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Orlando City vs. LA Galaxy, Leagues Cup: Final Score 2-1 as Lions Crash Out in Fourth Place

Orlando City’s effort was there, but the bodies showed every bit of the travel and playing fatigue that built up throughout August in a meek loss in LA.

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1 year ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City was down two starting defenders for its Leagues Cup third-place match at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, CA, and the Lions played like it. The LA Galaxy ripped open Orlando’s makeshift back line early to score on their only shot attempt of the first half, then took advantage of substandard defending just seven minutes after Martin Ojeda’s equalizer as the Lions crashed out of the final four in Leagues Cup with a fourth-place finish, ending up without a coveted spot in the Concacaf Champions Cup and adding thousands of miles and hundreds of minutes to a team that has precious little depth behind the starting lineup.

Marco Reus and Joseph Paintsil scored two of the easiest goals of their careers in a game the Lions spent all but 16 minutes chasing. Orlando rang the post on either side of the goal, but the Lions once again lacked sharpness as they did Wednesday at Inter Miami in a loss that was frustratingly unwatchable at times.

“Difficult challenges on following this schedule, and today, probably in the first half, we felt that low energy in the start of the game,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “But the boys found their way to bounce back and then get that energy back and their willingness. And I thought we were that team that we used to to be, and we tied the game, and we have a couple actions that we could have scored. What happened is that we get wide open as well in the transition and Galaxy as well had a few chances. So the game was open for both.”

Pareja had to change his starting back line because of the suspensions to Robin Jansson and David Brekalo. Goalkeeper Pedro Gallese started behind a back line of Adrian Marin, Rodrigo Schlegel, Kyle Smith, and Alex Freeman. Cesar Araujo and Eduard Atuesta started in central midfield between wingers Ivan Angulo and Marco Pasalic, with Martin Ojeda and Luis Muriel up top. Ramiro Enrique, linked to a move overseas in recent days, was a notable absentee from the squad.

Reus scored on the first shot attempt of the game on a play that started in LA’s defensive end. Araujo gambled on the press and was late, and the Galaxy moved the ball quickly to the right channel, where Smith was easily beaten by Gabriel Pec, who squared it for Reus. Atuesta was late tracking back and Schlegel was watching the far side, so Reus had tons of space to touch it home and make it 1-0 in the ninth minute.

Muriel tried to answer moments later, firing from long distance in the 12th minute but hardly bothering LA goalkeeper Novak Micovic. A minute later, the Colombian did beat Micovic, but he was offside and the flag came up immediately after the ball hit the back of the net.

The next dozen minutes were a boring mixture of the Galaxy working the ball around until Orlando won it back and then immediately turned it right back over. Both Angulo and Pasalic were loose with the ball during that spell.

Marin’s sliding emergency deflection prevented Pec from making it 2-0 in the 25th minute off a centering pass from Paintsil, who beat Freeman down the flank.

Freeman then got involved in the offensive end in the 27th minute, making a great run past Diego Fagundez and getting into the box before finding Muriel in front. The Colombian hesitated and then sent a weak, flat-footed shot off the shin of recovering defender John Nelson, wasting the opportunity.

Marin fired off the rebound of his own blocked cross attempt in the 32nd minute. His attempt from the left corner of the box squarely came off the right post and Angulo couldn’t react quickly enough to it to get his rebounded header attempt on frame.

Muriel stole the ball again in the 33rd minute, but then sent a long-range shot at Micovic that the goalkeeper saved on the first hop. A minute later, Angulo stole the ball and tried to send Ojeda down the left channel, but Emiro Garces intervened and knocked it out for a corner. The Lions’ set piece was easily cleared and Atuesta picked up a yellow card trying to slow down Pec on the break.

Ojeda took a pass from Pasalic in the 43rd minute, spun, and tried a shot, but he left his effort well wide of the right post on the last look at goal of the first half.

