Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Atlanta United: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More

The Lions renew acquaintances with the Five Stripes with OCSC still in need of its first league win of 2024.

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8 months ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Welcome to your match thread for a Sunday evening matchup between Orlando City (0-2-1, 1 point) and Atlanta United (1-1-0, 3 points) at Mercedes-Benz Stadium (7 p.m., FOX Sports 1, Apple TV+ (free)). It’s the first of two scheduled meetings between the two MLS Eastern Conference rivals this season and the only one in Georgia. The Five Stripes will make the return trip to Orlando on Decision Day, Oct. 19, at 6 p.m.

Here’s what you need to know ahead of tonight’s match.

History

The Lions are 4-8-7 in the all-time series against Atlanta in league play and 2-3-4 on the road. The last time the teams met, it also took place at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, with Orlando City capturing a 2-1 away win. Atlanta took the lead through Caleb Wiley, but Antonio Carlos and Duncan McGuire scored to lead the Lions’ comeback.

The also met in Orlando on May 27, 2023, at then-Exploria Stadium and played to a 1-1 draw. It was a heartbreaking dropped two points for the Lions, who took the lead through Kyle Smith at the half-hour mark and held that lead until four minutes from full time, when Tyler Wolff pounced on a fortunate rebound in the box and equalized.

Atlanta went 1-0-1 in the season series in 2022. On Sept. 14 at Exploria Stadium the Five Stripes won 1-0 on a Thiago Almada goal despite the Lions out-shooting Atlanta 20-10. The sides played to a 1-1 draw in their first meeting of that year on July 22 in Atlanta. Mauricio Pereyra staked the Lions to an early 1-0 lead on a beautiful free kick. Juan Jose Purata equalized in the second half, but Atlanta bombarded Orlando the majority of the game and completely controlled the midfield, out-shooting the Lions 18-3 in the match.

Orlando had a six-match unbeaten streak in the series (3-0-3) snapped on Sept. 10, 2021, as the Five Stripes won 3-0 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. George Campbell and Ezequiel Barco scored for Atlanta, sandwiched around a Daryl Dike own goal to hand Gonzalo Pineda his first win as manager for United.

The second of three 2021 meetings took place July 30 at Exploria Stadium, with the Five Stripes taking the lead twice on goals by Josef Martinez and Marcelino Moreno, but the Lions not only fought back twice on strikes by Smith and Silvester van der Water, but Nani scored a late game winner by heading in VDW’s cross in Orlando City’s 3-2 win. The first meeting of that season between the two rivals came on opening day — April 17 — and they played to a 0-0 draw. It was an evenly matched game, with each team firing 11 shots and getting three on frame.

The final meeting of 2020 came on Oct. 28, when Orlando City ran away with a 4-1 win over Atlanta at Exploria Stadium. Dike, Chris Mueller, Tesho Akindele, and Matheus Aias — his first in MLS — scored the goals for the Lions, with Cubo Torres preventing a shutout with a late goal for the visitors. Prior to that, the teams met in Atlanta on Oct. 7, 2020 and played to a 0-0 draw. Robinho and Nani each hit the woodwork and Brad Guzan stood on his head to prevent Orlando from taking a deserved three points in that one, while Brian Rowe held down the fort at the other end to earn a shutout in Pedro Gallese’s absence.

Back on Sept. 5, 2020, a late, unforced turnover by Kamal Miller led to Adam Jahn’s 92nd-minute tying goal that offset a Benji Michel goal in a 1-1 draw at Exploria Stadium. Orlando City finally got on the board in the series against Atlanta United with a 3-1 win on the road on Aug. 29, 2020. Junior Urso, Mueller, and Nani supplied the offense to more than counter a Brooks Lennon headed goal. That three-goal explosion snapped a three-match scoreless streak against the Five Stripes for Orlando.

Orlando City created an incredible 17 scoring chances on Aug. 23, 2019, yet finished none of them in a 1-0 home loss. Martinez scored the game’s only goal in the second half. Only 17 days earlier at Exploria Stadium, Orlando also failed to score and lost 2-0 to Atlanta, getting bounced from the U.S. Open Cup semifinals. On Mother’s Day of 2019, Atlanta United claimed a 1-0 win at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Pity Martinez scored the goal.

Atlanta won at the building then known as Orlando City Stadium on Aug. 24, 2018 by a 2-1 final score. Leandro Gonzalez Pirez bundled home a rebound off Joe Bendik, who misplayed Barco’s free kick to open the scoring just 21 minutes in. Scott Sutter tied the game just before the half, but Josef Martinez broke the deadlock in the second half, with only 16 minutes remaining in normal time.

