Orlando City vs. Atlas FC, Leagues Cup: Photo Gallery

Orlando City showed a bit more teeth in its second game of the 2025 Leagues Cup, knocking off Atlas FC 3-1 in a game with plenty of heat to go around. Orlando started the game aggressively, pressing hard despite the high temperatures and scoring early. Center back Robin Jansson snuck forward and applied an unexpected press to a goal kick (supported by three other Lions), forcing the ball to Iván Angulo, who placed a well-shaped shot inside the right post to put the Lions up in ninth minute.

The Lions continued to create decent opportunities in the first 30 minutes, although the final quality continued to elude them, with Nico Rodriguez getting one-on-one with the keeper and leaving his shot wide, five corner kicks in the first half, and several other blocked shots. After that, the toll of the heat seemed to settle in on both teams and the game started to slow.

While the intermission gave Orlando an energy bump to start the second half, it was not long before the Lions fell asleep defensively. Atlas striker Matias Cóccaro drew the game level on a seemingly pedestrian clearance muffed by everyone on the defense.

The Lions responded well, creating a good chance for Cesar Araujo in the 54th minute. Oscar Pareja then inserted Alex Freeman and Marco Pasalic into the game in the 55th minute, which led to Orlando retaking the lead in the 57th minute. Freeman worked a delayed 1-2 with Pasalic’s line-cutting pass sending the fullback into the final third. Freeman surgically threaded the ball through Atlas defenders at the top of the 18-yard box to Martín Ojeda, who was unnoticed in acres of space after the center backs both bit hard on Ramiro Enrique’s run.

After the go-ahead goal, Orlando did well to stay organized and snuffed out the Liga MX side’s forays into the final third. Tempers flared during a scuffle in stoppage time that resulted in a red card for Cóccaro and a pair of yellows for Orlando City. Finally, the Lions’ persistence paid off, with Ojeda finding Pasalic in space in the penalty area in the 12th minute of added time. The Croatian smashed it home to put the game out of reach.

We hope you enjoy this collection of images from Orlando’s first home win in several weeks. Orlando finishes the League Phase of the competition Wednesday against Necaxa.