At the break, the Galaxy had a huge advantage in possession (67.6%-32.4%) and passed more accurately (89.2%-81.3%). Orlando held the edge in shots (5-1), shots on target (2-1), and corners (1-0), but the hosts made their only shot attempt pay off and that was the difference at halftime.

The Lions nearly gave up a breakaway to Paintsil in the first minute of the second half. Gallese came out to force him wide and the Galaxy forward lost the ball over the end line.

Orlando won an early corner, but LA cleared the initial service and Angulo’s volley attempt came closer to hitting the corner flag than the goal frame.

Atuesta found himself in space off a giveaway moments later but the midfielder blasted his shot off the inside of the left post and the rebound deflected straight into into Micovic’s arms.

Pec was left in far too much space outside the box in the 52nd minute, so he had a hit but sent his shot wide of the right post. Two minutes later, Paintsil had a go from a similar spot and the ball took a deflection for a corner. Orlando cleared to end the threat.

Pasalic popped up on the left side in the 56th minute and looked to get onto a through ball from Angulo, but the Colombian put too much on it and the chance never materialized.

Orlando tied the match in the 60th minute on a good spell in the final third. Angulo found himself with time and space on the left. He sent a cross into the box to Muriel, who knocked it down for Ojeda. The Argentine turned and smashed it past Micovic to make it 1-1.

With the goal involvement, Ojeda tied Facundo Torres for the club’s career lead in all competitions (72).

The match didn’t stay level long. Pec took the ball across the top of the area and four different Lions failed to dispossess him. Orlando got it back, lost it, and then got it back again, but Araujo gave it away just in front of his box to Paintsil, who just smashed it past Gallese to restore LA’s lead in the 67th minute.

Freeman had a couple of opportunities to have a go at goal but turned them down shortly after the Paintsil goal. He managed to set up a shot for Pasalic on the second of those but the first was blocked and the second was badly off target. The Lions won a couple of corners but did nothing with them except ignite the Galaxy counter.

One of those led to an incredible save in the 82nd minute. Paintsil’s chipped shot came off the crossbar and the rebound fell for Miki Yamane, who blasted a shot on target. Gallese dove out of his net and punched it away at the last second to keep it a one-goal game.

Substitute Tyrese Spicer tried to get involved, but tended to make things worse by trying to dribble too many defenders or floating crosses in straight to the goalkeeper. However, he did make one brilliant play that gave Orlando its best chance to equalize for a second time. Spicer found a lane in the 88th minute to put in a pass to Ojeda. The ball was midway between headeand foot level, so the Argentine made a diving header attempt, catching it squarely but sending it inches wide of the right post.

Both Ojeda and defender Julian Aude stayed down for several minutes as the fourth official showed six minutes of injury time. The best save in that added time was Gallese parrying away a wide-open look from Miguel Berry from the top of the box off a short corner play.

The Lions had one more chance on a corner kick that Ojeda won in the fifth minute of stoppage time. His cross found Freeman for a rare free header, but the young fullback muffed his opportunity, sending a weak effort straight to Micovic. After the Lions regained possession and looked to come forward, referee Pierre-Luc Lauziere blew the whistle to end the match after adding only 45 seconds on top of the original six minutes, despite the lengthy delay for treatment to Aude and Ojeda. That level of officiating was very much on brand for the final four of this tournament.

At the final whistle, Orlando held the advantage in shots (17-11), shots on target (5-4), and corners (7-5). LA held more possession (56.8%-43.2%) and passed more accurately (86.8%-85.5%). The difference in the match was that Orlando paid for its mistakes but did not punish the Galaxy for theirs, particularly the giveaway to Muriel and leaving Atuesta with so much room just outside the box.

The Lions have now gone four matches without a win in all competitions, losing the last three of those. It is no coincidence that Orlando has scored just three total goals in those matches.

“Like we do when we win, there is no other way, just try to rest first, and just let the boys recover their energy and settle in a place that they can feel again our best version,” Pareja said about how the club will move forward. “It has been very proud to take this team to this competition. We’re going to move on and try to prepare (for) the next challenge and finalize for six games and winning the league.”

