houston Dynamo in Leagues Cup group stage play. Game time is 8 p.m.