Atlanta easily claimed the June 30, 2018 meeting at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, 4-0. Josef Martinez and Barco each scored a goal and Miguel Almiron added a brace. Orlando lost the first matchup of 2018, 2-1, on May 13. An early penalty on a Cristian Higuita foul gave the visitors a leg up on a Josef Martinez goal from the spot and Barco doubled the lead before halftime. Justin Meram scored his first goal as a Lion to pull one back, but Orlando could get no closer. The unfortunate ending included a shower of debris coming out of the stands due to dissatisfaction with referee Alan Kelly’s decisions that night.

Hector Villalba’s two late goals in the first two meetings turned what could have been an Orlando draw and a win into a loss and a draw. The two teams kicked off their series with Orlando suffering a late 1-0 loss at home on July 21, 2017. Villalba found the net late. Villalba then scored a stoppage-time tally to rescue a 1-1 draw for Atlanta in the second meeting on July 29, 2017. Kaká scored one of his best goals as a Lion in that match to provide Orlando’s lone score.

Orlando City became the first visiting team to take any points out of Mercedes-Benz Stadium with a 3-3 draw in Atlanta that September. Dom Dwyer scored his first brace as a Lion (in MLS, anyway) and also assisted on Cyle Larin’s goal. Josef Martinez’s hat trick spoiled Orlando’s bid to take all three points.

Overview

Orlando is winless in four consecutive games in all competitions (0-3-1) following Tuesday night’s 4-2 road loss to Tigres in Concacaf Champions Cup play. The Lions have lost their last two MLS games to Minnesota and Miami, getting outscored 8-2 in those matches, and they are 0-1-0 away from home in MLS games. At least the team’s offense is waking up. Duncan McGuire scored a brace against Minnesota and, although both goals were from the penalty spot, Designated Players Facundo Torres and Martin Ojeda each found the net on Tuesday.

Atlanta United is coming off a 4-1 destruction of New England in its home opener last weekend. Giorgos Giakoumakis’ hat trick made him MLS Player of the Matchday, while Almada added a goal from the spot. That win followed a narrow 1-0 road loss at defending champion Columbus.

Orlando City will have to deny service both to and from Almada, while simultaneously keeping close tabs on Giakoumakis to have a chance at a road victory in Atlanta.

“Expect a good game, like always, against Atlanta,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said. “This is another derby in the area that is very well known. They’re good, they have done a good job in the last year, but we’ve been better too. We have to be trusting in ourselves and try to accommodate our bodies and have good energy. But mentally we need to be precise and be ready for the match.”

Orlando City will be without midfielder Wilder Cartagena (red card suspension), while Cesar Araujo (ankle) and Jack Lynn (lower leg) are listed as questionable. Atlanta has a clean availability report for this match.

Match Content

Official Lineups

Orlando City (4-4-2)

Goalkeeper: Pedro Gallese.

Defenders: Rafael Santos, Robin Jansson, David Brekalo, Kyle Smith.

Midfielders: Martin Ojeda, Nico Lodeiro, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, Ivan Angulo.

Forward: Luis Muriel, Duncan McGuire.

Bench: Mason Stajduhar, Michael Halliday, Abdi Salim, Rodrigo Schlegel, Felipe, Jeorgio Kocevski, Facundo Torres, Shak Mohammed, Jack Lynn.

Atlanta United (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Brad Guzan.

Defenders: Caleb Wiley, Derrick Williams, Stian Gregersen, Brooks Lennon.

Defensive Midfielders: Bartosz Slisz, Tristan Muyumba.

Attacking Midfielders: Xande Silva, Thiago Almada, Saba Lobjanidze.

Forward: Giorgos Giakoumakis.

Bench: Josh Cohen, Ronald Hernandez, Luis Abram, Ajani Fortune, Edwin Mosquera, Dax McCarty, Nick Firmino, Tyler Wolff, Jamal Thiare.

Referees

REF: Cristian Campo Hernandez.
AR1: Fevzi Demirhan.
AR2: Leo Mora.
4TH: Kyle Johnston.
VAR: Gregory Barkey.

How to Watch

Match Time: 7 p.m.

Venue: Mercedes-Benz Stadium — Atlanta, GA.

TV/Live Stream: FOX Sports 1, FOX Deportes, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV+ (free), FOX Sports GO, FOX Sports app.

Radio:  FM 96.9 The Game (English), Mega 97.1 (Spanish).

Twitter: For rapid reaction and live updates, follow along at @TheManeLand, as well as Orlando City’s official Twitter feed (@OrlandoCitySC).

Enjoy the match. Go City!

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