With Leagues Cup out of the way, the Lions will get back to MLS play, but they’ve got a week off for the international break before visiting D.C. United on Saturday, Sept. 13. It remains to be seen if the extra matches and the falling off of form during the last few will ultimately take their toll on a team that was in good form heading into the knockout rounds.

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Orlando City vs Atlanta United: Final Score 3-2 as Lions Secure First Win in Atlanta Since 2023

Orlando puts five goals in the net, three for themselves and two for Atlanta, in a tight road win thanks to Antoine Griezmann’s brace.

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1 hour ago

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September 9, 2026

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Image of Ivan Angulo controlling the ball between two Atlanta defenders.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

Even though Atlanta jumped out to an early lead off an own goal, Antoine Griezmann continued his torrid play since joining Orlando City with a brace to secure the win. Ivan Angulo picked up a goal as well as Orlando (9-11-4, 31 points) continued its march up the standings and held off Atlanta (6-14-4, 22 points) which is trying to make its own push in the Eastern Conference.

“We got into the last part of the season, the most stressful, beautiful, and important moment of the season. We’re ready to go,” Orlando City interim head coach Martin Perelman said after the game. “We will fight with our weapons: our organization, the talent of our players, and the effort.”

Perelman made one change to the lineup, giving Martin Ojeda his first start since returning from injury. Maxime Crepeau started in goal behind a back line of Bernardo Rhein, Robin Jansson, David Brekalo, and Griffin Dorsey. Joran Gerbet and Eduard Atuesta started in central midfield between wingers Ivan Angulo and Justin Ellis with Antoine Griezmann and Martin Ojeda up front.

The teams exchanged pleasantries for the first five minutes with each wasting a cross opportunity. In the seventh minute, Atlanta played a short corner and the ensuing cross found the Paulo Diaz’s head. He knocked it in front of goal, where Breel Embolo, pirouetting in the air, knocked it into the path of Brekalo, who deflected the ball into the goal. The goal was reviewed for offside, but it was ruled that Angulo kept Atlanta onside on the set piece.

Miguel Almiron found himself open at the top of the box four minutes later but laced his shot wide. After some back-and-forth, Ojeda found himself one-on-one versus Five Stripes goalkeeper Lucas Hoyos but couldn’t get the shot around him.

That repeated itself at the 19-minute mark as Jansson sent a through ball onto a streaking Ojeda, but he took it too wide with a heavy touch and bounced his shot off Hoyos. On the recycle, Ojeda sent a blazing cross right across the mouth of goal, but Dorsey’s tap-in from point-blank range went high off his weaker left foot.

In the 22nd minute, Almiron found himself alone down the left side and switched the ball to Embolo going down the right. Embolo gathered it and then rocketed a shot to the near post, but Crepeau was there to knock it away.

After some good opportunities went to waste, Orlando found the equalizer on a half chance 26 minutes in. Gerbet played a give-and-go with Dorsey and, with the return ball, the midfielder sent a sharp ball to the front of the goal, where Griezmann slid in to deflect it through Hoyos.

The teams settled down a bit after those opening salvos and played a bit more conservatively. Finally, at the 37-minute mark, Tomas Jacob found himself open on the right and put a paced cross toward the goal mouth and a waiting Embolo, but Jansson cleared it out. The teams continued to be very slow in their buildup and generated nothing over the next few minutes. Atlanta tried to break loose on a long clearance in the 42nd minute, and Brekalo missed on a tackle, tripping an open Embolo and earning the first yellow card of the match.

These recaps usually capture dangerous moments as they happen. This game just did not have much of that. Whether it was fatigue with both teams having played in the heat of Florida on Saturday or playing not to give the opponent anything, the two sides passed the ball around and failed to generate anything the rest of the half.

Orlando City led at the half in shots (7-6), shots on goal (3-1), passing accuracy (89%-85%), and possession (58%-42%). Atlanta had one more corner (5-4).

