Intelligence Report: Orlando City vs. Atlanta United

Orlando City is in the midst of a packed slate of games ahead of the World Cup break, and next up on the schedule is the first of two back-to-back home matches against Atlanta United.

A date with the Five Stripes means that I spoke with Sydney Hunte, one of the co-founders of Scarves and Spikes, an independent outlet that does excellent work covering soccer in the Atlanta area. He was kind enough to help bring us up to speed on this year’s Atlanta team, and we appreciate his help.

Talk me through Atlanta’s off-season moves. Who went out the door, and who came in to replace them?

Sydney Hunte: One of Atlanta United’s key acquisitions in the off-season was Lucas Hoyos, signed on a free transfer to replace Brad Guzan. The thinking is that he’s keeping the seat warm for Jayden Hibbert, Atlanta’s first-round pick in the 2024 SuperDraft, who saw plenty of time down the stretch in 2025 when Guzan was injured. While a main concern about Hoyos was his recovery from an ACL injury, he has been fairly servicable, if not a bit careless with the ball at his feet.

Matías Galarza was acquired on loan from River Plate for the midfield, and I’ve liked what I’ve seen from him so far. It remains to be seen if Atlanta decides to exercise its purchase option for him. While I initially thought it was a sure bet, the emergence of Cooper Sanchez, good form from Tristan Muyumba, and Jay Fortune’s return from injury might make Galarza expendable, especially considering the money they’ve paid for him. Two MLS U22 Initiative signings were also made: Tomás Jacob and Elías Báez (who replaces Brooks Lennon at right back). Both Jacob and Báez have had some good moments, but they’ve also struggled.

Sergio Santos and Fafa Picault are familiar names brought in to add depth to the attack, with both seeing a few spells on the pitch throughout the season.

Tata Martino is back for his second spell in charge of the Five Stripes. What is his philosophy for how he wants the team to play? 

SH: Martino’s tactical preference is similar to what he employed in 2017 and 2018: an attractive, fast-paced style of soccer. The issue is that he doesn’t have the right people in place to make that happen. Miguel Almiron is a shell of his former self, Emmanuel Latte Lath has been ineffective, and Saba Lobjanidze hasn’t been consistent enough on the left wing. Almiron’s injury has slightly forced Martino’s hand, leading him to opt for Alexey Miranchuk as more of a false 9. That’s actually worked to an extent, as Miranchuk has looked relatively good in that role.

While Orlando hasn’t been able to keep the ball out of its net, Atlanta has struggled at the other end of the field, as the team is tied for the fewest goals scored in the East. What’s been the trouble on the offensive end of the field?

SH: I mentioned it a little bit in the previous question, but Emmanuel Latte Lath has proven to be a bust for Atlanta United. He was brought in on what was an MLS record and simply hasn’t performed anywhere near that level. At times, the problem lies with his teammates being unable to provide service for him (leading him to play deeper than he needs to play). When he does get service, he’s wasteful and lacks confidence. His two goals and five shots on target in 879 minutes say it all, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he wasn’t with the team after the World Cup break.

As for Almiron, he simply isn’t the same player he was in 2017 and 2018. There are some flashes of what he was, but they’ve been just that. It’s disappointing to see a player who was foundational to the team’s early success struggle to make an impact. I also mentioned Miranchuk, who has actually been Atlanta’s best player this season. That’s not to say he’s playing at a level that matches his $13 million transfer fee, but he’s been better than what he’s previously shown.

Will any players be unavailable due to injury, suspension, etc.? What is your projected starting lineup and score prediction?

SH: Almiron hasn’t played since a knee injury that flared up in Atlanta’s U.S. Open Cup match against Chattanooga FC on April 15. Martino said that he is “85-90%” there, but I wouldn’t expect to see him on Saturday. Midfielder Will Reilly suffered an ankle injury, and his status is up in the air. Steven Alzate is dealing with an adductor injury and has been out for the past several weeks, while Ronald Hernandez is recovering from an abdominal injury.

For a lineup, I think Martino will rotate with Tuesday in mind.

Jayden Hibbert; Pedro Amador, Juan Berrocal, Ronald Hernandez, Matt Edwards; Jay Fortune, Tristan Muyumba, Tomas Jacob; Luke Brennan, Sergio Santos, Fafa Picault.

Prediction: 1-0 Orlando.

Thank you to Sydney for the excellent primer on Atlanta United. Vamos Orlando!