Both sides sent in a substitute to start the second half. Orlando brought in Zakaria Taifi for Dorsey and Atlanta brought in Adrian Gill for Jay Fortune. Neither substitute changed the complexion of the game as both teams continued their cagey play.

Finally, in the 59th minute, Jansson played a ball over the top to Ojeda, who drew out Hoyos and tapped the ball over to Angulo, who knocked in his second goal of the season into the empty net. It was originally declared offside by the assistant referee, but the video assistant referee called for a review and the referee correclty overturned the offside decision.

Atlanta brought in Luke Brennan for Tristan Muyumba at the 64-minute mark. Atlanta then started to respond with two dangerous crosses that led to shots, but both plays were offside. Jacob picked up a yellow card 67 minutes in with a harsh challenge from behind Rhein in Orlando’s penalty area.

Perelman tried to inject some energy in the 71st minute with Tyrese Spicer replacing Rhein. Two minutes later, Wilder Cartagena came on for Ojeda. Cartagena was involved in Orlando’s next goal, so Perelman’s choice was rewarded.

Cartagena turned over Atlanta right outside the penalty box and laid the ball off to Griezmann. He ran a give-and-go with Ellis, took the return pass from the teenager, and passed the ball by Hoyos for his brace.

With his second brace of the season, Griezmann is on a four-game goal-scoring streak and has scored six goals in those last four games.

Both sides substituted after the goal. Atlanta brought on Sergio Santos, Fafa Picault, and Enea Mihaj for Embolo, Paulo Diaz, and Aleksey Miranchuk. Orlando substituted Iago on for Brekalo.

Atlanta had a chance in the 90th minute. Ellis picked up a yellow card for holding back Santos. On the ensuing free kick, Almiron put it at the back post to Elias Baez, who headed it across the mouth. Crepeau missed the save and the ball bounced toward the goal line where Griezmann cleared it off the line by a whisker.

Headed balls showed up again as stoppage time wound down. Seven minutes into added time, Mihaj headed the ball off a cross toward the goal mouth again, only this time it deflected off an unsuspecting Spicer and went right into the goal. Even in a close 3-2 game, Orlando scored all five. The Lions withstood nine minutes of injury time and claimed all three points on the road.

The two teams tied in shots at 14 apiece. Orlando City finished ahead in shots on target (7-2), possession (55%-45%), and passing accuracy (89%-86%). Atlanta kept its lead in corners (7-5).

“We played a good game. We controlled it except for the last 10 minutes and the first 10,” said Gerbet. “We felt the first goal wasn’t good for the team. We felt a little bit slow.”

Orlando City hosts Toronto FC Saturday night at Inter.co Stadium before traveling to Columbus for the U.S. Open Cup semifinal matchup against the Crew on Wednesday.

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

The Lions head north to Atlanta for a midweek rivalry matchup.

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13 hours ago

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September 9, 2026

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Image of Martin Ojeda taking a shot against Atlanta.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Welcome to your match thread for a Wednesday night matchup between Orlando City (8-11-4, 28 points) and Atlanta United (6-13-4, 22 points) at Mercedes-Benz Stadium (7:30 p.m., Apple TV). It’s the second of the two MLS regular-season meetings between the Eastern Conference rivals and the third matchup between them in 2026 in all competitions.

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

History

The Lions are 5-11-8 in the all-time series against Atlanta in league play and 2-5-4 on the road. Orlando City is 7-12-8 against tonight’s opponents in all competitions (regular season, playoffs, and U.S. Open Cup).

Orlando City and Atlanta United met most recently on May 19 in the 2026 U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals, with the Lions mauling the Five Stripes 4-1 in Orlando. David Brekalo, Griffin Dorsey, and Tiago provided the offense, with the latter scoring a brace to more than offset Atlanta’s late goal by Emmanuel Latte Lath that spoiled the shutout.

That U.S. Open Cup game came just three nights after the sides played to a 1-1 draw — also in Orlando. Dorsey gave Orlando the lead early but the Lions squandered chances to extend their advantage, allowing Jay Fortune’s late goal to steal a point for the visitors.

The Lions led 2-1 in Atlanta on May 28, 2025, on goals by Cesar Araujo and Ramiro Enrique to more than offset Alexey Miranchuk’s goal. However, Araujo foolishly got himself sent off by getting his hands up in the face of an opponent. The Five Stripes turned the game around on Bartosz Slisz’s goal with seven minutes remaining in normal time and Jamal Thiare’s winner deep in stoppage time in a 3-2 victory for Atlanta. The teams had met in Orlando a month earlier on April 26, and the Lions prevailed 3-0 on goals by Luis Muriel (from the penalty spot), Alex Freeman, and Marco Pasalic.

The rivals met in the 2024 Eastern Conference semifinals, with the Lions eking out a 1-0 home victory on Nov. 24. Enrique provided the game’s only goal, and the Orlando defense was dominant, allowing the visitors just seven total shot attempts — none on target. That win pushed the Lions into their first-ever conference final.

Prior to their postseason meeting, these two teams met on Decision Day 2024, with Atlanta scoring two early goals and holding on for a 2-1 win on Oct. 9. Saba Lobjanidze and Thiare gave the visitors an early lead. Martin Ojeda pulled one back and Duncan McGuire appeared to tie the game late, but the latter goal was overturned on video review for a handball. The teams also met at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on March 17, 2024, when Orlando City fell 2-0 on goals by Lobjanidze and Giorgos Giakoumakis.

The last meeting of 2023 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 McGuire scored to lead the Lions’ comeback. The southeast rivals also met in Orlando on May 27, 2023, at 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 advantage until four minutes from full time, when Tyler Wolff 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’s beautiful free kick gave Orlando the lead. Juan Jose Purata equalized in the second half, and Atlanta bombarded Orlando the majority of the game, outshooting 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.

The final meeting of 2020 took place on Oct. 28, when Orlando City ran away with a 4-1 win at Exploria Stadium. Dike, Chris Mueller, Tesho Akindele, and Matheus Aias 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. 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 strike 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 road win 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 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. He 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

The Lions are coming off a 1-0 victory over San Diego FC on Saturday in the first meeting between the two clubs. Antoine Griezmann provided the game’s only goal in the first half, while Ivan Angulo frustratingly blew a sitter in the second half that could have provided some breathing room. Orlando’s defense played well, allowing few chances to get the shutout. That win gave Orlando City a modest three-game unbeaten streak (2-0-1), with the draw coming on the road at Minnesota United in a match the Lions controlled until a three-goal lapse on defense. It was a costly dropped two points and underscored the team’s paltry 2-7-2 road record this season.

Atlanta enters tonight winless in its last two games (0-1-1), but came from behind to draw Inter Miami 2-2 on the road Saturday night. The tying goal was supplied by new Designated Player Breel Embolo from the penalty spot. The Five Stripes also added Mauricio Amaro, Paulo Díaz, and Júnior Alonso looking to retool a team that was recently in the Eastern Conference basement but is now five points behind the final playoff spot. Atlanta United is 4-6-1 at home this season.

Orlando City’s defense will have to keep tabs on Embolo, Almiron, and Miranchuk in particular, but the Lions can’t switch off in their own end regardless of who is on the pitch and what the score is.

The Lions will be without Adrian Marin (thigh) and Braian Ojeda (foot), while Atlanta will be missing Giuliano Galoppo (not due to injury) and Cooper Sanchez (concussion protocol), while Steven Alzate (illness) is questionable.

Match Content

Official Lineups

Orlando City (4-4-2)

Goalkeeper: Maxime Crepeau.

Defenders: Bernardo Rhein, Robin Jansson, David Brekalo, Griffin Dorsey.

Midfielders: Ivan Angulo, Joran Gerbet, Eduard Atuesta, Justin Ellis.

Forwards: Antoine Griezmann, Martin Ojeda.

Bench: Javier Otero, Zakaria Taifi, Iago, Wilder Cartagena, Luis Otavio, Tiago, Marco Pasalic, Tyrese Spicer, Daryl Dike.

Atlanta United (4-3-3)

Goalkeeper: Lucas Hoyos.

Defenders: Elias Baez, Junior Alonso, Paulo Diaz, Tomas Jacob.

Midfielders: Mauricio Amaro, Tristan Muyumba, Jay Fortune.

Forward: Miguel Almiron, Aleksey Miranchuk, Breel Embolo.

Bench: Jayden Hibbert, Enea Mihaj, Matthew Edwards, Will Reilly, Adrian Gill, Cayman Togashi, Sergio Santos, Fafa Picault, Luke Brennan.

Referees:

REF: Armando Villarreal.
AR1: Adam Wienckowski.
AR2: Kevin Lock.
4TH: Amin Hadzic.
VAR: Younes Marrakchi.
AVAR: Jason White.

How to Watch

Match Time: 7:30 p.m.

Venue: Mercedez-Benz Stadium — Atlanta.

TV/Streaming: Apple TV.

Radio: AM 810 FOX Sports Radio Orlando (English), Mega 97.1 FM (Spanish), Nossa Rádio 1160 AM-WRLZ (Portuguese).

Social Media: For rapid reaction and live updates, follow us on Bluesky Social at @themaneland.bsky.social or follow Orlando City’s official Twitter (@OrlandoCitySC) or Bluesky (@OrlandoCitySC) feed.

Enjoy the match. Go City!

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Lion Links: 9/9/26

Orlando City plays Atlanta, Griezmann gets fined, Banda a Ballon d’Or contender, and more.

Published

17 hours ago

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September 9, 2026

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Image of Antoine Griezmann taking a set piece against Monterrey in Leagues Cup action.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. It’s also match day for Orlando City. The fixture congestion is back for the next couple of weeks which means plenty of opportunity to watch the Lions in action. I’m looking forward to seeing Martin Ojeda fully integrate back into the offense with Antione Griezmann. We will have more match prep later today, but for now, let’s get to the links.

Orlando City Heads to Atlanta

Orlando City is headed north to take on Atlanta United tonight. Both teams have been playing better of late, but this is still an opportunity for the Lions to get all three points from a rival on the road. Atlanta has struggled to score goals this season, and Orlando City’s offensive weapons are many, and the team is rising up the MLS power rankings, thanks to the win over San Diego FC. It’s a double match week, so it will be interesting to see how Atlanta rotates players based on availability.

Grizi Gets Fined

The MLS Disciplinary Committee has fined Orlando City’s Antoine Griezmann an undisclosed amount for violating the League’s policy regarding throwing/kicking an object toward fans in the match against San Diego FC. Here is the “incident” in case you missed it during the match.

If the fine was more than a dollar, it was too much. That’s not true, a dollar is also too much.

Pride in the News

The Orlando Pride made history in the 3-1 win over the Houston Dash. The victory made Yolanda Thomas the first Black woman in a head coach’s role in NWSL history, and only the fourth female coach to win their first-ever NWSL match in charge. It also comes as no surprise that Barbra Banda is a nominee for the Women’s Ballon d’Or.

Pochettino’s Big Plans

Mauricio Pochettino wants to make the USMNT one of the “most powerful” international teams in the world. That is a pretty ambitious goal, though I like the high aspirations. Pochettino is now in charge of the procedural and developmental sides of the game. He will have some time to experiment before the next World Cup, including utilizing more MLS homegrowns.

Free Kicks

  • Marco Pasalic has been called up to the Croatian National Team for the UEFA Nations League matches later this month and in the first part of October. Croatia will be playing Czechia, England, and Spain.
  • Ivan Angulo will be sporting a new look at the match tonight. Hopefully it helps him score goals on his breakaway opportunities.

That will do it for today. You can follow The Mane Land on Bluesky for live match updates and we will also have a recap of the match tonight and more coverage tomorrow. Vamos Orlando!

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